Chapter 377: Ye Xingyuan |
Gunfire.
Artillery fire.
The ever-present threat of ambushes and assassinations that could strike at any time, anywhere.
A complete blockade by normal human society, leaving him with no supplies and no companions.
Aside from those guns and cannons, his only daily companions were severed limbs and endless cycles of slaughter.
In the moment he leapt off the cliff and was struck head-on by the blazing missile, was his instinctual resistance to death stronger, or was it the overwhelming sense of relief?
He thought he would never have the chance to weigh the two and come to a conclusion.
And yet...
Boom!!
In a pitch-black, narrow alley, a blood-soaked figure sat slumped against a wall. The biting chill of the rain caused his tightly shut eyes to snap open, revealing a pair of pitch-black irises.
His breathing was heavy and ragged, suggesting he had just endured something immensely traumatic.
But the truth was, even his own memories were hazy. He had no idea why he was here.
He only remembered growing up in an orphanage before being adopted and taught skills by his master. When his master died, he left the place that raised him and went to America. He had forgotten why he went there, just as he did not know why he was currently here.
He also remembered being betrayed by someone very important to him, after which he was dragged into a terrifying place and subjected to agonizing torture. He managed to escape but was hunted by countless people, so he ended up killing countless people in return. Ultimately, though, he was swallowed by an explosion.
Of course, he still remembered his own name. It was... Ye Xingyuan.
But... why did he feel like he should be dead?
Lowering his head, he noticed a small puddle right in front of him, its surface rippling from the continuous barrage of raindrops. Through the watery reflection, he could see his own face.
Black hair, black eyes, pale skin smeared with blood. Yet, the grime could not mask the profound emptiness and exhaustion radiating from his very soul. Yes, this was him. This was exactly what Ye Xingyuan should look like.
Propping himself up with one hand on the freezing, rain-soaked ground, he struggled to his feet. Swaying unsteadily, Ye Xingyuan stumbled out of the alley.
Honk!
A car blared its horn as it drove over the narrow but smooth road, predictably splashing a wave of muddy water right onto Ye Xingyuan. His already drenched clothes were stained with even more filth, making him look exceptionally pathetic.
His gaze tracked the car until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Only then did he take in the rain-shrouded street before him, lined everywhere with freestanding store signs written in Japanese.
It was strange. He did not recall ever learning the Japanese language, yet he could read the characters perfectly.
Was this Japan?
But why was he in Japan?
He had so many questions, but he could not provide a single answer for himself.
He did not even know where he was supposed to go or what he was supposed to do right now.
He was a homeless man, having no one to turn to.
He just stood there on the street, staring blankly at the ground. Rainwater streamed down his fingertips and the hem of his clothes, washing away all the blood and mud clinging to him.
He could hear the muttered criticisms of passing pedestrians, but he did not care.
That was until the relentless rain beating down on him was suddenly blocked by something. He slowly raised his head to see a petite girl standing in front of him. She wore an exquisite Japanese schoolgirl uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail with a ribbon, and her features were extremely delicate and beautiful.
She did her best to hold her umbrella high while offering him a brand-new, transparent plastic umbrella with her other hand—clearly just purchased. With a slightly indifferent expression, she said, "Here, do not just stand dumbly in the middle of the road. You are in the way of others."
It was Japanese, but for some reason, Ye Xingyuan understood it perfectly.
He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the umbrella.
The girl walked away under her umbrella, but after only a few steps, she glanced back. She saw Ye Xingyuan standing at the edge of the road, still holding the unopened umbrella. Perhaps it was because she had just told him that standing in the middle of the road would bother others...
"Chisaki-chan."
A kind, elderly voice pierced through the curtain of rain. The girl turned to see her grandmother, who had been waiting for her under a store awning, walking over.
"Grandmother?"
The elderly woman was also holding an umbrella. She looked at her granddaughter with a gentle gaze and pointed at Ye Xingyuan standing by the roadside.
Takanashi Chisaki pouted a little reluctantly, but she still turned around and walked back with the older woman.
"Hello—"
The elderly woman's slow, drawn-out greeting made Ye Xingyuan raise his head once more. His gaze lingered briefly on her kind face before shifting to the girl standing beside her—the same one who had just given him the umbrella.
"Child, what are you doing standing out here?"
the elderly woman asked.
Ye Xingyuan paused for a moment before shaking his head. In a clear Japanese that surprised even himself, he replied, "Nothing."
"..." The elderly woman seemed taken aback, and the expression on the girl beside her also shifted to one of surprise.
"Is that so? What about your parents... your family?"
"I have none," Ye Xingyuan continued to answer.
"Ah... I am so sorry," the elderly woman said sincerely.
"Why?" Ye Xingyuan began to feel bewildered. "Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I asked an impolite question."
"Oh."
"Then, would you like to come to our home?" the elderly woman offered kindly. "At the very least, you can have a cup of hot tea to warm up."
Beside her, Takanashi Chisaki puffed out her cheeks. It was hard to tell if she was unhappy about her grandmother inviting a total stranger home, or simply helpless against the older woman's habit of being overly meddlesome.
Ye Xingyuan looked at the elderly woman and said nothing more.
He had nowhere to go, and he had nothing to do.
Yet this person was telling him that he could go to her home, that he could go there and have a cup of hot tea...
...
"Here, a towel! Dry yourself off before you come in!"
"These are slippers! They are just for guests, no one has ever worn them!"
After entering the villa located in an upscale residential area, the girl the elderly woman called "Chisaki" began bustling about. Although she was helping, her tone carried an undeniable air of superiority.
It made Ye Xingyuan feel a bit uncomfortable...
Just as promised, after Ye Xingyuan came inside, the elderly woman prepared hot tea for him—which Takanashi Chisaki helped carry over.
"Drink up, Grandmother brewed this especially for you."
It was still that same uncomfortable, condescending tone.
Ye Xingyuan sat on a wooden chair. The elderly woman took a seat opposite him, with Takanashi Chisaki accompanying her by her side.
"Could you tell this old woman what happened?"