"Jo.. show mum and dad the—" Reen paused when she entered inside the room with her parents but didn't find Joreen inside. 

It had been difficult finding her parents because those two didn't like to remain in a position for long. One minute they were here, next, they were somewhere entirely different, exploring things around. She guessed she had spent more than 30 minutes looking for them. 

"Where is she?" Jaime asked while Cixi already went to the bed to look at the things there. She saw the note and frowned as she began to read it, "You always remind me of chocolates, brown, pretty and tasty— now who is this crazy bastard?" She asked angrily. 

"And where is Jo?" Jaime asked again. 

Before the thought could creep into their minds that the crazy person must have kidnapped her, Reen checked her phone and saw the text from Joreen, saying she would be back soon and only went outside for fresh air. 

"I cannot believe we are dealing with one idiot who is trying to tarnish her image by taking implicating photos and now this..." Jaime said with a sigh. 

"Call her. She should come back here. Or even better, let's go outside together." Cixi suggested. 

The others nodded and quickly left the room.

********

"Do not mind me really... I... am just passing." Joreen repeated. When he still didn't say anything, she blew up at him.

"You aren't going to say anything!?" She looked at his face seriously, and surprisingly heard him chuckle before tapping the space beside him for her to sit. 

She raised a brow. Was he seriously asking her to sit beside him right now? 

"Sit. You are going to trip or get tired the more you stand there." He said. This time, he wasn't looking away from her. He was directly looking at her. Willing his eyes to remain in her face and not trail down to either her exposed neck/collar or to her thighs since she was wearing a play suit which barely covered her thighs.

He already realised how much Joreen liked to reveal skin and he wouldn't stop her from doing whatever made her comfortable especially when her parents were not complaining about it. 

"Uhm... o-kay. But I am only staying because you asked me to." She said, trying to act indifferent as she turned to slowly sit. 

"That's right." He said, sounding like he didn't believe her. 

Absentmindedly, she sat down on the rock beside him and her eyes widened when she realised she was sitting on top of something. 

She turned to look at what she was sitting on. At first, she had thought maybe it was some kind of sea animal which had creeped to their side or somethig else which was also dangerous, but when she actually realised what she was sitting on, she wished it had been a sea animal instead. She literally gasped and looked at Hoy's face. He was looking at her with a raised brow, 

"You are going to remain like that?" He asked quietly. 

As if that was the cue she needed, she jumped and began to apologize profusely. 

She had just sat on his hand! What was his hand doing there? How come her weight didn't even crush his palm? Most important question, how was he not getting embarrassed right now? 

He didn't say a word but returned to what he was probably doing before she sat down. He was cleaning the place for her. He dusted twice with his bare hands before asking her to sit.

Still embarrassed, she began to sit.

"You may want to check again?" He said when her butt was midair, ready to sit on the rock. 

She stopped and turned to look at it again. 

The sight looked too funny that Hoy couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips.

She frowned at him but sat down anyway. Looking at the anklet around her ankle, she wondered if he hadn't seen it. 

How was she going to raise the topic? 

'Hey? Did you get me this for Christmas?'

'Uncle Hoy, did you leave this under the tree for me?'

But before she could, he spoke,

"You haven't showered today." He pointed out causally. 

Once again, her eyes widened. How did he take note of things like that! 

"I know how you look like after you've showered. You don't have to deny it." He said, looking at her. 

"How do I look like then and now?" She asked curiously and realised she had just indirectly admitted she hadn't showered. She could have just denied it to the end! Besides, she was wearing powder, lipgloss, a perfume and her hair was styled. How could he tell?

"You don't have to know. Just always try to shower early for goodness sake Jo. At least you should have done it today for Jesus!" 

"What?" 

"What?" He asked when he noticed how suspiciously she was staring at him. 

"That's... weird. You would have been compelling me to shower. But you are actually sounding... placating. Are you sure you are the same uncle Hoy, I know?" 

He looked away from her, a tiny smile creeping up his face. 

"You are a big girl. You should do whatever makes you happy."

"Really?" She asked with a smile. Not because he was giving her his 'permission' because obviously, she didn't need his permission. But because he thought she was a big girl. Step one complete. At least he was no longer saying, 'You are not yet an adult Jo.' 

"Really." He nodded in agreement.

"So why did you find me here?" He asked, making her frown. 

"I. DIDN'T. EVEN. KNOW. YOU. WERE. HERE!" She said in a matter of fact tone. "I just wanted to take a stroll and I accidentally saw you here. It was you who asked me to sit with you. Remember?" 

"Fair point Luo Joreen. Just let me know whenever you wish to shift careers from acting to becoming a lawyer, I will sponsor it." 

"You are being sarcastic."

"Of course I am. You are a terrible liar. You will never win a case." 

"What?! I don't have to lie to win a case! I can stay truthful and still win." 

"I like how you think sometimes." 

"You are being sarcastic again." She said with a pout and frowned again when he simply shrugged. 

Remembering why she had come here in the first place, she stuck her leg out and raised it in the air.

"Was this your gift to me?" She asked. 

He looked at her well pedicured nails which was coloured with white polish. Her leg was tiny, spotless and beautiful. Those who had feet fetish would probably kill for this. 

But that wasn't what she was showing him. He moved his eyes to the object around her ankle which was shining.

"You got me this, didn't you?" She asked, desperately hoping it was him. 

"Do you like it?" He asked instead. 

Was she seeing things clearly? Why did it look like he was hoping she would say she liked it? 

Knowing Hoy clearly, she knew he would probably not give her a simple yes or no answer. So this meant this was a gift from him. 

"How did you know I wanted an anklet? I didn't think you ever paid attention to me or what I wanted. In fact, you never paid attention to me at all unless I am forcing it in you." 

"You've always had my attention, Luo Joreen." His eyes twitched when he realised what he just said. Why was that sounding quite different than he had intended for it to? 

"Really?" She asked, sounding a little surprised. She always had his attention? 

"But... I don't think I do. Because you are always busy and you act like I am bugging you whenever I try to get your attention." 

He took in a deep breath and turned to look at her. "I will only say this once so listen attentively." 

"Wh—"

"I know and see everything you do. So you always have my attention even without trying. So when you try, it simply means you are getting my attention in double fold." 

Joreen looked quite surprised to hear that. He looked at her face for a moment and noticed how it was filled with different emotions— excitement, realization, confusion. 

"Does that..." She paused and frowned before getting the courage to look directly into his eyes. "Does that mean you... like me?" 

"I mean... that sounds... kind of creepy but... I... am not sure I mind.." 

Okay, he really wasn't expecting that question. 

He chose not to answer. He believed it was safest to ignore it. If he said yes, she may probably get super excitement. If he said no, she would probably get mad at him and continue with Jaime's evil plan of giving him the cold shoulder. 

"You should go back in before you catch a cold." 

"I will go in if that's what you want." 

"Be good." 

"I always am good." She snorted. 

When he continued looking ahead, a mischievous smile appeared on her face and she quickly leaned forward. 

She puckered her lips and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, close to the corner of his mouth. 

She noticed how stiff he became but she didn't wait to see his reaction or hear when he had to say. She stood up and literally ran, not minding the fact that the rocks could trip her. 

As she ran, she yelled, "Merry Christmas Li Hoy."