All eyes had been on him all day, so Daoming Si knew he looked attractive. He had spent hours that morning carefully considering his outfit, hair, shoes, anything he could think of to get Shancai to appreciate him. He had decided to forgo his usual spikes in favour of a softer, tousled sweep which he knew brought out his eyes and cheekbones. He had selected his brightest clothes, hoping to dazzle Shancai with the explosion of colours much like a peacock during courtship. He had obsessed over every facet of his appearance, ensuring he looked flawless before he left the house. He was fully armed and ready to impress. Ah Si leant back in his chair, grinning slightly as he envisioned Shancai's inevitable admiration. He could hear her voice, clear as day; "you're so handsome Daoming Si, please, won't you go on a date with me?" He wasn't sure why he hadn't tried this approach immediately; surely the strongest weapon is his arsenal was his chiselled good looks? He had had at least seven girls beg him for his Weibo details that morning alone; there was no way Shancai could be completely immune to his charms. He just had to find the right angle. Sooner or later, he would win her over; she would fall into his arms and then Operation Heartbreak would be well and truly afoot.
"What's with the hair today, Ah Si?" Meizuo questioned, his eyes alight with suspicion; Ah Si was up to something, he was sure of it. Ah Si supposed his friends hadn't seen him without his signature spikes since their high school days. The Daoming heir shrugged, his cocky grin still firmly intact as he answered mysteriously "the start of something new calls for a fresh look, my friend. And things are finally about to go my way." Meizuo raised an eyebrow and snorted in unflattering disbelief. "Surely you don't think Dong Shancai will be won over with just a simple change in hairstyle? C'mon, you're acting like a girl!" He chortled in astonishment. Ah Si huffed in irritation; why did the rest of F4 insist on raining on his parade as of late? "What do you know?" He shot back coolly as he rose to his feet grumpily; he had better things to do than sit here and be judged by Meizuo. He had a girl go to woo after all. "Just you wait," he informed Meizuo loftily, "Dong Shancai will be eating out of my hand by the end of the day." He deliberately ignored the bemused look on his friend's face as he strode off, confidence exuding from every pore. He was certain he would finally succeed; third time was the charm after all!
The afternoon sun was bright as he strode down the corridors, streaming in through the large windows and bathing everything in it's path in a hazy, golden glow. He heard the giggles of many girls follow him as he passed, no doubt gushing over his good looks, but he skilfully tuned them out; he was only interested in catching one girl's attention that day! The weather seemed to match his mood; Ah Si had been in high spirits all morning as he anticipated bumping into Shancai and his impending victory. And it seemed he wouldn't have long to wait; as he strode along, he spotted Shancai dead ahead, a soft dreamy smile on her face. Perhaps she had already noticed him and was pretending she hadn't! Ah Si couldn't help the smile that broke across his face; it was involuntary and he swiped his finger under his nose in hopes of masking it lest she notice his jubilation. He didn't want to give her the advantage, so he swiftly schooled his features to project only a vague nonchalance as he passed her, waiting for her to call out to him. This was the moment he would get the girl, he could feel it!
Ah Si was brought crashing back down to earth when she merely brushed past him without so much as a glance in his direction; his eyes widened in startled confusion as he pivoted to follow her progress, a loud, dismayed "hey!" bursting from his mouth without his permission. He was appalled that she hadn't even noticed him after all the effort he had put into his appearance especially for her; how was it that she could be only five foot two but make him feel about four inches tall without a single world? He glared at her balefully, genuine hurt bubbling unwillingly in the pit of his stomach as Shancai turned to him absentmindedly with a blank expression on her face. "Hey Daoming Si, it's you," she uttered, her voice neutral; she didn't seem dazzled by him as he had hoped. He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat for some reason as he assessed her; why couldn't she just react like a normal girl? Why was impressing her the most difficult thing he had ever attempted? This is ridiculous, why does she get to me so much?! He raged internally.
