Chapter 193 - Flower Of Mine

Xiu spent about fifteen minutes turning the box up and down, but no matter what she did, she couldn't open the box. She even shook it to check what's inside but still nothing. There was no keyhole or password. She was really going crazy trying to figure out how this thing actually opened.

At one point, she wanted to just smash it but held herself back since it seemed important to the real Bai Xiu. "How am I supposed to open this?" she asked in exasperation but when no one answered, she looked up to realize that she was the only person on the dining table. "Where did everyone go?" she asked no one in particular.

While she scratched her head, she heard voices coming from Nora's room which went something like, "Look at this mess. Do you call it a room? It looks like a dumpster."

"Mom, everything is fine here. I clean my room every weekend," came Nora's reply.

Xiu pursed her lips and shook her head as she murmured, "Who is supposed to help me now?"

"When was the last time you both did the laundry? Have you seen the condition of your closets? It seems like someone raided it or something." While Clara nagged nonstop, Nora came back to Xiu's side with an amused expression.

Xiu's brows knitted together as she asked, "What's gotten you into such a good mood?"

Nora languidly whistled and tapped Xiu's shoulder saying, "Babes, today is that day of the month when you and I are equally nagged by my mother. Finally, she's not playing favorites. I love this version of Mom's Nagging 2.0. Everything seems best when I share it with my best friend even if it's my mother's nagging."

Xiu rolled her eyes at her and pushed the box towards Nora as she asked, "Mind telling me what this thing is? Is it really important?"

Nora traced the carvings on the box and said, "Well, you always slept with this box lying by your pillow side. So, I do think it's important."

"Hmm..." Xiu hummed and bobbed her head up and down while contemplating. "But how am I supposed to open this? There is no keyhole or a key. I can't figure this one out."

"Now that's the real issue because I'd never seen you open it," said Nora and thought seriously about how to open it.

While both best friends were completely immersed in solving this mystery box, the doorbell rang but both of them didn't pay attention to it. 

"Are you both deaf now? Why is no one opening the door?" Clara's loud voice startled Xiu and Nora to the point where they both fell off the chairs and looked at each other not knowing whether to laugh first or run to the door first.

However, in the end, Nora chose to laugh and Xiu ran off to the door. Just as she opened the door, she was faced with Darren waving at her. "Oh, shit!" Xiu cursed subconsciously and even turned her head to look inside the house before looking back at him. This was so not how she wanted Darren to meet Clara. Especially when Mother Cartwright was in angry mode.

"Good morning to you too, Ms. Sneaky," replied Darren with a smile which definitely seemed fake. "You ditched me in the morning faster than a one night stand."

"I didn't mean to ditch you at all, I was just being considerate. That's why I didn't wake you up," replied Xiu in a conscious way while still looking behind her.

Darren placed his hand on her head and turned it around saying in a dramatic way which really didn't fit with his personality, "I'm right here and you still have eyes for someone else? How can you! Who are you looking for though?"

"No one...?" said Xiu uncertainly.

Darren eyed her suspiciously before he picked up a flower pot from the floor and offered it to her saying, "Thanks for the breakfast. This is me showing my gratitude by offering you my most treasured viola plant."

Xiu looked at the flower pot and said, "So, these tiny purple blooms are violet flowers?" Darren nodded and she went on, "Cool. But would you mind telling me what's your obsession with flowers?"

"Who said I'm obsessed with flowers?" asked Darren.

"Well, you have been giving me flowers for a while now, I really can't understand your obsession with it," said Xiu with a complaining tone.

"You'll understand my obsession if you focus on the details," replied Darren with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He ruffled her hair playfully and went on, "Take good care of my flower." He tapped her nose in such a way that Xiu thought when he said 'my flower', he definitely wasn't referring to the flowers in her hand.

"I will take of your flower," said Xiu while hugging the flower pot close to her body.

Darren sighed out as he said, "But I was talking about..." he planted a kiss on her forehead softly and added, "This flower of mine."

Xiu really didn't want to blush at this moment. She was over the age of being all shy and blushy-blushy but apparently, she couldn't control herself at all. Seeing her bright red ears, Darren chuckled amusingly and rubbed her earlobes saying, "This color really suits you."

Xiu hit his chest and pushed him away slightly. "Stop doing that." She placed her cold hand on her hot cheeks to calm herself while he continued to laugh at her reaction. "This is not fair. You're making fun of me now. Who does that to a girlfriend?"

"I do," said Darren calmly and when she glared at him, he straightened up. "Won't do it again, M'lady. Anything else?"

"Nothing. Go back now," Xiu pushed him towards his apartment's door.

Darren scratched his forehead in confusion and said, "Why do I feel like you're trying to get rid of me today? You didn't even invite me inside. That's really strange and... Suspicious." When Xiu avoided his eyes, he added, "Oh, are you hiding another lover inside?"

"No, I am not!" Xiu almost shrieked out at this insinuation.

Darren chuckled at her reaction and said, "Easy there. I was just kidding."

"But that's not a nice joke."

When Darren and Xiu both heard that voice, they both looked surprised for their own reasons. Xiu for being caught and Darren for having an evesdropper who had been listening to them.