章 101: 0101 Your Name
As the sun set, the starlight that had traveled across light years of space was purified by the raindrops and regained its original brilliance. The starlight was reflected in the small puddles that had accumulated in the quaint streets and courtyards of the town, embellishing the wet cobblestones with a mysterious starry sky that mirrored the one above.
In the six-story building of the orphanage, the dining room on the second floor, which was normally used for meals, had now been transformed into a festive hall. At this moment, a lively dinner party was being held here to celebrate the return of Bryan, the benefactor of the orphanage.
If it came to the grandeur of the banquet scale, this banquet was obviously not comparable to Hogwart's opening banquet or Halloween banquet, where hundreds of students and teachers gathered in the magnificent Great Hall. But if it came to the joyfulness of the atmosphere, this banquet was more than enough to make everyone happy.
As the banquet progressed to the second half, Bryan, who was originally the center of attention, was gradually left aside by the children and staff. Even on Christmas, the children who rarely had a chance to enjoy such a rich feast were eager to taste everything. They moved lightly among the tables full of fragrant fried steaks, roasted sausages, potato pies, cream puddings, and various juices. The smiles on their tender cheeks were more delicate than blooming tulips in spring.
Bryan leaned on the wooden railing of the stairs, watching the scene in front of him with a gentle expression on his handsome face. He wore a simple black suit that accentuated his tall and slender figure. His silver/grey hair was neatly combed back, revealing his sharp features and deep eyes.
His eyes moved around, and when his gaze fell on that smiling face that was dining with the children, his eyelids trembled slightly and a different color flashed in his eyes.
This was a lady with a gentle and pleasant appearance.
She was one of the volunteers who helped out at the orphanage. She wore a simple style long skirt in beige that just covered her knees. Her emerald green long hair that matched her eyes was softly draped over her shoulders. Her skin emitted a faint fluorescence under the not too bright light. The fresh breath lingering around her body, even if separated by tens of feet, Bryan could still smell it faintly.
Graceful temples and elegant posture–this was Bryan's evaluation of her.
To be honest, Bryan, who shuttled between two worlds and had a wide range of knowledge, had never seen a lady with such a graceful temperament in either world. This lady who volunteered at the orphanage seemed to notice Bryan's gaze. She turned her head and looked at Bryan by the stairs. She nodded her head slightly and there was a friendly smile on her lips.
Bryan smiled back in response. Then, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he turned and walked up the stairs quietly.
The upstairs could still hear the lively noise on the second floor. Bryan walked expressionlessly in the dim corridor. He looked around and tapped on the walls from time to time to judge whether the quality of this dormitory was up to standard. Unconsciously, he had reached the top floor.
Through a steel ladder next to a laundry room, Bryan climbed onto the roof and walked to the railing.
The view from the roof was not very open, because the low-rise buildings on both sides and opposite blocked most of the scenery near the orphanage. Fortunately, it was far away from trouble and dimly lit. Therefore, the starry sky was still bright and clear.
Bryan rested his arms on the railing and looked up at the night sky quietly. After a while, a cool breeze came across his face. Bryan squinted his eyes and took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Smoking was Bryan's habit in his previous life, and he had a big addiction at that time. But since he came to this world and experienced infancy, childhood, and adolescence again, he had successfully quit this bad habit and had no intention of picking it up again.
However, when he was in a bad mood or under pressure, he would still take out a cigarette and smell the aroma of tobacco. It was like an old friend who accompanied him through many hardships.
The steel ladder behind him suddenly made a crisp sound of footsteps. Bryan crushed the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the wind before turning around to look. When he saw Victoria's coat hanging on her arm and her gentle smile on her face, his deep and unfathomable eyes flickered for an instant.
"Mrs. Reagan told me that every time you come back here, you like to stay on the rooftop for a long time–"
Victoria walked gracefully to Bryan's side and handed over her coat. "You seem to be a person who likes quietness, Mr. Watson."
"Thank you,"
Bryan took over her coat but didn't put it on. He looked at Victoria who was wearing low-heeled sandals but still looked tall and elegant. He smiled casually and said,
"Don't be polite, Miss Hill. Just call me Bryan."
Although she tried her best to hide it, there was something else in Victoria's clear eyes besides curiosity. She had heard a lot about this young man from the children and the staff of the orphanage. He had changed their lives for the better with his generosity and kindness. He had given them hope and happiness.
Every day she worked here at the orphanage, she could hear these children talking about their longing for this young man's return with an expectant tone. Over time, she couldn't help but be curious about him.
"I heard from Mrs. Reagan and the children that you solved the problem of these little guys going to school. It's quite amazing. Those officials and equally greedy staff in the same school who are sitting on their jobs are not easy to deal with. How did you do all this?"
Bryan's eyes swept over Victoria's eyes and hair, which shone like emeralds under the starlight. He smiled and asked.
"Actually, I'm not as good as you think, Bryan. I just asked my father for some help. He is a professor at the University of London and has some connections with some government officials. Although it took some time, the problem was not complicated–"
Bryan shrugged his shoulders and made a modest gesture. He looked away and looked down at the street below where there were not many people left.
"Anyway, Victoria, I have to thank you for the children."
Although he expressed his gratitude, his tone was calm and indifferent.
The two stood side by side, looking at the increasingly deep night sky, talking in a tone that seemed familiar to each other but was actually a first acquaintance.
"–When I was here, the environment in the hospital was much worse than it is now. In summer, the room was stuffy and unbearable. We could only spread mats in the yard and endure the many mosquitoes bred by the backward drainage system here while trying to fall asleep.
In winter, due to lack of funds to repair doors, windows and cracked walls, there was a draft everywhere in the room. The biting cold wind was not something that thin quilts could resist. In order not to freeze to death, we would squeeze into one bed with several people, shivering and looking forward to the dawn. Many children who were about the same age as me left the orphanage and broke contact with it completely. I understand this behavior because this orphanage brought them too many unpleasant memories–"
Bryan talked about the past, the topic was abrupt, but Victoria did not show a surprised expression.
"Mrs. Reagan told me that you went to a boarding school later. I heard that it was registered by your parents before you were born."
Victoria tried to change the topic and asked gently. Bryan rubbed his fingers and smiled casually.
"I spent my entire teenage there. It was a very good school. The food was delicious and I could sleep well. What about you, Victoria? I suppose your growing environment is much better than these children below?"
Victoria lifted up the messy hair in front of her eyes and did not answer Bryan's question directly, but said in an ethereal voice,
"Actually, it's not as good as you imagine."
Bryan nodded slightly and didn't say anything more.
The two stood side by side, staring at the deep night sky, accompanied by a kind of unspeakable depression. From beginning to end, no child came up to look for Bryan or Victoria. These clever little guys also had their own little thoughts. They quietly cleaned up the mess in the dining room with the staff and returned to their rooms. They hid in their beds and laughed and discussed about Bryan and Victoria sister on the rooftop.
The lights in the houses on both sides of the street went out one by one. In the end, except for the dim yellow light from the two rows of street lamps, everything was silent.
"So, Miss Victoria,"
When the bright moon was westward, Bryan turned his head expressionlessly and spoke again. His voice was cold and sharp, like a blade that cut through the air.
"Can I ask your real name?"
"Cliodna–"
The elegant lady's bright face showed an unsurprising smile. She lowered her eyes and whispered with a hint of apology,
"Cliodna Coffey, this is my real name, Mr. Golden Viper–"
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