Chapter 50: The Bookstore’s Secret

He stood rooted to the spot, looking up, momentarily at a loss for words.

Indeed…

A faint cloud streaked across the sky, its edges illuminated by the tattered remnants of the sunset.

Yet, a new moon already shimmered faintly in the distance.

Droplets of water, seemingly dislodged by the wind, fell lightly to the ground, scattering ripples like beautiful pearls rolling across the earth.

Under the moonlight, Fran sighed, blinking slowly.

He picked up the newspaper again, meticulously rereading the small advertisement.

This peculiar ad, seemingly poetic and whimsical, stirred a profound depth of emotion within Fran.

The tension that had held him taut finally snapped.

He crouched by the roadside, taking one last look at the content, committing it firmly to memory.

Then, pulling out a matchbox, he struck a flame against the darkness and watched as the fire consumed the newspaper, burning it to ashes until not a trace remained.

He let out a breath, clutching his head as intense emotions surged through his mind.

Before he could succumb to sorrow, he knew he had to quickly process the information conveyed in the newspaper.

He began to scrutinize each word, with a reverence akin to deciphering sacred scriptures.

Hmm…

‘Wildfires rage, wind chimes warn with alarm.’

‘Wildfires’ referred to Quidar’s insidious plan. Their ‘raging’ nature and ‘extreme threat’ indicated that Quidar’s scheme had once plunged the organization into grave danger.

This meant that his teacher had known about Quidar’s plan at the time and had intended to rescue him.

‘Wind chimes’ referred to himself, as his codename was Bell.

This phrase suggested that his act of sending Yuli to retrieve the newspaper had reassured his teacher, providing a warning like ringing chimes that prevented his teacher and the organization from falling into a trap.

‘Fireflies hide in secret, the bookstore, a new haven, awaits your return.’

‘Fireflies’ was his teacher’s codename.

This line likely meant that his teacher had received his warning and realized the tavern was in peril.

For safety, a transfer plan had been executed, and his teacher was now probably hidden in a clandestine location.

No wonder both the tavern owner and his teacher had vanished without a trace. Fran had also noted their absence from the security bureau’s records, and the tavern’s darkroom was empty.

So that was it…

He couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. Thankfully, he had successfully delivered the message; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

But a new problem arose: if his teacher had relocated, what was he supposed to do?

The next phrase, ‘the bookstore, a new haven,’ combined with the fact that the small advertisement was published by Mo Fan Bookstore…

Fran inferred that this was an implicit hint that the new contact point was Mo Fan Bookstore, and ‘awaits your return’ meant they hoped he would establish contact with the bookstore.

As for the last two lines…

‘Appreciation of famous literary quotes —’

‘The air trembles, as if the sky is ablaze. Yes, the storm is coming.’

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an epiphany, slapping his thigh.

Good. Everything was clear now, except for the very last phrase: ‘Purchase quickly.’

Fran yearned to go to the bookstore immediately. He wanted to understand more, to uncover every detail.

Yet, as he stood up, a sudden wave of weakness washed over him.

His entire body felt drained, his legs trembling and softening, almost causing him to collapse.

He managed a bitter smile, realizing then that his intense concentration had temporarily dulled his grief.

But the moment he thought of pursuing this matter, his mind inevitably returned to Colonel Raif and the entire rescue team.

He leaned against a nearby pillar, burying his face in his arms, and began to sob in agony.

He had delivered the message, and his teacher had taken precautions, safeguarding the entire organization and protecting himself.

But why, then, did that Patriot Alliance rescue team have to appear?

Was it a coincidence? Or had there been a leak somewhere?

This…

A sudden wave of despondency washed over him. He forcibly composed himself, his mind eventually clearing.

He had a faint suspicion, but he would likely need to contact the organization to verify it.

No matter how profound his sorrow, he had to continue fighting.

He calmed himself, thinking carefully about contacting the bookstore. No, not tonight.

Given what had just happened today, he couldn’t act too unusually. Moreover, he didn’t even know the bookstore’s location.

Wandering around late at night would be risky and time-consuming.

If he spent too much time and returned too late, someone at the mansion would surely grow suspicious again.

He had worked hard to rebuild their trust; he couldn’t squander it now.

It seemed the best option was to contact the bookstore tomorrow.

He only hoped…

He hoped that the poem wasn’t merely his own forced interpretation.

****

Late into the night, Fran returned to the mansion, feigning an air of nonchalance as he ascended the stairs to his room.

Pushing open the door, he saw the silver-haired girl sitting by his bed.

Fran said nothing, merely walking silently to the bed, lying down, and pulling up the covers.

From beneath the blanket, he gazed faintly at Yuli.

After a long moment, he managed a strained smile, addressing Yuli before him, “Sister Yuli, what’s wrong? Are you… going to tell another story? Okay, I want to hear it…”

He forced himself to keep smiling, though his voice occasionally quivered with a faint sob.

Yuli lowered her head, feeling a pang of sadness.

“Today, there’s no story today. I was just waiting for you to come back. You must be tired. Get some sleep…” the girl stammered, then suddenly remembered something.

She looked up and apologized to Fran: “Fran, I’m sorry… for forcing you to do such things. I’m truly sorry…”

Fran remained silent, only tightening his grip on Yuli’s hand, which made her heart ache even more.

It was all her fault; she hadn’t stopped them. Fran… he had been forced to do that for her sake.

He was still just a child, and Yuli truly didn’t want Fran to experience that fear of being forced to kill again.

“You didn’t stop them either, Sister Yuli…” Fran said with a hint of resentment.

“I have this awareness. Besides, we’re in intelligence work; such things will be unavoidable in the future…”

The atmosphere fell silent. Yuli didn’t refute him, for she understood the cruelty of war, which extended far beyond this covert struggle.

Battlefields were rife with severed limbs and scenes of carnage, sights she had witnessed far too often.

She had grown accustomed to it. She only wanted to preserve a beautiful illusion for Fran, and that was enough…

But…

She sighed, understanding why Fran was upset with her. At that moment, she had remained silent…

How could she explain it? She didn’t know why, perhaps it was a subconscious lingering wariness towards Fran, or perhaps she had indeed hoped Fran would do something for her.

After a long while, she stood up, sighing with a lament: “Alas… I was so focused on finding you that I left many things to Lyon to handle.

The security bureau, the mansion… inside and out, they’re all his people. But he’s my friend, so I didn’t pay much attention.”

“Now, an even more troublesome Quidar has appeared… I really should consider applying to the higher-ups for a replacement. At least the people at the Purburg station should be listening to me.”

“Once I bring in all my brothers from that tank battalion, Fran…” Yuli stroked his head, a hint of possessiveness in her eyes, and whispered into his ear:

“If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll make them pay!”

“Because you’re mine. You’ve done so much for me, and I will protect you too!”

“Starting tomorrow, this situation won’t happen again. I promise.”

“Goodnight…”