Where the Christmas evening was the perfect occasion for everyone to celebrate and enjoy with their loved ones, Jun on the other hand, was working in his condo all alone. He didn't have to do work as an assistant librarian for a week now, so he thought about getting some work done related to Sky Publishing.
On his laptop, he went through the numerous story drafts his cousin Yunru sent him. But Jun wasn't really impressed with any of them. He sighed in frustration.
"All bland…"
He pressed his brows and shut his laptop. His phone beeped with a message. He took a glance and stiffened. His gaze flickered with an unreadable emotion.
'Jun, I want to talk to you. Can we meet up today?'
He clutched the mobile in his palm. Recalling the events of his past life that happened on Christmas Eve the same year as this was, he didn't know what to reply to her. Somehow he also had a feeling that she wanted to talk more about their breakup which he didn't want to.
He typed a reply but deleted it. His fingers hovered over his phone's keyboard for a long time, but he couldn't come up with anything. In the end, he just threw his phone away on the couch.
Jun stood on his balcony as he watched the city light up beautifully in the evening. He imagined the couples spending a lovely evening together, and a wry smile lifted his lips.
All my Christmases now would be boring like this for the rest of the years, wouldn't they?
He raised the wine glass and chuckled as he made a toast to himself.
"Cheers to a lonely Christmas, Jun."
—
Christmas evening for Ai was nothing better than what Jun was having. At home, she was watching news on television and everywhere, there were talks only about Christmas celebrations. Watching couples in the background, laughing and holding hands made her chest ache. A dull pain enveloped her heart.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Yating.
'Ai, can we meet? I have something important to say to you.'
Her eyelids softly trembled. She knew what he had to say.
'I love you Ai. I really love you a lot. Will you be my girlfriend?' Yating had confessed under a beautifully lit Christmas tree.
The confession that made her heart flutter in bliss once upon a time felt like a thorn pricking her chest now.
Ai ignored his message. The news began to make her uncomfortable, so she switched it off.
She sighed.
In the past, after Ai had accepted his confession, they had baked a cake together at Ai's home to celebrate. It was nothing fancy, nevertheless the time they spent together was heartwarming.
A while later, she got up and decided.
"So what if we aren't together? I can still bake a cake for myself. I have resolved to think about my future in this precious second chance that fate has given me," she nodded in determination. "I will celebrate Christmas by myself."
With a fire burning in her eyes, she opened a recipe on her phone to bake the most delicious cake.
And a while later...
Ai stared at the smoke leaping out of the oven's door slit towards the kitchen's roof.
"..."
"Hey, what was that? Is there smoke coming from somewhere?" One of Ai's neighbors cautiously stepped out of her house.
"Yeah, I smell that too. Something's burning- Hey isn't that that young woman's house? What was her name again?"
"Zhou Ai."
"Yes, yes. It's coming from there."
*Boom!*
Suddenly, they heard a small explosion. Their hearts almost jumped out of their chests.
"Oh my God!"
"What was that blast?"
They quickly knocked on her door. "Hey! Come out. What's happening?"
Ai opened the door, coughing. She pursed her lips. Her face was slightly covered in soot. "I am sorry for the disturbance. There is a slight problem."
Her neighbor was dumbfounded. "Your house is on fire! That isn't a 'slight' problem! Oh my God. Somebody please call the fire station!"
During the commotion, Ai's landlady, Mrs. Zhong also arrived after she was informed.
She gasped in horror. "My house!"
"I am sorry," Ai sincerely apologized.
"Ai…what is happening?" She asked in disbelief.
Mrs. Zhong was Ai's mother's acquaintance who helped her get this apartment when she moved to the city.
"A small accident."
"How is a fire a small accident?"
Amidst their discussion, the firefighters were quickly called, and after the whole fire was put out, they asked, "Madam, what were you doing exactly?"
"Baking a cake."
Their mouths twitched. "Madam, the temperature setting of the oven was wrong. It was way too high and kept switched on for a long time."
Mrs. Zhong and the neighbors - "..."
She apologized once again. "I am really sorry."
Mrs. Zhong softly exhaled. "It's fine. I know you didn't do it on purpose."
"I will pay the full compensation for the damages-"
"No, no, Ai. I will talk this with your mother and sort this out. You don't worry."
The firefighter-in-charge sighed. "Well, it's not dangerous anymore. But you cannot exactly live there until the repair work is done."
Mrs. Zhong worriedly asked, "How much time will it take?"
"I guess around a month? The damage to the kitchen is the most severe that has shaken off the ceiling structure of your living room. It will take a while."
Ai bit her lower lip. There was the problem of living somewhere for a month…
She glanced at her neighbors, and they quickly looked away. Nobody wanted a young beautiful woman to live with them for a whole month and possibly…try to seduce their husbands.
"I-I am sorry dear. Actually, I have some relatives coming over tomorrow so…"
"Yes, yes, my son and daughter-in-law are also coming."
Everybody gave some or the other excuse.
Mrs. Zhong apologetically said, "I don't have any extra room in my house either, dear."
Ai smiled and assured them. "It's alright. I will manage."
"Are you sure…?"
She nodded. "I am."
She called her friend and editor, Xing Bi and came to know that she had extended her vacation. She remembered it was the same in her past life too.
"I am sorry Ai! I would have definitely welcomed you, but I am not gonna be there. Unfortunately, I have only one key to my house and it's with me," she lamented.
"It's okay."
"Oh wait. Ai, why don't you stay with Guiying? I know she is out of the city too, but I think her neighbor has a duplicate key. You can talk to her."
Ai lowered her gaze. "I don't want to bother her."
"But isn't she your best friend? Ai, is it because of what happened during the book signing event? Don't you worry! I beat the shit out of Zhan Yahui! Nobody will bully you now!"
She shook her head. "It's nothing like that. She will get worried about me, and I don't want her to cancel her vacation because of me. Don't worry, Xing Bi. I will think of something."
Ai hung up and then contemplated her options.
I could stay at a hotel for tonight, but I don't have the money to stay for an entire month.
She didn't have any choice left, so she went ahead to stay the night in a hotel and decide what to do next.
—
"I am sorry, Mam. But all the rooms have been booked," The receptionist apologized. "It's Christmas and New Year will be coming soon, after all. All our rooms get booked at least three months in advance."
"...It's alright," she hid her disappointment.
Ai had the same luck in all the nearby hotels. No rooms available.
She travelled quite a far of distance to check all the possible hotels until she reached the complete opposite direction to where her apartment was.
But she had no luck. Christmas was a super busy evening.
She sat on a bench in a park, tired. With no alternative left, she put the bag on one side of the bench and rested her head upon it.
I can make do for one night in the park.
She closed her eyes but then heard an incredulous voice a few minutes later.
"What are you doing sleeping at the park?"