Imperfect Desires

There were only two things that could make Rowan feel miserable. One, he wasn't allowed to play with his sisters. Two, he wasn't allowed to eat all his favorite food made by his own mother! No one could possibly understand what he was going through right now. 

Darren could see the way Rowan's face changed color and found it quite adorable actually. Although Rowan was good at acting, he was still too young. And because of his age, it was difficult for him to control his expressions. How could Darren not be able to see all his thoughts written all over his face?

Darren could understand why his son had to eat just porridge but there was still something he couldn't understand. 

"Sweets, did you ground Rowan?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"Why?" he asked.

Xiu put her chopsticks down and looked at her son, "Young man, would you like to tell your father about your heroic deeds?" Rowan buried his head into his bowl and didn't dare to look at his mother making Xiu sigh out. "You love to complain about me but can't tell your father what you did wrong in the first place?"

"Mommy, it wasn't my fault," Rowan was still insisting on the fact that he wasn't in the wrong that really irked Xiu.

"What happened?" asked Darren. He felt weird since he was the only one who didn't know anything here. This feeling wasn't really good.

"Since you think it's not wrong to beat someone up, then there is no need for you to have this discussion with me," said Xiu sternly. "You can go back to your room when you're done eating."

Darren's eyes widened, "Rowan beat someone up?"

"I did not," said Rowan in a small voice.

Darren looked at his wife in question. Xiu rubbed her temples to ease her headache. Today wasn't really her day. She had a headache since this morning and because of that, she even felt like beating this son of hers who kept on insisting that he didn't do anything wrong.

Xiu didn't even eat much because she was not feeling well. 

After Rowan went back to his room obediently, only then did Darren ask Xiu for details. Since Xiu wasn't planning on hiding anything from her husband anyway, so she gave him all the details...

*Earlier that day*

Since the time Darren finally managed to drive again, his son loved to go to school with his father. Oftentimes, Xiu would be the one driving him to school as well if Darren was in a hurry. Today, she was supposed to send him to school but because of her headache, she asked Darren to do it.

And because of this headache, she spent her whole day lying down and lazing around. She was taking a nap during the day when she received a call from Rowan's school that he got into a fight. She dragged herself to the school worrying about her son but when she got there, the whole situation was something else.

Xiu didn't know who informed her two fathers but at that moment, both Xin Zimen and Xin Zemin were in the teacher's office defending their grandson. And let's just say, with the combined power of the Xin brothers, how can their grandson be wronged? 

It took her a while to understand the situation, it happened that the kids from another grade were trying to bully Rowan but he wasn't a pushover as well. He went to find his sisters at the junior high school across from his primary school and told them that was being bullied. How could Asteria or Ava see their brother be in a disadvantageous situation? They both actually followed him and beat up the body that tried to bully Rowan.

And all this while, Rowan was enjoying the fight while hiding behind his sisters. 

Then one thing led to another and teachers got involved, then the parents were called but Rowan knew he'd be in trouble if his mother came so he asked his sisters to inform grandfathers who loved him the most. 

After understanding the ins and outs of the situation, Darren was quiet for a long moment. He felt like his son really knew how to play his cards well even at this age. His bullies were older than him so he got someone who could protect him wholeheartedly. And even when he knew he'd be in trouble, he managed to find two big shields to protect himself.

After all, neither Xin Zimen nor Xin Zemin would allow Xiu to rebuke Rowan for getting into a fight. 

"Sweets, are you upset that he got into a fight?" asked Darren. But then he frowned to himself because that wasn't like Xiu at all. 

Xiu was still rubbing her forehead as she said, "Well, as much as I want him to stay out of fights that don't mean I'm against it. If someone is bullying him, I can't allow him to stand still and do nothing. Why am I sending him to those self-defense classes?"

"Then what's the problem," asked Darren.

"The problem is that little ancestor of mine doesn't think that he is wrong," answered Xiu. "He hid behind his sisters. Okay! I understand that he is too dependant on them. But does he have to let them take the blame for everything as well? That doesn't make any sense! If he did something wrong, he should just accept it."

Obviously, Xiu didn't tell him that she might have let this matter go easily if it wasn't for her headache messing with her temper today. She was in a bad mood, her son just got in the way. And since she couldn't possibly vent at her only son, she was in an even worse mood right now.

"You should tell Asteria and Ava to stop protecting him so much," suggested Darren.

Xiu snorted at that, "As if those two bro-cons are gonna listen to me."

"That's also true," agreed Darren.