sleepless cinderella ☆ w.kh | ✔

01

It was a few days later that found you hesitantly approaching the new Qian Enterprises building again, laptop bag hanging off your shoulder as you gripped your golden card in your hand. Truly, you had every intention of never coming back to this place.

But you still hadn't figured out a topic, Xuanyi was still harassing you about taking care of yourself, Chengxiao couldn't stop gushing on about some cute customer at her work, and you finally snapped. You felt like you were suffocating, and your head was about to explode. Unable to stand it anymore, you had grabbed your laptop before storming out of your apartment.

So that's how you ended up here. The doorman—who was honestly dressed much nicer than you—held open the door cordially for you, and you thanked him quietly. There were a couple people at the front desk who gave you friendly greetings, and you mumbled something coherent back to them as you changed course for the elevator. After swiping your card like Mr. Qian had showed you, you took the short and quiet elevator ride up to the top floor.

You let out a small groan of relief when you saw that the lounge was empty. Maybe you really could get some work done here. There was a high-top table against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that you decided to set up shop on. Perched on one of the stools, you opened your laptop, taking a deep breath as that familiar stark white page glared back at you.

Well, you've yet to even write your name on the document. That, you could definitely do. After typing your name, you found that same sense of defeat returning. Your gaze drifted out the window, finally taking in the view that the penthouse provided. The last time you were here, it was dark, and you were a little too preoccupied by the other VIP lounge members to really soak it all in.

The city was all laid out in front of you. You swore you could see half of Hong Kong from up there. And yet you still found yourself looking down, not over at the expansive horizon. But instead at the area surrounding the building that you knew was populated by a substantial amount of homeless people.

Hey, that's an idea.

You had just typed out a brief phrase of your idea when the elevator dinging caught your attention. Watching the door open with intrigue, the person that stepped off made you internally groan. Just when you thought your day was maybe kind of starting to look up.

You ignored Kunhang's presence, still not forgetting how much of a jerk he was the night you met him. Second chances? Only if they ask nicely, in your opinion.

"Oh. You came back."

There was no way you could've missed the disdain in his voice as he addressed you.

"Yep."

You gave a short and curt reply.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to work."

"On what?"

For a supposed genius, he clearly wasn't getting the message that you didn't want to talk to him.

"My final piece before I graduate."

Kunhang glanced at your screen over your shoulder as he walked by you, "Looks like you've gotten really far."

You rolled your eyes, hearing him rustling around behind the snack bar in the corner. Despite your lack of a response, he decided to keep talking.

"Homeless in Hong Kong?" He said mockingly, his voice turning judgmental, "Boring."

"They're not boring!"

The man sat himself down on the couch beside your table, reclining into a half-sitting, half-laying position, "Fine, it's trite. I read something like that two days ago."

Thoroughly annoyed, you finally looked at him, scowl already on your face, "Alright, Mr. Genius, since you apparently know everything about journalism too, what should  I do my piece on?"

He tossed a peanut up in the air, catching it in his mouth before focusing a practically devilish grin towards you, "Me."

You snorted, about to come back with an equally pissy retort. But you stopped yourself, genuinely thinking over this for a moment. Sure, so far, he seemed like an arrogant dickwad, but according to the others, he was some kind of successful mechanical engineer, as well as being a young prodigy in the field. A research piece into him, whatever company he works for, and his projects could actually be an interesting read. Besides, he was right, the topic was rather overused, and you didn't have enough passion about it to write a worthwhile piece that would do it justice.

"Alright," you agreed brightly, deleting your previous words off your document.

Kunhang nearly choked on the peanut he had just caught while you had been perusing this idea, shooting up to a sitting position to properly stare you dead in the face, "What?"

"Alright, I'll do my piece on you," you repeated, not missing the look of dread that fell over his face. "Well, not just you, I was thinking maybe also the company you work for and whatever projects you're working on right now."

"I wasn't—"

You blinked innocently, and he cut himself off with a disgruntled sigh.

"I'm heading back to the lab in fifteen minutes."

As he tossed another peanut up in the air, you broke into a victorious smirk, fingers typing out your new topic.

'insufferable bastard that builds robots'