Chapter 239 - 109: The Handicapped Duo (Part 1)

Chapter 239: Chapter 109: The Handicapped Duo (Part 1)

The young Temple Priestess only had an injured foot, but she was still agile. You could tell because she kept her seat perfectly, holding onto nothing but the motorcycle’s crash bars.

A gap remained between them the entire time. If it weren’t for her hair fluttering in the wind, it would have been difficult to tell there was a passenger at all.

"To the restricted area first?"

"Alright."

With those few words, their itinerary was set. After a moment of silence, Zhang Shutong asked, his eyes fixed on the road,

"By the way, you actually have other clothes. I thought you only owned that one long robe."

"Do you wear the same clothes all year round?"

Lu Qinglian replied dismissively. Her hair had been in a ponytail, but she’d let it down after getting on the bike. ’Maybe for warmth?’ Zhang Shutong wasn’t sure.

"Actually, I used to think that long robe was a uniform. Like, you had to wear that green robe whenever you were performing your duties as a Temple Priestess."

"You’re right." She thought for a moment before giving a brief reply.

"Then what about today?"

"Your assumption is based on what you know of Lu Qinglian," Lu Qinglian said coolly.

"What do you mean?"

"What if I were someone else?"

Zhang Shutong froze and squeezed the brakes. He was turning his head to speak when he felt Lu Qinglian push off his back to sit up straight, sighing softly.

"I was lying."

"You’re the fake?"

"What I just said was a lie. Why would you believe it? But I admit, I shouldn’t have tried to scare you."

Zhang Shutong knew this wasn’t a sudden attack of conscience. When he’d braked, her body had been thrown forward uncontrollably, resulting in an intimate moment with her chest pressed against his back. She had tried to scare him and ended up screwing herself over.

"It was a reflex," Zhang Shutong said helplessly. "I’m not at my best today. My brain’s a bit fuzzy."

"Sorry, but your question was just so... what’s this about a ’uniform’? What were you even thinking?" For a moment, Lu Qinglian couldn’t find the right adjective. "And another thing—you’d better not be taking this chance to do what boys your age like to do."

"You know about that?" Zhang Shutong was surprised. "Has someone pulled this on you before?"

"No. Your fever really has fried your brain. Haven’t I told you I don’t like physical contact?" Lu Qinglian recalled. "But I’ve overheard people talking about it before. About guys who deliberately slam on the brakes. Such a childish move."

Zhang Shutong certainly wasn’t that childish. He got back to business.

"Right now, I have two theories. First, she must have a reason for going to the restricted area. Second, I still believe I wasn’t mistaken—the person I saw that day and she are not one and the same."

"But all the leads have gone cold."

"So you need to be prepared for the fact that today might be a complete waste of time."

Lu Qinglian nodded, saying nothing more.

Zhang Shutong knew today’s efforts would likely be fruitless, but he needed a goal to keep himself going. Otherwise, he would’ve just stayed in bed to nurse his illness.

’I just need to get through tonight. Get through tonight, catch the killer, and I’ll finally be free.’ Things might not go so smoothly, but he sometimes used such absurd justifications to comfort himself.

He focused on riding, making a detour to their base along the way. He grabbed motorcycle helmets and folding stools, tossing one helmet to Lu Qinglian. Only then did he remember that he hadn’t raided the safe this time, which held a hidden compressed biscuit.

For a rare moment, Zhang Shutong reflected on his actions. Maybe he shouldn’t have shared that compressed biscuit with Gu Qiuyan last time.

But it was too late for regrets. He continued riding toward the restricted area with Lu Qinglian.

This was the very definition of a fruitless endeavor—there was no one in the restricted area, and they found nothing new. So, they sat on the stools and waited. Since Lu Qinglian was injured anyway, they could just consider it a break.

After all, the real focus of the day was on "tonight."

The two of them sat by the lakeshore. Zhang Shutong rested his chin in his hand, gazing at the water. The quiet moment made him want to make small talk.

"Thanks for everything these past few days. You’ve helped me so much."

"I’ve told you, there’s no need for thanks. I’m doing this for myself."

"But you really have helped me a lot. I wouldn’t have known how to deal with that person otherwise. Plus, without you, I’d be sitting here all by myself."

Zhang Shutong had waited in the restricted area before, for hours at a time. He knew it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

"Even if we come up empty, it’s still nice to talk. I don’t know if you get it, but there are things I can’t tell my friends, my teachers, or even my parents. I can’t even tell Gu Qiuyan. After a while... it gets hard to breathe, holding it all in. I’m just really grateful to have someone who can listen."

"I can’t argue with that."

"So I still have to thank you. At least we can talk a little..."

"Sorry, you’re not my type," Lu Qinglian cut in.

"Who said I was confessing?" Zhang Shutong was speechless. "Besides, you’re not my type, either."

She asked, perplexed,

"Am I wrong? Usually, when a guy at school talks to me like that, it’s a prelude to a confession."

Zhang Shutong fell silent. But then he saw the hint of a smile playing on Lu Qinglian’s lips.

"You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

"I did," she admitted readily.

"Why?"

"You were getting a little noisy."

"Want some water? There’s some in the storage compartment."

Lu Qinglian shook her head.

They chatted idly, both falling silent whenever a cold gust of wind blew past. Occasionally, Zhang Shutong would pull out his phone to message Gu Qiuyan, but it was always the same routine check-in.

"Everything okay?"

"Everything’s fine."

Zhang Shutong’s screen went dark. He murmured,

"Do you think... this whole affair is finally over?"

He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or actually asking her.

"Depends on your objective," Lu Qinglian said offhandedly. "If it’s to protect your deskmate, then her safety is already guaranteed. If it’s to find the truth, then no, it’s not. Which means for me, this isn’t over."

"The truth..." Zhang Shutong sighed. "The first part is easy enough, but I’m completely stumped on the second. Ever since I saw you climb out of that pit, I’ve been thinking... you said that person’s skills were on par with yours. Could they have just jumped across?"

"I don’t know." A brilliant answer from Lu Qinglian. She thought for a moment before adding, "The chances of jumping straight across are slim, but scaling it like a tree would be possible."

"Like they do in the movies, right? Plant your feet against the wall and scramble up in a few quick moves..." Zhang Shutong fell silent for a moment. "I think I’m about ready to give up on this whole ’truth’ thing. I just don’t have the energy for it."

He added,

"Of course, I don’t mean I’m giving up completely, just putting it on hold for a bit. For tonight, at least, the only goal is to prevent Gu Qiuyan’s death. As for who I saw that day... my thinking is, it would be great if we happen to find out, but if not... well, in a few days the snow will melt and your snakes can move around again. That’ll be better than us searching aimlessly."

For once, Lu Qinglian didn’t warn him about mentioning the snakes.

"So you already have a goal, don’t you? Why are you asking me, then?"

"Because making the final call is hard. Even when you think you’ve made the right choice, even when you know you’ve done your best, you can’t help but wonder... ’Can I really handle this responsibility?’"

"Why do you have to be the one to bear it?" Lu Qinglian retorted.

"I wasn’t finished. That’s how I used to think, but now I realize I was wrong. A friend warned me once that trying to carry everything on your own is a sign of arrogance. At the time, I thought, ’Easy for you to say,’ but he meant well, so I didn’t argue.

"But now I see he was right. That whole ’I’m the only one who can handle this’ mentality is incredibly arrogant. And now I have proof. Her dad came back, and a problem I thought was impossible was something he could solve with a wave of his hand—and do a much better job of it.

"I’m not saying this to wallow in self-pity or complain that my efforts were all for nothing. I’m not blaming anyone. I just realize now that I was wrong before. There’s nothing in this world that only I can do; all I did was put a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself."

He’d just said an awful lot. Letting out a long breath, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Zhang Shutong wasn’t the type to voice such personal thoughts. He glanced at Lu Qinglian. She seemed to be listening intently. After a long moment, she spoke.

"Zhang Shutong, you’re rather fragile today."