Imperfect Desires

491 The Key

Xiu rubbed her hands together as she said, "Let's begin then..."

Xin Zimen perched his elbow at the side to support his face while he listened to her attentively.

"I'm gonna ask a question. How do you enter in a house?"

"Through the door," answered Ah-Si.

"What do you need to open the door?"

Ah-Si's brows furrowed up as he replied, "A key."

"Exactly." Ah-Si's frown deepened but she didn't care as she went on, "Your goal right now is my sister, Nora Cartwright. Let's assume that she as the house, you're trying to get in. My uncle Jing and Clara mom are the door standing tall between you and her." She looked in the direction of Jackie who had already put down Ava and was holding her finger to take a walk around. "Meanwhile, he is the key to that door."

"Huh?" Ah-Si was dumbfounded.

Xiu placed her elbow on Xin Zimen's shoulder as she said, "Your son is very slow."

"I know," he replied plainly.

Xiu shook her head at Ah-Si and went about the whole situation in a different way. "Ah-Si, do you even know how many lovers get separated in our country because of parents' disagreement?" He shook his head back and forth. "Well, just know that the ratio is high. And I assume you don't want to become the part of that ratio. Am I right?" He nodded his head solemnly.

Xiu took a deep breath.

"Then how to avoid the situation?" wondered Xiu.

"How?" he inquired.

"Of course, your job is to impress your future in-laws. And no offense but right now they hate your guts! Literally hate you very much. It's nothing personal it's just that you dared to hurt Nora and that's an unacceptable crime." Ah-Si's brows raised up as she went on, "You see, my Clara mom is a very rational woman. She for a second can think from your perspective but my dear uncle Jing doesn't give a damn about your 'perspective'. The only thing he can see is that you hurt his precious daughter."

Ah-Si didn't dare doubt Xiu's words.

"Actually, it's not just for Nora. Even if it's me or Jackie, he'd react the same way. He is a very simple person, if you hurt his kids, he won't let you live in peace."

"Interesting..." Xiu looked at Xin Zimen who suddenly remarked with a chuckle. "So I guess when I heard rumors that Jing Ge is very protective of his kids, it wasn't wrong?"

"Definitely not," replied Xiu confidently. That family was one of her pride in this life. Because she knew she had her own place in that family and in everyone's heart there.

"So, you're telling me I'm doomed?" voiced out Ah-Si.

"Now, that's where you're wrong!" Xiu rubbed her nose. "You are overlooking one very important point." She pointed at Ava as she went on, "I even said to you before. You and Nora have a daughter. And that's a game-changer!"

Ah-Si finally was getting to what she was trying to say.

"To open the door, this key is needed. The key happens to be my little brother. But since Jackie isn't very fond of you either, we are using your daughter."

"Once he gets close to Ava, he'll, in turn, look at Ah-Si in a different way which will give Ah-Si access to the door which in this case are his in-laws. And with the key's help, it won't be difficult to open the door." Xiu looked at Xin Zimen and gave him a round of applause.

"As expected, Xiao Zi, you're amazing!"

Xin Zimen rubbed her head gently as he said, "I'd say, little lass, you're tricky."

"Everything is fair in love," she said. "And I, Bai Xiu, am willing to do that everything for my sisterly love. I feel like she suffered enough. I should give her an emotional break now and let her only enjoy the good moments. So, I'm clearing up her path to make everything smooth and peaceful for her."

"Emotional break?" Ah-Si repeated her words.

Xiu squinted her eyes at him as she said, "Do you think only you suffered? Come to my place, I'll show you her room which is filled with stuffed toys. I never understood why she suddenly got obsessed with toys but I understand it now. When she thought she lost her child, she was left devastated and she tried to fill that void with anything she could think of. So, yes. I do want to give her an emotional break."

What Xiu didn't say out loud was, 'She has done so much for me in the past five years that I can never repay. She gave me a family I yearned for. A sister I always wished for. A loving home that I could come back to.' It was a debt, Xiu thought she couldn't repay even if she wanted to. But what she could do was to make everything perfect in Nora's life.

Xiu felt someone caressing her head and looked at Xin Zimen. "Little lass... Why do you make it so difficult to dislike you?"

Xiu pouted a little, "Why do you want to dislike me?"

"To keep my distance from you," said Xin Zimen.

"Why?"

He pinched her nose saying, "Because it's very easy to fall in your trap." Xiu was having trouble understanding his meaning but she didn't get a chance to contemplate either because...

"Oh, wow! I didn't know my daughter-in-law is also here!"

Xiu looked and jumped up excitedly at seeing Francesca but soon crossed her arms and sat back down. "Xiao Zi, you tell this mother of mine that I'm very upset with her. So, no talking!"

"What did I do?" Francesca was suddenly left in a shock.

"Oho! How can you make such an adorable bunny upset?"

"Bunny? How do I even look like a bunny?" Xiu looked at Xin Zimen indignantly when he called her a bunny.

"But I called you an adorable bunny," he retorted.

"How is that any different?" Xiu grumbled unhappily.

"It's very different." He pinched her cheeks that she puffed up like a kid and went on, "See? Since it's an adorable bunny, it makes me want to pinch her cheeks like this."

"Someone really needs to tell me first what did I do wrong?" Francesca had to speak up since she had been sidelined even when she didn't know what she did wrong!