‘Tell me,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  ‘I…… are you hungry?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘I’m hungry enough to eat you.’


  Hao Yan Che pulled Yuan Gun Gun’s hands away from her face, and caressed her body. He suppressed his anger, and acted like he didn’t hear his wife say to him to sleep with another woman.

  Yuan Gun Gun let Hao Yan Che have his way with her body. In her heart she was frustrated about being too scared to say everything she bottled up to him. She remembered what happened at work, and what he said to her. Her heart hurt, and she didn’t know what else she could do except cry.

  Hao Yan Che laid still on Yuan Gun Gun’s body. He was unhappy to see her cry and look so sad.

  ‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ Hao Yan Che said.

  Hao Yan Che rolled off Yuan Gun Gun’s body. She moved to the edge of the bed, and turned her back toward him. He got out of bed, walked to the door, kicked the door open and left their bedroom.

  Yuan Gun Gun hugged a pillow and sobbed. She didn’t want Hao Yan Che to be angry, and she didn’t want to fight with him. His words cut her. Why were two boxes more important to him than her? It hurt her to think he was sleeping with other women while married to her. It hurt her the most to hear he didn’t love her.

  In the morning, Yuan Gun Gun woke up alone. Did Hao Yan Che spent the night with another woman? She shook her head, got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

  In the living room, Hao Yan Ming sat on the sofa next to Su An Luo who wore a red dress.

  Hao Yan Ming looked like Hao Yan Che, except they had different color eyes. Hao Yan Ming’s eyes were silver.

  ‘Hey,’ Su An Luo said. ‘You shouldn’t be like this in someone else’s living room.’


  ‘I’m not hey,’ Hao Yan Ming said. ‘You can only call me husband or Ming.’


  Hao Yan Ming pushed Su An Luo onto the sofa.

  ‘Don’t be such a monster,’ Su An Luo said.

  ‘Little girl, how can you call your husband a monster?’ Hao Yan Ming asked. ‘You need to be disciplined.’


  Su An Luo closed her mouth. Her man’s mood swings were unpredictable. She didn’t want to provoke his anger.

  ‘Let your husband hear you call him husband,’ Hao Yan Ming said.

  Su An Luo rolled her eyes.

  ‘What a naughty girl,’ Hao Yan Ming said. ‘But I love you.’


  Hao Yan Ming kissed Su An Luo’s lips. He always wanted her to be bound to him.

  ‘Hao Yan Ming, not here,’ Su An Luo said.

  Hao Yan Ming’s lips swallowed Su An Luo’s protests. He stroked her soft body under her red dress to numb her thoughts.

  In that moment Yuan Gun Gun stood frozen near the living room. Her husband was kissing another woman on the sofa. She was an outsider looking at her husband loving another woman. The pain she felt witnessing her husband’s betrayal was a thousand times more painful than picturing him with another woman.

  ‘Gun Gun, you’re awake,’ Mrs Chen said.

  Yuan Gun Gun turned around.

  ‘Aunty Chen,’ Yuan Gun Gun greeted.

  ‘Gun Gun, why are you crying?’ Mrs Chen asked.

  Yuan Gun Gun shook her head, and ran away.

  ‘Gun Gun, where are you going?’ Mrs Chen asked.

  Mrs Chen didn’t know why Yuan Gun Gun ran away. Mrs Chen walked into the living room. Su An Luo was gasping for air, and Hao Yan Ming looked like a satisfied man. Mrs Chen understood Yuan Gun Gun must have mistaken Hao Yan Ming for Hao Yan Che.

  ‘Young master Ming, the guest bedroom is ready,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘Do you want to go rest or have afternoon tea? Young master hired a French chef who makes delicious desserts.’


  ‘Che hired a French chef to make desserts?’ Hao Yan Ming asked. ‘If I remember correctly, he hates eating sweets.’


  ‘Young master Ming remembered correctly,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘Young master hired the French chef to make desserts for Gun Gun who loves eating sweets.’


  ‘Oh?’ Hao Yan Ming asked. ‘Then is the woman who ran away crying before is my monster big brother’s little treasure?’


  ‘Don’t you know who the real monster is?’ Su An Luo mumbled.

  ‘Do you think your husband is a monster?’ Hao Yan Ming asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Su An Luo said. ‘A perverted monster.’


  Hao Yan Ming carried Su An Luo in his arms.

  ‘If you think your husband is a perverted monster then I don’t want to disappoint you,’ Hao Yan Ming said.

  ‘Hao Yan Ming, put me down,’ Su An Luo said. ‘I don’t want to go back home with you.’


  ***