Long Liu Bao was in awe of Hao Yan Che’s nicknaming talent. She thought little rice ball was a befitting name for someone loveable like Yuan Gun Gun.

  ‘Look at me,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Yuan Gun Gun shook her head.

  Hao Yan Che gently held his wife’s face. He saw someone dared hit his wife’s face, and he wanted to kill that person’s whole family.

  Long Liu Bao was grateful she was standing behind the Long brothers.

  ‘Where else?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘What?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  Long Liu Bao was in awe with Yuan Gun Gun’s talent of acting clueless. She thought Yuan Gun Gun was a better actress than her.

  ‘Where else are you hurt?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘Oh,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. She lifted her dress above her scraped knees. ‘Do you mean this?’


  Long Liu Bao covered her eyes. She couldn’t believe how honest Yuan Gun Gun was. Did Yuan Gun Gun wanted to die?

  ‘Good little rice ball,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Hao Yan Che held his doomed wife’s hand.

  ‘Thank you little sister Liu Bao,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘I owe you a favor. Next time Lang and Bo wants to kill you, I’ll come save you.’


  Long Liu Bao came out of hiding, and stood in front of the Long brothers.

  ‘Do you mean it?’ Long Liu Bao asked. ‘You have to keep your promise.’


  The Long brothers smiled dangerously at Long Liu Bao.

  ‘Big brother Che, forget it,’ Long Liu Bao said. ‘I won’t give them a reason to kill me.’


  Long Liu Bo stroked Long Liu Bao’s hair.

  ‘Xiao Bao is a good little girl,’ Long Liu Bo said. ‘You’re finally maturing.’


  Long Liu Bao smiled sweetly at the Long brothers.

  ‘Feng Du Du,’ Yuan Ting Liu called.

  ‘I’m here,’ Feng Du Du said. ‘Husband are you thirsty? Hungry? Tired? Do you want to sleep?’


  Feng Du Du didn’t look like a mother of a grown woman. But her husband was immune to her sweet deposition when he was angry at her.

  ‘Let’s go home,’ Yuan Ting Liu said.

  Yuan Ting Liu held Feng Du Du’s hand, and they walked to his car.

  Long Liu Bao pitied Yuan Gun Gun. Yuan Gun Gun grew up with a cold dad, and Yuan Gun Gun married a monster.

  Later at the Hao Mansion’s living room, Yi Tu was kneeling on the floor.

  ‘Che, why is big brother Yi Tu kneeling?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  ‘What do you think?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

  ‘You’ll know soon,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Aunty Chen, bring it here.’


  ‘Young master……’ Mrs Chen said.

  ‘Bring it here,’ Hao Yan Che ordered.

  Mrs Chen reluctantly gave Hao Yan Che a silver box.

  Yuan Gun Gun knew any beautiful boxes that appeared inside the Hao Mansion held deadly contents.

  ‘Che,’ Yuan Gun Gun called.

  Hao Yan Che took out the long whip from the silver box.

  ‘Yi Tu, who am I?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

  ‘Young master,’ Yi Tu said.

  ‘Yi Tu, you willingly serve under me and know what happens if you defy me,’ Hao Yan Che. ‘Today if you don’t want to admit you disobeyed me, you’re free to leave. Do you want to leave or stay and face the whip?’


  ‘Young master, I choose to receive my punishment,’ Yi Tu said.

  Hao Yan Che whipped Yi Tu’s left shoulder. Yi Tu’s left shoulder bled, but Yi Tu endured the pain silently.

  Hao Yan Che saw the wound on Yi Tu’s shoulder and he suppressed their bond over the years. Hao Yan Che needed to stay indifferent, he whipped Yi Tu’s back four times. Yi Tu’s bloodied skin peels stuck to the whip.

  Yuan Gun Gun couldn’t standby to witness Yi Tu being whipped. Yuan Gun Gun knew that if anyone disobeyed Hao Yan Che’s orders, they would be whipped. Hao Yan Che threatened to whip Yuan Gun Gun often, but she never seen him take out a whip to whip anyone until that day. The sounds of the whip lashes, and the sight of Yi Tu’s blood made Yuan Gun Gun’s head dizzy.

  ***