Chapter 233 - 106: Adagio (Part 1)

Chapter 233: Chapter 106: Adagio (Part 1)

"You shouldn’t have come looking for me."

"But I couldn’t have caught her on my own, either."

Zhang Shutong sighed and glanced at the reeds, which had once again fallen still.

"What happened to your chest?"

"I got kicked."

Zhang Shutong waited for her to catch her breath, then asked again,

"Did you find anything?"

"A woman."

"Who?"

"I didn’t get a clear look. I don’t know her... but she should be the person I’m looking for." Lu Qinglian’s brow furrowed. "I was so close."

"What happened?"

"There was a rock on the ground. My injured foot landed right on it, and I lost my footing. She seized the opportunity..." She sounded annoyed as she spoke, then suddenly coughed a few times. She closed her eyes and opened them again, her amber irises regaining their calm. "What about you? Did you find anything?"

"Nothing. You said she was running, then suddenly stopped and kicked out?"

Lu Qinglian nodded.

But Zhang Shutong simply couldn’t figure out how she’d done it. Or rather, how any human could perform a "kick" under those circumstances.

You didn’t even need to try it to know; just thinking about it was enough. It’s hard enough to maintain your balance when stopping abruptly from a full sprint, let alone launch an attack in the same instant—one that hit a vital spot, no less.

"You can’t beat her either?"

"Not while I’m injured, at least." Lu Qinglian added, "As for that kick, it’s difficult, but not impossible."

"But why did she choose to run instead of continuing her attack?"

"Because of you." Lu Qinglian thought for a moment. "It’s just a guess. She didn’t know what other tricks we had up our sleeve, or maybe she didn’t want to expose herself too early."

"Did you see anything else clearly?"

"No, but I’m almost certain she’s the person I’m looking for."

"Let’s get you up first."

Zhang Shutong offered his hand, but Lu Qinglian didn’t take it. Instead, she grabbed onto the nearby reeds to pull herself up. It looked painful just to watch. She only sighed softly,

"In the end, I still lost her."

"Don’t be too hard on yourself. We’ll find another chance," Zhang Shutong comforted her.

"You’d better think about how I got this injury on my foot."

But just as she finished speaking with a deadpan expression, her brow twitched slightly.

"Stop trying to act tough."

Zhang Shutong had her lean on his shoulder, and the two of them slowly walked back to the road.

Lu Qinglian put on her green robe and found a rock to sit on. Her long hair was a mess and her face was wounded, but she still sat with perfect posture.

Zhang Shutong went back and plucked a few reeds, handing her the fluffy tassels to wipe her clothes with. Then he asked,

"Back at the shore, did she spot you right from the start?"

"No. My assessment that she can’t hear must have been correct."

"Then what?"

"Then I held back a little and kicked her in the back."

"She dodged it?"

"It landed."

"But it felt strange. Like a piece of..." She seemed to be searching for a fitting comparison. "Do you remember that dish from lunch?"

"The king oyster mushrooms?"

"Mhm." The girl nodded lightly. "That’s what it felt like."

"So when I kicked her, I was the one who lost my balance. We exchanged a few more blows, but because of the injury to my foot, it was hard to find a point to leverage my strength, so I was at a disadvantage the whole time." At this, Lu Qinglian glanced at him. "If you run into her again, you’d better not even think about confronting her."

"Is she that strong?"

"The fight would be over the moment it started."

"What about those bodyguards at the villa?"

"If I were uninjured and we were both unarmed, I could take care of two or three of them. She’s at least as strong as that, if not stronger."

"But doesn’t that mean she can’t actually fight her way through, with so many people around Gu Qiuyan this time?"

"More or less."

"So, does she have any special abilities? You know what I mean, right? Like... bone-shrinking techniques to squeeze through fences, the ability to fly or burrow into the ground, or maybe superpowers?"

"If that were the case, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. Her skills are just better than an average person’s, but overall, she hasn’t exceeded that framework." Lu Qinglian lifted her gaze helplessly. "Is there anything in that head of yours besides immortality, Snake Demons, and Superman?"

Zhang Shutong spread his hands.

’It’s surprising she even knows who Superman is.’

’Song probably showed them some foreign blockbusters back in the day.’

"But in the end, it wasn’t the figure I saw that day," Zhang Shutong said, deflated.

"You might not be lying, but I’m starting to suspect you saw wrong. You just saw a woman with long hair and mistook her for me."

"Now that you mention it, I don’t think I got a good look at her face. It was too dark, and half her face was covered by her hair... But she was definitely wearing a green robe back then."

"Making things unnecessarily mysterious? Imitation, or a disguise?" Lu Qinglian frowned again. "But if that’s the case, at least your deskmate’s personal safety can be guaranteed."

Zhang Shutong nodded and glanced to the north.

That’s where the figure had ultimately gone.

The villa was to the south.

He looked back at Lu Qinglian.

"How’s your face?"

Tiny beads of blood were seeping from the cut. There was snow at her feet, and her skin was as flawless as ice, making the red stand out sharply.

"It’s fine. I got scratched by the reed leaves." She gently wiped the blood from her face.

Zhang Shutong wanted to ask if it would scar. Normally, a girl her age would be very concerned about that, but Lu Qinglian didn’t seem to care much. Or perhaps, there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t go to a beauty salon, nor did she have any scar-removing skincare products. She could only wait for it to heal on its own and leave the rest to fate.

Lu Qinglian rested for a bit. Zhang Shutong asked if she needed him to carry her, but she shook her head. She walked very slowly; otherwise, she would have had to limp.

Zhang Shutong slowed his pace to wait for her.

The two of them walked to the nearest bus stop. It was already five o’clock, but luckily, they caught the last bus of the day.

It cost four yuan altogether.

On the bus, Zhang Shutong asked again,

"Want to go for a ride with me? I’ll treat you to dinner."

"No, I have to go back up the mountain to cook. My grandmother is waiting for me."

Zhang Shutong was a bit stunned.

"Cook?"

"Mhm."

Zhang Shutong looked her up and down.

’A wounded face.’

’A sprained foot.’

’Got kicked in the chest, severity unknown.’

’And she has to go back up the mountain to cook.’

’You’re the real Superman, aren’t you...’

She was now looking up, staring at the hand strap on the bus as if it were some strange and novel object.

Zhang Shutong started to feel some sympathy, but Lu Qinglian averted her gaze, her voice devoid of any inflection.

"Don’t waste your sympathy where it’s not needed. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my situation, so when people look at me differently—whether with pity or because they think I’m strange—it troubles me."

’Alright, then.’

Zhang Shutong fell silent.

’She must be used to it.’

In the end, the two parted ways in front of the harbor.

They had been the only two on the bus. After he got off, Lu Qinglian was left alone. She sat by the window, the vast lake not far off. A ferry was slowly making its return trip across the water, columns of black smoke rising into the sky. It seemed the heavy snow had made travel difficult, as many people were leaving the island today. The ferry terminal was bustling and the steam whistle was a bit loud. Lu Qinglian was a person who preferred quiet, and so the bus carried the girl off into the distance.

The sun had set, and the sky was already dim. Zhang Shutong thought about her bad foot; the climb up the mountain would be slow for her. It would probably be dark by the time she got there. But that was a path she walked every day, day after day, year after year. Was it that she didn’t feel lonely, or was she simply used to the loneliness?

Zhang Shutong was in no mood to ponder the question right now.

Following the directions in the text message, he found his family’s motorcycle. The glove compartment was broken and opened with a gentle pull. His dad had hidden the key inside.

It was a standard-style motorcycle with a 350cc engine. His dad had been a pretty cool guy in his youth, and what cool guy doesn’t have a motorcycle?

He’d ridden it a few times before and learned how to shift gears, but he was rusty now. After starting the engine, he practiced for a moment before riding away from the harbor.

The clamor of the crowd gradually faded behind him. People were heading home—some to eat dinner, some to sleep. Even if it was too early for bed, they could still watch some TV.

Those who weren’t going home were probably like his own mom and dad—choosing to spend a night in the city. They could wander through the park or go to the movies in the evening. Both were great places to kill time, lively and fun.

The day was drawing to a close, but his was not yet over.

Zhang Shutong twisted the throttle and headed for his next destination.