Imperfect Desires

Just as Zhou Jinhai had said, there was indeed no one who was willing to help Liu Nuan. Even after she managed to escape from the reporters, she had nowhere to go. Her whole person was stinking because of eggs and rotten tomatoes that were thrown at her. She hid in the airport bathroom for hours because her mind repeatedly played Xiao Li's last words to her. 

He had told her if she didn't manage to escape then she'll fall back into his hands. And just the thought of going back to that dark room scared her. She didn't know what to do at all. Her brain had taken a toll from what she experienced in the last days. She couldn't even think straight at all. 

It was around midnight when she cleaned herself in the bathroom and changed clothes before taking a flight to the capital. She was hoping that once she reached the capital, her father would save her. Or her mother-in-law would save her from all of this.

But she didn't know that every single person she had put her faith in had already decided to abandon her, including her 'father.'

"You seem pleased with yourself," said Liu Mingfan as he looked at Xin Suyin's gloating face.

"I finally announced to the whole world that you have an illegitimate daughter, of course, I'm very pleased with myself," retorted Xin Suyin. "And I'm even happier just with the thought of how wretched you must be feeling right now. Your poor love child has nowhere to go. No one to lean on. Aren't you gonna go and help your poor child?"

"I don't feel like doing it," was his response that stunned Xin Suyin. She looked straight at him and noticed that there wasn't an ounce of sadness in his eyes. He looked rather calm as if none of it had anything to do with him. Was he just acting before her?

"So, you really won't help her out of this?" asked Xin Suyin doubtfully as she continued to observe his expressions for a change.

"Who told her to mess with the wrong people?" retorted Liu Mingfan. "I have no plans of cleaning up her mess. That had been your job. You're the reason she grew up to think that she could do anything without worrying about the consequences of her actions. Now, someone is just teaching her that every action has a consequence. Whether she likes it or not, she brought it all upon herself."

Xin Suyin's frown deepened, "You don't look like a worried father. Didn't you claim to love Chen Hana? How come you're abandoning the daughter you had with her?"

Liu Mingfan smirked at her but didn't feel like answering her. Instead, he changed the topic and said, "You should worry about yourself for now."

"What do you mean?" she retorted. "What do I have to worry about?"

"With age, you are losing your mind," said Liu Mingfan and Xin Suyin glared at him. "You can stop trying to scare me. It doesn't work on me anymore." He took a deep breath and went on, "But since you and I have been married for almost three decades, let me give you an advice." Xin Suyin knitted her brows as he added, "Think of a way to protect yourself. It won't be long before you'll have to stand where Nuan is standing today."

"What do you mean by that?" She could tell he was hiding something from her and that made her feel slightly apprehensive.

"The main point of today wasn't Nuan's downfall, it was the point that someone is eager to send those people to hell who participated in killing Chen Xiu. As a matter of fact, you played a big role in all of that," reminded Liu Mingfan. Lowering his voice, he added, "How are you gonna wash your hands off the crime of pushing your own daughter to death?"

That topic was like poking at Xin Suyin's sore spot, she picked up a vase beside her and threw it at him. He easily dodged it as he said, "With age, even your aim is getting worse."

"Don't you feel anything?" she screamed at him. "You were so worried for Liu Nuan back then because she was your love child. But what about Chen Xiu? Why didn't you react to her death? No matter what, she was also your blood."

"If I had a mother like you, I'd have also killed myself," he said and walked away. He didn't plan on telling her that he already knew that Chen Xiu wasn't their daughter. He had seen Xin Suyin suffering all on her own with that guilt. The woman who always seemed unbreakable was actually breaking herself for years now. And he was enjoying himself. 

How could he set her free of her guilt? He had suffered enough because of her obsession to marry him. She didn't even hesitate before massacring someone's family because of that obsession. 

As a matter of fact, he also knew that Liu Nuan wasn't his daughter as well. But the reason he had been protecting her was just to provoke Xin Suyin. The more he protected Liu Nuan, the more Xin Suyin grew mad. She loved playing games, he had also learned to play those games from her.

He turned to look at her darkened expressions and smirked in satisfaction. It was time for her to realize how it felt like to lose everything. She loved snatching things from others, now it was her time to lose.

He walked over to the security and instructed, "If Liu Nuan shows up, don't let her come in. I definitely don't want to mess with the person behind all of this. It's better if Liu Nuan stays far away from here. We have nothing to do with her."

He actually didn't plan on being heartless towards Liu Nuan. No matter what he had raised her like a daughter for years and loved her dearly as well. But in the end, Liu Nuan turned out to be exactly like Xin Suyin and even ended up offending someone she shouldn't have. Now, even he couldn't help her any longer.