SNL 2020

Weird Games

Qing: (letting my hand go) (romantic mood gone) No.

Me: Qing.

Qing: (scowling at me) Did Mama call you? Did you two connive again to act like a bridge between me and them?

Me: Well...

His mother did call me. Asking me to talk to her son about Qing's stubbornness issue that, breaking news, he inherited from his parents.

Qing: Stop that. She's just using you, Dayu ah. That's Mama. She is manipulative. And she married a bastard. They deserve each other.

Me: They are your parents.

Qing: Exactly. That's why I am like this...

Me: What? Properly educated who lived most of his life in luxury? Yes, that's you...

Qing: (storm on his eyes) (cold tone) I don't owe them anything. They chose to give birth to me, they raised me but that's their obligation. I am not indebted to them. They cannot guilt or order me back into that museleom. Don't let yourself be used by them. Dayu ah...stay by my side.

Me: I am by your side. I am on your side, Qing. I am Team Qing, you know that.

Qing: (picking his spoon again) Good. Stay that way and never mention them again. Lets eat. You cooked, Love...lets not waste your effort. And I don't want a fight.

I don't want a fight either...so I followed his lead and started eating as well. We finished dinner well enough and then Qing went elsewhere to do whatever after I volunteered to clean up as well. Usually the one who didn't cook cleans up but this time, I think I don't want Qing touching my kitchen wares while his mind is distracted. He might break something again.

(Your kitchen wares?)

Stop kidding yourselves, I own this kitchen. I just let Qing cook here every now and then but this place is mine and Qing knows that that's why he respect my love for this particular part of our home. I handpicked most of the things in this kitchen, I cataloged them all in my head. If something got broken or went missing, I usually replace them with the same design or brand. My OCD will accept nothing but that.

Qing's stormy mood continued all through the weekends. The hard part was both Zhu gege and JiJi are sympathetic to Qing's feelings. They understand where Qing is coming from, especially Zhu gege.

Wang Zhu: (during a video call to Qing) If Uncle knew about the reason why I beat you up fourteen years ago, he should have told us instead of letting us both stew in guilt and dash like mad people looking for that blasted thing.

Qing: (sighing) I'm sorry, gege. Truly...

Wang Zhu: Yeah, I know how sorry you are, Qing. I know.

Qing: Are you sure Uncle doesn't know anything?

Wang Zhu: (nodding) Yes. He was surprised too. He never knew that Great Grandmi's brooch went missing. Baba assumed GrandMa gave it to Auntie. He said the brooch's style won't suit Mama anyways so he was never interested in it.

Qing: I hate this...

Wang Zhu: Hey, I know you are mad. Did you and Uncle fought about it?

Me: Yes.

Wang Zhu: (frowning) You were there, Dayu ah?

Me: Yes. Unfortunately...

Wang Zhu: (grunting) Well, just how many fights do you planned to witness anyways?

Me: None. But this year sucks all around so why the hell not, right?

Qing: Right. I completely hate this year.