Hao Yan Che hugged Yuan Gun Gun and stroked her back.

  ‘Che……’ Yuan Gun Gun called.

  ‘Um,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Hao Yan Che was happy Yuan Gun Gun sounded like herself again. He felt like the woman he loved returned to him.

  Yuan Gun Gun hugged Hao Yan Che’s neck and cried on his shoulder.

  ‘You’re not allowed to lie to me again,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘Um,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  Like how Hao Yan Che didn’t think there would be a day he would like seeing a sunny sky, he didn’t think he would fall in love with a woman like Yuan Gun Gun.

  Hao Yan Che took Yuan Gun Gun to the dining room.

  ‘Today is good weather,’ Qi Tu said. ‘Your young master’s employees’ prayers were answered. They got to escape your young master’s stormy moods.’


  Qi Tu smiled at Yuan Gun Gun who was sitting on Hao Yan Che’s lap and eating.

  ‘Big brother Qi Tu, do prayers really come true?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  ‘Of course,’ Qi Tu said. ‘Look at your young master’s good mood. It’s thanks to the employees’ emptying their pockets. Before today, your young master’s moods were either icy or hot.’


  Yuan Gun Gun looked at Hao Yan Che’s face, he didn’t look like he was in a good mood.

  ‘Little girl, do you have a wish you want to come true?’ Qi Tu asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I have a lot of wishes.’


  ‘Like what?’ Qi Tu asked.

  Yuan Gun Gun looked at Hao Yan Che feeding her pieces of bread.

  ‘Do you want your young master?’ Qi Tu asked.

  Yuan Gun Gun’s face turned red and she shook her head.

  ‘You don’t want your young master?’ Qi Tu asked.

  ‘It’s not like that……’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  ‘Then what do you want?’ Qi Tu asked.

  ‘I…… I,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  ‘Eat,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Qi Tu laughed. It was the first time the servants heard someone laugh in several days.

  After breakfast, Hao Yan Che and Yuan Gun Gun went to work together.

  At midday, Yuan Gun Gun sat on Hao Yan Che’s lap and ate lunch like in the past.

  ‘Why do you want to come here to work?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. ‘You used to like working at home.’


  Hao Yan Che tucked Yuan Gun Gun’s hair behind her ears.

  ‘Lately it’s busy at work,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘Then why do you have to dye your hair black to go to work?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  Hao Yan Che fed Yuan Gun Gun a dish. She didn’t push him to answer. She fed him a dish she liked.

  ‘This tastes delicious,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Che, today in the tea room, I heard big sisters talked about an unsolved string of murders. Is it true?’


  ‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che.

  ‘Why didn’t I know sooner?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  ‘You don’t watch the news,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘You don’t watch the news either,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘How did you know?’


  ‘I just know,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘Oh,’ Yuan Gun Gun said and ate a prawn.

  ‘Aren’t you scared?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘Not scared,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  ‘Aren’t you scared the killer will target you?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘I’m safe because the killer wouldn’t target someone who looks like me,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  ***