12. THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE

"Of course he hates me. Didn't you hear what he said last night? He even said that he regretted ever meeting me."

Ying Yue can sense the melancholy settling over her friend's demeanour.

For a minute she cannot think of a way to comfort her. Maybe what she needs right now is not necessarily comfort. So she decides to tell her the truth.

"Ran, five years ago my brother loved you whole heartedly. I had never seen him so smitten with anyone the way he was with you."

"When you left, his whole world literally collapsed. The thing is, though he was in that much pain, he never discussed it with anyone. He just internalised everything. He never talked about you and never shared his pain with anyone, not even Shin Lin. It took great effort on his part to pick all the pieces and them together."

Hearing that makes Yan Ran even more downcast.

"So don't you think that my coming back here is rather cruel and selfish?" Yan Ran enquires despondently.

"He isn't aware of your reasons for leaving him so suddenly so of course he probably resents you a little," Ying Yue leaning towards Yan Ran.

"If you feel so sorry for him, why not explain to him why you left?" Ying Yue asks looking straight into Yan Ran's eyes.

Before she even finishes asking the question Yan Ran is already shaking her head.

"You know I can't do that. And you know why. I will not do that to him. Besides, he seems to have moved on with his life. He has a successful career and a lovely girlfriend. That's what I always wished for him." Yan Ran says, trying to convince herself and her friend.

"Ran, do you think Wei is in love with Mei Li?" Ying Yue asks her friend mildly.

"Why else would he go out with her? She is beautiful, rich and likes him. I'm sure that's why he is happy with her."

Ying Yue looks at Yan Ran in shock. She had never realised how low her friend's EQ is until now.

"So why do you think he went off at you like that last night?" Ying Yue asks out of curiosity.

"Maybe it's because he never got an opportunity to confront me before. After all I left without giving him any notice and returned without warning," Yan Ran answers hesitantly.

Ying Yue knows it could be one of the reasons but not the main reason. She is surprised her friend has not picked up on it too.

Ying Yue is more convinced that Country A had dampened her friend's astuteness. She used to be so sharp.

When Ying Yue does not disagree loudly with her, Yan Ran becomes even more convinced that she is right.

Ying Yue decides not to keep arguing with her. She does not point out to Yan Ran that Wei Lan has literally regressed instead of maturing. Isn't true love supposed to make one a better person?

Mei Li is exactly the type of girl that he used to date before he met Yan Ran; rich, popular but also spoilt, pretentious and clingy. Why would he go back to that shallow type?

Ying Yue hates this type of girl the most. That is the reason she can never accept Mei Li as Wei's girlfriend. She knows though that in the end, she has little to say if her brother insists.

"Anyway, I don't like her," Ying Yue states bluntly.

"I'm sure Wei doesn't care since Mei Li is not marrying you." Yan Ran mutters.

"If he marries her, I will seriously consider disowning him as my brother arghhh." Ying Yue cries. "Can you adopt me if I divorce the Jin family?"

"My family is not as prestigious as yours. We are considered poor compared to you. And you know our history. If you don't mind all that, I will gladly adopt you as my daughter."

"At least I will be related to a world famous star. What could be better than that?"

"Hahaha! Then take me, I'm all yours," cries Ran dramatically.

"Why does that suddenly sound dirty?" Ying Yue frowns.

"That because you are dirty minded. Get your mind out of the gutter," Yan Ran laughs.

"What do they say again? Birds of the same feather… and all that," Ying Yue counteracts.

"Maybe I should rethink my hanging out with you. Don't they say bad company corrupts good morals?"

"You wouldn't dare. You are stuck with me for life, whether you like it or not," Ying Yue declares forcefully.

"I must have betrayed my country in my past life that's why I'm being punished like this," Yan Ran sighs theatrically. She gets a little slap from Ying Yue for her trouble