Agreements from before

That night Yi Ren came over to pass me the next event's plan as i was still overseeing somethings on a part time basis. He wanted to check if i was okay to perform with him in this upcoming event. I've ask him to send it through the emails but he wanted to come by instead.

"Eaten? brought some food over" Yi Ren smiled showing the packed food and flashing his boyish smile

"Wow! no i haven't and it's timely" I said

As we dig into the food "so what's this event that you mention?"

"Hmm did your brother mention anything?" He asked

"Okay I am curious now....what is it" I asked

"Well you should probably get this from him...you know they have been planning for your come back to launch a MV, your elder brother met me the other day, apparently they wanted to tell you about this" Yi Ren said.

"Well when i met Ta Ge that day...i was actually performing for a group of people...and now that you mention it he did mention something about some MV which they are assessing on the feasibility of using my musicians and likely your dancers"

"Well i know your brother was saying your grandpa and uncle Li discussed, grandpa was suggesting to uncle Li that given you have been in the music industry for sometime and were back then ...with Jon and team, he wanted to get you to release your music and he wanted uncle Li to invest in making that happen through his company. But your dad insisted that you come back to the corporate world and just take music as your part time profession. That's because he doesn't know if he wants to have his son succumb to the pressure of show biz, although your family have the connections but Uncle Li insisted that you still go through the usual route"

Ray looked down, this point he remembers what his grandpa said back in one of conversation when he had with him on the same week as Jon's passing "Uncle Li wants to commercialise this incident and wants you to come on stage to play and sing and talk about it in front of the cameras and make it into a reality show somewhat" Ray wasn't in the right emotional state to process what those words were....? Commercialise ?? Making money out of this ?

"Ah Kong, I'm not feeling well to continue this conversation" he said and left. And here we are still on the same topic just that now it's about playing back past and future that we have all move on.

"It's not like what you think...basically your grandpa wants a fresh start for you if you are coming back to the music industry...."

"How is it that you know so much and I don't" Ray asked

"They have been asking me to speak to you when you were away but I thought it may not be appropriate"

Playback to the days when Yi Ren has been closely working with Ray for the past 2 years. They have grown close and intimate probably with Yi Ren always being there for Ray, when he was down. But Ray was always guarded although he is chatty and friendly when it comes to inner circle of friends, there weren't many whom can make it through his list, but as Yi Ren is also a mutual friend of Er Ge he was more flexible to open up and they have been very close mutual friend to a certain extend. Nevertheless he was always guarded that his family would have sent Yi Ren to watch over him and report back on his well being.

But this conversation seem to proof that Yi Ren seem to be more like a tool used by his family which he was again pissed off.

He went on to finish up his food quietly which Yi Ren sense something was amiss.

"Ray ...are you angry?"

He turned to Yi Ren and force him a fake smile and answered "Nope, just tired, long day, I'll look at it and come back to you." He retorted as he pointed at the papers Yi Ren was holding. Ray doesn't like mixing work and personal life, to him friends are friends but work still has it's set of guidelines to be abided to.

"Okay don't give me that look, i don't think that's fair Ray?"

"What do you want me to say? That I am just another chess piece? And you and my family has been working around which chess box i go to?" At this he shot a glaring intensive stare back to Yi Ren. "At least i could have appreciated if you are genuinely treating our relationship versus being a mouth piece for my brothers, that you were there when i was sad coincidentally and you took me in and gain my trust and hope to fill my void and sadness and you are here pushing these papers to me now, I mean Yi Ren I can't make up what is it that you want from me any more?"

Ray lowered down his gaze as he let those words out...hard facts but reality for him how he sees it.

While Yi Ren seems to genuinely care at times, his actions causes conflict and confusion. Is this how he deals with their friendship - a bridge to transactions. Perhaps that's how it had been all this while. Nothing is really genuine.