"Hey! Over here." Yan Shen waved when he saw Heya standing by the door of the dining area, her eyes searching the place for him. They had both agreed to meet here and he had been 20 minutes early.

His waving hand caught her attention. She smiled faintly before she began to approach his direction. She was dressed in a simple sweatshirt with a hoodie and blue jeans. It made him feel overdressed since he was wearing a shirt with a corporate pant, neatly tucked. He had always thought young mistresses from rich homes liked to dress extravagantly, since he had met quite a lot. The only exception before he started this trip, was his sister, Yan Suyin. But during this trip, he saw a lot of young mistresses who weren't fond of flashy and colorful outfits and Heya was one of them.

"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting for too long. I had to make sure all my stuffs were packed and I'm not missing anything." Heya said as she took the seat opposite him.

"It's okay. I only just got here a little while ago." He said with a gently smile.

"I... am not underdressed right?" Heya asked with a sheepish smile as she looked around.

It made him laugh, "I think I am the one who is overdressed. Every other person here is dressed casually since we are going to arrive at the island soon."

When she looked around, everyone in the room were all dressed casually just like her. It made her feel relieved but also embarrassed for Shen.

"Maybe I should have dressed a bit... better?"

"It's sweet that you worry about me. But trust me, I am fine." He assured her with a sweet smile. "Would you like to order now? They have a few delicious snacks left."

"I think I'll pass."

"Why? Do not tell me you are on a diet?"

Heya laughed before she nodded.

"I am."

"Why?" He asked. He wasn't laughing now but he looked really serious and curious.

"Why do people go on a diet?" She threw the question back at him.

"There are different reasons... I'm speaking as an athlete right now. You aren't an athlete. If you are asking for my opinion, I think you have a great body."

When he saw her looking at him with slightly widened eyes, he waved his hands frantically. "No... I... I don't mean in a perverted way. I.. well.. it's..."

"Haha! It's fine." Heya said as she laughed. "And thanks for the compliment."

He sighed in relief when he realised she wasn't pissed at him. "I didn't want you to take it the wrong way." He explained.

"I understand." She assured him.

"You don't look very happy today. Did.. something happen?" He asked. Although she wasn't the type to smile much, he could tell something was particularly wrong today.

"Well... today was supposed to be my grandmother's birthday."

"Then?"

"She is dead."

"Oh! I'm so sorry." He said sincerely. He remembered how he felt when his maternal grandmother died. The woman had practically raised him so when she died, he fell into depression back then.

"It's fine. That was 10 years ago."

"Doesn't mean it's not still painful. Losing someone is always painful." He said with a sad sigh. "Is your family having a memorial for her?"

"We usually gather together around this time of the year because of her. Before she died, she asked for every member of the family to be united. So even though some may have forgotten today was supposed to be her birthday, at least everyone is here together as one big happy family. I'm sure she'll be happy wherever she is."

"I pray for her soul." Shen said, pressing his palms together and closing his eyes.

Heya watched in amusement before she laughed out and said, "Amen."

******

"You don't have to look so uncomfortable Jo. Do not worry, these things are bound to happen when people fall in love. So do not feel bad because your mother fought with your potential mother in-law oka—"

"DAD!!!!" Joreen looked horrified. She had been giving Hoy the impression that she didn't have feelings for him, also agreeing that her drunken state and spurred that confession, what was he going to think of her after hearing all this?

"What is the matter Jo?" Jaime asked, looking a bit shocked by the way she had raised her voice at him.

"I... want to sleep. You both can leave now." She said, hurrying to open the door for both of them to go out.

Jaime still stood there while Cixi didn't even bother to stand up from the couch.

"Did we do something wrong?" Jaime asked in confusion.

"She probably is mad at me because I fought with Hoy's mother. What a silly girl! I was even taking her side." Cixi pulled off her shoe and lay down on the couch with her head on the armrest.

Joreen looked at her mother in surprise. Why wasn't she leaving? She turned to look at her father who went to sit on the bed.

"You both really need to leave.... please." She begged, realizing that was her last hope.

"Look..." Cixi sat up and glared at her daughter.

"I understand how you feel. And just maybe, I can understand why you aren't happy with me. But I didn't have a choice. I won't sit back and allow other people insult my children just because my daughter fell in love with their so—"

"Mom!" Joreen screamed again. "Can you... just stop saying that... please? I... am not in love with anyone." She said, biting her lower lip in embarassment.

"You are finally giving up?" Cixi asked in surprise.

"What? Giving up? After all the coaching I gave you to make him fall for you, you are giving up? Why? Is it because he is too dense?" Jaime asked, sounding genuinely curious and concerned.

"Oh God! Pleaseeeee." Joreen looked like she was going to burst into tears any minute. Whenever she asked them to stop talking, they said even more embarrassing things.

"What's wrong with her?" Jaime asked his wife in confusion as he kept looking between the two women.

"Jo? Are you okay? Did he by chance blame it all on you? Is that why you are giving up? He dared try to blame you for the scandal?" Cixi was already getting angry even before Joreen could answer. She stood up from the couch, ready to march to Hoy's room.

When it looked like Jaime was about to say something, which Joreen believed was going to be even more embarrassing again, Joreen closed her eyes, prepared to really shout at them to leave her room.

But when she opened her mouth to talk, the words that came out were entirely different.

A heavy silence fell inside the room and the couple stood still, staring at their daughter with wide, surprised eyes.

"What.. did you just say?" Cixi asked.

What did she say? Joreen wondered what she had said. When she realised it, she gasped.

She had said, "CAN YOU STOP TALKING! HE IS CURRENTLY LISTENING TO EVERYTHING!!!"

"I... didn't say... anything." She tried to deny while shaking her head but her parents weren't buying it.

"You said he is listening? How? Where?" Cixi asked as she eagerly peered at her daughter's face.

"That... was a slip of tongue." Joreen said immediately.

Cixi and Jaime stared at each other. Joreen watched them exchange a look before the two turned.

"Wait.. what.. are you doing?" Joreen asked but her father had quickly reached for her phone which was on the bed, to check if she had been on a call before they came and if the call was still ongoing.

He shook his head at his wife, telling her there wasn't any call.

Cixi nodded once. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on the bathroom's door.

"What are you doing?" Joreen panicked. She literally ran until she was standing in front of her mother, blocking her from getting to the bathroom door.

"What is this?" Cixi glared at Joreen.

"Please don't do this." Joreen pressed her palms together and begged in a very low voice so Hoy wouldn't hear.

"Don't do what?" Cixi asked, raising a brow at her.

"Baby, we should let her be. Since she wants to be alone, let us give her some privacy." Jaime said to his wife.

Cixi turned to look at her husband and nodded,

"Okay. If that is what you want." She said to Joreen before turning to leave with her husband.

Joreen sighed in relief and followed behind them so she would lock the door immediately they step out.

Seeing how relaxed their daughter was now, Cixi took that as cue and dashed past Joreen who didn't register what was happening until her mother was almost at the bathroom's door.

Before she could complete her sentence to tell her mother to leave her room, Cixi opened the door and entered inside.

For the first time, Cixi saw Hoy looking completely embarrassed.

"He..llo auntie." He greeted awkwardly, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks.