The Fallen Idol And The Artist

Chapter 14

Xie Lian helps Ban Yue up to her feet and pets her head lightly.

"Your Highness, you know this little girl?"

Xie Lian slightly nods as he takes out a small handkerchief to clean her face with.

"Ban Yue was a child I had encountered when I was homeless myself a long time ago. We were both pretty much in somewhat similar circumstances where our families practically were gone. She used to have a friend that would help her out constantly, but I am not sure what became of him. From what I could remember, both sides of her family were just a complete mess. They never got along. Always fighting, always arguing, and it just carried down to her parents who just could not handle the stress anymore. Tired and just unhappy, they decided to separate and abandon their only daughter. There were several nights where I would go to see her, and bring her some treats I would manage to grab, only to find her parents arguing so loudly from down the street. What was very sad was that the parents were neither rich or poor, but they had enough to support themselves but not their child."

Ban Yue clings to his clothes as he speaks, not really sure if she should speak or not considering there was a new face now standing beside a person who had helped her out many years ago.

"San Lang before we do anything, can we at least help her out? She doesn't seem to be doing well still. And now I have a lot more than I did then,"

San Lang merely gives him a small smile, "If that's what you want to do then let's do it. There are a few clothing stores near by, so I'll handle getting her some proper clothes to wear. Why don't you take her inside the manor and let her clean up?"

Xie Lian's face lights up as he gives his partner a small peck on the cheek and whispers with delight.

"Thank you,"

He turns away and hurries to take Ban Yue to the manor leaving San Lang to venture off to obtain some clothing for the girl.

Once the two were inside the manor, Xie Lian escorts her to one of the baths inside the giant home, and leaves a robe for her and some towels for her to use.

"Just knock on the door when you're done okay? I'll be outside waiting,"

"Gege....who was that man?"

Xie Lian chuckles lightly, "A very wonderful person."

Feeling as if the answer was enough, Ban Yue heads into the bathroom on her own to clean up leaving Xie Lian outside to himself and his thoughts. He was beginning to wonder if there was some mysterious force at play. Several old faces have popped up within just days of him stepping out of his cafe, and because of all of that he was starting to remember so many things that he had forgotten long ago. This time he was beginning to remember the days of wandering on the streets on his own with no one by his side. The worst had already happened, and he was already recovering from the pain of the past.

His mind wandered to a specific time frame in his life. His friends were gone. His family gone. The staff from his home and company gone. But most importantly his greatest enemy was also gone. He was now living the best that he could while being poor and trying to get a good education. But even when all was said and done, the world appeared to have not moved on. Everywhere he looked he would see articles upon articles about his family and the agency. How the agency had so many secrets, and how the family themselves were nothing but greedy people. Even Xie Lian's name was being dragged under the mud as it was speculated that he had abandon everything in the end in order to run away. But that was not the case. But who would dare to believe him? No one knew where he was, or what he was doing. He was in school sure, but he would never be in classes physically with other students. He would make sure to go over all the lessons on his own, out of fear of anyone finding him. For the longest he did his best to avoid the spotlight as it had destroyed his entire world. But the pressures were so high when they didn't need to be. It wasn't until he found Ban Yue that he realized it.