624 Kitten

To Xiao Li, her actions were nothing but cute. She looked so harmless even when she puffed up her cheeks. But the way she drank the milk made her look like a kitten. Xin Zimen had described her perfectly last night, she was truly a kitten. Because after she took the glass of milk, she darted the tip of her tongue out to check the temperature of the milk before chugging it down.

But while she drank, her eyes were wandering over to the steamed dumplings that had been placed before him. Taking the hint, he took the new set of chopsticks and brought a steamed dumpling to her mouth. Without even hesitating, she opened her mouth wide to receive it.

Xiao Li looked at her full cheeks as she chewed and shook his head in amusement. It was truly hard for him to match this girl with the one who thrashed his brother right before his eyes. Maybe she really was good at concealing herself but he couldn't help liking her even more. This personality of hers strongly reminded him of his mother who was so good at acting hoodlum before the world but would become the world's best person before the ones she cared about.

"Little one, you're done eating?" 

Xiu looked over at Xin Zimen and nodded but then looked at the second steamed dumpling that Xiao Li for her and immediately shook her head.

Xin Zimen's brows raised subtly as he noticed his elder brother's attentiveness but didn't point it out as he silently took the seat of the head of the family. 

"Li Ge, don't make her lazy. Let her eat herself."

Xiu squinted her eyes at her husband who came to sit beside her and when he noticed her eyes, he added, "I mean to say I'm enough to spoil my wife. Let me feed you myself."

"I don't mind though," replied Xiao Li but still pushed the basket of steamed dumpling before Darren. 

Xiu didn't care who was feeding her, all that mattered was that she got to eat those dumplings. She was very satisfied with her own bowl of congee but somehow couldn't resist the aroma of dumplings from enticing her. She only had one thing in her defense; the food was seducing her these days. Yes, that's the most logical answer she can come up with!

"Ah-Xin, didn't you say you'd carry me even in my sleep? Why did you wake me up?"

"I was all prepared to take you when you're sleeping but your husband had other ideas." 

Xiu looked at Darren inquisitively who shrugged his shoulders and fed her another dumpling.

"He said, you need to replenish your energy or might end up fainting from giving blood."

"I'm clearly not that weak," retorted Xiu unhappily. "I neither have Trypanophobia (fear of needles) nor do I have Hemophobia (fear of blood). I have the strongest mental power."

"Yes, my Sweets only has a strange but extreme hospital fear."

While Xiu glared at Darren for saying that out loud in such a way, she heard two anxious voices...

"Why does she have to go to the hospital?"

It was very obvious who asked which question but in reply, Xiu just gave a smile to both of them as she answered calmly, "My mother stayed in the hospital for two years before dying. So, I developed a dislike for hospitals. I won't call it a fear though." Then she turned her eyes towards Xiao Li as she went on, "Nothing is wrong with me. It's just one of those regular checkups."

It wasn't difficult for Xiu to see that both father and son had their own doubts about her answer. Obviously, both the answers were complete lies! Firstly, yes she didn't have a fear of hospitals as people would say but she hated hospitals. Either it was her previous life or present one, she was extremely reluctant to visit hospitals because they reminded her of how helpless she always felt every time she was there. 

To distract everyone, she suddenly asked, "Ah-Xin, do you know who is Li bro's best man for the wedding?"

Xin Zimen glanced at his son before saying, "I don't know. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Ah-Xin, there is something even you don't know?" gasped Xiu earning a pointed look from Xin Zimen. "And here I thought, you're in control of everything."

She heard Xiao Li's snicker as he said in a soft voice, "Even I thought he had everything in his control."

Although she didn't know what his words meant, she could see how Xin Zimen's eyes dimmed at that remark from his son. But he didn't say anything in reply.

"Do you want to eat anything else?" asked Darren breaking her train of thoughts.

"No, I think the roaring tiger in my belly is satiated for a while," replied Xiu with a serious face.

Darren rubbed her head lovingly and asked her to leave for the hospital but she strongly resisted that she'd only go with Xin Zimen. Darren was feeling at a loss.

"As your husband, I should be there," argued Darren.

She made a strange face, "Don't argue with me, Regan. I'm not going with you."

"But why?" 

Xiu gave him a look as if trying to convey her meaning. She didn't want him to see her in a hospital ever again. Even if it was just for a check-up. She always felt helpless and pressured in hospitals and she didn't wish for him to see her like that. If he really thought she couldn't see how he had been extra attentive towards her lately, then he was gravely mistaken. She could see it and she could even tell it was because he was worried about her.

"Regan, it was originally decided that I'd go with Ah-Xin. You just have to go to work. Didn't you say last night you plan on solving something very important urgently?"

At her reminder, Darren was left silent. He indeed had planned up a lot last night and he did think about settling everything today so that he could wholeheartedly focus on caring about his wife. Gigi's words had strongly affected him and he wasn't strong enough to watch her crumble once again before his eyes.