Chapter 222 - Terrifyingly Fascinating (1/2)

They say you glow differently when you're not hating, hurting, feeling bitter or messy. That statement could be proved if one looked at Xiu's face at that time. And why wouldn't she be glowing so brightly when she had the human form of sunshine right beside her?

And yes, that human form of sunshine was none other than Darren himself who could brighten up her day or mood at any time or any place.

Right now, Darren was busy in the kitchen downstairs when Xiu sat at the chair staring at him constantly. It was close to midnight but she was still hungry. So, being the considerate boyfriend that he was, Darren decided to make some noodles for her.

”You're staring again,” her daydreaming was interrupted when she heard Darren's voice and straightened up. He wasn't bothered by her gaze but he was bothered by the sheer intensity of her gaze. And that made it very difficult for him to focus on a simple task.

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, ”Can't help it. If I won't stare at my 'ikigai', who else would I stare at?”

Darren furrowed his brows, ”What's ikigai?”

”Encompassing joy... Or the thing that gets you up in the morning,” answered Xiu joyously making Darren feel strange for some reason. But Xiu didn't notice his expressions as she continued happily, ”In my case, my mornings are happy just knowing that I'd be seeing you. That's why you're my ikigai!”

”Where did you learn it from?” asked Darren as he placed the steaming hot bowl of noodles before her.

”I learned it while I was shooting a Japanese movie, it's been a long time but I still can recall.” Of course, she could recall it very well. During that time, she was so fascinated by Japanese myths and legends that she couldn't help but pick up the Japanese language along the way of her curiosity.

”Do you talk to Nora like this as well?” asked Darren looking at her eat heartily. He knew that Xiu was crazy but he also knew that Nora was crazier. There was no doubt that they both would do some craziest shit together. But he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact how Xiu managed to accept a friend in life when she was so scared of being backstabbed.

With her mouthful of noodles, she didn't say anything. After swallowing she said, ”Nope. If I talked like this to Nora, she'd know that I'm not her best friend. I don't want to scare that girl. Besides, she'd definitely send me to a mental hospital unlike you.”

”But can you really deceive her forever?” Xiu stopped eating as she looked back at him. ”From what I know about you, you hate deceiving people. Even when you smiled for the camera, you never intended to deceive people. You're always deceiving yourself.”

”Okay, here is the thing you don't know about me,” said Xiu while Darren paid his full attention to her. ”I don't have memories of the real owner of this body. I don't even know who she really was. Everything I knew about Bai Xiu came from Nora. But recently, I learned that her name wasn't even Bai Xiu. Her birth name was Destiny.”

”Then Bai Xiu wasn't her name?” asked Darren. Now his curiosity was piqued to a whole new level.

Xiu shook her head saying, ”Not at all. I do know that she chose Xiu as her given name because of me.”

”You?”

”Me as in Chen Xiu.”

”She knew you?”

”That's what I want to know,” replied Xiu in frustration. ”Nora said that Destiny was obsessed with Chen Xiu but as for why she was so obsessed, she doesn't know. And neither do I cause I have no clue if we have ever met nor do I have her memories to guide me through.”

”That seems complicated,” said Darren thoughtfully.

”It is complicated. My memory wasn't the best as Chen Xiu because of my drinking escapades. So, it's highly possible that my brain skipped over the part where I met her. But why can't I recall anything from Destiny's memories is completely out of my understanding.”

Darren thought about it himself. But it was the truth that it was already hard enough for him to make peace with reincarnation. How could he even think about these memories and stuff? ”Can't Nora help you with that?”

”She's hopeless herself. She used to say that Destiny used to share everything with her but only now I learned that Destiny's life was a complete mystery to Nora as well. Destiny had plenty of secrets and I think I'm close to finding those secrets. But yet those secrets are far from me.”

”Why are you talking like that?”