Imperfect Desires

All of a sudden, the screeching sound of the tires caught their attention and a hurried footstep followed.

"What's going on outside, Sister Ji?" Xin Xiaoli inquired as he saw the breathless housemaid coming to their side.

"Young Master Li..." she was panting heavily. "Master... Master is back."

"What?" Xin Xiaoli was a bit stunned to hear that. From what he knew, his father was supposed to come next week. How come he was a week early? And that too in the middle of the night? A premonition rose in his heart.

He almost came running outside the main door to find his father's entourage. Just when Darren followed suit and stepped out, he saw Xin Zimen alighting from the car. There was a frown permanently etched between his beautiful brows. He was dressed rather casually in complete contrast with his status.

However, the anger in his eyes was really overwhelming even for Darren who often had personal interactions with this business mogul before him. 

Xin Zimen walked straight towards his eldest son and said only word, "Move." Well, it was more like a command he wasn't willing to hear anything.

"Dad..." Xin Xiaoli tried to talk but his father's glaring momentum made him take a step aside. Finally, the one hiding behind his brother looked up at his father like scared cat.

Xin Zimen raised his hand and Ah-Si closed his eyes. But the expected jiggle of his cheek or piercing pain didn't come. He slowly opened his eyes to see his father had clenched his hand mid-air. He seemed to be trying hard to keep his emotions under control.

In the end, he pointed at his youngest son and began, "I never expected that one day I'd be ashamed of my own sons!" Ah-Si lowered his head and didn't dare look at his father's face. He knew how scary his father could get when he was angry. "How can you be this irresponsible?"

"Urmm..." Ah-Si didn't know what he wanted to say but whatever it was it died down in his throat.

"Look at me and answer me," hissed Xin Zimen. Ah-Si lifted his head but still didn't dare to look at his father straightly. He was willing to look anywhere but at his father's eyes. "Now tell me, how can you lose your own daughter?!"

Ah-Si's eyes widened in shock. He had just decided to ask for his father's help but he had yet to inform him about anything. Then how did his father already knew about the fact that he lost his daughter? And most importantly, how did he even know that he had a daughter?! But he wasn't the only one with this reaction. Both Darren and Xin Xiaoli's feelings weren't any better.

"Dad, how do you know?" Ah-Si could only get this one sentence out of his mouth.

Instead of answering him, Xin Zimen called out, "Brother Kuan!" Ah-Si frowned but look behind his father to see Uncle Kuan coming with a small figure tucked in a blanket in his arms. His eyes almost popped out.

"Ava!" He tried to rush towards his daughter but his father held him back.

"Do you have the right to even touch her?" He jabbed his finger at Ah-Si's head as he continued, "Use your head once in a while! Do you have any idea where I found her?" Xin Zimen rubbed his temple as he added, "You might forget your status as the young master of Xin family but people don't. Especially, our rivals."

"Dad, we've been trying to find her on our own but-" Xin Xiaoli stopped talking as Xin Zimen tilted his head to stare at him. He gulped visibly before trying to add, "We're just going to tell you about it."

"When? Exactly when was I supposed to know that I have a granddaughter? After losing her for good?!" 

Both brothers were left speechless with nothing to say. How could they say anything? 

"If Yi-"

*Cough* 

Uncle Kuan's timely cough halted Xin Zimen from spitting out the whole truth before his sons. "If my people hadn't been on time, you'd have really lost her because of your foolish mistake!"

Ah-Si's heart almost stopped beating at the possibility his father brought to light before him so cruelly. He really couldn't deny it he was being reckless. He was perfectly aware of how dangerous it was for his daughter without the protection of his father and he still chose to keep it a secret from him.

He held his dad's hand and looked at him with teary eyes, "Please let me hold her. I need to touch her."

"I say, Uncle Zi you should really let your son hold his daughter now before he passes out."

Xin Zimen turned to his left as he heard that familiar voice and his brows raised slightly at the sight of Darren standing calmly at the side. Having the full attention of Xin Zimen, Darren gave him a cheeky smile as he added, "Hi! Long time no see."

"Regan, stay out of it," came a stern reply.

"You know how much I respect you," started Darren as he came beside Xin Zimen's side and put an arm around his shoulder. "On normal days, I wouldn't interfere at all. But this time is special."

"Oh? How so?" Darren whispered something in his ear and smiled at the end. Xin Zimen closed his briefly before saying, "Brother Kuan, let him hold his daughter."

Uncle Kuan silently passed the tiny sleeping figure to Ah-Si's arms whose eyes sparkled instantly. Looking at those slightly chubby red cheeks, her small lips pouting and that little snoring sound, Ah-Si lost his control and he burst out in tears. He kissed all over that tiny sleeping face and kept whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby. Daddy is really sorry. Daddy won't leave you alone ever again."

"Get him something to eat," instructed Xin Zimen before walking away. He didn't go inside the house, instead, he chose to walk towards the garden without a word.

Uncle Kuan looked at Xin Zimen's receding back for a moment longer with a complex emotion surging in his eyes before he took Ah-Si inside the house to get something for him to eat.

Meanwhile, the only people left outside on the porch were Darren and Xin Xiaoli since Xin Zimen's entourage was circulating around the house to check the security.

Seeing how silent Xin Xiaoli had been, Darren couldn't help but ask, "Li, normally you would always protect your brother from your dad. What happened this time?"

Xin Xiaoli tried to smile at Darren but it looked rather sad as he questioned, "How long have you known my dad?"

Darren frowned at such an absurd question but still answered, "Since the time I've known Dylan's family."

"That means it's been almost two decades and by now, you must be very familiar with my dad, right?" Darren nodded in response. "But in all those years have you ever seen my dad this angry before?"

Darren thought about it carefully. Even though Xin Zimen was quite famous for his temper, he really had never seen him this angry. For some reason, he could even feel that he was trying his best to suppress his rage but it seemed out of his control.

"Not really. I've seen him angry plenty of times but not like today," he answered honestly.

Xin Xiaoli patted Darren's shoulder and stated, "That's because today's matter got really personal for dad." He looked heavenward with a sad look as he continued, "The night my mom died in that accident, dad wasn't with her. It was just a slight mistake on his part that he didn't want to accompany her that night and yet it cost him two…" He stopped mid-sentence, licked his lips and concluded, "Anyway, what I mean is that he had to pay a huge price for his slight ignorance. Now, when he saw what Ah-Si's ignorance could result in, he was scared as he had been years ago."