Imperfect Desires

"How's your hand now?" 

Xiu looked at her bandage and shrugged her shoulders, "It's fine. Nothing too serious." It wasn't really serious but the bandage made it look like it was something serious. It wasn't like she busted something.

Ying laughed at her reply and when Xiu squinted her eyes, she elaborated, "I just didn't think you'd actually be able to even squish an ant." Xiu pouted unhappily. But Ying wasn't lying. In her view, Xiu didn't look like someone who'd be able to hurt someone. However, she turned out to be wrong. Ying ruffled her hair gently, "Next time, be careful not to bust your knuckles."

"I was just angry at that time so I didn't realize what I was doing," answered Xiu in her defense. It was not like she didn't know how to throw a punch. She had worked with enough stunt doubles and had learned a trick or two. But in her anger, she just ended up exhausting all her strength. She didn't care how lousy her punches or hits were. She was just venting. 

Although she was sorry that she vented not just for Nora's sake, she ended up using her own pent up frustration on poor Ah-Si as well.

"Oh, by the way, did you come with Cali?" asked Xiu as she recalled how she met both Ying and Cali outside. And seeing Ying nodding, her doubt was confirmed. "How do you know her?"

"We are just acquaintances," replied Ying offhandedly. Explaining how she knew Cali was a bit more complicated that's she chose the easy way out. And cross-questioning is the best diversion. "But how do you know Cali?"

"She's my boyfriend's best friend. Also, my boss has a crush on her. It's pretty normal that I know her."

"Boyfriend's best friend?" Xiu nodded in response. "She's Regan's friend?" 

"Yeah. They had been school friends."

"What a small world," Ying couldn't help muttering. What were the odds that Cali was not only acquainted with Darren but she had also met her cousin without knowing who she was? Such a tragically twisted coincidence. All of a sudden, something else caught her attention, "Did you say your boss has a crush on her?!"

Xiu nodded her head.

"But your boss is Dylan."

Xiu nodded again.

"That means Dylan has a crush on her?!"

Xiu laughed at her reaction. She was waiting for this. But Ying took too long to actually focus on that certain point. Nonetheless, she finally was able to notice. "Yes!"

"Is that why you pulled me here?" asked Ying raising her brows at Xiu. "You want to be a matchmaker and I was acting like the third-wheel."

 "You're right but partially," answered Xiu sincerely. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Didn't I mention that I love spending time with you?" Ying only smiled in response and didn't continue with this topic. 

"Sister Xiu! Sister Xiu! Hot news! Oh... Sorry, I didn't know you have a guest."

Gu Luli who had been excitedly running to Xiu stopped the moment she saw that Ying was inside Xiu's cabin.

"I told you to stay calm and wait patiently," Liu Jinjing reproached Gu Luli's behavior and apologized to both Xiu and Ying for intruding.

"I'll go and check up on Cali," said Ying and stood up to leave. She could see these white-collar ladies had something to discuss with Xiu and she was getting in their way. Besides, she had to find Cali to inform her about Xiu.

Xiu's nosy colleagues waited till Ying left before they hurriedly circled around Xiu. "What's up? Why are you all staring at me like that?" Xiu was genuinely curious to know what these girls were up to. If it was before she would have thrown them out by now but working with these ladies had made her become accustomed to their weird behavior. And in a way, they had grown close now.

"Sister Xiu, do you know who the woman is in Mr. Qiu's room?" Wang Hualing was the one to start first.

"Except for you, nobody is allowed in his office and yet, he dragged that woman with him." Liu Jinjing couldn't help chiming in.

"You all know I don't like gossips," was Xiu's response which made their heads hung down in disappointment and guilt. Of course, they knew how much she hated gossips. Isn't that the reason why none of them dared to come to her in the morning to inquire about the sweet confessions video at the company's forum starring their very own Bai Xiu and their boss' best friend, Regan Darren Salvay.

However, they could choose to stay silent about Xiu's love life but not about Dylan's! 

"But since it's about our boss, I'd love to gossip."

Xiu's words lifted their spirits. Elated, they started sharing what happened outside between Dylan and Cali. "So, who is she?"

"I'd say your lady boss," answered Xiu making their eyes widen. "But with our boss' skills, I believe it'll be a long road."

"Sister Xiu, do you mean boss likes her but she doesn't like him?" Gu Luli asked naively.

Xiu shook her head, "No, they both like each other. But Dylan's reputation is not that trustworthy at the moment."

"Ohh..." All of them said simultaneously as if they finally got the crux of the issue.

Gu Luli looked at her phone screen and sighed, "But they look so damn good together." Xiu frowned at her words and Gu Luli turned her phone screen towards Xiu. "Sorry, I couldn't help clicking their photos. They were so close and looked like a pair of lead from a movie. My hands moved on their own."

Xiu smiled as she looked through the photos and nodded in appreciation before she even gave her a thumbs up. The pictures were clicked from a really good angle. If one didn't know any better, they'd think that Dylan and Cali were actually modeling for a magazine cover.

"Did you post these on the forum?"

"I did not!" Gu Luli immediately shook her head. "Boss will kill me if I did that."