Hello, Mr Li: The Christmas Trip

Joreen's gaze kept moving between her mother and sister who were looking at her without saying anything. She was lying on the bed with a pillow propping up her head so she could see both ladies who were seated at each of her sides, staring at her like they wanted to say something. 

"Is something wrong?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable with their stares.

"Jo..." Cixi started. "I want you to tell me the truth."

"Okay... I don't like how you're sounding." Joreen said before looking at Reen for any hint but Reen shrugged. 

"Just be sincere with me. You know I am your mother and I love you. I won't get mad at you or yell at you."

"You are making me scared. I haven't done something wrong right?" Joreen asked in confusion as she looked at the two people. "I don't remember doing anything bad.... right?" She also wasn't sure so she began to think of something she must have done. 

"Why did you run out earlier? Just tell me what was in your mind that made you leave the room without thinking about your health."

Joreen frowned in confusion but she knew she had to answer. What was in her mind earlier? Why did she leave like that? And why was her mother curious about it?

"I... had a bad dream."She started in a soft and innocent voice. 

"Bad dream?" Cixi asked. 

"Ah... I remember." Reen snapped her fingers together. "She was killing someone in her dream." 

"Eh?" Cixi asked in confusion. 

"That's not it!" Joreen eyed her sister.

"I heard Uncle Hoy laughing with a girl so I went inside his room to check. They were a couple and looked happy together while I was lonely. He had a smile on his face that I haven't seen before." She looked down sadly . "I didn't like that." 

The two women were quiet. They waited for her to continue. 

"I wanted him to laugh with me instead. Not with that girl."

"Oh God!" Cixi began to massage her temples while Joreen looked lost at her mother's reaction. "Did I... do something wrong?" 

"You didn't. It's just that you lik—"

"Stop!" Cixi interrupted Reen before she could utter the words. It was one thing for Joreen to like him, it was another for her to find out about it. Knowing how Joreen was, she would probably march to his room and confess her feelings. 

"It was just a silly dream. You... don't feel that way. Trust me. You wouldn't even feel that way if you saw them in real life."

"She feels that way! Didn't you see how she ran out of the roo—"

"Reen!" Cixi called in a harsh voice, shutting her up. 

"Is something wrong?" Joreen asked in confusion. She felt like there was something the two of them was hiding from her. 

"Joreen..." Her mother started again. "Remember our plan before coming here? We are going to find your uncle Hoy a girlfriend and also find you a boyfriend so you won't be single and lonely when he has one." 

"Yes. That's the plan!" Joreen said with a smile as she remembered her plan to have fun on this trip. 

Cixi was more than excited when she saw Joreen's reaction. She knew her baby didn't feel that way about him.

It wasn't as if she didn't like Hoy, she did like him, but she didn't want Joreen to be heartbroken. Joreen had already told her Hoy's type of lady which was the exact opposite of her. Besides, Joreen was really young so she didn't think it was possible for Hoy to fall for her. 

"So what kind of guy do you like? I'll find him!" Cixi said excitedly before taking out her phone to make a note. Reen only rolled her eyes as she watched. She had a feeling her mother was just wasting her time.

"He must be tall... like Uncle Hoy." Joreen started to list. "He should be obviously older than me."

"Interesting." Reen said with a smile. 

"He should have a neat styled hair and long lashes like Uncle Hoy. Oh! He should also have dimples like Uncle Hoy."

"He should be broad so that when he hugs me, I'll be buried in his arms." She giggled. 

"He should be—"

"Just stop it!" Cixi shrieked angrily while Reen burst into laughter. Cixi was more than frustrated now. She couldn't count the number of times Joreen mentioned Hoy's name even before she started writing it down. 

Joreen was startled. Before she could ask why her mother was angry, a knock came on the door so Reen went to get it while still laughing hard. 

When she opened the door, she saw the familiar looking waiter with a food cart.

"Good... morn..ing. I brought breakfast." He said without looking at her. 

"Breakfast?" Reen didn't remember ordering breakfast and Joreen obviously didn't.

"Yes. A relative of yours asked for breakfast to be delivered to this room." He explained. 

"Oh.." Reen didn't know who the relative was but she opened the door and let him in. 

"A relative asked for breakfast to be delivered to us." Reen said to her mother, ignoring the look the waiter was giving her. 

"Which relative?" Cixi asked him.

"Uhm... He lives in the opposite room ma'am. His name is on the list as a relative." 

"It must be uncle Hoy." Joreen said with a smile before sitting up. "He must have known I was starving." She said happily.

"Reen, call uncle Hoy to confirm it was him." Cixi instructed her. She was always careful with everything she did. 

Reen called and after she confirmed, the waiter did his job and carefully began to drop them on the table. 

Cixi noticed how he kept stealing glances at Reen who wasn't paying him any attention. In fact, it looked like she was deliberately snubbing him. 

Another knock came on the door. "I'll get it." Reen said and went to open the door. She found Kyle outside and didn't look too excited to see him there.

"Hi. I couldn't reach your phone." 

"Sorry. I wasn't with it earlier." Reen explained. 

"So... can we go out now?"

Reen was even more angry at him now. If he loved her, he would have been jealous and asked questions like "Why weren't you with your phone?"

"Did you go out earlier?"

"Who did you go meet outside your room?" 

But he was so indifferent about everything that concerned her. 

"I'm sorry. Joreen is a little sick so I can't leave now."

"Really? What happened to her?" He asked in surprise. "She was just fine last night." 

"It isn't really serious." She replied with a grim tone.

"Can I... see her?" 

Reen opened the door wide for him to enter inside. When he entered, he saw Joreen moving from the bed to the table where there was a plethora of dishes. 

"If you are sick, I could call the doctor." The waiter said to Joreen.

"I am fine. Just a little cold but I feel better. Thank you." She smiled at him before taking her seat.

The waiter looked at Reen and wanted to ask how her ankle was but he must couldn't especially when her mother and boyfriend were present there. 

Kyle glared at the waiter who ignored him and turned to greet Cixi who was still sitting on the bed, before he looked at Joreen. "How do you feel now? I heard you were sick?" 

Joreen looked at him and smiled a little, "I feel better now. Thank you." 

"If there is anything else you would like, let me know." The waiter said to Joreen and prepared to leave. 

Kyle once again glared daggers at him but he didn't say or do anything. The waiter also didn't look pleased to see him so he excused himself. 

Cixi had been watching everything. She noticed how downcast the waiter looked when he saw Reen speaking with Kyle at the door. She also noticed how Kyle was looking at Joreen, while Reen didn't look too pleased. 

Cixi began to feel a throbbing headache. "Young people are so full of trouble." She murmured as she fell back on the bed with her tired eyes staring at the ceiling. 

*******

"Sorry for running late. I had to make sure the kids finished their breakfast." Sara said before sitting across Hoy. They were inside the dining room which looked like a restaurant. Aside from them, they were a few others inside, having breakfast. 

"It's fine. I didn't wait for too long. How are the kids?" 

"Queen is noisy as always. King is still always quiet and reads instead of playing. But I'm glad they are having fun." She said with a smile. "Why did you want to meet me? My husband would storm in here any second if I spend a lot of time in here with you." She said with a light laughter that made him snort. "He doesn't ever change, does he?"

"He doesn't."

He suddenly turned serious and sat up.

"I want to speak with you... about your cousin." 

"Joreen?" Sara asked. 

"Yes."