Imperfect

Xiao Yan was utterly bewildered. Her brain could barely keep up.

"What I'm trying to say is..." Zayne stood in front of Xiao Yan again.

This time, he did not reach out to touch her. He only bent down to meet her eyes. "The emergence of possessiveness means I've become emotionally invested too. The fact that I felt unsettled today, lost my composure, and became jealous shows that I'm just like you. Neither of us is a perfect saint."

He curved his lips into a faint, helpless smile. "You should know that what I saw, and the scenes I imagined, would be difficult for anyone with budding feelings to calmly accept."

His words made Xiao Yan's heart ache. She had not wanted to discuss it precisely because she knew Zayne would feel hurt.

Yet Zayne insisted on laying everything bare, two knives on either side, piercing both their hearts at once.

"Would you become disillusioned and disappointed in me because such a large crack appeared in my rational shell?" he asked.

Xiao Yan hastily shook her head. "Of course not. I think you're adorable, genuine, and honest."

"So, I saw your struggles. With no other choice, you used a few seemingly less-than-honorable methods against Caleb. Why must I back away?"

Zayne's smile widened a little. "I think you're adorable too, doing everything you can, all on your own, to nurture a marriage that I'll also benefit from in the future. That's brave, isn't it? You really don't need to blame yourself."

Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly stung. She felt as though Zayne had seen every last grievance buried in the deepest part of her heart.

"We're gradually becoming more honest and genuine with each other. To me, that's an indispensable, precious process."

Zayne opened his arms. "If you agree, we can comfort and encourage each other tonight, and believe that everything will get better when the sun rises tomorrow."

Xiao Yan froze for a moment. Her eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself into Zayne's arms.

Zayne hugged Xiao Yan tightly, lowering his head to press several gentle kisses to her hair. "It seems I really do need to pay more attention to my little wife. Silly thing, she's plotting something very, very big all by herself."

"Sweet Pear..."

"I like that name." Zayne scooped Xiao Yan up again. "What about you? Do you like me calling you 'Little Jasmine'?"

"Yes." Xiao Yan loved it so much that she nodded vigorously.

Zayne's smile grew relieved and relaxed. "That's the first agreement and consensus we've reached tonight. It's worth celebrating."

Not long after they returned to the room, Uncle Sang heated two custard buns and made a special trip to bring them to Zayne, as Xiao Yan had instructed.

Since the young lady had cried today, Uncle Sang also thoughtfully prepared two bowls of bird's nest soup to soothe his two employers' throats.

When Zayne came to open the door, Xiao Yan was still chattering away on the bed inside.

"Are you really moving back in? Uncle Sang, Uncle Sang, make sure Mr. Zayne's room is ready. I'll send you his clothing sizes in a moment. Prepare some extra formalwear and things in his usual style!"

"Yes, young lady." Uncle Sang's heart, which had been in his throat for so long, finally settled.

Mr. Zayne really did have a way with her. After he came back and talked to her for a while, the young lady was lively again.

"There's no need to prepare too much. If I'm moving back, I'll naturally bring all my clothes with me," Zayne told Uncle Sang with a smile.

Uncle Sang nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, Mr. Zayne. I'll make the arrangements as I see fit."

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Sang." Zayne nodded politely.

It was no trouble at all. Uncle Sang could not have been happier.

The young lady was finally no longer alone. With Mr. Zayne back, this home would finally feel a little more alive.

After all the emotional ups and downs that night, Xiao Yan did not feel very sleepy.

Zayne lay beside her, listening as Xiao Yan talked about all sorts of things.

For instance, there was Jiang Miao's husband-selection banquet in mid-October. Zayne naturally agreed to attend with her.

Then there was her school, an elite school where all the students were young ladies and young masters from wealthy families. Only the few friends around Xiao Yan enjoyed studying. Everyone else seemed to be there to coast through their days and build social connections.

Warmth rose in Zayne's heart as he listened. It was rare for a young lady like Xiao Yan, in such an environment, to deliberately seek out like-minded friends and devote herself to her studies.

In the end, perhaps tired from talking, Xiao Yan rested her head on Zayne's arm and asked softly, "Can I talk about the others?"

Zayne readily agreed. "Whatever you want to say, I'm happy to listen."

It was as though Xiao Yan had truly found a partner who would work alongside her on their marriage.

She told Zayne how slow Xavier was to warm up to people. She felt that she absolutely could not be impatient with Xavier; she had to get the pace right, one step at a time.

Rafayel, meanwhile, was so passionate and romantic. Although he seemed the least calculating, he was actually very sensitive. It would take a great deal of patience to enter his incredibly rich inner world.

Sylus seemed overbearing and difficult to approach, but he was actually a very magnanimous, tolerant person. It was just that, at the beginning, she really had to cater to his tastes and act like a tabby cat baring its claws and fangs to catch his interest.

Caleb...

At the mention of him, Xiao Yan's expression changed. She sighed and shut her mouth.

Zayne cleared his throat. "You've left someone out. Why not talk about him?"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. "You, huh? Hehe."

"What are you laughing at?" Zayne tapped the tip of Xiao Yan's nose. "Since you could sum up everyone's differences so quickly, haven't you spent some time and effort analyzing me?"

"If we're talking about how to win you over, it's simply a matter of trading sincerity for sincerity." Xiao Yan shifted to lie across Zayne's stomach. "You seem the coldest and most unapproachable, but your feelings are actually the most delicate and perceptive. For every bit I do, you appreciate two or three times as much, or even more."

"That makes me sound like someone who wins himself over, without you having to spend much effort on me."

"Mmm..." Xiao Yan made a little sound and shook her head. "That's not right."

Zayne stroked Xiao Yan's long hair. "Then what is right?"

Xiao Yan closed her eyes, a smile on her lips. "My Dr. Zayne has the strongest principles and firmest boundaries. I have to be very careful with him. I can't do whatever I please just because he's gentle and understanding. Once I violate his principles and cross his boundaries, I won't be able to put things right."

"Is that so?" Zayne did not think Xiao Yan could truly understand him that well after their few brief encounters. "Then what are my principles and boundaries?"

"The weight of life. Great compassion is impartial. You follow only the rules you want to follow, and do only what you believe is right. No one can sway you."

Zayne's eyes flickered. She had actually... gotten all of it right?

"I'm afraid Dr. Zayne is too hard on himself, but I also understand that if he does something, he must have a reason why he has to do it."

Xiao Yan opened her eyes and turned to look gently at Zayne. "So, was I right?"

Zayne pressed his lips together. Only after a long while did he sigh and smile again. "I find it hard to believe you didn't do your homework on me before selecting your husbands."

Xiao Yan chuckled. "So that means I was right."

"Have we..." Zayne hesitated. "Met somewhere before?"

Xiao Yan shook her head again. "You have a very good memory, right? How could something even you can't remember have happened?"

By this point, Xiao Yan had long since figured something out.

Rather than using hollow words to force memories only she knew about onto the five men,

she would be better off using their time together from now on, and the new experiences they shared, to awaken their true feelings little by little.

Although this carried the risk of failure, she had still made up her mind to do it.

She would bury the past deep in her heart.

The present and the future were the reality she had to hold on to.