Chapter 170 - Sweets & Ah-Xiu

Noticing the way his friends looked at him, Darren shifted in his seat awkwardly. How he wished to wipe those smirks off of their faces. 

"Now Regi, you just piqued my curiosity," said Calista with an intrigued look and went on, "Why don't you tell us something about her?"

"About Sweets?" asked Darren and saw every head around the table bobbing up and down. Darren touched his chin thoughtfully, "How should I say it... Hmm... Well, the moment I met her, I knew one thing for sure that she's trouble. She's weird and has an attitude. She's careless and feisty. But... She makes me want to do things that I have never done in my life before."

"For instance?" questioned Xavier.

"All of you know that I'm a morning person and I love my morning run, right?" he looked at his friends.

"Everybody knows that," said Asher.

"Then do you know that I have swapped my morning runs with evening runs just because I got to see her in the park every evening?" All of them gaped at him in disbelief. "It's true. I still remember the moment she called out my name from that swing with that huge grin on her face. After that day, I intentionally chose that time and I still can't figure out why I did that. But I do know that she makes me feel things that I never did before."

He felt a hand over his shoulder and turned his face. He was startled a bit to find it was Calista who was beside him now as she had pushed Xavier away. 

"Hey! How can you push me, Cali?" came Xavier's whining.

Calista pushed him once again and said, "Just like this."

Her reply earned her a laugh from everyone except for Xavier who didn't find it funny at all. If anything, he so wished to get back at her. "Cali, I'll get back to you for all the humiliation."

Calista straightened up and looked at him while cracking her knuckles as she said, "Xavi, I'm an orthopedic surgeon. Dude, if I know how to fix bones, I definitely have a couple of ways to break a few as well."

"If I were you Xav, I'd believe her words," advised Darren.

Xavier glared at Calista before sighing out, "You know what, Cali. Go straight, take the first left and GO TO HELL!"

"I'll go to hell gladly. Why don't you go and get some butter first?" said Calista, looking intently.

"But I don't want butter!" he replied back.

"Who said it was for you?" retorted Calista. "Oh, that just reminded me. Didn't your ex-wife leave you because of something like she deserves butter? Or was it better?"

"CALI!" Darren, Nelly, and Asher shouted her name simultaneously.

Xavier was fuming now but soon his anger turned into a burst of loud laughter. He sat back and said, "Little cousin, how I wish for you to fall in love."

Darren gave a lopsided grin as he said, "What if love is the reason behind her cranky self?"

"Huh?" 

Calista pinched Darren's arm saying, "Regan, if you said one more word, you're dead meat!"

Darren smirked at her, "Relax! Your secret's safe with me since high school. I definitely won't go back on my words." Suddenly recalling something, he added, "I read about your dad in news. How is he now?"

Calista touched the ring on her index finger and said softly, "He died last month."

There was silence around the table for a moment as everyone shared a strange look.

"We're..."

"Sorry to hear that?" Calista completed their words and shook her head saying, "Don't bother. Xavi is right. Being in a hospital, I have become an insensitive person after seeing so many people dying every day." She sighed heavily as she went on, "The only problem is that he has left me an inheritance and a task to keep the legacy of our family."

"Is that why you're resigning from the hospital?" asked Xavier and Calista nodded in response. "But how come aunt doesn't know about it?"

"Did my mother ever cared about him when he was alive? How can she possibly give a damn when he's gone?" was Calista's indifferent reply. 

"Don't tell me you have to go through that family inheritance fights of the sort," said Nelly worriedly and Calista laughed at her reaction.

"Nelly, unlike my mother, he never remarried. So, I'm still his only daughter. As for other relatives, dad only had a sister who had a fight with him years ago and left home. So, unless my aunt comes back, I have no relatives to fight with," said Calista.

"Why do I feel like you're really disappointed?" said Darren as he looked at her carefully.

"Well Regi, you know how much I love fights. I believe it'd have been fun. But, alas!" Darren slapped the back of her head and shook his head. Her level of nonchalance towards the world had always been remarkable to him. He had been curious for years about why she chose to be a doctor. It really didn't sit well with her personality. "Anyways, leave my story alone for now. Since our Regan Darren Slavay is finally in love again."

"Woohoo!" came the sounds to hooting.

"Shut up all of you!" said Darren in irritation.

Calista patted his shoulder and said, "Don't get shirty[1] with us, mister. We know you well enough. Whenever you talk about your Sweets, you get that lovestruck look in your eyes. Besides, you have said so much about her over this dinner and we yet have to learn her name. All you call her is Sweets."

Darren knew he couldn't refute those words. "Her name is Xiu. Bai Xiu."

Calista spurted out her drink as she said, "Again, Xiu? Are you for real? Don't tell me you're confusing the two."

Darren slapped her head again saying, "Shut up! I'm not. The reason why I love calling her Sweets is that I really don't want to confuse her with Ah-Xiu. Besides, Sweets is like a whole different person than Ah-Xiu."

"How?"

"Well, Sweets is careless and carefree while Ah-Xiu was like a caged bird. Sweets don't think before speaking while Ah-Xiu's every word was spoken after contemplating it over a million times or so. Sweets never give up, it's like losing will be a crime. Can you imagine that because of her fear of losing, she ended up in a police station with Dylan just because both of them didn't want to give up." Remembering that night, he couldn't help smiling goofily. "However, Ah-Xiu always ended up giving up her happiness for other's sake. The only thing common in both is their obsession with wine."

"Really?"

"Definitely," replied Darren and went on, "Actually, the right way to tell them apart would be... Ah-Xiu was a very sweet person while my Sweets is not sweet at all. If anything she can cut people with her words."

"And you still call her Sweets? Is that sarcasm?"

Darren narrowed his eyes at her and said, "No. It's not sarcasm. I call her Sweets because I love it."

[1] shirty: Someone short-tempered or irritated