Endless Debt Chapter 637 - 148: Girl

Ewen had met many people in his lifetime: soldiers, doctors, chefs, blacksmiths, cleaners, and so on. Not only had he met them, but he had also described their appearances, demeanors, and personalities in his notes.

As time passed, whenever he encountered other people, Ewen couldn’t help but sense a familiarity in these strangers, as if they had met many years ago.

The girl in front of him was the same. The moment their eyes met, her burgundy irises brought an indescribable feeling of familiarity. Ewen tried hard to recall, countless figures flashed in front of him, but none could overlap with the girl’s.

Ewen asked in confusion, "Is this our first meeting?"

"Huh? Is this a chat-up line?" the girl laughed, her hat bobbing with her laughter, "Is this an acknowledgment of my charm?"

Ewen was not embarrassed. Because of this strange little hobby of his, he was very good at conversing, "No, not at all. I just feel like you seem familiar, like I’ve seen you somewhere before."

"Hmm?"

The girl scrutinized Ewen’s appearance. The long journey had left Ewen looking a bit down and out, with his disheveled stubble covering his face, like a wild cat with tangled fur.

Ewen’s appearance was somewhat shabby, but his energy was good. If spruced up, the girl thought he would be quite charming.

"We should be meeting for the first time."

The girl said, "Clearly, you’re a traveler taking a break in the middle of a long journey, and I... tonight is my first time leaving my hometown."

She gestured towards the darkness beyond the platform, where faint light dots indicated the presence of a town. The girl was a passenger who boarded at this station.

Ewen noticed a clue, "You didn’t bring any luggage, or did you already put your luggage in the compartment?"

Ewen found it odd. Normally, no passenger would leave their luggage and then come out of the compartment; everyone would sit firmly in their seats, waiting for the train to move.

"Take a guess?"

The girl spread her hands, swinging them back and forth. She was light as a feather, without even a handbag.

"Oh? The train is about to move; let’s go quickly!"

The girl noticed the bell ringing, grabbed Ewen, and pulled him into the compartment. Ewen looked at the girl in surprise; although she didn’t seem big, she was quite strong. He almost stumbled from her pulling.

"Where’s your seat?"

In the crowded crowd, the girl looked back and asked Ewen.

Ewen felt an inexplicable familiarity with the girl. There was no aloofness between strangers, and he naturally responded to the girl’s question.

"Over there."

Ewen pointed to a seat by the window; until now, Duwa still hadn’t returned, and Ewen was close to forgetting that man.

The girl sat in Duwa’s seat, and Ewen sat opposite her. The train slowly started moving. The girl looked at the night scene outside the window, showing no attachment whatsoever.

Ewen increasingly couldn’t understand the girl, "You didn’t bring any luggage at all, did you?"

The girl propped her face on her hand, smiling silently at him, like a cat sitting on the ground, swaying its tail.

Ewen pressed his forehead hard. Initially, the girl had started the conversation. Recalling everything up to now, he couldn’t help but suspect this was a conspiracy.

Was there anything of value on him?

Ewen thought carefully. He didn’t seem to have much left. His journey was about to end, and he didn’t have much money left, even if the girl wanted to rob him, he couldn’t cough up much, let alone whether the girl would really rob him.

If she wanted to, she had picked the wrong target. She should go for young people. She was cute and would be the type young people liked. Just a few playful words, and many would pay for her.

The young man he had just met named Shaw would probably be perfect. If the girl approached Shaw, he would be completely fooled by her.

Cute, mysterious, cunning...

Ewen picked up his notebook and scribbled down a description of the girl, while writing, he didn’t forget to look up and observe her.

The girl kept staring at Ewen, and the moment he looked up, their eyes met. Ewen thought he was already used to meeting eyes, but under the girl’s burgundy gaze, he actually felt a bit timid and involuntarily looked away.

"She gives me an indescribable feeling..."

Ewen added to his notes.

The girl asked, "What are you writing?"

"Just some travel notes."

For the first time, Ewen lied. He felt the girl was like a predator wandering in a dark forest, and excessive honesty would only expose him in the forest, giving her the upper hand.

"Really?" The girl squinted her eyes, suspicious.

"It’s none of your business anyway."

Ewen shook his head, added a few more words, and then put away his notebook, tucking it inside his coat.

"This seat is taken, aren’t you going back to your seat?" Ewen said.

The girl said nonchalantly, "But he hasn’t come back yet, has he?"

Ewen lowered himself, like a giant bear lying down, his voice deep, "Running away from home?"

No luggage, no seat of her own; the girl in front of him looked like a kid who had run away from home on a whim.

Ewen exuded a strong aura, inspecting the girl, but the girl didn’t shy away from his gaze, facing it head-on.

The girl said, "Does it matter?"

"It matters a lot," Ewen glanced out the window, "It’s an adult’s duty to take care of kids."

"Rather than that duty, how about getting me something to eat?" The girl held her stomach, "I haven’t eaten for a while."

Ewen stood up, intending to call a train attendant to inform them about a runaway kid, suggesting they send her home at the next station.

On his journey, Ewen tried his best to avoid trouble, but now trouble seemed to have found him.

"No!"

The girl’s calm demeanor vanished. She grabbed Ewen’s hands, and he could feel the warmth then she looked at him pitifully.

"Don’t, they’ll kill me."

Fear filled her burgundy eyes. If that was an act too, she would be a master performer.

"Who will kill you?"

Ewen’s tone lost its emotion, and even the girl felt the sharpness beneath the words, breaking the harmonious image Ewen had before. Ewen was serious.

The girl hesitated, "My... my family."

Damned family issues, Ewen always hated such plots, which was why he ran away from home at a young age. He vaguely recalled his own past, seeing some resemblance in the girl before him.

The manner of escape was even similar, but the girl was more dignified than he had been. She sat in a warm and comfortable compartment, while he had huddled between the coal, shivering in the cold wind.

Ewen sat down and warned, "You better make it clear."

The girl repeatedly thanked, "Okay, okay."

She started with a sorrowful tale, "My parents died very early, and I was taken in by a family that didn’t love me, treating me like a slave every day."

As she spoke, the girl seemed about to cry, her body trembling, "If I stayed there, I would be beaten to death. I don’t want to die, I want to see the wider world..."

The girl detailed her experiences, moving people to sadness and tears, but Ewen remained unmoved.

After she finished, Ewen coldly said, "Tell the story again, but in reverse."

The girl was stunned.

Ewen grabbed her hand, spreading her fingers open.

"A slave wouldn’t have hands like these."

The girl’s hands were without a hint of callus, soft and smooth to touch, even a princess might not have such hands. Ewen could completely cover hers with one hand.

The girl’s sad expression froze. She realized that Ewen wasn’t as easily fooled as she had thought.

At this moment, a conductor appeared at the end of the carriage, randomly checking passengers’ tickets. The girl was noticeably panicked. She crouched down and put her foot on the table between them.

"Move over!"

The girl forcefully pushed Ewen, curling herself into the gap between Ewen and the train window, scrunching up and pulling Ewen to lean towards her, covering her entirely.

When the conductor reached them, all he saw was Ewen propping his hand on the window ledge, looking out. The conductor marveled at this passenger’s large build, almost like a wall, obscuring most of the seats.

Ewen kept his gaze on the girl nestled next to him. She was bubbling with glee like a squirrel hoarding chestnuts, while Ewen blamed himself, wondering what madness possessed him to go along with her act.