The screams rang throughout the house, shattering the peaceful calm and startling all the occupants in the Daoming mansion. Ah Si glanced at his bedroom door in consternation; what exactly where they doing to Shancai? Part of his brilliant plan included getting her a massage (the girl was clearly wound too tightly, she had kicked him in his handsome face after all) and having a beauty treatment. That checked off his first task: pamper her to win her heart. Nowhere in his instructions did he mention torture, but by the sound of her screams, she was getting murdered! It took all of his effort not to go investigate, he was so curious. But he didn't want to interrupt her session and undermine his own efforts. He needed her to feel relaxed and spoilt before he set the next stage of his plan into action. Ah Si had to content himself by playing with his phone, scrolling aimlessly between apps; the screams continued, and he became increasingly intrigued. What exactly did girls have to do to beautify themselves that caused such harrowing yells? Zhuang Jie was always impeccably groomed, and he had never heard his older sister kick up a fuss even once when the beauty team was over. Trust Shancai to overreact to a simple beauty treatment! Ah Si was so excited, his entire body was tensed like a coil. How long would it be before he could set his plan in motion? The Daoming heir had never had a girlfriend, so he was unfamiliar with females and their intricacies; did it always take them so long to pretty themselves up? He immediately felt guilty for all the times he had dismissed his sister when she asked for his opinion on an outfit; clearly it took more effort than he realised for females to simply get dressed.
He was pacing up and down his room at this point; he couldn't rest when his latest challenge was only a few doors down. Ah Si always faced his issues head on, and Shancai was a problem he was determined to solve! He almost ran to the door when he heard a knock. Mr. Liu stood before him. "She's waiting for you downstairs Ah Si," the older man informed him, a slight smile creasing his kind face. Ah Si's stomach gave that unfamiliar twinge again but he didn't have time to ponder the meaning of Mr. Liu's strange expression. He was eager to see the transformation Shancai had undergone; she would be forced to admit that he could give her everything her heart desired. The tall young man took the stairs two at a time, his heart thumping erratically in his enthusiasm. The dance was about to begin, Shancai would be his within the hour! Ah Si had to pause outside the door to catch his breath; looking anything less than collected would instantly give Shancai the edge, and he couldn't have that. He also gave himself the once over in the hall mirror, ensuring his hair was perfect and his outfit was immaculate; Daoming Si knew that he was able to use his beauty as a weapon, and Shancai would be his first victim! As usual, he was devastatingly handsome and he smirked at his reflection in satisfaction before entering the room, his mood instantly rising as he glimpsed her.
His mood was quickly punctured when he heard Shancai mutter to herself "so Huaze Lei has always been cute." She was holding an old photograph of F4, her fingers softy tracing Lei's past features. Resentment sank into his stomach like a lead balloon; of all the pictures she could have chosen to admire, she had to pick the only one that had Lei in it? This girl was so annoying! What's so great about Lei anyway? Ah Si thought to himself spitefully, all he does is sleep, he's hardly the greatest catch. The thought was as unexpected as it was uncharitable and Ah Si felt slightly ashamed; it was own fault that Shancai and Lei had had the chance to spend time together after all. He cleared his throat loudly to attract her attention and Shancai almost jumped out of her skin; she scrambled around to face him and he felt his heart stutter unwillingly in his chest.
Her face was softly made up, accentuating her large eyes so they sparkled magnificently and her hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, glimmering in the light. For once, she was wearing a pretty, delicate white dress which hugged her figure; it was quite a contrast to her usual shapeless ensembles, and Ah Si had to remind himself not to leer at her. She was attractive, he reluctantly admitted to himself. However, he insisted, she was still annoying; almost as if proving his point, she bluntly declared "why am I here? Where's my phone? I want to go home!" Her abruptness grated on him and he glared at her before settling into his chair imperiously. Guess she wants to get right down to business he concluded as he surveyed her. The thought of her being attracted to Huaze Lei rankled him (purely because it was a spanner to his plan, he rationalised) but for some undefined reason, he found himself unable to meet her eyes as he queried "do you like Huaze Lei?"
