Hello! Here's another chapter of Miss Money. If you're still reading this story, thanks and happy reading! :)

Chapter 3 – Miracle of Life

I never like black. Black is the epitome of funeral.

And I had to wear black on that fateful day.

The day of my best friend's funeral.

I couldn't shed a tear. I simply couldn't, even if I felt it was very appropriate to do so.

Shedding tears would mean saying goodbye. I never wanted to say goodbye to her.

How could I?

"Eat, Xing Xing. My girl wouldn't want to see you like this."

I looked blankly at the bowl of fried soy sauce noodles held by a wrinkled hand. Its fragrant aroma filled my nostrils but it never tempted me. I shook my head and strained a thankful smile at him.

"I'm not hungry, Boss."

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Boss went on a senseless rampage.

He violently threw the porcelain bowl against the wall and continued shouting at his only son and me.

"Dong Hai's not eating! You're not eating! What do you all want to become? Dead like my daughter? Hah? Is she going to be happy seeing you like this? HAH?"

Dong Hai, Gong Zhu's elder brother remained motionless on his chair.

Dong Hai and I had never spoken to each other since we met at the hospital. All he ever did when we arrived at the funeral was gazing at the plain grey ground. As though he could see his sister's face there.

"Can you stop torturing my big bro?" I still remembered Gong Zhu's annoying question like it was yesterday, "Why don't you give him a chance?"

"He's not rich," I was being frank.

"Well, at least he's rich with moral values. Can't you even marry him for me? It's going to be awesome if we could be sisters!"

I thought hard. I wanted to swallow it down but I couldn't.

I'd just lost my sister.

I bit my bottom lip, trying hard to swallow back my tears. I breathed in but I still failed. I felt like a total failure.

I failed to protect my friend. My one and only friend.

My tears fell down and started to trickle down my cheeks. Endlessly.

"Dad! Look at what you've done!" Dong Hai's high-pitched voice shook the silent prayer hall, "You've made her cry!"

Gong Zhu's father threw another piece of bowl at the dark-skinned police officer. The son quickly ducked down and it hit the hard wall. The china shattered into many pieces.

"You useless son! Now you're talking when your girlfriend's crying, hah? I told you to go after that one bloody hell murderer but all you did was sitting there and doing nothing! She was shot down like a rabbit but you're right there doing nothing! My girl's dead! My beloved daughter…"

Boss finally broke down.

That broken man stared at Gong Zhu's smiling photo. Her beautiful smile brightened further with the joss sticks burning softly on the table. She had her old man's wide lips.

"She's dead…" Boss's deep voice cracked, "I can't believe that she's dead… She was just right there beside me and now she's gone…"

"I-I-I'm sorry… This is all my fault, Boss…" I wished I would be the one lying in the coffin, "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't say that. Never ever say that again, Xing Xing. It's never your fault. It's that asshole."

As Dong Hai spoke those words, I saw that deadly glint in his eye. I would remember it for life.

I'd never seen him like that before.

"I swear on my life…" He spoke almost like an unbreakable promise, "If I see her, I'm going to skin her alive!"

"If you've managed to find and kill her, will it bring Gong Zhu back to life?" I asked lifelessly.

His murderous face softened and sighed, "I guess not."

Guess?

You don't need to guess. It's a fact that she's not revivable.

"It's freaking late now," Boss rubbed the tears gruffly from his wrinkled face, "Dong Hai, take Xing Xing home now."

"No!" I insisted, "I'm going to stay here with you-"

"No, no, we can't let you stay vigil tonight," Boss tossed his car keys to his son, "You need your beauty sleep or else, don't you blame me if you'll turn into an old spinster!"

"Don't you worry, Dad. She's going to be my woman tonight."

Dong Hai grinned. There was that annoying gap in the middle of his teeth. I smacked him on the ugly face and surprisingly, he never dodged.

"Do you want me to slap you again?" I dared him.

"Welcome back, my dear Xing Xing!" Dong Hai laughed although his nose was already reddish, "Now you're OK!"

Weird guy. He was all down and depressed but he suddenly acted like a red-nosed clown. What a fool.

"I'm always OK!" I felt somewhat uneasy inside.

"Cool," He looked relieved, "Wait obediently for me at the door. Let me go get my car."

"Make it quick! You know how much I hate waiting."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

I watched him dashing away towards the parking lot.

I'd begun to see him in a different light. It made me more nervous. I wouldn't want to fall in love with anyone at the moment. It wasn't the right time. So many things had happened and our worlds were just turned upside down in a blink of an eye. I shouldn't complicate things further.

Furthermore, I wasn't even sure whether Dong Hai was the right person for me.

Before heading for the exit door, I went to pay my final respects to Gong Zhu for the day.

I looked hard at her photo. It was a happy selfie that she took on her own. She wanted to take one with me but I refused. I hated taking photos. I would always feel that I looked very horrendous in all the photos I'd taken no matter what poses or angles I had used. I was anything but photogenic.

I would take many photos with you, Gong Zhu.

Perhaps in our next lifetime.

"I'm afraid there's not enough time~ I want to hold you~ Till your wrinkles have signs of aging~"

That melodious voice came out of nowhere. I prayed harder.

Buddha, please, please bless me!

I can't be hearing ghosts now, can I?

"I have to watch you even if I can't move~ Until I feel that your hair has hints of white snow~ Until my eyesight becomes blurry~"

That wasn't a ghost. I turned behind.

I was stunned at what I saw.

It didn't make sense.

Why'd he come all the way to this sad place?

"If I can give up this world~ At least there's you who I can still treasure~ And you are there~ That is the miracle of life~"

I was dumbfounded.

That teenage robot kept singing but he never stated his intention of coming here. I felt guilty for interrupting but it wouldn't hurt to offend his feelings. He never had any feelings anyway.

"Ah, what's your name again? Neo? Lion? Who'd sent you here?"

"I'm afraid that time passes too quickly~ Not enough time to see you clearly~ I'm afraid that time will pass too slowly~ Always worried that I'll lose you~"

"Thank you so much for your touching song but you can stop singing now-"

"We'll never be apart~ If I can give up this world~"

I sighed. I officially gave up.

If someone had sent him an instruction to come here and start a mini-concert, no one would be able to stop him. Not even me.

"You must have lost your way, Lion. I'll bring you back home."

Whatever his name was, I called him 'Lion'. I'd always liked the actual beast too.

I grabbed him by his arm and pulled him towards the door. I didn't like touching him. His skin felt very cold. It felt like plastic. Why couldn't they make his skin as soft as a baby's buttock? Cheapskate.

"My dear Xing Xing, where are you?" Dong Hai rushed in like a maniac on fire, "I've been waiting for you! Why are you still-"

"Sorry, Dong Hai! I almost forgot about you!" I pointed straight at the boyish-faced robot, "Can you bring him home first? This poor guy's lost his sense of direction."

Dong Hai's whole expression changed at the sight of the android. I'd forgotten that Lion played a major part for the tragedy to happen.

"If it wasn't for you, my sister wouldn't have died!" Dong Hai burst into red fiery flames of death, "Do you want me to bring you straight to hell?"

I couldn't care less about that crazy cop. He was acting like a simple-minded kid.

"Don't worry about that mad chimpanzee," I patted on Lion's shoulder, "He's going to bring us home. Where do you stay?"

"Well, I'm going home~ Back to the place where I belong~ And where your love has always been enough for me~"

Dong Hai and I were speechless at his song. We came to a mutual understanding.

His owner must have abandoned him. What an irritating radio.

Author's Note:

Songs used:

At Least I Still Have You by Sandy Lam

Home by Daughtry