Perfect – Chapter 9

*Door opens.

Xiao You looked straight into the sophisticated suite and then…

*Gazes to the window which the curtain had been opened wide.

“OH MY GOSH!”

She dashed to the window immediately to look at the beautiful view.

Xi Men smiled as he closes the door behind him right after he entered the suite.

He then walked towards her, who had already sticks herself to the window.

“The view here is fabulous, isn’t it?” Xi Men asked, standing next to her.

“Yes! This is a perfect place to see the light shows! And you don’t have to fight for a spot with other people at the Avenue of Stars!” she said.

He smiled as he folded his hands on his chest and looked to the view. “It is almost 10pm now,” he said. “We already missed the light show. It was at 8pm,”

She smiled, “I know about that. And the light show doesn’t matter, because this view is amazing enough,” she said, looking at the view in front of her.

He smiled, “What about taking a seat?” he asked.

Xiao You turned to look at him, and seeing she is looking at him, he politely gestured to the couch behind her.

Xiao You turned her head to look at where he pointed.

“You can see and admire the view from the couch,” he smiled.

She chuckled, “I am sorry; I must have looked like an ecstatic kid or something,” she said, walking towards the couch and sits down on it.

He smiled, “No problem about that,” he said. “Do you wanna drink anything? Coffee maybe?”

“You’ll make them yourself?” she asked.

“Depends on what they provide in the room,” Xi Men turning around and began looking around the suite, thinking where the housekeeper may have keep them.

“What they provide? You mean instant coffee?”

Xi Men paused.

Wait.

That didn’t sound nice to offer instant coffee to…

He then glances to the desk.

“I can order room service,” he heads to the desk and looked for the in-room service menu, grabbing it and then flipped it open. “They do have drinks…”

She smiled, “Actually, don’t you think it’s a little too late to drink coffee at this hour?”

He looked at her. “You are afraid the caffeine is going to make you stay awake?”

“I have never tried drinking coffee at night, but yes, that is what I am afraid of,” she said.

“Good news. It’s Sunday tomorrow,” he smiled.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t need to sleep tonight, right?”

He chuckled.

“Besides, I am rather particular with coffee. The coffee bean has to be good and I only drank black coffee,” she said.

His chuckle fades and he looked at her, “Black coffee?”

She smiled, understood his comment and also his facial expression, “Surprised. Since you introduced it to me 13 years ago, that’s what I have been drinking,”

Xi Men smiled faintly. “Must be an expert now?”

“I won’t call myself an expert. Just pretty picky in coffee,” she smiled. “That is why I said coffee bean has to be good,”

Xi Men chuckled.

“Anyway, I am giving coffee a pass at this hour,” she said.

“What about tea?” he looked at the menu, and then he lifted his head up. “Oh, wait, I have some tea leaves with me,”

She looked at him, “Tea leaves?”

Xi Men then smiled at her, “Product of Xi Men Corporation,”

***

Xiao You looked at Xi Men pushing a cup of tea to her direction.

“Done,” Xi Men smiled.

Xiao You smiled, reaching for her cup of tea. “Thanks,”

“No problem,” Xi Men said, lifting his own cup of tea from the saucer up to his lips.

Xiao You takes a sip from her cup of tea, right at the same time Xi Men did.

Xi Men then looked at Xiao You after she had sipped the coffee, “How was it?”

“Oolong tea?”

Xi Men smiled, “Yes,” he said. “Amazing that you can distinguish it is oolong tea just by a sip,”

She smiled. “This one is of top quality,” she took another sip again.

He chuckled in disbelief. “Wow, you are so damn good in that…”

“You wanna know why? Because my favorite tea is oolong, so the moment the familiarity of taste and smell hits me, I know,” she smirks, “And also… this is the product of Xi Men Corporation. I don’t think the CEO will bring a crappy type of tea leaves with him, right?” she chuckled as she puts down the cup onto the saucer.

His smile fades and he glared at Xiao You.

Xiao You laughed at him.

Xi Men then puts down the cup of tea onto the saucer.

Xiao You turned her head to briefly look at the beautiful night view, before she began looking around the suite from where she sat.

Xi Men only smiled as she is fascinated by the room.

“This hotel really lives up to its name. It is luxurious inside and out,” Xiao You said. “The rooms are tastefully decorated… and it is facing such a beautiful view…” she turned to look at the view again.

“I hope you are glad that you get to come to the hotel,” Xi Men said.

“Yes, I am. Thanks to you,” she smiled.

He smiled. “No problem,”

“So, are you checking out at 12pm tomorrow?” Xiao You asked.

“Yes. And I’ll head to the airport after that. So, we can meet up for breakfast or brunch before I check out and leave,” Xi Men said.

“Sure,” she smiled.

Xi Men only smiled.

Both of them lifted their cup(s) of tea up for a sip.

Silence.

“We’ve been going around a lot today, I know it is tiring but I hope you had fun,” Xiao You said, looking at him.

Xi Men smiled, “Yes, slightly tiring but don’t worry about it. And yes, I enjoyed it,”

She smiled too.

“I haven’t asked you…”

Xiao You looked at Xi Men, “Hmmm?”

“About your life in Canada,” Xi Men said.

Xiao You smiled briefly. “Normal. Nothing exceptional,” she said. “I thought I told you my life has been great,”

He smiled, “I know. What I meant is, could you adapt when you first migrated…”

“Hmmm. It took me a while,” she replied.

He smiled briefly.

“I have gotten used to Taipei, so when I go over to Toronto… it is a whole new place for me,” Xiao You adds and then she reached for her cup of tea. “And I am on my own…”

Hearing the last statement, his small smile fades, and he looked at her.

“My parents helped me along the way, to make sure I fit in. They knew this migration is too sudden, and I don’t want to leave Taipei, but we had no choice. So they played their part in making sure I am comfortable,” Xiao You said.

Xi Men looked at her.

“My parents are struggling as well, because it is also a whole new place for them, but they try their best, and they prioritize me. That’s what parents do, huh… to make sure their child is alright,”

The small smile returns to his face. “Yeah…”

She smiled bitterly as she lifted the cup of tea. “But that is also how I became independent,” she then takes a sip of the tea.

Xi Men looked at her.

She puts down the cup of tea, “I don’t want my parents to worry about me. I am an adult, I should be able to take care of myself, so… I have to be independent,”

He remained looking at her.

She smiled at him, “Your words came right on time,” she said. “It rings in my head; to be confident…”

His eyes widened slightly upon hearing that.

“So I do just that. Be confident. And it means believing in myself that I can adapt to this new place I am going to call my home…” she said.

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

She smirks and tilts her head, “And that is also how I built the self-reliant in me,”

He lowered his gaze and smiled briefly.

“I have never imagined those words you have said could bring such impact to me. It actually brings out the best of me,” she looked at him and smiled appreciatively, “Just like I have told you the other day, I became a better person today because of your words,” she said. “So… thank you,”

“My… my pleasure,” he responded.

She smiled, and then dropped her gaze to look at the cup of tea.

Xi Men swallowed the lump in his throat, before he reached for the cup of tea and brings it to his lips.

“Suddenly I anticipated if you have anything to say, to teach me…” Xiao You said.

His lips had just touched the brim of the cup, and he paused, “Huh?” he asked, and then lowered it down without taking a sip of the tea, “What do you mean?”

“You taught me those few valuable statements when we were having black coffee. And right now, since we are having tea… I was thinking if you have anything you wanted to say and teach me,” Xiao You smiled.

Xi Men smirks, glances over to cup of tea. “No. I have nothing to add to teach or guide you. I think you are leading your life well,”

Xiao You tilts her head slightly and nodded, “I am happy with how I lead my life,”

“That’s good,” Xi Men said.

“Because I didn’t want my parents to worry about me anymore… I learned a lot on my own. And… well, I learnt so much about my capability… I think I have done so much more than a woman should; and because of that, I can do lots of things on my own…” she said. “Maybe this is why I scare guys away,”

That latter statement got Xi Men’s attention, “Because of this? Because of this ‘thing’ that you learned for yourself, for not wanting to worry your parents; the guys said you are too smart and too independent for them?” he looked at her.

“I don’t know for sure if that is the case. I just assume so, since this is the only explanation I can come up with for their comments,” she said.

He looked at her, thoughts running in his mind. “How many of them?” he asked, seconds later.

Xiao You looked at Xi Men, whose face (Xi Men) is blank, “Sorry?”

“How many of these guys left you due to your smartness and capability to be independent?” Xi Men asked.

Xiao You pressed her lips together for a while, “I won’t say they leave me,”

“Then? Break up?” Xi Men asked.

“We are not compatible,” Xiao You said.

“Really?” Xi Men asked.

“We do not agree in a lot of things. I look at things from a different perspective,” Xiao You answered. “We fought a lot because of our disagreement,”

“One guy?” Xi Men asked.

“I’ve dated two guys,”

“And you fought with the other because of such incompatibility as well?” he asked.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she recalled the other ex-boyfriend of hers, “The other can’t even change a light bulb at home and has to call the electrician to do the job,”

Xi Men unconsciously had his eyes widened upon hearing that.

“He hates it when I took the ladder, climbed up and changed the bulb on my own,” Xiao You said. “It is not that I am mocking him for unable to fix it, but I don’t think it is necessary to call an electrician when I can do that,”

“It is his pride and ego that you’ve hurt,”

Xiao You looked at Xi Men, and she smirks, “That’s too bad for him that the weaker sex is more capable of doing anything than he could,”

He smirks.

“I guess that means I needed someone who is better than me in all sense of life in order for him to not feel intimidated by me. And maybe someone who would understand that I am independent because of who I am; not because he is not capable to do it for me,” she said. “It is not easy to look for one like that,”

He looked at her, “Really?”

Xiao You looked at Xi Men, sitting right in front of her.

Smarter than her.

More capable than her.

Earns more than her.

Holds a higher position than her.

Definitely richer than her.

Seems like he is ‘better’ than her in a lot of areas.

It is as though… the one sitting right in front of her now is the person that fulfills the ‘someone’ she said ‘not easy to look for’.

Though, not sure if he feels intimidated by her…

And now that she looked at his face, he is more handsome than most of the guys she knew…

Hormones running.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Yeah,” she responded to his question.

He smirks as he looked at his cup of tea on the table, “So… do you blame me for that?”

Xiao You straightened her head and looked at him, “Blame you?”

“That my words had made you so strong, causing you to not be able to date,” Xi Men said.

Xiao You smirks, “No, I don’t blame you and I will not blame you,” she said. “I had never thought about blaming you for that,”

He smiled.

“And I had to correct you; it is not that I am not able to date, it’s just that the men I have met do not ‘meet my expectations’,” she smiled.

Upon hearing that, his smile widens, and then lets out a small laugh.

“Well,” Xiao You said. “It is better not to date than to date the wrong man. I am okay being single. And I have gotten used to it,”

He smiled. “You’ll meet that someone, Xiao You. Trust me,”

She nodded, “Thanks. I’ll leave it all to fate,”

“Fate?” he asked. “You believe in that?”

She nodded, “Yes, I do. Because I believe meeting someone requires luck and fate. You don’t?”

He looked at her, and a while later he shook, “No, I don’t,”

“Oh…” she responded.

He just smiled briefly.

She then smiled as she reached for the cup of tea on the coffee table.

Seeing what she does, Xi Men followed suit.

Both of them took a sip of their tea and put the cups back onto its respective saucer.

“Umm… since dropping your playboy years, have you dated?” Xiao You asked.

Xi Men shook. “I did not,”

“Oh…”

“I have been busy working… and I did not meet anyone I want to date, so, I have been single,”

“Hmmm… makes me wonder…”

“About?” he asked.

“The type of girls that you want to date,” she said.

“The type of girls that I want to date?” he repeated after her.

She nodded, “Yeah,”

“Umm… she…”

He looked at her, sitting in front him.

Smart. Confident. Independent. Adorable. Pretty.

She is so damn attractive right now for him.

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I don’t know. I have never thought of it. I guess I have to meet her to know if she is my type,” he replied, clearing his throat; pretending his throat is dry and then reached for his cup of tea.

“Oh,” she said.

Seeing he takes a sip from his cup of tea, she does the same, reaching for her cup of tea and then takes a sip, and right at that time, he puts down his cup of tea at the saucer.

He watches her taking a sip of tea.

She is really, really beautiful.

And he watches her puts down the cup onto the saucer.

“Xi Men, can I ask you one thing?” Xiao You asked, looking at the cup of tea that’s almost empty.

“Sure,” Xi Men said. “You can ask me anything,”

She then lifted her head up and looked at him. “Given to you… as a guy…”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Will you date someone like me?”

His eyes widened.

His heart beats extremely fast, so fast that he felt it is coming out from his mouth.

His blood runs to the top of his head.

What… what kind of question is this…?

“Wha… what?” he asked.

“I mean… I am asking this in general, wanting to hear your opinion from a guy’s perspective,” she said.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Umm… I…”

She looked at him, stammering in his words.

Maybe he couldn’t view her from that kind of perspective, so he has no answer for that.

Or perhaps, his answer may hurt so he chooses not to answer…

She smirks, lowering her head, “Although I have gotten used to being single, sometimes I can’t help it that I will think about this matter. I wondered if I had really come out too strong…”

He looked at her, while silently calming his rapidly beating heart.

“I mean, I like who I am and that I am happy with what I’ve become, but sometimes I would think if I should just be weaker to men and in that…”

“No,” he interrupted.

Xiao You lifted her head up to look at Xi Men.

“You don’t have to do anything. You are perfect just the way you are,” Xi Men said.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“I agree that you are one strong person, Xiao You. Very strong, in fact. But at the end of the day, you are still a woman. You can do everything on your own, but you still need a companion. You still need someone emotionally…” he paused as he looked at her.

She looked back at him, waiting for him to finish his words.

He remained staring at her, and then swallowed the lump in his throat.

He suddenly rose to his feet…

…heads to her…

…slides his right hand to the back of her head…

…and kisses her on her lips.

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