Lise stared at the pile of sparkly gifts rather intensely. Perhaps if she stared hard enough, they would move themselves to the places they need to be. Most of them were not even opened since that privilege was reserved for Ang family members so the pile consisted of an absorbent amount of gifts piled next to prettily wrapped boxes and bags.
"Māmā," Lise called sweetly into their intercom system.
"Yes, my darling bǎobèi?" came her mom's voice through the speakers.
"I know that the servants are having their lunch break, but will you please call them to help me? I don't know what to do with all these presents," Lise pouted.
Her mom laughed lightly, "Of course, anything for my angel. I will extend their lunch break. They can eat later."
Lise smiled smugly. It felt great to have her wishes be commands. Within five minutes, a line of smartly dressed maids and male servants arrived at her suite. Lise immediately got to business directing them where to place her new baubles. In fact, they were done so efficiently that Lise could be considered born to command attendants.
After dismissing them, Lise plopped down on her enormous, round princess bed. She sighed with boredom. There was absolutely nothing to do with only two weeks left of summer vacation. She could beg bàba to fly to her island in the Indonesian archipelago, but she would need more than two weeks to fully relax. She couldn't boss her big brothers around either because they were interning at the family company. Even māmā had plans with her friends at a tea house later that afternoon. Just when Lise was about to fall down the rabbit hole of feeling sorry for herself, the melody of her video calling app startled her.
"Aurie!" came Laurie's lyrical voice, "come and take a walk through the park with me before I have to fly back to London!"
"Okay! But why the park, jiějiě?" Lise whined, "shopping is so much more exciting. I'll buy you something!"
Laurie smiled patronizingly, "You and I both know that I don't care for lavish spending. Come to the park with me, it will be peaceful! I think there's an especially lovely one near your house!"
Lise sighed, "For you, jiějiě, I will."
It was no surprise that Lauralie would choose the park to relax. Ever since young, she had always been the sweet dreamer. It was exactly like out of a storybook for her to stroll leisurely in the park and have good boys falling at her feet. It would happen, too! Lise could practically guarantee it!
Pulling up to the entrance of the park, Lise could already see Laurie's Cadillac limousine awaiting her.
"Thank you, Mister He!' Lise called out to the chauffeur absentmindedly as she hopped out.
"Jiějiě!" Lise bounded to her cousin and crushed her in a hug.
Laurie broke out in her beautiful high laugh, "Someone's excited to see me!"
Lise pulled back and pouted with her best puppy dog eyes, "Do you have to go back so soon?"
"You know that I want to make my bàba proud. It's his dream for me to graduate from the foreign program that he couldn't," Laurie repeated the same point.
Lise looked away with a pout, "That's my shūshu's dream, anyhow. Not yours."
"Bàba's dream is my dream," the girls recited simultaneously.
They stared at each other and burst into laughter. Linking arms, they began their stroll. The park really was lovely. There were very few people around so they did not have to worry too much about being mistaken for celebrities (Lauralie, especially, had to worry about this since her entire life was spent practically in the spotlight).
Laurie was talking about her experiences abroad and Lise was fingering a bundle of white hydrangea blooms when a giant fluff ball suddenly attacked them.
"Eeeeeeeeee!" Lise squealed pitifully as she tumbled to the ground, "what IS that?!!!"
Warm, masculine chuckles answered back, "Sorry! That's my dog, Amara. She's an overgrown Samoyed."
"A DOG!" Lise screeched, scrambling away as fast as she could, fear overriding her rationality.
"My cousin is afraid of dogs," Laurie explained calmly as she held the giant fluff ball back.
Lise covered her eyes and whimpered, "Is it gone? Please tell me it's gone!"
The male voice grunted with disbelief, "Afraid? How could you be afraid of Amara?" he bent down to pet the dog, "she's such a good girl, aren't you Amara? You're such a sweet girl," he cooed.
Tentatively, Lise peeped through her fingers. It did look awfully friendly, for a dog. And cute! It was fluffy and it seemed to be grinning right at her. Shaking slightly, Lise uncovered her face and reached an unsteady hand out to the animal. The Samoyed, oblivious to Lise's fear, pushed its head into her hand.
"Oh!" Lise exclaimed, "it's so soft!"
"They're known to be," the boy replied with amusement.
Lise took a look at the boy for the first time and gasped, "Nathaniel Jeong?!"
"Oh, hi Miss Ang," he replied cheekily, "we met at your birthday gala yesterday, didn't we? It was quite a big celebration."
Lise blushed and looked down, concentrating on petting the sweet doggie, "She's quite lovely… for a dog." she said at last.
Nathaniel Jeong laughed lightly and pulled on the leash, "Come on, my princess. It was nice seeing you, Miss Ang and Miss Ang," he gave them a short bow before heading off.
Lise felt a poke on her shoulder, "What?" she asked irritably.
"How long are you going to stare at his back?" Laurie teased.
"What!" Lise rubbed her rosy cheeks, "I- I was looking at the doggie!"
***
"What's with all the dog stuff laying around?" Master Ang wondered out loud as he walked into the family room.
"I don't know, they just appeared," Madame Ang replied.
Just then, they could hear their daughter's light steps down the central stairs.
"Quick, lǎopó! Our princess is coming! Hide the doggies!" Master Ang worried.
"It's okay, bàba," Lise said as she walked closer, "I'm not afraid of them anymore."
"What do you mean by that? You don't remember the time that your āyí's pesky little chihuahua bit you?" Master Ang asked disbelievingly.
Lise shuddered at the unpleasant memory, "But these doggies are quite cute, aren't they? So fluffy and pretty."
Master Ang grunted in agreement reluctantly.
"Is it that you fancy this Samoyed dog?" Madame Ang asked, smoothing back Lise's hair.
Lise smiled and snuggled between her parents, taking a printout and a Samoyed magazine to look at closer, "I think I quite like them."
"Well, then. If my princess likes this Samoyed dog, then she shall have one!" Master Ang proclaimed.
True enough, the next morning, Lise awoke to little whimpers.
"Whaa?" she voiced groggily. The maids that help her in the mornings usually did not wake her unless she slept past noon. Rubbing her eyes until the world unblurred, she noticed a giant tiffany blue box wrapped with a huge satin ribbon sitting at the foot of her bed. Two holes were cut on two sides of the cube and immediately, Lise knew what it was. Pulling the bow apart and lifting the lid, she came face to face with the most adorable puppy! White, fluffy, and small, it looked up at her with shiny black eyes.
"Aylee!" Lise exclaimed and pulled the pup to her chest, "hello, Aylee! What do you think of your new home?" she cooed and proceeded to show the doggie her room.
Her puppy was perfectly white and fluffy and it looked just like Nathaniel Jeong's doggie, only smaller (obviously). Noting this, Lise grinned into Aylee's eyes.,"Yes, you look just like Amara. How lucky you are, to have me as your master."
"Ohhhh!" Lise suddenly had the bright idea to call her cousin.
"Hmmm…?" Laurie showed her face on the video call, "what is it, Aurie? It's 10:00 PM here and I have jet lag…"
"Jiějiě! Bàba got me this doggie! Her name is Aylee!" Lise held the pup up proudly.
"Huh?" Laurie looked closer until she realized the similarity, "it looks just like Amara!"
Lise blushed and looked away, embarrassed.
"Aurie…" Laurie's voice went deep, "did you fall for that pretty boy?"
Lise coughed, "I think we'd be compatible. He's rich, I'm rich. He's handsome, I'm beautiful."
Laurie sighed with disappointment, "Oh Aurie. He's only the first guy you've seen! There are plenty more out there and besides… doesn't he already have 'someone special'?"
Lise waved the thought away, "I'm special. He could just as easily have meant me!"
Laurie rubbed her temples, "Aurie, my sweet, pretty mèimei, please don't do this to yourself! He hardly knows you! You hardly know him!"
"We'll get to know each other," Lise decided stubbornly, "anyways, I'm determined to make him like me. You can't change my mind, Laurie! Help me research him!"