Imperfect Desires

Seeing this Xiao Li's headache worsened and so did his anger. And noticing how he was emitting a dark aura, everyone around him took a step back. 

Xiao Li clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He took three deep breaths before he opened his eyes again. As if nothing happened, he said, "Wake her up. I don't have time for her tantrums."

"Yes, Master!"

Xiao Li left the room and was met with his father's inquisitive gaze. Being under his father's scrutinizing eyes was never a good experience. 

"What nonsense were you talking about?" asked Xin Zimen with a perplexed look in his eyes. 

"I didn't talk any nonsense," replied Xiao Li and turned to someone. "Prepare tea for my dad."

That person replied politely, "The tea is already served, Master Li. This way..." 

Xiao Li nodded his head and followed that person. He knew his father would eventually follow him as well so he didn't say anything to him. Indeed, Xin Zimen silently followed him and came to a sitting area. 

Seeing how Xiao Li just sat down languidly without giving him the real answer, Xin Zimen was irked but he wasn't an impatient person either. He masked his emotions and sat down. Taking a cup of tea, he even took a sip, feeling relaxed.

"I know you want her to confess but don't play with her emotions," said Xin Zimen. Xiao Li lifted his eyes to look at his father. "At this rate, she might have a mental breakdown."

Xiao Li chuckled at his father's words, "Dad, do you think I was lying to her?" Xin Zimen frowned slightly at his expressions. "I'd never lie about such a thing. When I said Jinhai and Aunt Suyin doesn't love her, I was speaking the absolute truth."

Xin Zimen straightened up, "What do you mean?" He was really confused now. "I know I have been staying away from any news regarding the Xin family, but I can't be that oblivious. Haven't Jinhai and Nuan loved each other since they were young?"

Xin Xiaoli snorted, "No, they didn't. Because of that stupid verbal engagement between them, she ended up forcing him to marry her. Even when he had been in love with someone else." He took a pause and went on, "As for Aunt Suyin, I haven't been able to figure out what's going on with her."

"What do you mean?" 

Xiao Li leaned his head back as he went on, "Aunt Suyin went to extreme limits to make sure Nuan gets what she wants in her life. It had always been like that. But lately, she had become distant from Liu Nuan. Almost like a stranger." He shook his head and rephrased, "No, it's right to say that Aunt Suyin treats Liu Nuan like a villain. She is so hostile whenever she looks at her own daughter. And just now, Liu Nuan confirmed my conjectures. Something did happen between this pair of mother-daughter. But the question is what?"

Xin Zimen fell into deep thought. He really wasn't familiar with the fact that something was wrong between Xin Suyin and Liu Nuan. Well, he had never been close to Liu Nuan and he had kept only kept his pretense of cordiality with Xin Suyin for years now. 

"If what Young Master is saying is right," began Xin Kuan who had been listening silently at a side. "How bad it has to be to make a mother and daughter's relationship to end up like this? From what I gathered earlier, Liu Nuan is yearning for her mother's love."

Xiao Li's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion as he said, "That's what I've been trying to figure out. After all, she is a mother who even pushed someone to death for her own daughter's happiness. Why would she suddenly turn against her own daughter then?"

"Pushed someone to death?" repeated Xin Zimen in a stern voice. "Did she kill someone again? Who did she kill?" He was still not over the fact that the sister he used to love so dearly had actually made it rain blood just for her own selfish causes. But she still didn't change?

Xiao Li looked at his father for a long while in silence before he told him, "Her name was Chen Xiu."

Xin Zimen's brows furrowed tightly, "Why does that name so familiar?"

Xiao Li didn't focus on what he said as he continued, "She was the one Jinhai was in love with. She was the one Regan loved as well. To this day, both of them have an unrecoverable relationship because one gave her up to see her smile and the other couldn't even protect that smile of hers. Neither could he protect her."

"Why do you know so much about her?" inquired Xin Zimen. "And why does it concern us? Especially in this situation?"

Xiao Li placed his hands behind his head as he said, "She had been the one trigger that turned Liu Nuan's perfect world upside down. Her hatred for Chen Xiu is beyond your imagination."

Xin Zimen sighed out, "Xiao Li, I'm asking you something! How does that have anything to do with what's happening here? The person she tried to kill is Bai Xiu! Although they share the same name, they are a different person!"

"Right..." Xiao Li mumbled. "They are different persons than why? Why?" He kept repeating it feeling uneasy.

"You're still hiding something from me?" asked Xin Zimen. He could see how bothered his son looked right now.

Xiao Li took a moment before he put out another recorder before his father. Xin Zimen took it with a frown and pressed the play button.

"What do you mean you couldn't kill her?" Liu Nuan's shrieking voice rang out. "How is she so bloody lucky? When people die they should stay dead! Why did she have to crawl back out of her grave? No, I can't let her live. She can't live! I won't allow it! You have to die! You have to die, Chen Xiu! I'll send you right back where you crawled out from!!"