“Mr. Barton, so you were wandering around before you became an adult?”
Xia De even took out a notebook, pretending to take notes. The 'child' across the table nodded slightly:
“You could say that. It was an unforgettable experience. After I turned eighteen, my body officially transitioned from old age to prime, my frail body became healthy, and I could support myself. During that time, I encountered many things—strange, bizarre, and even incredible things... Let's not talk about that. In short, I was quite lucky and met some scholars who were willing to help me.”
Mr. Barton paused, leaning back slightly against the sofa. Xia De concentrated; the so-called 'scholars' were most likely The Society of Truth.
“They taught me many things and allowed me to view this vast world from a completely new perspective. Although I don't agree with the beliefs and ideas of most of them, and sometimes even think they are lunatics—”
He raised an eyebrow, not knowing what he was thinking of:
“But those scholars are indeed my benefactors; there’s no doubt about that.”
Xia De nodded, pushed away the cat's outstretched paw with his left hand, and the pen tip glided across the notebook page:
“Since you were with scholars, why didn't you become a scholar? Oh, I apologize, I didn't mean anything else, it's just that the profession of scholar is highly respected.”
Mr. Barton smiled bitterly and shook his head, an expression that made his large face appear even more terrifying:
“Becoming a scholar also requires qualifications; at most, I can only be considered an unofficial member.”
He sighed:
“In short, with the help of those scholars, my condition also improved a lot. I met them when I was twenty-five, and the treatment began to be effective when I was thirty-two; my 'reversal speed' significantly slowed down. During this period, when my body looked five or six years older than you, I met the love of my life.”
As he spoke, a smile finally appeared on his lips.
“Oh? Could you tell me more about this part?”
Xia De said with a smile, and Mr. Barton also nodded:
“Do you mind if I smoke a cigar?”
Xia De looked at his cat, then reluctantly nodded:
“Please feel free.”
He then picked up the cat and held it in his arms, providing it with the safest breathing environment.
Mr. Barton pulled out a cigar box from under the coffee table, used a specialized punch-cutter to clip both ends, lit it, and took a deep puff. The brass-colored cigar cutter resembled a pocket watch, clearly not a cheap item.
“That happened in Atek City, the City of Arts. I was asked by the scholars to do some work in that City. Because my work was leisurely, I occasionally went to the rhode cards casino. It was Summer of 1845, yes, I remember it very clearly; that Summer was exceptionally hot, I even thought the metal pipes under the sun would melt. That Summer, at the casino, I met a girl in a red dress.”
His tone was filled with a sense of wistful remembrance.
“A girl you met at a casino?”
Xia De asked, then shook his head:
“If this were a love story, it probably wouldn't be a comedy.”
Mr. Barton chuckled self-deprecatingly, his thick fingers clutching the cigar:
“Yes, but just one glance, and I was drawn to her eyes. I don't know if it was the restlessness of my body or my lonely soul's yearning for love, but I knew I was smitten. It's a feeling difficult to describe; seeing her in the crowd, I knew she would be the love of my life.”
Xia De offered no comment on this.
“Next is a romantic story?”
“Yes, a very romantic story. The first time we met, I didn't approach her. Later, I saw her again in the casino; she was selling things to people that shouldn't appear in your book. I mustered up the courage to invite her for a drink at a pub... a decent pub.”
He took a puff of his cigar, then coughed. Mr. Barton's lungs seemed to have a problem:
“Mr. Watson, I know the thoughts of a gentleman of your upper-class background—a girl appearing in such an underground rhode cards casino wouldn't be from a respectable family. But what does that matter?”
He looked up at the ceiling:
“Pubs, restaurants, the Opera House, small inns, our respective apartments, the various art galleries in the City, the art clock tower in the City center, the Grus Racecourse outside the City... there are too many memories, too many memories. I still can't forget the scene of her riding that reddish-brown pony, laughing heartily on the spring pasture, nor can I forget sitting on the lawn together in the autumn of falling leaves, eating sandwiches and talking about life.
I didn't care about her past, and she didn't care about my identity. We spent three years together, probably the happiest three years of my life.”
This middle-aged man who looked like a child showed a genuine smile on his face.
“As usual, the story has reached a turning point?”
“Yes, and this turning point is quite ridiculous.”
Joey Barton placed his cigar on the ashtray on the coffee table and looked at Xia De opposite him:
“Mr. Watson, why don't you guess what happened next?”
“Hmm... The scholars transferred you out of Atek City, and you had to leave your lover?”
“No, no, I'm just an unofficial, idle person; I wouldn't receive such orders... I mean, requirements. And even if I were transferred, she could come with me.”
Mr. Barton shook his head.
“Then, the girl discovered your secret of reverse aging, and she couldn't accept it?”
“Not that either; in just three years, my appearance hadn't changed much. In fact, I had already told her about it.”
He looked at Xia De:
“She didn't mind, no, not at all, and even wanted to take care of me forever, even if I became an infant without thought or consciousness, she would still be willing to take care of me.”
Mr. Barton closed his eyes and let out a long breath:
“No need to guess. Yes, no one could have guessed that fate would play such a joke—death befell her.”
“death...”
Xia De stopped writing:
“I'm very sorry to hear that, but the cause of death was...”
Mr. Barton's mouth twitched:
“She went out on a rainy Summer day, twisted her ankle in a puddle, fell, and broke her neck... Fate always loves to play jokes, doesn't it?”
Xia De took a deep breath:
“If this were a story, then the ending truly sucks.”
“Yes, sometimes I think I'd rather she was murdered, or died of illness, or some other conspiracy I don't know about. But it was truly an accident, a ridiculous accident... I can't even find anyone to resent or retaliate against.”
“So, what happened next?”
Xia De asked.
Mr. Barton raised his hand and gripped his chin, his eyes showing not sadness, but an incomprehensible sense of loss:
“She had no parents or family, so I was responsible for her funeral. Afterward, I carried her ashes and traveled all over the Old Continent, fulfilling the things we had hoped to accomplish.
Mr. Watson, you just asked me about my attitude towards death. Although I gave a very optimistic view, that was only when facing my own death. I can calmly accept death befalling me, but even now, I still cannot accept her departure.”
He covered his mouth with his right hand and exhaled through his nose:
“Mortals eventually die; this world is truly fair. Three years ago, in the autumn of 1850 of the common era, I returned to Mi Fort and decided to stay here. The City of Arts is simply too heartbreaking; I'm afraid I'll never go there again in my life.”
