Imperfect Desires

"Xiao Zi, she"s a human, not a b.l.o.o.d.y machine that I could fix," replied Zhao Huan feeling like this brother-in-law of hers really needed to learn how to talk.

"Don"t try to be smart with me, Huan!"

"Oi!" Zhao Huan hit his head. "How dare you be disrespectable to me? Don"t forget I"m your elder. Be nice."

"Whatever!" He grumbled before asking, "How is she? Anything serious? Should I take her to the hospital? Or should I bring the hospital to home? I think the latter is a better idea." At this point, he was more so having a conversation with himself.

"Xiao Zi..." she called him but he was so engrossed in rambling on and on that he didn"t notice. "Xiao Zi!"

"What?"

"She"s fine. Ask someone to bring this medicine and after feeding her something light, tell her to take the medicine and sleep. She badly needs it right now." Xin Zimen listened to her giving some other instructions and he mentally noted it all diligently while nodding his head. After she was done, she kept looking at his face before finally asking, "Why are you panicking as if she"s your daughter?"

"She"s like one," answered Xin Zimen without thinking. 

Since Zhao Huan didn"t close the door behind her, Xiu could clearly hear them clearly. And as soon as Xin Zimen said she was like a daughter, Xiu felt like someone had coc.o.o.ned her body in a warm and fluffy blanket. It felt extremely good.

Outside, Zhao Huan tried to touch his forehead while frowning, "Are you okay? Any discomfort anywhere? Or did you fall over your head last night?"

"What nonsense!" he had stepped back to avoid her touch. 

"Sorry, but I"m more willing to believe that you"re possessed than to believe that you"ve suddenly developed compa.s.sion. That"s a humanly feeling. How can you have it?"

"I"m also a human," he retorted.

"Really? You never acted like one though." Xin Zimen glared at her while she laughed it off with a shrug and turned to leave. "Take care of her and yourself. Also, you can call me without a reason as well. I promise I won"t bite."

Xin Zimen didn"t listen to her, he gave Xiu"s prescription to the maid behind him and took the tray with the bowl of porridge in it from her hands. He entered the study and placed the tray on the table saying, "You"re already this big and don"t know how to take care of your health? Don"t you know health is wealth? How can you be so reckless about it?" He pulled a chair beside her and sat down. With the spoon, he was mixing the porridge while rebuking her. 

This might be the first time someone was actually angry with her because she was neglecting her own health. But even though he was being harsh why was she feeling so happy about it? Oh, it might be because of the way he carefully blew on the porridge before bringing the spoon before her mouth. 

Xiu instinctively opened her mouth. She neither complained nor did she even bother to refuse his help. After all, she could still use her hands. There was really no need for him to feed her. And yet, he was doing it and she was letting him do it.

"You shouldn"t have disturbed your sister-in-law early in the morning for me," Xiu finally thought of distracting herself from all the strange feelings. She knew these feelings well. She had felt like this when she was young. She always thought if her father was around, her mother would perhaps be different. And right now, he was actually making her want to wish for a father all over again. 

"I"m doing her a huge favor, the least she can do in return is using her medical degree for me," retorted Xin Zimen in a way that Xiu didn"t understand his meaning at all. He wiped her mouth with a tissue and pa.s.sed her a gla.s.s of water as he went on, "Don"t think about it. She is a doctor, she knows patients come first."

He heard a knock at the door and stood up to open the door. He came back to Xiu"s side with her medicine which made Xiu scrunch up her face in instant dislike. 

"Take this," said Xin Zimen as he pa.s.sed her the medicine. "I just asked the maids to clean another room for you. After this, you"re gonna sleep there."

"I can go home to rest," said Xiu.

"This is also a home," replied Xin Zimen firmly. "Besides, I think we have enough rooms to accommodate a small girl like you. You can fit anywhere."

Xiu pursed her lips and didn"t argue. Instead, she silently took the medicine. Then when she saw him collecting the dishes, she said, "Can I borrow this?"

Xin Zimen looked up slightly and saw the book in her hand. He didn"t react for a minute. But then he sighed and said, "It"s not the genre you should read. Your young brain should read those love stories or one of those fluffy rom-com." 

"I don"t like that anymore. Besides, what"s wrong with this?" Xiu questioned while raising her brow. Since the moment she saw that quote in that book, she was certain that she was close to solving the mystery surrounding Destiny Novell. That"s why she decided to borrow the book. 

"It"s a psychological fiction. Really not your type," answered Xin Zimen lightly. His brows were constantly knitted together as he spoke. Until this day, even he wasn"t able to read that book. He couldn"t bring himself to. It brought up the pain, he didn"t want to relive.

"Psychological fiction?" Xiu hadn"t noticed it before. She looked at the cover of the book curiously before searching up the author"s name on her phone. As she read the search result, she blurted out in surprise, "Wen Ai? Where have I heard this name before?"

"That"s my wife," he answered for her making her gape at him.

"What?"

Xin Zimen chuckled at her response. Indeed, the author"s name was Wen Ai. It was his wife"s work; One that she penned down before leaving this world. 

"Wow! She has written three books. But..."

"But this is the only novel she wrote," Xin Zimen completed her words for her. "Writing was a hobby of hers. As for this novel, I don"t even know why she wrote it."

After Xiu skimmed through the profile she found on the internet related to his wife, she was frowning deeply. There were no photos and even less of information related to Wen Ai. But something caught Xiu"s attention, "Why are all her books related to psychology?"

"Not psychology. It"s criminal psychology," corrected Xin Zimen making Xiu"s brows to raise up. "She was a criminal psychologist. But don"t tell anyone." Although he said the last sentence playfully, she could tell he wasn"t really joking. 

Xiu didn"t know much about his wife, Wen Ai. Except that she was no more and that she was just as weird as Xin Zimen is. So, that means if she was a Criminal psychologist, he wasn"t as simple as he seemed, right? Xiu"s brain had already started working up on this detail.

"Stop thinking and get some rest," said Xin Zimen as he urged her to get up and follow him. 

Xiu did so. The room he brought her to was right beside the one where Nora was sleeping. As Xiu walked inside she realized this room wasn"t much different from the one beside it. Expect that this one had a balcony where a swing was hanging. 

"If you need anything, just use the telecom. No need to hesitate at all."

Xiu nodded her head as she got on the bed without any argument. She was too drowsy after taking that medicine. Besides, arguments needed some energy which she lacked right now the most.

"Have a good rest," he said while stroking her head very gently.

Xiu"s eyes were closing on their own but she still didn"t forget to question. "What does January 14 represent?" Xin Zimen"s hand on her head stiffened. "It"s written at the start of the book."

Xin Zimen crouched down beside the bed as his eyes kept looking at her. He could hear her soft breathing indicating, she had gone to sleep now. "14th of January..." he mumbled softly. "It"s my daughter"s birthday." There was a sad smile on his lips as he said that out loud.