Ah Si's head was still pounding painfully as he accelerated down the motorway, his aching temples at odds with his jubilant mood. The Daoming heir was still floating on cloud nine after his encounter with Shancai the previous night. Every time he blinked, he saw her; her glossy, big brown eyes, her ebony, silky hair, her milky, luminous skin. She really was bewitching and he was more than a little smitten; he couldn't help the wide beam that cracked his face whenever he thought about her. She had that effect on him, she made him feel like he could accomplish anything in the world with a single glance. It was magical, it was confusing and it was addictive; his every waking thought was filled with her, he yearned for her attention, for her affection. How was it that such a tiny girl could have such a big impact on his life? Shancai had let him sleep in her lap, she had cared for him, that had to count for something, right? Ah Si twiddled the steering wheel distractedly, the university in sight as he considered why Shancai had such a profound effect on him. He couldn't drive the tiny girl from his mind, not that he had particularly tried. She had taken up permanent residence in his heart and she was more than welcome to stay there for eternity. But why was he so taken with her; why her, why this girl? Sometimes even Ah Si himself was surprised by the depths of his feelings; he hadn't known he was capable of such emotion and he was at a loss about how to explain what exactly about her captivated him so. It was just everything.
Sure, she was stunning, that was obvious to anyone who wasn't blind. However, it was about so much more than just her looks for him; she had an inner fire to her, a magnetic spark. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and it excited him, angered him, teased him and confused him all at once. She was like an amplifier for all of his emotions, he couldn't control how he felt and he couldn't get enough of her. All he understood was that he was addicted to how he felt around her, and he chased the feeling constantly. He admired her. Shancai didn't care if she offended him and he found it tantalising; she was a puzzle, one he desperately wanted to solve, but she was so much more than just a prize to be won. He wanted to earn her love. He wanted to worthy of her. Like it or not, he was infatuated with her and he wouldn't give up easily; Dong Shancai had been made for Daoming Si and the elevator proved it! He had been so close, so very close to kissing her, to tasting her sweet lips properly and breaching a boundary between them. How it irked him that once again she had been snatched from his grasp right as he was about to make some headway. Shancai had wanted it too, he could tell by the look in her eyes. For a short moment, before the magic was shattered, she had been his and he had been hers. Perhaps if he could find some way to recapture that atmosphere, to rekindle the moment, he could persuade her to pick up where they had left off before being so rudely interrupted. He couldn't sit still, no matter how wretched he felt. Although Mr. Liu had tried to persuade him to stay home that day, Ah Si simply refused point blank; he was going to school and that was final. One thing was for certain, not even Lucifer himself could keep him from going to school that day. It would take more than a mere cold to keep Ah Si from getting what he wanted!
The Daoming heir pulled smoothly into his unofficial parking spot, quickly checking his reflection in his rear view mirror and patting the bag that housed Shancai's coat on the seat next to him. The silly girl had fled without her outerwear and the last thing he wanted was for her to fall ill too. She had only just recovered from her last fainting spell, she may still be feeling delicate! Ah Si gave his appearance an appraising once over, pulling a derisive face at what greeted him. He didn't look as handsome as he would like, his skin looked slightly ashen and waxy, unnaturally shiny and unflattering in a way he was unaccustomed to. His hair was lacking it's usual lustre and his eyes were dull; this illness seemed to have dimmed his inner light, and he was mightily disgruntled. He wanted to dazzle Shancai, not have her run screaming from him in horror! Ah Si flashed a practice smile at himself, satisfied that his grin was at least still up to scratch. It was reassuring that he still had that going for him, hopefully Shancai wouldn't look too closely at him, wouldn't realise he was sweating slightly, had purple bags under his eyes and was white as a sheet. He sighed deeply, opening the door to clamber out of his car. He was distracted when his phone suddenly blared to life, halting him in his tracks with one foot out the door. He earned several strange looks from passerbys as he awkwardly pulled his phone from his pocket, but he paid them no mind; he was the king of this school, if he wanted to loiter in his car, he damn well would! He frowned as he noted who was calling; his sister, and a video call? It was unusual for her to call at this time, she lived in London, it was 4am in her part of the world. He felt slightly worried as he hastily answered with a "hi Jie, it's late, are you okay?"
