Yuan Gun Gun grieved for Xiao Bi. Only a day ago, Xiao Bi was eating nuts inside the pocket of her apron. But a day later, she was holding Xiao Bi’s dead body in her hands.

Hao Yan Che couldn’t stand Yuan Gun Gun stroking the chipmunk’s bloodied body in her hands.

‘Let go of it,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun’s bleach white face looked at Hao Yan Che, but she didn’t let go of the chipmunk.

‘I said let go of it,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Mrs Chen was scared Hao Yan Che would hurt Yuan Gun Gun if Yuan Gun Gun refused to let go of the chipmunk.

Yuan Gun Gun put the dead chipmunk on the floor, she stood and glared at Hao Yan Che.

‘Did you do this?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked in a trembling voice. ‘Yes or no?’

Hao Yan Che looked coldly at Yuan Gun Gun.

‘Gun Gun, don’t say say nonsense,’ Mrs Chen said. She held Yuan Gun Gun’s arm. ‘Come with aunty Chen.’

Yuan Gun Gun pushed Mrs Chen’s hand off her arm, and she looked accusingly at Hao Yan Che.

‘Why?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. ‘You said you would strangle Xiao Bi to death if you saw Xiao Bi on me again. Why are you such a monster to use such a cruel way to kill Xiao Bi?’

Hao Yan Che silently let Yuan Gun Gun pound his chest and cry.

‘You’re a monster,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I hate you. Give me back my Xiao Bi… answer me, you’re a killer. You’ll receive your retribution. Why? Why did you have to kill Xiao Bi?’

‘Yuan Gun Gun, do you want to die?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Hao Yan Che’s violet eyes slowly changed color.

‘Yes, I want to die,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘If you have the guts then kill me. You should strangle me to death like how you strangled Xiao Bi. Killing me is nothing to you. Go ahead and kill me.’

Mrs Chen pulled Yuan Gun Gun away from Hao Yan Che, she slapped Yuan Gun Gun’s face and Yuan Gun Gun fell onto the floor.

‘Don’t forget your status,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘You’re only a maid. How dare you be disrespectful toward young master?’

Yuan Gun Gun was scared of Mrs Chen’s cold eyes looking at her.

‘Aunty Chen…’ Yuan Gun Gun called.

‘He Ruo, He Ni, lock her in her bedroom,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘No one is allowed to let her out without young master’s permission.’

He Ruo and He Ni picked up Yuan Gun Gun off the floor, they took her to the pink bed, walked outside and locked her in the pink bedroom.

Outside the pink bedroom, Mrs Chen bowed in front of Hao Yan Che.

‘Young master, I’m sorry,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘I’m a bad trainer.’

Hao Yan Che stared at Mrs Chen for a while then he walked back to the study room.

‘He Ruo, He Ni, go bury the chipmunk in the garden,’ Mrs Chen said.

In the study room, Yi Tu and Jia Tu reported to Hao Yan Che.

‘Young master, all of Gun Gun’s small friends are playing in the garden but we couldn’t find Xiao Bi,’ Yi Tu said.

Hao Yan Che flipped through the paper work on the desk.

‘Keep looking for it until you find it,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Young master, I heard this morning Xiao Bi’s dead body was left in front of Gun Gun’s bedroom door…’ Yi Tu said.

‘It’s not the one that died,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Young master, pardon me,’ Yi Tu said. ‘How do you know it isn’t Xiao Bi?’

‘Yi Tu, can you and Jia Tu die?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘No,’ Yi Tu said softly.

‘It won’t die either,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Young master, are you saying…’ Jia Tu said.

‘Humans aren’t the only species that can be turned into vampires,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Hao Yan Que let them drink his blood. They’ll stay young forever.’

‘No wonder why Gun Gun’s small friends behave strangely… young master, does that mean master gave them to Gun Gun?’ Jia Tu asked.

‘Go ask him yourself,’ Hao Yan Che said and left the study room.

‘Jia Tu, young master looks like he’s in a bad mood,’ Yi Tu said.

‘You’re right,’ Jia Tu said.

‘Do you know why the security cameras didn’t capture who cruelly killed a chipmunk?’ Yi Tu asked.

‘Why?’ Jia Tu asked.

‘Because I erased the footage,’ Yi Tu said.

‘Why?’ Jia Tu asked.

‘I don’t want young master to know the culprit’s identity because that person is still useful,’ Yi Tu said.

‘Useful in what way?’ Jia Tu asked.

‘Like bringing young master and Gun Gun closer together,’ Yi Tu said.

‘What do you mean?’ Jia Tu asked.

‘Young master needs to go through storms to realise he loves Gun Gun,’ Yi Tu said. ‘Even when he realise he loves Gun Gun, he won’t admit it. So he needs a helping hand to push him until he accepts he loves Gun Gun.’

‘Young master is going to kill you,’ Jia Tu said.

‘I’m not scared,’ Yi Tu said. ‘When that stormy day comes, I’ll go hide behind master’s back.’

***

Chapter Forty-Eight