Silent Crown

After all these years, whether it was before or after returning, Ye Qingxuan always felt that Avalon was a crazy place. One could run into anything, such as pests that one would not want to encounter, like that nude man running at midnight.

But what had happened today was really testing the limit! It was not that he could not take a lot of pressure, but that Old Phil’s level of intensity was too high! Throughout these years, Old Phil had brought back money, dingy lanterns, unopened bottles, copper cups stained with unknown substances, old rings, tattered books of foreign languages, a pot with a hole, jewelry that would cause hallucinations. Ye Qingxuan had just assumed that Old Phil had a wide range of interests, and then would throw it all out. But this time, he brought back a living human?!

Under the still moonlight, the little alley was more serene than usual.

Ye Qingxuan stared blankly at the girl in front of him. The dirty kid wore a tattered dress. The original color seemed to be white. The shoulder straps were about to tear, and the dress looked like a pile of rags.

Bruises and scars covered her face as if she had been beaten. Her bare legs were covered with wounds. It was as if she had been chased and ran away blindly.

Sensing that Ye Qingxuan was looking at her, she stubbornly raised her head to stare back at him. Her pupils quivered, but her eyes were full of defiance. The moonlight cast over them so that they glowed like silver.

“Hey, Cousin.” Ye Qingxuan glanced at the kid he had just met and forced a smile, “Long time no see.”

The girl stared at him and opened her mouth, but did not say anything, then closed it tightly.

“That kid disappeared!”

“Keep looking! I saw her run over here!”

Someone banged a metal rod in their hands. “She can’t be far!” The clamor of voices—a mess of broken sounds—approached from a distance. They were running and searching. Countless people were running around outside, but here, it was still.

Old Phil stared at Ye Qingxuan impatiently, telling him to shut up and hurry.

Ye Qingxuan finally understood. When he studied the girl, his eyes had a storm of emotions. “What is your name?”

Under his stare, the girl chewed on her lips but refused to speak. Just as Ye Qingxuan was about to give up, he heard a soft voice, “…Bai Xi.”

“My name is Ye Qingxuan.” He reached out his hand, “Come with me.” The boy held onto her wrist. It was so weak and soft. The girl did not protest, but her trembling revealed her fear.

“She is but a child, after all,” Ye Qingxuan thought.

—

“There’s a white-haired kid just like you. She’s a distant relative staying with you?” Seton asked the next day, glancing at him coolly. “And she’s out of travel money and decided to spend a few days here?”

“Uh, sorry but there really isn’t…”

“Where is she?” Seton interrupted.

Immense pressure suddenly pressed down on Ye Qingxuan. After stuttering, he finally waved his hand, and Old Phil excitedly grabbed onto the corner of the girl’s shirt, dragging her out.

She was no longer dirty. She had showered and treated her wounds, and was wearing Ye Qingxuan’s old shirt. The sleeves and pants were rolled up and she looked even smaller in contrast. Her white hair was hidden in a tweed hat. With her head lowered, she looked like a poor family’s kid—self-loathing and insignificant. She was silent under Seton’s scrutiny.

She looked like an obedient and quiet kid. It was pitiful. “Yeah, right!” Ye Qingxuan thought, he would not take it. His hand was still wounded from when the kid bit him last night.

Her eyes were lowered because her gaze was so piercing, as if she wanted to find fault in anyone, at any time. She did not speak because whenever she did, her words were provocative. She looked cute, but her personality was definitely disagreeable. If she was able to do what she wanted, Seton would have her sent to the White Church’s intensive care unit before she could say three sentences.

Seton was silent too as he studied her, deep in thought. Beside him, Ye Qingxuan nervously wiped his sweat, awaiting the final decision.

After a long time, Seton just said, “She’s yours. Look over her.”

“Huh?” Ye Qingxuan was a little dumbfounded. He thought he would get kicked out.

“Like you, she’ll only get food. No money. And if she doesn’t work, then get out.” Seton’s voice had no warmth at all. “Kid, this isn’t a shelter. So remember, this is the last time.”

“Yes, yes! Got it! Ye Qingxuan let out a sigh in relief. Wiping his cold sweat, he gave Seton with a string of praises. “Sir, you are so kind and wise. You are glowing upon Avalon. The world will see your power someday, and Anglo will be yours!” He kept going until Seton couldn’t take it anymore.

At the end, Seton said was, “She isn’t really your cousin, right?”

Ye Qingxuan blanked.

“I saw Old Phil bring her back yesterday.” As Seton turned to leave, he coolly let out the last words, “I don’t know why those hooligans were looking for her, but don’t get into trouble.”

Ye Qingxuan’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could react, Seton’s voice drifted back to him, “If you die in the store, it’ll be a chore to collect your body.”

Ye Qingxuan was sure that phrase was spoken from his heart. Thinking of this, he sighed and glanced over at Bai Xi. She was sprawled on the counter, watching the clocks curiously. Only now did she look like a kid. A quiet kid.

Well, if he could just ignore her hand that was reaching into the counter…

Ye Qingxuan slapped away her sneaky hand, “No stealing.”

“Huh, as if I don’t know about your motives.” Bai Xi side-eyed him. “You and that big dark guy want to sell me, right?!” As she said the words “big dark guy,” she glanced around nervously, scared that Seton would hear.

Seeing her like that, Ye Qingxuan could not help but sigh. “Look at you. All you are is skin and bones. Even if we wanted to sell you, who would even buy you?”

“I don’t know about that, but some people are bad!” Bai Xi’s expression was completely defensive.

“Hey, you’re the bad one!” Ye Qingxuan thought. “You’re the one who was going to steal! I was saving you. Saving you! Stealing isn’t the problem, but if Seton found out, you’d be sent to the intensive care unit!”

For whatever reason, this girl was practically a porcupine! She was the same last night. No matter what Ye Qingxuan said in order to get her to shower and change her bandages, it was no use. She kept thinking that Ye Qingxuan was going to peep in. Ultimately, Ye Qingxuan could only help her lock the attic’s door from the inside, remove the ladder and sleep on the ground behind the store’s counter.

He could hear every sound from upstairs, and had been unable to sleep the entire night. He knew that she wanted to escape, but had nowhere to go.

She finally fell asleep at dawn, but not on the bed. She had curled up in the corner with Old Phil. She would rather believe Old Phil who could not speak instead of any person because Old Phil would never hurt her.

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan felt a little bad. “What happened that turned her into this?” He could only imagine. He knew how hard it was to have no home, so he was able to endure Bai Xi’s odd personality. At least she was as annoying as Ye Qingxuan had been.

“Hey!” Bai Xi sat on the counter, staring at Ye Qingxuan as she munched on his bread.

Hearing her unwavering voice, he felt a headache coming. “Call me ‘cousin,’ and you heard that we need another worker. Mr. Seton doesn’t talk much, but he’s a good person. I have to leave some day, so if you work hard, you can stay here.” After a pause, he told her, “At least, you won’t have to live by scamming.”

Bai Xi was angry, like a cat arching its back. But she did not say anything and just took her anger out on the bread. Her temper did not go away until she had finished all of Ye Qingxuan’s breakfast, yet she still continued to glare at him silently.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qingxuan could not keep cleaning with her staring at him like that.

Bai Xi chewed on her lips, as if debating whether or not to speak. At last, she asked in an unwilling tone, “Why did you save me?”

“You made me save you.”

“Don’t joke! I’d never beg you, even if my life depended on it!” Bai Xi was seriously angered. She glared at him, gnashing her teeth. “Nothing good has happened ever since I met you. People chase me every day, but now even my money is gone. I don’t need your help!” She yelled. “Does it make you proud to have a little girl thank you? Do you think I’ll be grateful that you saved me? You just want to feel proud, right? You really enjoy having a little girl thank you? Let me tell you. No! Way!”

Ye Qingxuan was dumbfounded. He felt defeated. Not because of himself, but because he did not know she thought like this.

“I never wanted you to thank me, really.” A little awkward and helpless, all he could do was sigh. “You know, when I was at my lowest point, someone saved me. He gave me food, gave me a shower, and let me stay in a small town until now. He also taught me how to keep living.” He thought of the priest’s serious expression and could not help but laugh in nostalgia. “He told me that a human’s language isn’t only spoken. Some words can be seen through one’s eyes.”

Bai Xi chewed on her lips. She glared angrily at him without speaking, as if trying to see through his disguise.

“He told me that when he first saw me, I was standing in the mud. I was angry at the world and my eyes were provocative and piercing. Probably just like you, right?” He studied the girl’s eyes, seeing the fear and pain hiding deep under the angry, coldness and hate. “And those eyes were saying, ‘save me…'”