Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 30: Chapter 10: Twist, Lick, Dunk

Du Kang came running down first, waving and carrying a stool. Lu Qinglian followed behind him, her pace unhurried.

Zhang Shutong glanced at the two of them, about to ask where they had run off to, but Du Kang was panting from the exertion and immediately started looking for water. Feng Ruoping found a bottle of mineral water in the bike basket, tossed it to him, and then pulled Du Kang aside to question him, like a big gray wolf cornering a little white rabbit.

Gossip, no doubt.

Zhang Shutong couldn’t be bothered to get involved. He called out to Qingyi, handed him the rod he was holding, and then pulled out his own telescopic rod. He had Qingyi hold the flashlight for him as he began to tie a fishhook.

Qingyi watched for a moment, then asked, puzzled,

"Why are you using that kind of knot?"

Zhang Shutong’s hands paused. He realized he had slipped up.

He used to know a "two-finger wrap." Simply put, he would wrap the fishing line directly around his fingers, give the end a tug, and the hook would be secured firmly. It was fast and efficient.

But it had been many years since he last fished, and he had forgotten even his most practiced skills. He had fumbled for a good while and nearly tied his own two fingers together. He had no choice but to resort to the dumbest method, like threading a needle.

Suddenly, a cool, clear voice came from behind him:

"Isn’t this how he used to tie it?"

He turned his head and saw that Lu Qinglian had come up behind him at some point. The girl was leaning over with her hands on her knees, her delicate face devoid of expression.

"Of course not. This is a total beginner’s knot. He thinks only fools who are just starting out tie it like this," Qingyi replied casually.

’Thanks a lot for thinking so highly of me.’

’Guess that makes me the fool.’

"Perfect. You can teach me this way, then."

To his surprise, that’s what Lu Qinglian said to him.

She then casually walked over and sat down next to Zhang Shutong, as if he had already agreed to teach her. That spot was originally for Ruoping.

One could hardly say she was interested—from her eyes to her expression, nothing fit the description. Yet, to say she was uninterested wasn’t right either, as Lu Qinglian blinked, studying the fishhook in his hand.

Zhang Shutong had no choice but to politely decline.

"I’m busy. Wait for Du Kang to come over."

’Never mind that I haven’t even figured it out myself. This clearly isn’t my scene to play.’

"But he’s still talking with Feng Ruoping."

"...You can wait for them to finish."

"Do you dislike me?" she asked in confusion.

"No, I’m just used to being alone."

’Is this girl naturally this dense?’

"Then do you like me?" she asked out of the blue.

"..."

Zhang Shutong bit the inside of his cheek.

He couldn’t help but look up at Lu Qinglian. She sat primly on the stool, her expression calm as ever. Her skin looked even fairer in the moonlight as she met his gaze.

"I thought boys who like girls fall into two types. One is always trying to find an opportunity to talk to her, and the other deliberately ignores her to get her attention. Do you just have a difficult personality?"

As she finished, she even frowned, as if she were genuinely treating it as a research question.

"Neither," Zhang Shutong said, lowering his head to continue tying the line. "I don’t like you, but I don’t dislike you either. I’m just... uh, a bit aloof. Try to understand."

This was the first time anyone had made him proactively claim the label "aloof." Suddenly, Zhang Shutong thought that being a little aloof wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

He thought that would be the end of it, but then Lu Qinglian spoke again.

"But you just lent me your gloves."

"What are you trying to say?" Zhang Shutong sighed. ’Aren’t you the Temple Priestess?’ he thought. ’Shouldn’t a Temple Priestess be up on a mountain somewhere? Why have you come down to the lake to bicker with me?’

"I’m not trying to imply anything. Why can’t you teach me how to fish?" Lu Qinglian asked, confused.

She had peach blossom eyes. When she was silent, they were filled with a cool detachment, but whenever she was confused, their outer corners would droop slightly, like a melting ice sculpture. Zhang Shutong studied her for a moment and thought her name was quite fitting—she really did have a look that could stir pity in anyone’s heart.

But the way she put it made Zhang Shutong seem like the strange one.

Okay, so maybe he was being a little strange. But Zhang Shutong had his own predicament.

Normally, teaching her to fish would be no big deal, but his best friend, who had a crush on her, was standing right there. Zhang Shutong could still remember how heartbroken Du Kang looked eight years later.

It wasn’t that he felt obligated to play matchmaker just because he had returned to the past. Du Kang would be thrilled, of course, but there was no guarantee the girl felt the same. His attitude towards such matters was to let fate decide.

But Zhang Shutong had always felt that for a guy who loves fishing, night fishing with the girl he likes is a romantic thing. The moon overhead, the evening breeze drifting by, blades of grass swaying, the two of them holding a single, still-warm fishing rod together...

Although others might not think so, and although he had never met a girl who was good at fishing, this was his idea of romance. So even if he wasn’t going to play matchmaker, he didn’t want to butt in and ruin the mood.

But on second thought, Du Kang would have to come over eventually anyway. Instead of wasting time dawdling with Lu Qinglian, it would be better to teach her quickly and get some peace and quiet.

So Zhang Shutong agreed.

"Alright, I’ll demonstrate for you once. Watch closely..."

Lu Qinglian watched with rapt attention.

He went through the motions once without tightening the knot. Then he shook the line loose and handed her the entire rod.

"Use your phone... oh, right, you don’t have one," Zhang Shutong said, pulling out his own. "I’ll hold the light for you. You try it."

The phone’s flash illuminated her hands. Seeing the small cuts on her fingers, Zhang Shutong said with a sigh,

"You won’t be able to tie it with your hands like that."

"It’s fine."

As she spoke, she gently pinched the fishing line between her fingernails—so that was the difference between guys and girls. Zhang Shutong kept his nails short and naturally used the pads of his fingers to hold the line; it had never occurred to him that it could be done that way.