The Story of White Dragon
Ch. 10 [Freedom I]

In a white room. There was a boy standing in the middle. The boy looked at a tree with a wooden trunk that was a jet black.

The boy seemed to want to touch the tree that did not have the leaves. The little hand started to touch the tree. Little by little, and when the hand wanted to reach him, another hand held his hand gently.

'Don't.'

The boy heard a soft and firm tone. When he wants to look around and see who forbids it. He only saw a black shadow that had no shape or appearance.

Seen all sorts of questions on his innocent face. Just when he wanted to ask, his gaze turned black.

.

.

.

.

.

"Hey son!"

"Ugh..."

Slowly, the boy opened his eyes. There was a dark brown netra looking at the roof of an old hut that looked dusty.

He was Yu Bai who had come to a realization.

The eyeball was rolling and staring at a foreign man who had clean white hair and had golden yellow eyes.

For a moment Yu Bai was fixated on this beauty before him.

"Hey son? You remember me?"

Yu Bai blinked his eyes, focused his gaze and tried to remember. Who is this foreigner?

"The child is conscious?"

Yu Bai's attention was distracted by a woman carrying a basket of vegetables in both hands.

It was seen that the woman was approaching Yu Bai. The woman was seen checking Yu Bai's pulse. Then he placed his palm onto Yu Bai's forehead.

"Hm... You still have a little fever, but it doesn't matter" said the woman.

"Oh yes" the woman gave a glass filled with water. "You're thirsty, aren't you?"

Without hesitation Yu Bai nodded.

"This is what I help you with."

It was seen the foreign man helping Yu Bai to get up and drink the water given by the woman.

The foreign man gently sipped the water onto Yu Bai's pale lips.

Voraciously Yu Bai drank some water. He even asked the woman for another glass.

After the fourth glass, Yu Bai stopped drinking again. He was really thirsty and...

Growwlls....

Hungrier.

His face immediately flushed in embarrassment when he heard the sound of his stomach at the wrong time.

"Pardon me" said Yu Bai slowly.

The woman was not angry, she smiled a little. "Wait a minute. I made you some porridge."

"Thank you" Yu Bai said with a smile.

The woman left from before Yu Bai and left herself with a foreign man who kept looking at her.

It was a bit uncomfortable actually, but Yu Bai tried not to care.

"You were unconscious for five days."

"Huh?"

Yu Bai seemed to be in disbelief at this remark from the man before him.

"Don't believe it already" said the stranger.

Yu Bai was silent.

"By the way, what's your name?"

The foreign man looked at Yu Bai. Then the foreign man approached Yu Bai who was not too far away from him.

"Aren't you the one who should introduce yourself first?"

Flinched, Yu Bai nodded in understanding. "My name is Yu Bai, 10 years old."

"That's it?"

"Yes. That's all."

The stranger tilted his head to the right. Feeling astonished by the brief introduction of the young man before him.

"Your name?"

Wake up from his daydream. The stranger began to introduce himself. "Long Jinzhi, a traveller."

Yu Bai nodded in understanding. "If it was that woman?"

"You mean Qing?"

"Qing?"

Jinzhi nodded. "The name is just Qing. No first name."

Yu Bai nodded.

After that there was no conversation between the two of them anymore.

Until in the end Yu Bai couldn't help but ask a question he didn't want to ask.

"Mr Jinzhi" call Yu Bai.

"Hmm?" Jinzhi Response.

"Have we met before?"

"Huh?"

Jinzhi looked surprised by the question from Yu Bai which from his face looked a little guilty.

"You don't remember me?" Jinzhi asked as he pointed to himself.

Yu Bai innocently shook his head.

"Are you the one who saved me? And can you tell me about what happened pad-ukh!"

Yu Bai grimaced in pain for a moment. For some reason he felt his back burning and hot.

"The medicine is starting to work."

Jinzhi and Yu Bai on the sidelines he endured his pain glanced at a woman who came with a bowl of porridge in her hand.

"But meh! I-it's pan-hot!"

"Just hold. The heat was only for a moment. You'll feel the effect, after that" the woman replied or rather Qing.

Yu Bai bowed himself. He seemed to embrace himself. Jinzhi who had been watching silently began to feel sorry for the boy who grimaced in pain.

Jinzhi's right hand gently stroked Yu Bai's back. For a moment Yu Bai felt a warm touch from Jinzhi's palm. Jinzhi's touch made him forget a little of the pain he was feeling.

"Hold it off in a minute. The pain is only temporary."

"Then I leave for a while" Qing said.

"Where are you going?" Ask Jinzhi.

"Finding medicine" Qing replied.

Jinzhi nodded.

In the middle of his pain. Yu Bai silently looked at Jinzhi. Actually, he was trying to remember. Where did he meet Jinzhi?

A flash of the shadow of a man wearing a shabby white robe appeared in Yu Bai's mind.

Instantly Yu Bai raised his head and looked at Jinzhi with a surprised look.

"You.... The boy at that time?"

Jinzhi smiled faintly. "Yes, now you remember me?"

Tacit. In Yu Bai's mind there were various possibilities of him being here.

"Why can you be there?" Yu Bai asked in confusion.

"Because I'm bored."

"Bored?"

Jinzhi nodded. He was bored at the time. When he feels bored, he will do something that makes him not feel bored anymore.

Be he into human trafficking or rather a slave.

Yu Bai who was aware of Jinzhi's strangeness could only smile understandably.

Yu Bai understood Jinzhi's strangeness.

No, rather Yu Bai did not understand too much.

At the end of the day Yu Bai only laughed bitterly.

"Boc - I mean Yu Bai."

Yu Bai looked at Jinzhi who was staring at him with a stern look in those golden yellow eyes of his.

"What happened before we met?"

Yu Bai froze.

For the first time he got the question of 'what happened?'

If asked like that, the answer is.

A bunch.

There were so many events that made Yu Bai want to repeat time.

He wanted a story, but all that came out of his little lips was. "I...."

The complex look on Yu Bai's face. His eyes seemed to look around him trying to avoid questions that made him uncomfortable.

Jinzhi who was aware of the discomfort from Yu Bai could only let out a rough sigh.

"Not to think about it."

"Eh?"

Jinzhi stood up, then he picked up the porridge bowl that Qing placed on the wooden table that looked rickety.

"You better fill your strength first" said Jinzhi as he thrust out the bowl of porridge.

Yu Bai smiled gently. He took the bowl with both hands.

What Jinzhi said was true.

Slowly Yu Bai ate the porridge. His mouth chewed and then swallowed it quickly.

Then his dark brown eyes closed for a moment. After that Yu Bai took a deep breath.

'Mr. Jinzhi is right. Fill your strength for now and do not think too much about something.'

Finally the eyes opened again and showed a dark brown netra that glittered sharply about a thing called 'determination.'

Jinzhi who noticed Yu Bai's gaze smiled obliquely.

'This child....'

"Yu Bai, you're free."

Yu Bai looked at Jinzhi with the same gaze.

For a moment Jinzhi was impressed by the gaze given by Yu Bai.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

||°°°°°°°||