Beloved Little Treasure

‘What is this?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Congee,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Of course Hao Yan Che knew it was a bowl of congee.

‘When did I say I wanted to eat congee?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘I broke many of your possessions but you’re not angry with me,’ Yuan Gun Gun whispered in Hao Yan Che’s ear. ‘I made this congee especially for you. It tastes delicious.’

The servants were flabbergasted. Even Chen Jia Ting and Chen Jia Wen thought Yuan Gun Gun was brave to change Hao Yan Che’s strict diet. Mrs Chen stood sternly, but inwardly she was happy to see Yuan Gun Gun and Hao Yan Che get along.

‘Taste it,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘If you don’t like it, I’ll cook something else for you to eat.’

After Hao Yan Che ate a spoonful of congee, the servants’ mouths gaped open. Hao Yan Che wasn’t angry at Yuan Gun Gun, he ate the congee.

‘Is it delicious?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Hao Yan Che silently ate the congee gracefully.

Suddenly Yuan Gun Gun’s stomach rumbled.

‘Are you hungry?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun nodded her head. She skipped breakfast and lunch. She anticipated Hao Yan Che would ask her to sit and eat with him like in fairy tales.

‘Continue being hungry,’ Hao Yan Che said and ate another dish.

Yuan Gun Gun stood watching Hao Yan Che eat. Na Liu Ting Du was right, reading fairy tales would give her false expectations.

The servants pitied Yuan Gun Gun. Since Yuan Gun Gun arrived at the Hao Mansion, Hao Yan Che talked more. Hao Yan Che only talked to Yuan Gun Gun, but only to say cruel things to her. They pitied Yuan Gun Gun being treated special by Hao Yan Che.

Hao Yan Che thought it was a beautiful day. He even liked looking at the sky he usually hated.

After the meal, Yuan Gun Gun stood like a sleepy mummy in the study room.

‘Go outside,’ Hao Yan Che ordered Jia Tu and Yi Tu.

‘Yes young master,’ Jia Tu and Yi Tu said and left the room.

Hao Yan Che poked Yuan Gun Gun’s sleepy face. He was impressed she could sleep standing.

‘You dare sleep?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Young master, I’m really sleepy,’ Yuan Gun Gun murmured.

Hao Yan Che pulled Yuan Gun Gun down to sleep on his lap. He looked closely at her face. He stroked her soft cheeks. She snored out of her small straight nose. Her eyes were big and she pouted her lips in her sleep.

***

When Yuan Gun Gun woke up, she scratched her head. She didn’t know how she ended up sleeping on the big pink bed in her bedroom. She looked at the pig clock on the bedside table, it was eight in the morning.

Yuan Gun Gun jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom to wash and dress. She was starving, but she had to wake up Hao Yan Che.

At eight-thirty in the morning, Yuan Gun Gun walked into Hao Yan Che’s bedroom.

‘Young master, wake up!’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Be quiet,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun smiled at Hao Yan Che, and she followed him to the bathroom.

‘Young master, what do you want to eat and drink for breakfast?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Your choice,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Do you want to eat fried mung bean donuts, a vegetarian dish or bacon for breakfast?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘One portion of each dish,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Do you want to drink soy bean milk? It’s good for your skin. But you have smooth skin already. Drinking coffee isn’t good for you. What about drinking hot chocolate?’

Hao Yan Che quietly brushed his teeth in front of the sink.

‘Young master,’ Yuan Gun Gun called.

Hao Yan Che turned around and looked coldly at Yuan Gun Gun.

‘I’m sorry,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘You’re in the middle of brushing your teeth. It’s not good to speak and spit toothpaste everywhere.’

Yuan Gun Gun laughed awkwardly, and went to make Hao Yan Che’s bed.

After Hao Yan Che walked out of the bathroom, Yuan Gun Gun was waiting for him at the door.

‘What about drinking milk tea?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Water,’ Hao Yan Che said and walked outside his bedroom.

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

After breakfast, Hao Yan Che worked in the study room. When he had a headache, Jia Tu gave Hao Yan Che two pills. Yuan Gun Gun grabbed the pills from Hao Yan Che’s hands.

‘Young master, do you have a headache?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Hao Yan Che ignored Yuan Gun Gun, he took out another two pills from a drawer. Yuan Gun Gun grabbed the pills from his hand again.

‘Yuan Gun Gun, do you want to die?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun shook her head.

‘Give me the pills,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Young master, it’s not good to take painkillers,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Let me help you use natural ways to ease your headache.’

‘I said give me the pills,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun was scared, but she held her hands behind her back.

Hao Yan Che squeezed Yuan Gun Gun’s neck. She gasped for air and tears flowed out of her eyes.

‘Young master,’ Jia Tu and Yi Tu called.

Jia Tu and Yi Tu didn’t dare touch Hao Yan Che.

A couple of seconds later, Hao Yan Che let go of Yuan Gun Gun’s neck.

Yuan Gun Gun sat on the floor and coughed. After she breathed steadily again, she wiped tears off her face and stood.

‘Painkillers are bad for the body in the long term,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Let me help you.’

‘Go outside,’ Hao Yan Che ordered Jia Tu and Yi Tu.

Jia Tu and Yi Tu left. Yuan Gun Gun held Hao Yan Che’s arm and took him to the spa room.

Hao Yan Che laid on the massage table. Yuan Gun Gun oiled her hands, and massaged his head.

‘Young master, I don’t know what is giving you stress,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘But if you don’t think about it, you won’t get headaches.’

Hao Yan Che relaxed. It was the first time someone massaged him in his life. Since he was a child his body’s natural defence mechanism wouldn’t let anyone touch him without them being flung away from his body.

‘Young master, do you want to play a game of riddles with me?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Hao Yan Che kept his eyes closed and Yuan Gun Gun continued to massage his head.

‘Why do Chinese men eat more rice than Japanese men?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Because there are more Chinese men than Japanese men in the world,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Young master, why are you so smart?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Why are you a dummy?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun pouted her lips.

‘Young master, do you want me to tell you a funny story?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Hao Yan Che kept silent.

‘Listen carefully,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘It’s a tragic comedy.’

Hao Yan Che opened his eyes, he was curious to hear Yuan Gun Gun’s story.

‘Long, long ago there was a scary monster,’ Yuan Gun Gun said in a serious tone of voice. ‘No one could slay the scary monster. But the scary monster had one weakness, its one weakness killed it. One day long, long ago the scary monster released its deadly fart and died.’

Yuan Gun Gun laughed at her own funny story.

‘Young master, don’t you think it’s a funny story?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Only a dummy would think of a dummy story,’ Hao Yan Che said and closed his eyes.

Yuan Gun Gun didn’t know why she couldn’t make Hao Yan Che laugh. At home her family loved to hear her tell funny stories and they laughed with her.

***

End of Chapters Twenty-Seven to Twenty-Eight