CHAPTER 12: PRINCE AND PRINCESS
759 Words
Yi Fei drew stares all the way to Chen Jing's neighborhood. For someone who hated being the center of attention, this was torture. But the women had insisted. He'd endure.
He arrived early. He considered sitting on the flower bed by the gate, then remembered he was wearing white. He stood at attention instead, like a guard waiting for his charge.
That's when Chen Jing's parents walked by.
They didn't recognize him. But they couldn't help noticing the sharp young man standing straight-backed at their gate.
"Look at him," Mrs. Chen whispered to her husband. "I wonder who the lucky girl is."
"You think he might be waiting for our Jing?"
"What? No. I mean... I don't oppose her dating, but isn't it a bit early?" Mr. Chen paused. "Then again, if she handles it as well as we did back in the day... no harm done."
Mrs. Chen tightened her grip on his arm.
Yi Fei didn't notice them at all. He'd given up making eye contact with anyone who looked at him -- he'd have gone cross-eyed hours ago. His mind wandered to Van Helsing. Months had passed. He wondered how many vampires the hunter had put down.
Then Chen Jing stepped through the gate.
White dress. Ponytail. She stood frozen, staring at him.
*Is that Yi Fei?*
She'd never imagined he could clean up like this. Her opinion of him skyrocketed.
Yi Fei noticed her staring and felt a mischievous urge. Slowly, he offered his arm.
Chen Jing didn't hesitate. She locked onto him like she was staking a claim. *This one's mine.*
They walked through the streets together, drawing looks from everyone they passed.
"We can't go for street food dressed like this," Chen Jing said, finally recognizing the problem.
"Steak it is." Yi Fei checked his back pocket. Wallet confirmed.
Chen Jing glanced at him again. *This is the same guy who was a block of stone a few months ago? The one I had to drag into the expedition club?*
She felt lucky. Hopelessly lucky.
* * *
The steakhouse was the best in the city. Every eye turned to the couple walking through the door. People whispered. *Are those a prince and princess?*
The attention made Yi Fei's skin crawl. He found the darkest corner booth and slid into it. Chen Jing, drunk on the romance of it all, didn't argue. They ate, they talked, they laughed.
When they left, Chen Jing grabbed his hand without waiting for permission. He didn't pull away.
Walking beside her, Yi Fei noticed something. The crushing loneliness he'd carried since childhood was fading. He stole a glance at her profile. The soft curve of her jaw. The way her eyes caught the streetlights.
He'd never thought Chen Jing was beautiful before.
He was wrong.
This was the moment he finally left Cheng Yao behind.
* * *
They arrived at the party to another round of gasps and stares. Chen Jing held her head high, gripping Yi Fei's hand tighter. "Don't be scared," she said, looking him in the eye. "Whatever happens, I'm right beside you."
Her words cut through his anxiety like a blade. He nodded, squeezed her hand, and walked into the classroom.
Neither of them noticed Cheng Yao standing on the stage, holding props. She watched them, smiled softly, and slipped out the door, pulling it closed behind her.
* * *
The party began.
Choirs. Skits. Instrumental solos. The show went on, but most eyes weren't on the stage.
They were on Yi Fei and Chen Jing.
Cheng Yao watched from the wings. *They should have been the hosts. What a waste.*
* * *
As midnight approached, the audience showed no signs of thinning. Every seat was full. Everyone was waiting for the clock to strike twelve.
For the finale.
The one person who wasn't caught up in the excitement was Ms. Yang, Yi Fei's homeroom teacher. She didn't care for entertainment. She cared about her students' safety. With outsiders wandering in and out of the venue, someone had to keep watch.
She scanned the room and frowned. "Where are Li Na and Zhao Liang?" She asked the nearest students.
"They went to Ms. Li's dorm. They wanted to see her costume early."
Ms. Yang sighed. i***t kids. "Stay here. I'll bring them back."
She headed for the faculty dorms, muttering about troublemakers.
The building was eerily quiet. Ms. Yang's instincts prickled. Those girls weren't exactly shy. Why was Ms. Li's room so silent?
She knocked anyway.
[END OF CHAPTER 12]
- Writer
