Winter Return (冬日重現)

Alright, I was joking about Rewind.

I'd rather die socially than stay trapped in the past.

But the current situation really gave Zhang Shutong a headache. At their age, they were at that most gossipy, curious stage about relationships between boys and girls.

Just talking a bit more with a female classmate, and someone would spread the rumor that so-and-so had feelings for so-and-so. Let alone the stuff written on the note, which had two girls' names on it, making it even more explosive. He dared to guarantee that in a few days, the rumor would be that Zhang Shutong was secretly in love with two girls.

One by one, the classmates around him were stunned. They probably thought this quiet guy was up to something big, unlike Du Kang, who couldn't keep his feelings hidden. If it were Du Kang, they'd have already showered him with the most enthusiastic smiles, sending him straight to the ground. But when they looked at the boy named Zhang Shutong, he was sitting there unfazed, with a cold expression on his face. By now, someone had secretly given him a thumbs up.

The class teacher on the podium paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and said in a low voice, "Zhang Shutong."

"...Here."

"What happened to your homework yesterday?"

He raised the workbook and slammed it onto the podium, the force so strong it shocked the students. His other hand secretly crumpled the note and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Is it because your grades are good that you're starting to get special treatment? You don't even do your homework anymore? Your tail's about to shoot up to the sky!"

"I forgot."

"Forgot? Get to the back and reflect for a lesson."

When Song Nanshan's face was expressionless, it was quite intimidating. He scanned the class coldly, and one by one, the students flinched. Then he yelled, "What's going on? Have I been smiling at you too much? Why are you staring at me? Look at the screen!"

Zhang Shutong stood at the back for a whole lesson. After class, he was immediately called to the teacher's office.

Song Nanshan sat back in his office chair, still with a stern face, exuding a menacing vibe, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

"I know." Zhang Shutong lowered his head, but he had to act the part, so he was about to act innocent. But he really couldn't pull it off, so he went straight to the point: "Thanks, teacher."

"Hmm? For what?" Song Nanshan seemed to be in high spirits, grinning. "I scolded you, made you stand in front of the class, and you thank me instead? Shouldn't you be cursing me in your heart?"

Hearing this, Zhang Shutong almost wanted to roll his eyes.

"Thanks for taking all the fire away, and letting me go to the back so no one would stare at me during the class."

Actually, his face wasn't that thick-skinned, but he thought standing was quite exhausting. However, in the teacher's eyes, he was probably still that quiet, stubborn kid from back then, which led to this response.

Song Nanshan felt greatly comforted and said, "You understand me, kid. Now, I can die satisfied even if I get scolded." Zhang Shutong responded, "How could I dare? I'll secretly tell you, actually, I'll probably die before you."

— Of course, this conversation didn't actually happen. Zhang Shutong never said meaningless things. When he was really speechless, he'd just roll his eyes.

Song Nanshan raised an eyebrow, leaned back comfortably in his office chair, and handed him the empty teacup, "Well, you kid, your emotional intelligence has suddenly increased so much."

"Usually, I just reflect."

"If you had this much tact, why did you have such a bad relationship with Gu Qiumian before?"

"What do you mean?"

"You still don't get it? Although I know you didn't do anything, how should I put it..." Song Nanshan had a nostalgic expression, like remembering some past emotional wounds, but then he suddenly sighed and said, "Forget it, you'll understand when you grow up."

Zhang Shutong thought, "Sorry, I still don't get it."

"You know about this?"

"Of course, I even wondered what I'd do if her dad came asking. But he didn't come."

Zhang Shutong stopped pouring hot water and poured a little cold water into the cup. He handed the cup back to the teacher and asked, "Do you have any other business?"

"You're trying to leave so soon? Aren't you staying here until after school?"

Zhang Shutong shook his head.

Song Nanshan didn't seem happy about that. He grabbed his shoulder and said, "Come on, tell me, what's up with the names on that paper?"

Zhang Shutong really didn't want to talk about this and wanted to get away quickly. He helplessly said, "Just wrote down some names."

"Anything else?"

"Really nothing."

"Which one do you like more?"

Zhang Shutong almost wanted to spit blood. He knew that rumors had to be killed at the source, and just as he was about to explain, Song Nanshan nodded and stroked his stubble, muttering to himself, "Looks like it's Gu Qiumian, otherwise why would you sit next to her. Hmm, go on, go on, you little boys are pretty fun."

Zhang Shutong twitched his eyes as he stepped out of the office, but just as he reached the door, he heard Song Nanshan call out behind him, "Shutong—"

His tone was more serious, which made Zhang Shutong turn back. Then he took a sip of water, crossed his legs, and said, "You didn't do your homework, don't forget to take care of the duty next week."

"..."

Zhang Shutong waited until the class bell rang before heading back to class. Although he had more or less figured out a solution, he underestimated the curiosity of the people around him. As soon as he entered the door, everyone stared at him like they were watching a panda, and it seemed like the panda's fur was going to be stared off.

The only exception was Gu Qiumian. She kept her eyes fixed on the podium and didn't say a word.

Zhang Shutong sighed in relief. It was the ones who asked this and that that were really annoying. Thus, his relationship with his new deskmate, which had just gone from cloudy to light rain, shifted again to cloudy. Though, he didn't really mind the cloudy weather.

One class quickly passed, and as expected, the inevitable happened. Du Kang came running, looking guilty. Zhang Shutong didn't care about the curious eyes around him but couldn't handle familiar people's inquiries, especially when they came to care about his "relationship status."

"I was wrong, bro!" Du Kang was direct, almost ready to kneel.

"What did you do wrong?" Zhang Shutong almost asked the same question as Song Nanshan. He thought, "Is this helping me hand in my homework? Is this just a casual thing? Is this what friends don't need to thank for?" The number of complaints was so much that even he wanted to say a few things. Moreover, this guy wasn't here to apologize; he was just a pioneer.

The real culprit was behind him—he didn't see Ruoping and Qing Yi standing not far away, secretly glancing, their faces nearly splitting from laughter. Probably as soon as they saw Zhang Shutong in a good mood, ready to establish friendly communication, they would run over to gossip.

Zhang Shutong, being direct as usual, stretched out three fingers: "Three versions, which one do you want to hear?"

"Can I hear them all?" Du Kang asked while signaling to the two in the distance. The surrounding voices seemed to quiet down, and a few people pretended to be uninterested but looked over. Even Gu Qiumian raised an ear, though she was still studying her backpack—right now was the end of school time.

Zhang Shutong saw this but didn't care, continuing: "You can, but only tell one person. I don't like crowds; I want to be alone." After saying this, he regretted it, staring at Du Kang's mouth, thinking, "You better not take the bait."

But then: "Who is Jingjing?"

"You bring Qing Yi here," Zhang Shutong pressed his forehead. This was the playful mode from 2012, with things like "I'm dizzy," "Jingjing," "floating clouds…" It made him embarrassed.

"Stop, stop, I'll absolutely shut up! So, what's the first one?"

"Song Nanshan asked me to write a seating chart, preparing to form a study group. I didn't finish it and just handed it in."

"Not bro, the timing's off, quickly, tell me the second one?"

"Before I changed seats, I had a dream. In the dream, the next seating arrangement was like this," Zhang Shutong spread his arms: "You see, she's next to me, and she's diagonally in front of me, then me, forming a stable triangle." At this point, he thought to himself, "Actually, it kind of is like that? Gu Qiumian is the right angle."

"Then you drew it on paper and followed the dream's instructions to sit here?" Du Kang helped him finish the second half of the sentence with a look that said, "You're fooling an idiot": "What's the third one?"

"I like both of them."

"I don't believe it at all." Du Kang was confused.

"Well, I have no choice." Zhang Shutong shrugged, "You pick whichever version you like."

What's the best way to eliminate rumors? Zhang Shutong thought it was to make up a few even more ridiculous ones. If everyone thinks they're all nonsense, in the end, no one believes any of them, and that's his goal. At the moment, the effect seemed good. The onlookers, with expressions of "Is that it?", turned around and were about to leave.

The more you take something seriously, the more it drags on. But if you just say it straightforwardly, it usually quiets down right away. Zhang Shutong believed that by tomorrow, the three extremely ridiculous rumors would spread throughout the class, be discussed for a while, and eventually lead to nothing happening.

"Are you sure you don't like Lu Qinglian?" Du Kang asked, finally bringing up the question that had been on his mind.

Zhang Shutong couldn't be bothered with such a trivial question, but Du Kang's response, relieved and a little smug, indicated he was satisfied with the answer. Zhang Shutong thought this matter was almost over. The way he handled it wasn't perfect, but given the level of the issue, he hadn't spent much mental energy on it. Plus, there was another major task ahead, which was, in fact, the reason for the time travel that would come eight years later.

Just as he was about to say something and head downstairs, Gu Qiumian suddenly stood up, slinging her red scarf over her shoulder, her face hidden beneath it, only her small nose visible. The girl still had a cold expression, with a strand of hair hanging over her pretty eyes, knocking on Zhang Shutong's chair back with a tap and leaving without a word.

Zhang Shutong, genuinely confused about girls' thoughts, wondered if Miss Gu wanted him to tell a fourth version of the story? No way, he couldn't do that, especially after the three versions already consumed so many brain cells.

They stood frozen for two seconds before Gu Qiumian raised her eyes again and crisply said, "Aren't you going to let me out?"

"…"

After shifting his chair, Gu Qiumian walked out in her little boots, her hair swaying with each step.

They both watched her back: "Can you guess what she means?"

"Seems like… she really wants to go out?" Du Kang said uncertainly. "I think it's simple—she just wants to leave, and we've been blocking her way."

"You're just saying this after the fact."

Zhang Shutong stretched and relaxed his body: "Then I'm leaving now."

"Okay, see you at the usual spot."

"Usual spot?"

"You didn't say we'd meet today? The bait was all set, and now you're backing out?"

Zhang Shutong's hands itched at the mention of it. His parents were usually working overtime, not home, so he had nothing to do anyway.

"That works, but there's something at home I need to take care of first. You guys go ahead and eat."

Looking around, Ruoping and Qing Yi had already left—probably thinking he was in a bad mood and preparing to catch Du Kang later for an interrogation. The two waved goodbye. Zhang Shutong smiled to himself, thinking, "This is what student life should look like."

Just as he was gathering his things to leave, the girl in front of him slowly turned around: "Zhang Shutong, wait a moment."

Zhang Shutong had almost forgotten about this "penguin" of a person. She was so inconspicuous. The girl named Lu Qinglian tore the straw off her milk carton and, with a blank expression, looked at him: "Are you free after school? I have a few things I want to talk to you about."

Zhang Shutong sighed inwardly, thinking, "I knew it…" The note would trigger a chain reaction, and he'd thought about Song Nanshan, his classmates, his close friends, even Gu Qiumian. But he had totally forgotten about her.

The girl lowered her head, coldly adjusting her straw, and added: "You'd better come. It's important."

She was really something, able to wait this long just to drink. But this girl wasn't too hard to deal with. Like how a stand-in agent might attract other stand-ins, quiet people tend to like others who are quiet too.

Zhang Shutong gave a perfectly puzzled look: "Not free."

"What's the matter?" The girl frowned, and there was a surprising pressure in her tone.

"Fishing."

"What happens after fishing?"

"…"

Zhang Shutong sighed, "If this is about the workbook from yesterday, and if it caused you any trouble, I—"

"Oh, I took it." Lu Qinglian took a sip of milk, her thin brows relaxing, "So, you're not free today?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

"I see." She then turned away, her tone as cold as ever, as if her "important matter" was nothing compared to her milk.

That's it? Zhang Shutong blinked. He suddenly understood the feeling Song Nanshan had earlier. Being a cryptic person isn't something that happens overnight—this girl, with her personality, would be dangerous eight years from now.

This bizarre conversation lingered in his mind for a moment. He was now walking through the campus covered in snow, the ground slippery, forcing him to slow down. Everything around him was the same. The red sunset illuminated the world with a warm hue, the ping pong table was covered in pure white. Beyond the fence, he could see the lake, reflecting the same warm tones, shimmering with silver ripples. He stared at it for a moment, but then found it too glaring, so he closed his eyes and tried to make sense of the surrounding sounds: some students running, others walking, a few snowballs flying by, and one kid fell to the ground.

Maybe he was like them back then—just a kid, wandering aimlessly. Wanting to eat, sleep, play, and sometimes, wanting to stop and watch the clouds float by aimlessly above.

What made him turn into the way he is now? It was impossible to trace. But since he was back, he might as well try to make up for the regrets of the past.

Zhang Shutong paused, standing at the beginning of his first step to make up for those regrets—only to realize he had forgotten where he parked his bike. He wandered around the bike shed for a while and finally found a familiar one: A deep blue Feige brand, with the handlebars slightly crooked, decorated with some sea animal stickers. It still looked cool even now. There was a double-sided bag on the top tube, one side holding water and the other a flashlight. The back seat had been modified, with a square box attached. He opened it, and inside was a retractable fishing rod—along with a telescoping baton.

Zhang Shutong suddenly laughed. No wonder he never had a girlfriend—there was no back seat left for one!

The snow was in a half-melted state, leaving black-gray tire tracks and footprints on the ground. The people on the island were used to it. At most, just sprinkle a little salt, but don't use an ice melter. When the weather was bad, the neighbors would actively come out to clear the snow, working hard, sometimes even calling the students to help.

He carefully rode his bike out of the school gate, heading to the only police station on the island. This was his first move in his "Plan A" after the time travel—the "B Plan" was like Ultraman's ultimate move, something to use only if Plan A failed.

They finished school at five, and it took about 20 minutes to get there. By the time he arrived, he had already prepared some excuses—like how to convince people he was just a student, and how to focus on the case that would happen four days later… He thought it was foolproof.

However, in the police station, after less than a minute, Zhang Shutong was dragged out. Yes, literally dragged—by a brawny, bear-like officer with dark skin and a scar across his face. Coincidentally, his last name was Xiong. Officer Xiong glared at him with his big, copper-ring eyes and scolded in a local dialect: "I've told you guys so many times, it's the fishing ban period! A notice just came from above, it's strict, you know what 'strict' means?" He meant "inspect," but said "insert."

"And here you guys are, still daring to come. The last time that kid with the baby face came, lied to me saying there were electric fishermen to the east. I patrolled and you guys went to the west to fish. Now, it's even more absurd, what's all this talk about suspects?!"

"If I catch you again, I'll report it to your school and make you go home to reflect. Got it?"

"Got it… got it…" Zhang Shutong replied weakly, using dialect for the first time in a long while.

He rubbed his temples. Poor "Plan A" had officially failed, and it was as short-lived as Ultraman's chest timer, flashing red within a few minutes. He glanced at his hand and cursed himself, "How much did you love fishing back then…"

Sigh.

He had no choice but to get back on the bike, put on his tactical gloves, and checked the baton from the bike's box. Squinting against the sunset, he pressed down on the pedals. The bike slowly dragged out a long trail in the snow. It seemed like he had to check out the "forbidden zone" after all.

The main plotline had officially begun.