Chapter 8.2 (1/2)

Chapter Eight (Part 2)

In the middle of the night Han Ting Ting rolled around her bed but couldn’t sleep. She went into the kitchen to grab a cup of water then went into the living room to read Dong Dong’s letter written to her.

Dong Dong and Han Ting Ting used to be close. The letter was long and Dong Dong talked about secrets that could only be shared between girls. At the end of the letter was always the same sentence –‘In my heart you are my mum.’

Han Ting Ting’s eyes were slightly teary. If she read the letter a year ago she’d be sobbing. But in that moment the past seemed long ago in a faraway place.

Suddenly Han Ting Ting felt there was something strange that stood behind her back. She turned around and it was a dark figure and she yelled out. ‘Song Song! You scared me to death!’

‘If you didn’t have anything to hide then you wouldn’t have been scared!’ Qin Song said coldly. ‘Chen Yi Feng’s daughter sees you as her step-mum already, congratulations!’

Han Ting Ting put the letter away. ‘Why did you read my letter?’

Qin Song pursed his lips. ‘I’m hungry!’

Han Ting Ting went into the kitchen and half an hour later she made a bowl of beef noodles for Song Song. He ate a few mouthfuls and looked up to look at her up and down coldly. It made her uncomfortable so she went to her bedroom to hide.

Inside Han Ting Ting’s room she found Putt Putt and Dong Dong’s letter were both missing. She went back into the kitchen to confront the prime thief suspect.

‘Song Song!’ Han Ting Ting said and put out her hand. ‘Give them to me!’

Qin Song leisurely finish his bowl of beef noodles then put the bowl onto the table. ‘I threw them out.’

‘Why did you do that?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘What are you going to do?’ Qin Song asked. ‘You’re living under my roof and you keep your love tokens from your old love. Do you think I’m that easy to bully?’

Han Ting Ting’s eyes stung full of bottled tears of disappointment. How could Song Song be that cruel to her?

‘Where are you going?’ Qin Song asked.

Qin Song saw Ting Ting running away, he stood up and chased after her.

‘Back to my room to sleep!’ Han Ting Ting said and did her best to hold her tears back. ‘Tomorrow I’m going home. I’m not going to live in your house anymore!’

‘Don’t think that I’ll let you leave!’ Qin Song said. He grabbed hold of Han Ting Ting’s shoulders. ‘Don’t think just because he’s Chen Yi Feng that I’ll be scared of him. Han Ting Ting I’m letting you know I’m never divorcing you! I’ll never let you go to be with him! It doesn’t matter if he’s Chen Yi Feng. Don’t even dream about leaving me!’

When Song Song really lost his temper he was completely unreasonable. Han Ting Ting was both disappointed and heartbroken over him. The tears she saved for her room suddenly burst out in front of him.

Ting Ting’s silent tears startled Qin Song. He slowly loosened his hold on her. A while later he released her, he stared at the sadness in her eyes then turned away and went upstairs.

Han Ting Ting returned to her room but stayed awake all night.

The following morning Han Ting Ting woke up earlier than usual. She washed her face, brushed her teeth then went to make breakfast. In the kitchen she saw the empty bowl of beef noodles from last night and it made her remember what happened. It was the most depressing start of a day she experienced.

Han Ting Ting wasn’t in the mood to cook in the kitchen that made her sad. Instead she went into the living room to clean. She saw Putt Putt on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She ran to pick up Putt Putt and hugged her Putt Putt. A letter was left behind on the coffee table. It was Dong Dong’s letter.

Song Song misunderstood why she kept Putt Putt.

Han Ting Ting saw Putt Putt as a childhood friend. It didn’t matter if everyone around her misunderstood her. She could tell Putt Putt anything and Putt Putt never laughed at her. It had nothing to do with Chen Yi Feng. Putt Putt wasn’t a love token, Putt Putt was a friend for her to confide to over the years.

Han Ting Ting picked up Dong Dong’s letter. Sunlight streamed into a room and she saw something sparkle beneath the sofa. She reached under the sofa and took out a ring.

A ring… a ring! Han Ting Ting had a light bulb moment. She remembered when Song Song was performing the magic trick she saw the same sparkle coming from his hands. He kept mumbling something about a magic prop. She asked him what he lost so she could help him find it. But he adamantly refused to tell her. The magic prop was… a ring?

The magic trick Song Song wanted to show Han Ting Ting, broke his arm to show her that night… a ring for her?

‘Ahem…’ Qin Song coughed.

Qin Song walked downstairs in his pyjamas. He saw Ting Ting standing silently in the living room. He was beyond happy to see her still home. He pretended to get a gla.s.s of water in the kitchen.