CH 33

Mona Lisa.

William Hill was a first grade tour guide. He took Zhen Zhen to the museums she wanted to see like the Mob Museum, and the Neon Museum. He patiently answered all of Zhen Zhen’s questions.

It was a hot day in Las Vegas, William Hill and Zhen Zhen stopped by a cafe to rest. He ordered an iced drink for her, and she smiled.

‘Any girl is lucky to have you as their boyfriend,’ Zhen Zhen praised.

‘Why?’ William Hill asked.

‘Let’s see,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘You’re kind, handsome, smart, and rich. What more can a girl ask for?’

‘What if they only want me for my money?’ William Hill asked.

‘You’re doing yourself an injustice by writing off the sincere girls because you’re grouping them together with gold diggers,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘True,’ William Hill said.

‘What type of girl are you attracted to?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

William Hill looked at Zhen Zhen while he explained his dream girl.

‘She’s smart, beautiful, gentle, and has black pearl eyes,’ William Hill said.

‘Oh,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘You want someone from your mum’s hometown.’

Suddenly gun shots were heard. Most of the customers ran out of the cafe. William jumped on top of Zhen Zhen, and he rolled them behind a pot plant.

When the gun shots stopped, sirens were heard. Zhen Zhen lifted her head and she looked over William Hill’s shoulder. The gunmen were gone, and she could see police cars, ambulances and firetrucks were coming toward the cafe. But it was William Hill’s arm that made her worried.

‘You’re injured,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Do you want an ambulance to take you to the hospital?’

‘No,’ William Hill said. ‘I’m OK. Can you drive me home?’

Zhen Zhen nodded her head. She understood reporters would have a field day if they snapped photos of someone like William Hill injured in a public place. She quickly helped him walk to his sports car, and they disappeared before the first police car arrived.

‘You’re a good driver,’ William Hill said.

‘Because of Zhen Wu, I’m used to driving fast,’ Zhen Zhen said.

It was Zhen Zhen’s first time driving a sports car. But in the past she was glued to her lab, and often forgot to pick up Zhen Wu. So she learned how to drive fast in side streets to Zhen Wu’s school in order to be on time to pick Zhen Wu up. Driving a car at one hundred and eighty kilometres an hour was average for her. She was relieved she didn’t scare William Hill with her average speed.

‘Who’s Zhen Wu?’ William asked.

‘Zhen Wu is mine and Gu Zai’s son,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Don’t talk. Reserve your energy.’

At William Hill’s house, Ban Ti greeted him at the door.

‘Young master, you’re home,’ Ban Ti said. He saw blood on William Hill’s arm and panicked. ‘Young master, you’re injured.’

‘I’m OK,’ William Hill said. ‘It’s a minor injury.’

Ban Ti and Zhen Zhen helped William Hill to William Hill’s bed. Afterward a doctor was called to take out the bullet and bandage William Hill.

Zhen Zhen walked back and forth in the hallway. She wanted to call Yue Gu Zai, but William Hill asked her not to because William Hill didn’t want Yue Gu Zai to worry about William Hill’s injury.

Zhen Zhen looked at the portraits on the walls to calm herself down. She was drawn to the portrait of a young woman who posed like Mona Lisa.

‘She’s young master’s mother,’ Ban Ti said.

‘How is he?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘The bullet’s taken out,’ Ban Ti said. ‘Young master is sleeping.’

‘Ban Ti, you can speak Mandarin well like William,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Yes,’ Ban Ti said. ‘It’s because master loved young master’s mother. Everyone working for the Hill Household were required to learn to speak Mandarin. Master didn’t get a chance to marry young master’s mother before she died when young master was a little boy.’

‘It’s sad William lost his mum at a young age,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Can I see that he is OK myself? I promise I won’t disturb his sleep.’

‘Yes you can,’ Ban Ti said. ‘Doctor Janssen is monitoring young master inside young master’s bedroom.’

‘Thank you,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Zhen Zhen felt guilty William Hill was injured while protecting her. She wouldn’t be reassured unless she saw that he was in a stable condition.

***

End of Chapter Thirty-Three