Entwined Destinies

Chapter 17: The Surprise

"Okay, didn't I tell you? P'Ling is allergic to flowers! She's allergic to pollen!" Milk scolded her cousin, wagging her finger dramatically at Engfa, who was holding a bouquet like she was about to present it at a parade.

"Wait, is she?" Engfa blinked, looking genuinely confused. "How was I supposed to know? She always carries flowers when we visit your parents' graves!"

Milk groaned, rubbing her temples in exaggerated frustration. "How can you be her cousin and not know she's allergic to flowers? This is like, basic Lingling knowledge!"

Engfa huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, I've seen her around flowers tons of times, and she's never sneezed! How am I supposed to guess she's allergic?"

"It's true, though," Faye chimed in nonchalantly from the side, her focus still on untangling some fairy lights. "She does bring flowers to the cemetery, no problem."

Milk shook her head. "That's different! Outside, the wind blows the pollen away, but indoors? It's a sneeze disaster waiting to happen. Trust me, you don't want her turning into a sneezing mess right in the middle of dinner!"

Engfa shot Faye a helpless glance. "See? I'm not crazy for thinking she could handle flowers indoors too!"

Faye shrugged. "Hey, I'm just here for the fairy lights."

Milk waved her hands, dismissing their excuses. "No more flowers! Just toss them before she walks in and we all regret it."

As Engfa begrudgingly tossed the flowers, Tawan wandered in from the kitchen, holding a candle box that Ira had brought over. Without saying much, she handed them to Namtan, who inspected them closely.

Namtan raised an eyebrow, glancing from the box to Milk. "Wait, these are red candles. Why did Ira buy red candles? What kind of vibe are we going for here—romantic dinner or ritual sacrifice?"

Milk's eyes widened as she snatched the box to double-check. "Red?! Are we summoning demons or setting up for a romantic dinner?"

Namtan chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't know, but I'm getting serious séance vibes from this."

Engfa burst into laughter, almost doubling over. "Oh yeah, nothing says 'romance' like 'let's conjure your ancestors to join us!'"

Faye, still preoccupied with the fairy lights, added dryly, "Maybe they'll bless the dinner with some timeless relationship advice. You know, 'remember to listen to each other' and all that."

Engfa burst into laughter, almost doubling over. "Oh yeah, nothing says 'romance' like 'let's conjure your ancestors to join us!'"

Faye, still preoccupied with the fairy lights, added dryly, "Maybe they'll bless the dinner with some timeless relationship advice. You know, 'remember to listen to each other' and all that."

Engfa, clearly on a roll now, threw in, "And maybe your deceased parents can come join us too—meet their daughter-in-law. You know, make it a full family reunion."

Milk's jaw dropped as she gave Engfa a playful shove. "Are you kidding me right now? My parents joining dinner with Lingling and Orm? Yeah, that's totally the vibe I was going for. Seriously guys, No haunted vibes, please! We'll switch these out for white candles or something more neutral."

Namtan grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos. "You sure? Red candles could really spice things up. Very memorable date night."

Milk threw her hands in the air dramatically. "Memorable in the worst way possible! Stick with white candles, and make sure they don't smell like we walked into a perfume store."