Silver Cross Dream

Two Souls: A Birthday Encounter

The first snow of winter fell softly, covering the ground all night long.

After the alarm rang for the third time, I reluctantly left my warm bed and got up to work at the candy shop.

Yawning, I wrapped my scarf around my neck, put on my gloves, and bundled up, leaving only my eyes exposed to navigate the way. A thick layer of snow covered the road, crunching beneath my feet with a satisfying sound.

Flurries danced in the dim sky, the streetlights glowing softly, creating a scene reminiscent of a movie... It would be a shame not to have a romantic encounter in such a dreamy setting, especially since today is my twentieth birthday.

Just as I lamented my lack of a love interest, someone suddenly blocked my path.

"Excuse me, miss, could you tell me how to get to the Jinxi Candy Shop?" The voice was husky and strange, yet strangely alluring.

I looked up, puzzled, at the man before me. He towered over me, wearing a dark red hooded coat, the hood pulled low over his face.

There weren't many pedestrians on the winter morning, so I took a cautious step back.

He seemed to sense my wariness, pulling down his hood and asking again, "Miss, do you know how to get to the Jinxi Candy Shop?"

Uh... Is this a romantic encounter?!

Once I could see his face, I was momentarily stunned. I had never seen such an enchanting man: pale cheeks, wavy burgundy hair, elongated eyes—he was breathtakingly beautiful.

...What an astonishing encounter!

"Uh... I work at Jinxi Candy Shop. I'm on my way there."

"Ah, that’s wonderful." He smiled slightly, looking as beautiful as a rose.

Around the corner was the Jinxi Candy Shop. It wasn't large but was quite exquisite.

Upon entering, the sweet aroma filled the air. I turned up the lights a bit and smiled at the stunning stranger standing at the door. "Please come in."

Service with a smile; customers are king.

The bright lights made the various brands and flavors of candy on the counter sparkle enticingly.

"You came to buy candy this early? Which one do you want?" I assumed this striking man must be buying candy for a beloved girlfriend, or perhaps she was upset, prompting him to search for a sweet treat on such a snowy day.

Most girls have no immunity to candy, and I was no exception.

He shook his head. "I'm looking for Wei Shengyang."

"Uh?" I paused for a moment. "He won’t be here until ten."

"I'll wait for him." He smiled lightly.

Wei Shengyang was the owner of this candy shop, and his name was as peculiar as he was. I had worked at the shop for over six months, and aside from his name, I knew nothing about him. Every day at ten sharp, he would appear, sitting alone at the bar by the window, brewing a cup of coffee, and he would sit there all day, never speaking unless necessary.

Odd as he was, he was a good boss. He never said a word when he saw me slacking off, and more importantly, he never asked for any identification.

Because I didn’t have a student ID, a national ID... not even a birth certificate. I had woken up in the garbage dump on Happy Street when I was ten, with no memory of anything before that. My birthday was the day I woke up in that dump—a day of rebirth. Because that day, I met Jias.

The man walked over and sat at the bar, taking Wei Shengyang's usual spot.

"Are you a friend of the boss?" I asked curiously, as Wei Shengyang seemed to have no friends.

"I guess so," he replied after a moment.

"Guess so?" What a strange answer.

Due to the weather, there were few customers in the shop. I turned and poured a cup of coffee for him.

"Do you read fortunes?" He suddenly looked at me, smiling.

"You can read fortunes?" I was surprised.

"I can divine," he said, a slight smile on his lips. Under the light, his pale face was incredibly beautiful.

I immediately nodded, showing great interest.

He didn’t use turtle shells or yarrow sticks for Eastern divination, nor Western tarot cards—he didn’t even bother with theatrics. He simply stared at me for a while before slowly saying, "You can’t save anyone today," pausing before adding, "…anyone."

…Does that mean I shouldn't help anyone?

What kind of divination is this? It was hardly professional.

"Ding-dong..." The wind chimes at the door rang crisply.

"Welcome!" I hurriedly turned to greet the new arrival.

A boy wearing a thin jacket entered, carrying a backpack. He didn’t look at the candy on the counter but stared straight at me, his pitch-black eyes somewhat indifferent.

"Good morning, boss." I smiled, forcing my lips not to quiver.

Indeed, this boy, looking no older than fifteen or sixteen, was the owner of the candy shop—Wei Shengyang.

This mysterious boy never did what kids his age should be doing. He didn’t go to school, had no friends, and never mentioned his parents; he just ran a candy shop with only me as an employee.

"Long time no see." The man sitting at the bar stood up, smiling.

Wei Shengyang frowned. "What are you doing here?" His tone was very indifferent, not at all like a friend’s. Then he turned to me. "It's your day off today. You should go home early."

"Why?" I blinked, confused.

"Weren't you saying yesterday that today is your birthday?" Wei Shengyang replied flatly.

I nodded, touched. What a considerate boss! With a grin, I took the chocolate cake I had prepared earlier and headed out after getting off work early.

"Miss!" Just as I stepped out of the candy shop, the handsome stranger called out to me.

"Mm?" I turned back to look at him.

"Remember, don’t save anyone today."

Still with that strange divination? I waved my hand dismissively and turned to leave.

"Your silhouette represents fantasy, fireworks not yet set off, your gaze shines bright... When a smile takes the stage with dreams, a small heart dares to be bold... Little big person, your birth is a gift from heaven..." A lively song floated out from a nearby music store, a new release by the popular idol group Fei Lun Hai titled "Little Big Person."

The upbeat melody filled the air, and since it was still early, I hummed along, heading towards the snack street diagonally across.

"Ah! Dongfang Xiao!"

"Dongfang Xiao!"

"Ah... it’s Dongfang Xiao!"

"Oh God... it’s Dongfang Xiao!"

"Dongfang Xiao is here!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted, causing vendors to close up shop, and the entire street was left deserted, leaving me standing alone in the snow.

What’s the deal? I’m not a monster! The story behind it is long, but to keep it short, it’s said that ten years ago, a fire suddenly broke out in the garbage dump on Happy Street, and just before she died, Dongmen Wang’s old lady kicked the bucket, uttering, “Monsters have come into the world”...

Coincidentally, it was also when I appeared in that dump, and to make matters worse, Dongmen Wang’s old lady was reputed to be a famous fortune-teller on Happy Street, known for her accurate prophecies.

With a helpless smile, I scanned the surroundings, finding only a trembling old lady who hadn’t managed to escape. I leapt forward enthusiastically, taking her arm. "Granny, let me help you cross the street!"

The old lady trembled, her murky eyes filled with resentment.

"Take care, Granny."

"Alright," she replied, frowning.

"Hey, Granny, you look a bit familiar..." I furrowed my brow, feeling puzzled.

"...Because this is the eight hundred and thirty-sixth time you’ve helped me cross the street..." the old lady sighed.

I couldn't help but smile. "It’s okay, don’t mind it. It’s dangerous for you to cross alone with all the traffic..."

Tears welled in the old lady's eyes.

Silence.

The street was eerily quiet, only a tailless puppy was barking “woof, woof,” with not even a bicycle in sight...

"Even if there are no cars... your legs aren’t very good, crossing the street alone is always inconvenient," I continued to smile as I helped her cross.

After getting her safely across, I turned and headed into a nearby supermarket.

Buying groceries, heading home.

As I pushed the door open, I flipped the light switch, and the room brightened instantly. With a "squeak," a dark object scurried past my foot. I paused, annoyed. "Hey, we all live under the same roof. Can you please behave a little? If you keep being so raucous, I’ll just buy rat poison tomorrow to deal with you!"

The named big black rat shivered and darted into a hole in the wall.

Bending down to change my slippers, a large cockroach lazily crawled by. I could no longer hold back my irritation and swiftly grabbed my slipper, slapping it flat.

"I told you all to behave. It’d be better for everyone to live in peace," I mumbled as I changed my slippers.

The room was a mess, with the bowl from breakfast and yesterday's dirty socks lying around... I shivered at the thought that if Jias saw this, he would surely laugh at me.