As Brandon heard these words, he was momentarily taken aback.
"So, you don't have any feelings for her? Then what about today…"
"I just didn't want Auntie to think too much. Besides, I talked things over with Miss Thompson. Being friends is good," Nelson explained.
Brandon fell silent for a moment, looking at him intently. "How special are you?"
Nelson met Brandon's gaze and finally whispered a reply.
Upon hearing Nelson's words, Brandon reflexively stood up, putting some distance between them.
Rubbing his forehead, Nelson sighed, "I told you, I'm not interested in someone like you."
Brandon scrutinized him, asking, "Does your family know?"
"If they did, would I still be alive?"
Brandon stared at Nelson for a while before resuming his seat. "You've got nerve."
"I can't control this kind of thing. Maybe I was just born this way," Nelson said, looking at Brandon. "What about it? Do you look down on me?"
"Not really, it's not like I haven't seen anything before," Brandon replied.
After saying this, Brandon pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I didn't see this at all. I even told Sandy that I'd introduce you to her sister when you got back."
Nelson shrugged. "Looks like I won't have that privilege. I hadn't planned on telling you about this at first, or making it public, but I can't let it affect someone else. So… I came clean."
"What did you say about Olive earlier?"
Nelson replied, "She knows about my situation."
Brandon was shocked, and after a moment of silence following Nelson's words, he finally continued the conversation. "So, all these years, I couldn't see through it at all?"
"Exactly," Nelson said, looking at Brandon with a hint of disdain. "It's not that you lack perception; you just don't have the eyes for it."
Brandon sat back down, looking at Nelson. He attempted to say something several times but struggled to find the right words.
"Alright, you don't have to dwell on your words. Don't say anything, just drop it," Nelson whispered when he noticed Brandon's hesitation.
Brandon raised his hand to rub his forehead. "Did you tell Stella too?"
"Yeah," Nelson replied. "I can't lie about something like this. Besides, she's your sister, and I wouldn't deceive anyone, especially not someone from my own family."
"But others are fair game?"
"Can you stop being argumentative?" Nelson said, glancing at the time. "It's late. Why waste your time here when you could be with your heartthrob? Are you planning to sleep with me tonight?"
Brandon immediately stood up. "You're dreaming!"
"In that case, you better leave right away," Nelson said, clearly annoyed.
Brandon got up and turned to leave but paused in his steps. He looked at Nelson with a serious expression. "You've chosen a challenging path."
Upon hearing Brandon's words, Nelson was momentarily stunned, then he laughed. "Olive said the same thing. But this is the path I should walk, whether it's easy or not."
Brandon gazed at Nelson for a while. "Wishing you smooth sailing."
Nelson chuckled, waved his hand at Brandon, indicating for him to leave.
Brandon didn't linger and turned back to his room.
The candidness tonight from Nelson left Brandon a bit stunned. However, as he calmed down, he could see some signs of it. Despite knowing each other for so many years, Brandon had never seen any romantic developments between Nelson and that girl.
Apart from Olive, there were hardly any female friends around him.
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