A Sincere Promise

Children shouldn't soak in hot springs for too long, so after about twenty minutes, Shen Qiming came and lifted the two children out of the water.

Xia Wanqing and Zhou Jingyi were already at the entrance. They took the children back to their rooms, dried their hair and bodies, and prepared to put them to bed.

Shen Xinde had slept too much that morning and was still wide awake. Nestled in Xia Wanqing's arms, he looked up at his mother with sparkling eyes and asked, "I want to play a little longer. Can I, Mommy?"

Xia Wanqing carried Shen Xinde back to the bed once he was ready, and Gu Zhuoling's mother had finished getting him ready too.

"Of course. What do you want to play?" Xia Wanqing had agreed to meet Shen Qiming later at the hotel lounge for a drink, but since Shen Xinde wanted to play, she would of course stay and keep him company first.

"I don't need Mommy. Mommy can go keep Daddy company. Haohao wants to play with Dolly." Shen Xinde shook his head and turned to wrap his arms around Gu Zhuoling's arm.

Zhou Jingyi stood beside them, grinning from ear to ear. "Why are you so clingy, Xinde?"

Gu Zhuoling said nothing and let Shen Xinde cling to him, though his face turned red all on its own.

Happy to have some free time, Xia Wanqing gently rubbed the two little darlings' heads. "Then you can only play in the room tonight, okay? No running off outside."

"Okay!" Shen Xinde readily agreed.

As soon as the two mothers left, Shen Xinde sprang up without another word. "Dolly! Let's go on a late-night adventure!"

Afraid Shen Xinde might lose his balance and fall, Gu Zhuoling reached out to steady him. Looking at the lively child, he asked, "What adventure?"

Shen Xinde knelt down and leaned close to Gu Zhuoling's ear. "I heard someone say today that there's a little art exhibition at the hotel! Haohao wants to see it."

Gu Zhuoling frowned at that and pinched Shen Xinde's little nose. "Auntie Xia said we could only play in the room."

Shen Xinde's eyes darted around guiltily, and his voice grew pitifully faint. "Let's sneak over. Haohao really wants Dolly to come with him."

Gu Zhuoling closed his eyes, determined not to give in if he couldn't see him. "No."

"I'm mad!" Shen Xinde naturally knew how to deal with Gu Zhuoling. He turned away and got off the bed, pretending to be angry.

"Don't be mad. I'll go with you." Seeing that, Gu Zhuoling panicked and immediately climbed off the bed after him.

Shen Xinde said nothing. He sat in a chair, fiddling with the phone watch in his hands.

Gu Zhuoling didn't know what Shen Xinde was up to, so he could only stand in front of him and wait.

Right in front of Gu Zhuoling, Shen Xinde called Xia Wanqing and asked if he could go see the exhibition.

Xia Wanqing agreed and said she would send a young attendant to find him. He just had to wait a little while.

Gu Zhuoling didn't dare say much now. He carefully reached for Shen Xinde's little hand, then pleaded in a low voice, "Please don't be mad."

Seeing how careful Gu Zhuoling was being, Shen Xinde decided to tease him. He kept his arms crossed and turned his head away. "If you won't go with me, I'll go by myself!"

"The attendant will be there too," Gu Zhuoling added, only to receive a murderous glare from Shen Xinde. He immediately shut up.

"Hmph!"

This time, Shen Xinde really was angry with that big meanie Gu Zhuoling.

"Don't be mad. I want to go too. Take me with you, Haohao." Seeing Shen Xinde's expression, Gu Zhuoling finally realized he was teasing him, but he still did his best to coax him, lowering his head and pleading softly.

Shen Xinde hadn't planned to speak, but then he felt something soft against his cheek. Gu Zhuoling had kissed him.

"Haohao is the best. You'll take me with you, won't you?"

Shen Xinde turned to stare at Gu Zhuoling's face. His exquisite, handsome little face looked a bit aggrieved. He was so pitiful!

Shen Xinde, you mustn't bully Dolly!

In Shen Xinde's mind, two little figures were furiously beating him up.

"All right! King Haohao forgives you! Let's go together!" Shen Xinde coughed lightly and stood up.

Gu Zhuoling understood at once. He took Shen Xinde's little hand and thanked him. "Thank you, King Haohao."

A young attendant outside was just about to ring the doorbell. When she saw the two children come out, she immediately gave them a polite smile and led them to the exhibition.

There weren't actually many works in the small exhibition. Shen Xinde had simply seen one in the promotional pictures that made a particularly strong impression on him.

The work was called "Devouring."

The artist had gone to great lengths to depict the ocean's depths. Towering waves rolled in, layer upon layer, seemingly ready to swallow the shore.

Unlike the sea in real life, the water in the painting grew darker and blacker the closer it came to shore.

When Shen Xinde first saw it, he wondered whether Gu Zhuoling had felt the same way standing on the shore in the original book: countless hands reaching out of the sea, growing darker the closer they came to him, needing only one movement to seize him.

And so, countless hands had pulled him into the sea.

"Dolly, are you scared?"

Shen Xinde stood with Gu Zhuoling in front of the enormous painting. As the scene he had imagined gradually gave way to reality, he felt dazed for a moment, as though a young man had appeared in the painting.

"No."

Gu Zhuoling's answer was brief and forceful, carrying absolute certainty.

"Why?"

Shen Xinde tilted his head, a little curious.

Gu Zhuoling merely glanced at the painting before turning to Shen Xinde beside him and smiling. "Haohao will protect me."

Hearing that, Shen Xinde was moved, and a huge smile spread across his face. "No problem! Haohao will protect Dolly! Don't be scared, Dolly!"

No matter what, Shen Xinde was by Dolly's side now.

He wouldn't stand by the sea alone. Shen Xinde would stick right by him.

Their hands fit snugly together, passing their warmth to each other.

Shen Xinde didn't pursue the subject. He gave the painting one last look, then pulled Gu Zhuoling along to admire the other works.

As they looked around, Shen Xinde made a bold declaration. "Haohao is going to be an artist too, and paint lots and lots of pictures."

Gu Zhuoling listened, wholly agreeing and supportive. "Then I'll earn money to hold an exhibition for Haohao."

"Then Dolly has to earn lots of money. Dolly has to support Haohao too." Shen Xinde looked as though he had decided to depend on him, swinging Gu Zhuoling's hand as they walked.

Gu Zhuoling stopped, looked Shen Xinde in the eye with great seriousness, and said firmly, "I'll work hard."

Of course Shen Xinde believed Gu Zhuoling.

With that thought, Shen Xinde began making wishes. "Dolly has to buy me a big house! And then buy me a whole bunch of snacks! And then hold an art exhibition for me! And then take me out for yummy food every day!"

Gu Zhuoling agreed to everything and had already begun working out how to start saving money for Shen Xinde.

"Then Haohao will paint for Dolly every day! I'll paint lots and lots of pictures for Dolly! I'll give them all to Dolly!"

Shen Xinde promised.

In a small exhibition hall, the two children made their most sincere promises.