Imperfect Desires

72 Childlike Innocence

Dylan wasn't able to stifle his laughter anymore. He laughed out heartily as he settled in his swivel chair. Xiu was surprised to see him laughing since from the time she knew him, he was always grumpy and broody. He looked like a cheery and happy kid now. There was a childlike innocence on his face which was hard to ignore.

"Sir..." She gingerly spoke out, "Let bygones be bygones. I believe you're a bigger person. You won't hold this small matter against me, right?"

Dylan laughed again at her words without replying to her. She had to speak up again, "Be the bigger one, let's move on. Eh? I even made you laugh. I had a friend who used to say that the biggest gift which you can offer someone is a smile."

Dylan rubbed his jaw and said, "Ms. Bai, you can stop now. I've already buried this hatchet." Xiu looked surprised. "But I have a question for you... You could have really resigned, I know you'd have a lot of job offers. Did it not cross your mind?"

Xiu lost her earlier cautious look and said, "It did cross my mind but... I promised myself to not give up in this life. Only cowards are quitters, and I'm no coward. Not anymore."

Dylan smiled at her saying, "Take a seat." Xiu sat down opposite his desk. "Do you know that I didn't select you as my E.A?"

"You didn't?" She looked surprised.

"No. Not at all. I wasn't involved in this screening at all. This time the whole process was supervised by my best friend. And he's the one who selected you." Dylan elaborated with a complicated look. "Do you know what he says about you?" Xiu shook her head. "He said no matter what I do, you won't quit." Xiu's brows snapped together. "According to him, you're a stubborn person who will persist at any cost."

Xiu gave a small smile as she replied, "How can he be so certain? We didn't even meet."

"My best friend is like that, he can read people like an open book. I've been a very bad judge of character in my life but he's the only right person in my life." Dylan kept rotating the paperweight on the table as he talked, "Your personality and my best friend's personality is really alike. You both are stubborn and good at hiding emotions. Maybe that's why I was getting the thrill out of irritating you. But just like him, you gave a very bland response. I got bored."

"Your best friend sounds like an impressive man," said Xiu sincerely.

"Are you complimenting him or yourself?" Dylan's response made her cough profusely. Seeing her state, he changed the topic, "Anyways... I realized that it was wrong of me to call you kiddo back then. But you were wearing such cute pajamas and with your face half-hidden behind your hair, I really took you for a teenager." 'It was my mistake to call you kiddo. How can a sharp-tongued girl like you be compared with innocent kids?' he definitely kept these words within himself. He had no plan of starting another war.

Although nobody said it directly, it was silently assumed that both of them were gonna work civilly with each other from now. There was no point in these quibbles and squabbles.

Recalling something, he said, "Don't call me Uncle again as you did earlier."

"Ahem. When did I?" Xiu again denied since there was no proof at all. Or so she thought.

"There are cameras in my office," Dylan told her in amusement while pointing towards the hidden cameras within his room.

Xiu was dumbfounded. "You actually put cameras in your own office? Why?"

"So that I can check whoever enters my office behind my back," he was looking elsewhere while speaking and Xiu raised a brow at him provocatively, he added, "Fine. I forget things after placing them. That's why the cameras are installed."

Xiu burst out laughing but seeing his stern face, she mumbled a sorry and pursed her lips to hide her laughter. He was really amusing and Xiu couldn't deny it anymore. How innocently he just stated that he was forgetful. She found it cute that he was honest and didn't twist his words or used any harsh words to shun her. After all, she was just an employee even if he didn't explain himself, she couldn't force him at all.

"Do you have a camera in my cabin as well?" She asked out of the blue.

"Nope." He replied with a shake of his head.

"Why should I believe you? You even have cameras in your secretarial department." Xiu insisted stubbornly.

"Ms. Bai, there is no camera in your office since it's your personal cabin. A woman's personal space which I can not invade without getting myself stuck in a lawsuit. My secretarial department has several people in it and it's my right to keep an eye on them. As for your cabin, it's yours. I wouldn't dare going there."

Xiu kept staring at him with a strange look in her eyes. When he had given her a lift back then, she had already deduced that he was silly like a child but he had a good personality. Now again, he was making her want to re-think her views about him.

She snickered softly, "You're the second man who's making me question what I knew about men." 'Is Bai Xiu too lucky to meet decent men or Chen Xiu wasn't destined to meet any.' She kept her last sentence to herself. As Chen Xiu, all the men that she came across were worse to worst ones. But why was as Bai Xiu, she was given a chance to see that not all men were animals.

Some were sensible and friendly like Darren while others held their childlike innocence like Dylan. How contradicting these two were from the ones she was associated with once.

"Let's work well together, Sir." Xiu extended her hand towards him and Dylan eyed her suspiciously. "I'm not hiding any needle or pin in my palm." She assured him while showing him her empty palm. Dylan dropped his vigilance and shook her hand.

"Yes, let's work towards a successful collaboration." Xiu rolled her eyes at him and he added, "Oh, but don't forget my cupcakes. I still need those."

Xiu's lips twitched and she gnashed her teeth while she thought, 'Thanks for reminding me why I find you so hateful. I really wasn't liking this feeling of you being nice.'

"I'll do my best to find your desired taste," Xiu replied with a polite smile and turned to leave his office.Please go to