‘People say fat helps fight against the cold,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Looks like you’re the exception.’

Yuan Gun Gun ignored Hao Yan Che.

‘Your fat is useless,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘You’re right,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘My fat can’t fight against the cold. So what if my fat is useless and an eyesore to you? My mum told me a cat who has fish to eat and a dog who has meat to eat are happy. I love eating and I love being fat. You have no reason to be angry because I’m fat.’

‘Who are you talking to?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun turned her head away from Hao Yan Che’s face.

‘Are you a cat or a dog?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Hao Yan Che pinched Yuan Gun Gun’s face.

‘I’m a pet being mistreated by their owner,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che continued to pinch Yuan Gun Gun’s face and he smiled warmly. She didn’t know a cold person like Hao Yan Che knew how to smile warmly.

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

Yuan Gun Gun ignored Hao Yan Che again. So he used his index finger to push her small nose up like a pig’s snout.

A while later, Hao Yan Che carried a tray with a hot bowl of congee on top to the bedroom for Yuan Gun Gun to eat.

‘Sit up and eat,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun shook her head. Hao Yan Che put the tray on the bedside table, he pulled her up to sit against the bedhead and began feeding her congee.

Hao Yan Che was surprised he had enough patience to slowly feed Yuan Gun Gun a whole bowl of congee.

Yuan Gun Gun licked her lips, because she didn’t expect Hao Yan Che would wipe her mouth.

‘Do you want to eat more?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘I’m full,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Then why are you licking your lips?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Why can’t I lick my lips just because you don’t want to wipe my mouth?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

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

Hao Yan Che roughly wiped Yuan Gun Gun’s mouth.

‘Do you want to go home?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Yes,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Why?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Don’t you like living here?’

‘I miss my family and I miss my small friends,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che didn’t want to see Yuan Gun Gun cry.

‘Who is Na Liu Ting Du?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘My big brother,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘I’ll let you go home,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘What?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘At midnight I’ll ask someone to take you to see your family,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘At midday tomorrow, I’ll ask someone to take you back here.’

‘Why do I have to come back that soon?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘You don’t want to go?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘I want to go!’ Yuan Gun Gun said. She hugged Hao Yan Che’s neck and smiled. ‘Thank you young master.’

‘What happened yesterday?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘I should be the one asking what happened yesterday,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Didn’t you know I called you to come see me?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘When did you call me to come see you?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. ‘Big brother Yi Tu came to visit me, and I asked him to play chess with me. After the game of chess, he stood and accidently fell on top of me. Then you came and ordered aunty Chen to lock me in the cold dark room.’

‘You’re not allowed to cry,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun sniffed her nose.

‘Stay here,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Someone will take you to visit your family tonight.’

Hao Yan Che cursed Yi Tu.

‘Young master, are you leaving?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Can’t I leave?’ Hao Yan Che asked and stormed out of the bedroom.

Yuan Gun Gun turned on the TV to past the time while waiting to go home.

***

In the study room, Hao Yan Che interrogated Yi Tu.

‘Yi Tu, lately do you have a lot of free time?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Young master, how can I have free time when I’m busy all the time?’ Yi Tu asked.

‘Yi Tu, don’t let it happen a second time,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘You know the consequences.’

‘Yes young master,’ Yi Tu said.

Hao Yan Che turned back to his laptop and worked.

In the middle of the night, Yuan Gun Gun arrived at the Yuan Mansion and ran to her parents’ room…

Yuan Ting Liu was in the middle of pleasuring Feng Du Du’s body when the door opened. He saw his little girl standing at the door and froze on top of Feng Du Du’s body.

‘Daddy, mummy, do your best,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Yuan Gun Gun smiled awkwardly, walked outside and closed the door.

‘Yuan Gun Gun!’ Yuan Ting Liu yelled.

Yuan Gun Gun ran to Na Liu Ting Du’s bedroom.

‘Big brother Du, save me!’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Gun Gun,’ Na Liu Ting Du said and hugged Yuan Gun Gun.

‘Big brother Du, I missed you,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Why are you home?’ Na Ling Ting Du asked and stroked Yuan Gun Gun’s long hair.

‘Young master let me come home,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘He let you come home?’ Na Liu Ting Du asked.

‘Yes,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘For how long?’ Na Liu Ting Du asked.

‘At midday tomorrow someone will take me back to him,’ Yuan Gun Gun said and kissed Na Liu Ting Du’s cheek.

‘That soon,’ Na Liu Ting Du said. He kissed Yuan Gun Gun’s cheek. ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight.’

‘Really?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Yes,’ Na Liu Ting Du said and squeezed Yuan Gun Gun’s nose.

‘Big brother Du, I want to see my small friends,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Na Liu Ting Du wrapped an arm around Yuan Gun Gun’s shoulder and walked with her to see her small friends.

‘Did you see dad and mum yet?’ Na Liu Ting Du asked.

‘Yes…’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Why are you blushing?’ Na Liu Ting Du asked.

‘Daddy and mummy are busy making a little sister or a little brother for me,’ Yuan Gun Gun whispered in Na Liu Ting Du’s ear.

When they arrived in the garden, Yuan Gun Gun’s small friends jumped onto Yuan Gun Gun’s body.

‘Xiao Bi, don’t pull big sister’s hair,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Xiao Yuan, don’t lick big sister’s ear. Xiao Liu, your spines are tickling me. Xiao Chen, you’re constricting my arm.’

Most of the animals hid after they saw Na Liu Ting Du. A white snake coiled around Yuan Gun Gun’s arm, a puppy licked Yuan Gun Gun’s face and a chipmunk sat on top of Yuan Gun Gun’s head.

‘Big sister missed everyone,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Yuan Gun Gun sat in the middle of the garden, and she fed her small friends.

‘Since everyone was good while I was away, I’ll tell everyone funny stories,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Na Liu Ting Du went to get pillows and a bedsheet for Yuan Gun Gun. He sat next to Yuan Gun Gun on the ground, and listened to her tell funny stories to her small friends. He asked himself if he missed Yuan Gun Gun as a brother or if he missed her because he loved her.

***

End of Chapters Thirty-Five to Thirty-Six