Chapter 171 - Get Slapped!
Lisa patted her forehead when she heard her younger sister's naive response. Didn't Bella realize that Lisa was watching over her while she talked with Rangga?
"Tell me what were you doing with Rangga?" Lisa suspiciously asked. Her eyes narrowed, her brows were knitted together.
Bella turned her head and looked around, acting as if she hadn't done anything suspicious. "Uh...nothing, just... hehe, nothing! Hehe."
"Bell," Lisa said, patting her sister's shoulder. "Let's go home. Tell me after this,"
Along the way home, there was no conversation between the two. An awkward atmosphere began to envelop the sisters. The night wind began to blow very hard, and the cold pierced the skin.
"Sis," Bella said, breaking the silence, "Did you see me and Brother Rangga talking earlier?" Bella turned and looked at Lisa who was walking next to her.
"Obviously yes! You really knew, didn't you?" Lisa replied with a little annoyance.
"What were you doing, Sis?" Bella asked again, now with great suspicion.
"Mom told me to buy meat at the market this afternoon," Lisa explained flatly.
Hearing her sister's explanation, Bella breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sis, I want to ask something anyway," Bella grabbed Lisa's arm and stared at her, eyes sparkling like a child with joy.
In return, Lisa nodded and turned to look at Bella.
"Are you sure you don't have a crush on Brother Rangga?"
"What do you mean asking me that?" Lisa replied, getting annoyed. Her face looked more serious than before. She frowned and stared at Bella. "I have said many times, I'm just a close friend with Rangga! We don't have any other special relationship. I've been friends with him since childhood, even before you were born! So how come we can date?!"
Hearing Lisa's explanation, Bella sighed, as if all the problems in her life had really been resolved in the snap of a finger. Bella gave a satisfied smile from the corner of her lips, feeling her uneasiness relieved.
"Didn't you tell me that you really have feelings for Rangga?" Lisa suspiciously asked.
Bella ignored her sister's question. She was just staring straight at the road without even looking at Lisa. She slightly lowered her head, staring at her feet which were slowly moving.
Seeing her sister's strange behavior made Lisa even more suspicious. Bella was not usually this quiet when she was asked something. Bella was a responsive person, so if the girl didn't respond to a question at all, it could be concluded that she was having a problem or was hiding something.
Lisa sighed, trying to make Bella spill the beans. Her sister was clearly hiding something from her.
"Bell, I'll let you know... You are already big. After this, you will also graduate. I just hope you do your thesis well so you can graduate on time and quickly find work. This way, you won't have to bother mom anymore. Your job is to focus on studying. Don't let anything distract you, especially dating! Or your college life will be ruined!"
Hearing Lisa's advice made Bella feel offended. It was as if Lisa merely saw her as a smelly girl who just graduated from high school. "True what you said, I'm already big. I'll reach 21 soon. I can go to a nightclub, so you don't have to advise me like I'm some high school student! Do you think you can control my life just because you're older than me?"
"Bell, I'm just telling you from my experience! Don't let your life fall apart like what I have now. Just because of a guy, my life turns into a big mess! What do you want to be if you follow my steps? Do you want to be like me?!" Lisa snarled in a raised voice.
Bella was not happy when her older sister confronted her. "Sis, please... I'm not asking for your advice and lectures. I know what I'm doing with my life, so please don't try to tell me what to do with my thesis, how and when I'll graduate or that I can't date any guys!"
"You really...! Be honest, you actually like Rangga, don't you?" Lisa asked again., trying to make sure.
The question seemed like an urge to Bella. Her emotions started to burn, she really didn't like being pushed like this. The girl raised her voice and looked at Lisa's face, who looked displeased.
"Yes! I like Rangga! I've even liked him for a long time!"
Lisa's guess was right. She really didn't like hearing what her younger sister had just said. "Bell, don't you realize that you're wrong? Rangga is much older than you. The age gap between you guys is almost 7 years!"
"So what if Rangga is 7 years older than me, huh? I like a mature and well-established lover like Rangga! You… Can't you just stop sticking your nose to my business? Quit telling me who I can and can't like!"
"Bell, the problem is that you are too young to be in a relationship. You better spend and make use of your youth being happy. I don't care if it's travelling, getting into entrepreneurship or making use of your current talents. Anyway, don't let yourself fall down because of a relationship!"
Lisa didn't want her younger sister to have the same fate as her. No, Bella still had the opportunity to reach a brighter future. She didn't want her younger sister to suffer from being cheated by boys like her. She didn't want her younger sister to become a pathetic young widow like her.
"But I like Rangga!" Bella whined in a spoiled tone.
"But you can't date Rangga! He's much older than you!" Lisa replied irritably.
"But I like older and the ripe ones! Age is not a problem for me, Lis! The important thing is that I feel comfortable!"
"No, you can't date Rangga. Point. I won't let you be with Rangga!"
"Why can't you!? Please tell me, what's your reason that you can't allow me to date Rangga?"
Hearing that question made Lisa speechless. She was confused, what should she say to Bella so that her younger sister would pay heed to her advice as to not have a relationship with a much older man at such a young age.
"Bell, I think you're crazy if you like Rangga. Yours and his world are so different, I'm not sure Rangga and you will fit together," Lisa replied.
"And how are you exactly sure about it!?"
"Bel, I am Rangga's childhood friend! I know more about Rangga than you!" Lisa snapped, starting to run out of patience. "Rangga is not as simple as you see! You only meet him occasionally. You only met Rangga when our family was having a meal together or when you asked him to help you work on your thesis!"
In her heart, Lisa really wanted to tell Bella that Rangga already had a child even though he was not his own child. In addition, Rangga also had a lot of mysteries about his love life, especially with his ex-girlfriend, Maria. However, the timing was not very right. She was forced to prevent her younger sister from dating Rangga.
"Lis, I also know that person doesn't have a simple life! Everyone has their own problems. I don't care what you say, I just love Rangga and I'll be with him!"
Hearing her stubborn sister made Lisa's patience run out. The woman raised her hand and slapped Bella's cheek hard.
"Ouch!!! Why did you hit me!?!?!" Bella shouted in surprise, rubbing her flushed cheek.