Hello, Mr Li: The Christmas Trip - Chapter 119

“I’m sorry.” Heya said softly with her head down. She feared she must have done something to greatly embarrass Zhu Liang and he was pissed.

They were both sitting in the living room. The others who had followed them inside had left them so Liang was helping to clean Heya’s wound in her hand.

“Do not apologize. You did nothing wrong.”

But she doubted him. His face was hard and cold.

“You… look pissed. You haven’t said anything to

me—”

“Because I am embarrassed Li Heya. Really embarrassed.” He cut in, his jaw hard.

She closed her eyes. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him. She had embarrassed him, herself, her family and also Suyin and her family.

“I am sorry for embarrassing you.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Look at me Heya.” He demanded, using one finger to raise her chin.

She slowly opened her teary eyes and looked at him. “I am embarrassed because I couldn’t do anything earlier. Embarrassed because Suyin called you names when it is all my fault. You didn’t deserve any of it. But I… disappointed you.”

Heya blinked in confusion. Why was he blaming himself? “If it wasn’t for me—”

“We would have all made wrong choices.” He completed her sentence.

“Suyin and I were bound to break up. I probably wouldn’t have gotten the courage to end things earlier had it not been for you. Suyin would have also been unhappy along the line.”

Heya blinked repeatedly as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “I don’t know what to feel now.”

He used his free hand to clean the tears from her eyes. “You did what you had to do. You shouldn’t worry about the Yan family. I will explain everything to them.” He was curious to know how Suyin found out if she didn’t tell her, but that wasn’t the main problem now.

“You should stay here tonight.” He suggested.

If she was going to return to the resort, the Yan family may probably come for her so it was best she stayed here with her family.

Heya looked at her dress. It was still dirty. She had nothing here since all her clothes were at the resort and she couldn’t borrow from anyone here since she was bigger than the other women.

As if reading her thought, he said, “I asked Sara. They are going to get some of your clothes here. You just have to endure for the next few days. I’m really sorry for putting you through this today. I wish there was some kind of way I can make amends.”

Heya shook her head. “It’s fine. A part of me is relieved she found out already.” She sighed deeply. “I will just meet her later and I hope she is going to listen to me.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I have to.” Heya said firmly.

There had been times she wished all those who wronged her would come apologize or at least, explain why they had done what they did, she felt Suyin would feel worse if she simply ignored her and acted like nothing happened. No matter what, she owed Suyin and apology and explanation since she had lied to the girl from the first day. Maybe if she had not pretended to not know Liang, things would have been better and she would have been a little more understanding.

Zhu Liang nodded. “Do whatever puts your mind at ease.” He finished wrapping her hand with a bandage and cupped her face.

“I am sorry for what happened today.”

She nodded slowly. He gave her a tiny smile before kissing her forehead.

*****

A frustrated scream followed by a breaking object resounded in Suyin’s room in the resort.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE CAUSED? You have shamed this entire family!!! I am sure this is going to be all over the tabloids by evening!” Madam Yan yelled angrily.

“SO WHAT? Do I look like I care? I am done with this family and I would appreciate it if you stayed away from me!”

“You have no right to decide that! How could you open your mouth and spill out our plan to the crowd? Your father is so pissed right now. I’m sure you would have been a dead meat had he followed me here.”

“Our plan? We had a plan?” Suyin laughed mockingly. “Your family is done for already.”

The quarrel went on for a while until madam Yan left the room angrily.

Immediately she left, Suyin broke down in tears. She wasn’t even bothered about the humiliation and embarrassment earlier.

She remembered the first day she saw Heya. She had thought she had found a friend. Who would have thought?

Zhu Liang had broken her heart and to crown it all up, her brother had been aware but didn’t tell her. So when he entered inside her room, she had asked him to leave.

“I can explained what happened.” Shen begged.

“I don’t want to hear a thing from you so get out of my room and act like you do not know me from today.”

“Damn it Suyin! Can you just try to listen to someone before flipping? I get it that you are hurt, but be reasonable. No one planned to hurt you.”

“So I am not reasonable?” She asked furiously. “No one planned to hurt me? So what was all that? You all must have seen me as a fool. You all hid this from me and you expect me to quietly listen to your lame excuses? No thanks. That’s the door.”

Shen was angry now. His sister was hurting and he wanted to help her but she wasn’t being reasonable. He did what she asked, leaving the room just like she wanted. He didn’t bother to close the door behind him, he just began to head towards his own room. This was the worst holiday of his life and he swore it was the last time he would be celebrating any holiday with his family.

Suyin looked at the door where her brother just walked out from and cried even more as she fell to the floor. She didn’t know how to explain the kind of pain she was feeling. It was slowly choking her.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed someone else enter inside the room and lifted her teary eyes to check who it was.

Joreen looked at Suyin on the floor. She could not understand the kind of pain she was in, but she knew it was swallowing her whole.

She had seen Suyin a couple of times inside the ship and also seen her with Heya, and she had always admired her sunny personality. How a sunny person turned into an almost maniacal person was something she could not understand.

Joreen had come with Reen to pick up some of Heya’s clothes. Reen had said she was going to look for Zichu first so Joreen offered to come up here alone. But she didn’t like this sight.

“What are you doing here?” Suyin asked bitterly. “Your cousin in-law wanted you to come see how miserable I am?” She asked amidst tears.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Joreen said as she entered inside the room. She gently closed the door behind her and looked at Suyin who was raising a questioning brow at her.

Suyin watched as Joreen took off her heels and went towards the bathroom. She returned with a small bowl from the bathroom, with water inside and a little towel.

“What are you doing?” Suyin asked.

Joreen moved closer to her and sat down on the floor in front of her.

“I always thought you were beautiful.” Joreen said, making Suyin look at her in confusion.

“You were always happy and bright whenever I saw you. I think if we let your face remain like this, you won’t like yourself by the time you wake up tomorrow.”

She dipped the towel inside the bowl and after squeezing it, she tried to use it on her face but Suyin snatched it from her.

“I am fine, so leave!”

“I cannot leave you like this.” Joreen stared firmly as she stood up.

She went to open the mini refrigerator and took out a pack of ice from inside. As she fixed the things, she spoke,

“They may not say it to you, but my family felt bad for what happened to you earlier.” She said with her back to Suyin.

“I remember some years ago, I was going through sister Sara’s friend’s bag and I saw an engagement card which belonged to her. I was confused to see sister Sara’s boyfriend’s name there. Her friend and boyfriend were secretly getting engaged without her knowledge. When I showed it to her, she went to the engagement party. I heard she called them names and walked away.”

“Well… people do react differently and we understand why you reacted the way you did. At least, I understand. My family only got angry when you started calling her names to put her down. Name–calling is a taboo in our family.”

She turned around and took the ice cubes to Suyin who was slowly cleaning her face. The more she wiped, the more tears left her eyes.

“I know you are mad at sister Heya, but just in case you need someone to talk to, or you need a family, you can always meet us.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” Suyin asked. “I just embarrassed Heya not too long ago.”

“You were also embarrassed and humiliated.” Joreen reminded her. “Sister Heya has a lot of people to cheer her up. I realised you didn’t.”

“And also, I know you are a nice person. Nice people deserve niceness.” She said with a small smile.