In the morning Gu Jing laid in bed and she stared at the ceiling.
Gu Jing couldn’t believe she stayed awake all night.
Gu Jing rubbed the spots on her lips where Zhen Lang bit. She remembered the look of frustration and reluctance in his eyes before he let her go.
Gu Jing hit her head against her pillow and she cursed the hateful Zhen Lang – ‘You dare kiss me when you’re marrying someone else!’
Gu Jing didn’t want to think about anything, she only wanted to sleep.
Gu Jing wrapped the bedsheet around her body and she rolled on the bed. But she felt like snakes slid on her body and she couldn’t sleep.
Mrs Gu carried Dou Dou and a bundle of scallions into her daughter’s room. She pulled the bedsheet off her daughter.
‘Mum, what is it?’ Gu Jing asked.
Mrs Gu knocked her daughter’s head with the bundle of scallions. ‘Wake up, you got work to do.’
‘Mum, today do you want me to knead dough, wash herbs or mince the meat?’ Gu Jing asked.
‘I’m busy today. I need you to take Dou Dou for his scheduled vaccination,’ Mrs Gu said.
Gu Jing got out of bed and her mum passed her Dou Dou. She hugged him and she kissed his cheek.
Gu Jing carried Dou Dou to the bathroom, she quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she put an adorable little hat on top of Dou Dou’s head and she carried him to the town’s hospital.
At the hospital a doctor injected a vaccine into Dou Dou’s arm and Dou Dou cried loudly. Gu Jing carried Dou Dou outside, she hugged him and she wiped tears and snot off his face.
Gu Jing patted Dou Dou’s back. ‘Be good, don’t cry anymore. Aunty will give a lollipop for you.’
Dou Dou saw Gu Jing opened a lollipop wrapper and he stopped crying.
Gu Jing waved the lollipop in front of Dou Dou’s face. His little hands grabbed her hand and he licked the lollipop.
Gu Jing looked for a rubbish bin. She didn’t see a rubbish bin instead she saw the Department of Registry building.
Gu Jing carried Dou Dou to a bench near the front of the Department of Registry building. She sat on the bench and Dou Dou sat on her lap. She held the lollipop for him to lick and occasionally she gave him sips of his water bottle she kept in her pants pocket.
‘After you’re done eating your lollipop we’ll go home. At home remember to cry loudly for your great-aunt to hear. She’ll love you to death,’ Gu Jing said.
Gu Jing squeezed Dou Dou’s cheek. She held Dou Dou on her lap and her eyes focused on the newlyweds and the newly divorced couples who walked out of the Department of Registry building.
Suddenly Gu Jing saw Zhen Lang who wore an ash grey suit walked out of a car. The same car that Chen Wei stepped out of. Chen Wei wore a beautiful light pink dress. She thought they looked like a stunning couple and their smiles blinded her eyes.
Gu Jing watched Zhen Lang and Chen Wei walked together into the Department of Registry building. Immediately she stood and she carried Dou Dou into the same building.
Inside the building Dou Dou’s curious eyes looked at the people who lined up to register births, marriages and deaths. He also looked at the people who lined up for authentication services. But Gu Jing’s eyes only looked at Zhen Lang.
Gu Jing saw Chen Wei stood next to Zhen Lang at a counter. She saw Chen Wei took out a family birth record and Chen Wei used it to fill out a form.
Gu Jing didn’t want Zhen Lang to marry Chen Wei. Zhen Lang played her for more than twenty years. Last night he even kissed her but he wanted to marry someone else.
Gu Jing heard the angel and demoness voices battled inside her heart. The angel voice faded and the demoness voice chanted loudly inside her heart – ‘You need to prank him one more time! Make him lose his dignity one more time! Make him be embarrassed in public one more time!’
Gu Jing felt like an invisible hand pushed her and Dou Dou forward until they stood behind Zhen Lang and Chen Wei.
Zhen Lang glanced at the form Chen Wei filled out then he turned his head around and he saw Gu Jing.
Zhen Lang saw Dou Dou pulled Gu Jing’s wrinkled shirt stained with chocolate and saliva. Under her shirt she wore baggy pants and sandals.
Zhen Lang’s eyes shone brightly and he smiled. ‘Why are you here?’
‘I…’ Gu Jing said.
Gu Jing saw everyone in the room looked at Zhen Lang. Everywhere she went with Zhen Lang, people would always notice Zhen Lang. She realised she made a public spectacle of herself instead of Zhen Lang.
Gu Jing knew it was too late for her to retreat. She put Dou Dou on the counter and she lifted her chin. ‘You came here with her?’
Gu Jing didn’t wait for Zhen Lang to answer and she spoke loudly. ‘You came here with her! What am I supposed to do?’
Suddenly the room became silent. Even the couple who were about to divorce stopped their argument and they listened to Gu Jing’s loud and clear voice.