Instead of the traditional furniture one would expect, Laurette being Creole furnished the spacious room in a Persian style. Since Chang Lee Xiou was such a hard man, it was no surprise that the only softness in the entire house came from this room. The real surprise was that Laurette was able to furnish it the way she wanted in the first place. The walls were a soft yellow and matched the oak floors that were covered with several hand woven rugs. A lovely sofa with a beige, yellow and crimson floral print sat almost in the center of the room. It was adorned with plenty of plush pillows in various shades of red. No less than six crimson wingback chairs surrounded the sofa. On the other end of the room was a formal dining area. The table was always ready to welcome whatever important dignitary her father would entertain. Or, just members of her family.
There was no doubt; the Tea Room was the exact opposite of how her father would have had it decorated. The room looked absolutely the same as it did the day Laurette left. That was always kind of curious to Gina until she’d learned the truth.
Earlier, when the refreshments were being delivered, Gina wondered if the servants changed the white tablecloths every time they had tea. They came into this room multiple times throughout the day. If they didn’t change them they should. She made a mental note to speak to the staff about that. In more ways than she cared to admit, she was Chang Lee Xiou’s daughter.
Her father, who preferred to blunt the intensity of the sun from coming through the windows, made sure the servants kept the drapes only partially open. Not today. Today when they drank their tea the room would be filled with light.
Gina decided to stop peeking from behind the curtains and to let the full beauty from the outside into the room. It was amazing how peaceful and serene everything was after that powerful storm last night. Luckily, her home hadn’t been damaged. The main road was still blocked due to the mudslide, but luckily, there was a smaller less traveled road on the other side of her house. It took a little longer to get to her father’s, but she’d arrived in plenty enough time for tea. Pulling on the thick chord, slowly, the curtains began to part until they were fully open. Speaking softly to herself she dusted off her hands. “Perfect.”
Now, with an unobstructed view, she could truly say this was her favorite room in the entire house. It faced the awesomeness of the Li River. Nothing was more beautiful than looking over the river in the summertime as it flowed through the Karst Mountains, so tall and powerful. Every now and again, Gina could see a small tour boat full of visitors admiring the beauty of her homeland. She often wondered what would it be like to be one of those people; to have been born Gina Lee instead of Gina Lee Xiou.
In the past, the river gave her a sense of peace from the chaotic world she’d been born into: a father whose business was his one great mistress, and who ruled his family and business in much of the same way as the river flowed—unrelenting. Business took precedence over everything including family. Nothing stood in the way of that. It didn’t help that Xiou Incorporated seemed to keep one foot in legitimacy and one foot out. Having to manage unsavory characters would jade anybody. She certainly had been jaded while her father groomed her to take over the business and at the same time knowing it would never happen.
Gina took in the lush greens of the forest, and landscapes left virtually untouched by man that was only separated by the river. It took her back to a time when she and Nina were children. Nina always loved the sweet fragrance of the Osmanthus trees. At the time, Gina could care less. Now, when she was home the fragrance always made her feel closer to her. Nina was the sweetheart. So different from Chang and her.
Was this room where their mother fell in love with her father? Or, did she ever love him?
“It’s too bright in here. Close the curtains.” Chang Lee Xiou demanded in Mandarin. Like clockwork, he strode into the room toward the dining room table with a newspaper hidden under his arm. His stride full of purpose and his face stern. As long as Gina was in his presence, they would only speak in their language.
Ever the dutiful daughter, Gina automatically pulled the cord and the curtains partially closed blocking out most of the sunlight. She walked towards the table as well and took a seat. “Good afternoon Father.”
Chang never made eye contact as he took his seat. “Good afternoon.” He placed his newspaper on the side of the table.
Gina picked up the steaming hot teapot and poured her father a cup. Chang finally looked up into her eyes. “I heard you took a little trip to the States recently.” She stilled but only for a moment. She continued pouring tea into his cup and then into her own.
“I’m not surprised you heard that. Nothing ever seems to escape you.”
“No. It doesn’t. And you would do well to remember that daughter.” Chang picked up his cup and took a long sip, then
