Please don't question multi-week players

Chapter 271. The Path of Regret (2)

The thought flashed through my mind only briefly, because my previously silent intuition suddenly appeared in words:

[It's a minor issue, it won't hurt you. Just enjoy your evening tea.]

The truth doesn't lie. Although he felt a strange emptiness about the person in front of him, Jiang Jianxin was still relieved.

I'm not worried about bad people in the Fools' Society, I've just never seen anyone like this before.

Jiang Jianxin replied.

My mind was quiet; my intuition remained silent.

It can only tell the truth, so it chooses to remain silent when it's difficult to explain.

Jiang Jianxin picked up his teacup and took a sip of black tea. He saw that the sun had already set in the distance, and the last rays of sunset had disappeared into the twilight.

Gu Jiyun turned on the lights in the room. The warm yellow light felt comfortable in the log cabin.

Did you buy this house through writing?

Jiang Jianxin asked.

"Yes, nearly half of it comes from Your Excellency the Journalist."

Gu Jiyun said without any hesitation.

"After all, he has long-term buyouts, while I am very prolific."

"...Then you have a lot of inspiration."

Jiang Jianxin's lips twitched. He never expected that Baili Song could become someone else's lucky charm.

However, Gu Jiyun made a small profit, and Baili Song might not lose out either. The former has fans for her poems, and the traffic that comes with them is something money can't buy.

Jiang Jianxin coughed and began to get to the point:
"By the way, what's the current situation in our department? From what I understand, it seems to be four groups, and each group has a leader?"

Gu Jiyun nodded and said:

"That's right, but the leaders of the original group haven't come out of the contaminated area yet; there are only three of them right now."

"So, how many people are there in our entire department, including all the fools under your command?"

Jiang Jianxin asked carefully.

Gu Jiyun did some calculations, and then said:
"There are currently 22 people, but this number is uncertain and may increase."

"Because after Qin Xuan, the commander of the War Alliance, joined the Fools' Society, he recruited a large number of fools from the public, most of whom went to the other two departments... Although very few came to the History Department, it did increase the number of people."

Jiang Jianxin understood; they were still in the recruitment phase and the number of recruits was not fixed.

"Do all of you in the history department have a second job, or do you just stay at the publishing house?"

Jiang Jianxin inquired.

This concerns whether she should find a part-time job.

"Those who can work will go to work, and those who really can't work will receive a basic social security payment from the company."

Gu Jiyun said.

Jiang Jianxin was surprised:

"Does our company even have a security deposit?"

"Yes."

Gu Jiyun explained:

"This brings us to our 'young master' Garcia. He himself is poor, but his mother and Jun Yunqi are like sisters, and he has also recognized the Crown Princess as his aunt."

"Therefore, after Garcia joined the Fools' Society, the Crown Princess, as his aunt, had to show the demeanor of an elder and would sponsor a large sum of money for our society every year."

After hearing these two sentences, Jiang Jianxin suddenly realized—no wonder the emoticon guy could only type emoticons, laugh foolishly every day, and still become a person in charge. It turned out he had a powerful backer.

Even in a world of fools, there are still things like human relationships and social customs.

The fact that Garcia played the most expensive pipe organ, and even had a dedicated practice room, showed how much the president's aunt cared for him. Jiang Jianxin felt a pang of bitterness. She blew on her tea, sighed softly, and wondered why Jun Yunqi wasn't her aunt.

—If I can't be the God of Wealth's representative, being the God of Wealth's niece is not bad either.

The same bitter expression appeared on Gu Jiyun's face as he sighed, his voice coinciding with Jiang Jianxin's.

The two looked at each other and suddenly couldn't help but laugh.

Jiang Jianxin tried hard to straighten his lips and make himself look serious.

Although the young man in front of her had a somewhat hollow personality, his way of thinking was surprisingly quite in line with hers.

There's a sense of ease when talking to him, unlike the comforting feeling when Feng Shiman talks, or the sense of security when chatting with Answer Truth, where the conversation is guided by the omniscient.

It's a resonance of ideas, like finding an old friend.

Jiang Jianxin asked him a few more questions, including Chang Yingxue's abilities, the relationships between the several leaders, and the daily routines of the History Department.

As dusk deepened, the chirping of insects in the courtyard became increasingly clear.

Jiang Jianxin glanced at his watch; the hands had already passed eight o'clock.

Fearing she might disturb their nightlife, she got up to say goodbye. Gu Jiyun didn't try to stop her, but instead considerately opened the door for her.

The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, brushed against my cheeks, and the ground lights on both sides of the stone path outlined warm silhouettes in the darkness.

As I passed the rattan coffee table, the brown-covered book gleamed with an old-fashioned luster in the warm light.

Jiang Jianxin's steps faltered slightly.

This book inexplicably stirred her emotions, as if dormant memories were trembling between the pages.

Her memory was fragmented, and she wasn't sure if she had ever seen it before.

"Sword Master?"

Gu Jiyun's voice came from ahead. He stood under a tree three meters away, moonlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled silver spots on his shoulders.

Jiang Jianxin touched his nose, feeling that his sneaky glances were too lewd, like a thief, so he quickly looked away.

Gu Jiyun escorted her to the villa entrance. Jiang Jianxin waved goodbye and then walked towards her own house.

"despair……"

In the villa she couldn't see, moonlight poured down through the skylight, illuminating the unsold, bare-bones house.

Gu Jiyun stood in front of the door, his eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses gradually losing focus. His outline began to blur, his figure turning into countless golden dust particles, scattering like dandelion seeds blown by the wind.

The entire building faded in color—the wooden furniture receded like a tide; the original gray-white of the cement walls was revealed; the projection screen curled into ashes; and the leather sofa collapsed into dust.

Only the brown-covered book on the stone slab in the courtyard still lay quietly.

The moonlight illuminated the gradually emerging golden characters on the book, their light flickering as if breathing:

[Unfortunately, the pathway has already been activated.]

The script is currently in effect.

"Crash..."

The brown-covered book floated slowly, its pages moving automatically without any wind.

The yellowed pages rustled as they turned, finally settling on the title page.

The faded ink writing became clear again under the moonlight:
It has been ten years and seven months since your passing, and ten years and nine months since mine.

I walked by, my feet dappled with the shadows of the setting sun, and saw you in a white coat, standing alone in the shimmering mist of the musical fountain. Your gaze pierced through the dancing light and shadow, looking towards the fading golden sun on the horizon—an orange-red sunset. You stood there, bathed in the soft, golden light.

I greeted you, and you suddenly turned around amidst the blazing fire.

How fortunate that my path contained [regret]

It allows us to meet again even though the play is not yet finished.