Chapter Twenty-One

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I was nervous. My cycle lasted for 4 days, which was the usual. But I couldn't help but wonder, how long have we been here? It's almost been an entire month. 3 weeks and 4 days.

My mind hasn't thought once about London until today. The deadline my father and I agreed on was getting closer. By now, I should've found some help. It wasn't normal that James and Peterson disappeared without a trace.

Then again, Hansel brought the only gun they had here. Would it be wise to conclude that they had been killed off by a bear? It's highly likely. No one could survive on their own in this forest without a weapon.

"Excuse me!" Hansel chortled nervously as he shouldered one of the tribesmen. He was carrying a very large basket full of fruit. Mangoes, bananas, lychees, and peaches.

Shu and the other children followed behind him happily, all of them picking up the fruits he dropped. Hansel walked over to Yuxuan, who was sitting down reading and placed the basket beside him.

"Whew!" Hansel sat down and wiped the sweat off his forehead. I giggled softly as Yuxuan rolled his eyes and tried his best to ignore him.

It had been like that for a few days. Hansel had been trying to communicate with Yuxuan, who was purposely ignoring him. Each day he'd offer him gifts like fruits or even flowers. But Yuxuan wasn't interested.

It was kind of sad. Yuxuan was probably only treating Hansel this way because he felt threatened that I'd be taken away. Or maybe, he didn't trust him completely. It was really hard for me to tell if he was jealous or not.

Hansel feared Yuxuan. All his efforts were to get Yuxuan to trust him. I didn't blame Hansel at all for his fear. Yuxuan was very intimidating. I couldn't read him well, but I knew he was very smart under that intense gaze he held.

"Yuxuan, these are the ripest fruits I found nearby. Large and very colorful. Why don't you try one?" Hansel raised a peach to Yuxuan's face.

There was no response. Hansel brought the fruit away. "I'll peel it for you, I've always been great at peeling. You know, I once peeled a hundred potatoes for a chef who worked in the palace. The Queen's palace of course—"

Shu and Bao grabbed the basket Hansel placed and ran off. "Oi! Come back with that! Those aren't for you! I swear, children are the same everywhere." Hansel tripped over a twig and fell face down.

"Hansel, are you alright?" I paced toward him, checking to make sure he wasn't injured. He always fell hard because of his weight.

"Oh! No worries! I'm fine! Absolutely— I smell something burning." Hansel brushed the dirt off his pants and raised his head. A small flame engulfed the back of his pants. The fire must've let off a spark and landed on his clothes.

Before long, Hansel darted around like a headless chicken, screaming and shouting. Everyone looked at him in awe as the flame grew larger on his back.

I wanted to laugh. I also wanted to help.

"AGHHHHHHHH!" Hansel ran. "WATER! WHERE'S THE WATER!?"

"Hang on Hansel! I—" I searched for a pale, but there wasn't any nearby.

Yuxuan grabbed Hansel's arm and dragged him to the river. When his body was submerged, the fire went out completely. Yuxuan dragged Hansel back out and dropped him on the dirt.

Although he handled the situation roughly, it was a step in the right direction. Yuxuan showed signs that he did care for Hansel's well-being, somewhat. He didn't let him burn to death.

"T-thank you, lad." Hansel coughed, wiping the water out of his eyes.

Yuxuan grabbed onto my book and walked toward me. "Yuxuan, I want to talk to you, briefly."

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