Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 160: Chapter 67: The Most Troublesome Timeline, Part 3

Those two things were about as unpredictable as it gets.

That wasn’t Zhang Shutong’s style, either.

He quickly came to a decision.

’What if I think about this backward? If I find Li Yipeng, and use him to find Zhou Ziheng, can I follow that trail to his father?’

’If his father gets caught first, the five arsonists won’t be able to escape either. The order doesn’t really matter that much.’

It was the first period of the afternoon, and his time at school for the day was running out. After mulling it over, he finally decided to abandon the "Li Yipeng’s mother" angle and instead target Zhou Ziheng and his father directly.

But that would also require some maneuvering, and it wasn’t something he could do alone.

’First, I have to bait Li Yipeng. Then, I need to get Song Nanshan, and maybe even the school administration, to take this seriously. The issue has to escalate from a school matter to an external one. The ultimate goal is to get the police involved. Only with that dual pressure will there be a chance of a direct investigation into Zhou Ziheng’s father.’

Zhang Shutong wasn’t one to hesitate. This was especially true when he glanced away from the window and once again saw Gu Qiuyan’s pale face.

’I have to handle this quickly so I can focus my energy on finding the real culprit.’

So, as soon as the bell rang, Zhang Shutong walked right out of the classroom.

This time, he didn’t grab his buddies. Instead, he headed straight for Li Yipeng’s classroom. Li Yipeng was in Class 3 of the tenth grade, and Zhang Shutong casually asked another student to call him out.

Li Yipeng seemed pretty clueless.

"What’s up?"

They had been in the same class before, so they weren’t complete strangers. Zhang Shutong simply frowned and told him this wasn’t the place to talk and that he should follow him.

There was an intimidating pressure about him when his face was blank. The other boy was reluctant, but he agreed in the end.

The two walked through the bustling school hallway.

Zhang Shutong had initially planned to take him straight to the faculty office, but he’d confirmed on his way out of class that there was more than one teacher inside. The method he was about to use was a bit ruthless; it was better to have fewer witnesses.

He led Li Yipeng toward the roof. Of course, he wasn’t going all the way up—just climbing the stairs would eat up half the break.

They stopped in the stairwell leading to the roof. It was quiet here. The room with the hot water dispensers was nearby, but not too close.

Zhang Shutong knew Li Yipeng well. The guy had some street smarts but panicked when things got serious, so there was no need for a major confrontation. A few choice words would be enough to break through his psychological defenses, allowing Zhang Shutong to proceed to the next step.

"You’re the one who smashed the castle, right?"

He turned and asked nonchalantly.

"...What are you talking about? What castle?" As expected, the other boy was stunned for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "I have no idea what you’re saying."

"Really? Let me repeat myself. A castle built out of Legos."

Li Yipeng deliberately feigned annoyance.

"Okay, okay, enough about some stupid castle. Are you crazy? You’re acting all weird. If this is all, I’m heading back. I thought it was something important, but it’s just this...?"

"You’re sure you don’t understand? It would be normal for someone else not to," Zhang Shutong said with a sudden smile. "But do I need to remind you that you used to be in Class 1?"

Li Yipeng, who had been about to walk away, suddenly froze mid-step.

’The first line of defense is down.’

"Oh, you mean Gu Qiuyan’s toy," the boy said, forcing a laugh. "Of course I know about that one. But you’re saying it got smashed? When?"

"Come on, just admit it and save us some time," Zhang Shutong said impatiently. "I have other things to discuss with you."

"Why are you trying to frame me?" The kid was in a full-blown panic now. "If you’ve got proof, then show me! Did you get a picture of me or something? There are no cameras, so you’re just talking out of your ass!"

"The name on the bathroom stall," Zhang Shutong said suddenly.

The other boy froze again.

"I’m the one who passed you that note. I planned the whole thing. You think I don’t know who smashed the castle?"

’This is exactly the reaction I wanted.’

Sure enough, Li Yipeng let out a sigh of relief. His voice lost its urgency, and his hands stopped trembling. While it wasn’t exactly a tearful reunion between long-lost brothers, it was close enough to finding a kindred spirit that he moved to sling an arm chummily around Zhang Shutong’s shoulders. Zhang Shutong shook his hand off and bit the inside of his cheek. Still, to get what he needed next, he’d have to play the part of an "accomplice" for a little longer.

"You..."

He was just about to speak. ’Once Li Yipeng fully confesses, I can turn on him. Not to scare him, but to use the pretense of "reducing his punishment" to get him to cooperate in a setup to nail Zhou Ziheng.’

Just then, however, the loud CRASH of a cup hitting the floor echoed from outside, sounding especially jarring in the quiet stairwell. Both of them fell silent.

Zhang Shutong peeked out and froze. A girl was staring blankly at him, the cup she’d been holding now lying on the floor. She had probably just come to get some hot water.

She was on her period today and already wasn’t feeling well. On top of that, she was in a terrible mood, making her particularly vulnerable.

So now, Gu Qiuyan’s eyes, already red-rimmed, were filled with utter disbelief.

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