Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 136: Chapter 56: "Nice to Meet You

It was almost nine o’clock by the time he got home.

His mom wasn’t home. It was another night alone.

’It was a headache when she was around, but he kind of missed her when she wasn’t.’ The thought made Zhang Shutong recall the previous night at the villa: the sound of water bubbling as noodles cooked, the palace-like decor, the man in the living room watching a soccer match, and the girl sitting across from him, watching him eat... For him, that was practically a party. Rain had streamed down the floor-to-ceiling windows under a misty night sky, and being inside the brightly lit room had given off a special kind of warmth.

’But what the hell? Since when did the word ’warmth’ have anything to do with me?’

Zhang Shutong had once wondered if everyone was born with a mission. If so, his was to fight that damned ability to his last breath, never stopping until the day he died. He wasn’t necessarily prepared to die old and alone, but the fact remained that he had been on his own for many years.

But things were gradually changing. There were more and more people around him, and Zhang Shutong felt he hadn’t quite adapted yet. He’d never had the time to think about it before, but now he finally could.

He plugged his phone in to charge, then went to change his clothes. By the time he came back from washing up, the phone had turned on. As expected, he was bombarded with messages. He lay down on his bed, planning to send a quick ’I’m safe’ message before putting his phone aside to completely clear his head for a bit.

On QQ, his best friends had messaged to say they were home. No one seemed to be in the mood for much small talk today. He just took a picture of his ceiling and sent it to the group chat as a reply.

Next was a pile of missed calls: one from his mom, one from Song Nanshan, and the last one, surprisingly, from Gu Qiuyan. Zhang Shutong had planned to call Song back first—he could be done in a single sentence—and then have a longer chat with his mom. But the call from Gu Qiuyan gave him pause. He’d checked QQ and saw no new messages from her profile picture, the one that looked like a cross between a sheep and a cloud. ’If it were something minor, she would’ve just sent a message.’ He dialed her number. The call connected almost instantly, and a girl’s voice came through:

"You’re just now getting home?"

She didn’t sound like she was in trouble; her tone was quite cheerful.

Zhang Shutong asked her the same, and she said she’d already showered and was in her bedroom. When he asked about her bodyguards and maids, he learned they would all be staying at the villa that night.

He relaxed and asked Gu Qiuyan why she’d called. She said it was nothing, she just wanted to see if he’d made it home. Zhang Shutong was about to point out that she could have just used QQ for that, but she spoke again before he could.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

’That sounded familiar.’

Zhang Shutong asked why. "To eat, of course!" she said. "Lunch. But you have to get there early. Oh, never mind, never mind. It’ll be better if I just come get you. What’s your address?"

’Not another meal...’

Zhang Shutong doubted he’d even be able to get out of bed, but she seemed to read his mind. "You didn’t think it was just you I was inviting, did you? Your friends are coming too. I need to thank them for their help tonight. So, you’re not allowed to refuse."

She had him there. After all, Qingyi and the others had put in a lot of work. He nodded. "Alright. Where are we eating?"

"My place or a restaurant. You pick."

"Your place, then."

Gu Qiuyan then asked if there was anything specific he wanted to eat. He said anything was fine, but the moment the words were out, he could practically feel her glaring at him through the phone. He quickly rattled off a few dishes he knew his friends liked.

Once that was settled, Zhang Shutong was ready to hang up. But then he asked, "What time? Is eleven o’clock too late?" He needed to let his friends know.

"Eleven?" she snapped. "Six."

’Who eats lunch at six?’

’Does she mean six in the morning?’

’She did say to get there early, but isn’t six a bit *too* early...?’ Zhang Shutong started to suspect the young miss had lost her mind again.

"What are you talking about? You’re so dense," she said. "I meant six o’clock for *dinner*."

Zhang Shutong was confused. "But you just said lunch. My memory’s pretty good, you know. Want me to repeat it back to you? Why the sudden change?"

But the other end of the line went quiet for a long moment. Zhang Shutong was starting to wonder if he’d lost his signal again when she finally mumbled in a low voice:

"Lunch is just for the two of us. We’ll eat with your friends at night. How can you not get that, you dummy..."

Now Zhang Shutong wasn’t so sure himself. He really hadn’t caught that hidden meaning in her words. Just as he was about to say something, Gu Qiuyan added, "So it’s a date! Meet me at the pier at ten a.m. You better not be late..." Then she immediately hung up.

Zhang Shutong held the phone to his ear for a long while before he finally processed what she meant.

’In the span of just a few sentences, the young miss had planned out his entire day for him.’

’First, the pier...’

’Wait, the pier? Doesn’t that mean taking a ferry off the island and into the city? And what’s in the city? Malls, high-end restaurants, movie theaters, a Ferris wheel...’ Zhang Shutong was suddenly wide awake.

He switched over to QQ, found Gu Qiuyan’s chat, and started to type, "Let’s pick another place. Going into the city is too much of a hassle. Can we just change it so we all eat together tonight?"

Before he could send the message, another call came in.

It was his mom.

’She’s like a psychic; she even knew I was home.’ Zhang Shutong was about to express his admiration for his mother’s sixth sense when she snapped, "Your phone is on and you don’t call me back immediately?"

"I just got home..."

"Oh, Tongtong, dear," his mother said with a saccharine smile in her voice, "did you know I actually tried calling you just a moment ago? But the line was busy, so I hung up right away."

Zhang Shutong knew he was no match for her, so he decided to confess immediately. "I was just letting a friend know I got home safe."

But his mother, never one to hold back, dropped a bombshell:

"To Gu Qiuyan, was it?"

Zhang Shutong sat bolt upright in bed.

"Don’t even think about making up an excuse to fool me," his mother continued. "You never *call* those friends of yours to say you’re safe. So, who else could it have been but Gu Qiuyan?"

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