𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 ── 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔. ✔︎

𝟬𝟬𝟲.

RAMONA MADE HER WAY DOWN TO THE DRIED-GOODS LARDER, where Ah Ling was. As she was about to go into the room, she bumped into Vikram. "Oh, Hello, Vikram. Are you looking for Ah Ling as well?"

"Yes!" Vikram nodded cheerily as he knocked on the door, he poked his head in and smiled at Ah Ling. "There you are! Ah Tock said you were down in the larder, but he didn't say which one. I searched two other larders before finding you!"

Ramona poked her head in as well and grinned at Ah Ling.

"I only ever come to the dried-goods larder, because only I have the key. The other larders I never bother with. What do you need?"

Vikram eyed the young maid scooping out the dried longans into a bowl and said to the housekeeper, "May I have a few minutes of your time after you're done with this?"

Ah Ling looked over at Jiayi. "Take everything up to Ah Ching now. And maybe if you are very nice to her, she will let you have a little taste of the yen woh on Friday."

As soon as the maid had left the room, Ah Ling asked in a slightly weary tone, "What is the problem today?"

"Well, I've been going through something in my mind for the last couple of days," Vikram began. "You know how Joey's been out on leave since his mother's surgery? Well, I took over his patrol schedule myself, and the other day while I was on the roof, I overheard something rather interesting coming from Mrs. Young's balcony."

Ah Ling's ears perked up. "What was so interesting?"

"It was Eddie Cheng talking to his mother. From what I could gather, it sounds like Mrs. Young never said she didn't want to see Nicky. I think Eddie made it all up."

Ah Ling cracked a smile. "I suspected this all along. Su Yi has never banned anyone from the house before, and surely not Nicky of all people."

"I had been trying to tell everyone that!" Ramona sighed

"I felt it was wrong too, but what could I say? Clearly, Eddie has an agenda of his own, and he's the one who has instigated this ban on Nicky. And Victoria has fallen for his ploy."

"What did Alix have to say? I'm surprised she's going along with it-mother and son are usually at loggerheads."

"She didn't say much. He was so busy screaming at her, the poor woman could hardly get a word in. Apparently, Eddie has held a grudge against his mother for a very long time because she won't massage his buttocks."

"Whaaaat?" Ah Ling made a face as Ramona giggled

Vikram couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Yes, I know, strange family. What can you expect -they're Hong Kongers. Anyway, Alix tried to reason with Eddie, but he's determined to make sure Nicky doesn't get to see Mrs. Young at all. He's gotten it into his fat head that he alone will inherit Tyersall Park-that's why he's been planting himself outside her bedroom for the past two days like a Doberman. He's not letting anyone in who will ruin his plan!"

"Sek si gau!" Ah Ling muttered angrily.

Vikram peeked out of the larder door for a moment to see if there was anyone within earshot before continuing in a lower voice. "Now, from what I understand, Mrs. Young thinks that Nicky had to cancel his trip because of the Intergalactic Wars. She has been kept completely in the dark, and has no idea he's even back on the island. Astrid is being kept away too, and you know none of those daughters are going to tell her anything. We need to do something about this!"

"Correction," Ramona jumped in, "Ah Ma knows, but the problem is, I can't find the right time to tell everyone!"

Vikram nodded at her as Ah Ling let out a long sigh. "I don't know if we can interfere. This is a family matter. I don't like to get mixed up in their quarrels. And I especially don't want either of us to get in trouble for this...after Su Yi is gone."