XG 40 - Here to dig something from her?
Kang Xunsu chewed on a piece of tender meat, thinking that while Chen Yibo had cooked the meat right, there does not seem to have any seasonings added in it. Even so, it was still an amazing standard for a young master's cooking. "There's no reply from the big boss?"
Seated around the dining table, other than the two little masters, only Kang Xunsu and Noodle joined them for dinner, while others were still resting. They arrived at the villa late after they finished carrying their luggage.
Wong Xue Guo, who was bitterly complaining about Chen Yibo's craft in cooking that was way better than she assumed in her mind, pulled out her mobile phone to check. "No."
Her father must be dealing with what he planned to do on this island. With that thought in mind, she was hesitating whether to call him or not, in fear of disturbing him. Messaging was the only way.
The wait for his reply was agonizing. She was acting like a phone addict, unable to part from it or able to resist occasionally looking up the screen to check for any message.
"Xunsu, do you know why father wants to come to this island?"
Kang Xunsu shrugged. "I think only your mother, and possibly Aurora, would know why."
Wong Xue Guo's legs swung back and forth under the table. "You used to work for my father before staying with my mother, right?"
"Huh..." Kang Xunsu rested his chin on his palm, lazily chewing on the meat. "Who told you?"
"You told me."
"... I'm pretty sure I will remember if I did. Little Princess, since when did you become a liar, huh?"
Wong Xue Guo presented him with an apathetic stare. "For you to have seen Father's godson once or twice, it means you used to stay beside my father. When my mother went to visit father, you never go along. With mother's unfriendliness towards him, I doubt he ever visited our home?"
Wong Xue Guo could never remember the earliest memory of meeting Kang Xunsu. It could be said he had been by her side ever since she could remember, even the possibility of already being under employment since her birth.
"You haven't even asked others if they had seen Chin Chun before." Kang Xunsu pointed his fork at Noodle, with half-eaten meat dangling on it.
"I have never seen him before!" Noodle quickly reported. "I've already told Miss!"
Kang Xunsu was dismissive of Noodle's reply. "Noodle is only with us, like a year ago? He won't know so much anyway."
Wong Xue Guo tapped her spoon onto her plate with impatience. "I don't want to know if the others have seen Chin Chun or not. What I want to know is whether you used to be a gangster like my father before switching to a bodyguard job."
In the past, she often tried to dig out Kang Xunsu's past and was only able to find out he was an orphan illegally shipped to Hong Kong when he was just a baby. He grows up in the streets, doing random jobs which he never elaborated on. When she tried to press for more, he would then feed her L.L.'s story instead.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Are you still friends with my father's current gang members?"
"Why do you want to know that?" Kang Xunsu stared at her in puzzlement.
Chen Yibo asked, "You want their phone numbers?"
Wong Xue Guo teased. "Hey, Xunsu. Yibo is smarter than you. And here you claim you know me well."
Kang Xunsu let out a 'tsk' and pulled out his phone. "I know when you peed your bed or cry for your mummy after a nightmare."
With a scoff, she retorted. "What's the use of knowing it when I'm not even your daughter? Don't let other fathers laugh at you for being an ambitious yet single man."
"How do you even know if I'm still single?" Kang Xunsu shot back.
"So you managed to capture Aurora already?"
Kang Xunsu: (â_â)
He could not control himself and blurt out in astonishment. "Holy shit! Where did you hear that from?!"
Noodle, who had been avidly listening to their bicker while eating, was also surprised by the sudden gossip until his rice fell from his shaking spoon. "Leader, you are-"
"Zip your mouth, junior." Kang Xunsu stopped his junior, who was gasping in awe, from completing his praise. "Fruity, did L.L. tell you about that?"
Wong Xue Guo snickered. "What makes you think L.L is the type to gossip? Such little trust. What would your best pal think after knowing this?"
Chen Yibo had never seen Wong Xue Guo this lively and talkative before. As far as he had witnessed, she does not even have half of her current liveliness when she was with her two best friends. Between her two personas, he preferred this one where she would say whatever she thought without fear. Maybe, she does not need to fear being judged by their current group.
He was a little happy to be included in the small group.
"Princess." Kang Xunsu pinned Wong Xue Guo with a stern gaze.
"Oh, how did I know?" Wong Xue Guo shrugged. "Your gaze, for starters. You look at Aurora the same way as my father does to my mother. Only that it's half as intense, which is good or you will get to be labeled as a pervert."
"No way," Kang Xunsu immediately denied. "You, little princess, sucks in reading people-"
"I don't forever suck, duh. Aunty Cheung also-" Wong Xue Guo paused. "She also notices it."
Their mood was subdued at the mention of Aunty Cheung. Each of them has a good relationship with the motherly Aunty Cheung, even the neighbor Chen Yibo.
"Your mother told me to teach you some self-defense while waiting for her to arrive." Kang Xunsu stretched after finishing his meal. "I think you should build up your stamina first."
She has no complaints about it. It was good that her mother allowed her to learn. "Hm... Let's start tonight then. I will do some running around the house with Yibo."
"Hmm?" A little distracted, Chen Yibo only reacted a second longer before turning to stare at her.
"What are you thinking? You will accompany me to run a few laps around the compound. You will get to accompany me and exercise at the same time. Let's meet up at ten."
Chen Yibo nodded. They will need to digest their meal before exercising. "Two laps will be fine for tonight. You can add more laps tomorrow morning."
Wong Xue Guo does not know if she could finish two laps around the villa, but she still answered positively. "Got it."
But an hour and a half before the appointed exercise with Chen Yibo, they have guests.
Using Kang Xunsu as the doorkeeper, Wong Xue Guo dashed to the room where Aurora was resting and shook her awake quickly. No way was she going to face Lok Hui Man alone, even if there was Chen Yibo with her.
As the owner, Wong Xue Guo could take her time before appearing to greet her guest, as long as it was not too long. Hence she waited until Aurora finished cleaning up.
Unlike the previous stern expression, Lok Hui Man was spotted with a smile and dressed rather casually. Wong Xue Guo almost thought she recognized the wrong person. Behind her was the male assistant that had followed her this morning, but he looked more approachable than his previously unfriendly face.
Why does she feel as if they were here to dig something from her?
Lok Hui Man praised in admiration, "You have a rather nice villa. These villas are rather hard to purchase, with the sea right behind the house."
"My father purchased it before it finished being developed. He's lucky to have heard the news and purchased it before the news got to most people. I heard it's mostly thanks to Madam Lok that the launching goes smoothly."
"That is just a small matter. You can just call me elder sister Man. There is no need for formality between us."
Aurora discreetly let out a cough, when she was actually hiding her laughter. She had researched Lok Hui Man's background and knew of her real age. Calling her auntie would be better for Wong Xue Guo.
Wong Xue Guo lowered her gaze as she maintained her friendly smile. Lok Hui Man must have wanted something from her, or her family, to have such an enthusiastic personality than before. This was not the first time someone dared to act friendly or close to her, just hoping to get some benefits from her family.
It was rather disgusting, yet necessary to maintain harmony and survival. Only arrogant people with high self-confidence or those with their own ability would not care about making friends.
"How would I dare be so informal to you, Madam Lok," Wong Xue Guo rejected politely. "My mother would chastise me if I did not show proper respect to you."
Before Lok Hui Man continued insisting, Chen Yibo started speaking. "Madam Lok has an urgent matter to speak with us at such a late hour? Is there something wrong with the house deed?"
"No, there's nothing wrong at all. Thanks to your assistant, the checking went smoothly. I, representing the residents of Penang Island, are here to welcome you back properly."
Wong Xue Guo: Oh, she feels so important now.
Her sarcasm was deeply hidden in her mind as she continued smiling like how she had practiced for years under her teacher's guidance. "Thank you, Madam Lok. Penang Island has such wonderful and kind neighbors."
Not that she had the chance to meet her neighbors yet.
Lok Hui Man took a sip of tea before voicing her true purpose of tonight's visit. "Forgive me for my intrusion, that I took the chance to look into who your parents are while I'm checking your deed. I discovered your mother is Suzie Yap, much to my delight."
Although Lok Hui Man had gone to the point, it was not direct enough for Wong Xue Guo. She does not want to be the one that pries detail from Lok Hui Man, where the other woman will take her question as agreement to help her.
What a headache. It was even worse when her mother was not here to block the attention from her.