Yan Mei nodded again before she replied “Not much, I got the impression that it’s not truly his story to tell”

It was Yue Yan’s turn to nod curtly, her eyes fixed on everything in the room except her. “Yes,” she answered finally, “he’s kind like that but it’s more than that, what Lei Zhao did for me was save me.”

Yan Mei had waited patiently; she sensed a story and with the way her house-guest had refused to meet her eyes she knew it was no ordinary story. The show of vulnerability touched her and Yan Mei couldn’t help the strong wave of sympathy that filled her at the lost look. At long last, her patience was rewarded

”I was raised in an orphanage, somehow I never got into the foster system and from the stories I’ve heard I believe I have much to be thankful for. But that’s the power of hindsight talking, as a child it hurt me with every couple that passed me by and adopted another child. I wanted a family with a desire that was almost tangible and I never got one so I channeled all that need into my education and it was rewarded”

Yue Yan recounted her history in a bland voice as if she was trying to actively distance herself from the emotions it evoked in her, judging by the stark look in her eyes, it wasn’t exactly working.

Yan Mei herself had felt her throat swell with emotion, but she swallowed any overt show of emotion and kept quiet.

”I got a scholarship to college, not just any college, an Ivy league college all expenses paid and I thought life was finally being good being but despite my tough upbringing and the offhand way we were raised at the orphanage I was not prepared for the casual and determined hatred I received the hands of the so called elite because I didn’t belong in their world” Yue Yan had spat the same entire sentence with uncharacteristic vitriol.

Yan Mei couldn’t help nodding in silent agreement, she herself had suffered bitterly in the hands of the upper class who wanted to destroy her for the crime of not being from a moneyed family.

”I understand what you went through. They claim to be better than others but they’re only vicious animals guarding what they think belongs to them from an intruder in their circles. In fact, calling them animals is an insult to animals actually” she finally replied, her first words since she sat down but it was clear she was not speaking out of empty sympathy but some private grief.

At those words Yue Yan had turned to look at her, revealing eyes that were studded with tears “I was on the verge of dropping out or killing myself when Lei Zhao stepped in, he literally has me a stamp of approval and shielded me from the worst of it”

”Yes, he can be kind like that” Yan Mei echoed her earlier words.

Yue Yan smiled, a small sad smile but soldiered on with her story, “at that point in time it was everything to me that someone stood up for me. He proposed we fake a relationship. After all, he was one of the richest people in the school so no-one would publicly bully his girlfriend. And he said something about keeping the leeches away. I won’t lie and say I didn’t fall in love with him, I did but I understood the boundaries and stayed inside them but deep inside of my heart he became my family.”

That is why I am worried….” Yue Yan ventured but Yan Mei never allowed her to finish the words.

”I’m not going to kick you out the moment you get better Yue Yan, give Lei Zhao the credit of having the good taste to marry a wife unlike all those people you met in college.” Her words were a reprimand but her tone was lighter, teasing, Yue Yan smiled in response

”No,” she however insisted, “the thing is that, he’s my family and I can’t bear for you to think I have ulterior motives towards your husband, I don’t want you to keep avoiding me because you’re like family to me too”

”You’re always welcome here Yue Yan , I promise you that” she had vowed, her words were heavy between the two of them, her house-guest had smiled at that, at ease and satisfied. But since then their paths had not crossed against until this morning.

Yan Mei shook herself out of the reverie, sending short waves in response to the greetings of the other two occupants of the room before she focused solely on breakfast.

Taking her own stack of pancake dripping with honey and blueberries from the chef she sat across from her house guest at the breakfast table but she didn’t say a word until she had downed her first gulp of piping hot coffee, liberally laced with cream and sugar.

Her almost moan of enjoyment drove a peal of laughter out of her breakfast partner. Yan Mei replaced her huge mug on the table with a slight blush at her blatant appreciation of coffee beans in front of a near stranger.

”Morning Yue Yan , sorry for being a coffee addict loudly”

”I don’t even blame you, I had my very first taste and I felt heaven, I think I had a more embarrassing reaction than you did” Yue Yan confessed

”I doubt it, how was your night?” she replied trying to move to a less embarrassing topic

”It’s the best one yet” her guest responded before inhaling a forkful of pancakes just dripping with honey.

”I’m glad that you’re comfortable in your room” Yan Mei ventured before she paid attention to her own plate. The first bite was perfect and seemed to be made equal amounts of crisp pancakes that somehow manage to melt on her tongue; this time she remembered to be less vocal about her enjoyment.

”The bed is like butter; I just sink in and it swallows me whole. So off to work this morning?” Yue Yan asked conversationally as she sipped on her own coffee