Imperfect Desires

Han Bohai had no answer for her. Because he knew if she was given another chance, Chen Xiu would still choose to save Liu Nuan's life. Even if she knew what the other would do to her, she'd still not go against her conscious.

"Can you both stop it?" 

The intense staring session between Xiu and Han Bohai was only broken because of Darren's voice. He looked at both of them and said clearly, "I don't want either of you to repeat it!" He knew what kind of effect all of these reminders could do on Xiu and yet she was looking for an argument on purpose.

However, what he didn't realize was that even if he managed to notice something strange about Han Bohai, how could she miss out? She was someone who was most familiar with him. And she had already noticed that the way he looked at her was different. She knew it was a wild shot but she believed that Han Bohai knew she was Chen Xiu.

There couldn't have been another reason for him to be so vocal about all that. He was testing her just like she was trying to see what he figured out or how.

Because of Darren, Han Bohai was silent for a while before he said, "I'm sorry for getting too emotional about. It's a very personal topic for me."

Xiao Li pinched the space between his brows and turned to Han Bohai, "You follow me out. I've something to ask you."

Ying held Han Bohai's hand even before he could stand up to follow, "You can talk to him right here."

Xiao Li rolled his eyes at her saying, "I won't eat him alive. If you're so worried, you can just follow us." 

Ying nodded her head and stood up to follow them out. Both Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin also left the table. Outside of their room, Xiao Li looked at Han Bohai directly and asked, "How and when did Chen Xiu save Liu Nuan's life? And what do you mean Liu Nuan backstabbed her?"

"If it wasn't for that Liu Nuan, why would my sister have to suffer for so long? She wasn't a weak person. She was a soft person but not a weak one!" He took a brief pause before adding, "However her good-heartedness wasn't appreciated. She was driven to her death because of that! And it was all because your cousin was insecure! No, she is still insecure!" He snorted, "Even after Chen Xiu's death, her insecurity isn't gone. It has only intensified. Everything that is wrong in her life is blamed on Chen Xiu."

Xiao Li knew that Liu Nuan hated Chen Xiu because of Zhou Jinhai. But he didn't know the inside story was even more complicated. 

He held Han Bohai's hand and asked, "Did Chen Xiu really gave her bone marrow to Liu Nuan?"

"Why would I lie about it? Although Liu Nuan didn't know who was the donor at that time, Chen Xiu knew to whom she was doing that for," replied Han Bohai. He didn't have to hide it. 

"Were they a match?" inquired Xiao Li with an earnest gaze.

"Of course! Isn't that a given? They were a perfect match!"

Xiao Li squeezed his hand saying, "Thank you for answering me!" Han Bohai frowned at his words and watched him turning away to leave in a daze. He also heaved a long sigh and went in the other direction to get some fresh air.

Xiao Li hadn't gone far when he was stopped by his father and his uncle who stood in his way. Xiao Li looked up at them in question.

"What are you up to?" asked Xin Zimen. "And why do I feel like you're still hiding something from me?"

Xin Xiao Li didn't lie as he answered, "Because I am hiding something from you. But don't ask what is it. I don't have an answer for you right now. Or maybe I do but I just don't know how to say it to you."

Xin Zimen furrowed his brows but didn't probe. Instead, he asked, "Why did you question him regarding the matter between Liu Nuan and Chen Xiu? Do you really think that can solve the mystery of why Liu Nuan tried to kill Xiu?"

"She tried what?!" Ying's voice had gone up an octave and so did Xin Zemin's. They both gave this father and son a look. 

"Xiao Zi the one behind Xiu's attack had been Liu Nuan?" questioned Xin Zemin.

"Yes," answered Xin Zimen. He couldn't hide this from his elder brother. Their differences apart, he couldn't possibly hide anything from his brother regarding Xiu. 

Ying held Xiao Li's hand and dragged him away. "Stop it. Your wound is gonna reopen! Stop pulling me!" 

However, Ying didn't listen to Xiao Li's words and dragged him to another room before closing the door and staring at him furiously!

"How much more are you gonna hide from me?"

"I wasn't planning on hiding this, I just confirmed it today. What made you think I'd hide something like this from you when I know that you're desperate to find the person behind the attack?"

Ying scoffed at him, "Oh, so you do care about the fact that I'm desperate to know something?" She hit his chest as she questioned, "Then how come you're still hiding something from me? You already know I'm desperate to find Chen Hana and yet you're hiding her from me!" Xiao Li's face stiffened slightly. "You know it, right? I just heard that the people getting in my way of search for truth are from Wen Clan. That made me think, my dear godmother would definitely have left her legacy in your hands. You're her eldest son and her dearest son as well." She glared at him in anger, "Why are you using your power to hold me back? Why are you getting in my way?"

"I have my reasons," he replied.

"That's what I'm asking! What bloody reason do you have? And what does Chen Hana even have to do with you? Why would you even protect her like this?"

Xiao Li held her shoulders and shot back, "If I have nothing to do with her, so do you! She is nothing to both of us. But we both have our reasons. If you have the reason to find her, I have the one to protect her!" He took a deep breath and looked at her, "You tell me why you're looking for her, I'll tell you why I'm protecting her."

Ying swatted his hands away and limped her way back feeling exasperated. "I won't say anything until I have a conversation with her. Only after her confirmation, I'd have something to say to you. For now, you should just bring me to her. Or bring her to me."

"I can't bring her here," he answered. "And taking you to her would be pointless."

"Why don't you let me decide whether it'd be pointless or not?" She held his sleeve and questioned, "You know something, right? No, I should be saying you know a lot more than me. To the point that it's scary."

"If it's getting scary, then you should be taking a step back. Don't try to probe into the truths that had long been lost in time." He took a pause and added, "Chen Hana has been in a coma for the past three years. No matter what answers you want from her, you won't be getting any. I've tried everything already."

His words made Ying's belief to get stronger. He already knew why she was looking for Chen Hana. And the only way he'd know it was if he had the same questions as hers. But his questions weren't answered? That'd be wrong to say though because she could see a conviction in his eyes. He had found the answer he was looking for and that's why he had been so scared.

The thought made her heart drop as she asked, "You're scared of the same answer as me, right?" Xiao Li looked into her eyes as she went on, "You're scared that if the dead Chen Xiu turned out to be really Xin Xiulin, what would you do. You can't even imagine telling your father that he didn't lose his daughter once but twice!" She shook her head adding, "No, it'd be right to say that you already believe that Chen Xiu was Xin Xiulin."

"Yes, I am scared," he replied truthfully. "Because all I have found until now proved that Chen Xiu was indeed my sister Xin Xiulin. It means that my mom wasn't crazy when she used to say that her daughter is alive! How am I not supposed to be scared of it all? Dad won't be able to take it!" He raked his fingers through his hair as he went on, "And now I'm being told that that supposed sister of mine was murdered. By someone related to me by blood! Liu Nuan paid a part in killing my sister."

"Chen Xiu isn't our sister! She couldn't be!"