Set to Love

Chapter 8

Shanghai was expansive and easy to get lost in. Ladybug, usually competent with directions, had to carefully note the number of streets she passed to ensure she could find her way back to her hotel. If the worst happened, she could always pull up her map on her yo-yo, but there was a thrill in navigating without it.

"Okay, so nuòmǐ ǒu (Lotus root with Syrup) and Tanghulu for Tiki. Shouldn't be too hard to find," she muttered to herself. Even without knowing where to go, she could cover ground quickly. She aimed to be discreet while zipping around—people would notice her when she touched down to buy street food, but she hoped to enjoy the night in relative peace.

That was until she heard a crunching noise behind her on the rooftop. What was this building called again? Jin Mao Tower? She was pretty sure it was.

She ignored the noise, thinking it was just a mouse rummaging through trash, and continued to scan the streets below. But then she heard footsteps. Footsteps too big for a mouse—footsteps wearing boots.

Quickly, she dropped down a level on the staircase-like tower, hoping to avoid any confrontations or accusations of trespassing. To her dismay, the footsteps followed, dropping to her level.

Wait, that's quite a drop for a non-superhero. What was...

"Ladybug?" A voice called from behind her.

Crap, she'd been recognised! She hadn't even found the Tanghulu yet!

She took a deep breath, clasping her yo-yo as she prepared to zip away. Turning her head, she looked back to identify her pursuer.

She expected a window cleaner or a skilled parkour fanatic. But what she didn't expect was Chat Noir, standing there, taller and more muscular than ever, holding a half-eaten stick of grape Tanghulu. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open at the sight of her.

She mirrored his expression, frozen in shock. Because there stood her partner, whom she hadn't seen in two years since her internship in New York.

The partner she fell more hopelessly in love with the longer she went without seeing him. So hopeless and stupidly in love. The kind of love that, as always, betrayed her better judgment.

Oh, how she wanted to cry and wrap him up in her arms, praying this wasn't a dream.

"Ladybug?" he called again, still in disbelief.

"Chat Noir?" she echoed, feeling foolish for only managing that. "What are you doing here?" She hadn't meant it to sound accusatory, but it did.

"Um, holiday?" he replied

"Oh yeah? Me too." She lied through her teeth. "Not searching for lost French girls again?" She tried to sound casual. They'd been in Shanghai before, and last time, he'd searched for a missing French girl (Marinette), not knowing she was his partner after Uncle Wang frantically flagged down the black cat superhero at a pancake stall.

"Uh, no. Not this time," he replied, not matching her attempt at a casual tone. "Where— what happened , Ladybug?"

It was clear she couldn't avoid this conversation.

And only now she realised he wasn't calling her 'm'lady', dubbing her 'Ladybug' in full sounded foreign and unusual on his lips, "I was away," she started, "in America, that is— to train with the American superheroes for a bit."

"Oh."

Ladybug drew in a breath, "And you? I haven't seen you in Paris since..."

"I moved to London," he cut her off.