Imperfect Desires

Xiu didn't even realize what she said but her simple, 'I swear to Chanel' shook every other person at the table. Whether it was Zhou Jinhai or Darren himself, they all looked at Xiu with a complicated look in their eyes. Because every other person at that table associated that simple sentence with Chen Xiu.

"This entertainment company might be like a playground for a young master like you, Mr. Zhou. But I swear to Chanel if your stupid ideas did any harm to my career, I'll hunt you to death!" That distant voice rang in Zhou Jinhai's ears but it was familiar and he remembered it vividly. 

It was Chen Xiu's weird way of swearing. Even Darren had once asked her,

"Why do you always have to swear on Chanel?" And her reply was, "Chanel is love. And the day I'll find something precious than my Chanel handbags, I'll change my way of swearing."

However, now that Darren thought about it, till her last breath, she never changed her way of swearing. Either she didn't find anything more precious or perhaps, she couldn't claim that precious person as hers. Something inside of him told him that he didn't want the same for Bai Xiu. It was Chen Xiu who couldn't find her precious one, he wouldn't let the same fate befall on Bai Xiu.

Even Liu Nuan's brows had quirked up in shock along with Dylan.

Only Nora was oblivious to the changes that Xiu's words brought in others. She stood up languidly and said, "Fine, Baby Xiu. You wait for me outside, I'll come after saying goodbye to others." 

Darren held her hand and said, "Let me send you off." Xiu didn't resist at all and let him guide her out of the hall. When they came to the parking, Darren waited beside Xiu for Nora. Playing with her fingers, Darren's eyes didn't leave hers as she was pushed up against the side of the car.

Xiu noticed the way his eyes were slowly tracing down to her lips and lingered there for longer than necessary. Not that she minds it at all, but his darkened gaze was making some unfiltered ideas to creep in her mind. And it made her restless, impatient and yet excited. 

Xiu was in a dilemma since she couldn't decide whether she wanted him to stare at her like that or she wanted him to pull her in for a kiss already. But whatever it was, she felt needed. She found her own reflection in his clear eyes so fascinating that she didn't mind seeing her story unfold through his eyes.

Because she looked so different through his eyes that she felt envious of her own reflection that was captured within his eyes.

Darren slowly leaned down and just inches away from her lips, he asked, "May I?"

Right then and there, Xiu's heart skipped a beat and she knew it. She knew she wanted nothing more than to kiss him and touch him at that moment. In a daze, she bobbed her head up and down. When Darren's lips brushed against the side of her mouth, she almost cried out. She clutched the sides of his jacket tightly but Darren held her hands and placed them around his neck.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. She felt a tidal wave of emotions and feelings coursing through her veins in the form of raging blood and the heartbeat that had sped up. She literally could hear her heartbeat drumming in her ears. For a second, she thought he'd be able to hear it as well but the way his lips caressed hers made her throw all the other thoughts out the window of caution.

They both pulled away slowly before staring into each other's eyes. Darren removed one of his hands from the car behind her and held the nape of her neck before pulling her back in for another kiss. He bit her lips softly making her moan involuntarily. He smirked against her lips but when Xiu opened her mouth to say something, his tongue plunged inside her mouth.

Xiu knew there was no cosmic explosion and yet she felt one within her heart. The sky was still dark outside, but something had ignited a fire inside her. The way his hand ran through her hair made her feel a tingling sensation coursing within her.

The kiss had turned longer than it was intended. It had deepened to the point where it felt more heated than passionate. Xiu wasn't standing anymore, her body was mostly leaning against the side of the car. She dove her fingers through his thick hair and loved the feeling of his sleek hair against her fingers.

She pulled away from him a little to graze his bottom lip making him growl in a deep and throaty way. Following that, his lips traveled down to her exposed neck leaving a trail of soft kisses that made her giggle without restraint. But when he sucked on her collarbone, Xiu couldn't help but take a sharp intake of cold breath. 

"Ahh! My eyes stings," that sudden voice startled both Darren and Xiu. As they tilted their heads and looked at the grinning Nora, they pulled away from each other. "Don't hold back on my account. Please, continue. If you want, I can unlock the car for you guys. You know for the sake of privacy."

"I like the sound of that," was Darren's reply making Nora's eyes widen in shock. 

"Woah! Hold it right there, Darren. Not so fast, man," replied Nora playfully. "As much as I'm a huge fan of you both, I still don't want to be the witness of your sweetness. So, leave me out of it."

Darren shrugged his shoulders and kissed the top of Xiu's head saying, "Text me when you get home and I'll see you tomorrow."

"You're not going home?" Xiu found her breathless voice and managed to ask.

"No, I have to go with Dylan," replied Darren before opening the car door for her and helping her with the seatbelt. After he made sure that she was settled in, he looked at Nora and said, "Drive safely and sensibly. Take good care of yourself and my girlfriend."

Nora gave him a mock salute with her two fingers and said, "Roger that, Captain!"