Evening Gown

[Free-spirited, worldly two-faced predator X resilient, sweet girl who holds a grudge]

*

It happened one day during her senior-year internship.

Si Peng got off work in the early hours of the morning and saw a raccoon mascot in the company lobby. It was fluffy, adorably silly, and ridiculously cute.

Thinking the company had bought a new mascot, she dashed over and groped it all over.

*

Xu Jingqi lost a bet, so his friends dragged him to perform magic at the other company's offices. After the event, he sat down on a bench to rest, still wearing his mascot head, when someone suddenly threw their arms around him.

They rubbed their face against his, then wildly squeezed and rubbed him with their little hands, exclaiming in Chinese, Japanese, and French: "Cute! Kawaii! Adorable!"

*

One day, after the truth came out.

Si Peng looked at the man's handsome profile, which was completely at odds with "silly and cute," and sighed. "I wish you really were a mascot."

The man: "?!"

Si Peng: "Then I might actually be interested in buying you to use as a body pillow."

At that, Xu Jingqi glanced at her calmly, his voice lazy. "Is that your excuse for not taking responsibility for me?"

*

Xu Jingqi didn't know that Si Peng had once had a crush on him.

Back in her junior year, he had already won the World Magic Championship three years in a row. He was a "legendary rising star" in the industry, a heaven-blessed prodigy adored by all, while she was at the bottom of the school hierarchy.

Her department held a mixer with the performing arts department. She sat beside him while he casually performed card tricks, never once sparing her a glance.

After the mixer, a friend teased him: "There's a girl beside you who seems kind of interested in you. Want to add her on WeChat?"

He lounged casually and replied coolly, "Not interested."

One sentence put an end to her years-long crush.

*

Later, as the stars seemed ready to fall, he gave her a sky full of dazzling colors, then leapt with her in his arms from a hundred meters up. Si Peng was so frightened that she shut her eyes, her whole body rigid.

Xu Jingqi wrapped an arm around her waist and curled his lip, nonchalant. "Didn't you like me? Why are you afraid to look at me?"

Si Peng opened her eyes and met a pair of smiling, unreadable ones.

The evening breeze brushed her face, the snow-bright air was crisp, and his burning kiss landed between her brows.

That aerial performance was called the most romantic confession of love.

-

Theme: Playing a terrible hand into a royal flush.