Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 196: Chapter 86: Like Thorns on One’s Back

When he looked again, the hint of a smile had already vanished.

Lu Qinglian just nodded at him, her face returning to its usual expressionless state.

"Good morning, Zhang Shutong."

It was as if this were just a chance encounter in the morning.

But Zhang Shutong felt every muscle in his body tense up. The person sitting behind him wasn’t just a sixteen-year-old girl. He had seen her send a poacher flying with a single kick; he knew what terrifying power was hidden within that body. He had even forgotten to buckle his seatbelt. The dashboard alarm was beeping steadily, but Zhang Shutong didn’t seem to hear it. He subconsciously clenched his jaw, staring at the figure behind the driver’s seat with absolute vigilance.

She might have been sitting there quietly, but she was like a hunting snake. They lie in wait behind their prey, their bodies normally supple, but now coiled like a fully drawn bow, ready to strike. Just then, the car jolted. Zhang Shutong saw Lu Qinglian reach out a hand, as if by chance, and gently rest it on the driver’s headrest. His pupils contracted. From that position, all she had to do was lower her arm slightly to touch the driver’s neck...

’What is she even doing here?’

’How did she find our car?’

’If she suddenly attacks, how can I stop her?’

At that moment, Zhang Shutong was filled with questions. He especially recalled the fleeting glimpse from last night in the forbidden zone: the long-haired woman squatting by the shore, the figure disappearing swiftly into the reeds, the deathly pale face, and the frozen surface of the water... He quickly weighed his options. ’If I tell Mom to stop the car right now and pull her out to run for it, would we be fast enough?’

’But that won’t work...’

Lu Qinglian’s hand was still on the headrest. Zhang Shutong had no doubt that no matter how fast he reacted, she would make a move against his mom in the next instant. She was definitely faster than both of them.

’So what should I do?’

’Should I hide my suspicions for now and avoid a conflict?’

Lu Qinglian had warned him more than once not to pry into her affairs. As long as he didn’t cross that line, did that mean he was safe?

’But if that’s the case, what is she doing here today?’

’Is this a show of force?’

’No matter what, I have to separate her from my mom first.’

Anxiety and unease welled up in his heart, only to be suppressed by his self-control.

All sorts of countermeasures flashed through his mind, right until he felt a light flick on the back of his head.

"She said good morning to you. Why are you spacing out?"

Zhang Shutong snapped back to reality and looked at his mom, doing his best to control his expression and tone.

"How... Why is she in the car?"

"I went to school this morning and found the classroom empty."

A soft voice came from the back seat.

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Shutong whipped his head around to look at Lu Qinglian.

But his mom cut in.

"Didn’t your classes get canceled? The teacher sent out a text this morning, but Xiaolu doesn’t have a phone, so she didn’t know until she got to school."

"So?"

His mom said nonchalantly,

"The rest isn’t hard to guess. We had to pass by your school to get here. I saw Xiaolu at the school gate, still in her Temple Priestess clothes. She looked a little familiar, so I stopped the car to ask. Turns out, she really is your classmate! I saw how heavy the snow was and she was just standing there all alone, her face pale from the cold, so I gave her a ride."

His mom sounded like the real character she was.

"That’s why we were delayed a bit on the road. I was planning to surprise you, but Tong... Shutong, what’s with this reaction?"

As she spoke, she was even in the mood to wave a hand in front of his face.

Zhang Shutong took a quick look. His mom didn’t seem to be under duress; she was telling the truth.

"How do you know her?"

he asked, surprised.

"Is there any parent in your class who doesn’t know Xiaolu? She’s always the first one the teacher praises at every parent-teacher conference. Even though your mother has only seen her photo, I recognized her right away."

His mom boasted proudly.

As if recognizing his classmate was some incredible achievement.

’That’s right.’ Zhang Shutong knew his mom had a penchant for "scooping up" pretty girls off the street. It was like that when he was little, and it was still like that now—especially with his classmates. The last time he went to the mall with Gu Qiuyan, his mom had almost succeeded. ’And this time, my own mother actually set her sights on Lu Qinglian?’

At this thought, Zhang Shutong’s expression turned strange. He really wanted to tell his mom, ’Do you have any idea what a dangerous person you just picked up? It’s like casting a line into a small fish pond and hooking a great white shark. She’s not the top-of-the-class, well-behaved good girl you think she is. She’s a woman shrouded in mystery, someone I can’t even tell is friend or foe, and she’s ridiculously precocious.’

But for now, it seemed he had been overthinking things. He had originally thought the frozen snake was some kind of messenger that tipped her off. Although he didn’t know how it would work, it wasn’t impossible that she could have used the snake to find their car and follow them. But now, it really did seem to be a coincidence.

Despite this, Zhang Shutong didn’t let his guard down. Lu Qinglian’s hand was still resting on the headrest. He exhaled slowly, buckled his seatbelt, and rubbed his tense face.

"So, where are you headed? Back to the mountain?"

Zhang Shutong asked, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.

"Aren’t you going home to change?" Lu Qinglian didn’t answer his question directly, instead stating it softly.

But her meaning was clear—

Zhang Shutong frowned and tried to put her off.

"I’m meeting a friend later. I don’t want to waste your time, so we can drop you off somewhere nearby."

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