The memory was interrupted.
Zhang Shutong thought it was perfect timing—he had already forgotten the name of his desk partner, so he could just wait until the seat change and introduce himself again.
It was the second class of the afternoon, and there would be a long break later. Normally, they would run on the playground, but since there was snow, it had been changed to a free-time activity where each class could arrange their own activities.
The class changed seats once a month, and when Zhang Shutong turned his head, he noticed some students were already preparing while others were slowly closing their workbooks, just waiting to pack them into their bags.
Realizing this, Zhang Shutong realized he was one of the last to know about the seat change. He began to pack his things. When he caught sight of a scrap of paper with names written on it, he paused to think.
He planned to think about it more carefully when he got home, always being cautious—he took out the workbook and slipped it inside his bag. It was just a habit from his personality—more of a protective measure than anything else.
As he was about to shove everything into his bag, Zhang Shutong suddenly found himself in a dilemma.
His bag was filled with test papers, textbooks, workbooks, and folders. The various materials from different subjects were mixed together, and he had long lost track of how to organize them.
For the past few years, he had lived alone, and there were typically two types of people who lived alone:
Either their lives were messy,Or they were extremely organized.
Zhang Shutong was the latter. He even had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He couldn't stand it when things were randomly thrown together.
Thinking this, he moved over to the bookcase on the side of the classroom, planning to stow his things there for now.
The bookcase was long, covering an entire wall, with each student having their own slot. Every class also had a dedicated shelf.
The bookcase wasn't related to Gu Qiummian family—at school, things were decent, but what was on the shelves was.
As mentioned earlier, Gu Qiummian had never really made any friends in the class. Her relationships with everyone were faint, so she had decided to create her own little world.
She didn't care about others and didn't want anyone to care about her. Of course, she wasn't a bad person, so she didn't do anything extreme. She just had a very unique personality.
For example, she loved building with LEGO—real LEGO, which were incredibly expensive. Zhang Shutong knew about this hobby because, in every class, there were potted plants to decorate the room—usually pothos or snake plants. But their class had a LEGO castle, one of Gu Qiummian prized possessions.
He remembered his slot was directly beneath the castle. The castle was about the size of a washbasin, in an European style, with a LEGO figure standing at the door wearing a skirt.
The castle was tucked away behind the lush green leaves, looking like a princess hiding in a forest. This was Gu Qiummian privilege.
Looking toward the window seat, Zhang Shutong noticed that the ghostly faces on the glass had been drawn multiple times. He couldn't tell what exactly Gu Qiummian had drawn.
She seemed aware of this. Furrowing her brows, she stared at the drawings for a while before being amused by the jagged figures. She then wiped the glass and continued doing her homework, the pendant on the tip of her hair swaying slightly.
Zhang Shutong stared at the pendant before glancing around at the quiet classroom. Sometimes, the wind howled past, slamming into the windows, causing them to tremble slightly and giving the room a somewhat unstable feeling.
The outside world was dim, and the lights above flickered a little but still emitted warmth.
He didn't know how long it had been since he had such a relaxing moment.
But only he knew that, in five days, this peaceful scene would be shattered.
He recalled the details of the murder case. Because of Gu Qiummian special status, he had heard two versions:
One was that the perpetrator had been short of money, so they kidnapped her for ransom, but things went wrong and ended in tragedy.
Another version said it was the enemy of her father, who had done immoral things during his rise to wealth, and now the consequences had come to haunt his children. This version spread widely, and some even celebrated it.
But Zhang Shutong didn't believe either version. Whether it was for money or revenge, there was no reason for it to involve Lu Qinglian eight years later.
Since it wasn't useful for now, he recalled the news Du Kang had shared with him.
"The murderer from that case was never caught. A few fishermen gave testimonies, saying they saw someone in the forbidden zone before the incident…"
Not much of a clue, but better than nothing.
Once his things were packed, Zhang Shutong had a plan.
Of course, he wasn't in a rush to act immediately.
His sixteen-year-old self would have been a lone wolf, carrying a huge secret, skipping class, and racing off to the "forbidden zone" on his bike without a second thought.
But now, things were different. To be honest, his character had grown a bit cold over the years. The truth was, there was no need to rush. The case would still be days away, and it was better to involve the police than act alone.
Even if he were to call the police, it could wait until after school. No need to rush for half a day.
If there was a main quest in his life, it was to cherish the second chance he had been given.
The side quest was to find the murderer and perhaps have a "happy ending."
As for dealing with the two girls or trying to build relationships, Zhang Shutong had no interest in that.
Since he didn't have much of a relationship with them eight years ago, it would be the same this time around.
In the end, he hated trouble. The best way was to quietly solve the issue behind the scenes without anyone suspecting.
If he had free time, he'd rather go fishing with a few of his old friends.
Just as he was pondering if his fishing skills had gotten rusty, the bell for class ended.
Yawns, complaints, and laughter filled the previously quiet classroom.
Students stood up from their seats, and the sound of rubber soles scraping against the stone floor echoed throughout the room.
As this scene unfolded in front of him, Zhang Shutong suddenly felt the world around him become real again.
He felt a sudden urge to stretch. It was quite magical, as though the physical memories he had long buried were suddenly awakened, making his thoughts lively again.
If he weren't so young, the first thing he would do now was get a driver's license, buy a second-hand car—just enough for his fishing gear—and drive around the country to see all the sights he had missed over the years.
There were some regrets to make up for—like not letting his parents worry about him anymore, going to a better university, and keeping in touch with his close friends. But he had no plans to deliberately make new friends. He believed a few good friends were enough.
Speaking of friends, Zhang Shutong didn't rush to reconnect with his old buddies. He preferred to wander around first.
So, he left the classroom. Their school was one of the few with a four-year system, and Zhang Shutong was in the first class, at the front of the corridor, next to the stairs.
There were two people talking at the top of the stairs.
One was his class teacher, leaning on the railing.
The other, standing opposite him, was a girl wearing a green robe.
The girl had a cold, soft aura, with long hair that reached down to her waist. She was sitting on the steps.
Zhang Shutong couldn't help but stop in his tracks.
After all, just a few hours ago, he had bowed in front of her picture. Now, the person was standing right there in front of him. Anyone would stop to look.
The girl named Lu Qinglian seemed to have just returned from outside. Her delicate face was pale from the cold, and the hem of her rough robe was still covered with snowflakes.
Ordinarily, when someone was frozen, their skin would turn red. But she, with her porcelain-like skin, exuded an unblemished cold light. The blue robe only accentuated this effect.
It wasn't just Zhang Shutong who was curious. More and more students were pouring out into the hallway, some of them glancing this way.
After all, there was a girl who looked like she had just returned from cultivating immortality—beautiful and mysterious, sure to attract both boys and girls.
But maybe her aloof aura kept everyone at a distance. No one dared to approach. They just whispered from afar.
Lu Qinglian, however, seemed indifferent to the commotion, as though the noise around her had nothing to do with her. She was focused on her task, bringing her hand close to her lips, breathing gently to warm herself.
Zhang Shutong had no such qualms.
Not only did he stare at her for a while, but he also noticed something peculiar.
She seemed to be wearing multiple layers under her robe. When standing, the robe looked fine, flowing and giving her an ethereal look, making her resemble a celestial being. But as soon as she sat down, the robe seemed a bit puffed up.
The contrast made her appear less like a celestial being and more like a penguin that had returned from the immortal realm.
Then, Zhang Shutong overheard the class teacher ask the penguin:
"Did you finish sweeping the snow at the temple?"
"Yeah, it was too slippery on the mountain, and some places were frozen, so I was delayed for a bit."
Now he understood.
She had just come back after helping at the temple.
Their class teacher, a young male teacher named Mr. Song, was quite kind. Knowing the girl's family situation, he always approved her leave without hesitation.
"I've told you before, you could've come tomorrow. What if you slip and fall? I'll talk to your grandmother about it."
"It's not her. I wanted to come myself."
The girl's tone and expression were both calm
Mr. Song could only smile bitterly:
"Well, you don't have to rush. You see, you're still in your robe…"
"It's what I wore specially. It's too cold outside."
As she said this, the girl took off her robe, revealing the school uniform jacket underneath.
The conversation ended awkwardly.
"… Well then, you stay warm for a while. After that, give me yesterday's homework. The next lesson is mine, and we'll go over the questions."
Before leaving, Mr. Song reminded her.
Lu Qinglian simply nodded, folded her robe, and stuffed it into her bag. She then grabbed the tie and tied her long hair into a ponytail.
When she looked up again, their eyes met.
"Thank you," the girl suddenly spoke.
Thank you for what? Zhang Shutong wondered. Hadn't he just given her a 500 yuan red envelope? No, that would make for a strange ghost story.
Then, she handed him a pair of gloves.
He took them and looked at them for a few moments. The design was rather flashy—black, with protective pads on the joints, almost as big as Lu Qinglian face.
They were outdoor tactical gloves, and Zhang Shutong had once owned a pair himself, bought for fishing.
These gloves looked familiar.
They seemed to be his own.
Made of nylon, not wool, the shovel was perfect for shoveling snow, and he could imagine it being useful at the temple.
But he noticed her pants were wet, while the gloves were spotless and well-maintained.
He also noticed her hands. They weren't as soft as most people her age. They were rough, a result of hard work, with a few frostbite scars on her palms and fingers.
Though he didn't remember this incident... He nodded:
"Not a big deal."
"Were you looking for me?" Lu Qinglian tilted her head and added, "I saw you earlier."
Zhang Shutong wanted to correct her:
It was you who was looking for me.
To be precise, it was you from eight years later who called me.
He figured that phone call was never to be heard again. Now, it didn't seem so regrettable; after all, she was alive.
In fact, Zhang Shutong didn't have much to say to her, and just as he was about to shake his head in denial, he couldn't help but feel that fate was strange.
Eight years later, he came back to this island for her funeral, but after the Rewind, although it was a coincidence, she was the first person to speak to him.
He suddenly wanted to be a riddle master:
"Do you have a phone?"
"No, why?"
"If you ever get a phone, don't call people in the middle of the night."
At this point, the conversation should have ended, and he was about to leave happily, leaving her to ponder, just like he had puzzled over that phone call.
But she actually thought about it for a moment:
"Is that a joke?"
She said this without smiling, so it didn't really make sense.
"Yeah... I just don't have a sense of humor."
Zhang Shutong bit his inner cheek and walked off.
He really should bring Du Kang and show him what true aloofness looks like.
...
However, what he didn't expect was that shortly after he left, Lu Qinglian entered the classroom.
The girl first checked the homework on the seats, then walked to Zhang Shutong desk and glanced around.
"What's going on?"
Suddenly, a boy popped out impatiently, his face youthful and always smiling.
It was Du Kang.
"Did you just finish sweeping the snow?" he began, trying to make conversation.
"Mm."
"Is it cold outside?"
"A little."
"Next time, I'll help you?"
"No need."
No matter what he said, the girl's tone remained flat, or rather, somewhat perfunctory.
She had wanted to wait for Zhang Shutong to come back, but since he and Du Kang were best friends, asking him was just as good as asking Zhang Shutong himself.
She explained:
"He hasn't turned in his English homework from yesterday."
She remembered he had always been good at English, and usually, boys like him were very conscientious about homework, so it was rare for him not to do it.
"This?" Du Kang face suddenly became anxious.
"He didn't do it?"
"Uh…"
That meant he had guessed correctly.
"I'll take it over for him. Mr. Song wants it next class."
When these words reached Du Kang ears, the girl's cold voice sounded like a death sentence. He quickly said:
"Don't report it, don't report it. He must have done it. Let me find it first."
Names of students who hadn't completed their homework would be noted on a slip of paper, which would be reported to the homeroom teacher. That would result in a demerit.
Other class monitors might beg for leniency, but Lu Qinglian was ruthless.
And Mr. Song had previously stipulated that anyone who didn't turn in their homework would have to do extra duty for the week. While this punishment wasn't severe, they had plans after school, so they couldn't afford to waste time on extra duties.
If Du Kang had known, he would have saved his friend from that fate.
He quickly found the homework, carefully avoiding the LEGO castle on top of the bookshelf.
He smiled, relieved, and handed the workbook to Lu Qinglian.
"Thanks for your help."
"No problem." After watching her leave, Du Kang smiled foolishly.
He had helped his friend avoid extra duties and had a chance to talk to Lu Qinglian. This was a win-win situation.
And, more excitingly, the next class would involve a seat change, just as he and Zhang Shutong had planned...
Thinking about this, Du Kang left the classroom and found his friend by the restroom.
With a sense of accomplishment, he patted his friend on the shoulder:
"Bro, no need to thank me!"