Three middle-aged men, dressed in casual clothes and exuding a refined air, stared in disbelief at the well-maintained Nanwu Library.

“Okazaki-kun, in your letter you said that the Minamiya Library had been bombed into ruins, but how did that happen?”

Kuroki Takeichi pointed to the sign at the entrance of the library, which read "Minamiya Library" in large characters, and then turned to look at his friend Okazaki Kazushi beside him.

After so much time, Kuroki Takeichi's face has become increasingly thin, and his hair has turned quite white.

Kazushi Okazaki was his friend of many years and a scholar who came to China at the same time as Takeichi Kuroki. When the war broke out, these scholars left Shanghai with the evacuation team and returned to Japan.

However, after the war, many scholars returned to Shanghai, but Kuroki Takeichi's journey was delayed due to the death of his elderly mother. Later, he received letters from his friends and learned that his Minamiya Bookstore in Shanghai had also been bombed into ruins. The Minamiya Bookstore was built with his savings over many years and the help of his friends, but it was ultimately destroyed by the war, which made him heartbroken. Coupled with the death of his mother, he was disheartened and lived in seclusion in a temple in Nagoya for a period of time. It was not until recently, when urged by his friends, that he set off to return to Shanghai.

After arriving in Shanghai, accompanied by two friends, he wanted to visit his old home, which was the place where he had poured his heart and soul. Even if it was in ruins, he would still feel nostalgic and concerned. But what he saw was that Nanwu Bookstore was still standing safely in front of him.

Kazushi Okazaki couldn't believe his eyes either. After the great battle, he had come to check on the state of the Minamiya Library. At that time, it was rubble and had been leveled to the ground. He then wrote a letter to tell Takeichi Kuroki the truth. He hadn't been back since, and the current situation astonished him.

His lips moved, and he said in confusion, "This, this, Kuroki-kun, I, I don't know what happened! I clearly looked very carefully at the time, but now..."

Hiroki Ito, another friend behind him, also took a while to come to his senses. He murmured, "I came to check it out too. It was indeed a ruin. This was the main battlefield back then. All the surrounding buildings were blown to smithereens. Not a single one survived. What happened?"

Upon hearing his two friends' words, Kuroki Gaku looked around with a puzzled expression. After the great war, Shanghai was rebuilt, and the north bank of the Suzhou Creek, located on a major thoroughfare, was a key area for reconstruction. New buildings had been constructed there, but all the buildings had changed their appearance. Only his own Nanwu Library remained exactly the same as before he left. Not only was the overall architectural style identical, but even the six glazed lamps at the entrance, the style of the gate's railing, and the decorative patterns on the eaves were exactly the same. It seemed as if there had been no change at all. No, if there was any change, it was that it was even newer than before, as if it had been completely renovated on the original basis.

The business at this Nanwu Bookstore is very good. There are many people coming and going at the entrance, some alone and some in groups of three or five.

Just then, a young man carrying two books walked out of the South Room Library. Hiroki Ito stopped him and asked softly, "Excuse me, do you often come here to read? Do you know who the librarian is?"

Looking at the three people in front of him, the young man knew they were no ordinary people based on their clothing and demeanor. He quickly replied respectfully, "I've been coming here to read often lately. The reading environment here is quiet and comfortable, and the books are very comprehensive. I really like it. As for the librarian, I heard from the staff that he is Mr. Kuroki Yueyi, a famous scholar in China. However, I have never met him. You will need to ask the staff for more details."

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances. Ito Hiroki nodded, thanked the young man, and the young man returned the bow and quickly left.

"Let's go in and take a look!" Kuroki Yue said in a deep voice. He was extremely excited at this moment. His library had been completely intact after the war. Although he trusted his two friends, he couldn't believe what he saw. He was eager to know what had happened.

After saying that, he strode into the library, followed closely by the other two.

Stepping into the library's main hall, the layout and decorations remain unchanged. The only difference is that many brand-new bookshelves have been added to the book area, filled with all kinds of books. Clearly, the number of books added far exceeds the previous scale.

Although there were many people reading and buying books, the entire hall was very quiet. Everyone was doing their own thing and did not notice the arrival of these three people.

Kazushi Okazaki and Hiroki Itō used to visit Minamiya Library frequently and were very familiar with the library. Seeing everything as before, they were even more puzzled.

At this moment, Kuroki Gaku's gaze fell upon a pair of decorative vases on the front wall of the hall, and he couldn't help but be amazed.

He personally selected these vases. He loved the peony pattern on them, so he bought them at a high price from an antique shop in Shanghai and placed them here. However, when he evacuated, he took these vases back to Japan, where they are now displayed in his home. But now they are here, and it all feels like a dream to him.

Kuroki Gakuichi took a few steps closer, preparing to carefully examine the authenticity of the pair of vases. Just then, a staff member came up. He clearly noticed something was wrong. Ever since these three people entered the hall, they had caught his attention. Later, they looked around. If it weren't for the fact that the three people's clothes and demeanor didn't seem like bad people, the staff member would have already stepped in to stop them.

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