Imperfect Desires

Xiu was left mulling over Xiao Li's words. There was a certain feeling stirring inside of her and it made her believe that everything wasn't as simple as it seemed. 

When Xin Zimen noticed her looking so down, he frowned. "Did Xiao Li said something to you?"

Xiu looked up and seeing the concern in his eyes, her lips curved up slightly, "Nope. As everyone says, I just have a habit of bringing stress to myself."

Xin Zimen shook his head but didn't refute her words. He had also seen the way she acted. So, it was obvious to him what she was referring to. "Let's go... Everything's been arranged."

Xiu nodded her head and followed him only to be gobsmacked at seeing his entourage. Well, she knew he was an important figure. It could be seen from all those guards at his place but was this entourage necessary? They were just visiting a hospital!

This made her feel uncomfortable but she didn't voice it. She silently alighted the car and placing her hands in her lap, she stayed silent.

She was so silent that at one Xin Zimen thought he was alone in the car. So, he lifted his eyes to look at her, and seeing her lost in her own world, he frowned. 

"The more I look at you, the more I'm unable to make a connection between you and my brother." Xiu finally lifted her eyes as he continued, "Even your habits don't match with him."

Xiu shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe I'm like my mother."

"That's also possible," replied Xin Zimen. "Stop frowning. Didn't I say it doesn't suit you?"

Xiu smiled at him asking, "Then what suits me?" She knew the answer and yet she loved hearing it again and again.

"That smile you're wearing right now," he said sincerely making her smile even more brightly.

"Ah-Xin..."

"Hm?"

"You make me envious of your sons."

"Huh? Why is that?"

Xiu looked out the window as she smiled sadly, "Because you aren't my father."

"And here I always treat you as my daughter," said Xin Zimen with a hint of disappointment.

Xiu shook her head saying, "That's not what I mean."

Xin Zimen patted her shoulder gently as he said, "No matter what you mean, don't forget that you have the blood of Xin's. That makes us blood-related and I'd always be here for you."

Xiu tilted her head to look at his face and thought bitterly, 'If only I had met you in my previous life... If only... Even as a stranger... I think Chen Xiu wouldn't have ended so pitifully.' Her eyes stung with hot tears and she tilted her head up to stop those tears that had brimmed up in her eyes from falling.

Even if there was no blood relation between them, Xiu knew that he'd still be there for her. And that thought alone meant a lot to her. 

....

In the meantime, Ying had dragged Han Bohai all the way to her car. Yes, she didn't let his hand go even for a second. It certainly pleased the one who was being dragged around but the one dragging had no idea about his feelings.

"Hop in, I'll drop you off." Han Bohai nodded in reply but seeing that he didn't move, she frowned, "Get inside already."

He lifted his arm to show her that she was holding his wrist as he said, "How can leave when you are holding this so tightly?"

Realizing that Ying's eyes widened but if you thought she would be embarrassed enough to shirk his hand away. Then you definitely are on the wrong page. Instead of getting awkward about it, she maintained her original composure and said, "I have to hold it tight or else, you might run away."

Han Bohai's face came closer to hers as he said, "If only I could run now. But my dear Ah-Ying, you've captured me in the maze of your heart. And since I hate solving puzzles, I have decided to just camp in that maze."

Ying's lips twitched at his words that sounded so like him. "So, you're just giving up? Shouldn't you be looking for a way out of this maze?"

Han Bohai's face came even closer as the tip of his nose brushed against hers and he replied in a slightly husky voice, "I've left myself at your mercy. Now, it's all up to you what you want to do."

Ying frowned slightly, "With the strong approach you took to get me, I thought you'd be the dominant type. When did you turn into the submissive one?"

Han Bohai shrugged his shoulders, "Call it submission or whatever, but I'm just waiting for the time when you'd also give into this submission we call love."

"That is only possible if peach tree blooms in winter[1]," she replied haughtily and loosened her grip.

Han Bohai grinned as he walked over to sit at the passenger seat. 

"Fasten your seatbelt," she said but he again didn't move. "Are you waiting for me to buckle your seatbelt?" He nodded without hesitation. "This isn't the plot of your movie! I'd rather kick you out then buckle your seatbelt." He pouted adorably and she rolled her eyes before starting the car. As the got on the highway, she asked, "Where to?"

"Huh?"

"Where should I drop you off?" she asked again.

"To the same hotel," he answered.

Ying frowned at him, "Don't you want to go home?" Before he could open his mouth to say anything, she added, "And don't give me the crap about how you don't have a house in An City. If you really think I know nothing about the Han family, then you're certainly mistaken."

Han Bohai pressed his lips together to control his laughter as he said, "I don't know what you're saying."

"Don't play dumb with me," she warned.

"But I'm not playing dumb," as she gave him a sideways glance, he went on, "I am dumb."

Ying snorted at his reply, "It's good that you already know that you're dumb."

Han Bohai smiled at her, "Whenever I'm around you, my IQ and EQ turns into negative, so it's very obvious that I'm dumb around you."

"Why is it so difficult to talk to you?" wondered Ying.

"I'm very easy to talk to. It's just that you make it difficult yourself."

"You really have a way to turn all the blame to me. As if you aren't the one who trapped me into dating you."

Han Bohai shook his finger saying, "No, no. I didn't trap anyone. I sincerely pursued you with my shamelessness. You just happen to fall for it." He sighed heavily as he added, "But I just learned that in the end, you didn't fell for my sincerity but for my body. How cruel!"

"Babe, I have a huge crush on your heart and on your mind... But, your sexy body is just a huge bonus!" While Han Bohai was staring at her wide-eyed she went on, "Peh! If you think I'd be someone who would say something like this to please you then get the hell out."

Han Bohai laughed at her response and said, "Your little tsundere act is amusing. I love that about you."

"But seriously, why don't you go home? Doesn't your uncle live in An City?" 

As the conversation steered back to this point which he had been avoiding, he sighed again, "My uncle does live here but I only visit his place during holidays."

"Why? Aren't you guys on good terms?"

"We are on very good terms. More than an uncle, he is like a friend I can share everything with."

"Then why?"

"When I first stepped into this show-biz, someone took a photo of me with my cousin. It was a photo taken outside her school and it was painted in a way that..." he took a deep breath and went on, "Anyways, before the news could be published, my uncle's resources got rid of it. But the incident gave me a lesson that I don't want to drag my young cousin into this mess."

"And here I thought the entertainment circle is all about glamor."

Han Bohai looked at the side of her face intently as he said in a soft, "Behind the glamor is a lot of darkness. Just like gangsters try to wash their crimes with money, the entertainment industry tries to hide its filthiness behind the glamor. It's all just a hoax. Don't fall for it."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Did you fall for the hoax? Is that why you're a celebrity now?"

"As I have said before, the glamor can't catch my attention. It's something else or rather someone else who propelled me on this path."

[1] 'peach tree blooms in winter': This metaphor is deep and quite meaningful. A peach tree blooming in winter is very rare but bears the most beautiful blossoms of them all. I find this meaning particularly beautiful. And from this, we can all see Ying's tsundere personality when it comes to him. In other words, she isn't exactly denying the fact that she'd submit to love. Hehe...