Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 187: Chapter 80: Unromantic (Part 2)

They say girls like their baths scalding hot.

The term "pale, rich, and beautiful" was still something of a novelty, and it described her perfectly. If anything, it was an understatement. She should have been called "ultra-pale, ultra-rich, and ultra-beautiful."

The young lady immediately demanded they change the movie. Song was watching *Wuthering Heights*, and she complained that the atmosphere was creepy enough as it was. "Song, can’t you put on a comedy? I want to watch a Zhou Xingchi movie."

"*Journey to the West*?"

"*Tricky Brains*," Gu Qiuyan said, lifting her chin.

Zhang Shutong didn’t understand why the two of them were in such high spirits. It hadn’t been like this the last time he’d stayed over. Back then, everyone had gone to their rooms early.

’Then again,’ he thought, ’last time, they’d caught an arsonist. Today, nothing happened—they just went for a drive. I’m the only one who’s still on edge.’

He stood up, said good night, and prepared to go upstairs.

But Gu Qiuyan wasn’t happy. "You’re no fun at all," she said. "Why are you going to bed so early?"

Zhang Shutong couldn’t explain. Every profession has its specializations, and the same was true for bodyguards. He wasn’t responsible for providing entertainment, only for saving lives.

Just then, Song chimed in to persuade him. "Comedies are more fun with more people. If you leave, what’s the point of Qiumian and me watching? Sometimes, you just have to learn to join in on the fun."

Zhang Shutong sat back down. He wasn’t convinced by their words. It was partly because Qingyi hadn’t called back, and partly because he remembered what Song had told him before about needing to have more of a "human touch." Zhang Shutong didn’t really understand what that meant, but he figured joining in probably counted.

’If they wanted to watch, he’d just be part of the audience.’

Song picked up the remote. As the opening credits rolled, Gu Qiuyan pattered away in her slippers, returning from the fridge with some yogurt and asking if either of them wanted some.

’What is she doing? Are we really having a movie party?’

Song raised his mug and said, "I’ve got coffee, so I’m good."

Zhang Shutong glanced at the yogurt and merely pointed out that it was cold. She pouted, but her eyes crinkled in a smile as she put it back. She then found some room-temperature juice and, humming to herself, asked, "This should be okay, right?"

It didn’t really matter to Zhang Shutong what he drank, so he nodded. "What—" he started to say, before correcting himself. "Yes, that’s fine."

Gu Qiuyan then switched off the living room lights. Looking quite busy with two glasses in one hand and the juice carton pinched in the other, she trotted back to the sofa, the belt of her robe fluttering at her slender waist.

The living room sofa arrangement was L-shaped, just like in their school building. Song had occupied the shorter, separate section.

Zhang Shutong had been sitting on the long section, and now Gu Qiuyan joined him on it. He glanced at her, but her eyes were fixed on the TV with an expression of eager focus. She kicked off her slippers, curled her legs to one side, and sank into the sofa.

For some reason, she looked much more alluring in that robe. Her snow-white skin was breathtaking. Gu Qiuyan propped her chin on her hand, leaning against the arm of the sofa. He could see her toenails, painted like rubies. In the dim room, with light flickering from the television, the little gems seemed to glitter.

The movie began. It starred Liu Dehua and Zhou Xingchi, with Guan Zhilin and Chiu Shuzhen as the female leads—a truly star-studded cast. Zhang Shutong had seen the film before and found it amusing enough, but he was unprepared for how easily Gu Qiuyan laughed.

Zhang Shutong was not used to watching movies with people who laughed at everything.

It reminded him of going to the movies with his three best friends. Ruoping and Du Kang were a pair; they both had a low bar for humor and would not only burst out laughing but also constantly whisper to each other about the plot. They were two peas in a pod.

Zhang Shutong, on the other hand, sat with Qingyi. Regardless of whether it was a comedy, tragedy, horror film, or even a complete bomb, they would sit through the entire movie calmly holding their popcorn. It was a game to see who would crack a smile or frown first. They were, of course, model audience members.

He patiently kept watching. The movie wasn’t bad, but at most it might make him twitch a facial muscle. It was nowhere near funny enough to make him laugh out loud. Gu Qiuyan, however, was practically shaking with laughter.

The high-end sofa was indeed very soft. When she laughed so hard her eyes crinkled, the sofa cushions rippled like water. A little exasperated, Zhang Shutong shifted away from her. ’Could you please stop kicking your legs?’ he thought.

Just then, his phone vibrated. It was a message back from Qingyi.

His gaze shifted to the screen as he began to type silently. Qingyi had actually found something: a legend about the Cyan Snake Temple. Zhang Shutong’s interest was immediately piqued, and he asked for details.

But then the rippling of the sofa stopped. Zhang Shutong subconsciously turned his head. Gu Qiuyan was frowning at him.

’Weren’t you watching the movie?’

Just then, Qingyi started calling him directly. He gestured with his phone and quietly stood up.

’Being a good sport was one thing, but he couldn’t be blamed for leaving now that actual business had come up.’

Not wanting to disturb their movie, Zhang Shutong went straight to the elevator and pressed the answer key.

Talking to Qingyi was much simpler.

"Shutong, it’s a little noisy on your end."

"Hang on, it’ll be quiet in a second."

Just then, the elevator doors closed.

Zhang Shutong said they could talk freely now.

Qingyi asked:

"Why the sudden interest in looking this up?"

His reply was brief and to the point:

"I ran into Lu Qinglian in the restricted area tonight."

"What? What were you doing in the restricted area? And hasn’t it been snowing all night?"

Zhang Shutong briefly explained the situation and voiced his suspicions.

"Hmm, so you mainly want to figure out what she was doing by the water?"

"Pretty much," Zhang Shutong said as the elevator reached the second floor. "But I didn’t see anything else there at the time. I was just thinking... since her behavior can’t be explained by common sense, maybe we should consider something more... supernatural? Like a ritual?"

"Well, you’d need to find an offering first," Qingyi joked. "Besides, you already know about this stuff. There’s the summer festival every year, but I haven’t found any other customs, especially not one related to water like you mentioned."

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