Chapter 361 - 158: The Loneliness of the Watcher (Part 2)

Chapter 361: Chapter 158: The Loneliness of the Watcher (Part 2)

He had no choice but to hurry back to the dorm. The world before him had completely changed—

It was afternoon, and tiny dust motes danced in the sunlight streaming through the window. He sat right down on Song’s bed and slapped his face hard. ’Calm down, calm down...’ He forced himself to be still, thinking that bathing in the sunlight would help. But the more he thought about it, the harder it was to control his feelings.

Suddenly, an icy cold sensation touched the back of his neck. Zhang Shutong shuddered and quickly turned his head. Lu Qinglian was standing beside him, though he hadn’t noticed her approach. She was holding an empty Red Bull can, expressionlessly pressing it against the back of his neck.

One could only imagine how cold a metal can would be after being left out for days and nights in this weather. Zhang Shutong’s teeth began to chatter, but the suffocating feeling quickly subsided. Just as he let out a shaky breath, Lu Qinglian pulled her hand back. The can hit the floor with a CLANG. The young woman then strode over and opened the dorm window.

The cold wind rushed in, hitting Zhang Shutong full-on, but it strangely made him relax.

’Lu Qinglian isn’t a completely cold-blooded creature after all,’ Zhang Shutong thought.

He flopped onto his back on the bed, in no mood to talk for the moment. He expected Lu Qinglian’s usual mockery, something like, ’You’re even more fragile than I thought.’ But since she had helped him again, he figured a snide remark wouldn’t be a big deal. However, Lu Qinglian just stood by the window, not saying a word.

She tilted her head up slightly, her hands resting on the windowsill. Perhaps she was watching a cloud drift by in the sky. The dormitory was built in the middle of a desolate, wild field, and the afternoon was the quietest time of day. As the wind blew, the hem of her clothes rustled loudly.

It made Zhang Shutong realize he wasn’t the only one burdened by pressure.

No one could escape this unscathed.

Some had lost lovers, others had lost family. The only difference was that some managed to swim out of the vortex and put a temporary end to the past, while others remained at the very center of it from beginning to end, right up until they left this world, alone, eight years later.

’Alright, so I was wrong.’ Zhang Shutong used to think she didn’t understand anything, that she was just silently fulfilling her duties as the Temple Priestess, guarding that temple until her death. He remembered Du Kang saying in the original timeline that Lu Qinglian had been all alone for so many years. Even her grandmother had passed away by then. Before she died, Lu Qinglian had made one phone call—her only one—and it was to him. It was his return to the island for her funeral that had led to all of this.

Only now did he realize she had been searching for the truth in her own way all along—or perhaps for something even closer than the truth.

Zhang Shutong was silent for a long moment.

"Thanks for what you did just now."

Lu Qinglian didn’t speak. She had been in a foul mood since noon, though she might not have realized it herself. Her words and her gaze had both carried a sharp edge. The oppressive atmosphere had peaked when she saw that photograph in the basement.

Suddenly, there was a crisp tapping sound from in front of him. Zhang Shutong realized she had tapped her fingers twice on the metal windowsill. Perhaps it was her way of acknowledging what he’d said.

"I still remember the first time I saw you on the rooftop," Zhang Shutong recalled. "You told me then that if I didn’t want any ’accidents’ to happen, I shouldn’t pry into your business."

"If you’re regretting that bout of breathlessness," Lu Qinglian said faintly, "I believe I’ve warned you many times, not just that once on the rooftop."

’No wonder you’d say something like that,’ Zhang Shutong actually wanted to say.

"But I’m a slow learner," he finally said, standing up and walking over to the windowsill as well. "Who isn’t curious about the truth? Everyone’s hiding a little secret."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing, I guess. Hmm... just more useless words."

Lu Qinglian sighed lightly, as if tired of talking. "Zhang Shutong, please move a little farther away from me."

"Oh, you don’t like physical contact, right?"

But this time, Zhang Shutong was sure they were already standing a reasonable distance apart.

"No," Lu Qinglian said indifferently. "You ate garlic at lunch. Your breath is a bit strong. Or have you not noticed?"

Zhang Shutong was taken aback. ’It’s perfectly normal to use dipping sauce with hot pot,’ he thought. ’Sesame paste with minced garlic is delicious. Who eats it like you do, like you’re just eating boiled vegetables in plain water?’

Any desire he had to say something more vanished. He took a step back and sighed.

"Give me a hand. Let’s tidy things up."

Lu Qinglian nodded.

"But I don’t understand how you’re going to hide it. Buy an identical poster and stick it on?"

"I’d never be able to find one. The superstar from back then is probably a little old man by now; where would I find that kind of poster? My plan is to use ’helping him pack’ as an excuse to pack up his luggage ahead of time, then lift the metal bed frame and lean it against the wall. That way, it’ll cover the hidden door and also save Song some effort. It’s perfectly reasonable."

"People like you are always living in a web of lies."

"Looks like I have company, then."

Lu Qinglian shot him an icy glare.

Zhang Shutong said no more.

In truth, there wasn’t much of Song’s to pack. The room had very little furniture to begin with. With only one good arm, Zhang Shutong took on the desk, organizing the teaching materials and stationery. Lu Qinglian sat on the edge of the bed and quietly folded the bedding.

’So she has this side to her, too,’ Zhang Shutong noted.

Unlike the man himself, Song’s room wasn’t messy; it was actually quite tidy. It only took them a few minutes to pack things up. The rest of their time was spent carefully peeling the photos off the wall.

In the end, Zhang Shutong gently stacked the photos and placed them inside an exam paper.

It was an exam from after the monthly test, one he hadn’t had time to go over yet. It even had statistics on how many students got each type of question wrong. Zhang Shutong had always heard him muttering about wanting to leave something behind. On one hand, the exam paper; on the other, the photos. Song Nanshan had been on this island for so long. Perhaps this was all he had to leave.

"Want to go see Teacher Song off together later?" Zhang Shutong asked. "After all, that’s the excuse we used to get out of class. It’d be a waste not to go."

"Okay."

’Seems like in her eyes, this was a "necessary" task,’ he thought.

The room was returned to its bare state. Finally, the two said their goodbyes in front of the hidden door. Yes, they had to part ways here, too. The structure of the secret room made it difficult to create a seamless disguise. It required one person outside the door and one person inside, coordinating their efforts.

Lu Qinglian had to go back into the basement, close the door there, and then seal the entrance in the old house.

Of course, this was just a precaution. Since the trail of clues had gone cold again, and they still didn’t know the identity of the person in the basement or who had awakened the mud men, it was better to be careful.

They agreed to meet up downstairs at the dorm building in a little while.

Zhang Shutong watched Lu Qinglian’s back disappear into the passage. He waited a moment longer, until he heard the sound of the iron door being locked, before pushing the hidden door shut and forcefully pulling the bed from the side—

Before leaving, Lu Qinglian had already stood the bed frame up against the wall. All he had to do was push it into position in front of the hidden door.

With that, the job was finally done. Zhang Shutong called his respected teacher. It was noisy on the other end, with sounds of crying and commotion. Song, however, was laughing and joking. He seemed to have his phone propped up somewhere.

"Leaving right now, right now! What, are you calling to see if I’ve left? You still want to come see me off?"

’Yes, I do,’ Zhang Shutong thought to himself.

’Even though the man said to take care and that we should never see each other again... well, who can argue with the deep bond between a master and his student?’

He estimated he had about twenty minutes left. He used the time to walk out of the dormitory and onto the street outside.

「Afternoon, December 13th.」

He wasn’t sure if the basement was the thing he had missed on the "wild dog" path. Everything seemed to be at a dead end, yet at the same time, it felt like he had found a new lead.

The police station was close by. Zhang Shutong wanted to find out who had built this dormitory and whether there was any record of Lu Qinglian’s mother’s death.

He didn’t have a car, so he had to rely on his own two feet. Few students were wandering around at this time of day. On the way, he passed a small convenience store and bought the chewing gum he’d been craving—Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit, a flavor that would be discontinued in the future.

As he paid, he blew a bubble. A little girl standing beside him stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"Want some?"

Zhang Shutong asked with a smile. Just as he was about to offer her a piece, the girl was suddenly pulled away by her wary mother.

Behind him, the little girl burst into tears with a WAH.

Her mother scolded her in a low voice:

"Look at that big brother. Not only is he skipping school, but his arm is in a sling..."

"But Mommy, you said handsome big brothers aren’t bad people!"

The bubble popped.

When he walked into the police station, a familiar crowd was gathered.

Officer Xiong and Deputy Police Officer Wang were sitting in the office.