Imperfect Desires

As Xiu had insisted, she really didn't bother getting up to make small talk with a bunch of strangers. It wasn't her kind of thing and she wasn't even gonna try being something she wasn't. So what if all these people were influential? The only person who had any influence on her of any kind was her Regan and he was already with her. Her whole world was him and she was very content with that much. Having too many acquaintances also created unnecessary drama that she couldn't handle.

"Regan, do you know everyone here?" Xiu casually asked.

"Not everyone but I'm acquainted with most of them," answered Darren.

"Oh, then you should go and say hi to them," Xiu pushed him.

"I'm not gonna leave you here alone," he replied.

Xiu again nudged him, "Don't be difficult. If you know them, then it's wrong not to say hello. Besides, I'm a grown woman. I won't get lost here. Just go already."

Darren hesitated for a while but seeing how she wasn't backing off, he decided to greet people. Behind him, Xiu had just decided to play a game on her phone when someone chirped beside her, "Xiu, are you alone? Where is your Baobei?"

Xiu didn't want to have any kind of argument with Dylan. So, she calmly replied, "He is greeting his acquaintances."

"Oh, he left you here alone? For his acquaintances?"

Xiu looked at him as she smirked, "Well, at least he has acquaintances."

Dylan's face darkened, "Why are you looking for a fight?"

"You started it," said Xiu. "I was sitting here minding my own business. You popped out of nowhere to bother me."

"I didn't come to bother you," retorted Dylan and took a deep breath to stay level headed. "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have talked to you like that after all, you came all the way just to help me."

"Took you long enough to realize that I was only trying to help," Xiu's voice was cutting. "I took your apology, now shoo!"

"What kind of behavior is this?" 

"In Xiu's dictionary, that's normal behavior."

Dylan rolled his eyes at her and was about to say something when hearing another voice, he stopped. "Oh, Xiu is here as well." Cali rushed to sit beside Xiu and hugged her. "It's been days I haven't seen you. How come you're so difficult to meet?"

Xiu patted her back saying, "I'm not difficult to meet, your attention had only been on Dylan lately."

Cali pursed her lips and didn't say anything to her.

"Why are you always late, Hedi?"

The three of them looked over at Ying who was scowling at Dylan. 

"You're the last one to arrive."

Dylan rubbed his nape as he said, "That's because my girlfriend was having difficulty in choosing her dress."

Ying's scowl shifted to Cali as she went on, "When did you start caring about your clothes? Isn't all the same?"

"I wouldn't want to lose from the host," replied Cali.

Ying looked down at her own clothes and laughed it off, "Normally, people try to not outshine the host but you certainly have some crazy quirks."

"You can't blame her for that, Ying Jie," began Xiu calmly as she sipped on her orange juice. "If she didn't have crazy quirks, how else would she have a crazy boyfriend?"

Ying pressed her lips together to hold back her laughter while Dylan glared at Xiu, "You don't even need a reason to drag me around." Xiu stuck her tongue at him childishly and he shook his head saying, "I wonder if Disney is still looking for Aladdin cast."

"Don't worry, you won't make a good Aladdin," retorted Xiu.

"I wasn't going to audition for Aladdin," replied Dylan sarcastically.

"So? Planning on becoming Jasmine then?" Xiu's brows wiggled playfully making Dylan's face twitch and his hand itching to beat someone.

He tried to force a smile as he said, "No! I might not make a good Aladdin but I think I'd make the perfect carpet since everyone seems to love walking all over me."

"Well, at least you know your own role very well."

Before Dylan could jump over to hit Xiu or start another war, Ying decided to intervene between them. She smiled at Dylan as she draped her arm around his shoulder. "Hedi, it's been a while. Where are you so busy these days?"

Dylan's mood instantly shifted, "I was busy courting my girl."

"So, did your girl become your girlfriend yet or not?" 

Dylan smiled widely as he looked at Cali lovingly, "Of course, she did." He looked provocatively at Xiu as he said, "Now, even I have a girlfriend. Finally, someone can stop showing off."

Xiu's lips curved into a pleased smile as she took the glass of the orange juice in her hand again but this time she held it in her left hand on purpose as she brought it up to her lips while saying, "You're still not in my league, bro."

Dylan felt something glared into his eyes and soon realized it was that diamond on the ring in her hand that seemed to be glaring at him. His eyes widened and he couldn't utter a word. 

"Oh my! Did Regi propose?" Cali was the first one to ask.

Xiu smiled sweetly as she nooded, "Yes, he did. And he didn't even made a show of it like a certain someone. It was very sweet and heart-warming."

"When will you stop finding flaws with me?" inquired Dylan.

"I don't know. You and I have the typical tom and jerry relationship. We hate each other's guts but we still won't want it any other way."

"I wish I could disagree with that statement," Dylan sighed out deeply.

Ying ruffled his hair and then she patted Xiu's head before saying, "You both should write a book on yourselves; 101 ways to start an argument. Trust me, it'd be a hit!"

"I like the sound of that," both Dylan and Xiu spoke simultaneously making Ying laugh out. 

Her eyes fell on a person in a distance and she decided to leave them alone.