sleepless cinderella ☆ l.yy | ✔

04

With one hand clutching tightly to your freshly printed first draft and the other to Xuanyi's arm, the two of you followed Yukhei and Sicheng through the stands. The whole crowd was buzzing with excitement around you, and you just prayed that F1 fans and 'hot men in popular culture' fans didn't have too much overlap, as your famous friends' baseball caps and sunglasses weren't doing much to hide their identities. The last thing you needed today was for them to be found by screaming fans with two women. As an aspiring journalist, you knew how fast rumors and bullshit could spread.

Originally, you thought that you were just going by yourself to Yangyang's race, giving his manager your first draft, and asking him a few questions. But instead, Yukhei showed up to your apartment with Sicheng begrudgingly in tow, informing you that Yangyang had instructed them to escort you there. Xuanyi was coincidentally home, and easily got an invite from the friendly model. Chengxiao was going to kill you two when she found out what you were doing while she was at work.

Your seats were the closest to the finish line, in a somewhat secluded area of the bleachers. Only a few other people were there, all too nicely dressed for going to a racetrack. Probably managers, agents, those kinds of people.

And Yukhei stopped right in there with them, gesturing for you and Xuanyi to sit before him and Sicheng. There was a familiar figure on the other side of Xuanyi, and you couldn't hide your surprise.

"Oh hi, Hendery," you greeted the engineer. "I didn't think I'd see you here."

"Contrary to whatever you think about me, I am a supportive friend," he scoffed, shaking some of his hair out of his face with an eye roll.

You took a deep breath, wanting to remain civil. After all, he was one of Yangyang's friends, you had to try to get along with him, "I meant that Yukhei and Sicheng hadn't mentioned that you would be here, is all."

"Right."

"Anyway, this is my roommate, Xuanyi. Xuanyi, that's Hendery, he's another member of the VIP lounge."

"Nice to meet you," she nodded her head to him politely as the two of you took your seats.

He made a small grunt of acknowledgement, and you didn't even try to conceal your voice as you informed her, "He has a stick up his ass 24/7."

So maybe you weren't going to be as civil as you thought.

Yukhei on your other side tapped your arm, distracting you from Hendery. He was waving over another man, an older man, and you wracked your brain for who this could possibly be. Yangyang's manager? Dad? Some other random guy Yukhei knows?

You stood with Yukhei to formally greet the man, your giant friend excitedly interjecting, "Y/N, this is Yangyang's manager, Manager Huang. Manager Huang, this is Y/L/N Y/N, she's doing the article on Yangyang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," you gave him your formalities before holding out the papers to him. "Here's my first draft, as promised."

With an unimpressed eyebrow raised, he accepted them from you, "Thank you. I will look this over later."

"Will there be a chance for me to see Yangyang after the race at all? For the interview? It would be interesting to be able to question him right after a race."

"I don't think I could stop him from it," Manager Huang grumbled before lumbering away.

"So..." you turned to Yukhei with slight alarm and confusion, "was that a yes?"

"I think so."

☆

Yangyang had a smashing victory.

The five of you were the only ones on your feet screaming and cheering that elite section, but you didn't care.

He had won by almost two cars lengths, and you were jumping up and down in victory, screams and whoops coming from you as you grabbed at Yukhei's arm, then Xuanyi's as you all celebrated the victory. Even Sicheng and Hendery seemed enthused, Hendery pumping his fist up in the air and a grin overtaking Sicheng's typical scowl. And you didn't think anything could be brighter than Yukhei's absolutely beaming smile.

That was, until you finally saw Yangyang.

After being shoved through the crowd and past security guards down to the pit, where you could fully see Yangyang in front of his car at the finish line, a reporter holding out a microphone to him, and camera pointed at him that you were sure was broadcasting this live on TV. But all that fell away from your mind when Yukhei enthusiastically yelled out his name in a loud whoop, and Yangyang's blinding grin was pointed in your direction. You had never seen such pure elation on anybody's face until that moment.

His eyes found yours, widening almost comically as he gave the reporter a rushed goodbye and jogged over to your small but deafeningly loud group. Yukhei slapped his back in congratulations so hard you were sure you heard a rib or two crack, Hendery offered him a high-five, and Sicheng even ruffled up his sweaty and matted-down hair.

Before you could even give him your own congratulations to him, Yangyang had blurted out, "I like you, Y/N!"

And everything stopped.

Your heart was still hammering in your ears and you became aware of the other four people there with you who had also stopped in their tracks.

"What?" Your question came out gargled in a strained chuckle, you didn't believe your own ears.

"I like you!" He repeated, somehow even louder this time.

Fully panicking now, you latched onto his elbow and dragged him away from your friends, not needing whatever the fuck was about to happen, to happen in front of all of them.

"Again, what?"

"I like you!"

You shook your head firmly, arms crossed protectively over your chest, "You're high off adrenaline right now, Yangyang."

"What? No, seriously, I want to like... date you!"

"We'll talk about it in a few hours after it's all out of your system."

"Y/N, come on, it's not like I'm drunk or anything," he lightly grabbed your hand, giving you the option to easily slip out of it.

You didn't, less panicked and now exasperated as you argued, "It's a natural high, surely you watched those anti-drug videos in middle school too."

"You're deflecting."

"And suddenly you're a psychologist?"

"Deflecting again."

"Yangyang, please," you practically begged, eyes fervently flicking around to take note of exactly how many people were watching you right now. It was a lot. "Not here, not now."

He took your other hand this time, "Why not?"

"Because—"

"Don't look at them, Y/N," Yangyang requested, and you forced your eyes to meet his again.

His eyes were literally shining, and in that moment, you could've believed that he held the entire universe in them. You shifted your weight uncomfortably from one leg to the other, settling your gaze instead on the space right next to his ear. You couldn't look him in the face right now, not when you didn't even know what you were feeling.

"Can you—Y/N, please. Can I please take you on one date? I really really like you. Really."

Deep breath.

"One, Liu Yangyang. And you're more than welcome to back down from it once the adrenaline wears off."

"Oh, I won't," he promised, leading you back towards the others by your hand.

You shook your hand from his grip, stuffing it in your pocket.