daomingsi, dongshancai.

a princess in her own mind, part 2

"Daoming Xiaozi. . . not too shabby for a princess."

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Xiaozi walked back from the mall, shopping bags in hand, humming happily.

Which outfit would she choose to wear to impress Si the next time she saw him? And, she thought, biting her lip to press down a squeal, what would he think when he saw her?

She skipped a little, remembering all of a sudden the piece of paper he had stuck inconspicuously in her pocket, the one that read a number of one of his SPs she could call to get home safely.

Safe. Daoming Si worried about her being safe. She giggled delightedly, if a bit maniacally—and as she did so an old lady walking down the opposite street turned to stare at her. Not that Xiaozi cared: all she did care about in that moment was the beautiful boy she had just met, and the realization she had just come to.

He must've been just as struck with her as she was with him!

Xiaozi sighed happily, loving the newfound feeling she had like bouncing on top of clouds when at the very thought of him.

She frowned, thinking.

. . . in fact, why didn't she just go to see him now? After all, they were engaged. She was allowed to see her fiance anytime she wanted, wasn't she?

Armed with this wonderful new idea, Xiaozi pulled out her smartphone and dialed the number of one of her SPs. "Hello?" she piped out cheerfully. "Yes, Zhang Wei, I'd like to be escorted to the Daoming Residence at five sharp! . . . what? Y-yes, I was invited, of course! . . . please do not talk down to me, Zhang Wei. Hmph. Yes, it's alright, I know you didn't mean it. I'll be waiting at 5th street right outside the Plaza."

She shoved her phone back into her bag, pouting. Was she invited? She was his fiancee! She didn't need an invitation! The gall of that Zhang Wei! Xiaozi really felt that she needed to make a reorganization of her current SPs, as they were starting to get so—

That girl!

Suddenly, Xiaozi's thoughts were interrupted as she noticed that girl—Shancai—from the marriage meeting where she had met Daoming Si, walking forlornly down the street. Xiaozi didn't think it was possible to see her wearing an uglier sweater than the first time she had seen Shancai, but it seemed that some apparent grief had taken its toll on her.

Shancai was walking with her head down, and the fire that Xiaozi had seen in her eyes that day seemed to be all gone, extinguished. And as much as she felt something odd, a bad feeling, you could say, about Shancai and her unexplainable connection to Daoming Si, Xiaozi still felt bad for the girl. And, she thought with a tinge of pain, Xiaozi didn't have many close friends. Or for that matter, any friends at all. And. . . Shancai seemed nice, she supposed.

Gathering up her strength, Xiaozi walked up to her, and stuck out her hand, her shopping bags flailing on her shoulder. "Hello. You're that girl from the marriage meeting with my fiance the other day, aren't you? Shancai, right? I'm Xiaozi. It's nice to meet you."

Shancai looked up at her and Xiaozi almost stepped back in surprise as the girl's eyes flashed in what was unmistakably fury.

"Wha—?"

But just as soon as it happened, Shancai sighed and her eyes changed, yet again, to sadness. She closed her eyes then opened them slowly, finally fully meeting Xiaozi's eyes.

"Hi." She smiled, quavering, but it didn't reach her eyes. Xiaozi grinned back at her.

"Do you want to go shopping?"