Imperfect Desires

"Aiyo, Granduncle, we are civilized people," began Xiu carelessly, "Let's just sit down and talk."

Father Xin tried to move but a booming voice stopped him in his place.

"Don't even dare to touch her."

Both Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin walked inside with an indescribable emotion in their eyes but a wave of obvious anger surrounded them. They both stared at 'Father Xin' vigilantly and with hostility.

Xiu stood up and patted their shoulders saying, "Both of you need to take a step back for now. I'm not done yet." Then she directed a gaze towards Xin Kuan who understood her meaning and invited 'Father Xin' to take a seat. Staring at 'Father Xin' Xiu raised her hands and clapped, "First of all, I should give you a round of applause for such a marvelous plan. It was so flawless that no one noticed anything." She tsked at that, "It's a pity though that even flawless things tend to have flaws. I always thought why did you try to kill a harmless little girl like me but now I know, you must be scared of what I could do."

Of course, Xiu was talking nonsense. She already knew his purpose but she just couldn't help herself. She was the biggest dramatic person around here, if she didn't act dramatic, who else would?

Xin Zemin's clenched his fists, "Yes, dad. Why did you try to kill my daughter?"

That question made Xiu remember something, "Father, that's the story for later times. For now, let's clear up the fact that he isn't your dad."

"What?" 

Xiu looked at 'Father Xin', "Granduncle, won't you say something?" Father Xin refused to even look at her. It seemed he finally realized that she had come prepared and he had no way to escape out of here. Xiu didn't mind his reaction, she calmly and patiently told, "It seems living with the identity of Xin Yuyang, Mr. Xin Zhao has even forgotten his own name now."

"Little lass, what are you even saying?"

Xiu tsked, "Aiyo, Ah-Xin, how can you not get it? He isn't your father. He is your father's elder brother, Xin Zhao. The elder brother who was supposedly killed by his own younger brother."

Both Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin shared the same look of disbelief. They wanted to refute it and they did, "There must be a misunderstanding here."

"There isn't," replied Xiu without any hesitation. "The things I say, 99% of the times are utter nonsense but 1% of the times I'm telling the absolute truth. Like this very moment." She patted their shoulders in a comforting manner, "I can understand your feelings. It's hard to believe but if I dare to say it, I definitely can prove it as well."

"You can't prove it," sneered 'Father Xin' or more like Xin Zhao as he stared at Xiu. 

"I told you granduncle, even flawless things have flaws," replied Xiu. "The simples way to explain your identity would be to get a DNA test. I also have it. But I won't bring it out. I have a better way than that to prove who you are."

"Oh?" responded Xin Zhao as he continued to stare at her. "Then let me see how you're gonna prove my identity?"

"First, it's storytime!" announced Xiu. "So, let's start from the start. Once upon a time, the Xin family had two sons, Xin Zhao and Xin Yuyang. Xin Zhao was an exceptional son and Xin Yuyang had to grow up in his brother's shadow. And because of that Xin Yuyang grew up to be a scheming person who wanted to steal everything from his elder brother because he believed he had the right to those things. And because of those thoughts, Xin Yuyang actually planned to kill his brother along with his wife. 

But Xin Zhao wasn't an idiot either. As soon as he sensed danger, he had already jumped out of the car leaving his wife to die alone in that car accident. But that jump injured him badly. Since he already knew who was behind the accident, he didn't go back home but instead went to look for his most trusted butler. 

Isn't it strange that just after a week of Xin Zhao's death, his butler also committed suicide? And strangely, he did it by burning himself so no one could recognize his body just like his master's body wasn't recognized because it was burned beyond recognition." She looked carefully at Xin Zhao's expression as she added, "But I say that burned body was just a cover. After all, master and servant both are alive."

Xin Zhao snorted again, "But those are just your assumptions."

Xiu snapped her fingers and soon an old man was dragged inside. Seeing his face Xin Zhao visibly stiffened. The old butler looked at his master and bowed his head, "Master, she has my family."

"You're using threats to extort confessions?" asked Xin Zhao. "How is it any different? Doesn't it make us both the same kind of a person?"

Xiu nodded her head, "It does. But then again, we both have the Xin family's blood. There have to be some similarities. Didn't I say I'm mentally challenged? I can do anything to get what I want. Thanks to what you made me go through, I've already lost compassion." She took a pause before continuing, "Now that we have the supposedly dead butler right here alive, let's get back to the story... Since he is alive, I wonder who was burned to death back then? Oh I know, wasn't it the real Xin Yuyang himself?"

Xiu felt both her fathers getting stiffened beside her when they heard it. No matter how composed they looked, she could tell they were both were going through a struggle inside. 

Xiu took a deep breath and turned her gaze towards Mother Xin who had long stopped her struggled and now had her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. 

"Oh, grandmother, how does it feel to spend all your life with a man who isn't even your husband? Is it worse that he isn't your husband or is it worse that you never even noticed?" Noticing how Xin Zhao looked at Mother Xin, Xiu sneered, "You did it for her, didn't you?" He stared into her eyes, "You could have gotten back the power you lost, after all, you're the rightful heir of the family. But you still chose this deception. Why? Why would you willingly give up your own identity?"

Xin Zhao took a look around before answering, "Because I fell in love with her."

"And that's why you chose to destroy everything?"

"It was just a way to get my revenge on my dear brother. Who told him to covet what wasn't his? If he could covet my position and even try to kill me, why can't I do the same? And so I did. I burned him alive."

With how casually he said it, Xin Zimen almost rushed up to beat him but Xiu held his arm to stop him. "You didn't even leave him with the right to have an identity even as a corpse."

"Did he deserve it?" 

"Did you?"

"No," answered Xin Zhao. "When did I say I deserve it? We both weren't good people. And we definitely weren't good brothers. If we had been, I wouldn't have fallen in love with his wife. But just killing him was not enough. It didn't make my anger go away. I wanted to do more."

"And that's why you went through plastic surgery?" 

Xin Zhao shrugged his shoulders, "It just so happens that we already looked quite similar. It was easier to take his identity with just a little plastic surgery. Such a good chance to watch him suffering even in death, how could I let it go?"

"I really can't see what you saw in her that was worth loving though?" Xiu really couldn't understand why anyone would even like Mother Xin? She was like a wild cat, always trying to scratch people. 

"Does it matter?" retorted Xin Zhao. 

"I think it doesn't," replied Xiu. "After all, at the end of the day, she was also just a chess piece for you. Her presence was so loud and overwhelming that people never noticed your abnormalities. You made your presence so small that one might easily overlook that you even existed. And that is why people gossiped about how 'Xin Yuyang' always let his wife run rampage. But they didn't know that it was your plan all along. You never wanted people to notice your presence so you put her in the limelight."

Xin Zhao's lips curled up, "Well, at least, she was useful for something."