NEWLY-SINGLE Hong Kong actress Jessica Hsuan (left) is the type of woman who believes in remaining friends with her ex-lovers.

Three weeks ago, the 41-year-old split up with Ruan Bester, her South African boyfriend of more than two years.

Hsuan, who was in town to promote her upcoming Channel 8 drama Bountiful Blessings, told The New Paper in a mix of Mandarin and English: "I am still good friends with my ex now and if he needs my help, I will definitely lend a helping hand. There is no problem atall."

The candid star added: "I have always felt that it's fine to be friends with my ex-boyfriends. A friendship doesn't have to end just because a relationship ended."

The announcement of Hsuan's break-up with her beau on July 30 had shocked both media and fans as the veteran fixture on Hong Kong television had previously hinted that the veterinarian could be her MrRight, and many had speculated that she would marry him this year or next.

The couple were seen attending Cantopop singer Hacken Lee's concert together in mid-July and they were reported by Hong Kong media to be behaving in a lovey-dovey manner.

The pair have even met each other's parents, with Hsuan travelling to South Africa to meet Bester's folks.

While they were dating, Hsuan often picked Bester up after work and the two did not look like a couple on the verge of splitting.

On ending the relationship, Hsuan said matter-of-factly: "We had our differences and we had tried to resolve them, but there were some problems we could not work out. This is reality."

Hsuan said she is in no hurry to get back to the dating scene, preferring to leave her love life to fate.

She said: "This is how life works. When you set out to search for something deliberately, you will never find it. It will strike you when you least expect it. I prefer to let nature take its course...

"As time goes by, you will slowly start to see the other person's flaws.

"As I have always said, actions speak louder than words. Time will allow me to find out if the guy keeps to his promises."

Hsuan hopes to find someone who loves her more than she loves him so as to feel more reassured. But she said that in reality, it usually ends up the other way round.

The calm and optimistic actress added that a woman's perception of love and relationships changes with age.

Love is up to fate

She said: "When I was in my 30s, I thought a lot about my love life. I wanted to get married and wished to find someone who truly loved me.

"As I am an actress, I was constantly worried that men would get near me for my fame or my money. It was easy to doubt their intentions.

"As I reach my 40s, I don't ponder over such stuff anymore. I leave it to fate, as such things are not within my control."

Hsuan admitted that her maternal instincts were awakened during the filming of Bountiful Blessings, where she plays the lead role of a single mother to an eight-year-old girl.

The show premieres on Aug 30 at 9pm.

Hsuan recalled: "There is this scene...where my daughter tells me that she loves me and that she would take good care of me in the future.

"I was so touched by her words and I wished that I had such a cute and good daughter just like her in real life."

However, she does not want to have a child of her own just because of such feelings.

"I have to be responsible. I want my child to grow up in a good family with a healthy environment. I have thought about it before but I wouldn't have a child just for the sake of it."

Hsuan - who previously acted in two seasons of the Channel 5 dramedy Parental Guidance opposite Adrian Pang - had nothing but praise for Singapore, saying that she always feels very happy and relaxed whenever she comes here to work.

She revealed that the aggressive Hong Kong paparazzi's constant scrutiny of her has made her very tense, claiming there's no freedom to speak of whenever she is back in Hong Kong.

She says: "It's very scary in Hong Kong. I draw the curtains whenever I am back home and I always cannot sleep well. But I have been having very good sleep in Singapore."

The conducive and peaceful environment here has also led Hsuan to consider buying property on our shores.

She added with a smile: "I am not too sure about the property laws in Singapore with regards to foreigners, but I have been asking around.

"If all goes well, I may be able to live here in the future."

This article was first published in The New Paper.