The Unbeatable Lily Hong by Diana Ma

Author:Diana Ma [Ma, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780358617235
Amazon: 0358617235
Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: 2024-01-01T17:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

DANIEL AND I ARE HAVING a race to set the dining room table, which we only use when we have guests. I’ve got plates and chopsticks, and he has cups and napkins. I slam down a plate at each place setting and then toss the chopsticks next to each plate. “Done!” I announce, throwing up my hands like they do when time is called on those cooking competition shows.

Daniel has placed all the cups, but he still has three napkins left to go. “That’s not fair! I’d be done if I didn’t have to fold the napkins in half.”

“Fine. I’ll take cups and napkins next time, and I’ll still beat you. You might be a better fan dancer, but I still rule at table setting.”

Daniel sticks his tongue out at me, but then he says, “That was pretty cool of Max today, wasn’t it? To talk Vivienne into letting us trade parts?”

“It was.” I’m surprised by how easily I agree. Maybe my war with Max really is over.

Mom comes into the dining room and shakes her head. “Why are the chopsticks so messy? They’re not even on the napkins!” She’s not usually this picky about how I set the table, but then again, tonight’s not a usual dinner.

“I’ll fix it!” I say quickly, straightening a pair of chopsticks.

Vivienne is coming over for dinner, and Mom’s stress is off the scale. She and Dad have been cooking all day. In fact, Dad is in the kitchen right now, chopping up vegetables for a last-minute addition because Mom decided that eleven dishes weren’t enough.

Even Daniel seems to notice the tension in the air. Instead of demanding a rematch because my chopsticks were placed crookedly, he quietly finishes up with the napkins.

It’s actually a little weird Mom’s so worked up over this. I mean, she and Vivienne went out for dinner just last week. And from what I could tell (from eavesdropping on her debriefing with Dad), that went okay. Mom even said that they had “reached an understanding.” So why is she so tense about having Vivienne over for dinner tonight? Mom did drop the fact that Vivienne is pretty wealthy, so maybe she just wants to impress her rich frenemy. But twelve dishes for six people is still next-level social anxiety.

Wait a minute. I stop cold in the middle of picking up a pair of chopsticks. When Mom told us to set the table for six, I was so focused on beating Daniel that I didn’t do the math. Mom, Dad, Daniel, me, and Vivienne are only five people. “Um, who else besides Viv—I mean, Ms. Hou is coming to dinner?”

Mom’s mouth puckers. “Your auntie Li.”

I flash back to Vivienne darting out of the practice room and how I caught a glimpse of Auntie Li afterward. And how upset Vivienne seemed when she returned. Oh. No wonder Mom is stress-cooking. “Does Auntie Li know Ms. Hou is going to be here?”

“Of course she knows.” Her face is unreadable.

“It’s just that there seems to be some, you know—serious history between the two of them.

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