Chapter 89 - Disappointed Princess

It had been three weeks (not that she was counting). But it had been three weeks since Camille last saw the shadow of Wei. Ever since he had taken her on that party, try as she might, she could not get him out of her mind.

When Wei asked her if she wanted to be Cinderella for a night, she thought he was making fun of her and angrily scrubbed at the plates she was washing. Her grandmother inquired about her agitation and she told her what Wuming said.

"What are you going to lose, anyway?" her grandmother asked. "If you don't feel safe, give me a call and I'll tell the police."

She pouted and thought about it. Sure, she would like a new dress and shoes. But she would have to come with a stranger to get those. What difference would this be from a meeting a person from an online dating application? He said an exclusive party. They were not going to be alone. But the question was, was she going to get to that party?

Only one way to find out. She went outside and toed Wei's shoe. He opened one of his eyes. "I'm going," she said with her hands crossed over her chest. "I'm going to take a bath and we'll leave."

Wei only smiled at her and she didn't wait for an answer.

The car smelled new and unscratched. Camille knew nothing about cars, but this one looked handsome with its pouting bumpers. "Newly stolen?"

Wei chuckled. "Stop it. I might be a criminal. But not that kind."

She made more comments about her doubtfulness with Wei's identity and before she knew it, they were already at the fashion strip. He was not kidding. He was really going to buy her new clothes. He pushed a door open to a REALLY expensive brand that did not even have tags on their garments. Upon surveying the racks, Camille suddenly felt underdressed in her denim jeans and striped shirt.

"Kang Mei!"

She glared at Wei and strode to where two attendants crowded near him. The ladies scanned her from head to toe with a judge-y look on their faces. She only raised an eyebrow and they averted their gaze. "It's Camille."

"They are going to help you find a dress at the back. I'll be right here waiting." She felt his fingers on the small of her back and goosebumps raised on her arms.

She had spent hours confined in that room trying to find the perfect dress. Just when she thought it was all over, another woman sat her down and painted her face while another ironed her hair. When she was done, she couldn't almost recognize herself. And she looked a thousand times better than Cinderella ever did.

When she got out of the room, Wei was waiting for her on a couch already in a suit and tie, his elbow perched on the armrest, fingers on his temple. His eyes slowly opened and briefly roamed on her before his lips quirked upwards. "You look good."

She lifted a shoulder. "They were great."

When Wei paid, she tried to get a look on the name on the card but there was no inscription and her anxiety rose again. "Let's go?"

They were already at The Kingly anyway and the sun had already set while she was getting prepared. They got into an elevator but her heart raged in her chest when Wei lead her to a fire exit.

"What?!" she shouted.

"Trust me, it's better this way."

She glared at him.

"You've come all this far and you're not going to take a single flight of stairs so you could see for yourself?"

She grumbled under her breath but tried very hard not to trip in her new stilletos as they climbed upwards. When the door opened, they were already inside the room, on the opposite side of the entrance but she could hear dozens of raised voices and the blinking lights—a red carpet.

Wei pulled a seat for her. "One moment." Then in the dim lights, he disappeared. She looked around and figured he was not really lying. They were in an exclusive party, the men looked old and rich, the women glittered adorned with fat jewels on their necks and wrists.

Wei dropped next to her.

"Are we crashing this party?"

Wei laughed yet again. "Are you still doubting me? I just spoke to my father. He's right over there."

There was a sea of heads in their line of sight. "Who are you really?"

"I'm The Nameless Man," he grinned at her.

"What do you for a living?"

"I bring people peace." He waved for a waiter and got two glasses. He handed her one.

"What? Are you a lawmaker? Police? Military?"

Wei bit his lips before he took a sip. "No. But I bring justice."

"Am I ever going to get a straight answer from you?"

"Yes, and a no."

Annoyed, Camille pushed the drink away from her. "Why did you bring me here tonight?"

"I just don't want to be alone," Wei answered as he downed the rest of his drink. "These things get boring."

And it really was. People were there raising their paddles bidding tremendous amounts of money for sparkly objects that Camille will never earn in her lifetime. When it was about to get insufferable, a man bent down and whispered on Wei's ear and he nodded.

"Want to leave?" he asked.

"What?!"

"We can leave now if you want."

"And go where?"

"I'll take you home," he said and a small part of her turned sad. She did not want to be here in the first place but it was a waste of a night to go home that early. They left by the same door they entered and soon enough, they were already near her home.

"Stop the car," she said suddenly. "I want to walk."

"But it's still far."

"This night's so boring I just want to make it more interesting for myself." She got out the moment the car halted. She heard Wei's door closed but she did not hear his footsteps. She could only see his shadow next to hers. "You're like the worst date I ever had."

"Who said this was a date?" he said with his hands in his pockets. "If you had wanted to go on a date with me, you should've just asked. I would've taken you somewhere interesting. If it weren't for your grandmother you wouldn't have come."

"You got me a new dress and shoes but we hardly talked. When we do, it was meaningless."

"Well, half the time your mouth opens you were suspecting me something." His voice was laced with mirth. "If you had trusted me in the first place you would've had a grander time."

"It was because you hardly answered any of my questions."

"I did answer them. You were not believing me."

Camille wanted to cite some examples but knew it would be wasted effort. "Whatever." When she saw their house, she wanted to rush to it and hide forever from Wei. She did not want to see him again.

Wei had turned quiet next to her and when she took a cautious peek at the edges of her eyes, she saw that he was looking up with his eyes closed.

"You seem to like looking up at the sky," she observed.

"It's a great companion."

She tore her eyes off his magnificent throat and focused on her steps. "I feel sad for the sky because it had to deal with you."

Wei was like a plastic wall that everything you said to him kind of just slid off the surface. He was laughing again. "You seem to be complaining so much. Did I disappoint you?"

"Well, for a rich man who has a lot of resources to make this night magical, you sure did not do any of it." She could feel her cheeks flaming, partly because of embarrassment and partly because of anger.

Thankfully, they were already at the front of her house. Even in her heels, Wei was still a good three inches taller than her. "Here you are, disappointed princess," he said, his lips pursed, trying to stop laughter.

She was going to say good night, but it was not. "Thanks for the dress and shoes. Bad night." She already turned away when she felt warm hands on her elbow.

"Hey," he said softly and she turned. His eyes were so intent on her face that she wanted to swallow. His gaze shifted to his feet like he was thinking before raising back up to meet hers. "Do you want a do-over?"

She was lost for words. "W-what?"

"Less suspicion, less doubts, more talking. Agreed?"

She sucked on her inner cheek. "A better night?"

"Hopefully." She could not believe it, he was really waiting for an answer like all the playfullness had left his body. "What do you say?"

Her tongue seemed to roll on itself. "How do I contact you?"

And then he was back again. "I'll come to you."

"Like out of nowhere? Again?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Question marks sprang up her head. "You know what, I thought you were serious, but then again I don't think you would be capable of that."

His fingers tightened on her elbow. "I'll come to you when you already miss me."

"Miss you?!" she made a face. "In your dreams!"

He chuckled and released her. "It'll be up to you. Miss me sooner and I'll show up."

She hardened her gaze, wanting answers, but he was already walking away. "Not that I would, but how on earth are you going to know that?!"

"Trust me, I will," he said with a final grin. "Night, princess."

Camille hardly slept that night, disappointed and frustrated. She didn't want to expect something from Wei but he was right, most of the time it was like she was picking a fight with him. Mainly, she was angry at her own regret.

Now, Camille was looking up the moon and sighed. She didn't think she would but there she was.

I miss you, you idiot. Where the hell are you?