‘Yuan Gun Gun!’ Hao Yan Che called.

  Hao Yan Che’s roar brought Yuan Gun Gun’s soul back to her body. She sat up on the pink bed, and looked at the murderous look on his face.

  ‘I’m here,’ Yuan Gun Gun said softly.

  ‘Who let you leave?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  Hao Yan Che sat on the pink bed and pinched Yuan Gun Gun’s bottom.

  ‘Ow…… don’t pinch,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘There are purple bruises there.’


  ‘Then I’ll help you color the places that aren’t purple,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Hao Yan Che pinched Yuan Gun Gun’s bottom left and right.

  ‘Ow…… young master…… I was wrong,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  Hao Yan Che pulled Yuan Gun Gun back to the master bedroom. She didn’t think she did anything wrong. If she could protect her bottom, she would have stayed in the pink bedroom.

  ‘Why aren’t you on the bed?’ Han Yan Che asked. ‘Are you waiting for me to serve you?’


  Yuan Gun Gun got into the bed, and laid close to the edge.

  ‘Come closer,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Yuan Gun Gun inched a little away from the edge of the bed. Hao Yan Che lost his patience, he pulled her to his chest.

  ‘If you lie close to the edge again, I’ll kick you out of bed,’ Hao Yan Che warned. He pinched Yuan Gun Gun’s bottom again. ‘Sleep.’


  ‘It’s my bottom,’ Yuan Gun Gun mumbled.

  ‘What?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘It’s yours,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  Hao Yan Che was satisfied, and patted Yuan Gun Gun’s head.

  ‘Young master, I can’t sleep,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  Yuan Gun Gun nuzzled her face on Hao Yan Che’s chest.

  ‘Young master, can we talk for a bit?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  Hao Yan Che hugged Yuan Gun Gun tighter.

  ‘I like having someone to sleep with,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Young master, what about you?’


  ‘Sleeping alone,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘Then why do you want me to move here?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  Hao Yan Che looked at his rice ball’s innocent eyes.

  ‘When I was a little girl, I loved sleeping with my mummy,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘But when my daddy found mummy and me, daddy took us back home. Daddy didn’t let me sleep with mummy anymore. So I climbed onto big brother Du’s bed to sleep. Big brother Du used to pat my back and tell me bedtime stories. When I turned fifteen, big brother Du didn’t let me sleep with him anymore. If I snuck into big brother Du’s bed at night, he would carry me back to my room…… young master, what’s wrong?’


  Yuan Gun Gun protected her head.

  ‘Roll over to the floor,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘Young master……’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  Yuan Gun Gun didn’t know why Hao Yan Che was suddenly angry.

  ‘Roll over,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Yuan Gun Gun got out off bed, and Hao Yan Che turned off the lights. She stood in the dark until her legs were numb then she laid on the floor.

  Hao Yan Che’s night vision let him see clearly in the dark. He saw his dummy rice ball’s confused expression. He was still angry from the moment Na Liu Ting Du’s name came out of Yuan Gun Gun’s mouth.

  In the middle of the night, Hao Yan Che laid sleepless on the bed while Yuan Gun Gun slept peacefully on the floor. He looked at his rice ball curled up against the bed, and didn’t know if she was good at adapting to any environment or if her naivety was a blessing. If she had bribed him, he would have let her sleep on the bed immediately. But she didn’t bribe him so he let her sleep on the floor.

  Early morning, Yuan Gun Gun felt someone kicked her bottom and she woke up.

  ‘Young master, good morning,’ Yuan Gun Gun greeted.

  Yuan Gun Gun stretched her body, and got up from the floor. Hao Yan Che ignored her and walked to the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes, and made his bed.

  A while later, Yuan Gun Gun brushed her teeth in the bathroom, and secretly glanced at Hao Yan Che shaving his chin stubble.

  ***