In the late afternoon, Lu Ming finally returned home after an exhausting day of painting. Time slipped away in the restaurant; she only realised how long she stayed when the owner tapped her shoulder to explain it was time to leave. The mural was already looking great and she had completely painted one and a half panels along with all the base shades. It was relieving to see that even Wu Mai was in love with her work although it wasn't finished.
To continue to transform her day from alright to great, Chi Sying greeted her with a surprise.
"What is all of this?" Lu Ming asked, looking at the boxes of fried chicken, noodles and paused drama on the television. There were even a selection of face masks placed out for selection.
"Your present! Congratulations on the job!" Chi Sying shouted and handed Lu Ming a bottle of fizzy drink. "Cheers!"
Lu Ming giggled. "I haven't even put down my stuff."
"Cheers!" Chi Sying said again, holding out her own bottle.
"Cheers!"
Chi Sying took a sip from her bottle and then jumped onto the couch - somehow not spilling her drink - and beckoned Lu Ming to join her. "How was painting?"
"Amazing!" Lu Ming beamed and became animated as she talked. "The restaurant looks fantastic and the owners are kind people. The whole theme is about 'Masked'."
"I love that show!"
"You have to come to the grand opening then! I painted so much more than I expected. I am so lucky. The owners are happy with my style and in three weeks, I can finally pay you back."
"I don't care about debts. I have told you before. Instead, lets celebrate your painting success with an episode of 'Risky'."
Next to all the food on the small table, Chi Sying grabbed the remote and pressed 'play'. The image of the television started to move and Lu Ming immediately recognised the characters. The drama was new, set in a fantasy realm where everyone had powers except the 'prophesied'. This female lead could either stop the wars or destroy the land. The drama was addictive.
"Did you watch it without me?" Lu Ming asked, taking some chicken and devouring it. At work, she hardly ate despite the kind offerings from the owners.
"Of course not! I could never do that to my best friend in-"
"Then why is this episode 6 instead of episode 5?" Lu Ming asked and turned to Chi Sying. If her friend wanted to, she could easily be an actress instead of a manager. There was no look of guilt whatsoever but Lu Ming waited for her ability to work. Slowly, Chi Sying's eyes turned into the night sky, full of stars, and a purple glow radiated from her skin. This colour meant she was lying. "You turned purple."
"I hate that you can do that!"
"I hate that you would watch our show without me," Lu Ming countered weakly in a mumble. "It is fine. We can watch episode 6 now and you can fill me in about what happened in episode 5."
Chi Sying stared at her. "You are way too agreeable. It is one of your qualities that I love and hate. I just watched a drama we promised to see together and you aren't even mad. Instead, you're trying to accommodate for me. I should be offering to re-watch episode 5! Especially when we are celebrating you!"
"You did all of this for me," Lu Ming said and gestured to the food. "I don't want to ruin it by being rude."
"You are way too nice."
"Is that bad?"
"No. Of course not. I just worry about you more." Chi Sying put her thumb and finger on either side of Lu Ming's cheeks and squeezed, making her look like a puffer fish. "You are too cute and innocent for this world."
'I have seen things you could never dream of', Lu Ming wanted to say but kept it to herself. "I saw your brother today."
"Oh. How is that egg?"
"He is good. He made some great desserts."
"Did he actually talk to you or hide like a coward?"
"We talked a little bit. I tried to make plans to meet but-"
"He is busy as always," Chi Sying finished in distaste. "I'm his sister and I barely see him now. That girlfriend made him turn into a bad egg. Who stops seeing their family and friends because of one girl?! He even forgot his duty as... as..."
"As?"
"As a brother," Chi Sying muttered. Awkwardness hung in the air. Lu Ming didn't have to use her sight to see that Chi Sying was hiding something. There was always this huge secret between her and her brother. The mention of 'duty' was always brought up but Lu Ming didn't want to pry and simply assumed it was about family. It wasn't her business anyway and it only upset the siblings. "Let's go out!"
"What?" Lu Ming said, shocked by Chi Sying's sudden burst of energy.
"I got asked on a date to the cinemas today but cancelled it. I'll tell him we should still do it but you are coming with me."
"I don't want to intrude."
Chi Sying laughed. "You are always so sweet. I will make it a double date. The man has a hot cousin. I will organise it now."
"Why? We have a good night planned. I like takeout food and dramas."
"And I like it when you don't have time to delve into the lost relationship with Chi Hao Chen. I'll help you pick out an outfit... Ah, my date is happy to make this a double date. Hot cousin is coming."
"When did you ask him that?" Lu Ming asked in astonishment. She didn't even see Chi Sying text on her phone.
Chi Sying winked. "Magic. Now let's get ready! You are not going to the cinemas in your painting overalls."
The next hour was a hectic time. Lu Ming was shoved into the shower and forced into tight jeans and a button top with ruffles. It was, thankfully, comfortable unlike most of Chi Sying's trendy outfits. However, this was not enough according to Chi Sying. She did Lu Ming's makeup as well and even styled her hair, whilst doing her own. By 7pm, they were both ready and leaving the apartment.
The cinema was half an hour away. It was small and less modern than most places in the area but Lu Ming loved it for this. It was comforting and less people meant less faces to avoid seeing. The girls waited outside despite the slight breeze and it didn't take long for the men to arrive. Chi Sying's date was short, well-dressed with a great amount of light brown hair. Shampoo commercials would want to hire him instantly. There was a sincere love in his eyes that lit up his face when he saw his gorgeous date. Lu Ming smiled, watching his delight in meeting her friend. Hopefully Chi Sying didn't throw this one away; she was sometimes too cruel.
"Dong Fai, this is my friend Lu Ming. Lu Ming, this is Dong Fai and..."
"Oh. This is my cousin, Li Jun."
Lu Ming's jaw dropped at Li Jun's cocky grin. Why did it have to be him?!