Hello, Mr Li: The Christmas Trip

"I am sorry about your mother. You know she doesn't mean any harm right? She just cares about you and sometimes, she tends to go overboard a little." Li Fazhan said to his daughter Li Heya. 

"It's fine. I understand." She forced a smile at her father. The last thing she wanted was for him to look sad especially because of her. This is a vacation. Everyone else should enjoy it even though she wasn't going to.

"Do not push yourself too much. Just be relaxed, have fun and enjoy this trip."

She understood perfectly what her father was trying to tell her. He wanted her to have fun and meet people and hopefully, a man. She didn't want any man. She was done with men. 

"I will." She returned his smile and began to walk towards the elevator. The smile on her face vanished when she left her father. She was just going to spend the rest of her trip inside her room.

Meet and greet, Partying, talent show, she wasn't participating in anything. But she really was looking forward to seeing the island and spending a couple of days there. She had always wanted to visit an island once with a partner but unfortunately, she was going to be alone.

Thankfully, she brought her guitar with her so that was enough to keep her occupied for the rest of the trip. 

She took the elevator to the third floor where the singles' rooms was located. The rooms for single individuals and couples were located in different floors. The room reserved for children was also in a different floor. 

If more than one person was sharing a room, they were given the couples' room instead since it was more spacious, had everything in twos, and the bed was bigger. They were some people in a same sex relationship who would love to share a room but feared what people would say about them so they preferred making it look like they were siblings or related somehow. The management gave those set of people the opportunity to also enjoy the trip in their rooms as couples even though they preferred people to think they weren't like that. While for the singles, they gave them the opportunity to meet other singles in the same floor and find love. Everything was well planned. 

Heya remembered how excited Joreen had been about being in the same floor with her but she realised they were going to be staying in the floor where the couples' rooms was located since she was sharing a room with Reen. 

Heya looked at each of the doors on both sides of the hallway and tried to find her own room. The hallway was empty since the boarders came in batches. It meant those who had boarded where still checking out their rooms while those who haven't were still outside the ship, trying to get in. So it was really impossible meeting a lot of people now until evening. 

Her room number was 058. She saw room 057 which meant the room opposite it was 058 but before she could turn to check, the door of room 057 opened and a lady came out. 

She looked a bit surprised to see Heya standing in front of her door but quickly recovered and smiled at her. 

"I guess you're looking for your room?" She asked warmly. 

Heya obsevered her closely. She was pretty. Heya didn't see herself as ugly but this lady was prettier. She was slender, tall but a bit shorter than her, black hair in a short bob, she wore a simple sweater and jean trousers with sneakers. And she had an innocent face like a white lotus. She looked like a princess who was casually dressed. 

"I just found it." Heya said before pointing at the room opposite hers. "That's my room. Sorry."

"No, you shouldn't apologize. It's a normal thing so I do not mind." She smiled again before extending her hand. 

"I'm Yan Suyin. It's my first time in this country after 15 years." 

'No wonder.' Heya thought. She looked a bit different and unfamiliar. Since she was rich enough to afford this trip, it meant she was a socialite so Heya would have seen her at least once or twice. But they obviously didn't know each other. 

"Li Heya." 

"Pleased to meet you Li Heya. You are here alone?" Suyin asked even though it was obvious since they were in this floor.

"I came with my family. Parents and extended family." Heya corrected when it looked like Suyin was confused about the kind of family she was talking about. 

"Oh! I also came with mine. And also my fiance's family. Anyways, see you later. I need to find my fiance's room." She said with a smile. 

Heya was a bit interested in knowing why she was staying separately from her Fiance but she didn't ask. 

Although, a lot of people believed two people who weren't married shouldn't live together, her family especially her mother would jump in joy if she had a partner to share a room with. But Suyin was a young and pretty girl. She should be in her mid twenties so there wasn't much pressure from her family.

Heya felt a bit jealous as she watched the girl walk away and began to look at each doors. She quickly shook those thoughts out of her head and turned to her room. 

When she opened it, a smile appeared on her face. It was even better than she had thought. Her things were already inside including her guitar.

She looked at the large window and walked towards it. 

*******

Joreen and her older sister, Reen arrived in their floor and began to search for their room. Joreen looked disappointed to be staying in this floor even though Reen tried to assure her their room was better than the ones reserved for the singles. 

"It would have been easier meeting a potential boyfriend and finding a girlfriend for uncle Hoy had we been in the same floor as sister Heya and Kyle." She said sadly. 

"Uncle Hoy is probably in the same floor right? I thought you wanted to get away from him?" 

Joreen thought about it and nodded. It was like a blessing in disguise. 

"But you really think that plan of yours is going to work? If uncle Hoy wanted a girlfriend, he would have gotten one a long time ago. You really think he is going to accept the one you introduce to him?" 

"Maybe?" Joreen shrugged. 

"Found it!" Reen said excitedly and pointed at the door that had '073' "You'll enjoy staying here." 

"I don't know.. I just have this doubt."

"It's just a feeling." Reen assured. 

"I guess so. I'll just enjoy this and make sure I do not bump into uncle Li. And please.. do not tell him our room numb—"

She was interrupted when they heard footsteps approaching the hallway. Both girls turned to look at the people and Joreen was shocked to see Hoy and his secretary walking towards them. 

"W...what... is he doing here?" She asked in shock.

Hoy who was walking towards them with his hands inside his coat's pocket, smirked when he saw the expression on Joreen's face. 

"Miss Luo and her older sister." Mr Ping stopped in front of them and greeted them with a smile. "You are also in this floor?" He asked. 

"Al...so..? What does... that mean?" Joreen stuttered as she tried not to look at Hoy who was still standing there with his hands inside his pocket. 

"We are also in this floor." He pointed at the door opposite room 073. "That's our room. 074. Directly opposite yours." 

Joreen's legs almost gave away but Reen held her and tried to force out a smile. 

"Why are you sharing a room?" Reen asked Mr Ping.

It suddenly occured to Joreen so she looked at both men with wide eyes. "You are both really sharing a room?" 

When Mr Ping nodded, she gasped. "You two are secretly dating? Is that why he doesn't have a girlfriend? You are his girlfriend?" She shook her head and continued, "... his boyfriend?" 

Hoy frowned while Mr Ping looked like he was about to throw up. "Hell no! We just... happened to be sharing a room. Nothing of that sort." 

Joreen was still suspicious. She looked at Hoy who was staring right back at her.

Was it possible she wouldn't be bumping into him at all like she had planned? He was living just opposite her! How did things turn out like this?! 

"We are going to be seeing more of each other Luo Joreen." Hoy finally said with a taunting smile before he turned around and went into his own room after opening the door. 

"Just in case you ladies need anything, just knock on our door." Mr Ping smiled at them before he also left for their room. 

Once he left, Joreen finally collapsed on Reen. "Oh God! I really won't be able to hide from him, will I?" She asked rhetorically but Reen answered, 

"Maybe finding him a girlfriend is going to work? Let's just go in first and plan something." Reen suggested before helping Joreen inside their room.