Disappearance of the iceman

He spun her around on the sofa, letting her sit on his lap as he gingerly kissed her again and again, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. When he was Cree, he felt he could open up more to her, without the fear of being seen as the heir of Ye Nantian, or the burden of having to upsetting the Yes' reputation. At times, he hated being Cree, and wished he could always stay as Ye Qi, although it had been his idea to create two versions of him in order to lead his adoptive parents' businesses as the Head of Design, Ye Qi, while maintaining his ultimate role as shareholder Cree Ye.

Perhaps, when he hid Xiaoruo in his flat, he could always appear to be Ye Qi to her, but who did she want? Assuming she agreed to stay, of course.

But was the interview important enough to her that she would be willing to accept her terms and stay, as his woman, even if it was just an act to convince his mother that he already had someone?

Qiao Ruo also had concerns of her own about how intimidating Cree was, but brushed away all her worries and thoughts and simply focused on kissing him back, until the lights came back on. His kisses had been such a great distraction to her displeasure of the dark night. Hopefully, she wished in her mind, the next morning, he would still persist to be Ye Qi. How could Cree and Ye Qi be the same person, yet be so different? 

"I'm sorry, the power shortage was totally unexpected," Ye Qi said to her. 

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just...few people know I have this problem, and it's not something I like people to know about."

"You can trust me. So, what shall we do now?"

She smiled, and fetched an unopened bottle of red wine, which he carefully opened with an opener. 

The night was still young, and they spent all the remnants of the night in each other's arms, while talking and laughing about their individual lives, until they completely lost all track of time. Qiao Ruo didn't know what allowed her to completely let down her guard, and forget herself, while completely accepting Ye Qi's warm embrace and the savoury taste of his lips on her own, which happened more than once the whole night. What could she do, but blame it on the alcohol?

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When she woke up lying on him on the sofa, it was already morning, and thankfully to her, they were still fully clothed. A mild headache persisted from their drinking last night, as an empty bottle of red wine lay on the ground, along with their empty wine glasses.

He opened his eyes just as she got off him, and she paused, eager to observe if he was Cree or Ye Qi. If indeed he was Cree, she had to brace herself for the resulting torment and coldness from the Icy Devil. 

"Ye Qi?" she called out in anticipation that he was still Ye Qi. "Or are you... Cree?"

The answer came very directly from him. "Xiaoruo, I don't have split personality."

"Then, you were...  yesterday..."

"I choose how I want to act like, but I do not have a mental disorder. I am very aware of who I am."

"Who are you, then?" she leaned over and scrutinized him with a quizzical look. 

"You haven't agreed to my terms, before I disclose any of my secrets to you," he taunted her playfully. Typical of Cree to make such demands, but it appeared he had shed his icy personality and was speaking to her in his Ye Qi-style voice.

"Why do I need to be your woman just to interview you?" she grilled him.

"You haven't forgotten that night, I supposed?" he teased her.

All of a sudden, he was acting all warm and intimate with her, as if they had known each other for some time. She was taken aback, but then she remembered how she was with him the night before. She had enjoyed Ye Qi's company, especially if he was that man at the bar that she had a one-night stand with.

Qiao Ruo glared at Cree for bringing up the past, and then he chuckled. "I was joking," he said. 

"Cree, as much as the interview is my job to do, I don't know if I can..." she began.

"Remember what I told you, act for my mother. Convince her, and she will stop setting up blind dates for me." 

"You want me to be your fake girlfriend so that your mother will stop setting you up with blind dates?" she muttered in disbelief. To think, the mighty and intimidating Cree had this side of him?

Cree smiled deviously. If she succeeded, then he was a step closer to his goal, and his adoptive parents would have one less way to control him. "I have to remind you though, that my mother is not easy to deal with."

"Noted," she said coolly. So that, was it? Just an act?

She noticed how he had completely dropped his icy demeanour after last night's encounter, and she wondered why it was so. Without thinking, she asked, "What happened to your 'cold air'?"

"The cold air?" he laughed. "You mean, the 'Iceman'? Do you actually want that? Aren't we great now?"

She swore she could have punched him for how she had been so freaked out the day before.  She assumed he had been acting, and said, "You're so good at acting, I wondered why you even need my help."

"Well," he grinned at her impishly, "You don't have a choice in it, do you? You need me for the interview."

"Fine, I agree, but don't think of me as your woman," she struck out at him with her words, her hands positioned on her hips dramatically. "I'm just an actress playing a role."

"You also have to go out on dates with me," he stated with a 'you don't have a choice' look on his face. "To make it convincing." Then, he looked at her arrogantly, knowing she would have to agree.

"Do I have to be the 'Icewoman', too?" she taunted him.

"No, but definitely no innocence. Bold, audacious, the type who won't take nonsense from others. Not let anyone put you down, not even me."

Why did the person he wanted her to act as seem more like her actual self?

"Apart from the interview, what do I stand to benefit from this arrangement?" she demanded. Such an inconvenience, and she was in such a compromising state by being his 'girlfriend'.

"Xiaoruo, you just have to tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you. Why are just acting so difficult?"

She gulped. Why was everything happening so quickly between them? First, she had the drunken encounter, then she found out Cree had been her target, and now, she was about to become his faux girlfriend. 

Why did it feel so complicated?

"I'm not that easy, Cree. You have to know that. I'll go on dates and be an actress, but you have to respect me. I don't do anything for money."

She got up and stormed off, but immediately he grabbed her and held her against him, saying softly in her ear, "That's not what I meant, Xiaoruo. I've never been with women before, so at times, I don't know how to act with women. I just want to provide for you so that you have what you need while helping me."

"I only have tonight for the interview. Have that done, and it's settled. I don't have any requests." She said it firmly, and he felt that he liked her even more. He loosened his hold on her, but didn't completely let her go, and laid her gently on the sofa. His eyes gazed tenderly into hers, and their lips met with a passionate kiss.

Xiaoruo, do you like me to be dark like Cree, or sweet like Ye Qi to you? he thought. It was arduous for him. He had an uncontrollable temper, and when provoked, he would rage and his special ability would take over, so as long she was truthful to him and not induce his anger, she would be in good hands, and he could protect and provide for her as much as he could. He could keep his cold act on as long as he could, but only she had this warming effect on him.

I like you, Xiaoruo, he thought. But I really don't know how to treat a woman. All he had known had been information he had acquired from books, and it had already led to her misunderstanding him as seeing her to be cheap, which he didn't want.

Cree had yearned for her, even though it had been just a few days of not seeing her after she had left the hotel. And he was gradually forgetting about his icy demeanour when he was with her. But he had his own worries, especially when every woman who liked him had the intention of scoring fame and wealth from being with him.

Cree relished Qiao Ruo's bold and audacious behaviour, and was tempted to kiss her wildly and roughly whenever she was that way with him, but when she was submissive to him, he also loved it and would be gentle when kissing her. Nevertheless, that was just two sides to her that he liked, and he also had two different sides of himself. It was just that he believed that his days of putting up an act in front of his adoptive parents to meet their expectations would come to an end, and he wanted to break free from their control. 

And who else could be the best person to help him on that route, other than her?