Imperfect Desires

Xiu had never noticed it before but now that she looked at Niu Peizhi and Liu Nuan standing side by side, she suddenly realized how well suited this pair of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were. Both were equally manipulative and both had gotten where they were through destructive means and scheming maliciously. 

She really didn't know why she was so weak back in the days. Why was she so scared of these two women? Why did she never realize how braindead fools these women actually were? And yet she had let them ruin her life. What a pity!

Noticing how Niu Peizhi looked at her hatefully and doubtfully, Xiu smirked at her, "What? Finding it hard to believe in your favorite daughter-in-law's words?"

Liu Nuan panicked by the tone of her voice as she tugged at Niu Peizhi's arm saying, "Mother-in-law, I'm not lying. I'm not lying to you at all. She... She is Chen Xiu. I'm telling you. You have to believe me. She is the reason we both lost Zhou Jinhai. She is the reason why we are abandoned by him. She took everything from us. You have to believe in me."

Xiu narrowed her eyes at Liu Nuan. No, she wasn't upset by her words at all. It didn't matter to her what she said. But the way she looked right now and how she spoke, clearly showed she wasn't very sane at the moment. It was just the way Xiu had said, these two were crazy. Mentally ill. The only difference was, before Liu Nuan's mental illness had to do with her self-importance and now, it was the psychological shadow that Xin Xiaoli left on her.

"Are you enjoying the feeling of being an orphan?" Xiu asked in a loud voice as she languidly jumped over the hood of the car and sat down in a relaxed manner. She didn't look like someone who was confronting dangerous people and had her life at stake. She seemed too carefree. As if it was just any other day and they were just chatting about the weather.

Liu Nuan glared at Xiu hatefully, "You! You took everything from me!"

Xiu pouted at her as if she was wrongly being accused as she said, "But darling, that everything never belonged to you. You just got lucky for a few days. But started thinking that all that luxury belonged to you. In the end, it was all charity for me. Just like your life is also a charity from me."

Han Bohai's eyes widened when he heard Xiu talking like this. He never thought she would bring up this topic. And he genuinely didn't think she was wrong to do so. It was because his Sister Xiu had been too nice that all these people forgot what they owed her. Just like this Liu Nuan forgot that her petty life was also just a charity from Chen Xiu who was a nice person and wanted to help others.

Liu Nuan tried to run over to scratch at Xiu's face like a wild cat but Niu Peizhi held her back.

"It seems like you've learned to talk," said Niu Peizhi with a hateful look in her eyes. She didn't try to hide her disdain towards Xiu at all. Even if she was reluctant to believe in Liu Nuan's nonsense, she had still decided to take this chance. Her thoughts were perfectly aligned with Liu Nuan's, even if it was just a lie, they would rather kill Xiu to vent their anger and frustration than let her live in peace. 

For both of them, Chen Xiu's existence was a curse. They both had thought they won by killing her but their miseries had only begun after she was gone. Every single person had been shunning them out and making them feel miserable. And Niu Peizhi could never forget that her own son had abandoned her because of this woman. It was the hatred that she wasn't willing to let go.

Both Niu Peizhi and Liu Naun were just like two peas in a pod. They both never realized that their situations had never anything to do with Chen Xiu. It was all brought to them because of their own selfishness. Niu Peizhi could remember that her son had gone against her for Chen Xiu but she conveniently overlooked the fact that she had been the one who forced her son to take those drastic measures.

Xiu snorted at her, "Death teaches you a lot more than just how to talk. In fact, I always knew how to talk. Just because I was raised to be a good person, you all took my goodness to be my weakness."

"I'll send you back right where you crawled out from," announced Niu Peizhi as she gestured for her men to move.

Xiu laughed at her and raised her hand, soon, several dozen of cars drove over and elite bodyguards came out to stand before Xiu in a professional manner. Xiu offered Niu Peizhi a smile as she told her, "You see, I have a possessive husband."

Niu Peizhi gnashed her teeth while Liu Nuan tried to hide behind her in a meek manner. She had been too scared of everything lately because of the psychological torture that she endured.

"You should have brought that bastard with you, I really want to kill him with my own hands!"

Xiu's easygoing expression vanished as she glared at Niu Peizhi and warned her, "My husband is my reverse scale. Don't try to touch it. Just because he allowed you to roam around freely doesn't mean I'd be as nice any longer." She took a pause and went on, "December 6, 20XX... You're the one behind Regan Darren Salvay's accident. Don't think just because there is no evidence, there is no crime on your head."

Niu Peizhi was startled by her words for a moment but she soon composed herself and said, "So what? That bastard still escaped! I knew I should have killed him myself. If it wasn't because later on his father started protected him too strongly, I'd have killed him long ago."

Xiu tutted at her, "You're the real scum on the name of a mother. Have you ever thought that all your deeds might become the bane of your son's life?"

"You don't have to worry about my son," announced Niu Peizhi. "He is the elder son of the Zhou family. No matter what, he'll inherit the Zhou family at any cost."

"All of this just for a stupid status?" asked Xiu. "How do you even live with yourself? You spent years in the Zhou family but the only status you ever got was being the mother of a bastard child!"

"Mind your words!" shouted Niu Peizhi.

Xiu didn't pay attention to her warning as she went on, "Did I say anything wrong? The real bastard is your son! Don't forget you're still not the wife of the Zhou Xichen. And you'll never be! If anything, you'll just be the other woman. And yet, with that kind of identity, you always looked down on me for being an orphan?" She looked at Liu Nuan and went on, "And you as well. You always called me inferior. What do you have to say about your superiority? I truly believe you're superior. After all, you don't even know whose blood is running through your veins. Quite the superiority you have got there."

Both Niu Peizhi and Liu Naun had clenched their fists tightly and had the urge to strangle Xiu right there and then but they both were helpless. Xiu was actually going to see Niu Peizhi according to her plan but the latter was too impatient and had come to look for her on her own. More like she had come to her death on her own. 

Even if her sudden appearance had ruined Xiu's main plan, it'd never change the general trajectory. This woman had to die at any cost. Every breath she took made Xiu angry. And it was not because of what she did to her, it had more to do with what Darren had to go through because of her. He was supposed to have a complete and happy family but this woman ruined it. And even then tried to kill him ruining his one dream in this life. Just how could she forgive such a woman?

What she owed them was her life! And Xiu was definitely gonna collect it today!

"Enough of your chatter!" screamed Niu Peizhi. "And what are you all standing there for? Did I pay you to just stand? Get this bitch to me. On her knees!"

Xiu was still quite relaxed when the sudden fistfight began before her eyes. The bodyguards by her side were appointed by Darren and she already knew about their presence but had just chosen to ignore it. She knew Dareen wouldn't be at ease without these people around her. And it was a good thing that only Darren knew about her actions otherwise, her dear fathers might have left an army around her.

Just thinking about her fathers, Xiu's eyes softened and while she was distracted, she didn't notice when Niu Peizhi had gone to her car to retrieve a gun and pointed it at Xiu with a determined look in her eyes. While the fight was heated up around them, five of the bodyguards had been standing before Xiu like a wall to protect her. 

Without any hesitation, Niu Peizhi opened fire and shot those five people before she aimed the last bullet in her gun at Xiu.

"Bang!"