674 Pretty Close

"Did you cry?" he asked straightforwardly taking Xiu by surprise.

She grinned at him, "Why would I cry?"

"That's what I'm thinking," he replied. He frowned and looked at Darren, "What did you do?"

Darren gaped at him in disbelief, "Uncle Zi, can you stop playing favorites and think for once whether I can even do anything to hurt her?"

Xin Zimen couldn't disagree but he still said, "But love is painful in itself. We often can't tell how it'll mess with us or the others around us."

Before Darren could say anything, Xiu interrupted their stare down with, "Ah-Xin, don't intimidate my husband. He is like a puppy, very harmless."

"And you're like a cat, very lazy!" said Xin Zimen as she pinched her nose making her scrunch it up adorably. "Now don't try to distract me with your cute face. Tell me what's wrong."

"But there is nothing wrong," Xiu stressed on her words while Darren stayed quiet beside her with a subtle smile on his face.

"I might really come off as gullible to you but trust me, I'm not. I can see it all over your face." When Xiu didn't open her mouth to reply, he added, "Are you feeling okay? Not feeling any nausea or any headaches?"

Xiu chuckled as she shook her head, "No, I was just feeling a little suffocated and that's why we went out for a walk. That's all."

Xin Zimen's expressions changed as he pursed his lips before saying, "Then how about you go back home to rest? It's not healthy for the baby to be at such a boisterous place anyway."

"How is this a boisterous scene? Isn't it too elegant around here?"

"Maybe that's why you're feeling suffocated," reasoned Xin Zimen.

Xiu tried to reassure him, "It's alright. At the bachelor party, I had the same feeling. But it was alright later on."

"You didn't even stick around for long," reminded Xin Zimen. He looked back at Darren and said, "Be a little responsible. Take her back home. Or maybe, let's take her to the hospital."

Xiu hid behind Darren saying in a small voice, "Why are you doing this to me, Ah-Xin? I just want to have some fun?"

"There is nothing fun here," said Xin Zimen.

Xiu gasped at him, "Are you saying that your own son's wedding banquet is not fun? How mean!"

"Little lass, there are way too many eyesores in this banquet that are enough to eat up my fun."

"Oh," was Xiu's reply. She still pouted, "But I want to stay a bit longer. Nothing is wrong with me."

Darren hurriedly agreed with Xin Zimen as he said, "That's exactly what I said. We should leave but she isn't listening." He was still adamant about taking her out of here. This psychological condition of hers would definitely affect their baby as well. He didn't want to risk anything here.

"What did you say?" Xiu narrowed her eyes at him dangerously and he smiled back.

"I mean I'll be where my wife is."

Xiu was satisfied with that reply. Xin Zimen's lips twitched as he said, "You really are a puppy, so obedient."

"Hehe..." was Darren's response which got him a roll of eyes from Xin Zimen.

"Regi, come here for a minute!"

Darren looked over at his mother and looked back at his wife. He didn't want to even step away from her at this time but...

Xiu patted his arm saying, "Go on! I'm fine. Ah-Xin is here." Seeing his reluctance, Xiu shook her head and leaned in to say, "Mama is with your father, don't you think you should be there?"

Only then did Darren noticed his father standing beside Francesca and a frown etched between his brows. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." As if not trusting her at all, he turned to Xin Zimen, "Uncle Zi, I'm troubling you but keep an eye on her for me."

"I'm not a kid," grumbled Xiu.

"But you're with a kid," said Xin Zimen knowingly and Xiu could only curse under her breath as she had no retort for that.

Only seeing this did Darren walk away from them. And when he did, Xin Zimen got back to his suspicion, "You're hiding something from me, right?"

"Why would I do that? And what do I even have to hide from you?" responded Xiu calmly.

"I don't know all that but I can tell you're hiding something from me."

Xiu was quiet for a minute as she looked at his face in silence and asked, "It must really be tiring, eh?"

"What?"

"Having this acute senses," replied Xiu. 

"It's a survival skill," answered Xin Zimen. "Without these skills, I wouldn't have lived till now."

Xiu's face darkened as she asked, "I didn't know about your sister." She took a pause and added, "I heard you're pretty close to her."

Xin Zimen neither agreed nor disagreed as he said, "She is my elder uncle's daughter. He died right after her birth so she grew up with me and my brother. That's why..." He thought for a moment before asking, "But why are you suddenly curious about Suyin?"

"As I just said, just a little curious that's all." She looked around and asked, "So, you must also be close to your niece?"

"Yes, I think we are pretty close."

Xiu's face soured at that remark as she said, "Oh, really?"

Xin Zimen placed his hand around her shoulders saying, "Don't you think we are pretty close? Or it's just me?"

"Huh?" Xiu was dumbfounded.

Xin Zimen poked her forehead with his index finger and said, "Silly, aren't you, my niece?"