Chapter 3: Chapter 3 : The Young Lady on the Island and the Penguin

Chapter 3 - The Young Lady on the Island and the Penguin

『 Translator – Divinity 』

His memories were thus interrupted.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that it was perfect timing; anyway, he had forgotten what his deskmate was called. He would just greet the new one after they switched.

It was now the second period in the afternoon, and there would be a long break coming up. Usually, they would go down for a run.

But there was snow on the sports field, so it was changed to a free activity period for each class to arrange as they wished.

Reseating in their class was a fixed event that happened once a month. Turning his head to look, he saw that some people were already prepared, while others were slowly closing their homework, just waiting to put it into their schoolbags.

In that case, he had become the "last" one to know.

He understood now, and his hands began to get busy. Only when he glanced at the piece of scratch paper with the name written on it did he pause to think.

He planned to mull it over again after getting home tonight; it was never wrong to be a bit careful. He then felt for his 5-3 practice book and clipped the paper inside. It was a habit born of his personality—for a boy his age, this was safer than carrying it on his person.

Just as he was about to stuff the large pile of things into his schoolbag, Zhang Shutong suddenly found himself in a difficult situation.

His schoolbag was filled with test papers, textbooks, exercise books, and folders. Materials from every subject were all mixed together, and he could no longer remember how they were supposed to be categorized.

He had been living alone these past few years, and people who live alone generally fall into two types:

Either they live in a complete mess;

Or they keep their lives in perfect order.

Zhang Shutong was the latter, even a bit obsessive-compulsive; he couldn't stand just stuffing everything in messily.

With this in mind, he moved to the bookcase on one side of the classroom, planning to just put his things there for the time being.

The bookcase was long, occupying an entire wall. Every student had their own cubby, and every class was equipped with one such bookcase.

The bookcase itself, however, had nothing to do with Gu Qiumian's family—the school wasn't that shabby—but the things displayed on it were another matter.

As mentioned before, she had never made any friends in class, and her relationship with everyone was distant. Thus, Young Lady Gu simply formed a circle of her own;

She didn't bother with others, nor did she like others bothering her. Of course, she didn't have a malicious personality, so she wouldn't do anything too outrageous. At most, she was just a bit of a maverick.

For example, she loved to build with Legos—the genuine ones. That stuff was freaking expensive. As for why Zhang Shutong knew about this hobby, the reason was right here—

Every class would display a few potted plants to decorate the room, placing them on the bookcase. They were usually devil's ivy and snake plants, but only their class had an additional display: a castle made of building blocks. It was one of Gu Qiumian's collectibles.

He remembered that his cubby was right below the castle. That castle was as large as a washbasin, European in style, and at its entrance stood a Lego minifigure wearing a dress;

concealed amidst the verdant branches and leaves, it looked just like a princess living in seclusion in a forest. This was the privilege of the Young Lady.

Looking again towards that seat by the window, the funny faces on the glass had been layered so many times he couldn't tell, making it even more impossible to see what Gu Qiumian was drawing.

She herself seemed to realize this problem. Frowning slightly, she rested her face in her hand and stared for a good while, only to be amused by the wildly drawn pattern. She laughed, wiped it away, and continued with her homework, the small pendant on the end of her hair swaying with the movement.

Zhang Shutong stared at the pendant, then turned his head to look at the quiet classroom. Sometimes the wind howled past, slamming against the window, making the glass tremble slightly and giving one an unsteady feeling.

The world outside was dim, and the fluorescent lights overhead were somewhat yellowed, yet they seemed warm.

He didn't know how long it had been since he'd had such a relaxing moment.

But only he knew that in five days, this reassuring scene would be shattered.

Recalling the details of the murder case, he had actually heard two versions of the story because of Gu Qiumian's special status:

One was that a criminal, short on money, had kidnapped her for ransom, but the negotiations ultimately fell through, leading to the tragedy.

Another was that it was one of Father Gu's enemies, that he had done something heinous while making his fortune, and the disaster had extended to his children. This version was more widely circulated, and some people even applauded it.

But Zhang Shutong didn't really believe either version. Whether it was for money or revenge, there was no reason to harm Lu Qinglian eight years later.

Since those theories were useless, he had no choice but to recall the information Du Kang had once revealed to him.

— The murderer from the case back then was never caught. There were testimonies from a few fishermen who said that before the incident, they saw someone over at the Forbidden Zone...

It wasn't a very clear clue, but it was better than nothing.

By the time he finished packing his things, he had more or less come up with an idea.

Of course, he wasn't going to act frantically and immediately.

His 16-year-old self was a lone wolf who, carrying a massive secret, would have definitely skipped class and cycled nonstop to the "Forbidden Zone";

But now was different. To put it bluntly, his personality had grown a bit apathetic over the years, but that was simply the reality of it:

There were still several days until the incident. Panicking wouldn't help, and besides, calling the police was better than acting alone.

Taking a step back, even if he were to call the police, he would do it after school. Half a day wouldn't make a difference.

If life had a main quest, he should be to properly cherish this second chance at life.

The side quest was to incidentally root out the murderer and achieve a "happy ending."

As for interacting with the two girls, or getting closer to them because of this, Zhang Shutong had no interest.

Since they didn't have much of a relationship eight years ago, it would be the same this time around.

Fundamentally, he hated trouble. It would be best to resolve the matter secretly rather than arousing anyone's suspicion.

If he had that kind of free time, he would much rather go fishing with a few of his best buddies.

Just as he was pondering whether his skills had gotten rusty after so many years of not touching a fishing rod, the bell signaling the end of class rang.

Sounds of yawning, complaining, and laughter... the once quiet classroom instantly erupted with noise.

Students stood up from their seats one by one, figures moving before his eyes, the rubber soles of their shoes scuffing against the terrazzo floor.

As this scene unfolded before his eyes, only then did he feel the world becoming real.

Zhang Shutong also inexplicably felt the urge to stretch. It was quite a magical feeling, as if a physical memory hidden for many years had been awakened, bringing his mind to life along with it.

If he were old enough, the thing he most wanted to do right now was get a driver's license and buy his own car—a small, second-hand one would be enough;

Of course, it couldn't be too small, as the trunk needed to hold his fishing rods and a water tank. Then he would drive and tour the entire country, to see all the scenery he had missed over the years.

There were also some regrets he wanted to make up for: not letting his parents worry about him again, getting into a better university, and keeping in touch with his good friends. But he had no intention of deliberately befriending just anyone; his philosophy on friendship was that having a few was enough.

Speaking of friends, Zhang Shutong wasn't in a hurry to find his best buddies and catch up. He first wanted to wander around a bit.

So, he left the classroom. Their school had a rare four-year system, and he was in Year Four, Class One, located at the very end of the hallway right next to the stairs.

Two people were talking on the staircase.

One was his homeroom teacher, who was leaning on the railing;

The other, across from the teacher, was a girl dressed in a cyan cloth robe.

The girl had a cool and detached temperament, and her long hair fell to her waist as she sat on the steps.

Zhang Shutong couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

For no other reason than this: if you had just finished bowing to a person's photograph a few hours ago, and now that very person appeared before you, alive and well, anyone would stop to take a look.

The young girl named Lu Qinglian seemed to have just returned from outside. Her delicate face was pale from the cold, and the hem of her coarse cloth robe was still dotted with specks of snow.

Most people's skin would just turn red from the cold, but she was very fair to begin with. At this moment, her skin emanated a flawless, cold light like porcelain, a quality that was further accentuated by her cyan robe.

He wasn't the only one who was curious. More and more students were pouring into the hallway, and it wasn't uncommon for some to glance in this direction.

After all, having a young girl who looked like she had just returned from cultivating immortality standing outside the classroom—one who was also beautiful and mysterious—was enough to captivate everyone, regardless of gender.

But perhaps she gave off an aura that was too distant, as no one dared to approach, only whispering from afar.

Lu Qinglian, however, seemed completely unconcerned, as if the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with her. She focused on what she was doing, bringing her hands close to her lips and gently blowing warm air onto them.

Zhang Shutong, however, had no such reservations.

Not only did he observe her for a moment, but he also discovered that a closer look revealed a slight flaw in the image:

She had probably layered several items of clothing underneath. It was fine when she was standing, as the robe was wide enough, moving with her body and its sleeves swaying in the wind. This gave her a rather otherworldly air, allowing her to genuinely pass for a celestial fairy;

But now that she was sitting down, she looked quite puffy.

The young girl's slender figure was hidden within, creating a slight contrast that felt a bit out of place. She looked less like a celestial fairy and more like a penguin that had returned from the world of cultivation.

Then, Zhang Shutong heard the homeroom teacher ask the penguin:

"Finished sweeping the snow at the shrine?"

"Mhm, the mountain path was too slippery, and some parts were icy, so I was delayed for a bit."

Now he understood.

So, she had just returned from helping out at the shrine.

Their homeroom teacher was a young male teacher surnamed Song. He was a pretty nice guy and, knowing about the young girl's special family situation, was always quick to approve her requests for leave.

"I told you, you could have come tomorrow. What would you have done if you'd slipped and fallen? I can speak to your grandmother about it."

"It wasn't her. I wanted to come."

The young girl's tone and expression were both indifferent.

Teacher Song could only smile wryly:

"Even so, there was no need to rush like this. Look at you, you came running over without even changing..."

"I wore this on purpose. It's too cold outside."

As she spoke, the young girl took off her robe, revealing the school uniform jacket she wore underneath.

The conversation came to a dead end.

"...Alright then. Go warm up for a bit. Later, collect yesterday's homework. The next period is my class; we'll be going over the problems."

Teacher Song instructed before he left.

Lu Qinglian just nodded, folded the robe, and stuffed it into her schoolbag. Then, holding a hair tie in her teeth, she gathered her shoulder-length hair and tied it into a ponytail.

When she looked up again, their gazes met.

"Thank you," the young girl suddenly said.

Thanks for what? Zhang Shutong was puzzled. For the five hundred I gave in the white envelope? No way, that would turn this into a real ghost story.

Then, she handed him a pair of gloves.

He took them and looked them over. The style was quite cool—black, with padding over the knuckles, and each one was almost as big as Lu Qinglian's face.

Their full name was probably outdoor tactical gloves. He used to have a pair himself, bought for fishing back in the day.

And this pair looked familiar;

It seemed they were his own.

They were made of nylon, not wool, which gets soaked easily. They must have been very useful for sweeping snow.

But judging by her wet pant cuffs, the gloves, in contrast, had been wiped clean and kept in very good condition.

He then noticed her hands. They didn't have the delicate skin of other people her age; they were somewhat rough—the result of manual labor. There were even a few chilblain cracks on her palms and fingers.

Although he had no memory of this event whatsoever... he nodded.

"It was nothing."

"Were you looking for me?" Lu Qinglian tilted her head and added, "I saw you were standing there just now."

Zhang Shutong really wanted to correct her:

You're the one who was looking for me.

To be precise, it was the you from eight years in the future who called me here with a single phone call.

He supposed he would never hear that phone call again now. But he no longer felt it was a pity; after all, she was still alive.

In truth, Zhang Shutong had nothing to say to her and was about to shake his head. But before turning to leave, he couldn't help but marvel at how strange fate was.

Eight years from now, he would come to the island for her funeral. And yet, after returning to the past, the very first person he spoke to—coincidence or not—was also her.

He suddenly felt the urge to be cryptic:

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"No, why?"

"When you get one in the future, remember not to call people in the middle of the night.”

The conversation should have ended there. He would then have swaggered off cheerfully, leaving her to puzzle over his words in confusion, just as he had puzzled over the content of that phone call.

Who knew she would actually consider it seriously for a moment:

"A dry joke?"

She said this, but it was rather blunt, as she didn't even crack a smile.

"Mm... I guess I just don't have a sense of humor."

Zhang Shutong bit the inside of his cheek, turned on his heel, and walked away.

He really should have dragged Du Kang over to see what it meant to be truly aloof and cool.

……

However, what he hadn't anticipated was that not long after he left, Lu Qinglian also entered the classroom.

The girl first took stock of the homework on the desks, then went over to the desk of the student named Zhang Shutong and looked around.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Suddenly, a boy with a baby face, who grinned all day long, popped out eagerly.

It was none other than Du Kang.

"Just got back from sweeping the snow?" he asked, trying to make small talk.

"Mhm."

"Is it cold outside?"

"A little."

"I'll help you next time?"

"No need."

No matter what he said, the girl's tone remained flat, or you could say, somewhat perfunctory.

She had originally planned to wait there for Zhang Shutong to return, but since he and Du Kang were best buddies, saying something to Du Kang was almost the same as saying it to the man himself. So, she explained:

"He's the only one who didn't hand in yesterday's English homework."

She remembered his grades had always been excellent, especially in English, and he was the type of boy who was always on top of things, so it was rare for him to not submit his homework.

"About that..." Du Kang's expression became awkward.

"He didn't do it?"

"Er..."

So she had guessed correctly.

"I'll take the rest over then. Teacher Song wants them for the next period."

To Du Kang's ears, the girl's clear and cold voice sounded like a death sentence. He said hurriedly:

"Don't report him, don't! He probably did it. Let me look for it for you."

The names of students who didn't complete their homework would be written on a note and given to the homeroom teacher. He himself had been written up once before.

You might be able to beg other class representatives for a little leniency, but Lu Qinglian showed no mercy whatsoever.

Besides, the homeroom teacher had previously made a rule that whoever didn't hand in their work would be on cleaning duty for a week. Although the punishment wasn't severe, he and his buddies had plans after school today and couldn't let cleaning duty delay them.

What were bros for, if not for moments like this? He had to save a life if he could:

"He did half of it last night, and I remember him saying he'd finish it during self-study today. He should be done by now."

Lu Qinglian just found it strange.

If he hadn't done it, she could have just not told the teacher. Why make things so complicated?

But explaining that would only create more trouble, so she decided to just wait for him to look.

As for Du Kang, his best buddy's schoolbag was right there on the desk. There were no formalities between them—besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't often grabbed it to copy homework himself.

While looking for the homework, he also tried to find something to talk about. It wasn't every day he got a chance to talk to the girl he had a crush on:

"Guess what a few of us went to do yesterday?"

"Fishing?"

"Exactly right."

Du Kang snapped his fingers:

"In that wild field to the south, you know the one? I caught five, Qingyi caught four, and Shutong forgot his gloves. He finally hooked a big one, but then his hand slipped, and the fishing rod took off with the fish..."

He had planned to stop there, knowing that few girls are interested in fishing, let alone someone as quiet as Lu Qinglian. He was already racking his brain for a new topic of conversation.

Who knew that her voice would hold a trace of curiosity:

"And then?"

Du Kang was a little elated:

"We just went home after dark. Oh, right, do you like crucian carp? I could bring you one some other day?"

"No, thank you. I'm asking what happened after his hand slipped."

"Oh, that part's pretty interesting, too. Shutong got all worked up and insisted on going back to get his tent. The rest of us couldn't talk him out of it. If it hadn't been snowing and so cold at night these last few days, he probably wouldn't have even finished that half of his homework..."

Lu Qinglian nodded and said no more.

So that was how it was.

She lowered her gaze to the cracked wound on her palm.

That must have been from this Monday.

She and the boy named Zhang Shutong had been assigned to move books.

The textbooks were in stacks, bound by plastic straps.

As she was lifting a stack, a strap scraped the cut on her hand. She lost her grip, and the books fell to the floor.

The boy glanced back at her:

"How did that happen?.”

"The weather's cold."

"You don't have gloves at home?"

"Wool ones. They're a pain when sweeping snow."

"Oh."

He picked up the stack of books from the floor, and the conversation ended.

When school let out that afternoon, someone walked up to her desk.

It was the same boy. Without looking at anyone, his tone feigning nonchalance, he stared in the direction of the window:

"Here, take these."

A pair of outrageously styled gloves were handed over.

The boy then added solemnly:

"But don't forget to return them in a couple of days. I need them for fishing."

From the start of the school year, from beginning to end, their entire interaction had seemingly consisted of just those few sparse words.

Lu Qinglian snapped out of her recollection, and at that moment, she heard Du Kang wondering aloud:

"No, wait, where's his homework? Doesn't he usually keep it in the side pocket of his schoolbag? Oh, right! After class just now, I saw him take a pile of stuff over to the bookcase. Hold on, I'll go look there."

In the end, it was a success. Du Kang carefully pulled out a blue exercise book—he was mostly being careful not to bump the building block castle on top of the bookcase.

Then, with a relieved smile, the boy placed the 5-3 practice book into Lu Qinglian's hands.

"Sorry for the trouble."

"No problem." Watching the girl leave, Du Kang grinned like an idiot.

He had saved his best buddy from cleaning duty and managed to talk to Lu Qinglian. It was the perfect win-win situation.

What's more, an even more exciting event was coming up next—

They were reseating next period, and according to the plan he and Shutong had discussed...

At this thought, Du Kang left the classroom and spotted his best buddy near the restroom door.

Feeling accomplished, he couldn't help but give his friend's shoulder a hard slap:

"Bro, no need to thank me!”