Chapter 57 Reunion with Kang Nian'en
On this bright and sunny spring day, the eye of the storm rushed into Shi Yuan's courtyard and lingered there, unwilling to leave.
Shi Meili bared her teeth and claws, transforming into a fine net to try and drive it away, but failed several times.
Ran Wen swung on his ginseng root, smiling as he pointed, "Shi Meili, the eye of the storm is hiding behind you to the left. Quickly catch it in a net and throw it out!" His voice trailed off, sounding very pleased.
"Hey Shi Meili, did you not eat enough? The eye of the storm has moved to your right! Hurry up!" Huan Ni, always eager to stir things up, shouted from the side, "Up! Up! Oh! Down! Shi Meili, are you sure you can handle this?!"
Shi Yuan was half-reclined on a bamboo chair, holding a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda that Gu Linyuan had brought back from the city.
She watched with amusement as Shi Meili struggled frantically against the eye of the storm. The eye threw petals and withered leaves at Shi Meili, making her so angry that she jumped up and down, but couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"You're going to laugh at me too, Shi Yuan!" Shi Meili protested, yelling that she would stop caring if the eye of the storm made the yard dirty.
"Don't be angry." Shi Yuan smiled and opened a bottle of Beibingyang soda for her. "Drink it, it's your favorite lately."
"Hmm!" Shi Meili hummed, dipped the vine into the soda bottle, and drank contentedly.
Ran Wen, controlling Shenxu, approached Shi Yuan: "I heard that the higher-ups intend to integrate the Seventh Division with several other special offices?"
Shi Yuan nodded: "Gu Linyuan mentioned this to me."
What are your plans?
Why do you ask that?
“Gu Linyuan is a very protective and fair-minded person. It’s quite comfortable working under him.” Ran Wen stroked his beard. “Once the departments are integrated, it probably won’t be so comfortable anymore.”
The Seventh Division has almost always been detached from other departments, with a very high degree of autonomy. The people inside are all truly capable, and they often obey orders but not direct commands. Gu Linyuan always protects them.
Regarding the seventh point, there are those who are envious, those who are jealous, and even more who want to protect it, but to some extent, it is indeed somewhat out of control.
The departmental integration is a system-wide effort, and it's not specifically targeting the Seventh Division, but the higher-ups will definitely take this opportunity to gain control of the Seventh Division.
This is understandable. After all, although the Seventh Division has few members, its strength is really strong. If the members were not so easygoing, some people might worry that the Seventh Division would become a destabilizing factor.
Huan Ni interjected, "Didn't you always say you wanted to open a small shop to sell talismans and do feng shui consultations?"
"Now that the policies have been relaxed, it's a great time!"
Shi Yuan sat up from the bamboo chair: "I really was just talking nonsense before." Just as Ran Wen said, she felt very comfortable in the Seventh Division.
In recent years, the Flower Kingdom has developed rapidly, and the number of strange demons causing trouble has decreased. In Ran Wen's words, the country's fortune is getting stronger and stronger. It's one thing that strange demons dare not cause trouble, but another thing is that the country is peaceful and prosperous, and animals and plants are less likely to be mutated.
The higher-ups are aware of all this.
The Seventh Division will never be abolished due to the various special abilities of its members, but departmental integration is inevitable.
"Several senior colleagues are talking about retiring." Huan Ni is very popular in the Seventh Division, so it's not surprising that she knows this news.
"Retirement, huh?" Shi Yuan thought of the phrase "the truly wise live in seclusion in the city," implying that she was quite a remarkable person herself.
If those predecessors retire, they might take a leisurely job and go to Changbai Mountain to seek the true meaning of the "Tao" they cultivate. But what about her? Where would she go if she retires?
She does like heavy snow, but she finds seasonal snowball fights, enjoying the snowy scenery, and building snowmen fun and atmospheric. However, she wouldn't consider staying there permanently.
She prefers the everyday life.
So, should we really open a small shop?
This was the first time Shi Yuan seriously considered this possibility.
The eye of the storm threw a handful of forsythia flowers on her head. She laughed and cursed, then picked up a forsythia flower and threw it back at the eye of the storm.
The phone rang, and Huan Ni went in to answer it, while Shi Yuan propped her head up, contemplating the future.
"Gu Linyuan called and asked what your plans would be if the Seventh Division were to be integrated with other departments."
Shi Yuan rested her chin on her hand and said, "Either I take a leisurely job like the seniors and retire, or I just submit my resignation." After a pause, she continued, "Maybe I really will open a small shop, hide away in the city, and live my own little life."
“What does he mean by that?” Shi Yuan asked.
Since the collapse of the Gu family, Gu Linyuan has become increasingly indifferent, and has truly taken on the appearance of a refined gentleman.
He took over the Seventh Division not only to repay his mentor's kindness, but also to have the ability to confront the Gu family.
Now that the Seventh Division is going to be integrated with other departments, Gu Linyuan will likely choose to retire like his predecessors, or simply submit his resignation.
"Judging from his words, he hasn't made a decision yet, but he's most likely preparing to leave the Seventh Division."
It's estimated that more than half of the people at the seventh location will leave in this wave.
Shi Yuan lay back down: "No rush. As the leader, he will definitely talk to the members to find out their intentions. We can think about it some more."
“I’ll follow you wherever you go!” Huan Ni stopped on her shoulder.
Shi Yuan reached out and patted her head: "Of course!" She looked at Ran Wen and asked, "What about you? What are your plans?"
Although Ran Wen had made a pact with her, she never intended to restrict her actions.
“Me? Of course I’m with you guys,” Ran Wen said matter-of-factly.
She really liked Shi Yuan's attitude towards life, so of course she would go wherever Shi Yuan went!
Following Shi Yuan's wishes, life is either full of ups and downs or peaceful and serene, just as she has always pursued.
As for her habits, she likes to find a place to bury herself, and a flowerpot is enough to do that!
Shi Meili leaned closer and said, "I'll go with you! Wherever you go, I'll go!"
"Great!" Shi Yuan touched this and looked at that, feeling extremely satisfied.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew straight into her face.
"Hmm? Fengyan, what do you want to do?" Shi Yuan always treated Fengyan like a child. He made a mess of her yard, but she never got angry.
Of course, the main reason she wasn't angry was that she didn't have to clean up; otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have such a good temper!
The eye of the storm made Shi Yuan's hair a mess, making her look like a crazy woman. Shi Yuan wanted Shi Meili to transform into a vine headgear to protect her entire head.
"Ran Wen, tell Feng Yan to stop going crazy! What is he trying to do?"
Ran Wen laughed out loud. In recent years, Shi Yuan has become more adept at handling things, and it's rare to see her so disheveled.
"Let me ask him, don't rush."
Ran Wen took the eye of the storm to communicate, and Shi Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know what was wrong with the eye of the storm!
“He wants to be with you too!” Ran Wen said, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" Shi Yuan was surprised. "He wants to come with me too?" A gentle breeze brushed against Shi Yuan's cheek, and her hair fluttered slightly. "Why do you suddenly want to come with me?"
The Eye of the Wind is considered a native of the desolate mountains. In the words of Huan Ni and the others at that time, the desolate mountains nurtured the Eye of the Wind, and the desolate mountains are the root of the Eye of the Wind. Logically speaking, the Eye of the Wind should never leave the desolate mountains.
"He said he could manifest a physical body with one more step, but it seems he's being suppressed by some unseen force, unable to advance any further," Ran Wen said in a low voice, "It seems the Eye of the Storm isn't of low rank, otherwise it wouldn't be ostracized by this world." She felt this very deeply.
"Is he going to make a contract with me?" Shi Yuan asked.
Ran Wen shook his head: "He hasn't thought about it yet. What he means is that if you want to leave, he wants to go with you."
"That's no problem, but tell him he can't be too naughty when he's with me."
Ran Wen said with a smile, "I've already spoken to him, and he agreed."
"Then I have no objection. I'll just let Gu Linyuan know when the time comes." Fengyan is a free person anyway, so if he wants to leave with her, he can just say goodbye.
The departmental integration is progressing much faster than Shi Yuan had imagined.
Within a few days, the official document came down. The Seventh Division and several other special departments were merged into the "First Division," which was responsible for all non-natural events and was under the command of the military. The Seventh Division was changed to the Seventh Group, and all members were dispersed and reorganized. Gu Linyuan, the original director of the Seventh Division, was required to submit the list of those who would remain in the Seventh Division within three working days.
After receiving the document, Gu Linyuan instructed He Tian to notify all members of the Seventh Division to submit their intentions today. He himself came to Shi Yuan's courtyard.
He explained his purpose for coming, and Shi Yuan was somewhat surprised: "The integration is already underway? How can it be so fast?"
"It's not fast. We're going by rank from highest to lowest, and our department is already at the top." Gu Linyuan poured Shi Yuan a cup of tea and first explained his plan. "After the Mo family in the black market fell, the personnel went through several rounds of checks, and finally, it was handed over to the right people."
Judging from the tone of his voice, does this mean he's letting go of the black market?
Gu Linyuan smiled gently: "I plan to submit my resignation and officially start operating the auction house."
Shi Yuan paused in her tea-drinking motion. Gu Linyuan's immediate resignation was within her expectations, but she hadn't anticipated that he would prepare to run an auction house.
"And you?" Gu Linyuan asked her, "What are your plans?"
Shi Yuan didn't hide anything and said, "I also plan to submit my resignation." She smiled and took a sip of tea. "I'm planning to open a small shop to sell talismans, and have my mother do feng shui for people to make a living."
Gu Linyuan chuckled, "You're too modest." He filled Shi Yuan's teacup, "If you opened a shop, the demand for talismans would probably exceed the supply." Everyone in the industry knows how capable Shi Yuan is.
Her talisman arrays are incredibly skillful; her unique technique of drawing talismans in the air remains undeciphered to this day.
"Have you made a decision?" Gu Linyuan asked softly.
Shi Yuan nodded: "It's decided." The integrated Seventh Division will be under the command of the military, and will likely be under military management thereafter.
She admired and respected soldiers, but she was used to a carefree personality and couldn't adapt to this management style, as could Huan Ni and the others.
She has never liked to force herself or Huan Ni and the others, so withdrawing completely at this time is a good choice.
When Shi Yuan inquired about the eye of the storm, Gu Linyuan chuckled, "I didn't expect him to be willing to leave with you?"
"Can I take him with me?"
“Of course you can. The eye of the storm is free to go wherever it wants,” Gu Linyuan said with a smile. “You can hand over your talisman to my auction house to auction, and I guarantee you a high price.”
"That's great! If I get one photo taken, I won't have to worry about money for years," Shi Yuan said jokingly.
Gu Linyuan looked at her earnestly and said, "You will never have to worry about money." Shi Yuan looked up and met Gu Linyuan's serious eyes, and she was taken aback.
"Of course!" Ran Wen chimed in, interrupting their staring contest. "At worst, I can just wander around any mountain and dig up a few ginseng roots. How could Shi Yuan possibly be short of money?" She could pursue him, but Shi Yuan was financially independent and wouldn't even look at those penniless guys!
Huan Ni retorted, not to be outdone: "Hilarious! Shi Yuan doesn't need money? I have so many treasures in my storage world!"
Shi Meili immediately expressed her feelings: "I can go hunting in the mountains to support Shi Yuan!" Ran Wen pressed Shi Meili down: "Forget about it, just mind your own business and don't cause trouble."
Shi Meili struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free, and then withered away.
The eye of the storm flew excitedly around Shi Yuan, as if to say that it could also raise Shi Yuan.
Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow at Gu Linyuan smugly: See? Everyone's scrambling to support me! We're not short of money at all!
Gu Linyuan smiled and said, "Write down some materials for me, and I'll submit them together."
"There will be a meeting later. Don't be nervous. Just make your position clear."
He explained the resignation process to Shi Yuan in detail, and said that if she had any questions while writing the documents, she could ask him.
After Gu Linyuan left, Huan Ni teased with a smile, "I think he wished he could write the materials for you too."
Shi Yuan poked her forehead: "Stop messing around! Our resignation processes are different, so he'll probably be very busy for a long time to come."
Just as Shi Yuan said, she quickly finished the procedures and packed her things in the yard, while Gu Linyuan was busy with the handover.
The Seventh Division is different from other departments. It's not just about handing over documents; the most important thing is dealing with the strange demons of Changbai Mountain.
Another task was to settle the retired senior colleagues. His ability to become the director of the Seventh Division at such a young age was not only due to his own outstanding abilities but also inseparable from the support of his senior colleagues.
Several exceptional senior colleagues, now advanced in years and with growing tempers, had reservations about the departmental integration, requiring Gu Linyuan to appease them.
In short, while Gu Linyuan was busy, Shi Yuan had already packed her things and driven away from the Seventh Division.
Yes, the seventh and last employee benefit is that departing employees can drive away with the car they chose when they joined the company.
Getting a car these days is quite difficult, so having one readily available saved Shi Yuan a lot of trouble.
She didn't go back to the old Shi family house, but instead went to the small courtyard house she had bought two years ago.
Her family has a diverse background, and living in an apartment building with many people and lots of gossip is inconvenient. She was used to living in a courtyard house, so she happened to come across a courtyard house for sale a couple of years ago and bought it.
At the time, she also offered some advice to the young man who was eager to sell his property to chase after the moon abroad, saying that the moon abroad wasn't as round as he thought.
She even subtly reminded him that his courtyard house might be more expensive when he returned in a few years.
She genuinely wanted the courtyard house, and she was also genuinely reminding him to be cautious. After all, once the purchase was made, the price of the courtyard house would skyrocket in the future, and if he came back and made trouble, she wouldn't show any mercy.
The young man hesitated for a moment, just a moment, and then signed the agreement and cooperated with Shi Yuan to complete the deed. He said, "I don't know if I will regret it in the future, but right now, if I don't go abroad to try my luck, I will definitely regret it."
Shi Yuan didn't say anything more about it; she had gotten the courtyard house by chance, and she could only be happy.
After buying the courtyard house, she hired a professional teacher to draw up blueprints and supervise the renovation according to her own preferences. After that, she gradually prepared all the necessary household items.
Huan Ni and Ran Wenshi Meili also chose their favorite rooms as their resting places.
Shi Yuan also planted many flowers in the yard. Sometimes, they bloom beautifully all year round. She would occasionally come over to stay for a few days, and just looking at these flowers made her happy.
After settling in, Shi Yuan drove to the Shi family's old house.
Two years ago, Shi Ming met his soulmate. His parents were very understanding, but she was an only child and demanded that her son-in-law move in with her.
In this era, being a live-in son-in-law is an insult to men. The girl had already decided to end her relationship, but Shi Ming didn't hesitate at all and happily packed his bags to become a live-in son-in-law.
Of course, Shi Ling and Shi Yuan did not mistreat him. They gave him a bride price according to the normal marriage procedures in Beicheng, and made a grand entrance for Shi Ming and that girl.
Now, the two families are just visiting each other as normal in-laws.
Shi Yuan once suggested that Shi Ling live with her, but Shi Ling refused. She preferred living in the Shi family's old house, and living alone allowed her to focus all her energy on the art of metaphysics.
Sometimes, with Qingtian guarding the yard, there were no safety issues, so Shiyuan didn't object.
She will definitely tell Shi Ling about her resignation this time.
"Mom, I'm back!" Shi Yuan walked into the courtyard and saw an unexpected person. She frowned and said in a not-so-friendly tone, "What are you doing here?"
She really didn't expect to see Kang Nian'en at the Shi family's old house!
Shi Ling came out of the main room and saw that Shi Yuan looked unwell. She said to Kang Nian'en, "You should go back first. I'll have someone call you when I find the book."
"Thank you, Aunt Shi!" Kang Nian'en was completely different from how she was a few years ago. She acted politely and sincerely apologized to Shi Yuan before leaving with a smile.
"What, you know her?" Shi Ling pulled Shi Yuan into the main room and poured her a cup of hot tea.
Shi Yuan, of course, would not hide anything from Kang Nian'en and told her about their past interactions in detail.
"Mom, although people often say that the affairs of elders should not involve the younger generation, I don't think Kang Nian'en's approach to you is well-intentioned."
After thinking for a moment, Shi Ling also recounted her connection with Kang Nian'en.
“It was raining heavily that day. She was taking shelter under the eaves of our house, and I noticed she was dressed very lightly.” She paused, then used a more precise description: “She was wearing a white shirt that day, and it got soaked, so the lining was showing.”
"Although we live here with old neighbors, and no one has any ill intentions, other people do occasionally pass by."
"I was worried something might happen, so I let her in to take shelter from the rain and lent her a coat."
Later, Kang Nian'en successfully won Shi Ling's favor by returning her coat, giving her a thank-you gift, and expressing her interest in metaphysics.
After that, she would occasionally ask Shi Ling a few minor questions about esoteric arts. Shi Ling thought she was very talented and gave her a lot of guidance.
If Shi Yuan hadn't suddenly returned and revealed Kang Nian'en's true identity, Shi Ling would have already considered taking her as a disciple.
"Do you think she knows my identity?" Shi Ling frowned. "Kang Nian'en is very open when she's with me, but her affection is mixed with shyness and unease about crossing the line."
"They seem completely unaware of my identity."
"If it's an act, that's terrifying." Shi Ling had been through similar experiences and believed she could tell whether Kang Nian'en's feelings were genuine or feigned.
But she absolutely trusted Shi Yuan, so she asked, "What is Kang Nian'en planning to do?"
Shi Yuan shook her head: "I don't know either." She had a vague idea in her mind, but felt it was unlikely.
This world will exclude ancient and exceptionally powerful beings like Ran Wen and Huan Ni, and will also subtly prevent the eye of the storm from further mutating. Apart from her, an anomaly due to unforeseen circumstances, it should not allow any other unexpected situations to occur.
There is no such thing as a female lead in His eyes.
"Let's see," Shi Yuan said. "Don't meet with her alone."
Shi Ling nodded: "Don't worry, she's the one who comes to my yard to find me most of the time. Sometimes Qingtian is there, so I'll be fine."
"Besides, I also have the talismans you gave me."
Shi Yuan nodded: "I'll leave you a few more talismans. Don't be soft-hearted if necessary."
"Okay, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll make it for you."
"I'll make you some grilled fish. You can continue looking at the documents. Don't let my arrival delay your progress."
Shi Ling laughed out loud: "How much of the process could be delayed by cooking a meal?"
"Alright, I'm going to buy groceries. You rest at home for a bit, and we'll talk in detail when we eat later." They don't have the habit of not talking while eating or sleeping; instead, they share and discuss things at the dinner table.
"I'll go grocery shopping with you~" Shi Meili wrapped her arm around Shi Ling's wrist and transformed into an antique wooden bracelet.
After Shi Ling left, Huan Ni stopped at the stone table and asked Shi Yuan, who seemed to be deep in thought, "Do you suspect that Kang Nian'en has had some kind of extraordinary encounter?"
Shi Yuan nodded: "The Kang Nian'en I remember was arrogant and domineering, not the gentle and polite person she is now."
"Could it be that he experienced some kind of upheaval and his personality changed?" Ran Wen asked.
Shi Yuan shook her head: "Given her situation, she shouldn't be so composed."
At that time, Kang Nian'en was facing a situation of utter disgrace, which even adults might not be able to handle, let alone Kang Nian'en, who had been pampered since childhood and had never faced any storms before.
"Why don't we just go and ask her directly?" Huan Ni suggested. "With our strength, what are we afraid of?"
That's true.
"I'll go check it out first and see what's going on," Huan Ni said.
“I’ll go with you.” Ran Wen was more cautious. “If they have ill intentions, with me there, we can get out unscathed.”
"It's not that exaggerated!" Huan Ni said with a smile. "In recent years, the powerful monsters have either been subdued or imprisoned in Changbai Mountain. We can't just walk away unscathed."
"It's always better to be careful," Ran Wen said, "especially when facing unexpected situations."
At Ran Wen's level, he can occasionally feel certain things on a whim.
Shi Yuan quickly said, "Either let Ran Wen go with you, or I'll wait until I have time and we'll go together. Don't go alone."
Two votes to one, Huan Ni gave a soft "oh" and flew away with the ginseng whiskers that Ran Wen had transformed into.
Hopefully, Kang Nian'en won't cause any major problems, otherwise it will be a troublesome affair.
However, she wasn't afraid of this trouble. Several people in the Seventh Division who hadn't left were worried about their performance evaluations. If Kang Nian'en really had a problem, she wouldn't even need to do it herself. She could just give those people in the Seventh Division a heads-up, and they would come running to boost their performance evaluations.
During dinner that evening, Shi Yuan told Shi Ling about her resignation and her plans to open a small shop.
"Open a small shop?" Shi Ling thought for a moment and thought it was a great idea. "Where do you plan to open it?"
"It's just a concept right now," Shi Yuan said, swallowing a mouthful of meat. "However, I probably won't open it in a busy area."
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