Winter Time Rendering

"So what time *do* they actually close, then?" Du Kang surprisingly played along, a true testament to their friendship.

"Uh..." Zhang Shutong was taken aback. He didn’t actually know, either; he just thought the line sounded cool. "Anyway, it was still open at eight-thirty."

At this, Qingyi understood.

"So you ran out last night, bought a new scarf, and swapped it with Gu Qiuyan’s?"

He then nodded in sudden understanding.

"No wonder you were the last one out of line during the long break. You were waiting for her to leave, weren’t you?"

As he spoke, he picked up the scarf from the floor and examined it. Sure enough, it wasn’t the same as the one draped over the back of the chair. The one in his hand was brand new and even looked a bit more expensive than the other.

"Well, I’ll be. You even fooled the two of us." Du Kang thumped Zhang Shutong on the shoulder, his voice a mix of excitement at discovering the truth and mild resentment for being kept in the dark. "But I’m not gonna lie, man, that wasn’t cool. We came all this way with you, after all."

’When a guy does a good deed, it’s not for fame, fortune, or a girl,’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’So all that’s left is showing off. I’ve always been like that. Otherwise, why would I come up here alone to deal with this guy on the floor—by the way, what was this schmuck’s name again...? Just to put on a show?’

Of course, these thoughts were mostly in jest. The most important reason was that he had been worried something might go wrong, which was why he’d brought two more people. He had always preferred to play it safe.

He smiled and apologized, then mimicked Qingyi’s serious tone and said profoundly,

"It is merely the bond between men."

Qingyi gave him a thumbs-up, and Zhang Shutong returned the gesture. Du Kang was the only one who instinctively looked around for Ruoping. At times like this, she was the only one who could put a stop to their cringey antics. Unfortunately, the girl hadn’t come with them today.

"Sigh, whatever, you two. You really scared the crap out of me earlier. As long as the outcome is good, I guess."

Just then, the noises from outside the window grew louder. Du Kang turned his head to look and saw that quite a few students were already entering the academic building. He was the type who rarely held a grudge; though he’d been a little resentful just a moment ago, he now broke into a grin and waggled his eyebrows at Zhang Shutong.

"Hey, if you’re gonna be like that, I just had a great idea. I guarantee it’s an even bigger way to show off."

This kid was full of one bad idea after another.

"How about this? Before Gu Qiuyan gets back, we hide her real scarf. Then, just imagine, when she comes into the classroom and sees us here, she’s definitely going to ask what happened. We’ll tell her we used her scarf as bait to catch the thief. She’s obviously not going to be happy about that. Then, right when she’s on the verge of tears, Shutong, you pull out the real one. That’ll blow her mind..."

"Stop right there. Just give it a rest."

Zhang Shutong pressed a hand to his forehead. He really couldn’t listen to any more of this. He also found himself unconsciously looking for Ruoping, wishing she were here to smack some sense into the guy. But alas, Ruoping wasn’t around.

’No wonder this guy is still single eight years from now,’ Zhang Shutong mused. He was about to scorn him for it, but then he remembered that he’d been single back then, too. It was the pot calling the kettle black. A wave of melancholy washed over him, and he dropped the thought.

"I’m serious," Du Kang continued, unstoppable. "I read it online. If a man can stir up a woman’s emotions, over time, he’ll start to leave a mark on her heart... Why else do they say girls love bad boys?"

’What kind of ancient, shady dating advice is that?’ Zhang Shutong chuckled. "Why don’t you try it on Lu Qinglian?"

"Er, on second thought, never mind..." The guy was all talk and no action, a classic keyboard warrior. "But I’m serious, even if you don’t deliberately scare Gu Qiuyan, when you tell her the whole story later, isn’t she going to be incredibly moved?"

Zhang Shutong hadn’t really thought about that. Ultimately, making Gu Qiuyan feel moved wasn’t his reason for doing this.

To put it flippantly, it was like everyone had agreed to be low-level gangsters. There are rules when you’re in the game. How could a bastard like him go after the boss’s daughter herself? That’s just asking to get hacked to pieces.

To put it more seriously, it was because her words yesterday had moved him. He also happened to have an idea, so he helped her catch the "culprit."

So, Zhang Shutong said nonchalantly,

"Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to tell you two—don’t embellish the story. Just say the three of us noticed something was off. That’s enough."

"Doing a good deed and not even taking credit? So what are you after?"

"What am I after... How should I put it..."

He thought for a moment, then, for once, spoke a long, serious string of words.

"Let me give you an example. In the past, when you were at your breaking point, no one came to help you. But now that you have a little strength, when you see someone in a similar situation, you’re reminded of your past self, so..."

As he was speaking, Zhang Shutong gave Qingyi a funny look. "What are you doing, pulling out your phone and typing?" Qingyi explained that a line that cool obviously needed to be recorded right away for future use.

Zhang Shutong wasn’t sure if he should feel honored or embarrassed by Qingyi’s approval.

He changed his tune and said,

"So I really feel like I didn’t do much. If anyone deserves thanks, it’s her. Otherwise, today’s opportunity wouldn’t have been possible."

"In a way, that’s true," Qingyi nodded. "If she hadn’t been so calm and collected about it, this guy wouldn’t have come back today. Without that piece of the puzzle, there would’ve been no way to catch him."

At this, Qingyi asked another question.

"But I’ve had a question since we were on the stairs. We caught the guy, sure, and the other suspicious points are pretty much cleared up. But how do you explain the name on the bathroom stall partition?"

As soon as he said this, before Zhang Shutong could speak, the boy on the floor suddenly reacted as if he’d just grabbed a lifeline.

"It wasn’t me!"

The three of them shot him a look as if he were an idiot.

"Li Yipeng, I’m telling you, we recorded the whole thing. What’s the point of denying it now?" Du Kang was so exasperated he almost laughed.