Never Judge

"Mom, I can explain." Guan Ming said as calmly as he could. "I have a friend over, she got into an accident and I had my assistant buy her clothes. I need you to not over react to this."

"A friend from this country? How can you have a friend from this country? You've never been here!" His mother accused. "Did you book a whore or something?"

"Mom!" Guan Ming said angrily. "You will not call her that, she is my friend. Also yes I have friends in this country, two, or three, I don't know how to consider the other one. But I met them in Hong Kong."

"Where you met your boyfriend?" Lu Ning said as her eyes became as wide as saucers. 

"Mom, no, I've never been romantically involved with a man!" Guan Ming said as he tried desperately to defend himself.

"Ming, I understand you want to protect your image, but you can tell mom." Lu Ning said as she tried to be as supportive as possible towards her son.

"Mom! That was a rumor Wu Jun came up with because he was jealous." Guan Ming explained as he felt a headache building in his head.

"Why would Wu Jun make up a rumor about you? You guys are friends." Lu Ning told her son as she questioned him.

"Wu Jun has never been my friend." Guan Ming told his mother with a frown. "Mom, I only talk to Wu Jun when work is involved. Even when I go to visit his dad I avoid any interaction I might have with him."

"Why?" Lu Ning asked. "You should be friends, his dad is your dad's friend. His mom is my friend." She told her son.

"Mom, it doesn't work that way." Guan Ming grumbled. "He is jealous that I took all of his father's attention because the  old man saw some talent in me."

"I can't believe such a sweet boy would do bad things to you." Lu Ning said with a frown as she looked at her son.

"To you elders he looks nice, but mom he is a poisonous snake!" Guan Ming explained. 

"I'm sorry for believing him over you, your dad and I just wanted to protect your image. And when you weren't letting us set you up on dates we got even more worried." Lu Ning told her son.

"Mom, is it really that bad if I turned out to be gay?" He asked.

"No, but are you?" His mom said as she threw back a question to him.

"No, I'm straight." Guan Ming said as he shook his head.

"So is the girl in your room really just a friend?" Lu Ning said as she gave her son a sly smile.

"Yes, she is just a friend." Guan Ming confirmed with a nod. "Mom, give me a moment, I need to make a call." He said as soon as he noticed Cedric's message, giving him the go signal to give him a call.

Guan Ming walked to the side and dialed Cedric's number, he placed his phone on his ear and listened to the phone ring.

He looked out at the glass window and marveled at the sight, he had been pleasantly surprised by the scenery. 

Guan Ming thought that staying at Constellations would mean he would have to deal with horrible views and sub par rooms.

But the moment he heard that Cedric owned the place together with his friends, he felt a lot more confident that the place would be nice and safe to stay at.

"Ming, do you know what time it is?" Cedric asked over the phone.

"I do, but I need a favor, I need to get my mom out of my hair. I don't want her to get in the crossfire of our plans." Guan Ming explained.

"Your mother?" Cedric asked. "I thought you came alone?" 

"I did, but her friends managed to nab a reservation at Kashmere. So she's just passing by then she will head on to Kashmere." Guan Ming quickly explained.

"So what do you need from me?" Cedric asked, unsure of what Guan Ming actually needed.

"I need to get my mom something so exclusive that it will make her want to fly out to Kashmere right at this moment." Guan Ming explained.

"Oh, that's easy." Cedric said with a laugh. "She can use my villa. Just tell her I'm a friend from work and she can stay in my place."

"Do I tell her who you are?" Guan Ming asked, wondering if his mother would even know who Cedric was.

"No, just tell her a friend who owns a villa at the inner circle of the resort island. Usually they know what that means." Cedric explained.

"What exactly does that mean?" Guan Ming asked as he pressed on, asking Cedric.

"No one is allowed at Inner Circle." Cedric informed him. "Inner Circle has the best facilities and the best beaches. I'll give my brother-in-law a call and ask him to have someone prepare my place."

"Won't my mom get lost?" Guan Ming asked as he thought of how forgetful his mother could get.

"I have a driver on the island, he will give your mom a tour and there is enough staff in the villa to help her out." Cedric told Guan Ming. "Don't worry about her, she'll be fine. I'll have everything set up."

"Thank you." Guan Ming said over the phone.

"Just take care of my friend." Cedric said in response as he dropped the call.

"Great news mom!" Guan Ming said as he turned around to tell his mom what he and Cedric had spoken about. "I got you reservations in the Inner Circle." 

"Camilla?!" Guan Ming asked in shock as he saw Camilla and his mother drinking tea as they both looked angrily at him.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I." Guan Ming said as he nervously inched forward, looking at his mother and Camilla.

"So are you really just friends?" Lu Ning asked Camilla, making her blush.