Imperfect Desires

From the moment Ying left Xiao Li, she had been wandering around on the streets aimlessly. She had so much running through her mind but when she tried to focus on what exactly was she thinking about, she couldn't grasp it. She just didn't feel good whenever she thought about how Xiao Li told her to get lost.

That look in his eyes really got to her. It was as if he was accusing her that she didn't understand him at all. She could see helplessness and pain in his eyes but she really couldn't tell why he would be feeling that way. Maybe she was really forgetting just how much Xin Xiulin meant to her brother even after all these years.

Since she had been locked up at home for a long time, now that she got the chance to wander around, she did exactly that. With no destination in mind, she just continued to drive around. Even when the night fell, she didn't know where she wanted to go. And at that time, she received a phone call. 

Only after that call, she had a clear destination in mind and drove towards it. Parking her car before a house, she alighted, walked through the front yard, and pressed the doorbell.

Soon, the door opened and a haggard-looking figure appeared before her eyes. Looking at him up and down, her brows knitted up, "Are you dying?"

"Maybe I am," was the reply she received. "Come inside," he invited her inside and stood aside to make way for her to pass through.

Ying walked over and fell on a sofa with her eyes closed, "Hey, Jini, get me something to eat."

Zhou Jinhai gazed at her for a minute before he went to the kitchen. As he left, Ying opened her eyes slowly and looked at the tv that had been turned on. The news channel was still discussing Liu Nuan's case. She couldn't hear anything because the tv was on mute. But she could read all the headlines. 

"Here," Zhou Jinhai appeared with a plate of pasta and cola that he placed before her. "Enjoy your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All in one!"

"How do you know it's my first meal of the day?" she inquired curiously.

"Your eyes don't have the usual sparkle," he replied. "And it happens when you're hungry."

Ying only let out a chuckle before she paid attention to the pasta before her. After taking a few bites, she asked, "Did you enjoy the show for today?"

"I enjoyed it very much," he said rubbing his temples. "But you weren't the director of that show."

Ying lifted her eyes to look at him, "How are you so certain that it's not my doing?"

"It's not style," replied Zhou Jinhai. "You like to do everything according to the law. If it was Uncle Zimen, he would have silently put Liu Nuan in a dungeon for life. If it was my dear brother, he'd have made sure to shed some blood. Since it's done in so high profile manner, I'm assuming it's Xiao Li who is behind it all."

Ying snorted, "Smart! Why weren't you this smart back then?"

Zhou Jinhai's laughed mockingly at himself as he said, "Right. I learned my lesson too late." He took a pause and added, "So, is it really Xiao Li?" Ying nodded her head. "Why? Why is he after his own cousin?"

"First of all, she isn't his cousin," said Ying. "Secondly, she tried to kill Xiu. Thirdly, Xiao Li is certain that Chen Xiu was his sister. His grudges are deep now."

Zhou Jinhai listened to all of this calmly as if he wasn't surprised at the turn of events at all. 

"You don't look surprised," she pointed out as she drank the cola before her.

"She doesn't surprise me anymore," said Zhou Jinhai. "I knew she was the lost cause from the moment she started blaming her unhappiness on a dead person. She never tried to reflect on why she was in that unhappiness. Instead, her sole focus was on blaming someone who left the world." After a moment, he asked, "But did you show that bracelet to Xiao Li?" 

Ying shook her head, "He already knew about Chen Xiu."

Zhou Jinhai's brows raised up slightly, "How?"

"He doesn't tell me that," she sighed out. "But I've been wondering where you got it from."

"My sister gave it to me," he answered. 

"Liqiu?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded his head, "She said she found it with our mother and thought that I should have it instead." He looked at Ying's doubtful look and continued, "She still claims that she knew nothing about mom's plan. She was genuinely good to Chen Xiu but it was our mom who used her good relationship with Chen Xiu to change the latter's medicine. I don't know how much of that is true but I really don't care anymore either."

"I don't want you to care either," said Ying. "But you should know that it won't just end with Liu Nuan. Whether your sister did it intentionally or not, it'd be difficult to prove that to Xiao Li."

"I know," he replied. "When I passed that bracelet to you, I knew the consequences. You don't need to repeatedly warn me."

"Are you waiting for him to get to you?" inquired Ying. "He isn't as gentle as he appears to be. Don't let him fool you."

Zhou Jinhai smiled softly, "Ying, are you worried about me now? Be careful, your boyfriend won't like this worry of yours." Ying pressed her lips together as he added, "I honestly never thought someone like you would fall for Han Bohai."

"I never thought as well," said Ying as she looked at the tv screen once again. She pointed at the tv with her fork and said, "Who do you think is gonna help her out of this?"

Zhou Jinhai glanced at the screen and replied, "No one."