Imperfect Desires

613 Health Check-Up

"Here is a hot bowl of tomato egg drop noodle soup."

"Why am I only seeing spring onions?"

"Hehe. That's my bowl. This one is yours."

"That's a lot of spring onions," he stated as he looked at the bowl she slid before her.

Xiu grinned in reply. She could also see there were a lot of spring onions in her bowl. In fact, the top of the soup was covered with the green part of the spring onions. Scratching her head, she answered, "I... I added a little at first but then... I felt like something was missing so I just added a little more."

"A little?" Darren raised his brow at her.

"A lot. I added a lot more. I mean poison is poison, no matter how much you eat it."

Before Darren could say anything, there was another voice from behind him, "Why are you questioning her so much? If she likes spring onion then let her be."

Darren looked over at Xin Zimen and replied, "But Uncle Zi, the prerequisite is that she likes to eat spring onion. Although she doesn't hate it, she hadn't been the biggest fan of it either."

Xin Zimen's brows jumped up in surprise. His elder brother liked eating scallions so he thought Xiu might have inherited it but it seems that her taste buds were also on a random road like her brain. Not that it was surprising to him.

"Ah-Xin, would you like to eat as well?"

Xin Zimen's train of thoughts broke as he gazed at Xiu and asked, "I also have a portion?"

"Of course, it's your house. Everything is yours. I'm just acting like a shameless person who can't hold back her hunger. So, I should also do something in return."

Xin Zimen chuckled at her response and said, "I'd love to eat then."

Xiu nodded happily before she went around the counter and fixed up another bowl for Xin Zimen as well. Finally, she sat down to enjoy her own bowl of noodles. She slurped on her noodles casually and no one even bothered to say anything at her way of eating. In fact, both the men at the table had the same thought; if she was enjoying it, why bother?

After she finished drinking the soup in her bowl, only then did she look up and noticed that she was the only one who ate this fast. The other two people at the small dining table were eating elegantly and slowly. What's up with so much prim and properness over just a meal? And that too over a bowl of tomato egg drop noodles that took merely 10 minutes to make. It wasn't even a lavish meal that they had to savor for so long.

However, she did prop her elbow on the table and supported her chin on the heel of her hand as she observed the way both of them ate in silence. She was familiar with Darren's clean image and perfect table manners but it was her first time noticing that Xin Zimen's table manners were even more impeccable. She couldn't hear a single sound as he chewed his noodles. It made her wonder whether he was chewing or just swallowing?

Xin Zimen wiped his mouth with the napkin and asked, "We have a business to discuss?"

"Of course!" Xiu slapped the table but ended up rubbing her own hand that hurt. "I came just for that business."

"And here I thought you came because you're worried about my health."

Seeing his hurtful look, Xiu wasn't convinced as she extended her hand over the table to reach over and pinch his cheek saying, "I'm still talking about your health!"

Xin Zimen who wasn't very familiar with this strange feeling of having his cheeks pinched was staring at her wide-eyed. He looked at Darren while rubbing his cheek as he asked, "When she can't show her anger in any other way, is this what she does to you as well?"

Darren shook his head and holding back his laughter he replied, "She bites me."

Xin Zimen's face twitched at that reply. "So, you're saying... She is really like a kitten; one who only knows how to scratch and bite. How cute!"

Darren laughed along with Xin Zimen but stopped as soon as he heard the 'thud' sound. They both looked over and noticed the way Xiu had placed the glass down on the table loudly and now was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes dangerously moved from one person to the other.

"This kitten has sharp claws as well, don't test her."

They both decided to stop laughing and gave her enough time to calm down.

"Moving on... Ah-Xin, you're going for a full body checkup tomorrow. Add that to your schedule. Don't say I didn't tell you beforehand. No excuses will work."

Xin Zimen stayed quiet for a moment. "But I have to go to work tomorrow."

"It's alright. We can go early in the morning." She immediately shook her head. "No, scratch that! We'll go in the evening. I have to sleep in the morning."

"I thought people sleep at night."

"I sleep at night and I sleep in the morning, any issue with that?"

Xin Zimen pressed his lips together, "Nope. How can I?" Then he took a pause and added, "But I'm really fine. I don't need that check-up. I know you're worried about me and I'm very happy to know that as well. But I'm completely healthy now."

Xiu fixed her eyes on his face and when he didn't waver, she smirked, "Then let me rephrase it. I have to go for a full-body check-up and since I don't really fancy hospitals, I'd like to have some company."