Zhang Shutong called "that incident" the Scarf Incident.
It was probably after some PE class when everyone returned to the classroom and Gu Qiumian discovered that her beloved scarf had been stepped on by someone.
If it had been just one footprint, that would have been one thing, but one end of the scarf was nearly torn apart at the seams, and there were several black handprints on it. This clearly couldn't be explained away as accidentally stepping on it.
Obviously, it was deliberate retaliation.
She first let out a distressed "ah," looked around helplessly at the surrounding classmates, her eyes already beginning to redden, then anger flooded her face. She walked up to the podium in a few steps, slammed the scarf down, and demanded loudly:
"Who did this? Come out right now!"
The classroom suddenly fell silent.
At the same time, someone stood up with a conflicted expression.
"You?!"
"No, I went to the bathroom..."
Before the person could finish speaking, Gu Qiumian cut them off with a sharp question, and they slunk back to their seat dejectedly.
The room was silent as a grave. The young lady's intimidating reputation was no joke. Some students had been chatting quietly before, but now they all shut their mouths tight.
"I didn't see anything..."
"Me neither..."
This was the first time everyone had seen her lose composure like this, and they were all a bit frightened.
You have to understand, back when she was provoked by that boy, although the consequences were severe, she had only left with a cold expression.
While people didn't dare speak up, sometimes silence is also a form of dismissal.
Apart from some students who hadn't reacted yet, there were others who actually thought she had gone too far with the class transfer incident, that it wasn't worth making such a fuss over something so minor. But they didn't dare say anything now, just kept their heads down—a silent protest.
If it had been any other girl, a few good sisters would have gathered around by now, comforting her while helping her vent.
But Gu Qiumian had no friends. She just stood there alone on the podium, lips pressed tightly together, wanting nothing more than to stare at every single person's face.
At the time, Zhang Shutong and Du Kang and the others were gathered together. The few of them glanced at each other, and Ruoping was the first to grab Du Kang's ear:
"Hey wait, why are you looking at me? Even if I have beef with her, would I do something like this?"
"Ow ow ow, I was wrong, jie, big sis, I really didn't mean it that way..."
Only then did Ruoping let go, curling her lip:
"The young lady's throwing a tantrum. We're in for it now. Qingyi, guess who did it?"
"Can't guess. Everyone just got back, but I don't see anyone absent. Must've been done before PE class."
"What about Shutong? Hmm? Spacing out?"
Before he could speak, a male student suddenly stood up—one of Gu Qiumian's secret admirers. He pointed at him:
"It was Zhang Shutong who stepped on it. I saw him. After he stepped on it, he specifically picked the scarf up."
Zhang Shutong was stunned at the time.
Because from the moment Gu Qiumian walked up to the podium, he had been recalling one question:
Whether he had actually stepped on it or not.
That day he was the last one to leave. The homeroom teacher had him write up a seating chart during break—normally the class monitor's job, but the monitor had taken leave, so it fell to him.
After finishing up, he hurriedly ran through the aisle, and the scarf was lying on the ground with only half its tassels showing.
He originally remembered not stepping on it, just picking it up in passing, but since he'd been running urgently at the time, and now with someone accusing him, maybe his foot really had touched it just a little—even he couldn't be certain anymore.
This was the most frustrating situation: it seemed unrelated, yet seemed somewhat related. No matter what, he couldn't explain it clearly.
Only then did Gu Qiumian remember this "traitor." She gritted her teeth, her voice rising several degrees, filled with anger:
"You did this?"
"I think I might have stepped on it... but I didn't tear the scarf."
"Then tell me! Why does Zhou Ziheng say he saw it? Or is he lying?"
The male student named Zhou Ziheng was her deskmate, who had always shown her plenty of concern. His credibility was much higher than Zhang Shutong's own.
"It was definitely him! I happened to go back to get something and saw it."
Zhou Ziheng's voice grew louder.
"Hey, you two stop falsely accusing people! I could just as easily say your deskmate is framing him!"
Ruoping also stood up.
But Gu Qiumian ignored her, walking straight toward him and throwing the scarf onto his desk.
Only then did Zhang Shutong see that there wasn't just a footprint on it—there was also something sticky smeared on it, like snot.
Gu Qiumian's eyes just stared at him fixedly:
"Zhang Shutong, did you do it or not?"
"...It wasn't me."
"Then what did you just say? Now you don't dare admit it?"
"What I said was, I might have stepped on it," Zhang Shutong felt his scalp tingling, "but this stuff on it definitely wasn't me. Just calm down..."
But Gu Qiumian wasn't listening to anything he said anymore:
"Why would you do something like this? This scarf, my mother she..."
"I didn't do it."
"I just want you to apologize. I won't tell the teacher. I hate people who won't admit what they've done most of all!"
"..."
"Disgusting!"
"I said, only about this one thing—it wasn't me."
He also spoke word by word.
That's how he was back then—could take the soft approach but not the hard one. He believed the innocent would be proven innocent, and he definitely wasn't the type to comfort people.
At first, when Gu Qiumian came over, as a semi-involved party, he naturally felt at a disadvantage. But when she later took on the attitude of interrogating a criminal, he got annoyed too.
From this perspective, saying that he was "aloof" back in those days really wasn't wrong. If Gu Qiumian's face was frosty, then Zhang Shutong's face would only be colder than hers.
As they talked, her eyes reddened again:
"I've never offended you normally, have I?"
"I've never provoked you either."
"Then why would you..."
"Are you done yet?"
Both sides were talking past each other, both holding back anger. Someone started playing peacemaker:
"Why don't you tell Teacher Song about it, Qiumian?"
"Yeah, class is about to start. There's no point dragging this out..."
There were also those who took the opportunity to vent their dissatisfaction:
"Really thinks she's all that, it's not like she's the principal's daughter..."
"What did you say?"
Gu Qiumian whipped her head around.
That person didn't dare speak anymore. After a long while, they muttered quietly:
"If you're so capable, why don't you have your dad transfer you to another class..."
It was this sentence that lit the powder keg.
But it exploded on him:
"...Fine. Since you won't admit it—don't your parents also work under my dad? I'm going to tell my dad about this!"
After saying this, she wiped her face and turned to leave.
The moment she left, several friends around him, along with other classmates, came to comfort him.
Ruoping was so angry she cursed people out.
Qingyi and Du Kang also stood up, went over to that male student named Zhou Ziheng, and complained:
"What were you saying just now? That's not how you play the hero. Shutong could never do something like this..."
He couldn't remember what else was said, only that it was very embarrassing. He simply went to the rooftop and stayed there for a whole class period.
Not because he'd been falsely accused, but because that remark about his parents felt like an insult in his young heart, making him flush with shame.
His parents originally worked at the Geological Bureau. A few years ago, because Gu Qiumian's father wanted to develop the small island, he collaborated with the city to establish a project and specifically set up an exploration station on the island.
From this perspective, the reason for transferring to school on the island really did have a great deal to do with Gu Qiumian's family.
But to say they were working for her dad was off the mark. By rights, that threat should have been the most harmless, but it stuck in his heart for a very long time.
Perhaps some things that were usually deliberately blurred became starkly revealed in that moment.
But to say he wasn't worried at all would be impossible. What if it really implicated his family?
He probed his parents obliquely a few times, but the "revenge" he'd imagined never happened. Instead, it made them look at him a bit strangely.
Those few days going to school felt somewhat heavy. Young people's imaginations are incredibly rich—for instance, being cornered at the school gate by Gu Qiumian's lackeys, or being knocked out by her family's driver and dragged into a car. He really had considered these possibilities.
Moreover, even if they couldn't deal with his family, that didn't mean they couldn't deal with him at school. Gu Qiumian's father had extensive connections. Considering that boy who told dirty jokes and his fate, having him transferred to another class or sent home for a few days was also possible.
But in reality, none of these things happened.
Honestly, Zhang Shutong never figured out why, right up to the end.
Gu Qiumian came to school the next day. She didn't settle scores with him afterward, didn't pursue the hidden truth, as if nothing had happened at all.
She was the same as usual—always wearing that repaired scarf, bringing lots of snacks and occasionally sharing them with others, drawing on the glass windows and being amused by her own terrible drawings.
Only when the two of them passed each other, she neither gave him a cold face nor glared at him. From sometimes still being able to exchange a few words, they became completely indifferent to each other.
Zhang Shutong used to be a bit stubborn. Originally, he'd been holding onto his pride, wanting to find the real "culprit" and then tell her the truth fair and square.
But unexpectedly, that was the last conversation between the two of them. That pent-up feeling in his chest dissipated with an unexpected outcome, and this conflict became a past event completely sealed away in his heart.
Many years later, thinking back on it, he couldn't really talk about being angry anymore. He just felt there must have been a better solution back then. If there was any conclusion to draw, it was that that scarf was very important to Gu Qiumian.
There are some things you carry in your heart for many years. You don't deliberately recall them, but once they appear in your mind, you rack your brains thinking about right and wrong, better methods... trying every possible way, all to no avail. Actually, what you want isn't right or wrong or outcomes, but simply regret for something that can't be recovered.
When Zhang Shutong was in his teens, he worked out a method for categorizing people—though he doesn't use it anymore now. The specific operation was:
If he encountered someone particularly special, someone he couldn't figure out, he'd try to match that person's speech and behavior against novel or manga characters he'd read. If he could match them about eighty or ninety percent, then he could classify them as a template, and pretty much understand them.
He'd tried this with Gu Qiumian once. His conclusion was that she was an aloof-type young lady, but later discovered that wasn't right. She was more like someone who didn't really care about most things. Since she didn't care, she didn't need to expend energy, which gave people the feeling she was standoffish.
Like right now, for instance. He kept feeling that Gu Qiumian was glaring at him, but when their gazes actually met, the facts proved that Zhang Shutong was overthinking it.
Her face showed neither surprise nor any intention of settling scores with him. She just stood there expressionlessly, as if stating the most ordinary matter:
"Move your chair over. Let me in."
At this point, switching seats would seem pretentious instead. Zhang Shutong moved his stool forward and felt a fragrant breeze drift past from behind.
Looking at Gu Qiumian again—Miss Gu had returned to her old haunt, but her new deskmate was an inconsiderate male student, and the two of them even had a bit of a grudge. Her mood probably wasn't pleasant.
She just placed her bookbag on the desk and silently began organizing her things.
She didn't speak, and Zhang Shutong was happy to have the peace and quiet. Some girls, he could tell what they were thinking at a glance. Others he could never figure out, no matter their age. Gu Qiumian belonged to the latter category. So he wanted to save some brain cells.
Besides, he had something more important on his mind—
The promise he'd made to Du Kang couldn't be kept now. The seats beside and in front of Lu Qinglian had already been taken, but the seat in front of her front seat was still empty.
Fortunately, the top students in the class were all girls, so no one was eyeing that position for now.
Although it had been pretty absurd from the start, he'd made a promise.
Besides, as long as it was still empty, Zhang Shutong had a way.
He looked toward the front door again, and sure enough, there was a male student who hadn't been assigned yet, shamelessly calling out to the homeroom teacher:
"Teacher, can you arrange for me to sit next to Ding Xiaoxiao?"
Ding Xiaoxiao was the girl sitting in front of Lu Qinglian's front seat.
Song Nanshan's gaze shifted from the rankings list to look at him:
"If you have something to say, say it."
"I can't see clearly lately. I think I'm nearsighted. I want to sit closer to the blackboard."
"Get lost. You think I don't know what you're thinking? If you can't see the blackboard, go sit by the wall. There's an empty seat over there. If that doesn't work, grab a chair and sit next to the podium."
The male student just gave an embarrassed laugh and stopped talking.
Zhang Shutong wanted to laugh watching this. He felt like Lu Qinglian was like a cultivation treasure in a sect—the closer you sat to her, the faster your experience points increased. The seat next to her was becoming hotly contested territory for all the disciples.
At that moment, he heard Gu Qiumian squeeze out a sentence after a long while:
"What are you doing here?"
She liked to add modal particles at the end of her sentences. Her tone was clearly bland, but when she spoke, it always carried more ripples.
Why do girls always like getting to the bottom of things?
Zhang Shutong thought to himself.
But since he couldn't figure her out, he answered carelessly:
"I'm afraid of the cold."
"Stop pretending."
"Pure coincidence?"
"Tch."
Gu Qiumian gave a small "tch," as if specifically waiting for him to ask, "What are you 'tch'-ing about?"
Zhang Shutong didn't have time to ask her.
He was focused on the movements at the front door. Although he didn't really want to resort to off-field tactics, the homeroom teacher had just called another name—and it was a male student.
The guy's eyes lit up when he heard it. Without any hesitation, he quickly headed toward that empty seat.
Zhang Shutong raised his hand, knowing he couldn't wait any longer. He had to play his trump card:
"Teacher Song, I have something to say."
"Oh, it's Shutong. Go ahead." Old Song didn't even look up, like an emperor listening to a beloved minister's memorial.
Zhang Shutong rarely spoke such a long stretch at once:
"I've been tutoring Du Kang lately. I want to get him a seat closer to the front, so it's easier to explain problems."
The homeroom teacher laughed when he heard this:
"Just you two tutoring? More like fishing together."
But even as he said this, he casually replied:
"Go ahead, go ahead, suit yourselves. Just don't throw paper notes around during class."
Hearing this, Zhang Shutong balled up his school uniform and threw it forward. The clothes traced a parabolic arc and landed right next to Ding Xiaoxiao, startling the girl.
The male student who had just been called was only a few steps away from the seat. He froze in place, caught in a dilemma.
Not going would feel like giving up, but if he went over, there was already a school uniform claiming the seat. Wouldn't that expose his intentions?
In the end, he found another seat with deep resentment.
Sorry, sorry.
Zhang Shutong could only pretend he didn't see.
He seemed to hear that supposedly nearsighted male student ask indignantly: "Then how come Du Kang can do it? Teacher, look at Zhang Shutong!"
But Zhang Shutong felt like he was saying, "Your Majesty, this cannot be! These two have wolfish ambitions and must not be kept. They should be executed!" Then just waiting to roll up his sleeves and purge the treacherous officials from court.
Old Song shrugged, also looking quite innocent: "They're tutoring, you know. How about I find someone to tutor you too? Don't leave after school today?"
"Pretend I didn't say anything..." The guy immediately backed down.
Zhang Shutong observed a few seconds of silence for him.
Although it wasn't quite the same as what he'd originally promised, Du Kang had been planning to sit in the front or back rows anyway. Moving up a bit more, he probably wouldn't mind. Besides, there was the next monthly exam.
Next time for sure. Mm, really for sure.