Imperfect Desires

Xiu had eyes closed as she listened to Dylan playing the piano. Her eyes twitched when he made a mistake yet again and the throw pillow in her hand went straight towards Dylan's head. Having been accustomed to this, he instinctively dodged but before he could laugh at his victory, the second pillow hit straight at his face.

"Even my little brother is better than you," stated Xiu keeping her voice calm but he could feel a gloomy and dangerous undertone to it which made him gulp with his prominent Adam's Apple bobbing up and down.

Dylan tried to laugh which came out weird as he said, "But I heard that your little brother is a genius. It's no wonder that he is better than me. I was always an average student; Not too good, not too bad. The only reason I caught the attention of people was because of how it was famous in our circle that my parents pamper me like a kid." He had a strange smile as he reminisced about those times and sighed, "Anyways, I also heard how your little brother even managed to make our Princess Ava talk. Isn't that a proof that he is a genius? He accomplished something no other could do."

Xiu's lips curled up in a proud smile. She always felt like a proud mother-hen whenever anyone would compliment Jackie. It might be because he was like a kid to her after how she had looked after him for years. 

"It didn't require a genius to make her talk though," she began making Dylan frown. "The reason why she was being stubborn and quiet was that everyone gave into her. Especially, Ah-Si. Since he could always get her everything she wanted without having to say a word, she became too dependent on her father."

Dylan scurried over to Xiu's side asking, "Then how did your little brother do it?"

Xiu's smile had a hidden meaning as she said, "He... He just threatened her."

Dylan's eyes went round while he gaped at her in disbelief. "He... He did what?" He stammered around not knowing whether he heard it wrong or not.

"You didn't hear wrong. Jackie indeed threatened her."

"How?" After his initial shock, he was curious now.

Xiu gave him a look, "Simple. He told her if she didn't open that little mouth of hers like a good girl, he is gonna steal her mother that she finally found after years." Dylan's jaw almost hit the floor. "Ava is young but as soon as Nora walked into her life, she grew very close to her. Natural instincts of a child I'd say. So, you can imagine how such a small child would be scared of losing her mother again."

Dylan was quiet for a long time and couldn't help looking at Xiu as if he was seeing a criminal. It was all written on his face, 'You are to blame for this!' Xiu however, chose to disregard the accusation in his eyes.

"Now I know why Ah-Si told me that Jackson Jing is a mini version of Xiu. You raised him really well, eh?"

Xiu shrugged her shoulders indifferently at his sarcasm but she was definitely feeling complacent in her heart and it was even visible in the glint in her eyes.

"How could you teach a kid all your cunningness? Isn't he too young to play tricks like this?"

"Hey! If one kid can play a trick, others can do it too. How was my brother wrong? It's because of how protective you all are over Ava that she grew too comfortable in her silence. Someone like Jackie had to remind her that the world doesn't work that way. If you want something, voice it out. If you still can't get it, raise your voice louder!"

"I really hope that your and Dazi's kids inherit his personality and not yours. They can have your looks, but I don't want to face your personality's carbon copies."

Xiu squinted her eyes at him dangerously, "Even if there'd be kids in the future, I want them to inherit their father's eyes. Personality has to be like mine. The rest I don't care about." She didn't wait for Dylan to speak as she got up and said, "Get back to practice. I'm gonna take a look at Ying Jie."

Saying that she ran towards the door and opened it. However, she didn't move. She could see Ying leaning against the car with a very familiar face. Her brows slightly knitted up when she noticed Ying laughing along with Zhou Jinhai. They seemed rather close.

Thinking it over for a while, she stepped up and called out, "Ying Jie, do you need anything?"

Both Ying and Zhou Jinhai looked up at once. While Zhou Jinhai had a complicated look in his eyes when he looked at Xiu, Ying was delighted. "I told you I'm fine. Don't stand in the cold without your coat, go back inside." 

Zhou Jinhai's brows quirked up when he heard Ying's reproachful voice that clearly showed her concern. 

Xiu came up to her as she asked, "Then why are you standing in the cold?"

Ying smiled at her softly before tussling her hair as she said, "Because I love cold weather. It's my favorite time of the year."

"Liar!" Zhou Jinhai muttered.

"Cut it, Jini!" Ying glowered making him scowl as well. Noticing the look on Xiu's face, she added, "Oh, this is my old friend. A very old friend. If he hadn't come across me, I might have totally forgotten his existence even."

"Of course, you would," he wasn't the least bit surprised by the way Ying chose to introduce him. "After all, our Young Miss Ying's memory is limited to Xin Xiaoli. How can someone like me enter your eyes?"

Ying had to jump a little to wrap her arm around his neck as she dragged him down painfully, "You learned to talk, huh? No wonder I heard the obedient Young Master Jinhai is nowhere to be found. Aren't you being a rebel now?"

Trying to escape her grasp, he said, "I am just following your path. After all, the first rebel had been you."

Ying narrowed her eyes at him dangerously before turning to Xiu to say, "Kid, you go inside. I need to teach this rebel a lesson." Xiu nodded in her daze and turned around to leave. But she still couldn't help throwing a complicated glance towards Ying and Zhou Jinhai.