The door swung open so suddenly that both of them froze.
"Mom... Dad..." Keng's voice caught in his throat, shock flashing across his face.
Ping's entire body stiffened.
His heartbeat slammed painfully against his ribs as he stepped back instinctively, fingers trembling at his sides.
For one horrible second, nobody spoke.
Keng reacted first.
He quickly pulled away from Ping, straightening Ping's wrinkled shirt with shaky hands while trying to steady his own breathing.
Ping stood there motionless, face burning with panic, unsure where to look.
Keng swallowed hard.
"Mom, Dad, this is-"
Before he could finish, his father stepped forward.
The air in the room changed instantly. His expression darkened, jaw tightening as his eyes moved between them.
There was no confusion in his face-only anger. Without saying a word, he turned sharply and walked away.
Keng's mother remained standing near the door. Her eyes landed on Ping. Not cold. Not hateful. Just... stunned.
Ping felt his chest tighten painfully beneath her gaze.
After a long moment, she lowered her eyes and quietly followed after her husband.
The silence they left behind felt suffocating.
Ping looked down immediately, unable to breathe properly.
His hands clenched tightly together.
"Hia..." he whispered weakly.
Keng turned toward him at once. The fear on Ping's face made something ache inside him.
"It's okay," Keng said softly, stepping closer.
"Don't be scared. I'll talk to them."
Ping shook his head quickly.
"But... they looked really upset."
Keng tried to smile reassuringly, though tension was already settling heavily into his shoulders.
"It'll be fine."
"But it doesn't look like they'll accept us," Ping admitted quietly, worry filling his voice.
"What if-"
"Hey." Keng cupped the side of his face gently.
"Don't overthink it."
Ping looked at him helplessly.
"You should go home first," Keng continued softly.
"I'll handle things here."
Ping frowned immediately.
"No. I'll stay."
"Little Ping..."
"I can stay beside you," Ping insisted.
"You don't have to face this alone."
Keng's expression softened instantly. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"You don't know my parents," he murmured quietly.
"This could take a while."
Ping bit his lip.
"Will you be okay?"
Keng nodded slowly, brushing a soft kiss against Ping's forehead.
"I'll be fine."
Even though he said it calmly, Ping could still feel the tension in him.
Keng walked him downstairs himself.
The living room was painfully quiet.
Keng's father sat rigidly on the couch, his expression unreadable. His mother stood nearby with her hands clasped tightly together.
Ping bowed politely despite the nervousness clawing at his chest.
"Good evening," he said softly.
No one answered.
Keng's father didn't even look at him.
His mother glanced up briefly, sadness flickering across her face before she quickly looked away again.
Ping's stomach twisted painfully.
He turned toward Keng at the door.
"I'll wait for your call," he whispered.
Keng nodded once.
Then Ping left.
The second the door shut behind him-
Slap.
The sound echoed sharply through the room.
Keng staggered slightly as pain exploded across his cheek.
"You son of a b*tch," his father said coldly.
Keng slowly lifted his head.
"What exactly was that?" his father demanded angrily.
"Do you have any explanation for what we just saw?"
"Keng..." his mother whispered nervously. She stepped forward carefully.
"We only came upstairs to tell you something," she said softly.
"Mr. Jayden's daughter just returned from France. Your father and I wanted you to meet her."
Keng stared at them silently.
Mr. Jayden. His father's closest business partner.
"We thought it would be good for you two to get to know each other," his mother continued carefully.
"But Mom..." Keng's voice tightened. "I love someone else."
Silence.
His father's face hardened immediately.
"You what?"
"I love someone else," Keng repeated, stronger this time.
"A man?" his father snapped.
"You're saying you love a man?"
Keng clenched his fists tightly.
"And what if I do?"
"Keng!" his mother cried softly.
But Keng didn't stop.
"I love Ping," he said firmly.
"And I'm not letting anyone take him away from me again."
Something shifted in his father's expression. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"The reason you insisted on leaving England..." he said slowly,
"was because of that boy?"
Keng's chest tightened.
"I never even got to say goodbye to him back then," he shouted, years of buried frustration finally breaking free.
"You took me away without giving me a choice!"
Another slap hit him across the face.
"Keng!" his mother cried again, grabbing her husband's arm immediately.
"How can you say something so shameless?" his father roared.
"How do you expect people to look at this family? What do you expect my business partners to think?"
Keng laughed bitterly despite the sting burning across his face.
"How does who I love destroy your dignity?"
His father raised his hand again- But this time his wife stopped him.
"Please," she begged tearfully.
"That's enough."
The room fell silent except for heavy breathing.
Finally, Keng's father stepped back.
"You are meeting Jayden's daughter tomorrow," he said coldly.
"You'll get to know her properly. And after graduation, you'll marry her."
Keng stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I told you I love someone else!"
His father grabbed him harshly by the collar.
"Forget this nonsense," he hissed. "You will marry a woman like a proper man."
"Stop!" his mother cried, tears streaming down her cheeks now.
His father shoved Keng backward before storming toward his room.
The door slammed violently behind him.
Silence.
Keng stood there breathing hard, pain throbbing through his face and chest.
His mother approached slowly.
"Keng..." she whispered. Her fingers touched his cheek gently, carefully brushing over the reddened skin.
"I want you to think carefully about what your father said," she murmured quietly.
"Just... meet the girl once."
"Mom," Keng said weakly, tears finally burning behind his eyes,
"I'm happy with Ping."
Her expression trembled painfully.
"You must be confused," she whispered, though even she didn't sound convinced.
Then she turned and walked away.
Leaving Keng completely alone.
For a long moment, he just stood there. Then he returned to his room slowly. The first thing he reached for was his phone.
'Ping.'
Even now, that was all he could think about.
He called immediately.
The phone rang once before Ping answered.
"Hia?" Ping's voice sounded anxious. "I've been waiting for your call."
Keng closed his eyes briefly.
"I was talking to my parents," he said softly.
A pause followed.
Then Ping asked quietly-
"Are they... okay with us?"
Keng's chest tightened painfully. He opened his mouth to answer- But suddenly the bedroom door burst open.
Before Keng could react, his father stormed inside, snatching the phone violently from his hand.
"You're insane!" he shouted.
The call disconnected instantly.
"Dad-!"
"I'm taking this phone," his father snapped.
"You'll get a new number and a new phone."
"Not again" his mother rushed in behind him.
"Please stop this!"
But his father ignored her completely and walked out with the phone.
The door slammed shut again.
Keng stood frozen in silence.
But even then- His thoughts weren't about himself. They were about Ping.
'Would Ping think he abandoned him again?'
'Would he cry because of him again?'
' Would he believe he left?'
The thought alone made his chest ache unbearably.
Meanwhile, Ping stared at his phone in confusion.
The call had ended so suddenly.
"Hia?" he whispered, trying to call back immediately.
No answer.
His breathing became uneven.
Something was wrong.
Ping's mother noticed immediately and walked over to him.
"What happened?" she asked gently.
Ping looked up at her, eyes already watery.
"Keng's parents caught us..."
Her expression softened instantly.
"Caught you doing what?"
Ping lowered his head.
"Kissing."
The word came out small and broken.
Tears slipped down his cheeks before he could stop them.
"They don't approve of us," he whispered shakily.
"And now I can't reach him..."
His mother immediately pulled him into her arms.
Ping buried his face against her shoulder, gripping her tightly.
"I wonder what he's going through right now," he cried softly.
She stroked his hair gently.
"He'll be okay," she whispered.
"He's strong."
But even as she said it- Ping's heart still refused to calm down.