‘What is there to cry about?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Aren’t I allowed to cry if I’m in pain?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked bravely.

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

‘I said I’m in pain,’ Yuan Gun Gun said softly.

‘Yuan Gun Gun, you have guts,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che held Yuan Gun Gun’s neck. He didn’t use force, but his coldness made her suffocate.

‘You dare to see him,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Have you forgotten your status?’

‘No,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I’m your maid, but it has nothing to do with me seeing my family. Why do you have to be this angry?’

Yuan Gun Gun put down the ice pack. Hao Yan Che let go of her neck, he picked up the ice pack and pressed it hard against her swollen cheek.

‘Ah… it hurts,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Next time if you protect him again, I’ll hammer your mouth to pieces,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che pressed the ice pack harder on Yuan Gun Gun’s swollen cheek.

‘If you know what’s good for you then remember you’re mine,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘You can’t see him if you don’t have my permission.’

‘Don’t you know how to say sorry for hitting my big brother Du?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘What?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Even if you’re my young master, you can’t hit my big brother Du,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘What are you going to do if I hit him?’ Hao Yan Che asked. He threw the ice pack on the floor. ‘Do you want to take revenge for him?’

‘Young master is a dummy,’ Yuan Gun Gun said softly. ‘You don’t know right from wrong.’

Yuan Gun Gun sensed the cold tension between her and Hao Yan Che.

A moment later, Yuan Gun Gun heard Hao Yan Che kicked down another door.

At the Yuan Mansion, Feng Du Du was frightened to see her adoptive son’s bloodied face.

‘Ting Du, what happened?’ Feng Du Du asked. ‘Did you get into a fight?

‘Mum, I’m OK,’ Na Liu Ting Du said.

‘Tell mummy what happened,’ Feng Du Du said. ‘Come here, mummy will clean your wound.’

‘Ting Du, come with dad,’ Yuan Ting Liu said.

‘Ting Du, let mummy clean your wound before you talk with your daddy,’ Feng Du Du said.

‘I’m hungry,’ Yuan Ting Liu said. ‘Cook a meal for me, and bring it to the study room.’

‘Do I look like I’m your maid?’ Feng Du Du asked.

‘I’m hungry,’ Yuan Ting Liu said.

Yuan Ting Liu kissed Feng Du Du’s forehead, and she walked to the kitchen.

Na Liu Ting Du followed Yuan Ting Liu to the study room, and Yuan Ting Liu poured two glasses of red wine.

‘If I’m not mistaken, today you went to see Gun Gun,’ Yuan Ting Liu said.

‘Yes dad,’ Na Liu Ting Du said.

‘How were you injured?’ Yuan Ting Liu asked.

Yuan Ting Liu passed a glass of wine to Na Liu Ting Du, and carried the other glass of wine to the sofa.

‘Hao Yan Che,’ Na Liu Ting Du said and sat opposite Yuan Ting Liu.

‘Because of Gun Gun?’ Yuan Ting Liu asked.

‘Yes,’ Na Liu Ting Du said.

‘Ting Du, do you know who you are in my eyes?’ Yuan Ting Liu asked.

‘A friend’s son,’ Na Liu Ting Du said.

‘No,’ Yuan Ting Liu said. ‘In my eyes, you’re my son.’

Na Liu Ting Du drank a sip of wine.

‘Ting Du, with your intelligence, you know what I hoped would happen in the future,’ Yuan Ting Liu said. ‘If Gun Gun wasn’t saved by Hao Yan Che’s mum, I wanted you to become my son-in-law. In the past I knew you loved Gun Gun more than a brother loves a sister. I wanted to wait for you to find out yourself. But now it’s too late, Hao Yan Che is in the picture.’

‘Dad, I can’t get past the fact that if I strip away everything you gave me, I only have two empty hands,’ Na Liu Ting Du said. ‘I didn’t feel I was worthy to give Yuan Gun Gun a future she deserves.’

Yuan Ting Liu listened to Na Liu Ting Du’s firm voice.

‘Dad, let me return your company to you,’ Na Liu Ting Du said. ‘I want to build my own company, and be worthy to fight for Gun Gun.’

***

End of Chapter Seventy-Seven