Imperfect Desires

"I think I made your best friend upset," told Xiu guiltily to Darren over the phone call.

Darren's fingers paused as he focused on her words and asked, "That you always manage to do. But what did you do this time?" 

"I asked him why he is single," said Xiu meanwhile she arranged the data on the computer. "He looked really hurt for some reason. Who broke his heart? I didn't take him for someone who would be stuck on a girl like this."

Darren wasn't surprised to hear her words at all. "Sweets, Didi isn't stuck on that girl. He has moved on long ago."

"Eh? Then how come he is still single?" questioned Xiu as her brows snapped together in confusion.

"He is still single because he is not ready to move on from the pain she left for him," replied Darren honestly. He had no reason to hide anything from her at all. "Also..."

"Also, what?" Xiu found his sudden pause to be strange. So, she insisted to know.

"Don't take it to heart but one of the reasons why he avoids attachments is actually you."

"Me?" Xiu's eyes widened. "What did I do?"

"You as in Chen Xiu," Darren repeated but in a clear way this time making Xiu's eye widen even more if that was even possible. Before she could ask, he continued himself, "People might have called you Goddess Xiu, for him, you were really a Goddess. He admired you from the time you debuted as a teenager."

"He did?" Xiu suddenly felt a strange feeling evoking in her heart. It was the kind of warmth she never felt before. She was so touched.

"You can't even imagine how much he was hurt when I told him about your..." Darren couldn't continue further. But Xiu could tell he was referring to her suicide. "He found inspiration and strength from you and when you left so suddenly, he was heartbroken. Around the same time, he had a break-up and it really pushed him to stop getting attached to people."

Xiu stayed silent for a long while before she muttered, "I scarred him for life?"

"Scarred? Maybe. Hurt? Yes! He still is a huge fan of you though. 20 percent of what he earns goes to the trust fund he opened in Chen Xiu's name. He is the literal definition of a crazy fan. He and I only fought once in our life and it was over Chen Xiu. I dared to say that Chen Xiu is fake and he ended up punching me in the face." Xiu was getting some serious shocks today. She never thought Dylan would be like that.

"Was he in love with me or something?" asked Xiu jokingly. "And did you just call me fake?"

"First, I didn't know you back then. Second, he did love you but like a fan. Apparently, you're that angel who could never be his. And he himself didn't think he was worthy of his Goddess." Xiu laughed as she heard him but still tears welled up in her eyes. She finally knew that someone really admired her for who she was.

"Don't say anymore. I'm already feeling bad for teasing him so much."

Darren chuckled at her reaction. "Sweets, don't worry about that. He had been teased by everyone in the last couple of years. And only because he doesn't want to get attached to anyone anymore."

"What did his ex-girlfriend did to break him to this point?" 

Darren didn't reply at first but later said, "That I can't tell you."

"It's okay. Anyway, you get back to work. I'll see you later. Bye, love you!" Xiu hung up the call without waiting for his reply. After hanging up, she was lost in her own thoughts. She really loved her tom and jerry kind of relation with Dylan but knowing how much Dylan valued her in her previous life really made her feel guilty for everything she did to him. But not to the point that she'd say sorry to him. Because at the end of the day, he deserved it!

During lunchtime, Xiu entered Dylan's office and said, "Oi, let's go!"

Dylan looked at his wristwatch and asked, "Where? I don't have any lunch meeting today."

"Yes, you do," replied Xiu.

"With who?"

Xiu pointed at herself, "Yours truly."

Dylan nodded his head before going back to work as he said, "Not interested."

Xiu rolled her eyes at him and held his wrist pulling him off of his chair while she kept talking, "Don't act so high and mighty. It's lunchtime which means, you're not my boss for the next hour. But I certainly am your sister-in-law for the next hour. So, behave yourself and follow me."

"Even if I don't want to, you're already dragging me," reminded Dylan as he was being dragged through his own office and that too right before his employees who couldn't help but gape at the scene playing before them.

Xiu stepped inside the elevator, pressed the button and just as the door was about to close, Dylan tried to escape but halted when he heard Xiu's voice, "You do remember what happened when I took an elevator alone last time, right?"

How could he forget that? He had to run through all over the capital to look for her. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back inside the elevator and Xiu showed a victorious smile. When they got off at the ground floor, Xiu again dragged him towards the exit. Dylan noticed how everyone was looking at them and said, "You can let my wrist go. I really don't wanna be dragged like a damn sack of potatoes."

"But you look like a potato. Mr. Potato-head!" 

"Keep doing that. Today, I'm a potato that's why you don't fancy me. One day, I'll be..."

"Shut up! If you continued, I'll really be pissed off."

Dylan shut his mouth at her warning and followed her silently as they crossed the road and came to the dessert shop around the corner. At the counter, only Xiu was talking, "I want strawberry mousse, a macaron, daifuku, and an almond cake." She looked jubilant as she ordered all the sweets by herself.

"This is your lunch?" asked Dylan.

"No. It's yours," replied Xiu and added, "I know you love sweet things. So, I'm treating you today."

"Treating me? What for? You aren't planning to kill me after that, are you?" Dylan looked at her skeptically.

Xiu held back her words as she calmly said, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I have canceled that plan."

"Because you don't have the back garden yet?" 

Xiu glanced at him weirdly as she asked, "You still remember that?"

Dylan shrugged his shoulders, "It was a blatant death threat, I had to remember it." 

They both shared a look and ended up laughing out loud. That back garden joke of hers was iconic for Dylan. And certainly, Dylan's expressions at that time were also historic for Xiu herself. Even Xiu didn't know how she always managed to said so much nonsense to him only.

As their order was served, Xiu said, "Eat this. I, Bai Xiu am giving you a sincere apology for hurting you in the morning." Dylan was stumped for words.