Chapter 39 Why Are You Crying?

Du Xiaoxian didn't move at the master's instruction. She was waiting for Gu Nianbin's order.

The young master was good to her. How could she hurt his girlfriend? She didn't mean it. But things did happen.

Butler Xiao gave her the chance to work in the living room and she decided to give her best shot. However, she screwed it all.

She was all fingers and thumbs and got stumble all of a sudden. Was it because she was too nervous? She would get nervous in front of a pretty noble lady. This time, she got even more nervous when serving the young master's girlfriend.

She wanted to do a good job but things turned out differently.

The young master kept silent, which vexed her the most. He didn't yell at her like the lady. Actually, if he did so, she would feel better.

"Why are you still here? Go off!"

Fang Yaru raised her voice as irritated by seeing her standing still.

They were getting along very well before Du Xiaoxian ruined the whole thing.

Frightened by Fang Yaru, Du Xiaoxian took two steps back and looked up.

Gu Nianbin was looking at her thoughtfully with a slight frown.

Du Xiaoxian was too scared to stand straight and make a sound.

Ling walked over quietly and took Du Xiaoxian into the kitchen. She asked in a low voice, "Is there anything wrong with you?"

Du Xiaoxian shook her head. It wasn't her who got scalded.

She then felt a burning pain on the back of her hand. She looked down at her hand and found that some of the hot water had been splashed onto her hand.

Ling took her hand to examine carefully. "Hey, you are severely scalded too. I'll go and get some ointment for you."

Du Xiaoxian withdrew her hand immediately and flushed it under the water tap. She whispered, "It's not a big deal."

Ling knew that she must be upset now and thus consoled her, "Xiaoxian, never mind. Be cautious next time. Miss Xia is the young master's girlfriend. She won't blame you."

But Du Xiaoxian blamed herself and cannot forgive herself.

The young master was so good to her, but she did such a thing to let him down.

Ling said a few more comforting words and asked her to go back to her room.

The little girl was timid. It might take several days for her to get over with it.

Du Xiaoxian left the kitchen but didn't go back to her room. She went out from the side door and circled the house to the bush in the yard. She sat on the parapet of the flower bed beside the bush. That was her favorite place. She could behold the “bath maiden" in the front yard.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, the sculpture looked holy and peaceful. The maiden looked down at the water bottle in her hand, from which a thin stream of water flowed out and fell into the basin, splitting into tiny splashes.

A courtyard lamp cast its light over the basin. The water drops were then colored into splendid orange water blooms.

Du Xiaoxian stared at the sculpture blankly.

Suddenly, there were noises from the hall. She immediately lowered her head and hid herself in the shadows.

She heard that Xia Xiaowan was bidding farewell to Fang Yaru. She didn't hear the voice of Gu Nianbin.

The young master must be angry about her and thus didn't say anything. Du Xiaoxian was quite uneasy.

He wouldn't care about her from tomorrow. Would he have her drop out of school, or just drive her out? If she did get kicked out, she would not complain. It was her fault. She deserved it.

However, she loved this place, where all people were good to her, including the master and her ladyship, butler Xiao, sister Ling, Lanzhi, and the driver Xiaoding. Among them, the young master was the best... her young master... At the thought of leaving him, Du Xiaoxian cannot help but cry. Tears rolled down through her face. In fact, she rarely cried. Perhaps she had cried too much as a little baby. After growing up, she never cried no matter how others bullied her. She just kept silent. Sometimes, her aunt would feel pitiful and shed tears for her. But Du Xiaoxian never cried.

Her eyes were dry without a drop of tear.

But now she was weeping silently in darkness.

Time passed by and she felt the car light suddenly. It must be Gu Nianbin who came back after driving Xia Xiaowan home.

He got out of the car and walked quickly to the house.

She listened carefully until his footsteps disappeared and the yard became silent again. Du Xiaoxian thought that he might have gone upstairs. There should be no one in the living room now. Everyone had gone upstairs.

She looked up at the sky to withhold her tears. Her eyes were very sore, and she did not want to cry anymore.

She narrowed her swollen eyes to look at the sparse stars in the sky. Suddenly, a dark shadow rushed into the bush, from which she could only behold a pair of eyes brighter than stars.

Du Xiaoxian stood up abruptly and shed tears again, "Sir..."

Gu Nianbin looked at her for a while and then breathed heavily. Du Xiaoxian huddled up, fearing that he might punish her.

Nevertheless, Gu Nianbin didn't say anything but pulled her into his arms after a few gasps. "Why are you crying?"

Du Xiaoxian sniffed and sobbed as she apologized to him, "I'm sorry, Sir... I didn't mean it... I'm... really sorry... Woo... I..." She tried to restrain her cry and thus spoke ambiguously.

Gu Nianbin hugged her tightly and did not say anything. After a couple of minutes, he loosened his hug and gently patted her back. "Alright. Stop crying. Your eyes are swollen."

Du Xiaoxian shook her head and felt even more guilty. The young master did not scold her. Why?

"No more crying."

Gu Nianbin ordered heavily. Du Xiaoxian stopped crying immediately. Naturally she was afraid of the young master. As long as Gu Nianbin showed a trace of anger, she would think of nothing but obey his order.

Gu Nianbin raised his hand to wipe her tears away, but she dodged. She didn't want to dirty his hand.

She took out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her tears.

However, she kept sobbing softly.

Gu Nianbin patted her back a few more times, waited for her to calm down and asked, "Tell me why you're crying?"

Du Xiaoxian lowered her head and mumbled, "I... I made a mistake."

"It was just an accident. No one blames you."

Gu Nianbin pulled her to sit down and said, "Have you been sitting here for a long time?"

He felt her hands, "Your hands are cold. Don't sit outside so long in future. If you want to stay alone, you can go to my study. OK?"

Du Xiaoxian looked up at him, "Sir, why don't you scold me? I would feel better if you did."

"I know you didn't mean it, so I won't scold you."

Du Xiaoxian can only see his profile in the dim light. His expression was somehow strange. She couldn't tell exactly what was strange about him.

"My mom reproached you just now. I hope you won't mind. She is kind in nature and would soon forget it."

"No, her ladyship was right. I deserved it."

Du Xiaoxian answered in haste, "I... I won't mind."

"Good."

Gu Nianbin pulled her up and said, "Let's get inside. You have to go to school tomorrow."

Du Xiaoxian did not expect that she could get over with this issue so easily and thus became more anxious. She bit her lips and asked, "Then, will Miss Xia... be mad with me?"

"No," Gu Nianbin took her out of the bush to the house.

After getting into the hall, Du Xiaoxian waved at him, "Good night, Sir."

Gu Nianbin was about to nod when he suddenly noticed her scald on the hand. He caught her waving hand and looked at it sternly, "What happened? Was it..."

Du Xiaoxian withdrew her hand, "It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Gu Nianbin looked bad and took her upstairs.

Du Xiaoxian didn't know his intention but she could tell that he was angry, although she had no clue of the cause of his anger.

She was extremely nervous and had to trot all the way to catch up with him.

Gu Nianbin took her to his bedroom and had her sit down on the sofa. He took out an ointment from the drawer and gently applied it on the back of her hand.

The ointment was cool and refreshing. Du Xiaoxian felt much better. She began to shed tears again as Gu Nianbin was tender to her.

Gu Nianbin looked up at her when he heard the sound. His face was still stern, "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Du Xiaoxian was too frightened by his sharp gaze to breathe. She lowered her head and eventually uttered, "It doesn't matter. My skin is rough enough to stand it."

Though still angry, Gu Nianbin was amused by her silly words. He forcefully hit her intact hand, "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

His hit was forceful. Du Xiaoxian grinned in pain, but she insisted, "It doesn't hurt!"

Gu Nianbin sighed, "Xiaoxian, you have to learn to protect yourself. You need not pretend to be fine. If you hid your injury from others, things might get worse. You will suffer more by then."

Du Xiaoxian now admitted with a nod, "It hurts a little."

"The scald or the hit?" asked Gu Nianbin.

Du Xiaoxian looked at her two red hands, "Both."

Gu Nianbin rubbed her hair with a smile, "Xiaoxian, when you grow up, you will leave this place and me to lead your own life. I hope you know how to protect yourself before leaving. Don't get hurt again. It is critical. You cannot be counted as an adult until you know how to protect yourself."

Du Xiaoxian looked into his eyes and nodded seriously, "I see, Sir. I will protect myself. Don't worry."

Gu Nianbin nodded as well, "That's right. Alright, go to sleep now. Come to my room tomorrow morning for another time of ointment."

"OK." Du Xiaoxian raised her hand to smell the ointment and then smiled at Gu Nianbin, "It smells good."

"Off you go now," Gu Nianbin chucked at her and suddenly asked, "Did you help your classmate do the duty today?"

"Yes," Du Xiaoxian nodded, "Her hands got hurt. I have to help her."

"Don't do it tomorrow. Your hands got hurt as well. Got it?"

Du Xiaoxian nodded and looked at her hand. It was a little bit hot and now nothing bad with the ointment. Would it still hurt tomorrow? Nonetheless, to her, Gu Nianbin's words were decrees which she would never disobey.