Imperfect Desires

"Stop moving!" Xin Zimen was annoyed by the person pacing before him for the past hour. "I'm getting a headache now!"

His elder brother stoped his back and forth parade to stare at his younger brother before he thought of something and went up to sit beside him. 

As he continued to stare intently at Xin Zimen's face, the latter was infuriated now, "What do you want?"

Xin Zemin straightened up when his brother paid him some attention, "Xiao Zi, why do you think Xiu invited us today?"

"I don't know and I don't care," was Xin Zimen's reply. "As long as she wants me here, I'll be here."

Xin Zemin rolled his eyes at his brother's reply, "Obviously, I'd also come whenever or wherever she needs me. But I'm just a little anxious. I don't know why. She sounded quite serious over the phone."

"Keep your distance from me first," said Xin Zimen as he asked his to stay away from him. "Don't try to get chummy with me. The only reason I'm willing to talk to you is my little lass. Don't get any other ideas."

Xin Zemin clearly didn't like the way his younger brother spoke to him. "Xiao Zi, can't you stop being so distant now? Everything is already out in the open. We both became part of a game that someone else played with us. You can't keep this up."

"You wouldn't be able to talk to me right now if that game had worked," responded Xin Zimen. "I already repeated it again and again, I can't go back. We can't turn the time back. So our relationship can't go back either. Now, you're gonna have to do with what we have."

Xin Zemin sighed out. He also knew it was the only concession he could get from his brother. That meant he had to work hard to get a little closer to his brother again. But as long as Xin Zimen didn't push him away completely, it meant he still had a chance to get back his brother. And that hope alone was quite reassuring to him.

Xin Zimen noticed his elder brother's low spirits and spoke up, "I heard you've done a thorough cleaning within the Xin Family and the business."

Xin Zemin's eyes sparkled since his brother took the initiative to talk to him so he hurriedly told him, "Yes, that's what's been keeping me busy for the past months. Although it's a little tiring and time-consuming, it's not something I can't do. You don't worry at all, I'll make the Xin Family a place you can call home again."

"Who wants to call it a home?" snorted Xin Zimen unhappily. "I have no interest in the Xin Family. You can keep it to yourself."

"Xiao Zi, I know you broke off all your ties with the Xin Family but now the situation is different."

"I know it's different," said Xin Zimen. "But I'd still like to keep my distance from it. As long as you're there, I can be reassured. The rest doesn't matter much."

Xin Zemin pursed his lips but he couldn't really persuade him. 

While these brothers were contemplating whether to continue talking or not, other people joined them. Ying walked in with her hand in Han Bohai's hand.

Seeing her, Xin Zimen commented, "You seem to be enjoying your suspension quite well."

Ying faced Xin Zimen and smiled sheepishly. 

"I guess you didn't get the notice that you'll be joining back the team next month?" 

Ying's face stiffened when she heard that. Xin Zimen was amused to see the reaction after he dropped this bomb. Ying, however, looked up at Han Bohai who had the same reluctance on his face as hers. 

"Xiao Zi, can't you see them happy?" questioned Zhao Huan as she arrived after Ying and Han Bohai. 

"I do want to see them happy but I needed to give her a reality check as well."

Zhao Huan shook her head at him and asked, "By the way, where is Xiu?"

"In the kitchen," replied both Xin brothers simultaneously.

"What?!" Zhao Huan hadn't even sat down before she stood up again. "Why did you let her go to the kitchen in this condition?"

"Calm down a little," said Xin Zemin to his wife. "We couldn't stop her."

"Of course you couldn't do it," Zhao Huan sounded sarcastic. "You both would do anything she says. So, just how could you stop her?"

"She is only baking," informed Xin Zimen. "She said it's not dangerous and Regi said to let her do what she wants. Her doctor wants her to move around a little and do stuff that she enjoys."

"Sister Xiu does love to bake," Han Bohai spoke out on instinct.

Xin Zimen gave him a deep look before saying, "See? Even Bohai knows what she loves to do. So, let her bake now. She is clearly having fun."

"But I should still help her a little," said Zhao Huan anxiously clearly not satisfied with leaving Xiu alone to do all the stuff.

"If you went inside, she's gonna be upset. Make your choice wisely."

When Xin Zimen put it like that, no one would dare go after Xiu. They just sat down and waited patiently for her to finish up whatever she was up to.

"Bohai, don't you have any new projects? Why are you always stuck with Ying'er?" 

Han Bohai pursed his lips as he looked at Ying before answering Xin Zimen, "Uncle, I don't want her to be bored."

"But if you continued to be so clingy, she might get bored of you."

"If I wasn't so clingy, she wouldn't be my girlfriend even now," he replied with a straight face in all honesty.

Xin Zimen chuckled at him, "I love the way you talk, boy!"

"Zizi, aren't you a little too amused?" 

Xin Zimen shrugged his shoulders at Ying and didn't reply to her.

"It seems I won!" came Xiao Li's voice from the door. "I told you all that dad would be the first one waiting here."

Behind him, Ah-Si and Nora groaned in annoyance, "But dad said in the morning, he was going out of the city." Then Ah-Si looked at his father accusatory, "Dad, how can you lie to us?"

"I didn't lie," replied Xin Zimen. "I was out of the city when I received the call from my little lass."

"Then how are you here before us?"

"I have a chopper!" Xin Zimen's tone was so matter-of-factly that even his own son was stumped for words.

Currently, Ah-Si was questioning himself why did he even both to ask his father?

Xiao Li laughed happily, "I still know my father best. How is it possible that Xiu calls and he isn't the first one to run to her? That's nearly impossible!"

"Did you bet on your own father?" 

Xiao Li looked at his dad and smiled, "Of course, I did."

"What did you win?" 

Xiao Li looked at his brother and his fiance in disdain, "These two are very alike. They both love shopping. So, they both can spend a fortune on shopping but they'd never take a penny out of their pockets for bets."

"So what did you win?" asked Ying. 

"Nothing!"

Ying gasped at that, "When did my best friend start taking a loss? That is so not like you." But then she looked at Ah-Si and shook her head, "But I shouldn't expect anything else from a bro-con like you."

Xiao Li stared at Ying as if he was about to bite her flesh but soon closed his eyes to calm himself down. There was no point in resorting to violence when it was not necessary. He was here to get treats from his sister. He should ignore the rest.

"Since we all have been called here, it means, Xiu is up to something," stated Nora. "Does anyone know what is she up to?"

"If you want the right answer, look for Regan Darren Salvay," came the answer from Ying.

"But where is Mr. Salvay?" questioned Nora in return because she couldn't see him anywhere. And she was told that Xiu was working alone in the kitchen. Since Darren wasn't following her around like a tail, then she was really curious to know what he was up to as well.

"Regi is upstairs," answered Xin Zimen. "Francesca had something to discuss with him so he had been with her."

"Is anyone else left to come yet?"

"How can you all forget me?" came Dylan's voice from the door. "Even if you forget me, don't forget Xiu's favorite brother."

As Jackie trotted inside with Dylan, the rest of Xiu's brothers had a strange look on their faces. Whether it was Xiao Li, Ah-Si, or Han Bohai, all of them shared the same opinion about this little master. Jackie was a stealer! He always managed to drive their sister's attention away from them! 

And all these grown-ups didn't even realize that they should be ashamed of actually being jealous of a little kid. How could they even think about competing with a little kid? 

Dylan was having the time of his life right now. He was well familiar with what they had been going through. And it made him want to burst out laughing.

This family was really something else!