"I give up. That fox is useless now."
"What does that mean?" Du Kang poked that piece of paper in confusion, then jumped back cautiously. "Doesn't seem like there's any trap. It's just a sheet of blank paper."
"It means he gave up. Can't even tell that much." Ruoping thought for a bit. "I think it refers to how the prophecy ability of this smiling fox was already used up by Shutong. Just like that sad fox, it's pretty much the same as a piece of stone, which is why he decided to give up."
"I know he gave up... I'm saying, weren't we waiting here the whole time? Shutong and the other went outside to look around too, and there was someone guarding the school gate," Du Kang stammered. "How is this person like a ghost? When on earth did he stick this piece of paper on?"
Qingyi said thoughtfully:
"That's hard to say. I can think of two suitable time points for now. It might have been before we played the game, after the school dismissal bell rang—taking advantage of a time slot with few people to come in and stick it.
"Of course, it could also have been when the last wave of rehearsing students left just now—he posed as a parent, stuck this piece of paper here, and slipped away quietly."
Du Kang couldn't help asking:
"But Shutong and the other should have seen it when they came out of the teaching building, right? There weren't that many people at that time?"
"That's hard to say. The paper is stuck on the exterior wall. Think about it: when coming out of the teaching building, one's back happens to be facing this piece of paper. Unless intentionally turning back to confirm, one wouldn't discover it." As Qingyi spoke, he demonstrated once. "By the way, Shutong, when you guys came out of the teaching building, did you make a similar movement?"
Zhang Shutong shook his head.
"Looks like we still can't confirm the specific time slot." Qingyi looked back and forth. "There's no surveillance at the entrance either; even wanting to find someone to ask is impossible."
"Fortunately, fortunately..." Du Kang breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it can be explained how this piece of paper was stuck on."
Yet after he finished speaking, he found everyone looking at him speechlessly.
"What's so good about it? Doesn't this mean that man escaped again?" Ruoping said crossly.
"I'm saying he's still within the category of human beings," Du Kang muttered. "All these recent events have made my nerves tense. I kept feeling whether this man had some ability beyond ordinary people. If he really were omnipotent in the sky and on earth, how could we deal with him?"
"He's very hard to deal with right now as well," Qingyi added. "Since he stuck this piece of paper on to tell us he has backed off, it shows the other party noticed the trap we set long ago. But when on earth..."
He knitted his brows:
"Forget it, thinking about this further is meaningless. All of us had the possibility of being exposed. At least three things can be determined."
His brain worked at high speed as he extended three fingers simultaneously:
"First, that man possesses a means to confirm that the fox has lost its effect.
"Second, after school let out, the other party indeed blended into the crowd, came to the classroom, and observed us and the fox statue. That should have been the closest distance between us and him.
"Third, this opportunity was the first, and likewise the last. Having missed this once, I'm afraid we'll never find another opportunity to wait for him to take the bait."
Just as Qingyi let out a sigh, Du Kang said:
"Then I have a question. What if it's an intentional trick? Right? Maybe he discovered the statue and also discovered that we were ambushing him, so unable to find an opportunity to strike, he intentionally made us lower our guard."
The more Du Kang spoke, the more he felt this deduction was possible:
"Think about it: ever since we knew of his existence, this person has been impossible to see through the whole time. Every time he hid so completely, wishing he wouldn't reveal a single trace, yet this time he openly laid his cards on the table. It's really abnormal!"
He had rarely used his head for once, but Zhang Shutong denied it:
"The possibility of a trick is extremely small."
"Why?"
"Did you forget? In the smiling fox's prophecy, Ruoping was attacked, yet that fox statue was still in her arms in the end," Zhang Shutong explained. "In terms of the result, it's actually the same—both are that man actively giving up after confirming the fox was useless."
Du Kang slammed his palm in realization, then immediately said dejectedly:
"Putting it that way, it really is. Then it's just like what Qingyi said—failing to grasp this single opportunity, the guy will completely vanish..."
"Hey, I say, why is every single one of you so disheartened?" Ruoping advised. "Think about it, at least now this man actively gave up snatching the fox—isn't that a good thing?"
"I certainly understand the logic, but no matter how you put it, it's a bit frustrating, right!" Du Kang swung his fist forcefully, saying fiercely, "Doesn't this show we were led by the nose the whole time? Originally, we were thinking of everyone gathering together at night to wait for the rabbit to hit the tree, only to be thrown off by him once again."
"There's no other way," Qingyi said. "It's not an ordinary opponent. To be honest, under the condition that no frontal conflict occurred, this result is indeed considered pretty good. Moreover, Shutong's plan was correct; the other party indeed came to the school to look for us, but who could have expected that this man's purpose had completely changed."
To be sure, everyone had started preparing for today's action since last night, discussing many methods for a whole day, yet in the end they still came up empty. It was like a fist hitting cotton without being able to apply force; frustration was unavoidable.
Ruoping knew she had to say something at this moment. She walked up to the guys and deliberately said crossly:
"Are you guys childish or not? Is it that you boys just love competing for that bit of pride? What do you say, Qiumian?"
Following that, she softened her tone:
"But the purpose from the very beginning was to protect me from being attacked, right? Isn't this result very good? These past few days, Du Kang, you and Qingyi helped me bring food; Qiumian asked her family to drop off and pick me up after school; Shutong and Qinglian were running around everywhere too. Who said one must have military merits to be called a big hero? I don't give a damn about what that man thinks—if he loves playing vanish, let him be! It's best if he cower underground for the rest of his life and never come out!"
"Alright, alright," Ruoping exhaled, adjusting her emotions, patting the guys' shoulders one by one, assuming the posture of a big sister boss. "It so happens we haven't eaten yet. Tonight I'm treating—how about throwing a victory banquet for all you big heroes?"
Du Kang felt a bit embarrassed from her praise:
"It's not as exaggerated as you put it, right? Aren't these all things we should do? Besides, the pressing matter is still to find that man..."
Before he could finish his words, Ruoping interrupted:
"I said so much, how come you still haven't understood? It's just telling you guys not to look for him anymore! Besides, didn't the guy say he wouldn't go against us? Stop while the going is good!"
"Clearly you're the one who was attacked and crippled!" Du Kang said indignantly. "Hey, how come you're even speaking good words for him?"
"Are you stupid? Isn't this worrying about something happening to you guys!"
Ruoping's voice suddenly rose:
"Isn't this just like when you fail the college entrance exam, and your parents comfort you saying the exam can't decide everything? Do those parents not know the exam is very important? But there's no choice—we just can't find him. What else can I do if I don't say it like this!"
She spoke faster and faster:
"It's not that I didn't understand. This matter was caused by me to begin with, and I want to solve it smoothly too! Qingyi analyzed a whole bunch, and Shutong has been busy the whole time, but the fact is that the guy didn't take us seriously at all! From the start he saw through this as a trap. Us planning this and planning that—in others' eyes it's like children playing house. Maybe to him, he actively let us off the hook..."
Ruoping paused, suddenly turning crestfallen:
"But what can be done? The initiative is in his hands. We only have two choices—accept or not accept. But if we don't accept, who can find him?"
The atmosphere abruptly fell silent.
The cold wind howled past. A corner of that paper had already been whipped up, sticking coldly to the wall as if recounting a cold reality.
Everyone knew Ruoping was right. The so-called good result was merely an excuse to comfort themselves; the so-called goal achieved depended entirely on a single thought of the man. Whether it was at the mall last night or at school today, the plans they thought were flawless were actually long within the man's grasp.
So the other party smoothly achieved his purpose through them, making a smooth getaway and vanishing once again without a trace.
"I know it makes us look very incompetent too," Du Kang was the first to break this silence, opening his mouth. "That's why..."
Yeah, that's why what? In the end, he didn't say anything out loud.
Ruoping, however, realized her slip of the tongue because of this, hurriedly explaining:
"Shutong, I didn't mean you guys were played by him. I meant..."
"I know," Zhang Shutong said briefly, then fell into silence.
"Qinglian too, I know you paid a lot..."
Lu Qinglian didn't speak. She had been staring at that piece of paper from just now onward.
"And Qiumian..."
Gu Qiumian let out a sigh:
"Let's go home first. It's already past seven. Everyone go back and rest a bit."
Everyone only then noticed it was already this late. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse; only a single streetlamp burned at the school gate. Zhang Shutong tore that piece of paper down, crumpled it into a ball, and put it in his pocket.
They slowly walked out of the school gate. Qingyi kept his brows knitted in deep thought, while Du Kang stubbornly sized up the surroundings at the entrance back and forth, as if the man were hiding in a certain shadow. Ruoping walked up and pulled at them. Everyone got on their respective bikes, in the end still giving up.
Lu Qinglian set off on her way home alone.
The streetlamps dragged her back long. She remained in that same manner—joy and anger unshown on her face, her expression faint and detached. Yet even so, Zhang Shutong felt that she was perhaps the most disappointed one.
To his best friends, keeping guard against the man was merely resolving Ruoping's crisis, but to her, the man's existence also pertained to clues about the mud figurines. Her mother was likewise a temple priestess who wanted to leave this small island during her lifetime, only to turn into a mud figurine in the end.
By the time Zhang Shutong snapped back to reality, Lu Qinglian's figure had already vanished at the end of the light, swallowed by the night. That was a path she had long grown accustomed to walking.
He pulled open the car door and rubbed his stiff face. Just then, his phone screen lit up—it was comforting messages sent by his best friends, subtly telling him not to blame himself.
Gu Qiumian was already making a phone call inside the car compartment:
"Nanny Wu, we're almost home. Mm, about twenty minutes..."
She covered the receiver:
"What else do you want to eat? Want Nanny Wu to add a dish?"
"I like whatever Nanny Wu cooks."
Right now, Zhang Shutong rarely said "whatever."
Once the two of them sat properly in the rear seat of the sedan, the car started up, driving slowly toward the south—heading in the direction of the villa.
Zhang Shutong hadn't been to that villa in a long time.
At noon, he had treated Gu Qiumian to a bowl of noodles, and the eldest young lady insisted on returning the treat no matter what. It so happened that her dad wasn't home these past few days, so the location for treating was chosen at her house.
This was also something agreed upon long ago.
Zhang Shutong silently watched the scenery rapidly receding outside the car window, hearing Gu Qiumian ask:
"Still thinking about that matter?"
"No."
"It's not your fault anyway. Who knows how that person confirmed it."
Zhang Shutong had no choice but to say he wasn't downhearted.
"Not downhearted for real?"
Zhang Shutong said of course.
"That's more like it," she said in a tone resembling My Pokémon couldn't possibly lose. "Told you you're dumb, yet you still refuse to accept it."
Zhang Shutong felt her tone and the content of her words didn't quite match up.
"Accepting it now," he said helplessly.
"You're not just dumb, you're pretty bad too," she hummed.
"What?"
"Why did you fool classmate Lu Qinglian, saying something like my family's mall requires buying if you sample?" Gu Qiumian fanned her hand with dislike. "Stay further away from me. Really wicked-hearted enough, don't infect me."
Zhang Shutong thought to himself, How come you're speaking on her behalf instead?
"My mistake." He raised his hands in surrender, shifting his position to the side.
Only now did Zhang Shutong feel the muscles in his arms trembling slightly—looks like it was the aftereffect of the push-ups. He thought to himself that he ought to exercise a bit; previously he felt his stamina was quite sufficient, but more and more events made him realize it was still not quite enough.
Yet even though Zhang Shutong had shown weakness, Gu Qiumian didn't give up on pursuing him. Only as soon as she twisted her waist, she let out another muffled groan, holding her stomach as she sat back.
"You again..."
Zhang Shutong looked toward her lower abdomen, but Gu Qiumian's period wasn't at this time either.
"Waist hurts." The cold beauty version of Gu Qiumian returned again.
Turns out she had strained her muscles while doing sit-ups as well.
"And here I thought your stamina was pretty good."
Previously, Zhang Shutong had held her waist and knew her waist was slender and soft; sure enough, she didn't have much strength.
Gu Qiumian lay lazily on the rear seat, looking at her phone:
"Shall we continue playing Truth or Dare when we get home today?"
"Haven't played enough yet?"
"What fun was there in what we played just now?" she muttered. "With so many people, I couldn't open up at all."
Zhang Shutong, on the other hand, thought: Without opening up, you already made me do eleven push-ups. If you opened up, how far would it go?
Yet before he could refuse, Gu Qiumian had already picked up her phone with high interest, sliding the screen with her single-finger Zen:
"First question: How are you spending Christmas?"
"Going to school that day," Zhang Shutong answered without even thinking.
Gu Qiumian glared at him:
"Second question: Show me the first photo in your recycle bin."
"Why look at my photo?"
"You said you wouldn't hide the fox matter from me. I haven't seen what the altar looks like yet."
Zhang Shutong thought for a bit and found it made a lot of sense. He handed the phone to Gu Qiumian, but Gu Qiumian's gaze paused on a pink Mickey Mouse hat.
"What is... this?" Gu Qiumian asked with a smile. "In the mall?"
"When shopping at the mall that day, I was casually picking out a present. What's wrong?" Zhang Shutong asked in confusion.
"Nothing. What an ugly hat," she cut her words off with a snort.
"Third question..."
"Have mercy..."
The sealed car compartment kept the cold wind and road noise isolated out. The car drove smoothly as if on flat ground, driving steadily the entire way. The warm air made one feel affectionate, just wanting to let out a yawn as they spoke in low voices within a narrow space.
In the night, the car soon drove onto that familiar mountain-encircling road. Zhang Shutong surveyed the surroundings with emotion; the snow here had long melted away.
The sedan stopped in front of the villa's main gate. Once the two got off the car first, the driver parked the car in the garage to the side. Zhang Shutong stood before that building glowing brightly like a palace, stretching his back. He turned his head to look and found other cars parked nearby—the patrolling bodyguards.
"You have quite a few people at home?" Zhang Shutong asked.
"Did you think it was just me and Nanny Wu?" Gu Qiumian raised her chin, shooting him a sideways glance.
"Looks like safety is guaranteed," he said to himself.
"Hurry up and walk. You're so annoying—after studying that man, you're studying my family again. I told you not to think about these things anymore," Gu Qiumian circled straight behind him to push him. "Just now at school, Nanny Wu was rushing us. The food is getting cold..."
Zhang Shutong had just taken a step when he slapped his forehead:
"Wait a second, I think I forgot my phone..."
"Should I call you?"
"No need," he felt his pocket. "It should be when you handed it over just now that I forgot to take it back."
"Told you you're dumb."
"Yes, yes..."
Zhang Shutong honestly took this hat and put it on.
Fortunately, the car hadn't driven far yet. He ran over in a few steps, pulled open the car door, sat on the rear seat, and saw Gu Qiumian turning around to enter the villa first.
By the light spilling from the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking through the rearview mirror in the middle, one could see the driver in the driver's seat was a taciturn man with a lot of white in his eyes and a full beard. Zhang Shutong had seen him long ago; sending Old Song away from the dormitory building was done with his help.
At this moment, the other party said:
"The light is overhead."
"Oh, no need to turn on the light," Zhang Shutong said offhandedly.
The other party then resumed his silence.
"I have one here."
Zhang Shutong pulled out a phone from his pocket. He turned on the flashlight and flashed it toward the rearview mirror. The dim car compartment was instantly filled with dazzling white light in a split second.
Catching the moment before the man's pupils contracted, he said in a soft voice:
"As expected, it's you."