Imperfect Desires

Even after Xiu left, Zhou Jinhai was being beaten up by Ying without any mercy. If she didn't let go, he believed he was soon gonna have a hole in his head where she had been smacking. She was treating him like a kid whom she could bully easily. And if he resisted, she'd beat him even harder!

"Will you talk back to me again, Jini?"

Zhou Jinhai bared his teeth at her dangerously. "Did I say anything wrong? I'm really just following your path! Being a rebel is something I learned from you."

"And exactly how am I a rebel?" voiced out Ying in a strained voice.

"Aren't you still refusing to take over your position as an heiress? Instead of sitting in an office, you'd prefer wandering around all over the world doing God knows what!"

Ying now pulled his ear like he was a kid as she said, "Doing God knows what?! I think Jini, you know very well what I had been doing!" He scoffed while rolling his eyes at her. But she didn't stop at that. "And besides, what's the point of being a rebel now? If you had been like this before, perhaps you could have saved her. Perhaps, today Regan wouldn't have been so distant from you. And perhaps, you won't be looking like a dead person!"

He suddenly stopped resisting as he sighed out with his head hanging low, "I tried..."

"What?" she was startled as she let him go and looked at his despondent expression.

"I tried being a rebel for her sake as well..." Ying frowned as she saw how he closed his eyes painfully as he breathed out. "She had to pay the consequences for that too."

"What do you mean?" asked Ying.

He looked away from her as if to hide something but Ying had already seen something shining at the corner of his eyes while he shook his head and said, "Forget about that. I just figured you truly meant it when you said you've taken a liking to my brother's girlfriend. I have never seen that look of doting on your face. Or maybe I have... But that's a very distant memory."

Ying instantly grinned at the mention of Xiu all over again as she nodded, "Didn't I say that I couldn't resist it? She feels so familiar that I just want to hide her from the world and protect her from everything. Xiu is just so lovable!"

She immediately held herself back when she noticed the shift in his expressions. As she placed her hand on his shoulder he smiled sadly, "Her name is also Xiu..."

She nodded before saying, "Indeed, her name is also Xiu. Maybe that's why I want to protect her so badly."

They both stayed silent for a long while before he said, "Do you really not want to come inside?"

"If I went to your place, Dylan will be upset that I refused to enter his place but went with you. It won't be fair."

"Stop pleasing others! When are planning on thinking about yourself?"

Ying looked toward the closed door of Dylan's house as she smiled slightly, "Xiu asked the same question." She glanced at Zhou Jinhai as she added, "Perhaps, I really don't know how to think about myself."

"Then you really need someone who only thinks about you."

Just as Zhou Jinhai's words fell, Ying's mind instinctively played the memory of Han Bohai whose eyes only found her in the crowd. Who had been staring at her so intently when he was around that she started feeling something itching in her heart. She shook her head immediately. She must be insane to think of him at this time.

"That just reminds me," he started again. "Are you planning on attending the wedding alone?"

"Why? Should I bring comrades?" Her retort earned her a glare. "Bad idea, I guess. But what do you mean?"

"Bring a date."

"What?" Ying was baffled at his suggestion. "Why?"

He knocked on her head as he questioned, "Is this floor empty? Why are you so slow? Do you wish to become the laughingstock in front of your rival?"

"People can laugh all they want at my failed love," replied Ying offhandedly.

"I'm not asking you to do it for others. Do this for yourself." She narrowed her eyes at him but refused to continue this topic and it seemed like he wasn't intending to continue either as he began to complain, "In the year I didn't see you, I finally grew out some hair. But here you're at it again. Can't you leave my hair alone? You're definitely gonna pull all my hair out one day."

"I can also pull your tongue out if it's such a burden inside your mouth."

He immediately sealed his mouth and refused to talk. He definitely wasn't someone who would take Ying's words lightly. If she said it, it won't take long for her to actually do it.

Meanwhile...

From the time Xiu had walked back inside, she had silently been staring into space. She was again lost in her own thoughts which Dylan definitely couldn't read. In fact, he barely even noticed that something was odd about her.

"Dylan!" she called out and when he looked at her, she beckoned him with her finger.

He scurried over to her side. "Yes, Shifu!"

"Is Ying Jie very close with Zhou Jinhai?" Dylan was startled by her question as he slightly zoned out. "Dylan! Dylan!" she had to shake him up. "Be honest with me."

He nodded his head after a long and deep breath. "I think they were close."

"You think?"

"As you might have noticed, I barely know anything about Ying Jie and Dazi only got familiar with her when he got into that accident. She was the one who helped him stand back up on his feet." Xiu silently listened and didn't interrupt him. "As for who sent Ying Jie to Dazi for help... I don't think I need to say his name out loud now."

Seeing how silent Xiu was, he was apprehensive a little.

"I think you should ask Dazi for details on that matter."

Xiu also nodded her head as she whispered, "I indeed need to ask him."