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There is a break in the programme and cocktails for the VIPs in a special room. Wei Lan is no longer in the mood to socialize and is about to call his driver to come pick him up when Ying Yue grabs his arm and pulls him with her, a habit she has not let go of since their childhood.
"Wei ge ge, come on, there is someone I want you to meet," Ying Yue says, her hand still pulling on his.
"Xiao Yue, I am not in the mood…" he answers moodily.
Ying Yue pouts and does not let go of his arm but starts pulling on the sleeve of his suit jacket enthusiastically.
Ying Yue has always had the energy of a tsunami, sweeping away everything in its wake. Unfortunately, her brother and Shin Lin are usually the first victims.
From past experience, he knows the kind of girls that his sister mostly associates with, the kind that rarely interests him. Besides, he already has a girlfriend and does not see why she would want her to meet another girl. Well, maybe he does understand in a way. After-all Chaing Mei Ling and Ying Yue have never got along. He has never understood why though, since Mei Ling is a quite a beautiful and cultured girl in his opinion.
"You would want to meet this person, I assure you." Ying Yue insists.
"That's what you always say," Wen Lan mumbles his doubt.
He has one weakness though. He has never been able to deny his sister anything from their childhood.
Shin Lin trails behind them. They go upstairs towards one of the VIP dressing rooms in the building and Ying Yue opens one of the doors of the private rooms on their right side. There is no one in the room. The big room has a dressing table, several seats and a red settee. There are several bouquets of roses ranging in color from peach, to blue ones. Wei Lan snorts when his eyes swept across the blue ones.
"Take seats gentlemen," Ying Yue beams with palpable excitement. "I will be back with you in a second". With that she zooms away leaving the boys staring at the place where she had been. If they did not know any better, they would thought a super hero had graced them with his presence The only thing missing is a gust of wind at her quick departure.
"Well, she is not very excited about this person, obviously", remarks Shin Lin sarcastically.
"So why does that make me even more nervous?" Wei Lan says drily.
"Maybe because you know your sister very well," Shin Lin laughs.
His friend slowly nods his head in agreement.
"I swear, if she introduces me to one more girl…" he starts.
Shin Lin laughs, "Hahaha, what would you do anyway?"
"Shin Lin, can you please save me. My sister frightens me sometimes," Wei Lan shivers involuntarily.
"Buddy, you know how useless I am against her. Maybe we can…"
There is a click and clack of heels outside and the door opens slowly. Yin Yue peeks in first and then pulls someone halfway into the room with her. Yan Ran walks into the room just as suddenly and serenely as she left Wei Lan's life five years ago.
Time has been good to her, Wei Lan thinks. It has hardly left its marks on her.
Why was life so unfair? It should not be like that, right? Did she not suffer as much as he did? Shouldn't your ex-es look all shrivelled up and withered when you meet them later? That is the rule right? Then why does she always go against the rules?
For the second time that evening, Wei Lan feels like the ground has been scooped up from under his feet and he has been left suspended somewhere in a vacuum where there is neither time nor space.
He finds himself glued on to his seat and cannot get up no matter how hard he wills himself to.
He should have been more prepared. He should have fortified his heart better. He should not have let Yin Yue persuade him to come here. There are a lot of things he wishes he could have done differently but he knows that absolutely nothing in this world could have better prepared him for this moment.
What he does not know is that Yan Ran feels more or less the same. She has always known that one day she would have to face him but she realises in that instant that she had not prepared herself enough for the magnitude of the tsunami-sized emotions that hit her all at once from seeing Wei Lan again.
Shin Lin is looking back and forth between the two and so misses the triumphant expression on Yin Yue's face.
"Wei Ge, Shin Lin, look who I found," Yin Yue breaks the silence excitedly. She is acting like they both do not have eyes.
She draws Yan Ran further into the room since she looks like she has no intention of moving from the door. Yin Yue does not feel even the slightest guilt for tricking her into this.
Shin Lin realizes that Wei Lan's jaw has dropped to the floor again and jabs him in the ribs and whispers, "Wei bro, a fly just flew into your mouth", before he quickly moves forward to cover up for his mentally fried friend who seems to have forgotten to work his mouth.
"Yan Yan baby, how delightful to see you again!" he exclaims rather too loudly hoping his voice would take his friend out of the trance he is in.
"It's been way too long, " he says giving Yan Ran one of his goofy smiles and hugging her at the same time. He has always called her Yan Yan, nicknamed after a famous snack from Country J that they both loved as teenagers.
Yan Ran is grateful to Shin Lin for breaking the breaking the ice and forcing her to come back to her senses. She returns his smile genuinely and gives him a bear hug back.
She realizes in that instant that one of the things she has missed terribly in her self- inflicted exile is her friendship with Shin Lin. They had always clicked so well and had shared so many laughs in the past. However, she had kept away from him because she had not wanted him to feel like he would have to choose sides after she had left.
The five years she had spent in Country A working on her music career, had been some of the loneliest days in her life. After several top ten charted albums, with several movies and modelling gigs under her belt, her label had decided that it was time for her to conquer Country C and J. Her family had been against her coming back but she had insisted that it was now or never. For how long would she keep letting past circumstances rule her life? At least she wanted to be in control of her career if nothing else.
"How have you been Shin? I have missed you so much," she says feeling quite emotional. She releases Shin Lin and examines him closely, her eyes moving up and down his youthful and lanky frame then lets out a little husky laugh. "Shin dear, you have not changed a bit. Are you taking some anti-ageing portion or something?"
Shin Lin grins, "Yan Yan baby, of course you are the only one who get my juices flowing. Flattery gets you everywhere with me," he says flirtingly. They both laugh like idiots. They have always had this kind of relationship. For a few moments, it really feels like they had time travelled five years back.
While everyone is behaving like they have not been apart in the last few years, Wei Lan is having difficulty deciding which emotion he should let out. He is feeling a strange mixture of anger, pain, betrayal and a bit of awe. In the end, all these blend to leave him feeling awkward and not sure how to behave around this Yan Ran who is a mega star and no longer his girlfriend.
He comes forward to greet her but he is feeling so awkward that he is not sure whether to shake her hand or just shake her full stop. In their previous lives together, they would have used a more intimate way of greeting each other. Remembering that just makes him even more self-conscious.
How do you greet an ex-girlfriend that you did not quite break up with? How do you casually greet a woman who has occupied your thoughts for more than half your adult life? Above all, how do you greet someone who just walked out of your life without any elaborate explanations and disappeared from the face of the earth for a whole year? A wave of anger hits him suddenly like a level 10 tornado.
This is the woman who had caused him unbelievable pain that he had not thought he would ever recover from. In his head he had played over and over again what he would do and say to her when he saw her again. How he would show her that despite her defection, he had survived and was doing very well. However, he is just realising that there is no way he could have been prepared himself to meet this woman who at one point in his life had been his whole world.
Wei Lan is not happy that it is her who steps forward and speaks to him first like all is well. He scolds himself for being so weak. He should be the cool, uncaring one.
He is a well- known, powerful, feared, and revered person in the business community and this country, damn it!
It had taken a lot of hard work to earn that reputation and he would be damned to let this… this … woman render him powerless. Even grown men are in awe of him. Surely she should not even count.
"Hello Wei," she says with a hesitant smile, and extends her right hand towards him in greeting.
Wei Lan wonders how she dares to stand there looking so beautiful and cool while he is struggling to keep it together. He wonders why she seems to be calm while he is almost bursting at the seams from the different emotions that are warring to be let out. At that moment, he feels even more angry and frustrated at the way she seems so poised after the havoc she had left in his life.
Yan Ran moves forward again, looks into his eyes, her hand still extended. Wei Lan looks at the hand as if it's dangerous weapon or a serpent waiting to bite him and makes no move to take it. He wants to walk out but his limbs seem to have lost all factory functions.
If Wei Lan only knew the conflicting emotions that have been plaguing Yan Ran since she had been sure she was going to come back to Country C and specifically B City; the same emotions that have been plaguing her from the time she came into the room and saw him, he would have been a bit comforted. She is not sure how to act around him.
She is not sure if he will even want to greet her. She knows she deserves it. In her mind she always thought the first time she saw him would be in a different setting, preferably not in public since she was not sure how he would react.
Wei Lan was never been one to show his emotions in public but after what happened between them, she cannot be sure. The only thing that she knows for sure is that despite his anger, he would never be rude. That is one thing, his father could not tolerate a lack of manners from his family. He had always been conscious of their family reputation.
"Yan Ran," Wei Lan whispers through gritted teeth after what seems like an eternity. He berates himself inside for how weak his voice sounds. He does not take her offered hand. Although it looks rude, it is actually purely out of self –preservation. However, still the heavens decide not to take his side because the scent that is uniquely hers hits him as he inhales. Unwanted memories flood him.
Meanwhile, Yan Ran almost falls into a puddle of liquid flesh on the floor. She had forgotten the effect her name on his lips always had on her.
Oh, my my, I'm in trouble, she laments to herself.
It is not even a day and already her emotions are all jumbled up. She feels slightly disappointed with herself. She needs to keep her defences up if she is ever going to have even a bit of chance of surviving this. Despite what her heart tells her, he is not someone he could ever have again. She owes him that at the very least. She cannot be that selfish.
Shin Lin and Yin Yue exchange a look and a smile that, if the two ex- lovers had been paying attention to, would have alerted them to the fact that they had been set up.
Yin Yue clears her throat and Yan Ran is the first to break eye contact. It leaves Wei Lan feeling bereft somehow. He quickly gives himself a mental shake and steps back. He scolds himself for losing it so quickly.
Where was the anger now? He is truly hopeless.
He wishes he could go back into some corner to reinforce his defences better; put up a thicker wall maybe. With her, he predicts he needs an electric fence probably.
He reminds himself that she left him without a word. Of course he does not care about her anymore. He has another girlfriend now. He is definitely doing much better without her. He lets these thoughts replay in his head over and over like a mantra in those few seconds. Those thoughts sober him up. He summons back his cold professional CEO persona.
"So…uhh," he says clearing his throat, "Yan Ran that was um-m… that…that was a beautiful performance up there. Congratulations!
Pathetic! Wei Lan mentally slaps himself. Why does he always start stuttering whenever she is around? Where is his famed reputation in the city for having a glib tongue gone? He sounds like a fan boy for goodness sake!
Yan Ran sees that his praises are genuine and it makes her heart leap a little. He used to tell her how much he loved her voice.
"Thank you Wei. I'm glad you liked it," she replies gleefully.
That rings bells in his head. Why is he getting a sense of déjà vu? Didn't they have a similar conversation a life time ago?
Wei Lan notices that she no longer looks as shy as she used to. Her life abroad had probably toughened her up.
Wei Lan feels a strange sense of loss. He used to find her shyness endearing.
There is another awkward silence so Yin Yue steps forward and takes control.
"I have been trying to convince Yan Yan that we should go out and celebrate her newly completed album after the concert," she says slyly giving Shin Lin a look that he interprets quickly as "Help!"
"Yes Yan Yan, please go out with us. We have not seen you for a long, long time. You need to make it up to me for not calling me even once while you were away. Let's take this chance to catch up and dance a little, ha, please, please," Shin Lin pleads with Yan Ran, eyes fluttering.
"If you can call what you do, dancing," Wei Lan murmurs caustically under his breath.
Yan Ran and Yin Yue giggle and the former shakes her head realising how some things have not changed after all.
Shin Lin and Wei Lan have always teased each other mercilessly since they were young but their friendship was genuine and enduring.
"Sorry guys, but I'm rather tired and I just want to go to bed after this. I'm still a bit jet lagged."
"Go to Bed? You have lost all sense of fun, girl. It's a Saturday night. How can you be going to bed so early?" exclaims Yin Yue flabbergasted.
"Come on Yan Yan, let's go have some fun". Yin Yue continues hugging Yan Ran while giving Shin Lin some head signals.
Wei Lan is helplessly watching these two's antics and knows there is no way of Yan Ran escaping their trap.
"Please, please, please Yan Yan, come out with us. I promise I won't get you drunk" Shin Lin jokes grinning widely and then gives her one of his best puppy eyes that she could never resist.
She giggles in response remembering the last time they had got drunk and thought throwing eggs down at passers- by through Yan Ran's apartment window was really funny. Well, it was for a while, until they got caught. Luckily, the victims had agreed to settle the matter with a minimum amount of fuss.
Yan Ran later blames her sense of guilt for neglecting her friends but she allows them to persuade her to go to KoKos, one of the most prestigious clubs in B City with the promise of them letting her go home early. They arrange for Yan Ran to go with Yin Yue since Yan Ran lives the furthest from everyone else.
Wei Lan still needs to do some meet and greet rounds after the concert before he would be able to go home to change.
Yan Ran needs to freshen up; change and they were to meet Wei Lan and Shin Lin by the club entrance.
The concert break is over and the quartet files out of the lounge and makes their way back downstairs. After seeing them out Yan Ran goes back to her assigned dressing room. They had arranged for Yin Yue to pick her up after the show. She quickly removes her stage makeup and lies on the big settee to get a few minutes of rest.
After the concert and the fraternising that goes with it, Yin Yue parts ways with Wei Lan and Shin Lin and goes backstage to look for her friend. Yin Yue knows that the reason Yan Ran had not joined them for the concert in the second half is that she is not into the whole media thing. Yin Yue always wondered how Yan Ran, who happens to shun the press and all forms of media, had ended up a musician and going out with a guy like Wei Lan, who for most of his life made an appearance in local tabloids at least once every week.
She finds Yan Ran all packed up and ready to go. They say good bye to her band members on their way out. They were going to rest for the weekend to recover from the fatigue of their travels.
Yan Ran decides to ask the question that has been puzzling her.
"Yin, how come Wei didn't seem to have any problems with me performing here? I would have thought he would have tried to stop it at all costs."
"Ran, first of all, you are a big star now, who wouldn't want you to perform at their function? Secondly, I was the main organiser of the concert, so I chose the artists," she adds grinning.
"And… I might have omitted telling my brother about your return and performance here," Yin Yue finishes impishly.
Ahh so that was it. Yan Ran concludes. No wonder he looked so shocked earlier on.
She knows that after what had happened, she must be the last person he would want to see, big star or not.
Yan Ran pulls her friend gently.
"Thank you Yin, for keeping my secrets. I know it must not have been easy for you…,"she begins before being cut off by her friend.
"Come on, you know that I am the best person to keep secrets," Yin Yue interjects.
Yan Ran rolls her eyes because that is the biggest lie ever.
She is grateful though, that this time her friend has kept her word thus far.
Yin Yue breaks the sombre atmosphere by pulling her friend.
"Let's use the backstage door to avoid the paparazzi," Yan Ran asks her friend.
"I'm already way ahead of you. Just follow me," Yin Yue responds pulling her friend with her.
Yin Yue was well known for her ability to dodge cameras and always has a plan of escape.
The girls make it out towards Yin Yue's red Buick Cascada without being spotted. Yan Ran heaves a sigh of relief.
******
On the way to his penthouse, Wei Lan gets a call from his girlfriend, Chaing Mei Li. After finding out that he is going out, she insists that she wants to go as well.
Mei Li is a true socialite. She loves going out and most of the time drags Wei Lan with her.
For Wei Lan, the night club scene had gradually lost its appeal. He might have been for it when he was younger, but as the years passed, he has found it a bit… tiresome.
He is at the prime of his youth. He should be enjoying his bachelor days with great zeal. However, he finds that he cannot summon the energy needed for such places.
Maybe I am experiencing premature ageing! he panics.
Well at least I am still not losing my hair yet, he sighs to himself with relief.
His father had told him he had lost most of hair by the time he was thirty-two. Although Wei Lan has a few more years before he reaches the 30s, his hair is just as thick and dark as it has always been.
Wei Lan normally obliges his girlfriend but is feeling quite reluctant for her to come along and he knows why. He has never really talked about Yan Ran with Mei. She knows he used to have a girlfriend, but does not know what happened for them to break up. She never asked and he never volunteered the information.
Although above average in intelligence, Mei Li, being a happy go lucky person, never dwells on heavy topics. She likes to live in her own happy little bubble.
Everyone around him, especially Shin Lin, knows that it's a topic that is off limits. He had bitten everyone's head that dared bring up the subject in the past. In the end, no one dared bring it up around him nor mentioned her name in his presence.
There is no way he can refuse Mei Li coming along though. That would not be fair to her. However, he knows that his sister will not be happy with him bringing her along. Mei Li and Yin Yue have never got along.
Wen Lan sighs loudly as he gets into the shower. He will have to make sure there is no fighting, and that sounds exhausting.
I will probably need a helmet and shield, he thinks humourlessly as he washes his hair. Whenever Yin Yue and Mei Li meet there is bound to be shots fired.
As he lathers his hair with shampoo, his mind goes back to times when he and Yan Ran used to share a bath and she would wash his hair for him. He sighs once more as he realises that Yan Ran has once again invaded his thoughts and he does not know how to stop thinking about her. Wei Lan recalls the gloomy days after Yan Ran had left.