On Valentine's Day, Nicolette wakes to a fresh bouquet of roses (pink, red, and purple) along with a matching card next to a box of chocolates (homemade, what else?). There's no sign of Wang Yi in the room, but the sounds and scents of breakfast cooking comes from somewhere downstairs. Opening the card reveals a simple message:
Nini, Happy Valentine's Day.
I thought you'd like the candy theme since it looks like half the city's buried in sweets by now. That aside, if you want to go somewhere less sugary for the holidays, I think we can barricade ourselves in one of the extra rooms upstairs and have a movie marathon to start. I already baked the snacks. :)
And if that sounds too ordinary, I'm ready to be your Candy Warrior or whatever's in now, anytime. I've already cleared out my day, so let's do anything we want, all right?
Yiyi
The first thing she notices upon surfacing from the depths of peaceful rest is the cool, empty space beside her. It's something she's still getting used to experiencing, after many fitful nights— a slow, content rise rather than an anxious one. She finds herself feeling rather lazy most mornings as of late; today is no exception, eyes refusing to open while a hand pats blindly around the mattress in futile search for the body that should be there.
Nicolette gives up quickly, growing more alert when her nose catches the faint floral scent in the air that wasn't there the night before, when she'd successfully bullied Wang Yi into sleeping beside her. The realization of what he's done is enough to wake her completely, and she turns over onto her stomach, eager to admire the lovely bouquet and snatch the card from the bedside table.
It takes all of her self control not to jump out of bed and head straight for the vibrant sounds of life coming from elsewhere in the mansion. Instead, she takes her time reading over the carefully handwritten note, grinning wider and wider at her lover's blunt sincerity and clumsy romance. Nicolette can't help but be won over by it, kicking her feet and giggling like a lovesick fool at the cheesy one-liner. Bringing the card towards her flushed face, she breathes in the faint scent of him left clinging to the paper and ink.
Embarrassing! Oh, she wants to kiss him right now!
Nicolette rolls onto her back with a soft sigh, head resting against his pillow where the smell lingers strongest and presses the note against her rapidly beating heart. It's all rather pathetic, this reaction— this elation— to such simple acts, but she does not fight it. It feels too good.
Five more minutes, Nicolette decides. To bask in this pleasure of being considered ( cherished ), in the privacy of her bedroom. Then she will get out of bed, grab both flowers and homemade chocolate, and head downstairs to the kitchen, where someone rather lovely was waiting for her arrival.
They had all day, after all.
