They left through that door and appeared directly beneath the crooked tree. Far away, in a prominent spot in front of the manor, stood a sign—a bus stop sign.
The rest was familiar territory for the group. They walked over to the bus stop and stood beneath the sign, waiting silently for the bus to arrive.
On the way, Fatty kept his head bowed and didn't say a word. Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together. He knew exactly what Fatty was thinking.
He wanted to say something to comfort him, but words felt painfully inadequate. Fatty was deeply sentimental. Watching one family member after another leave him was worse than being killed.
The bus slowly approached from the distance.
With a creak, its rusty doors opened. Fatty still seemed lost in thought. He turned to look back into the manor, but sadly, the person he wanted to see wasn't there.
"Fatty," Jiang Cheng said softly. "Get on."
Not long after they boarded, Fatty turned his back. A faint sob caught Jiang Cheng's attention. Fatty's shoulders trembled as he faced away, unwilling to let Jiang Cheng see his face.
"Fatty, I messed up this time." A trace of frustration crossed Jiang Cheng's face—not with Fatty, but with himself. "If I'd been more observant and noticed the secret in that painting, maybe Huai Yi wouldn't have died."
"It's not your fault, Doctor. I'm the useless one. All I do is hold you back." Fatty couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. "Just like now. Brother Huai Yi is gone, and all I can do is grieve. I... I can't do anything."
"And Wang Qi... They're all gone, but I'm still the same. I'm completely useless."
"I don't even know what gave me the right to join Crimson. Wang Qi died