"It's dry," Mu Yi turned off the blow-dryer and did one final comb through my hair.
Surprisingly, he didn't do anything more than just drying my hair.
"Disappointed?" Mu Yi crossed his arms.
No, I am not disappointed you didn't do anything! I didn't bother to speak anymore and was already on my way out the door.
"You're welcome to stay and watch me," Mu Yi grinned, unbuttoning his dress shirt one by one.
"No!" My mouth said no, but my eyes said yes. Take it off! All of it!
"It'll be more convincing if you weren't drooling," Mu Yi took off his shirt and was about to take off his pants next.
I guess my mouth was saying yes too.
"No, I'm not!" I quickly wiped my hand across my mouth and found no drools.
Ahh, kill me! I'm so embarrassed by falling for the oldest trick in the book. I didn't say anything anymore to not further proceed to embarrass myself.
Mu Yi watched as Anong left the bathroom in a hurry with the tip of her ears cherry red. He couldn't help by letting out a quiet chuckle. She was too naive.
When Mu Yi finished showering, he came out of the bathroom to find a sleeping Anong. She was sleeping on the left side of the bed, but she didn't forget to put a pillow between her and the right side. She also wrapped herself tightly with the blanket, leaving him without any. Although it wasn't like he couldn't get another blanket by calling room service.
"Did she think by doing this, it'll stop me?" Mu Yi sat down on the bed and tucked the loose hair covering Anong's face behind her ear. Then he leaned over, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I won't tease you anymore for tonight."
Mu Yi lay down next to her on the other side. Of course, he tossed the pillow that was between them at the end of the bed.
Carefully not trying to stir her awake, he wrapped his arms around her waist. When he pulled himself closer to her body, there was a faint flower fragrance emitting off her body.
It wasn't the fragrance of the shampoo she used at the hotel. Instead, it was her natural body odor that she had since she was young. This was a scent that brought comfort to Mu Yi, so he never liked other women fragrance or perfume.
When Anong left, he tried creating a fragrance to smell exactly like her but could never get it right. Eventually, he gave up on the project. He came to realize whatever he tried to replicate of hers will never be good enough. Because if it wasn't her, it'd never be good enough for him.
"You don't know how much I miss you," Mu Yi hugged Anong a little tighter. He was afraid he'll wake up the next morning to find her missing or worse, this was all a dream. Anong never returned, and he never had the courage to look for her all these years.
"I'll never you go this time even if you beg me," Mu Yi continued talking to himself, trying to keep himself awake to enjoy this moment.
Unconsciously, he kept hugging Anong tighter each time the thought of her disappearing resurfaces in his mind. She let out a small wince that Mu Yi was holding onto her too tightly.
"Sorry," Mu Yi let out of muffled laugh. "Goodnight Anong."
****
"Come out, kid!" A big man dressed in all black opened the locked cell door. "Hurry up! I don't have all day for you!"
I didn't go to him like he wanted and wasn't willing to go with him. Instead, I shifted myself closer to the dark stone corner even though my body was already pressed against it.
Where am I? I don't want to be in here.
It is smelly in here and very dark. There was a tiny window in the cell, but it was too high for me to see through it. I'm also freezing, to the point that I couldn't feel my toes or fingers. I'm also hungry. All I had eaten since today was a piece of bread and running soup.
I want to see my mommy and daddy, and I miss my older brothers. I'm scared. They're going to do bad things to me again if I leave here. Come save me!
"Arugh!" The big scary man screamed before charging at me. "Stupid kid!"
He grabbed my arm aggressively to drag me out of the dark muddy room.
"No! Let me go!" I screamed, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp.
The man did not let go of my arm. Instead, he proceeds to pull even harder to get me out of the room quicker. I grabbed onto the bars on the door, unwilling to go, but my strength as a child could not overcome that of a full grown adult.
"Stupid kid!" The man roared loudly, pulling my hair. "Quit making things hard for me already."
"No, you're going to hurt me." I cried, my arm hurts and my head is in pain. "I want my mommy and daddy!"
"Stupid, they're not going to come to save you!" The man grinned widely, "They were the one who sold you!"
"No! You're lying! They'll never do that!" I screamed, still unwilling to let go of the iron bar. "They love me!"
The man stomped his foot in frustration, "Do not make me use force."
You already are! Still, I shook my head, not willing to let go of the iron bar.
"Hmph, you asked for it!" The man yelled, freeing my arm but immediately had his hands on my neck. With the other hand, he raised it up and slapped me hard across the face.
It hurts so much.