Imperfect Desires

Ying was over the moon when she hung up the call with that cutting retort. What did people take her as? A Joke? It was time to remind everyone what she really was! It was never a good idea to take her kindness and goodheartedness for granted. She also knew how to collect paybacks!

In her years that she spent under the tutelage of Xin Zimen, he had taught her the world's most important truth. In the end, it all comes down to your upright nature. Because the person who can cry definitely knows how to make others cry. If people had a hundred ways to make her shed tears, she had a thousand ways to payback but she always ended up living with her honorable personality.

She never really thought it was necessary to drop her standard low and fight back with people who had nothing better to do in life. 

"Ha! Now, you'll get the taste of my ruthlessness!" Ying was pleased with herself.

In the meantime, Xin Xiaoli was amused by her way of getting revenge. Ruthless? He'd rather call it cute! Holding a party for him and not inviting him? What exactly was this pettiness about? He sighed out, he really wasn't even gonna comment or argue with her. Neither could he since she had hung up on him.

"Was it Ying?" 

Xiao Li looked up at Zhao Wei and smiled while nodding his head. Zhao Wei placed the cup of tea before him and sat down diagonally from him.

"Is she really throwing a party?"

Xiao Li's smile broadened, "Yes. She is throwing a bachelor's party for me but I'm the only one who is not invited."

Zhao Wei was about to take a sip of her own tea but thankfully she didn't or else, she would have spurted everything out. She observed his expressions for a minute as she pressed her lips together before asking, "Are you two fighting again?"

Xiao Li shook his head, "No way! Ying and I never fight. We only argue as friends do and then we'd stop talking for a day or two. But after a couple of days, one of us would end up calling the other and everything will be alright." He looked at the cup of tea in his hand before adding, "But you'd know this already, Aunt. You've seen us growing up."

Zhao Wei's grip on her cup tightened as she nodded her head while biting her bottom lip. It took her a minute before she said, "I'm really sorry."

"Aunt!" exclaimed Xiao Li. "Will you please stop doing that? You always make me feel guilty."

Zhao Wei shook her head as she looked up at him, "No, Xiao Li. It's me who should be guilty. If it wasn't because of the promise you gave me, your life would have been so easy right now." She took a pause before adding, "I know the arguments between Ying and you only began after that promise you gave me. Before that, you both never argued. Not even once. If it wasn't for me, maybe you'd also have a family of your own by now."

Xiao Li silently sipped on his tea before he softly said, "I don't know if I'd have my own family by now or not but... Even if it wasn't because of the promise between you and me, it's a fact that Ying would always be just my best friend. It can't change." He traced the seam of his cup with his finger before he went on, "The love between Ying and I is more of like a family. The only two times she'd meet her parents had been either on her birthday or Christmas. The rest of the time, she practically lived with me. We literally grew up under the same roof. I don't think my feelings would have developed into anything else."

Zhao Wei brought a laptop and played a video before him. It was the scene from two days ago when Ying slapped Meihui right outside this house. Xiao Li had heard about what happened that day but it was his first time having the full knowledge of what really went down. 

He looked at Zhao Wei inquisitively who answered, "Ying had always been the one who gave in. Perhaps, that left a superiority complex within Meihui since Ying never wanted to fight back. It must be the reason why Meihui never stopped harassing Ying in one way or another. But I truly never thought one day Ying would fight back but it won't be for her own self."

Xiao Li's lips curved up slightly, "You should know by now. Ying was raised personally by my father. His sense of justice rubbed off on her. As he always says, 'If you're being wronged, you can think of turning the blind eye but if you see someone else getting wronged, don't ever turn away!'"

"It's really selfish of me to ask you to stay by Meihui's side," she muttered softly. She knew in her heart she had wronged him. If her daughter hurt him, she also did in her way. If at that time, she hadn't forced Xiao Li to look for Meihui and take care of her... She shook her head not wanting to continue this thought. She suddenly couldn't even look him in the eyes anymore.

"Aunt Weiwei, you never forced me to do anything. Stop overthinking about it. What's done is already done. At that time, you wanted to redeem yourself as a mother by doing something for her. You had your reason back then. Today, I have mine to marry her."

"She's my only daughter and I don't want her to get hurt no matter how far she had gone. I know there is no one who can love her more than you. That's why I'm already very glad that you're still willing to walk by her side in this life."

Xiao Li gave her a small reassuring smile. He couldn't tell her the reason why he had stuck around Meihui for so long. But now, he was certain that he didn't want another life to be ruined because of Meihui's stubbornness and willfulness. If it meant to sacrifice himself, he'd do that.