CRIMSON NOCTURNE

CHAPTER 11: ANOTHER TRANSFORMATION

December 31st. Two days off school for the New Year.

Chen Jing showed up at Yi Fei's door at the crack of dawn and dragged him shopping. No Cheng Yao this time -- just the two of them. And Chen Jing loved every second of it.

She bought a white dress for the party. Yi Fei bought a bottle of water.

Over lunch, Yi Fei chewed his burger and suddenly realized: he hadn't seen Cheng Yao in days. His life had been all Chen Jing, all the time. *When did that happen?*

*Does that make me shallow?* He stared blankly at his half-eaten lunch. *Or did I just give up because I knew it was hopeless?*

He decided it was the second one. The truth was, his feelings for Cheng Yao had cracked the moment he'd learned she liked Yang Yi.

Speaking of Yang Yi -- Yi Fei's best friend had been recruited by the sports academy the same time he had. Unlike Yi Fei, Yang Yi had jumped at the chance. He'd been training there for months now. The academy was strict. Yi Fei hadn't heard from him since he left.

He was reaching for his phone to see if Yang Yi could sneak out for the party when Chen Jing did something that made his brain short-circuit.

She reached across the table, wiped a smear of butter off his lip with her finger, and put it in her mouth.

Yi Fei's mind went blank.

If he didn't understand what that meant, he was more than an i***t. He was the main character of a rom-com with brain damage.

Chen Jing realized she'd gone too far. But running away with a red face wasn't her style. She'd made her move. Now she watched his reaction.

Yi Fei took a deep breath. Then another. Then acted like nothing happened.

Inside, Chen Jing was doing cartwheels. *He didn't run. That's a win.*

The truth was, Yi Fei had grown to genuinely like Chen Jing over the past few months. She had her diva moments, sure, but he'd never found a real flaw. Or maybe he just hadn't looked hard enough. Her gesture made something warm bloom in his chest. But he couldn't tell if this was real affection or just loneliness filling the space where Cheng Yao used to live.

He wasn't the type to play games. And he didn't want to hurt Chen Jing.

So he did what he always did. He pretended nothing happened and decided to figure it out later.

Chen Jing, for her part, was happy to play along. They walked out of the restaurant in careful silence, both pretending the elephant wasn't sitting at the table.

* * *

"Let me walk you home. You need to get ready for tonight." Yi Fei grabbed her shopping bags off the bench.

It was a small gesture. To Chen Jing, it was everything. *He's being more considerate. Was that a response?*

She floated home beside him, barely aware of the streets passing by. For the first time in her life, she wished her family lived farther from the city center.

Yi Fei dropped her off and went back to the apartment his two crazy landladies had rented him. He figured he'd just throw on some clothes and head to the party. How hard could it be?

Hard.

The moment Zeng Dan and Wu Lei found out he was going to the New Year's party, they mobilized. Zeng Dan grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a salon. Wu Lei dove into his closet, ignoring his protests.

*It's a party. You can't go dressed like a farmer.*

The stylist worked miracles on his hair -- a disaster zone of neglect. An hour later, Yi Fei emerged with a clean, sharp cut. Short, layered, with just enough movement to soften his angular face. Zeng Dan nodded approvingly. Money well spent.

She dragged him to her regular skincare place next. Eyebrow threading. Exfoliation. Yi Fei grit his teeth through it all. He drew the line at a facial and whitening treatment, escaping while Zeng Dan was still mourning her lost chance to turn him into a pretty boy.

* * *

When he got home, Wu Lei was holding up a white suit.

"Is that mine?" he asked warily.

"No, it's mine. Yes, it's yours. Your closet is full of garbage. I bought this for you. Happy New Year."

She shoved him into it.

Zeng Dan walked in a moment later, groceries in hand. She dropped them on the floor.

Standing in the living room was a stranger in white. Medium height. Solid build. Sharp jaw, clean-cut hair, and eyes that carried a hint of melancholy.

"Holy..." Zeng Dan tackle-hugged him. "This gorgeous guy lives with us!"

Wu Lei laughed and pried her off. "Don't scare him. He might not want to go out anymore. Oh -- I forgot cologne."

Yi Fei stood there, baffled. *It's just a haircut. Why are they acting like I turned into a movie star?*

"Yi Fei, did you promise to go to the party with a classmate?" Wu Lei asked, rummaging through her perfume collection.

"Yeah."

She sighed. "I was going to have you escort us. Too bad. As compensation, you're taking us to dinner in that outfit."

Great. He owed them another favor.

"Is she a girl?" Zeng Dan's grin turned wicked. "Better perform well tonight. Don't waste our afternoon."

"It's just a party..." Yi Fei muttered as he pushed out the door.

He was meeting Chen Jing for a snack before heading to the venue.

[END OF CHAPTER 11]