Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 152: Chapter 64: Mianmian Energy

He suddenly recalled the murderer’s rough, dark red face. ’Could they have been wearing a scarf then?’

’Going a step further, could that scarf have been Gu Qiuyan’s?’

’Where had the scarf been for the past eight years since her murder?’

’If the same person had indeed murdered them both, then the killer would have had the opportunity to get their hands on this scarf.’

’But if the goal was just to hide their face, why choose that specific scarf?’

Zhang Shutong then remembered the transfer student in the graduation photo, who was also wearing a light red scarf. At the time, he had been so preoccupied with Gu Qiuyan’s death and the tattoo that he’d overlooked such a variable.

’The Cold Blood Line’s timeline is even more complicated than I thought.’

Zhang Shutong still didn’t understand why his past self had erased all his information.

’Knowing himself, was it because he considered the possibility of being killed and unable to backtrack? Was he worried about the information on his phone getting leaked? Discovered by the murderer?’

’But Gu Qiuyan and Lu Qinglian were both dead. Who was this supposed to protect?’

He finally let out a sigh.

He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating. His buddies were looking at him differently now. He seemed to be spacing out all day, and one by one, they asked if he’d been scared by the poachers yesterday. Zhang Shutong just nodded and said he needed a Nutri-Express to calm his nerves.

Still, he had to eat. As he mulled these things over, he chatted idly with his friends. They brought up the "castle" being vandalized, and Zhang Shutong casually suggested Li Yipeng as a possibility. "Look," he said, "he’s from another class, so it would’ve been easy for him to do it. Plus, he had a grudge against Gu Qiuyan."

"That’s actually possible. The problem is, there’s no surveillance. What if he denies it?" Du Kang asked.

Zhang Shutong said it was simple. "We just have to go to the shopping district, buy a scarf, then swap it and lie in wait." He explained his plan, which earned him a wave of admiring looks and vigorous nods from Qingyi.

But whether it was Li Yipeng, the arsonist, or the Zhou father and son, these were all issues he could now resolve easily. He had better methods now:

For instance, he could go to Li Yipeng and say, "The person who wrote the name on the bathroom stall ratted you out." The guy would be so scared he’d confess on the spot.

Or he could find Zhou Ziheng and say, "Li Yipeng ratted you out." He would surely be left speechless... ’It’s a bit malicious,’ he thought, ’but quite effective.’

Of course, to ensure they could successfully catch the arsonist, the timing had to be just right.

’Speaking of which, Song is probably still in his office, chain-smoking in frustration right now.’

Zhang Shutong really wanted to go scout the path to the Gu Family Villa. He had never walked it properly. What exactly happened on the way from the villa to the restricted area was another major point of suspicion.

He sighed again. The sheer number of things to deal with was overwhelming.

"Wait, since when are you and Gu Qiuyan on such good terms?" Ruoping asked suspiciously. ’A woman’s intuition is truly terrifying.’

"It’s just so-so."

"Then why are you suddenly so invested?"

"We’re desk-mates."

But it was as if his friends had already set a trap and were just waiting for him to fall into it. Ruoping said, "See? I tricked it out of him! I told you he had bad intentions sitting next to Gu Qiuyan."

Zhang Shutong didn’t feel like explaining. He was a bit drained. Just then, the owner’s wife brought out the last dish. He planned to finish up and leave quickly. He wasn’t going to pretend to be a big shot and treat everyone this time; he hadn’t brought enough money. ’Next time for sure,’ he thought.

With that in mind, he quickened his pace with his chopsticks. Suddenly, a boy from Gu Qiuyan’s table stood up.

"Hey, Boss! Why haven’t you served us yet? We’ve been waiting forever! How many people are they even, huh?"

As he spoke, he shot a provocative glance at their table.

’Look, here come the familiar lines again.’

’It seemed the boy had a crush on Gu Qiuyan and desperately wanted to be her knight in shining armor. He must feel that since our table is full of her classmates, he needs to put on a tough show for her. Yeah, that’s probably it.’

Zhang Shutong calmly thought, ’The professional standard of these minions is truly terrible. They’ll be fired sooner or later. No wonder Gu Qiuyan didn’t want to bring them to the mall on Saturday.’

And what came next...

He remembered Du Kang was supposed to throw down his chopsticks and fire back, only to be held back by Ruoping.

"Hey, hold on. Who the hell do you think you are, kid? Just trying to have a meal here and you’re showing off how tough you are?" Du Kang immediately shot to his feet.

Zhang Shutong froze. ’Wait a second. I remember it clearly. This guy, Du Kang, was supposed to be held back by Ruoping. What’s happening now?’

He saw Ruoping just then snapping out of it, hurriedly tugging at the corner of Du Kang’s shirt to make him sit down.

Zhang Shutong grew pensive. He had underestimated the influence of his own "butterfly effect."

Last time, they hadn’t discussed anything important at the table. It was mostly idle chatter, so Ruoping had been free to keep an eye on Du Kang.

But now, he had drawn the tattoo, brought up the class reunion, and most importantly, casually explained the whole story behind the "Castle Incident." Ruoping had been listening with her ears pricked the entire time and, in a moment of distraction, failed to restrain Du Kang.

Sure enough, not to be outdone, the other boy also stood up.

"You’re in Sister Gu’s class, right? Let me tell you, I’ve had a problem with you for a long time. What about it?"

"Holy shit, who are you?" Du Kang was stunned. "Going on about ’Sister Gu’ this and ’Sister Gu’ that. You really think you’re some big shot just because you hang around Gu Qiuyan all day?"

At that age, everyone was competitive and eager to prove themselves. The moment Du Kang’s words fell, the boys and girls at Gu Qiuyan’s table all shot to their feet in a flurry.

Then Qingyi stood up. Ruoping also stood up. Zhang Shutong was dumbfounded.

’He usually just called them "minions" for convenience. How did this turn into what looked like a real gang brawl?’

He saw the "little secretary" also stand up to mediate, saying, "Everyone sit down, sit down, we’re just having a meal." She kept her eyes on Gu Qiuyan’s expression, neither stopping the conflict nor fanning the flames.

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