Yuan Gun Gun wiped the windows and pitied herself. At home, her family loved her. Even the cold Yuan Ting Liu didn’t raise his voice when he spoke to her.

Yuan Gun Gun didn’t think she did anything wrong. Who wanted to be Hao Yan Che’s maid? If Hao Yan Che punished her because she was chubby then he should ask Mrs Chen to find someone else to be his maid. If Hao Yan Che hated her because of her chubby body then she hated his handsome face.

‘Gun Gun,’ Qiang Jia Tao called.

Yuan Gun Gun turned around and saw a young woman with short hair smiling at her.

‘Who are you?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘I’m Qiang Jia Tao,’ Qiang Jia Tao said. ‘You can call me Jia Tao.’

Yuan Gun Gun wiped her tears.

‘Why do you want to see me?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘You didn’t close the door,’ Qiang Jia Tao said. ‘I heard you crying.’

Qiang Jia Tao passed Yuan Gun Gun tissues, and Yuan Gun Gun blew her nose.

‘I’m sorry,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I forgot to close the door.’

‘What happened?’ Qiang Jia Tao asked. ‘Did young master punish you?’

Yuan Gun Gun hugged Qiang Jia Tao’s neck and cried.

‘I don’t understand him,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘He’s a bully. He asked me to make twenty dishes in one hour. I had to ask big sister Ting to help me. He ate one mouthful and said the food tastes bad. But yesterday he ate a lot of the same food. He made me clean as a punishment. If he finds dust where I cleaned, he’ll ask someone to whip me. He bullies me because my chubby body is an eyesore. Jia Tao, do you think I want to be chubby? It’s not my fault there are delicious food in the world. When I want to diet, the delicious tempt me. Is being chubby a crime?’

‘Don’t cry,’ Qiang Jia Tao said. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’

Yuan Gun Gun had a good cry, she let go Qiang Jia Tao and wiped her face with the dirty rag in her hands.

Qiang Jia Tao helped Yuan Gun Gun wash her face.

‘Young master is an unreasonable person,’ Qiang Jia Tao said. ‘I’ll help you clean.’

‘Aren’t you scared you’ll be punished if he finds out?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘We’ll be careful,’ Qiang Jia Tao said. ‘Young master won’t find out.’

Yuan Gun Gun didn’t notice the cold gleam in Qiang Jia Tao’s eyes.

‘Thank you big sister Tao,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Let’s clean,’ Qiang Jia Tao said.

The following morning, Hao Yan Che looked coldly at Qiang Jia Tao who entered his bedroom.

‘Where’s Gun Gun?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘She asked me to come here to wake young master up,’ Qiang Jia Tao said.

‘She asked you to come here?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Is she a maid or a mistress?’

‘But she said she didn’t want to see young master,’ Qiang Jia Tao said.

‘Oh, is that why she asked you to come here?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Yes,’ Qiang Jia Tao said.

‘Where is she?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘She’s sleeping in room thirty-five,’ Qiang Jia Tao said.

‘Leave,’ Hao Yan Che ordered.

Hao Yan Che walked into the bathroom. Qiang Jia Tao fisted her hands and left his bedroom.

***

Hao Yan Che walked into room thirty-five. Yuan Gun Gun was sleeping on the bed in the shape of a little ball, and hugging a pillow. Her sleeping position exposed her white underwear. He looked around the room, it was messier than he remembered.

‘Yuan Gun Gun,’ Hao Yan Che called.

Yuan Gun Gun slept soundly.

‘Yuan Gun Gun!’ Hao Yan Che called.

Hao Yan Che poked Yuan Gun Gun’s face to wake her up, but she grabbed his hand.

‘Tastes delicious,’ Yuan Gun Gun murmured in her sleep.

Hao Yan Che laid on the bed next to Yuan Gun Gun. She hugged his waist and purred like a little kitten. Her body felt soft like she didn’t have any bones.

‘Big brother Du,’ Yuan Gun Gun murmured.

Hao Yan Che let go of Yuan Gun Gun and kicked her off the bed.

‘Ah…’ Yuan Gun Gun cried out. She opened her eyes. ‘Young master?’

Hao Yan Che scoffed. Who else did Yuan Gun Gun think was lying on the bed with her?

‘Why did you kick me?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. She rubbed her sore body. ‘It hurts.’

‘You have guts, giving orders to my servants,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun knew Hao Yan Che would find out Qiang Jia Tao helped her clean last night. But she didn’t give orders to anyone.

‘I… I didn’t give orders… I…’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘You don’t want to see me?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Who do you think you are?’

Yuan Gun Gun was surprised Hao Yan Che was psychic.

‘You’re my maid,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Don’t overstep your status. Don’t think you’re the mistress in my home. Here you’re nobody.’

Hao Yan Che didn’t know why he was wasting his time with Yuan Gun Gun.

Yuan Gun Gun’s eyes stung and she lowered her head.

‘I know,’ Yuan Gun Gun said softly.

‘Don’t bother crying,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Your tears are not going to work on me.’

Yuan Gun Gun quietly cried.

‘You’re is right,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘What did I say to you yesterday?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Hao Yan Che didn’t understand why Yuan Gun Gun looked loveable in his eyes.

Yuan Gun Gun couldn’t hold back her sadness. She sat on the floor and cried like an abandoned child.

‘I did my best… don’t hit me,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Be quiet,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun covered her mouth and looked at him pitifully.

‘Come here,’ Hao Yan Che said and patted the bed.

Yuan Gun Gun shook her head.

‘Are you coming?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun sat on the bed. Hao Yan Che hugged her, and looked at her adorable face.

‘You’re really ugly,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun lowered her head to avoid seeing Hao Yan Che’s face.

Hao Yan Che held Yuan Gun Gun’s chin, wiped her tears off her face and let go of her.

Yuan Gun Gun was awestruck again by the scary monster’s beautiful face.

‘What are you looking at?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun looked down and twiddled her fingers.

‘How many rooms did you clean?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘One,’ Yuan Gun Gun confessed.

‘For the whole night, you only cleaned this room?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Look how messy this room is. Are you lazy or you deliberately made this room messier? Do you want to defy me?’

‘I’m not lazy,’ Yuan Gun Gun said softly. ‘I promise I did my best to clean this room.’

‘If you did your best to clean this room, what happens when you don’t put effort into cleaning?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Will my home be destroyed by you?’

Yuan Gun Gun didn’t know why her best efforts to clean turned into a pig sty. Last night after she cleaned everything in the room, she carried a vase to replace the flowers and tripped. Qiang Jia Tao avoided getting wet, but Qiang Jia Tao knocked over a bookshelf and more than thirty books fell on Yuan Gun Gun’s legs.

‘I’m sorry,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘You can punish me but don’t hit me. I’m scared of pain.’

‘Go wash up and cook breakfast,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘You’re not angry?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Yuan Gun Gun smiled, she got out of bed and walked toward the door.

‘Wait,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Why are there bruises on your legs?’

‘Last night, I was nearly squashed to death by the fallen books… and the vase…’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘You deserve it,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Go wash your face and brush your hair. You don’t need to strut in front of me.’

‘Do I still need to cook breakfast… hehe… I’ll go…’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che watched Yuan Gun Gun leave the room. He didn’t understand why Yuan Gun Gun was someone special to him.

***

End of Chapters Twenty-Five to Twenty-Six