Heya had just woken up from sleep when she heard a knock on her door.

She wanted to ask who it was but stopped and became alert. Something told her it could be Zhu Liang. But that wasn't possible right? He can't just come in here to see her like they were best friends or a couple when Suyin was just in the opposite side.

She hurried to the door and checked through the peephole. To her relief, it wasn't Liang. But the person she saw made her heart began to beat very fast.

Slowly, she opened the door and the ever cheerful face came into view.

"Good morning." Suyin greeted her with a smile.

"Good... morn...ing..." Heya stuttered, not able to meet her eyes.

"Are you okay? Sick perhaps?" Suyin asked. The fact that she looked worried made Heya feel even more guilty.

"I'm good." Heya shook her head. "Just a little tired, that's it."

"It's just morning. What could possibly be tiring you out?" Heya asked, trying to keep a conversation with her but it was still difficult meeting her eyes.

Suyin was still standing outside so she ushered herself in, leaving Heya still standing by the door. This made her even more uncomfortable and different thoughts began to run through her head.

'What if Zu Liang's scent was still here?' Just like those werewolves pheromones.

'What if he had dropped something? A button or anything Suyin could recognize."

She tried to calm down because she realised she was overreacting. If he had left anything, she would have seen it since that day.

"I went to the gym room. Because I had a lot on my mind, I overworked myself and now I am exhausted." She sat on the couch inside the room and stretched her legs.

"How has it been with you?" She asked Heya who had closed the door and joined her.

"G–Good. Been busy writing a new song."

"Really?" Suyin asked with interest. "That song last night was amazing. You really wrote that?" Suyin asked with genuine curiosity.

Heya nodded and gave her a simple "Hmm."

"You are a talent Li Heya. I envy you greatly."

Heya managed to give her a very faint smile. It was always pleasing to know someone admired you, but coming from her, it made her feel a little bit awkward. "Thank you. But it's really nothing special."

"Do not try to be modest, Li Heya." She said with a small smile before looking at Heya curiously, "I am just wondering, what inspired you to write it? The song I mean."

"Eh?" Heya looked uncomfortable when Suyin asked.

"I mean, the passion you sang the song with, it was so real. Have you... ever been in a similar situation."

"I... cannot say for sure. Song writers are also good at writing fiction."

"And faking emotions perfectly? You could be an actress, you know." Suyin taunted her with a smile on her face.

"Look, I know how it feels like to hold onto that kind of love. I cannot say for sure if it is worth it or not, but... I have something selfish to ask of you."

"What.. is it?" Heya asked, trying not to panic. She wasn't sure she would be able to stay a full hour with Suyin when everything the girl said made her imagination run wild.

"Why... don't you give my brother a chance?" Suyin asked, looking directly at Heya.

"Wwwhat?" Heya blinked at her in disbelief.

"I mean.. it's an hopeless love after all. Why waste your love on someone you aren't sure of when there is a guy right in front of you who loves you?"

"What... do you mean?"

"Oh.. my bad. I shouldn't have said that since he hasn't said anything to you." She slapped her mouth while a playful smile played across her lips.

Heya's back was resting on the wall and she folded her arms across her chest while giving Suyin a serious look.

"Don't you think you are being a bit hypocritical?" Heya asked, startling Suyin.

"What?" Suyin looked flustered. The smile on her face vanished.

"I... don't understand."

"You know how it feels like to hold onto an hopeless love, don't you?" Heya asked. It wasn't difficult to deduce the kind of relationship she was in with Zhu Liang. Heya guiltily admits she knows Suyin was in love with Liang. She always talked about him, smiled at him and was clingy with him. Meanwhile, he was always indifferent, nonchalant and always kept a straight face around Suyin who was his supposed fiancee. She rarely saw him smile when he was with her, neither did he play around with Suyin like he did with her.

"Are you still holding onto that love?" Heya asked.

"..." Suyin looked away from her.

"Why?"

"I know it's probably not worth it but—"

"Then we should both let it go right?" She asked.

"You can't still hold onto yours and ask me to let go and be with someone else because he is your brother..."

"No. You are misunderstanding me Li Heya. I know brother Shen very well...."

"You are not being objective." Heya hissed, trying not to get angry. Yes, she was wrong for still wanting Liang even though he had a fiancee, but what Suyin was saying to her now didn't make any sense.

"I love him." Suyin admitted.

"Maybe it is hopeless, but I cannot give it up. Maybe if I meet someone who loves me very much, I can let go. But now... I don't think I can. No.." She shook her head and said with determination, "I don't want to."

Both ladies stared at each other for a while. The tension reduced when Suyin's phone began to ring.

"Excuse me." She said with an apologetic smile before taking her call. It was a call from her parents who wanted her to come to their room. Although the girl wasn't in the mood to go see them, she knew she had to.

"I guess we'll be seeing each other later. Or probably when we arrive the island."

Only now did Heya remember they were supposed to arrive the island by afternoon or evening. She also remembered Suyin had mentioned she wanted her official engagement on the island. She really wasn't looking forward to any of this.

*****

The entire morning, Hoy didn't see Joreen which was strange. Even though she wasn't speaking with him much lately, they would have at least bumped into each other in the hallway, somewhere in the ship, or simply passed each other. But they didn't cross paths at all.

It was already past 1pm. Maybe she saw the news and had locked herself in? He thought to himself but shook his head. It wasn't possible... right? He desperately hoped. He wondered if she had had lunch or at least breakfast.

Remembering he had a fruit salad inside the freezer which he had ordered for earlier, he went to take it and decided he was going to give it to her.

After making up his mind, he left his room and went to the opposite room.

When he knocked, the person's voice he heard was Reen's.

She opened the door and looked a bit surprised to see him standing there before she forced out a smile.

Hoy noticed she looked a bit colder than her usual self. Was it possible she heard about how their mother had fought? If she heard about it, it meant she was aware about the reason they had fought which also meant Joreen must have heard about it also.

"Uncle Hoy." She greeted softly with a polite bow.

"Is Joreen inside?" He asked, pretending like he didn't notice how unwelcomed he was.

Reen looked behind her, wondering whether to let him inside or not.

"Uncle Hoy?" Joreen called in surprise. She was standing far behind Reen but could see who was at the door.

"I was on my way out." Reen bowed again before she walked away. Hoy looked at her retreating figure and concluded that something was definitely up.

Joreen stood there, giving him a questioning look. She was still wearing her pajamas even though it was already noon. Thankfully, she didn't look like she had cried so just maybe, she didn't see the news? But her dull countenance was saying otherwise.

"I brought you this." It wasn't until he stepped inside the room that he realised his mistake. It wasn't up to 24 hours that a scandal started to circulate round about them yet, he was entering inside her room!

"For me?" Joreen asked, sounding slightly surprised as she reached for the fancy little nylon. She looked inside and saw the transparent little plate filled with diced fruits of different kinds.

"Why do you sound surprised?" He asked curiously. He was giving her mere fruits.

"I..." Her lips formed a line before she looked down. "I thought you were mad at me."

"Mad at you?" He asked in surprise. "Why would I be?"

She sighed before going go drop the bag on her dressing table.

"I'm... sorry uncle Hoy." She turned around to look at him with sad eyes.

"Now I understand why you always did some of the things you did and why you restricted me from doing some things I wanted to do. My stubbornness dragged you into a terrible scandal—"

He shook his head and raised a hand to stop her from saying further.

"That is not important." He said seriously, "I am only worried about you, Luo Joreen. How you feel is more important."