The night was cold and stormy.
A cold breeze blew inside the room, and the curtains flapped relentlessly, like the girl's heart.
The girl sat calmly on her plush stool in front of a huge mirror, her reflection staring back at her intensely.
Blue crystal eyes, red flushed cheeks, white dewy skin, plump red lips, and a stunning face that would undoubtedly make people stop and stare.
She picked up a bit of makeup from her dresser, applying some to her face,
A subtle sweep of highlighter dusted her cheekbones, and a nude gloss covered her full lips. The freckles usually dotting her nose and cheeks, which softened her features, were hidden with a transparent layer of foundation. Her wide crystal blue eyes, were filled with nervous anticipation, as they glinted faintly in the mirror.
Her makeup was little, but it transformed her usually innocent face and enhanced her beauty even further. Perfect.
The stormy night didn't ruin her mood. In fact, she was too anxious to be bothered about the weather.
Her eyes did a subtle sweep of her body in the mirror. She wore a black satin dress, which fit her curves like a glove, revealing the gentle flare of her hips and her soft thin waist,
The dress looked as if it had been sewn onto her body. The hemline barely skimmed mid-thigh and made way for long, pale beautiful legs that disappeared into a pair of delicate strappy heels. Her flaming red hair cascaded down her back in loose curls, catching her vanity lights.
People always tell her that she has a soft kind of beauty that could drop men to their knees.
And that her wide winter blue eyes, fiery red hair, and deep poking dimples made her look too innocent for her seductive curvature.
But she didn't want to appear innocent tonight, she wanted to look mature and grown. Because tonight, she was going to confess her feelings and tell Yu Shen what had filled her heart for years.
"You can do this, Yang Lixue," she murmured to herself, gripping the silver bracelet on her wrist as if it were an anchor. Her voice sounded shaky and low. "Just tell him how you feel."
Her eyes trailed to the bracelet, the beautiful gold jewelry had been Yu Shen's gift to her when they were in middle school, years ago.
He probably didn't even remember that he had given it to her, but Yang Lixue had never taken it off. It was her reminder of that quiet, steady affection she'd always had for him, and the hope that, maybe, he also felt the same way for her.
He'd arranged a dinner for the two of them today.
Doing thoughtful things like a dinner date wasn't out of the ordinary for Yu Shen. He liked making her feel special always, most especially today, on her birthday.
Taking a deep breath, she slipped in her hearing aids that were placed on the vanity. She winced at the familiar, painful noise that assaulted her ears when she tucked them in..
The devices weren't perfect to hear with— they were sometimes noisy and inconsistent which often left her with a dull headache.
But they helped her fit broken sounds together, and helped her catch pieces of the world around her.
One last look at her reflection; her hands smoothing the fabric of her dress, she pulled on a long black coat and slipped her small purse on her shoulders before making her way outside.
The car stopped in front of a huge expensive restaurant, and Scarlet quickly typed on her phone.
" Thank you Rowland, I'll text you when it's time to pick me up." she smiled kindly at the driver showing him what she had typed out.
The driver nods in agreement.
" Have a nice night young miss."
She faintly heard him, thanks to her hearing aids, and she passed him a delightful smile as she exited the car.
The parking lot was abuzz with the distant noise of car engines and muffled giggles from diners walking in.
She looked around for Yu Shen but could not see him. He had said he would meet her outside, but his familiar silhouette was not to be found. Yang Lixue tightened her fingers around her clutch, twisting the clasp nervously.
"Come on, Yu Shen . Where are you?" she muttered under her breath, her blue eyes scanning the cars nearby.
Her mind began to race. He'd never forgotten her birthday before — he simply couldn't have.
Yu Shen had always been her safe space since she was a child.
As a girl born partially deaf, she lived her life alone without people willing to be friends with her, unlike her twin sister Yang Limei who was the popular and fun one, Yang Lixue was meek and quiet without friends, and she was okay with spending her time alone buried in books. That was until Yu Shen became her classmate.
She could hardly forget the day the new boy had surprised her by signing "hello" at her He had been awkward, his fingers tripping over the letters, but her heart had swelled. He had studied the language for no other reason than to become her friend.
"Yang Lixue!" he signed to her smiling boyishly. "Do you get what I'm saying?"
"Barely," she had teased, giggling as she signed in return. But in reality, she was very happy.
From middle school till high school, when nobody bothered to talk to the mute girl, he had never pulled back from her, he made her feel seen in a way that no one else had.
Whenever her classmates whispered about her hearing aids, or she felt out of place in the loud, fierce world around her, Yu Shen was the one who made her feel normal.
He was the one who sat with her at lunch, the one who never made her feel like an inconvenience. And even on prom night, despite the fact that her sister Yang Limei was his date to the party, he'd still looked after her, checked up on her all night to make sure she was okay.
That was the night everything began. The night her heart began beating differently whenever he was near.
And it hadn't stopped since.
He'd done so much for her, stood by her when no one else would. He had always been her place of safety.
Now, as she stood alone in the darkened parking lot, that thought kept her calm. He hadn't let her down before, and he wasn't going to start now.
She took a deep breath and was about to pull her phone out of her purse to text him when she finally saw him from afar.
Yu Shen wore a fitted navy-blue suit that suited his tall frame.
The fabric clung to his broad shoulders and lean frame in a way that made Yang Lixue's cheeks red hot. His brown hair was combed back smoothly and a few shiny strands grazed his forehead endearingly.
He glanced around looking for someone and she smiled further, knowing he was also looking for her like she was.
She was about to take a step forward when a familiar blonde woman walked up to him and tapped his shoulder from behind.
Yang Lixue paused in her steps, brows furrowing in utter confusion. What was her sister doing here?
Yu Shen didn't look surprised to see Yang Limei at the same restaurant, in fact he looked as if he had been expecting her.
And when Yang Limei rose on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Yu Shen's cheeks.
Yang Lixue's unspoken questions were immediately answered.