Chapter 683: Chapter 683: Naming
She stood in front of the paddy field that afternoon, gazing up at the deep night sky.
After a while, a rustling sound emerged from the paddy, growing closer until it halted before Hannah.
Hannah didn’t move, simply opening the snack in her hand. Soon, the faint, salty scent of potato chips spread through the air.
The person in the field swallowed, his dirty face impossible to discern, yet his eyes were deep and sparkling, possessing an innocent hue akin to a child’s.
Hannah bent down to meet those deep, glittering eyes and shook the chips in her hand.
The chips collided, making a "shushing" sound.
The man’s eyes followed Hannah’s movements, moving left and right.
"Are you silly?"
Hannah tilted her head, her soft, ethereal voice filled with laughter.
The night was starless, yet she was brighter than any starry sky.
He was somewhat dazed, no longer looking at the chips, but instead fixated on her smiling eyes. His lips curled into a foolish smile and he croaked, "I want...I want..."
What does he want?
He couldn’t articulate his thoughts. He just looked at the charmingly smiling girl, reaching out to touch her porcelain complexion, but stopped upon seeing the dirt on his hand.
He withdrew his hand, wiping it back and forth on his clothes, acting both troubled and frightened.
Frightened of being despised.
Hannah squatted down, looking at the man in front of her and asked, "Do you remember your name?"
The person nearby seemed to permeate the cool air with a faint, sweet scent.
It was a mix of fruity sweetness and floral fragrance, exceptionally sweet.
He shook his head, his eyes innocent and pure, exuding a foolish daze, "Fool...fool."
He struggled to say those words, thinking of how people pointed and laughed at him daily. His voice echoed even more lightly.
He had no name; that’s what people called him.
He hung his head in defeat, not daring to look at the person in front of him.
She was beautiful, like the moon in the sky, like the moon that was always there every time he got beat up and pushed to the ground.
The moon followed him, but he could never touch it.
Hannah found a clean spot to sit down, just at eye level with the man standing in the field.
She swung her legs lightly, evaluating the man in front of her.
Tall but excessively frail, like he had been malnourished for a long time. Likely wearing clothes discarded by others, they were too big, even around the collar where several holes were seen.
Despite the chilly weather, he was only dressed in a short-sleeved top and long pants.
His face was muddied and covered in dust, his original features obscured. Only a pair of eyes were visible, like a stuffed toy discarded in a rubbish pile, its body worn out yet its eyes still pristine.
Clean yet also vacant.
Looking at the man’s appearance, Hannah found something amusing and laughed.
Her eyes twinkled like stars and moons, her laughter as pleasant as a merry wind chime.
The man, stunned by the blooming smile, hesitated and then started laughing himself.
When her laughter subsided, Hannah got up, shoved the chips into the man’s chest, and made a decision, "From now on, your name is Black."
The man was stunned, his mind might be slow, but he remembered that several dogs in the village had the same name.
