Winter Time Rendering

Chapter 37: Chapter 12: A Terrifying Night

’Who is that?!’

Zhang Shutong’s heart skipped a beat.

A beam from a flashlight swept across the space above them, the light devouring the darkness piece by piece.

’A few minutes? Or just one? Maybe even less. As soon as that person gets a little closer, this private patch of grass of ours will be completely exposed.’

Countless clues suddenly connected in his mind:

...The restricted area.

...A man.

...The west.

...The opposite bank.

...A recently opened package.

All these keywords flashed through his mind.

They pieced together like fragments in an instant, but no matter who was coming, there was no time to think about it now—

’Should we run?’

’Absolutely not!’

Zhang Shutong immediately dismissed the thought. If he were alone, he might have tried it, but there were too many of them. He couldn’t risk it. An accident happening to any one of them would have unbearable consequences.

So, Zhang Shutong quickly waved his arm, pointed toward the reeds, and hissed:

"Everyone, hide!"

He was usually a man of few words, but when he got serious, what he said always worked. In their little group, the only people who could make a decision in a critical moment were Ruoping and Zhang Shutong himself.

The others exchanged glances, but Lu Qinglian was the first to move. Ruoping and Du Kang seemed like they wanted to say something, but spurred on by the other two, their bodies reacted instinctively, and they immediately started gathering their things from the ground.

The beam of light was getting closer.

Zhang Shutong scanned their surroundings. Of all their things, the bicycles were the largest and most easily spotted items. Fortunately, they hadn’t moved them; they were still stashed in the reeds.

All that was left were the fishing rods and stools. The stools were easy—you could just grab them and go. The fishing rods, however, were a different story. It was never just the rod itself; it was connected to a line, a float, and a hook, which could easily get tangled in the weeds on the ground.

He was already holding his own rod. Ruoping and Du Kang hadn’t been fishing at all. Only Qingyi, who had been chatting with the others, still had his things right by the water.

Seeing Qingyi about to turn back, Zhang Shutong darted forward and grabbed his arm, gesturing with his eyes toward the approaching light. The two of them truly had a tacit understanding—or perhaps that was the good thing about a chuunibyou teenager, he could get into character in a second. Qingyi gave a solemn nod, then decisively stuck out his foot and kicked the fishing rod into the water without a moment’s hesitation.

The force was just right, like a stalk of green bamboo sliding into a pot. There was a nearly inaudible splash, and when he looked back, the others were already crouched down, quickly ducking into the reeds.

—Zhang Shutong knew they thought it was the police on patrol. That’s why they were all so well-practiced. They were no strangers to this game of hide-and-seek, experienced enough that he didn’t need to give them any pointers.

So he didn’t explain. Under the circumstances, maintaining this convenient misunderstanding was actually better for their escape.

The footsteps grew closer. He gave the grassy area one last look, then parted the reeds behind him. Thankfully, the bicycles inside had already created a small opening; otherwise, there was no way he could have gotten through so quietly.

He let go, and his vision was plunged into darkness. The reeds blocked out the outside world, but they also completely blocked his view.

The faint sound of his friends’ breathing was right behind him. He glanced back and saw only several pairs of shining eyes in the darkness.

Zhang Shutong was familiar with that look. He’d been on a roller coaster before. The most breathtaking moment on a roller coaster is never the cliff-like plunge. It’s when you’re gripping the shoulder restraints for dear life, your vocal cords tense, your body leaning back as the car slowly climbs the ladder-like track, rising to the highest point just seconds later!

His friends’ expressions were no different from someone on a roller coaster. Zhang Shutong could read their thoughts: it was a close call, but thrilling. They saw this game of hide-and-seek as an exciting adventure. It was a bit embarrassing, sure, but kids their age feared nothing. So what if they got caught? It would just be another great escape from that bear-like police officer, a game of cat and mouse that might even become a story to tell at school tomorrow...

’Of course, I hope it’s the police, too. The police would be great. The worst that could happen if we’re caught is a lecture. No harm done. Even if the school was notified, it would be a minor issue. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to be scaring myself like this. It’s so late. Can’t we all just go home, take a shower, and sleep? Why are we out here, fighting shadows? I should just stop being so tense and overreacting...’

But Zhang Shutong couldn’t afford to think that way.

The only things in his mind were the murderer who killed Gu Qiuyan eight years ago, and the dagger that would be plunged into the back of his neck eight years from now. That night was just like tonight: his hands and feet were ice-cold, the night wind was bone-chilling, and it was getting even windier... He pulled out his phone, started typing in his notes app, slid the screen brightness to its lowest setting, and passed it behind him.

"Give me the baton! It’s in the side pocket! No matter what happens, just run!!!!!"

That was the message on the screen. He’d typed five exclamation points in a row, hoping to make them understand the gravity of the situation. Theoretically, there was only one person out there. With five of them, they had a chance to take down the culprit directly.

But Zhang Shutong knew there were generally two types of murderers. One was the accidental killer, like a petty thief who only wanted to steal a wallet but might do something desperate when cornered. And the other type...

...was the one who came with the express purpose of taking a life.

’This person is the latter.’

Zhang Shutong couldn’t take that gamble.

Besides, everything was happening too suddenly. They had no opportunity to plan. For instance, he wanted to add the words "Then call the police right away" to the message. But he knew without even thinking that someone would definitely ask, "Aren’t the police the ones trying to catch us? Why would we call them?"