Imperfect Desires

Have you ever met anyone so cute that you couldn't even get angry at them? Well, Dylan had met one and she was standing right before him flashing her toothy grin while rubbing her tummy like an idiot. 

Realizing that three pairs of eyes were on her, she looked a bit despondent as she said, "Did Xiu do something wrong?" She tugged at Xin Xiaoli's sleeve saying, "Don't be upset with Xiu, okay? Xiu only wanted to drink a little but Xiu's inner drunk addict woke up and Xiu couldn't do anything." 

Dylan, Xin Xiaoli and even Ah-Si couldn't help but shake their heads at her. Xin Xiaoli bent a little to come at her height as he looked at her face and said, "No one is upset here. Not with Xiu for sure. So, stop pouting so adorably."

Xiu gave him a nod before smiling radiantly. "If Li bro is not angry, can you bring me to eat something?" She had a sullen look on her face as she added, "Xiu is famished." Her mood swings were really something on a whole new level. 

"What do you want to eat?" asked Xiaoli as he guided Xiu out of the police station.

"I want ice cream," answered Xiu without even thinking.

Xiaoli stopped in his track before questioning, "Ice cream? That's it?"

Xiu bobbed her head up and down. "Yup! That's all Xiu wants. Just..." she was struggling to count her fingers before she held up two fingers and said, "I just want three scoops of chocolate ice cream."

Xiaoli looked at her fingers, "That's three?"

Xiu raised her brows before touched her fingers with her other hand and held up another finger with an awkward laugh, "Now, it's three."

Meanwhile, Xiu was happily oblivious to the fact that Dylan was in trouble because of her... AGAIN! Because right when Xiu had left with Xiaoli, Ah-Si asked Dylan, "What did she drink?"

Dylan cowered back a little as he replied in a small voice, "I think it was... Rum."

Ah-Si lifted his brow at Dylan, "Rum and coke?"

Dylan laughed awkwardly as he replied, "Nope. I think it was just rum."

"What?" yelled Ah-Si at Dylan. "Have you lost your mind? How can you let her drink that? Forget it, you shouldn't have let her drink at all."

Dylan looked woeful, "How is it my fault? She is the one who dragged me to the bar. And I only ordered a cocktail for her. I don't know how or when she got that bottle of rum from somewhere and wasn't letting it go. I tried but trust me, she's a devil. I can't deal with her."

Ah-Si punched Dylan in the stomach as he said, "She is such a cute girl. Don't call her a devil. If there is any monster here that's you for getting her drunk."

Dylan was gaping in disbelief. How come no one ever believed him when he said that Xiu is a devil? He thought he was the best actor around here but she was really out of his league. Her level of acting was mindblowing. Just like my Goddess... Dylan's eyes widened as the thought struck him all of a sudden. The realization that he heard Xiu calling herself as Chen Xiu hit him just now. Was that real? Or was he dreaming? Whichever it was, the possibility of both situations didn't sit well with him.

"What are doing? Let's go now," came Ah-Si's voice but when he didn't see Dylan moving, he had to drag Dylan with him.

When all of them were in the car and Xiaoli started the engine, Ah-Si asked, "Ge, where are we going?"

Xiaoli glanced at the little excited kid jumping around in the passenger seat and replied, "My little sister asked for ice cream. We are getting ice cream for her."

"What the hell!" said Dylan as those words registered in his mind. "Aren't you tired? I'm already exhausted after this much." The question was directed at Xiu.

Xiu turned her head to stuck her tongue at Dylan and said, "Only old people like you can get tired. I'm still young and free."

"You're calling me old again?" Dylan was fuming at the backseat.

"Enough!" came Xiaoli's stern voice which was really enough to make Dylan shut his mouth. "It's the first time my sister asked for something. Whether you like it or not, I'm getting her the ice cream that she wants."

Hearing Xiaoli's answer, Dylan was amazed and wanted to applaud Xiu for whatever charms she had. Because it wasn't every day that Xiaoli would want to do something like this for someone completely unrelated to him.

About twenty minutes later, all of them were sitting around a table waiting for their ice creams. The only person who didn't order was the one who brought them here; Xin Xiaoli himself. "Bro, won't you eat?" Xiaoli shook his head in reply to Xiu's question. "Why?"

"Bro doesn't like ice cream," replied Ah-Si for his brother.

Xiu glanced at Xiaoli in shock but when her ice cream was served her expression immediately changed and she forgot all about what they were talking about. "Bro, since you're not eating should I tell you a joke to make you laugh?"

Xiaoli gave her a blank look but his eyes held the curiosity as he said, "Sure. Anything you want to do."

Xiu happily started, "So, there was a guy who said to the girl, 'I love you.' Do you know what she said in reply?" He shook his head in reply and Xiu went on, "She said, 'All the boys before you also said that but they were all dogs. What's different about you? Why should I believe you?' The guy stayed quiet for a long moment and the girl got impatient as she said, 'Well, say something now!' Guess what did he say?"

Now, even Ah-Si and Dylan had stopped eating as they paid their sole attention to her. Xiaoli, on the other hand, thought about it and answered, "I'm not sure. What did he say?"

With a straight face, Xiu leaned ahead and whispered, "He replied, 'Meow!'" Seeing their dumbfounded looks, Xiu burst out laughing on her own. 

"Was it that funny to you?" asked Dylan in a strange tone.

Xiu shook her head saying, "Nope. But your reaction was priceless."

Seeing the way Xiaoli was looking at her, Ah-Si leaned closer to his brother and said, "Bro, why are you looking at her with such affectionate gaze?"

"Doesn't she remind you of someone?" asked Xiaoli in return and while Ah-Si raised his brow at his brother, he added, "I don't know why but she gives a very familiar feeling."

Noticing that strange mood of his brother, Ah-Si thought of something, "Don't tell me you..."

"Do you think if I ask dad to adopt her, he will?" Ah-Si closed his eyes as he heard his brother's strangest suggestion.

"Bro!" he whisper-yelled at his brother. "She must have a family of her own. How can you even think about this? I know you always wanted to have a sister whom you could spoil but come on! She's not our sister."

However, Xiaoli didn't care as he said, "She's an orphan. I heard it from Hedi. As for her not being our sister, can't you believe in your brother for once? Sometimes, you don't need blood to find your connection."

Xiu and Dylan were oblivious to the idea cooking in Xiaoli's brain while they bickered and ate their ice creams. And just as Xiaoli said, he really felt like he had a connection with Xiu. He really felt happy when she called him brother for the first time. It felt like he found someone he had lost long ago. 

As for why he felt this way... he couldn't explain himself. Because some connections don't need words just like some feelings. You just can't put them in words.