The awkwardness between Li Hoy and Luo Joreen continued even after two days had passed. It was the 10th day of the trip and two days to New Year's day.

Joreen made sure to avoid him. It was quite easy since he had skipped joining them for breakfast and dinner with different vague excuses the second day and just this morning, she heard he had moved to his room in the resort. When she heard it, she remembered what happened there and immediately shivered.

"Okay, I don't think I continue to pretend like nothing happened between you two. You better talk to me!" Reen said, sitting down beside Joreen. She was watching the sea just like the other time, but this time, she was well dressed in a Jean and sweater.

"What are you talking about?" She asked Reen, feigning ignorance but her older sister wasn't having any of it.

"It's obvious to everyone that something happened between you and Uncle Hoy. So tell me happened." Reen demanded.

"I would have assumed he said something to hurt you, but considering how he is also trying to avoid you, I think it is actually mutual." Reen reasoned.

"So tell me. Did something happen? Like... an awkward kiss for example?" She reduced her voice to a whisper as she asked.

Joreen could trust Reen with all of her secrets and knew her older sister would always cover for her. If she didn't want their parents to know, Reen wouldn't tell. But it was too embarrassing to say it out.

"We didn't... do that." Joreen shook her head.

"So... was it something worse or better?" Reen inquired.

Worse! Definitely worse!

"It was worse."

Reen gasped. "Worse?" She asked with curious eyes. "Did he... grope you? Like... grab your boobs pervertedl—"

"HEY! Why are you thinking nonsense?" Joreen yelled at her Reen, startling her.

"Then tell me so I can stop guessing! I am tired of watching you live like this. You are going to be turning 18 in two days and you need to be happy. Once you turn 18, you will have the leverage to do a lot of things. You can even kiss uncle Hoy without anyone freaking out about it!" She winked at Joreen.

"HE SAW ME NAKED!" Joreen blurted out with her eyes closed.

She waited for one second, two seconds, three seconds but Reen still didn't say a word so she opened one eye to peek at her sister and noticed how wide Reen's eyes were.

"He... saw you..." Reen looked around to make sure no one was within earshot before whispering, "...naked?"

Joreen's answer was to bury her face in her hands.

"How... did it happen?" Reen asked curiously.

Joreen quickly explained how his mother had suggested they go to the resort and gave her Hoy's room key. After showering, he opened the door and then she had slipped so he caught her and then...

"I... think he reacted down... there... I.. felt it.." Joreen stuttered in a tiny voice. "I was so shocked so I slapped him!"

"Oh my!" Reen used her hands to cover her mouth. Her eyes were still very wide.

Joreen felt a little better after telling someone. She saw her sister move closer and hugged her while they were still both seated.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. It must have been really embarrassing for you."

Joreen nodded.

"But you don't blame uncle Hoy right?" Reen asked, pulling away from the hug to look at her face.

"He is not the type to deliberately do that if he knew you were there."

"I know. I think he is probably mad at me. First, I went inside his room without his permission, and then he saved me from falling but I slapped him. Even after I did that, he was still worried about me and didn't let go of me."

"Wow! He even held you!" Reen couldn't seem to shake off that part.

"Look, I don't think he is mad at you. Maybe he is also embarrassed because of it? You said you felt 'it' right? Maybe he is pissed at himself for reacting that way to you? Or maybe he thinks you are mad at him? Or maybe it is a combination of everything and he thinks you would feel better if you do not see him?"

"But... what am I going to do? I can't face him." She shook her head vigorously. "It's embarrassing. I was naked! Completely naked! And I can swear he saw my underwear. I was wearing a red and white mismatched underwear. He just... saw everything all at once!"

Reen did her best to suppress a laugh. "Look, I understand. But you cannot hide from him forever. Besides, it's making a whole lot of eyebrows raise. And also, do you realise how many women here are interested in him? I've caught him with at least two different women."

"Re..ally?" Joreen frowned. The more she hid from him, the more she was going to lose him to other woman. She sighed deeply. "I miss him." Joreen said with a sad frown.

"Aww... my baby sister is all grown up and now misses a man." Reen teased. "Just meet him and apologize for going into his room and hitting him. I'm sure he'll apologize for what he saw..." Reen ran her eyes over Joreen's body and smirked, "But I think it's going to take a while before that image leaves his head. You are very attractive..." She wiggled her eyebrows and ducked when Joreen tried to hit her.

"Make sure not to tell mum and dad about this. They would freak out!" Joreen said and Reen nodded.

"I know. My lips are sealed." She made a gesture of zipping her lips and Joreen sighed in relief.

"So how am I supposed to find him?" Joreen asked. She was still very embarrassed but she had to set things right and apologize. Hopefully, they would put this behind them and act like it never happened after today. She missed his presence in the house.

"Go to his room!"

"I cannot do that!" Joreen rebuked the idea immediately. "What if someone takes a photo of me again and spread silly rumours?"

"Don't worry too much about it. I'll follow you and stay outside to watch everywhere. If I see any suspicious looking person, I'll deal with him or her." Reen assured her.

After thinking about it for a moment, Joreen nodded and stood up.

"Ready?" Reen asked her.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Ready."

~~

The sisters had just arrived at the second floor and was about to take the stairs which would lead them to the third floor when Reen bumped into someone because she was busy talking to Joreen and didn't look at where she was going to.

"I'm so sorry." Reen apologized immediately. She raised her head to look at the person she had bumped into. He looked quite young, probably in his mid twenties. He was wearing the uniform which the employees here wore. He looked kind of familiar to Reen but she wasn't sure she had met this guy before.

"It's no problem miss Luo. I am sorry for not watching carefully." He said with a smile and looked at the two.

Reen and Joreen looked at each other. It wasn't unusual that he knew who she was but she still asked, "Do you know me?"

"Of course! I probably know everyone here. You are miss Luo Reen and she is your stepsister Luo Joreen, an actress and model."

Reen frowned at the term 'stepsister'. "She is my younger SISTER." Reen corrected with a forced smile.

Joreen didn't seem to mind. In fact, her mind was long gone from here. She was thinking about how she was going to face him and what she was supposed to say first. What if Hoy didn't want to see her? Or worse, what if he was with a woman inside his room?

"You... don't know me?" The young man asked Reen. He looked hopeful as if he was waiting for her to say his name.

Reen wondered why he was asking her that. "Have we met before?"

Before he could answer, someone suddenly shoved him to the side and grabbed his collar roughly.

The two girls looked at the scene in surprise and confusion as they wondered what was happening?

"What do you think you are doing?" The young man who was assaulting him asked in a dark voice.

"Ning... Zichu?" Reen called in surprise.

Zichu turned and slowly let go of the other's collar.

The other man looked annoyed as he tried to adjust his collar.

"What are you doing?" Reen asked Zichu in annoyance. She didn't want to believe she had saved him the other time from a bully when he was a bully himself.

"Forgive him..." The other young man said, walking towards them again.

"My younger brother seems to get aggressive sometimes."

Younger brother?

Reen and Joreen looked at themselves before looking at Zichu. No wonder Reen thought the young man looked familiar. He was the older brother Zichu had talked about who also worked here. She remembered how uncomfortable Zichu had been when he talked about his brother. What was up with the two?

"I'm Ning Xiehan by the way."

"And he was just leaving." Zichu said before pulling his hand aggressively.