Chapter 228 - 102: Retreat (Part 2)

Chapter 228: Chapter 102: Retreat (Part 2)

"Do you guys still want to watch the movie?"

Gu Qiuyan asked calmly.

But her expression had been different just a moment ago. Unless he was mistaken, she had just blinked hard.

"...Maybe we should just head back. That was quite a scare, and we’ve been enough trouble for one day."

Du Kang said politely.

Hearing this, Gu Qiuyan turned her head, covered the mouthpiece of her phone again, and said a few quick words.

Du Kang didn’t know why she had to be so secretive just for a phone call with Shutong. In any case, he couldn’t figure it out, so he decided not to dwell on it.

’Speaking of which, I don’t think Shutong has told her about the footprints yet.’

’And the "culprit" hasn’t been found either.’

’So, are we waiting or not?’

He couldn’t make up his mind. He was about to ask his two best friends, but when he turned his head, he saw Qingyi and Ruoping whispering to each other.

"Hey, why is everyone being so mysterious?"

"Shh." Ruoping waved her hand, signaling for him to just listen and not talk. Then she whispered to Qingyi, "Figured anything out yet?"

"Nope."

"Forget it, let’s not overthink it."

Gossip is in a girl’s nature, but when it’s not about someone particularly important, the interest comes and goes quickly.

If the other person were truly tense and worried about something, then one should show some humanitarian concern. But she took another look and saw that Gu Qiuyan didn’t seem sad or upset. A moment ago she’d looked conflicted, but now she was speaking quietly on the phone with a calm expression, so Ruoping stopped paying attention.

"Let’s head up. Shutong must be waiting for us."

Ruoping gave a small stretch and told the other two to tidy up the sofa and make sure they didn’t leave their phones behind... She was always worrying about everything.

Meanwhile, Gu Qiuyan also turned off the lights and the projector. The once-noisy media room returned to darkness. It wasn’t until the three of them were in the elevator that they realized Gu Qiuyan was still standing outside.

"You guys go on up," she said nonchalantly, holding up her phone. "I just remembered I have to make another call, to tell my dad about the outer wall."

They didn’t know her that well, after all, so the three of them just nodded and pressed the button for the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, the last sliver of light reflecting inside the car vanished.

Forgetting is the most normal thing in the world. Everyone has tiny fragments of memory lodged in a corner of their mind. These fragments might connect at some unexpected moment, and you’ll nod in sudden realization, a lump forming in your throat.

But perhaps for some people, those memory fragments aren’t buried deep in their minds, but have vanished completely and utterly.

The young woman returned to the sofa in the dim space. She hugged her knees, took off the four-leaf clover pendant from her chest, and removed the clip from the back of her head, letting her glossy black hair fall quietly.

...

After hanging up, Zhang Shutong glanced at the time. It was almost three o’clock, which was indeed getting a bit late.

If they stayed any longer, the housekeeper would probably start preparing dinner.

He thought about Lu Qinglian’s warning, and a headache started to form.

He wasn’t comfortable with Gu Qiuyan spending the night at the villa.

’But where should we go next?’

’Leave the island?’

’Or find a small inn on the island and make do for one night?’

’Speaking of which, Gu Qiuyan’s dad should be back soon, right? I wonder if that will cause more problems.’

’It would be a hassle if he just dismisses this as kids playing house.’

Zhang Shutong didn’t want to start a conflict over him saying something like, "Nonsense, why can’t my own daughter stay in her own home?"

’A big shot like him won’t listen to everything I say.’

He went over to the sofa and poured a glass of water. He had already taken a sip when he realized it wasn’t his glass, but Gu Qiuyan’s. Still, she hadn’t used it before, so there was no reason to make a fuss.

Just then, a message came through on his phone. In the group chat, his friends were asking if they should keep waiting.

Zhang Shutong wasn’t sure either.

’Will the culprit come back?’

From a rational perspective, if the person came up again, they would definitely discover the new set of footprints on Ring Mountain Road. Putting himself in their shoes, with so many people waiting at the villa, and it being broad daylight, retreating in the face of difficulty seemed highly probable.

Therefore, it would be difficult to make any more progress today.

’Besides, the person’s identity is also a question. Is it the same figure I saw in the restricted area?’

’If it is, why were the shoes different?’

Countless questions swirled in his mind. At that moment, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the others arrived upstairs.

But Zhang Shutong didn’t see Gu Qiuyan.

"Where is she?"

"She said she wanted to sit downstairs by herself for a bit," Ruoping spoke first. She looked him over curiously. "What did you do to her this time?"

"I didn’t do anything, did I?" Zhang Shutong replied, just as confused.

"So, are we leaving or waiting? We’ve eaten and watched the movie..."

"Let me ask her first. Hold on." He dialed Gu Qiuyan’s number again.

The other end picked up quickly.

"Whatever it is, just tell me over the phone. Don’t come down yet," Gu Qiuyan said in a low voice.

Zhang Shutong guessed it was probably about her mother, so he didn’t waste any words and told her about the footprints.

"Mm," she said after a moment of silence. "I’ll lock the doors and windows. The housekeeper is here with me, and my dad will be back soon tomorrow."

But that wasn’t the answer Zhang Shutong wanted to hear. "I mean, you should really consider staying somewhere else for the next couple of days."

"Why would I go somewhere else?"

"Do you remember the dream I told you about? Your house isn’t actually safe," Zhang Shutong had to force himself to say.

"Then how did the person you mentioned get in?"

This was the question Zhang Shutong dreaded most. He had no way of explaining it.

He tried again, "Then how about we leave the island for a few days? Go to the city?"

"I... That would be too much trouble for you. Nothing will happen at home."

’Great. I thought that was my trump card, but it was completely useless. I remember Song saying that if you just invite a girl, she’ll say yes. Guess you really can’t take that seriously.’

Zhang Shutong knew she had something on her mind and probably wasn’t in the mood for anything. He said,

"It’s only three o’clock. The last ferry isn’t until six. You can think about it."

But it was as if Gu Qiuyan hadn’t heard him.

"Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask for a while now. Why are you so concerned about me?"

Zhang Shutong was caught off guard. ’You’re about to be murdered, how could I not be concerned?’ he thought.

But he couldn’t just say, "You’ll die if you don’t listen to me," like a total psycho.

Zhang Shutong’s mind drifted back. If there was a real catalyst, it must have been at the baozi shop by the school gate. The girl was clearly in a terrible mood but pretended to be indifferent. Then she’d told him stubbornly, "Because then I’d be defeated."

Her words had resonated with him. From that moment on, he had decided to help her, and it had spiraled from there.

He hesitated, about to say this out loud, but then remembered that this event had also disappeared.

’So in this timeline, the reason I started helping her never even happened.’

He was about to subconsciously make up an excuse, but Gu Qiuyan spoke first.

"Okay," she said softly. Her voice was gentle, but it wasn’t the gentleness of being playful; it was listless. "Let’s talk when I come up."

A short while later, the elevator doors opened.

When they saw Gu Qiuyan again, she had taken out the clip from the back of her head. Her medium-length hair was down, and she no longer looked like an elaborately dressed princess, but rather a beautiful and elegant girl.

Gu Qiuyan sat on the sofa, taking small sips of water.

Zhang Shutong wanted to say that he had used that cup, but since she was already drinking from it, it was better to keep his mouth shut.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

She finally looked up again and smiled.

"You’re too much. Who said I was in a bad mood..."

"That’s good, then."

Zhang Shutong didn’t know what had happened to her while she was downstairs. Right now, her mood was neither good nor bad. He only knew that something seemed to have quietly changed—something was different than before.