Chapter 30: Aboard the Pirate Ship (First Update)

As Zhang Shutong just closed the car door, before he could react, the car had already started moving.

It felt like getting into an unlicensed taxi.

The driver of this “black car” even had the nerve to fan the flames:

“Shutong, why do I feel like you still want to get out? Are you more afraid of me or of Qiu Mian?”

Obviously, he was afraid of both of them.

Gu Qiu Mian couldn’t stay still upon hearing this; she glared:

“Teacher, didn’t you say you wanted to buy something to eat? Why did you bring him along too?”

“Ahem, I really had some business with Shutong, but I had to drop you home first. Going back for him later would be too late, so I just brought him along altogether.”

Zhang Shutong finally understood where that reluctant glance from before had come from.

But the young lady remained relatively calm; she just lowered her head and stayed silent, reaching one hand under the seat, fumbling for quite some time.

After the car had been moving for a while, Zhang Shutong realized what she was examining:

She was genuinely studying the seat, or rather, trying to figure out how to adjust it. But she didn’t ask anyone and kept fiddling on her own. After some time, the car suddenly accelerated sharply, accompanied by a startled cry from the girl. Perhaps she accidentally touched something wrong, and she fell back against the seat with her whole body.

This was a hatchback, so the seat naturally wasn’t very high. As her scarf fluttered and her hair flew about, Gu Qiu Mian’s fall caused her to slump against Zhang Shutong’s legs, her scarf covering her face, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes visible.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, a strand hanging in front of her eyes. For two seconds, their eyes met closely, face to face. Then Gu Qiu Mian suddenly widened her eyes, and Zhang Shutong quickly looked away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her prop herself up with both hands, clawing at the seat as she struggled to sit upright.

Once settled, she paused briefly before muttering,

“How do you adjust this seat forward? I’ve never seen a manual one before.”

“Oh, it’s under the seat. There’s a lever; just pull it up,” Old Song said, barely able to contain his amusement.

Gu Qiu Mian pulled the seat forward with force. The space around Zhang Shutong’s knees finally opened up somewhat—not enough to sit comfortably without turning sideways, but at least he no longer had to lean against her seatback.

Only then did Zhang Shutong realize she had wanted to move forward slightly but had mistakenly adjusted the seatback instead. He thanked Gu Qiu Mian, only to hear her reply, “I’m just uncomfortable with you leaning on me.”

Before she could finish speaking, the girl and the seat suddenly slid backward along the rail again. The brief relief in space vanished, and Zhang Shutong didn’t quite understand what she meant. Gu Qiu Mian seemed a bit embarrassed and said,

“I pulled too far earlier. Ah, why are you such a space hog…”

It was as if he were some bulky cargo behind her, and she huffed and puffed, shifting forward a little then sliding back, adjusting back and forth several times before settling.

The car finally fell silent.

Zhang Shutong roughly understood Old Song’s intention: seeing how “actively” he was solving the case, he had just decided to bring Gu Qiu Mian back home with him and take Zhang Shutong along as well.

Come to think of it, Gu Qiu Mian’s father hadn’t been home these past few days, so Old Song was the one escorting her after school.

Speaking of Gu’s father, Zhang Shutong asked Song Nanshan,

“Did you tell her dad about what happened this afternoon?”

Old Song chuckled,

“Look, Qiu Mian, this guy’s even more anxious than you are…”

Zhang Shutong was speechless. He had assumed Gu Qiu Mian would be displeased, but she turned her face away, silently staring out the window, as if whenever her father was mentioned, she always reacted this way.

In the end, neither of them responded to Old Song’s remark.

He had no choice but to smooth things over:

“Yes, yes, I told him. Leave the serious matters to the adults. Don’t worry. Also, I’ve met Li Yipeng’s mother before. That woman… well, when emotions run high, she says anything. If Qiu Mian’s dad hadn’t been away these past few days, I wouldn’t have told her, just to avoid upsetting her mood.”

But as he spoke, Zhang Shutong noticed him wink through the rearview mirror.

Suddenly, Zhang Shutong realized that the “serious business” Old Song mentioned might not just be about dropping Gu Qiu Mian home. Perhaps there was more to it. So, he kept quiet and didn’t press further.

Old Song then said with a smile, “Since you’re out of school now, cheer up! Have a good weekend. I’ve specially approved that neither of you have to do homework this week.”

He then turned on the radio, and a song began to play.

Zhang Shutong had nothing to say. He stared out the window at the many people walking by. The car’s sound insulation was poor, yet it felt like a bubble isolated from the outside world.

The warmth from the air conditioning made one drowsy. Amid the heat, there was a faint scent—certainly not from Old Song’s car, but brought in by Gu Qiu Mian.

Zhang Shutong couldn’t tell if it came from her clothes, hair, or somewhere else. He was generally insensitive to fragrances—perfume smelled good, laundry detergent smelled good, and so did shower gel.

Only now did he realize how close he was to Gu Qiu Mian. Even though they had been desk mates for two days, he hadn’t felt this closeness before. Perhaps the cramped space of the car amplified it.

The red Ford Focus rolled slowly along the road, the trees lining the street and pedestrians retreating gradually.

The school gate was crowded for miles around. Song Nanshan was clearly experienced: shifting gears, easing off the throttle, pressing the horn occasionally. The car was like an oiled fish in his hands, weaving skillfully through the dense crowd.

The naturally aspirated engine’s high-pitched hum was not pleasant but not unpleasant either.

For a while, the car was silent inside. They could have talked a lot outside, but once inside, none of them spoke.

The faint mingling scents of smoke and fragrance teased their noses. The old song on the radio was likely Zheng Jun’s “Runaway”:

“Leave love to the truest girl by my side;

You sing with me, wander with me, suffer with me;

Only now do I suddenly understand;

What I dream of is true love and freedom;

I want to run away with you…”

Old Song tapped the steering wheel lightly, humming along with the melody, as if he were ready to elope with his beloved in this little car. He was completely unfazed, indifferent to whether the other two were willing.

But the song wasn’t quite appropriate. Wouldn’t a different song be better than “Runaway”? Weren’t they just taking Gu Qiu Mian home? How did it turn into running away? Besides, running away was supposed to be something for two—yet the cramped car held three: an adult in the driver’s seat, a young lady in the front passenger seat, and a boy squeezed diagonally in the back because of his long legs.

Today was Friday, December 7th. Zhang Shutong had checked the calendar many times and would not be mistaken. Three days from now, on Monday, the girl named Gu Qiu Mian would disappear. Her body would be found in a water area called the “Forbidden Zone.” Whatever happened that weekend was now beyond investigation.

Yet now, the girl sat right in front of Zhang Shutong. Sometimes she glanced out the window, sometimes she looked at the radio. The car’s horn cracked occasionally, and whenever Zheng Jun sang loudly, “I want to run away with you,” she was the first to frown.

The weather was truly cold. Even with the windows closed, the chill made her ears red.