Chapter 238 - 109: The Handicapped Duo (Part 1)

Chapter 238: Chapter 109: The Handicapped Duo (Part 1)

「Saturday, December 8, 2012.」

「7:50 AM.」

Over ten hours remained until the "witching hour."

Zhang Shutong parked his motorcycle and ducked into the small convenience store to buy a bottle of water and borrow some heat from the air conditioner.

Leaning against his motorcycle while waiting for the girl to come down the mountain would have looked cool, but right now, survival was more important.

Perhaps because of his cold, he wasn’t feeling very energetic today. There’s a story from Greek mythology about the "Sword of Damocles," also known as the "hanging sword," which signifies a constant, looming danger. Right now, he felt like the little man scurrying around under that very sword. Although he had already escaped the spot where it would fall, he still felt the urge to run even farther away.

He hadn’t expected the store to be open so early. Places like this were probably unpermitted constructions from years ago, with the shop in the front and the living quarters in the back. For the owners, getting out of bed was the same as opening for business.

Zhang Shutong walked into the little shop. As soon as he entered, he saw a gumball jar on the counter. The floor beneath his feet was cracked concrete, a bare incandescent bulb hung overhead, and the shelves were covered in dust. The air was thick with the smell of age.

He had been wrong about one thing. In a place that charged two yuan for a bottle of water, how could the shopkeeper possibly bear to turn on the heat so early in the morning? Still, buying the water seemed to have granted him the "right of temporary residence," and she didn’t try to shoo him away.

Zhang Shutong bought a pack of tissues to wipe his runny nose. Looking at his phone only made his head feel dizzier, so he started studying the packaging on the instant noodle cups. He glanced at the time now and then; it was almost eight. He turned his head to look out the door, but there was no sign of Lu Qinglian.

It was 8:10 now. He was getting drowsy from the wait, but still, he saw no one.

’Did she oversleep?’

’Or did something happen?’

He wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, left the little shop, and started walking up the mountain path. ’So Lu Qinglian breaks promises after all,’ he thought. But just as he started badmouthing her in his head, he ran right into her.

The girl was walking slowly down the mountain path. Today, she wore a very thick military-style greatcoat. To be honest, the style was a bit drab, but a pretty person looks good in anything. Besides, the coat had a furry collar she could bury her cute face in. She was a pragmatist.

"Sorry, I’m late," Lu Qinglian said as soon as she saw him, her voice tinged with a faint weariness.

"It’s fine. As long as we’re not measuring the delay in hours, I can live with it," Zhang Shutong said, turning to head back down. He asked casually, "You didn’t run into that fox on the way and stop to play with it for a while, did you?"

"No. The injury to my foot is worse than I thought. I was walking slower than usual."

"Oh, sorry..."

Zhang Shutong glanced back and realized she had fallen several steps behind him.

"I’m not blaming you," Lu Qinglian said calmly, as if stating a simple fact. "There’s no point dwelling on something that happened a day ago. I’m just explaining my situation in advance so we can make adjustments to our plans if it’s going to affect them."

"Got it. So you’re saying we can’t run all over the place like yesterday?"

"We can move around, but I can’t do anything too strenuous."

"I should’ve brought that bottle of safflower oil for you," Zhang Shutong sighed. "I’ve got a cold today, too. How are you feeling?"

"I’m fine."

Zhang Shutong wanted to ask if the cut on her face had healed. It seemed to have scabbed over, leaving a faint red line on her fair skin. He was about to lean in for a closer look when Lu Qinglian covered her face, her expression blank.

"This is your fifth warning..."

"Right, right. We’re not that close, are we."

"You’d do well to remember that."

"Do you need a hand?"

She gave a slight nod and thanked him softly. It seemed she really was having trouble getting around.

Zhang Shutong offered his arm. Lu Qinglian placed a hand on his upper arm, and the two of them walked slowly down the mountain path.

"You know, Lu Qinglian, you’re much cuter when you say ’thank you.’"

"And you know, Zhang Shutong, you’re awfully chatty today. Is it the cold, or did you just get your heart broken?"

Zhang Shutong choked on his words.

"By the way, I went to the restricted area again last night."

"That was too reckless," Lu Qinglian said with a frown.

"It wasn’t like I was risking my life. I was on my motorcycle and barely got off it. Even if she’d spotted me, she couldn’t have caught up."

"And? You didn’t find anything?"

"Yeah, it was basically a waste of time." Zhang Shutong sniffled. "Speaking of which, are there any folk remedies for a cold at the temple? I figure a Temple Priestess ought to have some healing skills, right?"

"There’s nothing like that," Lu Qinglian said, a slight headache coming on.

The pair of invalids made it down the mountain path. He had Lu Qinglian wait at the entrance for a moment while he went to get the motorcycle so she would have to walk less.

A moment later, the motorcycle returned with a low hum and stopped in front of Lu Qinglian. Zhang Shutong patted the back seat, suddenly a bit embarrassed.

"I forgot to bring a helmet for you. It’s windy today."

"I expected as much." The girl decisively flipped up the collar of her greatcoat, practically wrapping her entire face in it.

Zhang Shutong then showed her where the foot pegs were hidden and where to grip to get on easily. He felt himself starting to ramble without realizing it. Lu Qinglian just nodded, then swung herself onto the bike with a clean, swift motion.

For some reason, Zhang Shutong felt that she would look effortlessly cool riding a motorcycle.

But for now, he was the one giving her a ride.

He just never thought the first girl to ride on the back of his bike would be Lu Qinglian. Of course, Zhang Shutong had no other intentions. His mood was neutral today—he didn’t feel particularly rushed, nor did he feel unhurried. He had simply gone to a place to pick someone up, and they had to share a ride for a while.

The motorcycle ambled leisurely through the vast, snowy landscape. It shuddered a little, and his gear shifts were a bit clumsy, but at least he could handle it.

Sometimes, flecks of snow kicked up by the wheels would spray against his face. In the rearview mirror, he could see Lu Qinglian’s long hair whipping in the wind.

No one else was wandering around the foot of the mountain at this hour. The surroundings were empty: a silver snowfield, one cool-looking motorcycle, and two people in a temporary partnership. The road ahead was unknown, and each had their own agenda. It wasn’t very romantic, but it felt as if time had slowed down.