On the way back, Kuroki Yue didn't say a word, his expression was very heavy. Ning Zhiheng knew he was in a bad mood and didn't know how to comfort him, so he didn't say much either.
Back at the South Room Library, Kuroki Yueyi called Ning Zhiheng to his office.
"Fujiwara-kun, although I had long suspected that this day would come, I did not expect things to develop so quickly. It is truly a pity!"
I need to handle the library's affairs immediately, which will take some time, and the recruitment process is about to begin. You must leave Shanghai within the next two days.
At this point, Kuroki Takeichi took out a thick stack of banknotes from the drawer, placed it in front of Ning Zhiheng, and solemnly said, "Our time together has been too short. I don't know if we will ever meet again after this parting. I also don't know if we will ever be able to return to Shanghai. Under the flames of war, even this library may become a ruin. Fujiwara-kun, please take good care of yourself!"
A pang of sadness rose in Ning Zhiheng's heart. Kuroki Yueyi was a true scholar who despised soldiers and war, and he genuinely treated Ning Zhiheng as a junior. This parting might be the last time they would meet.
Ning Zhiheng accepted the stack of banknotes, bowed deeply, and said sadly, "I will leave Shanghai as soon as possible. Thank you for your care during this time. Please take good care of yourself. I look forward to the day we meet again."
The two said their goodbyes and shook hands before parting. Ning Zhiheng returned to his office, looked around, and carefully took down the calligraphy and painting that Uehara Junpei had given him, which was hanging on the wall, and put it away.
He went downstairs and said goodbye to his colleagues one by one, saying that he had an urgent matter at home and needed to return to China immediately. He regretted spending time with everyone, which made the employees reluctant to part with him and they bowed to say goodbye.
He then rushed to the shipping company and bought a ticket back to Japan that evening. He did all this just to be on the safe side; he needed to leave a trace of his departure from Shanghai. Otherwise, disappearing without a trace would make it much more difficult to return later.
On his way back, he saw a group of people gathered on the street ahead, watching something. Ning Zhiheng didn't want to get involved, so he decided to turn around and take a detour.
"Fujiwara-kun, what are you doing here?" a voice called out.
When Ning Zhiheng heard someone calling him, he turned around and saw that it was Yoshimura Masakazu in a police uniform.
"Yoshimura-kun?" Ning Zhiheng quickly stepped forward to greet him. "Are you on duty?"
Yoshimura Masakazu shrugged and said helplessly, "It's not duty, it's a scene. There was an accident. The signboard of a roadside shop fell down and hit a pedestrian, killing him instantly. We're here to deal with it."
Ning Zhiheng then realized what those people had been watching earlier, and said in a deep voice, "This is really unfortunate. Do you know who they are?"
"He's an employee of the household registration office. There's nothing you can do about this. It can happen even when you're just walking on the street. This kid is really unlucky!" Yoshimura Masakazu said with some emotion.
A staff member of the household registration office? Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat. If he wasn't mistaken, it must have been Ji Hongyi who made the move. He acted so quickly right after the transaction. He was indeed efficient and capable.
At that moment, Yoshimura Masakazu suddenly noticed the ship ticket in Ning Zhiheng's hand, and his expression tightened. He asked nervously, "Fujiwara-kun, where are you going?"
Ning Zhiheng had no choice but to explain, "I have some family matters that require me to return to China immediately. I just bought the ship ticket."
"You're going back to your country? So soon?" Yoshimura Masakazu couldn't help but feel anxious. His family was thinking of marrying his sister to Fujiwara Tomohito, but they hadn't known each other for very long, and Fujiwara Tomohito's aristocratic status had always made them hesitant. But before they had even started, he was already going back to his country.
“Yes, I just made the decision myself, and that’s when I went to buy the boat tickets,” Ning Zhiheng said.
Yoshimura Masakazu didn't know what to say. He said disappointedly, "Go home for lunch, we'll see you off! This is such a surprise!"
At noon, Ning Zhiheng rushed back to his residence and had a farewell meal with the Yoshimura family. Kumiko remained silent throughout the meal, keeping her head down. Everyone knew the reason, but no one said it out loud. After all, their social statuses were vastly different. Marriage between a commoner and a nobleman might be possible in China, but it would be extremely difficult back in the country.
That evening, the family saw Ning Zhiheng off onto the ship before reluctantly leaving. However, no one noticed that shortly before the ship set sail, a man dressed as a crew member mingled into the crowd, hurriedly disembarked, and quickly got into a car by the roadside.
"Team leader!"
"Arrange for me to cross the river immediately!"
"yes!"
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