The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel“s Disguise

Ru had expected Xiao Zhiren to bring her to a salon or something but he parked the car in front of a villa. When she gave an inquisitive look to him and he just shrugged his shoulders with a mysterious smile. Or was it a mischievous smile?

As they waited outside the door after ringing the bell, Ru asked, "Why are we here?"

"You’ll see," was the reply of Xiao Zhiren. Right at this moment, the door opened and a pretty brunette came to Ru’s view. She looked beautiful with her shoulder-length hair and heart-shaped face. She was dressed in formal attire. "Hi, Melody!" Xiao Zhiren greeted her.

The girl hugged Xiao Zhiren like any other foreigner while Ru kept looking at her with a raised brow. "Hi, Zoran! You’re finally here. I thought you’ll bail out again."

Xiao Zhiren laughed as they made their way inside the villa. "I was never gonna bailout but..." Wrapping his arm around Ru’s waist, he pulled her to himself as he added, "This girlfriend of mine is moody and eccentric."

The brunette girl who was named Melody looked at Ru from head to toe and gave a surprised look. "Oh, my my! She’s your girlfriend?"

Xiao Zhiren nodded proudly while Melody walked in a circle around Ru. "All mine." Xiao Zhiren announced as if claiming his right.

"Fuck! She’s gorgeous." Melody exclaimed with hands around her cheeks.

"Language..." Xiao Zhiren warned with a sharp look.

"Sorry! But I couldn’t help it. Your girlfriend’s features are like some painter’s fantasy has come to life. Those defined high-cheekbones, ah! This enviable height. I can’t help it. Can’t I just borrow her as my muse?" Melody looked at Xiao Zhiren with pleading eyes.

"Didn’t I say, ALL MINE." Melody pouted at his reply.

"Fine." She huffed at him but then tugged at Ru’s arm saying, "I’m gonna have so much fun styling you. I have so many ideas." Melody seemed like an excited bunny to Ru who was still staying quiet because she had no clue where she had stuck herself.

But soon she realized it when she had sat still in a chair for hours while Melody and her assistants did all the job. For instance, nail grooming, waxing, adding realistic hair extensions and then styling those extensions.

And all this time, Ru was like, "Is waxing necessary?"

Melody had pursed her lips as she didn’t know how to reply but she still did so, "Yes."

"Do you have to pluck off my eyebrows?" Ru looked distressed as she put a hand over her eyebrows.

"I’m just gonna shape them. Nothing else. Trust me." With Melody’s reassurance, Ru had to let them do what they were good at; grooming people.

Xiao Zhiren was having the laughter of his life in the waiting area since he could hear Ru’s weird questions from inside. But he knew she won’t get angry since it was related to her promise and Ru would anything for a promise. Even doing what she hated the most; Acting like a girl.

"Make-up? I heard those chemicals are not good for the skin. I’m okay without it." Ru was worried her face will look like a clown. "Let my skin breathe." She insisted while everyone around her looked at her in a weird way.

"With your skin, I really don’t have to use make-up. You have the perfect olive skin, smooth and soft. It can make one envious. What do you use for it?" One of the assistants asked in curiosity.

"Use? I don’t use anything. My mother used to say that eating healthy is the key to flawless skin. I just have a proper diet plan. Nothing else." Ru spoke proudly as she talked about her mother.

Melody could see that make-up would ruin her looks. So, she used a very minimal quantity and that too in light shades. Keeping it mostly natural to let her real beauty shine.

Ru stretched her limbs after this torture and was relaxed thinking they were done. But who knew she had still to suffer.

"Come, Zoran has already prepared 4 dresses for you. Let’s try them all." Melody seemed more excited then Ru.

"Can’t I just pick one and be done with it?" Ru asked tiredly. She really felt tired. This must be the most boring thing she had ever done. Who had such long hours to waste on themselves?

"No. Can’t do. You have to try them all and let me be the judge of which one looks good." Xiao Zhiren’s voice came from behind her as he came towards her while grinning from ear to ear. Even without the evening gown, Xiao Zhiren was breathless seeing her face.

Ru was sent to the changing room as Melody passed her the first gown. It was an off-shoulder red chiffon gown, a trumpet silhouette with train. It was short-sleeved, backless and had lace, beaded embellishments.

"Should I help you with the zipper?" Melody shouted from outside.

"No, I’m done," Ru grumbled from inside.

Melody looked at Xiao Zhiren inquisitively and he replied, "She’s flexible. Super flexible." Melody chuckled at his reply. "Come out already."

Ru reluctantly walked out in the long gown. While Ru was trying to manage that long train, Xiao Zhiren’s eyes were starstruck. Who asked his girl to be this gorgeous? His eyes were trained on her exposed collar-bones that were too prominent to ignore. As for her figure, this was one of those rare times when she was wearing something in her own size. It made her body look enticing.

Coughing to hide his blush, Xiao Zhiren said, "Let’s try the other one."

Ru huffed like a child as she walked back to the changing room and while Xiao Zhiren’s jaw dropped at her back view, Melody gasped out, "Her shoulder blades are so perfect. She really is making me envious now."

Xiao Zhiren could only shake his head since his girl didn’t even know it that she was beautiful. The second dress was in soft pink color with a floor-length sheath silhouette and one-shoulder neckline. It was sleeveless and in a comfortable elastic crepe fabric.

Xiao Zhiren thought it looked great on her until she took a step and he noticed the split that started from her mid-thigh to the floor. And just as Xiao Zhiren had expected, Ru spoke herself, "Don’t choose this one. I’m not going out in this one."

Hell! Was Xiao Zhiren gonna choose that? No way! It was his own first time seeing her exposing this much skin. How could he show it to the world? But he had an itch to tease her as he said, "Why? Aren’t you very comfortable in your skin? I thought you never get embarrassed or bashful."

Ru slapped the back of his head saying, "I don’t like people staring at me. This will definitely make some heads turn." Oh, there it is! The cocky self.

"So, I can look?" Xiao Zhiren tried his luck.

"I didn’t say that," Ru replied.

"You didn’t deny it either." Xiao Zhiren counter attacked and as Ru was about to talk, he pushed her back in saying, "We don’t have time. Try the third one."

The third dress was like a ball gown with a bell-like puffy skirt and Ru immediately refused to wear it with the excuse of, "I’ll look like a church bell in this one."

Xiao Zhiren replied with, "Why are you fretting? I’ll be the only one to ring this bell."

"It’s not funny!" Ru shouted back while Xiao Zhiren kept laughing outside.

"Thanks for your help. I know you’re here for some official business and I dragged you for a personal favor." Xiao Zhiren turned to Melody beside him with a serious look.

"Aye, I’m having fun. And it’s a miracle that Zoran Xiao actually contacted me for a favor. I’m already over the moon." Seeing her being dramatic Xiao Zhiren looked awkward. "Also, it was once in a lifetime opportunity to see who is your girlfriend. Who is the one girl who made you reject all others for years."

"Still, it’s a favor for me." He said.

"She’s really cute and innocent. I can see why she managed to catch you in her spider-web." Melody commented seeing the huge grin on Xiao Zhiren’s face. "I’ve never seen in you laughing like this even in college. This carefree look suits you."

"I guess the credit goes to her. As you said, she is really cute and innocent. But the best part is she doesn’t even know how cute she is." Xiao Zhiren’s eyes, face, his voice everything showed how much love he had for her.

"She is lucky to have you in life," Melody said as she could see Xiao Zhiren’s happiness and love right here in his eyes.

"Nah. She isn’t the lucky one. I am." His reply stunned Melody who had never seen Xiao Zhiren doing the sweet-talking. If the girls who were rejected by him back then knew that he was such a romantic person, they’d have been hopping mad!