Imperfect Desires

*Flashback Continued*

Just as Niu Peizhi had expected, Chen Xiu didn't remember a single detail about this incident. She found herself in her bedroom when she woke up and because of her headache, she blamed her condition on alcohol. As for what had conspired when she was unconscious, she didn't know anything.

What she did got to know later that day was that Zhou Jinhai broke up with her cruelly without giving her any reason. It's not like he could bring himself to tell her the truth. He thought if he chose to break her heart like this, maybe it'll help her in moving on. So he did it even more cruelly by accusing her of being a shameless and presumptuous woman.

He really thought this would be the end of her misery but he was really naive. He never thought his mother didn't intend on stopping. Him saving her with the help of Xin Xiaoli ended up enraging her even more. It was like that incident fueled her hatred and she was hell-bent on destroying Chen Xiu in the worst way possible.

Every scandal that broke out about her was done by the grace of his mother. And he was asked to not interfere or the consequences would be even worse. He was just meant to be a puppet and why not, after all, he had someone he was scared of losing. And this fear of his became his mother's weapon that cut right through Chen Xiu's heart.

.....

When Liu Nuan was sent to the hospital and it was claimed that Chen Xiu pushed her down, he was put on house arrest. In his own house, he was kept as a prisoner just so that he won't be able to help Chen Xiu. Even Niu Peizhi knew that her son won't be backing off this time around, so she blocked every way for him.

Staying locked up for over two weeks, he had gone half crazy. That's why when Liu Nuan came back from the hospital, his hostility reached a new level. He threw a newspaper at her face and sneered, "Goddess Xiu is a killer? She murdered a child who never even got to see the light of the day, eh?" He walked close to her making her step back. Liu Nuan's mind had already taken a blow from her mother's reaction the other day, now Zhou Jinhai's look was scaring her even more. "Would you like to tell me whose child was it?"

"What are you trying to say, Jinhai? Are you accusing me of infidelity?" she spoke, trying to hide her inner trepidation. 

"Oh, why not? Because I can't recall when have I even touched you."

"It happened when you were drunk," she stuttered.

Zhou Jinhai laughed malice, "Drunk? Where did you learn this excuse? Or should I ask, who did you learn this acting from? Are you sure you're not my mother's daughter? Maybe something went wrong after the child's birth and the kids got exchanged. Because I can't think of any other reason why you'd be so much like her." He sat down at a side and rubbed his face saying, "You're really learning well from her. But let me remind you and my mother that I'm not like my father. Even if I lose all my senses, I'd still avoid a witch like you like a plague!"

Liu Nuan whimpered at his words, "Jinhai, how is it my fault? I was unconscious for days when I woke up all those news had already been spread. I fell down the stairs and something sharp cut my artery, people assumed that it was a miscarriage, how can you blame me for that? If anything, you should go and talk to your mother, she fueled the fire and made this worse. I'm innocent."

Zhou Jinhai laughed out loud. He laughed until tears came out of his eyes, "I really should applaud you. How easy it is for you to play this innocent victim's card. And it never gets old for you either!"

"Jinhai..."

"Do you think I'm a fool? The innocent victim and you? Haha! What a joke!" He stared her down as he continued, "Just like everyone else, I also thought my mother did everything. But only now I understood, behind everything, you're the mastermind. Everything that Chen Xiu suffered had to do with you." Her eyes went round as he went on, "You're such an innocent victim that using your tears you plant the ideas into others' heads and then use their hands to do your dirty deeds. You can blame it all on others but it won't whitewash you. Just because you didn't pull the trigger doesn't mean you didn't give the gun in other's hands."

Liu Nuan bit her lips but said nothing; neither to agree nor to disagree with his accusations.

"You could have easily cleared up the misunderstanding by telling people that you're not pregnant but you did nothing. You wanted my mother to start her play and she followed suit." He threw his head back as he stared at the ceiling blankly and said, "But if you think this is how you're gonna get me then let me tell you something... Once Chen Xiu disappears, I'll have nothing to lose anymore. That means I'll have no reason to see your deceitful face every day!"

Liu Nuan's heart dropped as she hurriedly said, "I won't be giving you divorce. There is no way I'm leaving you."

Zhou Jinhai smiled at her strangely as he replied, "I don't care. You want to keep this bullshit marriage, be my guest! But I'll make this marriage your worst nightmare. You all locked me up here and made me realize one thing, I'm not even better than the dogs who have their own freedom." He closed his eyes because he didn't want to look at her face anymore. "Just like my mother, you also want to put a leash around my neck and train me into your loyal dog. But this dog had now gone crazy! Now, watch me bite you all to death!"

*End of Flashback*