Imperfect Desires

Donning a well-tailored, handmade suit, his tall stature exuded an extraordinary elegance. The light of the chandelier reflected on his short but sleek hair and lingered making a halo that Xiu always found around him. His gray eyes were picturesque. His temperament was mellow and yet dreamy.

The moment he entered the hall, everyone's attention was spontaneously attracted to him and the one beside him. As Darren heard some gasps around, he made a U-turn to leave but Dylan held him back saying, "Don't even think about it."

Darren glanced at his best friend who was clad in a dark brown tuxedo. He was tall and elegant. His well-defined features and porcelain skin shone under the bright lights, exuding a luxurious elegance.

Darren sighed in defeat and walked inside with Dylan. "Remind me why am I wearing this clean-cut suit?"

Dylan smiled politely at the people around him and greeted them as he said, "Because we are attending a wedding."

"It's not my wedding. Why am I dressed up for it then?"

Dylan tapped his arm with a forced smile and said, "It's not your wedding but who knows we might find a potential partner for you here? Besides, don't you know that weddings are the best matchmaking sights."

Darren pushed Dylan's hand off of his shoulder, "Keep dreaming. I have a girlfriend."

Dylan scowled at him and said, "Yes, a casual girlfriend who is not even here."

Darren was about to punch Dylan when they saw a man in white tux coming their way. "Hey, Dylan! I'm so glad you could make it." The man's eyes shifted to Darren and he went on, "It's an honor to see your face in a gathering, Darren."

"Congratulations on your wedding, Huang Ming," Darren sounded extremely polite but distant as well. As if he was talking to a complete stranger. Although Huang Ming couldn't be considered a friend to Darren, he was still once Darren's acquaintance. 

"Thanks, Darren. And thank you very much for coming," Huang Ming could feel Darren's distant coldness and he decided to not bother them anymore. "Okay, you guys enjoy yourselves. I have to greet some guests."

Dylan passed a glass of champagne to Darren and said, "Why didn't you bring your girlfriend?"

"I didn't even want to come myself," replied Darren matter-of-factly before continuing, "Besides, she had somewhere to go with Nora."

"Nora?" Dylan raised his brows in question.

"Nora Cartwright. Sweets best friend." Darren explained in a bored tone while turning his back towards the people since he was really uncomfortable being under the scrutiny of all those people.

"Nora Cartwright?" Dylan mumbled to himself and frowned. "Why does this name sound so familiar?" He chugged down his champagne and suddenly had a look of epiphany as he said, "Aye, she's Jing Ge's daughter, right?"

Darren nodded in response and asked, "Do you know her?"

"Oh, hell yeah!" replied Dylan with a strange look which Darren couldn't understand. Now that Dylan recalled, he finally understood why Xiu's best friend gave him a familiar feeling. "She's changed after growing up."

"What do you mean?" Darren's brows wrinkled slightly in question.

Dylan shook his head and said, "Nothing. I'll tell you the details some other time." Suddenly, he pulled out his phone and put his arm around Darren's shoulder saying, "Say cheese!" He clicked a photo and posted it on his weChat moments.

"What was that for?" Darren pushed him away as she scowled in displeasure.

"It's proof for my mother dearest that I really brought you to the wedding with me. You know how she has some trust issues when it comes to me. So, I had to do this," Dylan explained while scrolling through his phone.

"Whose fault is it that she has trust issues when it comes to you," asked Darren in a challenging way.

"Fine. It's my own fault. Get over it already," Dylan retorted before saying, "By the way, Dazi, I just learned something."

"What?"

"My house is basically a university. Because I'm getting lectures 24/7 from my mother. I think she doesn't get tired of it at all," Dylan looked aggrieved as if he had been wrongly treated all this while. "And the worst part is, I actually have come to love her lectures. It's like I can't digest my food unless mom gives me a long lecture on how I'm still wasting my years as a single dog. You tell me, which mother treats her son like this?"

"Stop whining like a kid. If you stop ruining all the blind dates, wouldn't she stop bothering you?" Darren retorted calmly.

"Bro, why does she want these blind dates to work? Why is she forgetting that she eloped with dad herself? I'm a product of a love marriage that even got my parents to be kicked out of their families respectively. If they did a love marriage then why am I being forced to have an arranged one?" Dylan's scowl had turned deeper now.

Darren shook his head at him and said, "They are not forcing you to have an arranged marriage. They just want you to find a serious partner. Because your dalliances are making them anxious." Taking a brief pause, he added, "Yes, we are only twenty-seven but you'll have to find a partner sooner or later. So why not, just do it sooner?"

Dylan glanced at his best friend for a moment longer in silence before saying, "It's not my fault that my soulmate is somewhere in the world getting played by people. It's not like I have telepathy to shout, hey stupid! Come back here."

Darren slapped the back of his head and said, "Try being serious once in a while. The reason why Beauty Wei is getting more and more anxious is because of the failed relationship of Xiao Mei."

"My sister is my sister. She is not me," Dylan retorted in exasperation.

"It's ironic that you said that. After all, you shouldn't forget how you have a failed relationship in your dark history as well." Darren's reminder stiffened Dylan.