Imperfect Desires

"He-he!" Xiu gave an awkward laugh in response to Xin Zimen's words.

But that awkward laugh sounded more like a shameless laugh to Xin Zimen which made his lips twitch. However, he still wasn't able to reprimand her at all. Although the words were at the tip of his tongue, he couldn't spit them out.

He sighed out heavily while rubbing his forehead, "Little lass, why are you so worrisome?"

"I know I'm a problematic child," agreed Xiu without any scruples. "However, I think your worry has more to do with your worrywart personality."

"So, the blame is on me?" Xin Zimen sounded quite amused.

"No....~" Xiu drawled out her reply. "I can't bring myself to blame you, Ah-Xin. In fact, the blame is on me. I shouldn't have run away from home."

"It's good that you know!" Xiu heard her second father's voice and realized that the phone had been on speakerphone until now. 

"Aiyoh, Father, this much anger and worry are not good for health. Take a deep breath!"

"How am I suppose to take a deep breath?" retorted Xin Zemin. "You ran away that's a different issue. But who the hell suggested you sneak out in such a manner? In this condition, how could you hide in a suitcase? What if something went wrong? What if you couldn't breathe properly? Have you thought about it?"

Han Bohai noticed the smile playing on Xiu's lips as she continued to listen to a long lecture from the Xin brothers. In fact, he was the one frowning but one couldn't find a single frown or sign of impatience on Xiu's face. She looked relaxed as she silently listened to everything and even took a seat at the chair beside the window.

"If I continued to focus on what if's, wouldn't life get too boring?" questioned Xiu. "Both of you should stop worrying so much. If I chose this method, I had my reasons to do so. It's not like if I asked you both to let me go out alone, you'd allow it." 

"Of course, we won't allow it," said Xin Zimen. "The world is a dangerous place. How can we be at ease with letting you wander out alone?" He took a pause and went on, "And don't even assume that we don't know what happened today. In broad daylight, someone tried to kill you."

"Huh? Who told you that?"

Xin Zimen almost blew up at that question, "So it did happen?! I was just taking a guess because your husband's lips are sealed. I didn't think I was right. You wait right there, I'm coming there myself!"

Xiu facepalmed herself for letting it slip. No, she didn't let it slip. She was tricked into this! 'Great! Marvelous! Dear Dad, you're really something, eh! You actually made me spill out my own secret.' Xiu took a deep breath and repeated in her mind that she needed to be cautious around this father. He paid attention to the smallest of things.

"You really don't have to come, though," Xiu tried to persuade him even though she knew it won't work on these worrywarts. And she was also certain as long as they didn't see her with their own eyes, they won't be at ease. One could practically see their anxiousness spilling out from the phone!

There was silence on the other as Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin shared a look before Xin Zemin cautiously said, "So is our guess right?"

"Huh?"

"Are you trying to avoid both of us?"

"Where did that thought come from?"

"Don't think we didn't notice," began Xin Zimen. "It's been weeks since you've been keeping distance from both of us for some reason. Although we don't what we did, we would still like to know about it. Do we make you uncomfortable? Or did we do something wrong? Whatever it is, you can say it with ease. We won't mind."

"Yes, we definitely won't mind," Xin Zemin also echoed his younger brother's words.

Xiu was stunned to hear their words. She didn't think their thoughts would be going in such a direction. It's true, she'd been keeping a certain polite distance from them but it was only because she was struggling to come to terms with her own feelings. It had nothing to do with both of them. They were indeed the best fathers one could ask for. How could they be the reason to make her feel uncomfortable?

"Have you both always had such a pessimistic personality?" questioned Xiu. "I was keeping a distance from you both but only because I'm hiding something from you. And I know once you both are around, I won't be able to keep this secret."

"What secret you can't share with us?"

"Well, there is something," said Xiu in reply, vaguely. "However, forget about it. You both want to come to see me, you're most welcome. But please, stop assuming that I'm avoiding you." She took a pause and went on, "But no matter what, make sure someone stays with my Regan. I came here worry-free because you're both there for him. Now that you both want to come, then I can only ask you to make sure my husband is not left alone."

Both Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin's lips twitched as they heard her say that. 

"Regi has Francesca," said Xin Zimen.

"Leave Mama out of this," replied Xiu. "For the first time in years, she is actually willing to go on dates with someone. Let's let her have some fun. She deserves it. She has taken care of Regan for long enough. Give her a break now."

"I'll call Zhao Huan to come back," said Xin Zemin indicating that they won't bother Francesca and they'd do everything exactly as she wanted it.

"Where is Mom?"

"She's staying with Zhao Wei," replied Xin Zemin. "Why else do you think it's so quiet around here even though you had been missing for hours? It's only because she doesn't know about you running away."

"Ohh..." responded Xiu. "That means you lied to her. Father, it's not nice to lie to your wife."

"You keep that advice to yourself!" Xin Zimen shot back. "You should be the first one to learn that it's not nice to lie to your loved ones! Just because your husband knew about your whereabouts, it won't wash off your lie."

"Why so fierce, Ah-Xin?"

"Am I not supposed to be? Liu Nuan is dead! Zhou Jinhai is fighting for his life in the hospital! Even Niu Peizhi is terribly injured. All of that happened right before your eyes and you expect me to be calm? And you even want me to believe that you didn't get injured at all?!"

Xiu scratched the tip of her nose, "How will you believe me that I'm fine?"

"As long as we don't see it with our own eyes, let's not have this discussion."

"Ah-Xin, you don't believe in my words?"

"No!" Xin Zimen didn't even try to hide the real feelings of his. How could he hide it? He really couldn't believe in her right now. His heart was still feeling anxious. And his hands had been clammy since the time he learned that she ran away from home. No one could understand what he was going through right now.

Well, that's what he thought. However, he didn't know that Xiu could clearly perceive his mood even from so far away. It wasn't difficult. She could feel the fear in his voice. 

"Okay, come fast then," she didn't try to dissuade them any longer. It was pointless anyway. 

"Where are you staying?" When Xiu gave them the name of a hotel, Xin Zemin said, "Why didn't you just go home?"

"I don't want to go to that Xin Manor. I might suffocate to death there."

"Silly, your father has his own houses in the Capital," told Xin Zemin. "And if that's also not where you want to go. You could have just gone to Xiao Zi's house. Even your Ah-Xin has a house there."

"Forget it," spoke Xin Zimen. "You just stay in the hotel. It's relatively a safe place. I'll strengthen your security instead."

'I knew it!' Xiu said to herself. "Then am I suppose to stay inside the hotel until you come here?"

"That'd be better."

Xiu shook her head, "Do I look like a kid to you both?"

"We didn't get to stay with you when you're a kid," said Xin Zemin. "It's only right that we treat you like a kid."

"I'm not a kid! But I am with a kid!"

"Oh, so you do remember that you're with a kid? I thought you completely forgot that detail."

"You both are really my fathers," said Xiu. "Even the sarcasm is right up my alley. Anyway, I'm waiting for you both. Come soon if you're going to come." With that, she hung up the phone not realizing that her words left both Xin brothers staring at each other incredulously.