Chapter 122: Christmas
December 24th, Christmas Eve.
The snow stopped just as the sky darkened. Christmas Eve, which had been quiet all day, suddenly came alive at night. The commercial street, which had been sparsely populated during the day, gradually became lively. People secretly took to the streets in the evening, and the festive atmosphere spread with the biting cold wind.
Christmas was not a traditional holiday that needed to be specially celebrated. But being close to a university town, the shrewd merchants had started to decorate their shops early in the morning. Colorful lights were hung on the bare branches of the trees, twinkling and stretching to the horizon. The shops lining both sides of the commercial street had launched a series of promotions under the gimmick of the festival. Vibrant posters were plastered beneath the dazzling neon lights at every entrance.
The shops on the street were constantly playing various Christmas songs. Every few steps, one could hear a completely different melody. The girls were youthful and beautiful, the boys sunny and handsome, huddling together in twos and threes, strolling along the street.
An Zhi, with Xia Qian Ge’s arm in hers, walked into a jewelry store. She was wearing a deep red Lolita dress with a puffy skirt, revealing a pair of slender calves wrapped in flesh-colored stockings. Her small black leather shoes clattered on the ground. Her stunning red outfit, out of the darkness, was passionate and deep, like a rose blooming in the dead of night.
“Sister, your makeup is so beautiful. Can you teach me in the future?”
They walked into the brightly lit shop, and the gazes that had been lingering on them on the road dissipated a lot. An Zhi’s long-held high-coldness suddenly disappeared. She shook Xia Qian Ge’s arm, acting like a child who was about to throw a tantrum if she didn’t get what she wanted. “Makeup is so hard. I can’t learn it. My roommates are like fairies every day.”
Xia Qian Ge was much more reserved than the stunning An Zhi. She wore a peach-pink wool coat with flesh-colored, low-heeled shallow-mouthed shoes. Her makeup accentuated the maturity of her features. Her every glance was alluring, attracting even more attention.
“Your skin is good. You look good even without makeup.”
She tapped An Zhi’s small, fair nose, her dark pupils reflecting the girl’s bright and lovely appearance. Dark mists swirled, as if to completely swallow that shadow. But she smiled gently. “You’re already so beautiful. Leave some room for me to live, okay?”
“But I read online that they all like mature girls like you, sister .. Am I… unlovable because I’m short?”
An Zhi’s face fell, and only in front of Xia Qian Ge would she so openly reveal the thoughts hidden in her heart.
“Who said that? Didn’t you say that boys are always confessing to you? Our An Zhi is still very charming.”
“But they’re all so annoying, so stupid, even stupider than me. They all say the same few things.”
An Zhi pouted her pink lips, picked out a few crystal-colored hair clips, and asked Xia Qian Ge to help her try them on.
“Then… maybe you just don’t like them.” Xia Qian Ge took the hair clips and asked with a smile, “Does An Zhi have a boy she likes?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly asking this?”
An Zhi was stunned for a moment, then she shook her head vigorously. “I told you, those boys are very annoying.”
“Is that so? Then what about Su Yu? Is he annoying too? Or… do you like him?”
“Su… Su Yu? Why are you bringing him up?”
An Zhi paused for even longer this time. She didn’t know why Xia Qian Ge, who rarely gossiped, would suddenly talk about these things. She was a little caught off guard. Su Yu’s name flashed in her mind, and was instantly crossed out. A blush appeared on her cheeks, and she shook her head even more vigorously. “Um… how could that be? We’ve only known each other for a short time. Oh… I don’t understand these things. Sister, help me try on the hair clips.”
“Okay, bear with the pain. I might pull your hair.”
Xia Qian Ge stood behind An Zhi, slowly putting the hair clips into her dark hair. She stared at the girl’s snow-white, slender neck, her long, powerful fingers covering it. In a single grasp, she could clearly feel the vibrant life pulsating. She scraped the girl’s smooth skin with her fingertips, leaving a faint white mark.
“It tickles, sister. What are you doing?”
“Nothing. A few strands of hair fell out. I’ll get them for you.”
Xia Qian Ge blew on the back of An Zhi’s neck. The warm breath brushed against the girl’s flushed earlobes. She stared at that little bit of red, as if a sharp needle had pierced her eye. The pain made her annoyed, and the annoyance made the violent desire in her blood grow. It would be great if she could see a splash of blood. Maybe then the little bit of red on the girl’s earlobes wouldn’t be so conspicuous, she thought silently.
“It looks pretty good, this color of hair clip.”
An Zhi looked at herself in the mirror and put the hair clips in her small basket with satisfaction. She suddenly saw the Santa hats hanging on the shelf and excitedly ran over, pulling a few down, exactly six, the same number as the people at the party.
“Let’s bring a few Santa hats back.”
She put a bright red Santa hat on her head, her small leather shoes scraping against the ground as she twirled around, her skirt slightly lifting. She tilted her head, the small white ball on the Santa hat swinging, looking playful and cute.
“Yeah, whatever you want.” Xia Qian Ge smiled and helped her put the Santa hats in the basket, ready to pay later. “We should go find them now.”
“Oh, okay.”
An Zhi nodded and bounced after her. She touched the spot on her neck that Xia Qian Ge had just made itchy and couldn’t help but sigh that advanced mathematics was really too difficult. After staying up all night to review, her hair seemed to be falling out more and more.
…
The guesthouse they had booked was in a duplex apartment complex in the city center, by the river. Their room was on the top floor of one of the buildings. By just pulling open the pure black floor-to-ceiling curtains, they could see the sparkling river under the neon lights. The room was booked by Gu Chuan, and he had already paid for it. Even for just one night, it must have been expensive. How generous.
Su Yu and Chu Feng had just finished hanging the last string of colorful lights on the doorframe. They turned off the lights, and the colorful lights flickered in the darkness, dazzling.
The doorbell suddenly rang from the entrance. Su Yu’s heart tightened. He put down the colorful lights and walked towards the door.
He looked through the peephole and vaguely saw the shadows of An Zhi and Xia Qian Ge. He let out a breath and pressed down on the doorknob. The door opened.
“Woohoo, Merry Christmas!”
An Zhi was the first to jump in, putting a Santa hat on Su Yu’s head. She was about to rush into the living room with her short legs, but Su Yu grabbed her by the back of her collar. “Put on your slippers before you go in!”
“Hmph…” An Zhi struggled for a while and failed. She pouted disdainfully, changed into the slippers at the entrance, and then entered the room.
“Thank you for your hard work…”
Xia Qian Ge also walked in from outside. She smiled brightly and passed by Su Yu, leaving behind the fragrance of gardenias that tugged at his senses.
“Merry Christmas.” Su Yu smiled and said to the girl who was bending down to change her shoes.
Xia Qian Ge’s hands paused, but she still kept her head down, her gentle voice falling on Su Yu’s ear.
“Yeah, Merry Christmas.”
