Imperfect Desires 215 A Different Story

Because of her new injury, Xiu's stay in the hospital was prolonged as well which she despised the most. And in that hospital room, her only escape was the balcony in her room which she had come to love because she could look at the beautiful lake at the back of the hospital. And the very same place was Darren's favorite because he could see her. 

"Why did you ask me to catch so many fireflies?" asked Dylan as he entered Darren's room with a gla.s.s jar filled with tiny b.a.l.l.s of light buzzing around.

"Shus.h.!.+" Darren took the jar from his hand and said, "None of your concern. Now, you can leave."

Dylan looked hurt as he asked, "Are you really kicking me out?" Darren nodded his head without any hesitation and Dylan added, "What kind of a best friend are you? How can you forget me after falling in love?"

"Shut up! Don't bother with the theatrics. I'm not in the mood," said Darren as he looked at the jar in his hand.

Dylan noticed Darren's expression as he said, "Dazi, if you really like her this much why don't you just go to see her? Isn't she still right next door?"

Darren's face fell for a moment as he replied, "I can't."

"Why not?" Dylan couldn't understand why his best friend was being so stubborn. He had never seen Darren hesitating like that before. Even when he could clearly see that Darren desperately wanted to meet that girl.

Darren tapped his legs and said, "I can't bring myself to face her like this." Dylan understood he was referring to his inability to walk at the moment.

"Come on! It's not permanent. I promise you'll walk again," Dylan tried to lift up his spirits. 

Darren laughed at Dylan's reaction and said, "I don't know as of yet whether it's permanent or not but I don't want to meet her like this."

"Do you think she'll reject you like this?"

Darren shook his head, "Nope. She has the most beautiful heart I have ever seen in my life. But I don't want to see pity in her eyes. And I certainly don't want her to feel my pain."

Dylan heaved a long sigh as he understood what Darren was trying to say and silently left the room.

That evening Xiu was, as usual, sitting on the chair in the balcony with a book in her hand which she certainly wasn't reading. Even though her eyes were focused on the book, her brain couldn't process what was written before her. She had been reading the same page for the past hour and yet she didn't know what she was reading. It was like the words were just a cl.u.s.ter in her brain that didn't make any sense.

Out of nowhere, a golden light came in her view making her raise her brows in surprise. And just as she lifted her head, fireflies dancing onto their star-studded stage came into her view. Her mouth opened making an 'o' shape as she stared at the tiny glimmers of light electrifying the summer night. They came as a pleasant relief after so many nights of blackness.

Darren couldn't stop himself from staring at her face full of wonder and happiness. She looked like a kid who finally got the candy he desperately yearned for. He realized how easy it was to make her smile genuinely and yet how rare it was for her to find that smile.

"Little b.a.l.l.s of fire, burning in the dark night," he heard her whispering.

"Sister Xiu, should I catch those fireflies for you?" came Han Bohai's voice from behind her and Xiu glared at him angrily.

"Don't you dare!" she looked back at the little glimmers of lights flying around as she said, "I don't want to put them in a gla.s.s cage like myself." 

Han Bohai stayed quiet at her reply for a moment before he said, "I'll bring some dinner for you."

Xiu didn't give him an answer but when she heard the sound of the door closing, she said, "Hey, tiny friend! Would you like to hear a song? No? Okay."

Darren shook his head at her for trying to strike a conversation with a firefly. He couldn't resist dialing her number again.

Xiu didn't take long before attending his call, "Yo, stranger! I really was expecting your call after another year."

"Haha!" Darren gave a dry laugh and added, "If that was a joke, it wasn't funny."

Xiu shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she replied, "Who cares? It was my joke and it certainly made me laugh. Isn't that enough?"

"You love giving these illogical kinds of logic, don't you?"

Xiu nodded her head even though she didn't know that he could see her as she replied, "My logics are just like me. Completely doesn't make any sense."

Darren laughed out at her answer and went on, "Idiot!"

"Thanks for the compliment," said Xiu with a cheeky smile.

Darren raised his brow as he asked, "You sound really happy for some reason."

"I am happy. Actually, I'm really happy. I met so many fireflies today."

"That was enough to make you happy like this?"

"Of course!" 

Darren stayed quiet for a moment to observe her expressions from afar before saying, "No wonder I call you an idiot." Xiu didn't argue with him over that instead smiled on her own. "Why don't you teach me how to be happy over such a small thing? I feel lost after..."  he couldn't continue further.

"After?" but Xiu insisted him to continue.

"I had an accident recently, my heartbeat didn't give up on me but dreams did. I feel really lost after losing that dream." It felt really easy and natural to share this with her that Darren didn't even realize how he said that much without thinking at all.

"Put your hand over your heart," Xiu said making Darren frown in confusion and just as he opened his mouth to say something, she added, "Don't question, just do as I said." Darren took a deep breath and placed his hand over his heart and heard her saying, "Is it beating?"

"Mhmm..."

"Then if your heart didn't give up on beating, how can you give up on dreaming?" Darren's eyes widened as he stared at the side of her face. Xiu looked at the starry night as she added, "With every beat of that heart, a new dream is born. We are reborn. So, if you gave up on dreams it's like giving up on life, isn't it unfair?"

"You must have heard that dreams are meant to be broken but I believe that dreams can't break as long as we are standing firm. Yes, if we break down then that's a different story."