"Babe?"

The second knock had Liang almost yelling at the person knocking on his bedroom's door.

He wanted to rest. Wanted to have this day to himself but it seemed Suyin wasn't going to give him the peace he so badly needed.

Remembering his father's words, he went to the door and opened it.

"Hey!" Her sparkling eyes suddenly turned sharp and she placed her hand on his forehead.

"You are sick?"

He was? Maybe he was, he didn't know. It seemed the heartaches he felt had overshadowed everything else.

"What's wrong? Why didn't you say anything?" She asked while inviting herself in.

"I am fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"Cut that nonsense! You are obviously sick and in need of medical attention. I will just place a call across to th—"

He held her hand firmly when she was about to reach for the telephone.

"Seriously. I just need to rest for a moment and I will be fine. I do not like medicines or injections."

"But—"

"I am fine." He assured her again before letting go of her hand.

"Do you need anything to help you feel better? Anything at all?" She asked.

"I shouldn't have let you drink so much last night." She began to regret it and blame herself.

Last night, he had finished two and a half bottles of strong wine. Heya had been the first to leave the table so her brother saw her off back to her room. Liang kept drinking until her brother returned and still kept drinking for an hour more. She had been worried but he claimed he was fine. She thought it was the reason he was sick right now.

"Excuse me?" He said, hinting for her to leave.

"Ring me incase you need anything. I will run down here immediately." She promised.

He thanked her before she left. He didn't bother to lock his door because he was too tired so he slumped down on the bed.

His mind travelled back to the conversation he had with his father that morning,

"What... are you saying?" Madam Zhu asked in horror after her son was done saying his piece and was about to leave the room. She followed and stood in between Liang and the door.

"I made myself clear enough. I do not want to continue with the wedding plans." He said firmly.

His father only sighed but said nothing as he remained seated on his seat.

Madam Zhu desperately pressed her palms together. "Please... you cannot do this."

"I can do whatever I want." He looked determined to go on with his plans which left his mother a lot worried.

"Please do not do this. You can't just say you are no longer interested now."

"So what do you want me to do?" He asked harshly. "Go on with the plans? Marry her? Why can't you all see that I do not love her? Maybe I wouldn't have much of a problem if she was like every other girl you had paired me up with in the past. But she seems nice and it would be unfair to go on with this when I feel nothing for her."

"But you were okay with the plan until Heya showed up. What are you going to do? Go back to date Heya?" His mother asked, almost getting angry. "She already broke your heart and left you shattered. It took a while for you to get yourself back. You want to go through all of that again?"

"I am tired mother." He saud with pleading eyes.

"Father..." He turned to look at his father. "I am tired. My heart hurts. And I think I will feel a lot worse if I marry Yan Suyin. I do not like her. I know she is nice, but I find her clingy and annoying sometimes. I cannot live with her."

"Okay." His father said with a nod, surprising his wife.

"If that is what you want, it's fine. I will not force you to marry a woman you do not love." He said, standing up.

Zhu Liang was a little surprised because he had not expected his father to agree with him easily.

"What are you saying to him? You are just going to—"

"But you have to wait until this trip is over." His father added, cutting off his mother.

"We will speak with the Yans so they would be aware you won't be having the engagement in the island. But still keep being nice to Suyin."

"Father—"

"We came to this vacation together as a family!" His father cut him off. "Breaking up with her here is not a good idea since we are all stuck here. How are you going to face her or her family until the vacation is over? You can't simply call a taxi to take you back home and neither can they. So you need to save our faces and do this for us. I do not care about the woman you eventually end up with but if you love her and she loves you too, then it is fine. Until then... please.. refrain from doing anything unwise. Do not let your emotions get the best of you."

Madam Zhu sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

"Thank you father." He said sincerely. "And I am sorry for putting you two through all of this." He bowed deeply before leaving the room.

But the question he kept asking himself was, after breaking up with Suyin, what was he going to do next?

*********

"Who was that girl earlier? A potential female suitor?" First madam Li asked Hoy when he returned, while wiggling her eye brows. Everyone turned their attention towards him especially Joreen who had been the first to return.

Joreen swore never to look at him but now, she couldn't help it. After remembering bits of how she embarrassed herself last night, she ran away from him while covering her face in shame.

She didn't know how she was supposed to face him now or what to say to him, neither could she pretend she didn't remember anything when all of her emotions always showed on her face.

But when her cousin's mother in-law asked, she could not help but look at him. She wanted to know his answer too. Thankfully, he wasn't looking at her direction like he was earlier so she didn't feel uncomfortable staring at him.

When Hoy realised he had to say something, he answered, "I met her for the first time yesterday. Nothing special happening there." He said in his usual indifferent tone.

"Really? It looked like she was into you." His mother said. She never let go of an opportunity to find him a partner. She didn't care about what family she came from, all she wanted was for her son to find someone.

"I don't think so. I don't really care." He picked up his wine glass to take a sip from it. It was an habit that developed over the years. Whenever he preferred not to talk about something, he focused on drinking especially when there was already a filled glass in front of him.

Hoy spared Joreen a quick glance. She looked away and kept her head down just before he looked away, he noticed she was smiling.

"If you keep being indifferent towards all the ladies who show interest in you, you will turn 40 and no one would want an old man!"

"I will." Joreen raised her head and absentmindedly spoke.

Hoy choked on his drink, accidentally spitting his drink back inside the glass.

It was something he had never done before but he was beyond surprised that he couldn't help it.

It wasn't until many surprised and curious eyes turned towards Joreen's direction that she realised she had said it out loud.

"I... mean I will take that glass there. Ha! Haha! Hahaha!" She said and began to laugh awkwardly while reaching for her mother's wine glass. The awkward smile never left her face but she tried not to make eye contact with anyone as she took a big gulp which burned her throat mercilessly. She winced before dropping it instantly.

"You are a big disgrace to humanity baby Jo." Reen whispered in amusement to the very embarrassed Joreen.

When Joreen noticed a lot of eyes were still staring at her, she stood up with a lame excuse about using the bathroom before running away.

Jaime stared at his stepdaughter's retreating figure suspiciously. He looked at Reen who was trying not to laugh and signalled for her to sit beside him on the seat Joreen just stood up from.

She complied and sat down beside her father so he turned to ask in a whisper, "Does Jo like him?"

"Mum didn't tell you about it?" She whispered back, surprised.

"What? Really?" Jaime was obviously surprised.

"That is... awkward. But.. interesting... I guess?" He said with a bit of confusion.