In the bedroom, Yuan Gun Gun refused to let go of Hao Yan Che.

‘Let go of me and take a bath,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘No,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Mrs Chen gently patted Yuan Gun Gun’s back.

‘Gun Gun, listen to aunty Chen,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘Let me help you take a bath.’

‘No,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘If you don’t let go of me then I’ll help you take a bath,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun finally let go of Hao Yan Che’s neck, and he helped her stand on the floor.

‘Gun Gun, you’re all wet,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘Come with me to the bathroom.’

Yuan Gun Gun held onto Hao Yan Che’s shirt. He pulled her hands off his shirt and walked outside.

‘Mrs Chen…’ Yuan Gun Gun called.

Mrs Chen rubbed Yuan Gun Gun’s wet head.

‘Don’t be scared,’ Mrs Chen said. ‘You’re OK.’

Outside the pink bedroom, Hao Yan Che changed into dry clothes, and he interrogated Yi Tu and Jia Tu in the study room.

‘How did this happen?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Young master, I don’t know,’ Yi Tu said. ‘Jia Tu and I came back from Hao Yan’s company, we walked past the swimming pool, we heard Qiang Jia Tao calling for help and we saw Gun Gun’s head bobbing up and down in the pool. I told Jia Tu to go get young master, and I jumped into the pool to save Gun Gun from drowning.’

‘Did you rip her dress?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Yes,’ Yi Tu said.

‘Did you give her mouth to mouth?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Yes,’ Yi Tu said.

Hao Yan Che stood, he kicked down the door and left.

‘Jia Tu, young master knows how to be destructive,’ Yi Tu said. ‘Since Gun Gun arrived here, this is the second door young master destroyed.’

‘Go replace the door,’ Jia Tu said.

‘Alright,’ Yi Tu said and laughed. ‘It’s hard to be a good person in this world.’

In the pink bedroom, Mrs Chen helped Yuan Gun Gun take a bath and dried Yuan Gun Gun’s until she looked like a clean fluffy little rabbit. Yuan Gun Gun wore a cartoon night shirt and she crawled onto the pink bed.

Hao Yan Che walked into the pink bedroom, and looked at Yuan Gun Gun’s pitiful face.

‘Aunty Chen, go outside,’ Hao Yan Che instructed.

Mrs Chen bowed and left the pink bedroom.

Hao Yan Che sat on the pink bed next to Yuan Gun Gun.

‘You’re a capable person,’ Hao Yan Che said sarcastically. ‘I asked you to get my watch. But you fell into the pool and nearly drowned.’

Yuan Gun Gun bit her lips, and looked down.

‘I heard fat people can float on water so they wouldn’t drown easily…’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘But I’m an exception,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘It’s good you understand,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che smiled and he looked at the warm glass of milk on the bedside table.

Yuan Gun Gun wiped her tears. Hao Yan Che held her face, but she didn’t say anything.

‘Do you think crying can solve anything?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Hao Yan Che reached for the glass of milk and he put it in Yuan Gun Gun’s hands.

‘Drink it all,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun drank the glass of milk, and she gave the empty glass to Hao Yan Che.

Hao Yan Che put the empty glass on the bedside table, and he smiled at Yuan Gun Gun’s milk moustache.

‘Why aren’t you licking your lips?’ Hao Yan Che teased.

Hao Yan Che used a tissue to roughly wipe milk off Yuan Gun Gun’s mouth, and he tossed the dirty tissue into the small Hello Kitty bin.

‘Tell me how you fell into the pool,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘I went to get your watch at the pool,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Big sister Jia Tao saw me. We walked together and chatted. Big sister Jia Tao tripped, and she accidently pushed me into the pool. Then big brother Yi Tu saved me.’

‘Stop crying,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘There is nothing to cry about.’

‘You’re right,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I’m useless… your watch fell into the pool… it was an accident. Let me go home. I’ll ask my daddy to replace your watch.’

Hao Yan Che wiped tears off Yuan Gun Gun’s face.

‘You’re really ugly,’ Hao Yan Che said. He hugged Yuan Gun Gun. ‘And you’re really noisy.’

***

End of Chapter Forty-Six