Surprises and Setbacks

"I know you already got praised enough by my family, but you did so beautifully, Z! You sang like an angel," sighed Alice as she finished straightening out her hair. "My dad and I even teared up a bit!" she chuckled. "And you have like a million views on YouTube already. People will expect you to become a singer now," she joked, giggling when Zhi frowned.

"Thank you, but I'm not becoming a singer," she warned, not managing to conceal her smile.

Zhi had arrived the day before and had stayed over at Alice's house. Alice's mum's operation had gone well, and they'd spent all day in the hospital with Alice's family. It was exhausting but very rewarding since it meant that Alice was finally able to breathe freely.

The worst had passed. Doctor's words.

They had spent today's morning in the hospital too, but after lunchtime, Alice's mother had told them to go have fun outside and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, giving them time to hang out just the two of them. Sunny days were a rare thing in London. Alice had felt reluctant to leave her mother's sight, but at her mother's insistence, she'd finally agreed. They had walked to Alice's home and started getting ready for the movie gala. Had they left the hospital when they were supposed to, they wouldn't have had time to get into disguise and go to the movies.

Alice's house was a straight-three-floor house, like so many in London, and had a beautiful skylight on the top floor.

Zhi and Alice were in the en-suite bathroom putting the final touches on their hair and makeup.

"I know you're not becoming a singer," Alice snorted, looking at Zhi's face reflected in the mirror. "I'm just saying that you totally could."

Zhi shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea how it went so well… I was so nervous, my hands shook visibly. I don't remember ever feeling like that," she confessed to Alice's astonishment. They hadn't properly talked about it yet.

"You were? You definitely didn't look like it."

"I was," Zhi sighed. "Chat had just told me that he was watching the premiere and I had told him that I was going to sing…" Alice's eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. "Then I gave that stupid interview to E! TV before realizing I was talking to Europe… Meaning: To him, possibly…" she shook her head, worried. "I frankly have no idea how he didn't put two and two together. I'm so glad I didn't sing alone…"

Zhi had been afraid of talking to him again when the premiere was over. She wondered if, even without the dress, he'd figured her out, but to her relief he hadn't. At least, if he had, he hadn't said anything about it.

Alice nodded. "My dad and I watched you through E! TV too, but maybe he watched it on another TV channel?" she gave a small shrug at Zhi's uncertain look. "I did think you were revealing a bit much, talking about that dress and all…" she said pointing at the branded X gown Zhi was wearing right now. Zhi looked down and hugged herself, feeling the soft fabric against her skin. Alice subtly changed the subject. "Are you sure it isn't too weird to go to the movies dressed like this?" Alice spread her arms, checking herself in the mirror, second guessing their choice of outfits. She was wearing a long sleeveless dark green dress.

"It would be weird if we were attending the movies on a normal day, but this is a 'gala' event that this shopping mall organized," replied Zhi while making air quotes as she said 'gala', glad that they could talk about something else.

Zhi Ruo got the same feeling she had when she had first put on that dress. She didn't want to take it off. It was so soft, so beautiful and it looked so good on her… She loved it.

"Yes, but it's still a mall and we are wearing very fancy dresses," persisted Alice putting the final touch of mascara on her lashes. "I know you've seen this movie like two times already, but people might recognize us right away and I really want to see it without too many distractions."

"Don't worry. I've searched online. They have been doing this event for five years now and the people that win the tickets always dress up. It's in the event rules. Plus, if we look very, very trendy, people will be looking at the outfit, instead of looking at us," countered Zhi Ruo as she took a step back to examine her makeup and nodded approvingly. It looked good.

"How did you win the tickets?" inquired Alice, also finishing her makeup.

"It was a campaign the mall was doing. Spend above £50 in any store at the mall and get 2 free tickets to the movie gala." Zhi started looking through her bag that was resting on the toilet seat, and took out a little black box. "This year the movie they chose is Mulan, so I bought myself this beautiful necklace!" she said opening the box and showing off her newest acquisition. It was white gold, with a beautiful red gemstone streaked with beautiful white rays. It had cost way more than £50, but it was worth it. It was the perfect match for her dress.

"All so you can show off your new dress," pointed out Alice with a grin spreading all over her face.

Zhi looked at her unimpressed. "Nooooo…" she took the necklace from the box and placed it around her neck. "All because I thought it was a bargain to buy something I like and get free tickets to watch Mulan with my best friend!"

"Yeah, right," Alice replied dryly.

Zhi shrugged while looking at herself in the mirror, and had to refrain from taking a picture of her and send it to Chat. She looked perfect and it was partly his doing… so she wanted to share it with him, but it wasn't worth it to let him know the truth just yet. The premiere had been way more stressful than it should have been just because she knew he was watching. She didn't need that kind of drama right now. She had one more day in town with Alice before going to Ireland to start filming.

"You know I'm right…" said Alice with a beaming smile on her lips. "The dress is gorgeous, but you love it even more because he made it. You feel great in it and want everyone to see it!" Alice giggled at Zhi's sudden red face.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter!" said Zhi Ruo quickly, trying to recompose herself. "We're ready! Let's go?"

"Isn't it a bit early?" asked Alice, while Zhi followed her to her room. "The movie only starts at 9."

"We have to be there by 8:30 at least. There's no seating arrangement and you don't want to get there and find out all of the best seats are taken, right?"

"Hum… You're right. Let's get going then," Alice started putting on her stilettos.

They wore sunglasses, even though it was getting darker, and two big hats that went very well with both of her dresses. They were a bit too big and too much, but covered their faces and made people pretend not to look at them, which also did the trick. People looked, but they looked at the hats and the exuberance of the outfits rather than their faces.

Soon, they were outside walking towards the mall that was surprisingly close: thirty minutes walking. It was an adventure, considering they were both wearing needle high heels, but the alternative was unthinkable. A thirty-minute walk in London at that time of the day was equivalent to one hour and a half by car due to traffic. Besides, they were used to walking in high heels.

"I'm so excited we're doing this!" squealed Alice, barely containing her enthusiasm. "It's like old times! And really soon we will be working together again and going to the cinema again and surprising fans!" Zhi laughed softly when Alice squealed again. "I love Miraculous fans! The love they give us… It's so good! Makes me stronger!"

Zhi swallowed dry. Chat is a Miraculous fan. But he hates me.

Alice kept going. "Don't they make you feel like–?" Alice stopped walking, noticing the sudden shadows on her friend's eyes.

"Yes. They are great, Al," Zhi acknowledged, forcing a smile onto her face, which did not fool Alice at all.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's fine," Zhi sighed, resuming walking.

"It's not fine, Z. You were happy, having fun and suddenly you're not anymore," insisted Alice, holding Zhi's hand to make her stop walking and look at her. "Was it something I said?"

"No, sweetie," Zhi said with her smiled painted with regret. "I'm sorry for worrying you. You said nothing wrong."

"Then, what's the matter?" Alice asked suspiciously. "It has something to do with your alley cat, hasn't it?"

Zhi chuckled lightly and started walking, pulling Alice with her. "He is a fan too," she explained. "He wouldn't have given himself a Miraculous username on the Red Thread, he wouldn't have named his friends after Plagg and Tikki and he wouldn't have called me M'lady if he wasn't." Alice nodded in agreement, understanding Zhi's angst. "But he hates me"–Zhi's shoulders were visibly down– "and I have no idea why…"

"That's a bit inconsistent of him if you ask me," Alice started. "What Miraculous fan has the guts to call himself a Miraculous fan if he hates Zhi Ruo Léi?"

Zhi chuckled and smiled gratefully to Alice. "I guess I'm inconsistent too." Alice raised her eyebrows, not following. "I consider myself a Miraculous fan, but don't like Eloise or Adrien…" she confessed.

Alice chuckled. "Fair enough."

They walked for about a hundred meters before Alice spoke again. "He has been very quiet this afternoon, hasn't he?"

"He has," Zhi smiled. "He has been working a lot, but he always finds time to chat with me. I told him I was with Chloe Bourgeois and he said that he would leave me alone for the time being. He told me to enjoy my time with you." Alice smiled at this. "That friends are important."

"He sounds like a nice guy," remarked Alice, finally seeing the mall as they rounded a corner.

"He really is."

Which makes me wonder even more about why he hates me so much?

They entered the mall. If people had been looking at them discreetly before then, now they weren't even trying to conceal it. Alice looked around and saw more people dressed like them, so she visibly relaxed, making Zhi giggle.

They walked to the cinema.

"So, why don't you just ask him?" Alice proposed.

"Ask him what?"

"Why does he hate you? You have nothing to lose really. He'll eventually figure out who you are… So, when it happens, at least you'll know the reason. Maybe you can even do something about it," suggested Alice carefully.

Zhi contained a shiver. Alice was right… She should ask him.

"I might do that"– Zhi said taking the phone out of her purse and checking it for new messages. There were none. Chat would not talk to her unless she talked to him first. He didn't want to interrupt whatever she and her friend were doing. She shook her head and put the Catphone back inside her purse –"but not tonight." Alice threw her an unconvinced look. "At least not now. I can ask him when we get home. That way you can help?"

"I think it's a good idea," Alice smiled. She didn't want her friend bothered by the answer the guy would give her before they were in a quiet and safe place.

Once they got to the ticket line, there were a bunch of people dressed in gowns and tuxedos, so they stood behind the line waiting for their turn. Once they got to the front, Zhi took the tickets out of her purse and gave them to the ticket lady. After that, they bought a bag of popcorn and some sodas and walked inside the auditorium. It wasn't crowded yet, so it was quiet. They sat in the middle of the theatre, in the seats near the corridor, and their feet screamed with relief. They felt a bit silly with the hats on, but people kept passing by pretending not to see them because it was part of their outfits.

The Miraculous Ladybug ringtone started ringing, startling them. Zhi giggled, unable to believe that she forgot to put her Catphone on silent mode and wondering who the hell was calling her old cell number. She made a motion to take it out of her purse while Alice smothered her laughter with her hands covering her mouth.

"I can't believe you have that ringtone," she murmured giggling.

She wasn't expecting that phone to ever ring again. Maybe she'd forgotten to give someone her new phone number?

Zhi was about to answer in a carefree way, when her smile dropped and her heart almost fled from her chest.

Chat_Noir999

Calling

"What the–" Zhi breathed.

Alice's eyebrows rose when she saw who was calling. After a couple of seconds, she commanded: "Answer!"

"But–! I've never talked to him on the phone!" Zhi said panicking.

"Answer! What if it's important?" Alice promptly pressed the green button and gently pushed the phone to Zhi's ear, followed by her own head, pressed against the phone so she could hear the conversation.

Zhi gaped with her eyes very open and her hands madly shaking.

"Hello?" she heard him say, making her heart bump into her ribs and her breathing unstable. When she didn't answer he repeated: "Hello? M'lady?"

Alice motioned like a crazy person, trying to get her say something. Zhi gulped and cleared her throat. "Arn– hum… Hi?" she screeched.

"M'lady!" he awkwardly cheered. "Hi!"

"Hi!" she repeated, feeling stupid right away. "I mean, hum– Hi! How are you?"

He laughed lightly and she felt her heart melt a little. It was quite a strange feeling since she felt so nauseated with anxiety that she might throw up.

"I'm good!" he answered, trying to sound casual. "You?"

"I'm good– Great!" she screeched again. "I'm, I'm pretty great." Oh my god, what is WRONG with me?

Alice struggled to contain her soft laugh. Zhi didn't even find in her the strength to censure Alice with her eyes.

He laughed nervously. She felt a bit better, knowing she wasn't the only one feeling so tense. He cleared his throat. "So... why did you call me?" he asked in an apprehensive and worried tone.

"Wha–?" Zhi gaped. She'd remember if she'd call him, right?

"Are you in trouble, Princess? Need me to cataclysm someone?" he asked with a very good impression of Chat-Noir-Like-Voice.

"I didn't call you..." she quickly said.

"Yes... you did," he answered confused.

She tried to check her phone, but Alice had glued her ear to it trying to listen to the conversation, and Zhi almost punched her in the face. They both let out loud snorts and earned some offended looks from the people that were already in the theatre, even though the movie hadn't started yet.

"What happened?" he asked with a tone of curiosity and amusement. "Why are you laughing?"

Zhi giggled with Alice in silence for a few seconds before recovering her voice. "I'm sorry Chat!" she said, barely restraining her laughter. "I almost accidentally punched Chloe. That's what happened."

He chuckled. "You butt dialled me, then you almost punched your friend… You're definitely my Princess. Beautiful and strong, but clumsy. As Chat Noir's Princess should be."

Zhi's laughter stopped abruptly and her smile faded a little. She felt her face burn when the tension came back. She breathed deeply.

"Chat, I got to go. I'm in the movie theatre and the movie is about to start. I'm sorry I butt dialled you." She said with her voice coming out colder than she'd meant.

"Oh, okay! Have fun," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Say hi to Chloe for me."

"I will," she replied, swallowing. "Bye, Chat."

"Bye, Princess"

With her heart in her throat, she turned off the call.

That was an experience she never wanted to repeat. Ever again.

She had wondered what it would be like to talk to him on the phone… To hear his voice… But today, after the almost reveal of the premiere, she had been completely unprepared! And he'd tried to flirt with her! He hated her and was dumb enough not to listen to her when she told him she was the girl he hated! Why hadn't he believed she was Zhi when she first told him? Why didn't she prove it to him back then?

The frustrating part was that this was partially her fault! She couldn't just pin it on him.

You're definitely my Princess.

Hearing him say that out loud… Old wounds cracked inside her, reminding Zhi what it would be like if they were to break again.

She was not his Princess. He wouldn't want her to be as soon as he found out who she really was. That was tearing her apart. She needed to draw some boundaries and to distance herself from him.

Zhi held herself, feeling the soft fabric of his beautiful dress in her hands. He had made that dress for her… He had touched the fabric with his hands. He had meticulously traced every stitch and every line. Zhi felt her eyes itching. He had put his heart into making that dress for Buggzhinette, not her.

"Z?" Alice called in a whisper, carefully holding her friend's hand. "What did he say?"

Zhi swallowed and shrugged. "Stuff he shouldn't have." Alice looked worried at her and she sighed. "He called me his Princess. He said I'm beautiful, strong and clumsy."

For any other girl calling her 'clumsy' would have been the trigger to her reaction, the reason she was suddenly so cold and looking somewhat insulted, but Alice knew better. Zhi was closing herself in her protective shell. She didn't want to face the fact that Chat might leave the moment he realized who Zhi was, so she preferred to run away.

"I think you should tell him who you are as soon as possible. He sounds like he has feelings for you too Z," advised Alice.

Zhi shook her head. "I'm not gonna. I need some space. I think I'll tell him that."

"I think you're making a mistake," warned Alice.

Zhi shrugged and filled her mouth with popcorn.

They remained silent until the movie started, Zhi's stress eating her up and Alice wondering how she could put some sense into her friend's mind. Once the movie started, Alice marvelled at the classic story of Mulan, but Zhi didn't pay much attention to it. Chat had sent a text apologizing and she was fighting the urge to answer and to appease his worries. She didn't want him to hurt, not because of her or anyone else. She genuinely cared for him, but she cared way more than she should. It was consuming her inside. She decided not to answer, and to tell him later that she needed space. That she didn't want to get hurt, and that she didn't want him to know who she was.

The break came and the lights of the room were turned on.

Zhi had felt the Catphone vibrate in her purse, and she knew that he had texted her again, but she ignored it.

"Oh my god!" said Alice, holding Zhi's arm. "It's sooo good! I'm loving it! It's almost better than the original!" A couple of teenage girls were passing by their seats and one of them nodded with an enthusiastic smile looking at Alice, agreeing with what she had said. Alice traded glances with the girl and suddenly the girl recognized her. The girl's eyes widened at the same time as Alice's. This wasn't supposed to happen before the movie was over. The girl looked at Zhi and her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head at any moment. Zhi held in a snort while Alice grabbed the girl's wrist and gently pulled her down to talk to her. The girl had let out a weak little scream but shut up as soon as Alice pulled her down.

"Hi!" Alice said whispering, glad that the people sitting next to them had left during the break. "Please don't give us away… It's the first time I'm seeing this movie and I'm really loving it," she begged. The girl kept glancing at Zhi and then Alice, barely breathing.

"I–I–… You–" the girl tried to say.

Zhi leaned forward and gently touched the girl's arm. "What's your name?"

"I– Olivia," she answered, staring at Zhi with amazement.

"Olivia," said Zhi, and both she and Alice smiled. Olivia nodded. "Olivia, my best friend was dying to see this movie with me, so I brought her here. If you unmask us now, no one in this room will be able to watch the rest of the movie." Olivia gulped and nodded very seriously. "Will you please keep our secret? We can give you autographed posters and take as many pictures with you as you like..." Olivia's eyes popped up again and she eagerly nodded making Zhi and Alice giggle softly.

"My– My friend..." Olivia looked around, finally noticing that her friend wasn't there. She looked a bit panicked.

It was Alice's turn to gently squeeze Olivia's arm. "We'll give her posters and take pictures with her too, but don't tell her we are here until the movie is over, please." Then, with her best drama queen gaze, she added: "We trust you."

The girl looked at Alice and then Zhi, and nodded again. "I promise."

Zhi smiled, slightly relieved. "Thank you. Meet us there when the movie ends?" she pointed at the left-hand exit of the auditorium.

"Yes!" she let out a squeal, making Alice and Zhi giggle. Olivia blushed. "I'm sorry… I'm just so surprised you're here– It's… unreal. And that you are so nice in real life," she murmured, making the girls giggle again.

Alice beamed at Olivia and said: "It's okay–"

"There you are!" They heard a girl's voice approaching. Zhi and Alice quickly covered their faces with the hats, not before giving a warning look to Olivia who responded with a reassuring smile. "You were right behind me and then you vanished!"

Olivia stood up and did her best to ignore her idols. "Sorry, my shoes were untied," she shrugged and followed her friend back to their seats, in the same row as Zhi and Alice.

The auditorium darkened and they only managed to trade an amused look before the movie resumed. They knew there was a very high probability that Olivia was telling what had happened to her friend right now, but they couldn't blame her. They'd trust her to warn her friend not to say anything before the movie was over, but now that someone in the theatre had recognized them, the odds that Alice would be able to watch the movie until its end had been cut short.

Surprisingly, it only happened when the movie was a few minutes from ending. Olivia must have started filling in her friend, because suddenly, people at their row of seats were trying to not so discreetly get a glimpse of them. Noticing the disturbing rumble and the pointed fingers in their direction, Zhi sighed and whispered to Alice: "Next, I'm gonna be idolized as a warrior of China and everyone will bow to me, including the Emperor. Followed by General Chang and me kissing. The end."

"Hey!" protested Alice, a bit louder than she should have, looking at Zhi frowning. "Why are you spoiling a super predictable but perfectly good ending?" Up until then she hadn't noticed the murmurs in the audience.

Zhi smiled and glanced around meaningfully. "It's happening," Zhi explained and Alice exhaled with exasperation, but she still focused her attention on the movie screen, trying to watch as much of it as she could. "Any time now," Zhi whispered with a smile in her voice.

Hello my dear Miraculous readers!

Gosh, I love Zhi and Alice's relationship! Ahahah!

I know this chapter looks like a filler. Let me assure you: It is not. It is a very, very important chapter! And you will understand why soon enough. (not that soon, but, soon)

For anyone wondering, Olivia and her friend did get her signed posters and took about dozens of pictures with Zhi and Alice!

I do hope you like it! Review, puuuurrease!?

Love,

AuriMoon*