Yuxuan (REMASTERED)

Chapter Seventeen

"Ah, yes, nice to meet you, Sheng." I grinned at them. The three were a family. "My name is Alex."

"Al?"

"Alex," I repeated slowly. Feng mimicked my name, and I nodded. Feng and her husband, I assumed, spoke some more. He acknowledged Shu, who seemed more focused on me. I didn't understand what they were saying, but it looked like her father was saying his farewells. He left us alone.

I noticed several other men had been doing that. The other women in other areas were grabbed by their men, and then they went off in the same direction that Yuxuan went off.

I wondered what Yuxuan was doing. He was important to this community, I knew. But what exactly was his role? Where were his parents? His family?

"Al." Shu moved closer to me and began putting flowers she weaved together in my hair. She mispronounced my name again. I let her. I thought it was cute.

She continued plucking more flowers and weaving them. I watched her for hours. She was very talented in whatever she was doing. Maybe she learned from her mother.

Every accessory she finished, she would decorate me with flowers. As of now, I was wearing a flower necklace, 3 bracelets on each hand, and a flower crown. She never got bored either.

Feng left us both to do something else. And I couldn't leave. Shu didn't want me to. I attempted several times, but Shu would only clutch onto my leg to prevent me.

She was treating me like I was her doll.

Yuxuan stormed over, and I felt relieved. Until I saw the expression on his face. He didn't look happy. He looked enraged.

Following closely behind him were a few men, holding a limp native. My jaw dropped. The man they were carrying was alive, but he looked bruised and battered. 2 women also followed with bowls of the same substance they used on my foot.

What happened? Did Peterson do this? I prayed not. But seeing how bad this man looked, I wouldn't be surprised if it was them. I felt Shu being whisked away from me.

It was Feng. She grabbed her daughter and took her away, and gestured for me to follow her. But I didn't want to. Another man approached Yuxuan, handing him a weapon. A gun.

But it wasn't the gun Peterson or James had. It was smaller. This weapon, I was unfamiliar with. Unless there were other people here with guns?

Did any of the people we shipwrecked with end up here as well? If Captain Frank were alive, perhaps there was hope of me returning to London after all. Maybe they were with other people who could help us get back home.

Calm down, Alexandrea. I was getting too excited. I had to focus on what was current. This poor man was injured.

I did not doubt that Yuxuan knew that I had already suspected who may have hurt his tribesmen. Yuxuan and another man got into an argument. I could tell from the way their voices were raised.

I guessed the man arguing with Yuxuan and the man injured were related somehow. Yuxuan had the last word, shoving past the man who dared to talk back. The women tended to the injured man's wounds.

Yuxuan didn't spare me a glance when he walked by. Was he mad again?

"Alex," He called, stopping in his tracks. He wanted me to follow him. I did.

I was careful though. I had to be cautious. I didn't want to provoke him further. We walked by all of the huts and toward a general area of livestock. There, I noticed there were chickens and pigs.

They weren't like the ones I've seen in London though. The pigs were dark brown and furry. The chickens were a darker color too. Behind all of them, I saw a man tossing meat to several large cats.