sleepless cinderella ☆ ten | ✔

04

"Hey, Yi?" You called out from the doorway of your bedroom into the rest of your apartment, knowing that wherever she was in the small space, she'd be able to hear you.

"Yeah?" She yelled back, sounding like she was in the kitchen.

"Can you come tell me if this outfit matches?"

"Sure."

Returning to your place in front of your mirror, you nervously smoothed out the tuck of your blouse into your pants. It was a rather nice outfit, just a few notches below the ensemble you'd worn to the first party at the Qian Enterprises building. You heard her footsteps nearing your room, ending with a 'woah' right from the entrance of it.

"Good woah or bad woah?"

"Good woah," she confirmed, plopping down onto your bed to observe you, still with a thoughtful look of surprise across her face. "I thought you were just meeting up with that doctor guy again?"

"I am."

"Looks like you're going on a hot date."

"Well, Ten keeps choosing these really nice restaurants to meet up at. I can't show up looking like a broke college student."

"Oh, Ten keeps choosing really nice restaurants?" Her surprise turned into a deep, teasing smirk that you could see very clearly behind you in the mirror as you continued fidgeting with your outfit.

"Yeah," you narrowed your eyes suspiciously at her reflection.

"And does he pay the bill, too?"

"I tip."

"Uh-huh. And does he give you rides to and/or from these really nice restaurants?"

"He's offered."

"Have you accepted?"

"What are you going on about, Yi?"

Xuanyi giggled satisfactorily, seeming to know something that you don't.

"Wu Xuanyi, what is it?"

"Give me a second," she said, tapping a few things on her phone. Apparently, she had video called someone, as you could hear the ringing tone coming through her speakers.

Curiosity got the best of you, and you walked over to her to look at the screen. She was calling your other roommate.

"Xiao's at work, she's not going to—"

Your doubtful words were cut off by Chengxiao picking up the call, her bright and inquisitive features filling Xuanyi's screen. You sat down next to Xuanyi in defeat.

"What's up, Yi? Oh hi Y/N! What's up, guys?"

"I just want to ask your opinion on something," Xuanyi explained her reason for calling.

"What is it?"

"If someone were to be insisting on having what are supposed to be business meetings almost every day, at very nice restaurants, paying for the other person, and offering to give them rides to and from these very nice restaurants, what would you say is really going on?"

Despite asking Chengxiao this question, Xuanyi was giving you a very pointed look, one which made your eyes roll.

"Oh, they're using the business meetings to cover up the fact that they really want to spend time with the other person!" She said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Pseudo-dates because they haven't asked the other person on a real date. Or can't, for some reason." Chengxiao's voice turned dreamy as she added, "Like some kind of forbidden romance, ugh— that'd be so cute!"