Hello, Mr Li: The Christmas Trip

The exhaustion Joreen felt had her sleeping for a few hours until Reen tapped her gently. 

"Hmm?" 

"Wake up Jo. You have been sleeping for a while. It's evening already and we need to get ready before we go partying." Reen said, hoping Joreen would be really excited and jump up but her eyes were still closed. 

"I just want to sleep. I don't want to party anymore." Joreen said groggily. 

"What? Why? Come on, wake up!" Reen said, hitting her more. "Also, aunty wants to see you?" 

Joreen's eyes were still closed and she stretched tiredly on the bed. "Aunty? Who? Pretty aunty?" She asked. 

"Yes." 

Joreen finally opened her eyes and sat up. "Why? What does she want to talk about? Why does everyone suddenly have something to say today?" Joreen looked very uncomfortable. She didn't want to hear anything that would make her feel bad about herself. 

"She is just worried about you. I just you know... told mum you weren't in a good mood earlier and she happened to be there."

"Hmm." Joreen sighed. Song Changyu wasn't a bad company so meeting her wasn't much of a big deal. 

Joreen dragged herself from the bed and picked up her phone. She was surprised to see it was already past 9 in the evening. People must be treading down to the hall now to party. But going there now was the least of her problems. 

"You really are not interested in partying tonight?" Reen asked again, sadly.

Joreen gave a noncommittal grunt as she headed towards the bathroom. She would be lying if she said she was okay with Reen after what Reen did to her earlier. 

After washing her face to get rid of the sleepiness, she brushed her teeth and tied her braid in a ponytail. When she was done, she returned and changed into a jean trousers with a sweater. The outfit hugged her body, perfectly accentuating all her lady figures. She slowly wore her sneakers before leaving the room. 

"I will see you later. Maybe tomorrow." Joreen said to Reen over her shoulders. 

Reen bit her lower lip hard. She could tell Joreen was still angry and felt guilty for what she did earlier. She shouldn't have let her anger get the best of her. Now, her always happy and bubbly sister looked very uninterested with everything. She only hoped this would end today and not drag on till the following day. 

When Joreen opened the door, the first face she saw was Kyle who looked surprised to see her. It seemed like he had been standing there for a while but hadn't made up his mind whether to knock or leave.

"Reen is inside." Joreen said uninterestedly.

He nodded. "Are... you o..kay?" 

He moved to touch her forehead but she moved back instinctively, avoiding his hand. She wasn't comfortable with being touched by people she wasn't close to unless it was her who initiated it. 

That was what everyone was getting wrong. She didn't just hug everyone she saw. At most, she shook hands with them and admired how attractive they looked. The only people she was completely free with was her family. Apart from them, she was uncomfortable when someone else tried to go further than a handshake. 

"I'm sorry." He withdrew his hand. "I'm glad you are okay, seriously." She nodded and turned to leave. Just then, the door opposite opened and the two people living inside came out. 

Her heart skipped when she saw Hoy and their eyes met. His expression changed slightly when he saw her but she couldn't guess what the look meant. 

"Miss Luo, are you okay? You still look like you're sick." Mr Ping said. He remembered how downtrodden she looked earlier. She had even acted formally around them which was weird. After the first glance at Hoy, she made sure not to look at him again but at Mr Ping instead. 

"Jo—"

Joreen didn't wait for Hoy to finish calling her name. She bowed to greet the two of them at once and hurried her steps to leave there.

Mr Ping spared Kyle a glance before he followed Hoy who was already walking away. 

"You did something to her right?" 

"....."

"I knew it. It just had to be you." 

"Why do you think so?" 

"Because I have also known Miss Luo for a while. Nothing easily gets to her so her mood rarely changes like that unless you are involved." He sighed. "This feels like a lover's quarrel. You should apologize to her quickly."

"...."

Mr Ping decided to change the topic to a much safer topic, "Is it just me, or do you also think Miss Luo's older sister's boyfriend probably have a thing for Miss Luo?" 

When Hoy's strides slowed and the expression on his face changed to one which didn't look good, he realised that topic wasn't as safe as he had thought.

*******

As Joreen approached her uncle's room, she heard the familiar sound of her uncle and aunt having a heated argument. She smiled a little. It would have been weird had the room been quiet. They always quarreled about every single thing. 

She knocked once on the door and they started another round of argument. 

"Go get the door."

"You go get the door. Can't you see I'm tired?" Changyu shot back. 

"But you are closer to the door."

Joreen heard hurried footsteps which grew distant with each step. 

"Why are you going to the bathroom?" 

"Now you are closer to the door!" Changyu yelled back making Joreen laugh. If only they knew how silly they sounded. The ship would have used soundproof doors. She didn't want others hearing them and concluding her uncle and his wife were childish. 

She decided to knock again. "It's Joreen."

She said in a loud voice. 

"Jo?" They both asked at the same time. Soon, there was shuffling and hurried footsteps before the door opened and two faces peered at her. 

Changyu smiled brightly. "Come in, dear. Do not mind your uncle." She said, taking Joreen's hand. 

She led her to the couch to sit and began to ask. 

"Heard you were sick? How do you feel now?" 

"Better. I was only a little cold but I am good now."

"That's great. You should properly cover up. We do not want you getting sick especially since your 18th birthday is only a few days away."

She smiled and nodded. 

"If you still feel sick, let me know. I'll go meet the Chef and make a deal with him so I can borrow the Kitchen to make you a really nice soup. I'm sure you'll be good immediately you drink it." Her uncle, Jianjun said. 

"Really? Then can you make me some Chicken soup tomorrow?" She asked with puppy eyes. 

"Consider it done!" He assured her with a smile and continued going through the food magazine on his bed. He was a Chef and a well known one who had taught a lot of students and had a few apprentices. So even though he was here, his restaurant was still running. 

She loved all his dishes and after not being around for a while, she missed it. 

"So talk to me. I heard you cried earlier... why? Who made you cry?" Changyu asked, bringing her attention back to her. 

Joreen sighed sadly. "Aunty, do you think I have a bad personality and need to change?" 

"What? Who said you did? Of course not!"

"Can you just let the two of us talk without interrupting?" Changyu asked her husband who had answered instead. 

"You are the sweetest person I know Jo." Changyu assured her. 

"But... maybe I am not mature enough for my age?" She asked with uncertainty. 

Changyu snorted. "Mature enough for your age? What does that even mean? You are a beautiful soul and have a sunny personality that lights up every room. I think you are just perfect. But if you feel you are not mature enough, well, not everyone is supposed to be mature. Some people are born to complement the mature ones and make them feel like they are always too serious." 

"She is very correct. As you can see, she is 55 and is still not mature." Jianjun added again making his wife pick up her slipper to throw at him. When the slipper fell halfway, she stood up to go pick it up and threw it at him again. 

"You see what I was just saying?" Jianjun said to Joreen with a short laugh as he dodged the attack. 

Joreen could not help but laugh as she looked at the two of them.

Changyu returned to seat beside Joreen and apologize for the interruption. 

"So as I was saying, you are perfect. Don't let people's words get to you. You are just going to end up not liking your self once you think about changing and that's how depression slowly creeps in."

"Really?" Joreen still didn't sound sure. 

"Really."

"But... uncle Hoy... he... he said he is uncomfortable around me." She looked down dejectedly.

"Really? He said so himself?" 

Joreen remembered their conversation and shook her head. "Not.. directly. But I asked him if he was uncomfortable around me and he didn't give me an answer."

"Hmmm.." She began to think deeply. "Tell me Jo, how do you act around him?" She asked. 

"How?" Joreen wondered the question. "I behave normally. We talk..."

"Do you like to touch him? Hug him? Look directly into his eyes? Smile at him and maybe compliment his looks often?" She asked in a whisper so her husband wouldn't hear. 

She bobbed her head up and down. That was pretty much it. 

Changyu smiled before whispering. "Watch this closely."

She stood up and moved towards her husband who lifted his head to look at her suspiciously. 

Changyu smiled at him before she sat beside him on the bed and suddenly hugged him.

"What... do you think.. you are doing in front of Jo?" He asked with a flustered look and tried to push her away. 

She smirked at him before leaving his side to sit beside Joreen.

"Did you see his reaction just now?" 

Joreen nodded, wondering what her point was. 

"I bet you, he wouldn't react that way if you or Sara hugged him."

"So....?" 

"So... do not let anyone confuse you. There is a different kind of 'uncomfortable' your uncle Hoy feels when you are around him." She said with a wink that left Joreen confused.