Imperfect Desires

No matter how Xiu said that she was alright, Xin Zimen didn't believe her. He just couldn't bring himself to do so. "Bohai, take her to the bed. I'm gonna call the doctor."

Even before Xiu could stop him, Xin Zimen had run off to get the doctor himself!

Just as Xin Zimen left the room, Xiu's body finally gave away. Her legs could support her weight any longer and her knees buckled. But before she could fall, Han Bohai held her tightly in his arms. He already had expected such a reaction from her.

As he led her to the bed and made her sit down, Xiu held his hands in her own and looked at him apprehensively, "Xiao Bobo, please tell me what I am thinking is not true. Just say that my mind is playing games with me. Tell me, all of this is just a coincidence. She just happens to look like my younger self. She just happened to have the same design of the bracelet as mine. She just had the same name as mine!"

Looking at her frantically speaking, Han Bohai lowered his head because he couldn't bring himself to say any of that. At least, not the way she wanted to hear it.

Xiu shook him violently, "Don't just stay quiet! Say something! Say something before my heart gives up on me."

Darren wrapped his arms around her immediately. He was tightly holding on to her and caressed her head trying to calm her down, "Sweets, you need to calm down. This much excitement is not healthy for you."

"Regan, do you know what is happening?" 

Darren wiped the blood off her mouth as he calmly said, "I can guess more or less." He rubbed her head as he added, "Stop biting your cheek."

Xiu stared at him intently in silence. She couldn't say no to him so she tried to calm her breathing and even stopped biting her cheek. Although there were no tears in her eyes, Darren found the look on her face tormenting. This time, she wasn't shedding tears, it was her heart and soul screaming inside of her.

"Xiao Bobo, you won't say anything?" Xiu looked back at Han Bohai who had been silent.

"I can't lie to you," he told her. "He really is your father, Sister Xiu."

That confirmation made Xiu close her eyes tightly. 

"But isn't it a good thing?" Han Bohai added. "At least, now you know who you were."

Xiu opened her eyes stared at Han Bohai blankly, "This was certainly good news if I had learned about it when I was Chen Xiu. What am I supposed to do with this information now?" She looked at Darren who had a complicated look in his head, "You tell me, Regan. Is it good news that the father I always dreamt about is standing before my eyes? He is in my reach and yet I can't call him father. I'm a failure as a daughter who can't even do anything for her father."

She felt a headache growing as she added, "Who is gonna tell me if it's good news or not?"

Darren kissed her forehead as he said, "It is a good thing. Maybe not as a daughter, but you're in his reach. You can take care of him. And more than anything, you know who he is. And you can also see how much he loves you."

Xiu clutched his clothes as she said, "But isn't that the worst? It's because I can see how much he loves me that it's hurting me so much. I can see his pain when he talks about his daughter. How am I supposed to face him? It hurt like hell seeing him like that when I didn't even know he is my father, but now that I do, how am I gonna live?" Her lips trembled as she said in a shaky voice, "Just how am I supposed to live knowing that my father is hurting and I can't do anything about it?"

"Mr. Xin, stop dragging me," came a voice from outside the room and Xiu schooled her expressions to look normal. 

"I'm telling you something is wrong with my little lass and you're still walking so slow. What else am I supposed to do? I can only drag you!" was Xin Zimen's response.

Soon, he stepped inside the house with Xiu's doctor in tow. She looked really exasperated and didn't know whether to laugh at this situation or cry. She looked at Xiu who didn't look that different than the time she saw her just two hours ago. 

"Why are you just standing there?" questioned Xin Zimen when he looked at the doctor who was just standing at the door. "Aren't you gonna do your job or should I look for another doctor?"

"Ah-Xin, I'm really fine," Xiu had to force herself to say but while doing so she didn't look into his eyes. She had always looked at his face whenever she talked but it was the first time, she seemed to have lowered her head before him. As if she just couldn't bring herself to look at his face. It hurt!

"Don't listen to her," warned Xin Zimen. "We won't take any risks when it comes to her health."

Xiu stayed quiet and let the doctor do her job. Meanwhile, both Darren and Han Bohai had gone into a strange mood. It wasn't like Xin Zimen wasn't sensitive enough to the mood in this room. He frowned at both men in the room and questioned, "Is everything alright with you two?"

"Yes," both Darren and Han Bohai replied simultaneously that left him even more perplexed and suspicious. However, he was currently just focused on Xiu's condition so he didn't bother probing the other two.

"What happened to Xiu?" Xiao Li came running when he heard that his father had dragged Xiu's doctor to her room. He was so shaken that he ran over immediately. "Wasn't she fine during the breakfast?"

Xin Zimen put his finger on his lips as he gazed at his son and instructed him to stay quiet. "Don't distract the doctor."

Xiao Li immediately shut his mouth and looked towards the doctor who was being thorough with her job. 

"Bro, did something happen to Sister Xiu?" came Ah-Si's voice from behind and Xiao Li gave him the same look that his father had passed to him earlier.

Ah-Si also quietened up and focused on the doctor who seemed to be sweating buckets with so many pairs of eyes focused on her now.

"You all are making her nervous," said Xiu as she tried to laugh a little. However, her laughter wasn't as bright as usual. It sounded rather choked up and dry. It seemed like she was struggling with some emotions within herself but not one thing could be seen on her face.

And because Xin Zimen couldn't read her expressions, it made him even more anxious. He didn't know why he was feeling this strange even now.

After the doctor was done, she told Xin Zimen, "Everything seems normal with her." Xin Zimen frowned at her words clearly suspicious of the credibility of her words. He had even come up with the idea of getting another doctor here. As if the doctor could read his thoughts, she said, "Mr. Xin, you're just too worried about her. She did bit her cheek a little too hard but her vitals are fine. Her heartbeat seems a little fast but isn't at an alarming rate. You don't need to worry so much. And stop being so suspicious. I'm not sure about her but you might end up compromising your health in this way."

Xin Zimen didn't really care about the doctor's words. Although he was still suspicious, he didn't show it. He just asked the doctor to leave and walked over to Xiu. He placed his hand on her head and sighed, "Little lass, how can you do such a mistake? Biting your own cheek until it bleeds? Is it something normal?"

Xiu tried to maintain her smile as she replied, "Well, don't you know that I do all sorts of things? I'm just that crazy. There is nothing normal about my existence."

Xin Zimen rubbed her head, "Stop talking nonsense. And stop worrying me so much as well."

He leaned down to come face to face with her. He tried to hold her gaze which she kept avoiding as he implored, "Don't get hurt, eh? It really doesn't feel good when I see you hurt. I feel like tearing apart the person who hurt you. So, please, don't get hurt. I love that beautiful smile on your face. Just keep smiling. I'll do my best to protect that smile of yours. I promise."

The tears and emotions that Xiu had been holding back suddenly broke her restraint and rushed up. She really lost all the control over her tears and emotions.