Picture Us | Zhuo Zhi

thirty-seven

a n t i c i p a t i o n

After practice, Nam goes home to change into black leggings and a light-blue tank top with a jean jacket. Earlier, Zhi had said that he would pick her up for their date in the evening. Nam's practically brimming with excitement.

"Kid, what's got you acting like that?" her dad asks.

"Uh... I'm sure I told you when I got home," she says, trying her best to avoid directly saying anything.

"No, you didn't. What has my daughter this giddy? Or is it a who?" Lu Xiangqian inquires.

"Dad!" Nam squeaks from embarrassment.

"I was right! Are you really hiding something from me?" Xiangqian asks, acting hurt.

"Zhi is... he's, uh... well," Nam stutters, feeling extremely awkward. Eventually, she rushingly gets out, "I'm going on a date with Zhi tonight."

"What?!" he shouts, too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice his daughter escaping what was bound to be a horrible conversation.

Deciding that she's going to need reinforcements, Nam runs out into the backyard.

"Xia!" she yells into his ear. "You need to help me with dad!"

"Why?" he tiredly asks.

"Oh, um... I'm... going out with Zhi," she admits, voice growing quieter.

"On a date?" Xia asks, bewildered.

"Yeah... So will you help me?" Nam asks, hopeful.

"Again, why?" he deadpans.

"Please, please, please," Nam begs, doing her best puppy eyes.

Her twin, on the other hand, is not impressed.

"Ew, ew, ew. Nam, stop that," Xia says.

"Only if you'll help me," she coyly responds.

"Fine," Xia responds, exasperated.

-

In the late afternoon, Nam jumps towards the front gate as soon as she hears the buzz from the doorbell. She tries her best to ignore her twin and father behind her, all anticipating Zhi's arrival. Nam is the first Lu twin to go on a date, after all.

"Hi Zhi," Nam shyly greets as she opens the gate, butterflies suddenly attacking her nerves.

"Hey-" Zhi starts to say, but is cut off.

"Be back by seven," Lu Xiangqian firmly states.

Nam whips her head back to look at her dad in shock. "Nine," she bargains.

"Eight," he counters with a hard stare.

Nam was about to object because the Sun would still be out by eight, but she shrinks back a little from his gaze and instead pleadingly looks to her twin for help, who only shrugs. That traitor! she thinks.

"Okie, eight is fine," Nam quickly says, wanting to leave already, even if her nerves are going haywire.

She looks towards Zhi, and sees him quietly chuckling.

"Thank you, sir," Zhi says to Xiangqian. And with the slightest hint of a smirk on his face, he stares into Nam's eyes and says, "Shall we get going now?"

A/N- i'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter :(