Yuan Gun Gun waited for Hao Yan Che and their son to fall asleep.

A long time later, Yuan Gun Gun caressed Hao Yan Che’s handsome face. She regained her memory.

Days later, Yuan Gun Gun was often in deep thought about the past.

Hao Yan Che knocked the dining table to get Yuan Gun Gun’s attention.

‘It’s been an hour but you barely touched your bowl of food,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Eat.’

Yuan Gun Gun put food into her mouth like a calf taking its first step.

Hao Yan Che couldn’t stand Yuan Gun Gun not eating. He held her on his lap, and fed her food.

‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Are you feeling pain anywhere?’

Yuan Gun Gun shook her head. She wasn’t used to Hao Yan Che’s gentleness after he found out she was pregnant with their second child.

‘Then why do you look sad the last several days?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Nothing,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Can we discuss something?’

‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Che, if this time we have a daughter, can our daughter take after my maiden surname?’

‘Why?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Because I want our daughter to have a cute name,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Don’t you think Hao Qua Te, Hao Man Cai or Hao Long Quan sound a bit rough for our daughter?’

Hao Yan Che looked at Yuan Gun Gun like she was lost in her own world.

‘Why are you looking at me like this?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. ‘Did I say something wrong? I don’t care. I want to change Hao Hao’s name to Hao Yan Hao, and our daughter to have my maiden surname.’

Hao Yan Che sighed. He accepted his wife’s intelligence couldn’t grow.

‘Alright,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Our daughter will have your maiden surname. What do you want to name our daughter?’

‘Yuan Qiu Qiu,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che pitied his adorable daughter.

‘What’s wrong?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked. ‘Don’t you think it’s a good name for our daughter?’

‘It’s a beautiful name for our daughter,’ Hao Yan Che lied.

‘Really?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che lied again.

‘What if we have twin daughters?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Then we’ll think of another name,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘I think Yuan Dao Dao is a cute name for our second daughter,’ Yaun Gun Gun said.

‘Yes it’s a cute name,’ Hao Yan Che lied again.

‘What if we have triplets?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘We’ll think of another name for our youngest daughter,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Eat.’

Yuan Gun Gun smiled sweetly at Hao Yan Che. Should she tell him she regained her memories that night?

At ten at night, Yuan Gun Gun laid on Hao Yan Che’s chest and watched an animation movie with him while eating nutritious snacks.

‘It’s time for bed,’ Hao Yan Che said. He put Yuan Gun Gun’s snacks on the bedside table. ‘Go brush your teeth.’

‘Why aren’t you brushing your teeth?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Yuan Gun Gun licked her fingers. Hao Yan Che grabbed a tissue and wiped her fingers.

‘Because I brushed my teeth earlier,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘And don’t lick your fingers.’

‘I don’t want to move or brush my teeth,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Get up and brush your teeth,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che helped Yuan Gun Gun out of bed, he followed her to the bathroom and helped her brushed her teeth.

‘Husband, hug me,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che carried Yuan Gun Gun outside the bathroom, he laid next to her in bed and hugged her.

‘Che, do you want me to tell you a tragic old folk story?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘In 1919 Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg married Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘Their chef Leon became a busier chef. He met a little girl named Tao who asked him for dessert. Every day he gave her dessert, and taught her how to speak English. The little girl’s identity was Princess Tao. After Prince Tao grew up, she and Leon became secret lovers. But he didn’t get to see her often like he used to when she was a little girl. A few days before her wedding, Leon made her a creamy chocolate dessert, he wrote DOVE in a letter and concealed it inside the creamy chocolate desert. DOVE is a code for, ‘Do you love me?’ Leon hoped she reciprocated his love. A few days later Princess Tao was forced to enter a political marriage.’

Hao Yan Che didn’t expect Yuan Gun Gun would actually tell him a tragic story. The last tragic story she told him, a beast died from its deadly fart.

‘One year later, a depressed Leon left the palace and worked in a small patisserie,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘The owner of the patisserie thought Leon was a gifted pastry chef, and he gave his daughter to Leon. Leon’s wife gave birth to their son. But Leon couldn’t hide his broken heart from his wife. Leon’s wife loved him, but she didn’t have his heart so she left him in secret. Leon took care of their son. Years later, Leon took his son for a walk. His son chased an ice-cream truck, because he stopped making creamy desserts since the creamy chocolate incident.’

Hao Yan Che silently listened to Yuan Gun Gun.

‘Leon decided he couldn’t let the past haunt him anymore,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘He took his son back to Luxembourg. A chef gave Leon the letter Princess Tao sent him a day after he left the palace. Leon’s son only saw the word DOVE on the letter, and asked him the meaning of DOVE. Years past, Leon finally found Princess Tao. By then she was old and sick. On her deathbed she confessed back then she loved Leon. That year she was locked in her room for a month because she refused to marry her husband. She hoped Leon would ask her to elope with him. But Leon never told her that he loved her. She ate half of his creamy chocolate dessert, but she didn’t find the letter. She froze the dessert. A year later, she let it melt and found the letter. By then it was too late, because Leon had left the palace. Three days later, Princess Tao died in Leon’s arms. Leon created a new creamy chocolate dessert recipe with the word DOVE written on every dessert to represent his and Princess Tao’s love. Leon hoped lovers who eat his dessert would think about his and Princess Tao’s tragic love story, and never let go of their true love.’

Yuan Gun Gun wiped tears off her face. She took out a chocolate from her shirt pocket, and gave it to Hao Yan Che.

‘Do you love me?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

Hao Yan Che calmly accepted Yuan Gun Gun’s chocolate, but his heart was deeply moved.

‘I do,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun smiled like a fool. Hao Yan Che’s shaky arms hugged her tightly.

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

‘I wanted to ask you this question a long time ago but I was too scared to ask you,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I was scared you would say no. You’re a brilliant person, and I’m an ordinary person. The distance between as is the same as the sky and the ground. Everyone around me said that you only married me to take responsibility. They said you’re a beautiful rose, and I’m cow dung. I would hear them gossip about me every day. I was hurting, but I couldn’t deny what they said was true. Che, you live somewhere I can’t reach you. I was tired of being scared of loving you. I was scared one day you would regret marrying someone like me. I’m not smart, I can’t help your career and I’m not beautiful. But I truly love you to the point it hurts.’

***

End of Chapter 209