Imperfect Desires

Chapter 990 - Devious Creatures

While picking vegetables, Xiu just sat down on the ground cross-legged without a care for her image and munched on the fresh tomato she picked herself. It looked so red and appetizing. How could she resist it? She bit into the fresh tomato and the sweet and slightly sour taste made her tongue almost dance in joy.

Seeing her grinning while eating a tomato, Asteria smiled at her, "Xiuxiu, you\'re just eating a tomato. Why does it seem like you\'re eating one of the best delicacies in the world?"

"This is the best," answered Xiu. "It\'s sweet. It\'s sour. It\'s fresh. It\'s natural. Everything about it is good."

"But isn\'t it simply a tomato?" questioned Asteria.

Xiu faced her and asked, "Ria, what do you like more? A hug from your father or when he buys you toys? If you could choose between one, which one would it be?"

"Of course, I\'d like a hug from him," answered Asteria.

"It\'s the same thing," said Xiu. Asteria had a confused look on her face since she couldn\'t understand how it was the same thing. "What I mean is, it\'s always the simple things that mean a lot more. You can buy the toys if you have money but you can\'t buy a hug even if you have the money. My tomato is just like that. Although it\'s simple and nothing really special, it\'s the fact that it\'s nothing that makes it so much more special."

"Huh?" Asteria was dumbfounded and kind of lost.

Xiu ruffled her hair, "When you grow up, you\'ll understand it."

"Xiuxiu, do you know that you\'re very easily satisfied in life?"

"I know," answered Xiu. "But what\'s wrong with that? I don\'t think there is anything wrong with it."

Asteria nodded her head, "There really isn\'t anything wrong with that."

*Ring*

Xiu took out her phone from her pocket and looked at the caller id before happily accepting the call, "Ah-Xin!"

Xin Zimen had his phone placed a distance away from his ear since he knew she\'d scream as soon as she picked up the phone. And she did exactly that. He had learned the lesson in a painful way but the good thing is, he did learn it on time because even after years, Xiu didn\'t seem like she was planning on changing this habit of hers.

"How is my little lass?" asked Xin Zimen.

"I\'m great! I\'m awesome!"

"Are you having fun at the camp?"

"I think so," she replied.

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

Xin Zimen shook his head at the answer that sounded so like her.

"What are you doing?"

"I\'m picking vegetables," answered Xiu.

"Why are you doing that?" asked Xin Zimen suddenly losing his easy-going persona. "Where are your brothers? Did I send those jerks to rest there? Why aren\'t they helping you? How can they make my daughter work for them?"

Xiu didn\'t know whether to laugh or cry at this. "Ah-Xin, I came here to enjoy, not to laze around. Although I was just lazing around when you called. Hehehe."

"Good! You continue to laze around," said Xin Zimen. "Let the others work."

"You really want me to act like a lazy bum?"

"I don\'t mind," said Xin Zimen. "If that\'s what makes you happy, so be it."

"Ah-Xin, why are you so cute?"

"At this age, I really can\'t take that compliment."

"What\'s wrong with your age?" retorted Xiu. "My Ah-Xin is still as handsome as ever. No arguments allowed on this."

Xin Zimen chuckled, "My little lass is also the most beautiful one ever."

"That I sure am," was Xiu\'s reply.

Xin Zimen\'s laughter only grew with her words. He felt lighthearted just listening to her voice. It was quite relaxing. And that\'s why he called her. He knew she\'d be able to lift up his mood.

"Daddy," she suddenly called out. "I miss you!" Xin Zimen\'s smile stiffened. "When are you coming back?"

"I\'ll be back in a couple of days," he answered.

"Give me the exact day!" she demanded unreasonably.

"Hmm... On Monday, I\'ll be with you," he told her.

"Promise?"

"Yes, it\'s a promise!"

Xiu relaxed when she heard that, "That sounds better." She took a pause and asked, "Have you met Father?"

"I did," he replied. "Why?"

"Nothing, he said he\'ll come over this week but he didn\'t."

"My sister-in-law took him to the mountain village where they are building a school for kids," explained Xin Zimen. "So, it might be a while before they come back."

"Oh..." She looked over at Asteria and asked, "Ria, do you want to talk to your grandfather?"

Asteria nodded her head excitedly.

"Asteria is with you?"

"Yeah."

"Give her the phone," said Xin Zimen.

"Here," Xiu passed the phone to Asteria and finally stood up to pat the dust off her bu??. Being surrounded by such fresh vegetables, she was finding it difficult to get up. "Ahh!"

"What\'s wrong?" asked Asteria when she heard Xiu\'s scream.

Xiu pursed her lips and cleared her throat, "I thought it was an earthworm but it was just a leaf. He He He."

Asteria laughed out at Xiu\'s antics who rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Xiuxiu, you aren\'t scared of anything but of a worm? Really?"

"Well, it\'s tiny and slimy and slippery. I hate such a devious creature!" Xiu spoke in her defense.

Asteria still laughed and said to Xin Zimen, "Grandpa, your daughter is a scaredy-cat."

Xin Zimen shook his head when he heard that, "Well, she has her moments."

Xiu felt like her momentum was losing because of this situation. Why did she have to scream so loud? What an embarrassment! And she even laughed in front of the girl who really admired her and adored her. That really ruined her image.

But soon she dusted off this embarrassment along with the dirt on her body. It was just as simple as that.. How could she allow such a matter to stay on her mind for more than a minute? That\'d be ruining her own mood.