Burning Passion

CHAPTER 265: DISTANT MEMORY

* * *

Harry stood from the sofa. He walks to the Theater Room; he interrupts Seth from watching a movie. 

"Hey! Go to sleep early!" 

"Eh? There's no school or anything tomorrow," Seth pouted. It upset him that Harry blocked his view of the TV.

"We are going to the market tomorrow," Harry retorted.

Confused, Seth asked, "Are you going to shop? But your fridge is still full of food!" 

Seth knew it because he helped Harry fix a quick dinner when they arrived earlier, and he saw the fridge loaded with fruits and vegetables and meat. 

"We will have a barbecue party tomorrow at lunch. I want to buy fresh seafood and meat." 

Hearing about food, Seth jumped from excitement. "Is that true, brother Harry? I'll help you grill barbecue!" 

"Okay. Let's make a burger pattie."

The next day, despite the cold, Harry and Seth drove headed to the market early in the morning. Harry doesn't know a lot about fresh fish. Gladly Seth was there who is an expert about all sorts of seafood. 

"I'm impressed you are also good at shopping in a place like this," Harry told Seth. His mouth pointing at a giant fish in the big basin. He wanted to ask Seth's opinion about the fish. 

All his life, he only relied on their servants. Although he knew how to cook, he never went to the wet market. They have the butler and servants go to the supermarket.

After Seth chose the best crabs he saw in the cooler, he answered Harry's comments. "I dream of starting my noodle soup store! So I must be familiar with what's fresh from the bad ones. My grandpa sent me here to at least learn other things, and this is my training." 

Harry retorted, "Oh. I see. Sounded like Korin." 

"Korin?" Hears a girl's name, Seth's eyes widen. Curious, he grins and asks Harry. "Is she pretty, brother Harry? Ah, I'm sure she is because you are handsome!" 

Harry glared at the guy and shook his head. "You need not compliment me. I won't give you more gifts." 

"Eh? I'm not asking for more!" said Seth. He leans closer to Harry, who was curiously looking at the prawn. 

"Do you know how to cook them?" asked Harry, glancing at Seth.

"Yes, I am!" 

"Really?" Harry looked at Seth with doubts. 

Frowning, he retorted, "Hey! Stop underestimating me! I live near the sea! I go to the port every morning to buy fresh fish!" 

"Hm… Okay. Help me cook them then." 

Seth looked at the plastic bags in their hands. There are crabs, prawns, and mackerel… He scratched the back of his head. He asked, "Did you invite all of your friends?" 

"Most of them, yes," Harry replied. He then did Math… Sam and his girlfriend, Ash and his girlfriend, Lee and his girlfriend, and then Kristina, him and Seth. Nine people? Maybe not bad for an exclusive Barbecue Party. "I will just call the others when we get home," he told Seth. 

"The football team?" Seth waited for Harry to nod. "I know them! They often come over to the restaurant to have dinner." 

They were now exiting the market when Harry had a glimpse of the newspaper on the stand. He turned to Seth and threw his car keys. "Go, open the trunk of the car, put them there." 

"Got it!" 

After Seth headed first to the car. Harry turned around and put down the shopping bags in his left hand. He picks up the newspaper and flips through the pages. Harry thought this press company was a fan of Royal activities. They always release an article about UK happenings. And they also become a fan of his brother's social engagements along with Nina. 

His heart sank, aching while looking at the pretty girl standing next to his twin brother. Harry breathed out. "She was too beautiful." Muttered by his heart. 

Sadness flashed in his eyes. He placed back the newspaper on the stand, then left that place. He should stop dreaming of Nina. She and Steven are a perfect match for each other. 

Along the way home, Harry still lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Seth was asking him a question. 

"I'm sorry. Come again?" 

"I'm asking you to introduce me to your cousin." Seth had a grin on his face.

"Sheesh!" Harry snaps. "I won't!" 

Seth pouted, acted that it badly hurt him that Harry would not allow him. "Eh? Why so heartless?" 

Harry only ignores him, shaking his head. "She already has a boyfriend." 

"Oh. I see. Okay." 

Harry beams while musing. 'This guy is so simple.' He thought about Seth. After then, Seth stops bugging him about Korin. Not until he opens another topic. 

"Brother Harry, are you courting sister Kristina?" Seth asks out of the blue. 

Harry, who was shocked by the question, almost hit the brake of the car. He takes a moment before he could answer the guy. He ponders how to answer this question. Sam also asks him the same question, which he didn't give a direct answer to. 

In his assessment, Kristina is a nice girl. He could talk to her casually. And there are things they have the same opinion. However, he knew that in his heart; it was Nina he loved. But he found a beautiful friendship around Kristina's presence.

"She's a wonderful friend." After a long thought, it's only the answer he could give to Seth. 

Surprisingly, Seth didn't overreact or make a jest, but only says hum. It puzzled him, but he didn't add more of his thoughts about Kristina. Instead, he voluntarily changed the topic. 

"So, help me what I should do to those crabs and prawns. The ingredients? What did we need?" 

"You already have all the spices we need not buy." 

"Okay." 

~ ~ ~

It's close to lunch. One by one, Harry's friends had arrived, including Sam and Kristina. 

It turned out Sam's girlfriend, Mary, brought her younger cousin. 

"Hi, guys! I brought my cousin Lucy, who just arrived the other day. She doesn't know anyone yet. So I want to show her around and become familiar with the place." 

"No problem! It's nice that more us girls!" said Vanessa, Ash's girlfriend. She hugs Lucy and brings her to the back of the house. 

Harry's house has an indoor area near the pool, where they could grill and have a party. They won't have a problem even if it snows. In the middle is where they could light a bonfire to make the place warm. Lee and Emily and the other boys are seated on the surrounding bench. Vanessa then introduced her cousin.

Seth was in front of the grilling rack when he noticed that more people have now arrived. He turned around, his jaw dropped. 

Harry, who just came back from the kitchen. He followed where Seth was staring at. He shook his head, then reached Seth's chin to close the guy's mouth. 

"The meat is already burnt!" Harry exclaimed, hurriedly flipping the meat to grill the other side. 

Coming back to his senses, Seth apologized and continued grilling more meat. 

Curiously, Seth whispered at Harry. "Who's she, brother Harry?" asked Seth. 

Harry glanced at his friends, merrily chatting, and eating. Before he could answer, Kristina is already close to them. "Hi! Do you guys need help?" 

It was Seth who replied, "Don't worry, sister Kristina! Leave it to me!" 

Seth says it loud. Kristina understood his action; she giggled while Harry shook his head. 

"Okay, then. I'm going back there." 

"Eh, holdup, sister Kristina!" 

"Hm? What is it?" 

Embarrassed, Seth couldn't spill out the words. He glanced at someone which Kristina caught him blushing. 

"I see." Beaming a playful smile, Kristina dragged Seth on the arm. "Come on! I will introduce you to Lucy!" 

"Eh? Wait…" Seth couldn't complain when they now halted in front of the girl he had a crush on first sight. He felt when Kristina struck his back, encouraging him to make an introduction. However, his tongue was tied, and words escaped his mouth. 

Stuttering, Seth finally gathered his courage to speak. Extending his right hand, which he rubbed it first into his shirt to make sure it was clean. 

"Hi! My name is Seth Lindsey!" 

The girl remained to stare at his hand before she lifted her chin to look up at him. Shyly, she got up from the bench and took his hand.

"Lucy Tan…" 

"Your name is beautiful!" 

Hearing his compliments, Lucy blushed. After then, Seth didn't stop talking. The shy Lucy is now pushing a slight smile. 

Seth left Harry, stunned in front of the grilling rack. Kristina approached him with a smile, she said, "Someone forgot he volunteered to grill everything." 

"Yeah. I can't believe it!" 

Laughing softly, she said, "Alright. Let me help you then!" Kristina offered a hand, picking up the chopstick and start flipping the meat and burger patties. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

PRESENT TIME 

Harry blinks his eyes several times. Again, he recalls the wedding invitation from the Tan family. He mused hard about it. Once more, another distant memory he recovered. 

Now he remembered why Lucy Tan ran away from home and flew thousands of miles away. It was because of an arranged marriage. But in the end, Seth and Lucy got married. However, he didn't know the rest of their story. Recalling about them, he now understood why the Tan family invited them for the first time. 

The Tan Household is one of the wealthiest families in the neighboring province. And never in the record that Tan's and Shang's do business together or stand on the same occasion. Maybe during National Business Commerce Gatherings, but not in associating each other with a contract or anything. 

But now, they want to order liquors for a big celebration.

'Is it because Nikki now relates to Theo as a Shang?' Harry thought to himself.