Winter Time Rendering

Just how terrifying Zhang Shutong’s mother truly was had been well-documented throughout Tongtong’s childhood.

Back when he was four or five and just starting elementary school, he was what you might call an "adorable kid," to use a phrase that came into fashion later. He was extremely popular, and it was all thanks to his mom.

His mom loved to do one thing in particular: show off her kid.

But while most parents would show their kids off to relatives and neighbors, his mom took a more innovative approach, targeting Zhang Shutong’s own classmates.

Especially the girls.

That’s why Zhang Shutong was so popular as a kid. Every time his birthday rolled around, his mom would somehow lure a huge crowd of his dazed and confused classmates away. Some would be crying for their parents while others would just hop right into his family’s car. Before anyone knew what was happening, they’d all be sitting inside a KFC.

KFC still offered birthday party services back then. Several family-sized buckets of chicken sat on the table as the employees sang a soft "Happy Birthday," clapping along while dimming the restaurant lights.

The birthday boy would be sitting in the middle of the booth, staring blankly at the huge circle of classmates—some familiar, some not—with no idea when he’d invited them.

Then his mom, nibbling on an egg tart, would ask him if he was happy. A young Zhang Shutong would, of course, nod enthusiastically, completely forgetting to ask why his birthday hat was on his mom’s head.

Then his mom would smear a dab of frosting from the cake onto his face and say sternly,

"Tongtong, you’re another year older. But did you know that for every year a kid ages, they need one more smear of frosting on their face? Now, count how old you are. Are you going to do it yourself, or should Mommy help you?"

Although having his face covered in frosting was awful, his birthday was still a momentous occasion. So, Zhang Shutong swallowed his pride and did the deed himself. His mom roared with laughter, snapping pictures and saying, "Son, Mommy will definitely save these for you. When you get a girlfriend, I’ll let her have a look."

Zhang Shutong fell for his mom’s words yet again, genuinely believing he was popular. He was played for a complete fool.

A fact he didn’t realize until he started attending other kids’ birthday parties.

Then, one little girl invited him to be the dad when they played house.

Soon after, a whole group of little girls demanded he be the dad when they played house.

From then on, Zhang Shutong celebrated his birthdays alone.

It was only later that he finally figured it out: his mother had always been this kind of agent of chaos, someone who lived to stir up trouble.

But Zhang Shutong was always completely under her thumb. His entire life, every time he managed to climb out of one of her traps, his mom would already be standing there, waving flamboyantly at the edge of the next one.

And this particular trap, just one look down told him it was bottomless.

He stood warily between the two women. When faced with his mother, Zhang Shutong’s mind raced even faster than it did when he was hunting down a killer.

’First of all, even though my mom loves to show me off, she wouldn’t just grab any random pretty girl on the street to do it.’

’Second, she’s wearing sunglasses and a mask, which means she doesn’t want to be recognized. But she’s never met Gu Qiuyan before, so she’s not hiding from her. She’s hiding from someone else... which can only mean me.’

’The conclusion is—she probably saw Gu Qiuyan and me the moment we walked into the mall. I don’t even have to guess what she’s cooked up in that head of hers; otherwise, she wouldn’t have come over to talk to Gu Qiuyan.’

But that was precisely why Zhang Shutong felt such immense pressure. To put it more bluntly, even that time his draft paper was displayed on the projector wasn’t as awful as this moment.

While he was on high alert, his mother just giggled. Deciding to drop the act, she took off her mask and sunglasses, shaking out her long, wavy, chestnut-colored hair.

She was a woman who looked much younger than her age, clearly taking great care of herself. She had a pair of stunning, slender eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners. When she squinted, you knew she was up to no good, but when she smiled and her eyes curved, she had a surprisingly approachable charm.

Zhang Shutong was utterly helpless against his live-wire of a mother. His dad once told him that she was a real demoness in her youth, with a smile that could topple cities.

In reality, however, she was a researcher. She was dead serious when she wore her white lab coat, and looked pretty cool with her hands stuffed in its pockets.

But that side of her was reserved strictly for the lab.

Outside the lab, she was a completely different person. Like right now, for instance. The woman squinted and grinned.

"Son, did you miss Mommy?"

"...I did."

Actually, Zhang Shutong really did miss her. Although his parents had always been safe and sound, his mom wasn’t a real demoness, after all. Time was unforgiving. The her from eight years in the future was nothing like the woman before him now—a playful, cheerful, clever, and wicked demoness in thigh-high boots. In the future, she would stop dyeing and perming her hair, silver strands would appear in her beautiful locks, and wrinkles would start to form at the corners of her eyes.

But just as Zhang Shutong was immersed in his memories, his mom’s tone suddenly shifted.

"So, aren’t you going to introduce me?"

Only then did Zhang Shutong look toward Gu Qiuyan.

Gu Qiuyan had already turned bright red.

Honestly, her reaction now was pretty much the same as it had been that morning. She froze for a second, her eyes gradually widening. Her fair face flushed red again, the color spreading rapidly, this time all the way to the tips of her ears.

"H... Hello, Ma’am..."

The girl’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, making Zhang Shutong marvel once again at his mother’s position at the top of the social food chain. Even a "Young Miss" like her was no match.

"Gu Qiuyan. My classmate," Zhang Shutong said, his words clipped.

"No wonder I felt an instant connection to Qiumian! So she’s your classmate!" his mom said, feigning a sudden realization, though her acting was terrible. Zhang Shutong guessed she must have recognized the name.

She pressed the chocolate into Gu Qiuyan’s hand just as Qingyi walked over. His mom, of course, knew all his best friends. She greeted him with a smile. "Xiaoyi, you’ve gotten taller again! Quick, stand next to Zhang Shutong. Let me see which of you is taller now."

Qingyi was no match for her either and obediently stood next to Zhang Shutong. His mom studied them for a long moment, chin in hand, before asking, "How come it’s just you three today?"

Zhang Shutong was about to say there was one more, but speak of the devil, Ruoping bounced in. She was just about to call out to them when she realized something was off about the scene. ’Why are there suddenly two other women at our friends’ get-together?’

She didn’t blush, she was just a bit stunned.

It was as if some invisible magnetic field was at play. The two girls were the first to lock eyes, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Zhang Shutong knew it was up to him to handle this—after all, he was the one who had invited Gu Qiuyan. But before he could open his mouth, his mother sprang into action.

His mom was very fond of Ruoping. She pulled the girl over and doted on her, asking where she’d been. "I only saw these two boys just now. Did you know that out of all of Shutong’s friends, you’re the one Auntie missed the most? Come here, sweetie, give me a kiss."

With that, she blew a kiss into the air, making Ruoping laugh so hard she forgot all about Gu Qiuyan.

Then his mom noticed the snack in her hand and said, "Auntie’s feeling a little peckish."

Nothing more needed to be said. The girl obediently offered up the snack she had spent ages waiting in line for. She even did so willingly, asking, "Is that enough, Auntie? I can go buy more if it’s not."

His mom said there was no need. "You kids have fun, I’ve got to get home." Then, carrying the... whatever it was, an egg burger or something, she gave a wave and was gone in a flash.

From the moment she arrived to the moment she left, Zhang Shutong couldn’t figure out what his mom had even come for.

’But I have to admit, my mom’s methods are brilliant,’ he thought. ’No wonder I always fall for her schemes.’

The four of them watched her disappear into the distance, standing in silence for a moment. Just as Zhang Shutong was about to ask Gu Qiuyan what his mom had said to her, someone tugged on his sleeve.

"What’s going on?"

It was Ruoping.

"I don’t know either. I just suddenly ran into my mom."

"I meant, what’s *her* deal?" Ruoping smiled, showing the early signs of a little demoness herself. "You brought your deskmate and didn’t even say anything?"

Just as Zhang Shutong was about to answer, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Autumn Rain Mianmian, who was pecking at her screen with a single finger.

She stood in the crowd, looking a little distracted. The message asked if she had been rude to his mom just now...

After sending the message, Gu Qiuyan subconsciously looked for him, only to see him standing together with Ruoping.

Even though the mall was noisy, and he and Ruoping had deliberately moved to the side, Zhang Shutong could feel that invisible magnetic field humming back to life.

And just like that, her absent-mindedness was replaced by a look of spirited determination.

Gu Qiuyan shot a quick glare at Zhang Shutong before her posture shifted, returning to how she’d been before they entered the mall. Her back straightened, and the line of her neck, visible above her sweater, was as graceful as a swan’s.

The girl had specifically worn a long, cyan dress today. Her aura was a mixture of bright charm and cool indifference, but her eyes now sparkled with pride. She looked like a proper "Young Miss" again.

Then, the great Miss Gu took a step forward in her white sneakers and began walking slowly toward them.

Just then, another message came through on his phone. It was from his mom.

"This is as far as Mom can help you. You’re on your own for the rest."

"Also, you’d better have a good explanation for where you were last night! (cleaver) (smile)"