Yuan Gun Gun heard footsteps approaching the tent and she shivered. Yi Tu told her a ghost story about a hungry dead ghost looking for people to eat at night, and asking them to come out of their bedrooms.

‘Come out,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun held Xiao Yuan and cried because she was scared of being eaten.

Hao Yan Che didn’t hear Yuan Gun Gun respond so he unzipped the tent.

‘No!’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘You’re not allowed to come in here.’

Hao Yan Che didn’t want to hear Yuan Gun Gun crying.

‘Don’t come here,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Don’t eat me. I’m an only child, I have elderly parents to take care of. I have a young master I need to serve, and my small friends need me. I have meat on my body, but I hate showering. People say it’s not good to eat fatty meat. You shouldn’t eat a fatty meat body like mine. You should go find my young master. He has a lean masculine body, no fat. He’s a beautiful man. He exercises every day, and he’s a clean freak. The meat on his body would taste delicious. I’m not lying. Go and find him to eat.’

‘You certainly think highly of me,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun crawled out of the sleeping bag, and clung onto Hao Yan Che’s body.

‘Young master, it’s you,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘You scared me to death.’

Hao Yan Che’s body disobeyed him. His body sat down, held her on his lap and let her cry on his shirt.

‘I thought I was going to be eaten,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Be quiet,’ Hao Yan Che said. He patted Yuan Gun Gun’s back. ‘You’re so noisy’

Yuan Gun Gun’s small friends looked at their pitiful young mistress. Only Xiao Yuan licked Yuan Gun Gun’s feet.

Yuan Gun Gun picked up Xiao Yuan. She hugged Xiao Yuan, and Hao Yuan Che hugged her.

‘Have you cried enough?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun rubbed her face on Hao Yan Che’s shoulder.

‘Put it down,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun put Xiao Yuan on the ground.

‘Young master, it’s late,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Why did you come out here to scare me?’

‘What did you say?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Hao Yan Che threw his rice ball onto the sleeping bag.

‘What are you doing here?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Sleeping,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Isn’t there a room for you to sleep in my home?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘Why are you sleeping in the garden?’

Yuan Gun Gun hugged a pillow.

‘You said my small friends are not allowed to sleep inside,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘So I pitched a tent in the garden to sleep with them.’

‘Who owns this tent?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Big brother Yi Tu,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Who does the torch belong to?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Big sister Jia Wen,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Good!’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Are you angry?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

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

‘You look angry,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che knocked Yuan Gun Gun’s head.

‘Ow… it hurts,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. She rubbed her sore head. ‘Why did you hit my head?’

Yuan Gun Gun laid on top of Hao Yan Che’s body to stop him from leaving the tent. He didn’t know what the strange feeling in his heart was.

‘Young master, don’t leave,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Why shouldn’t I leave?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Don’t leave,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I’m scared. Stay here and sleep with me. I’ll be your pillow.’

‘I don’t need you to be my pillow,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Why?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. She pinched her cheeks. ‘Look at the meat on my body. I’ll be a comfortable soft pillow for you.’

***

End of Chapter Forty-Two