5

"Gong baozi" The familiar yet distant voice called him out.

"Hmmm" Gong Li Qiang groaned,sweat dripping down his temple, "Baba". The distressed young man clumsily sat up, distraught from his dream. He ran his fingers through his unruly raven locks.

How long has it been? He questioned himself, "how long has it been since I have seen baba? Two months, three months."He can't remember. All he remembered the time 9:40 am, 13th March.

Gong Li Qiang looked back at the memory.

He and mama were at the praying hall. Excusing himself, Gong Li Qiang went out in the garden to breathe in fresh air. He looked back as his aunt called him for breakfast. He nodded looking into her eyes.

Strange, he wondered. Aunt is quite the strong woman. Why would she have tears in her eyes?

Breakfast table filled with delicacies, couldn't make him cheerful like it always did.His usual fluffy scrambled eggs seemed to taste bland.

All he could see Baba's phoenix eyes, the same as her grandmother's were bloodshot, his heavy breathe due to asthma. And his usual style of goodbye while starting for the hospital.

Breakfast was done, the mother-son duo hardly ate two morsels. Suddenly the monotone tune of phone made the ambience even more tensed.

Gong Li Qiang paled. The cursed sound made his head hurt. Whenever the phone rang, he would rush to pick it up. Some called to update about baba's health whether some called to inquire about baba.

He didn't let mama pick any of them. Mama is a doctor herself, even so, how can he bear her beloved husband's plight.

"I won't let mama pick any of them."The helpless boy promised himself. The boy, ignoring his rapid heartbeat, all his pain, continued to be strong for his mother, weeping his tears behind the curtains.

That time, Li Na grabbed her phone. She screamed and broke down. Her agony echoing in Gong Li Qiang's heart. His bloodshot eyes glanced fearfully at his aunt's tearful ones, confirming if his baba left them for heaven.

A silent nod was enough for him to collapse.

Gong Li Qiang choked out a painful sigh. Fumbling around his pillow, he grasped his baba's phone, clutching the device to his chest. The tragedy changed his life, so did it take away his precious sleep.

He smiled helplessly, those meds are trash. Slipping his feet in his slippers, the tired boy set off to do something irrelevant, something to divert his mind.

***

Ruanruan touched her grumbling stomach. She pouted, so hungry.

Hand in hand with the fuzzy teddy, she tip-toed to the kitchen. She licked her lips as if savoring the sweet and creamy texture of strawberry milk.

With strawberry's dancing on her mind, the first thing she did was to sat her teddy on the kitchen cabinet.

The hungry girl, with small steps looked for something to eat.

"The rabbit's sniffing around?" The voice echoed through the dim kitchen

"Ouch", The bun scrunched her face in pain. Her toe throbbing due to knocking against a stool.

"Where does it hurt?" The culprit bent down to examine her feet.

Gong Li Qiang felt distressed, his warm fingers caressed her injured toe, rubbing it gently.

"Itchy" The sniffing girl giggled heartily, despite the pain. She tried to move her feet away from him.

The boy looked up to see the little rabbit's pearly laughter. The aloofness in his dark eyes dispatched, revealing the brightness. At the same time, Ruanruan also happened to look towards the smiling boy.

Two hearts beat in sync.

Gong Li Qiang felt his rapid heartbeat, his ears felt warm, turning slightly red.

On the other hand, the silly Ruanruan's invisible tail was swinging, " Oh, the enemy is kneeling at my feet. Of course the heart will race."

"Is baby ruan hungry?" Gong Li Qiang pampered, "Or is she thirsty?"

His spoiling tone made Ruanruan feel aggrieved and shy. Her slender eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly. Yet she didn't utter a word.

"Stupid man, who told him to be this beautiful." The young girl cursed. Not to mention, all his affection would be dedicated to the green tea bitch.

Ruanruan felt a tinge of pain in his heart. Soon, she gathered her inner turmoil.

"I am both hungry and thirsty." She snarled in her most bratty voice.

Gong Li Qiang raised his sharp eyebrows, gaze somewhat snobbish. Without a word,his athletic body swept Ruanruan off her feet.

How would the little girl even know, at that moment, Gong Li Qiang found someone to hold on, found something to cherish.

How would the little girl know. After all, it was something not mentioned in the novel.

The frightened girl screeched, her small knuckles holding the boy's shoulder with all her might, balanced her dangling feet by wrapping them around his torso.

Gong Li Qiang's throat rolled a few times, his grip on the girl's delicate waist tightened then loosened again.

Both face to face, felt each other's breath. Ruanruan looked away.

Soon, she found herself sitting on the marbled kitchen cabinet. Her eyes full of questions were finally answered within a few minutes.

" Fluffy scrambled eggs for a fuzzy rabbit." The handsome boy placed down the plate before her.

"I am not a rabbit." Ruanruan grieved with milky voice, which aroused the desire to tease her more.

"Oh, yeah. I see the ears." Gong Li Qiang gained his usual cheeky self. He twirled the girl's curly ponytails.

His smile turned into full blown laughter as the irritated bun's face grace an adorable pout.

The so-called bun in Gong Li Qiang's heart devoured the delicious eggs, stole a glance at him.

A piece of the fluffy goodness stuck in a fork was stretched towards him

"Oh, the silly girl is peace offering." He moved his neck forward and bit the piece in his mouth.

Strange, The dish that seemed tasteless in those months is full of flavors today. Why is that?

"This is my baba's recipe as well as my favorite dish." He couldn't but reveal his emotions, "And it's the first time I am eating this after..."

"Your baba passed away." Ruanruan patted his shoulder to comfort him.

How to comfort, she doesn't know. Being a orphan herself, she has no emotion whatsoever.

"How can I feel for someone I didn't even meet?" Ruaruan thought about her past life.

Until then the high IQ started doing the math in her mind. Ruanruan cleverly gave Gong Li Qiang a once over, who had been sipping on his coffee. It seems that he is going out. Car key chain, that has the insignia of Ferrari, as per described in the novel

Fuck! Is this the day Gong Li Qiang is going to meet the female bitch the first time?

"Bah!Bah!Bah! Let me think the plot clearly" Ruanruan sat crossed leg on the cabinet, much to the handsome boy's amusement.

"Gong Li Qiang, distressed and insomniac, drove out off the city. While driving, he saw "An angel" as described by Gong Li Qiang himself ran across the car. He thought of the fateful meeting as the greatest gift from God for his birthday."

"Wow, so fucking romantic." She applauded in her mind.

Wait a minute. So today is....

"Happy Birthday, Qiangqiang!" She jumped from the cabinet Straight to The birthday boy's lap.

Gong Yutian shifted uncomfortably. When a soft little fragrant doll unexpectedly acts clingy, he is bound to be overwhelmed.

Moreover, the girl cried out, "Qiangqiang, let's make a birthday cake." Acting spoiled she cuddled onto his sturdy chest.

Gong Li Qiang nodded helplessly. In return, the little girl presented him with a big watery kiss on the cheek.

Overwhelmed, Gong Li Qiang forgot that he hated the nickname "Qiangqiang" the most.