"Time to sleep, sleep now. We have to get up early tomorrow." Vincent Swallow said, and everyone retreated to their own cabins. I called out to Old Ren, but he ignored me as usual and went to sleep.
I felt a bit angry, but I could only lie down and sleep.
By morning, as always, everyone treated me like I was invisible. No matter whom I approached, either they looked at me with disgust or smiled and walked away, as if deliberately avoiding me. Except when moving stones, I could be with them—otherwise, I didn't see a single soul.
I could only try climbing trees and gathering branches by myself, but time and again, no matter how I tried, I failed.
Frustrated, I stood up. I figured Vincent Swallow was probably drinking by the river. I also realized that since that day at noon, after Vincent Swallow spoke to me, their attitude toward me had changed.
When I got within a few hundred meters of the river, I could already smell the alcohol. I retreated a bit and waited at the stone table, planning to wait for Vincent Swallow to come by.
But I waited the whole day and never saw Vincent Swallow. When I returned from the river, I ran over, only to find that Vincent Swallow was already gone.
On my way back, I saw Old Ren eating. He had just finished and glanced at me before quickly running off.
"Old Ren, wait..." No matter how I called out, Old Ren still left. I knew it was getting dark, so I could only eat a bowl of rice by the table and head to the camp.
When I got back to camp, I was dumbfounded. Everyone was already asleep. I walked over to Old Ren and gently tapped him, but he turned his head away and ignored me.
Although I was angry, it felt like they were deliberately targeting me, all acting in perfect sync, ignoring me. My anger simmered, and after finally falling asleep, I found it unbearable again. Helpless, I spent a long time calming myself down, forcing my mind to settle.
For the next three days, no one paid any attention to me. This feeling was unbearable. These dull, joyless days dragged on—three or four days had passed without a word exchanged between me and them. I watched as they enjoyed themselves together, while I could only stay alone. Whenever I tried to approach, they would deliberately ignore me.
Night fell again. Tonight, they sat by the campfire, chatting and laughing together. I stayed far away, watching them with resentment. Eventually, I stood up and walked over, bending at the waist and lowering my head.
I repeated what I’d said a few days ago, the words I used to trick them, then lowered my head and spoke.
“Sorry, everyone. I deceived you a few days ago. I don’t know exactly where I went wrong, but I hope you can forgive me.”
They kept talking among themselves. I lowered my head, looking at them with sincere eyes, but no one acknowledged me. It reminded me of my childhood in Willow Orphanage, always alone, unable to fit in, never having anyone who wanted to play with me.
I kept my head down, repeating my apology over and over. Finally, I noticed Old Ray had stopped talking and was looking at me with a helpless expression.
“I’m Ethan Zhang, and that’s just how I am. Maybe I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past, but now...”
[Note: The following is a meta-reader instruction, not part of the novel’s narrative. Skipped translation.]
“What about now?” Mr. Blackmask finally lost his patience. He stood up angrily, eyes blazing, and strode toward me. For the first time, I saw Mr. Blackmask this furious—he glared at me, his hand grabbing my shoulder.