Chapter 193 - 85: "Hostage

Chapter 193: Chapter 85: "Hostage

"A snake?"

It really was a snake.

Zhang Shutong’s heart leaped.

"What’s the situation on your end?" he asked urgently.

"Don’t panic. I see snakes like this all the time; the island is full of them. Don’t forget what your mom does for a living," his mother said, her carefree tone returning. "Bluish-black with some patterns on its body... Let me think. I went to an ecology lecture once where someone mentioned it. I think it’s a type of colubrid snake. There’s a subspecies on the island, what was it called... a Lian snake?"

The description was a basic match for what he’d seen last night.

"A ’chain’ snake?"

As he spoke, Zhang Shutong opened his browser and searched for it. It was a common type of snake. Although he couldn’t find the exact one he’d seen outside the villa, at least he now had an idea of what it was.

"It’s not venomous?"

"Not venomous... I think?" His mother sounded unsure herself. "Aren’t most colubrids non-venomous? And even if they are, the venom is usually weak and not harmful to humans. Tongtong, what did they even teach you in biology?"

Zhang Shutong just warned her to be careful. His mother said she had to drive, so he frowned and hung up the phone.

He had unknowingly walked to the side door. Looking out through the French window, he saw the housekeeper feeding the dog in the backyard. Zhang Shutong wondered if a dog that could be so easily poisoned was reliable, but he hoped it could be of some use.

So he went outside and suggested to her that she could tie the dog next to the main gate in the fence. That way, it could at least bark a couple of times if anything happened.

But the housekeeper quickly stood up and waved her hands, telling him not to come closer. Zhang Shutong stopped in his tracks. Only then did the woman explain that the dog was very fierce and only recognized President Gu and Mianmian. "When I first started feeding him, even I had to keep my distance."

Sure enough, the large dog stopped eating. It crouched low, fixing him with eyes that were almost entirely black, and a low growl rumbled in its throat.

"He’s an old dog," the housekeeper said, stroking the Doberman’s head. The big dog finally squinted in enjoyment and relaxed its guard. "He’s been around since Mianmian was little. That’s why President Gu brought him here. Not expecting him to do much work, just feeling sentimental."

’Alright, making such a loyal old dog stand guard in the snow does seem a bit cruel.’

Zhang Shutong said no more. He went into the living room, only to find that Gu Qiuyan was gone. The TV was still on, playing to an empty sofa.

He glanced at the elevator; the display showed the number "2." ’I’ve screwed up again,’ he thought. But this time wasn’t like before, when he could handle things with ease—solving the case while also managing the young lady’s moods.

Just then, cheerful laughter echoed from the TV. Handsome men and beautiful women were gathered together on screen. He realized it was still that prankster show they hadn’t finished watching yesterday. It had started over from the beginning today.

But this second showing was also destined to have no audience.

Zhang Shutong just sighed, slipped on his shoes, and pondered the meaning of the snake.

’Snakes again.’

’Is this also a change in the "timeline"?’

’Or have they always been here, and I just never noticed them until they were exposed by this heavy snow?’

Zhang Shutong knew there were no snakes near his home. But now, snakes had been found in two locations: his house and Gu Qiuyan’s. In this murder case that had spanned eight years, the two of them were at the center of the vortex. This could no longer be called a coincidence. To confirm this, he even messaged his close friends one by one, asking if they had seen any snakes recently.

The answer was no.

The three of them started discussing it. Du Kang even had the nerve to ask him to take a picture of the frozen snake for him to admire.

But he had no time for that now.

This new discovery undoubtedly strengthened his resolve to go up the mountain.

’I can’t wait any longer.’ It would take half an hour to walk down the mountain path. He hurriedly grabbed his jacket and went to find Song.

"You’re leaving already? Should I go down with you?" ’Adults all worry the same way.’

"I’ll go by myself. It’s better if you stay here, Mr. Song," he explained. "The road is blocked, and if I leave them both here alone, it’ll be hard for me to get back in time if something unexpected happens."

"Alright," Song said, a little hesitant. "In that case, you have to send me a QQ message every ten... no, every five minutes, until you get in a car."

Zhang Shutong nodded in agreement. He asked Song to let Gu Qiuyan know as well and was about to run out the door when the older man called out to him.

"Shutong, don’t forget to wear this. Never mind if it’s ugly, staying warm is what’s important."

He turned to look and saw Song lifting that black down jacket from the sofa. But he had clearly put that jacket away in the closet. ’How did he find it?’

Song wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw him put it on.

’That’s what mentors are for. They nag you when you’re down, act goofy when you’re depressed, and are always there for you when you’re freaking out.’

Zhang Shutong haphazardly pulled on the jacket, which was a bit too short for him, gave the man a wave, and pushed open the front door.

But lately, it seemed he was always going through one farewell after another. His departure wasn’t smooth; he ran right into the housekeeper, who was coming back from feeding the dog. The woman was surprised and asked why he was leaving so suddenly. Was there something he wasn’t used to?

He didn’t know how to explain. He glanced back instinctively. Song had already gone back inside. The TV chattered on, but the living room was empty and deserted. On the coffee table sat a pot of brewed tea. It had been hot just a moment ago. Now, the person was gone, and the tea was getting cold.

It was a quiet yet leisurely morning. The heating was on indoors, so there was no need to dress too warmly; a long-sleeved shirt was enough. The most fitting activity would be to sink lazily into the sofa, cup of tea in hand, and take a short nap. Reading the newspaper or watching a movie would be bliss.

On a day like this, kids didn’t have to go to school, and adults didn’t have to go to work. All social activities had practically ground to a halt. No one wanted to be out and about—not even the most miserable office worker. Even the Doberman got to eat while lying in its cozy dog bed.