Christmas was right around the corner, Xunyi and her group of friends walked around London, where all of the shops were after they finished up with their classes. Most of the stores were already decorated with christmas lights. Even though the weather was gloomy and chilly, Xunyi enjoyed spending time with her friends at the cafe.
The cafe belonged to one of Gabriela's uncles. The drinks were pricey, but they tasted unique, and best of all, they all got half-price off. The cafe was quiet, and Xunyi saw a few couples sitting there and talking, and he saw an old man reading a newspaper while enjoying his hot coffee.
The cafe also had a flat screen TV so everyone could stay updated with the news.
Xunyi watched the news while waiting for her phone to get charged. She saw one man on the television being surrounded by the police. Apparently, he was the most wanted criminal who apparently was caught when trying to board a plane. As the news went on, the criminal apparently injured a few officers.
"That man deserves to rot in prison." Hailey sipped on her cafe latte while watching the news with Xunyi.
"I wonder how long he will be locked in for." Xunyi asked.
"Depends what crimes he committed and depends on his lawyer as well if he ever manages to get one." Susie said as she scrolled her phone to see what she should make for dinner.
Xunyi kept on watching until they mentioned a familiar name. Apparently, Deming will be the prosecutor for this case. Susie sighed and said, "That will be one heck of a case."
Xunyi trusts Deming's ability, but she is worried about his safety.
"Mia, are you feeling good?" Gabriela asked in a concerned tone, "Is he the lawyer you told us? The one who saved you?" Xunyi nodded, "I hope he'll be safe."
"If you are concerned about him, contact him." Hailey wrapped her arm around Xunyi's back and then rested her head on her shoulder.
"Then, I'll call him." Xunyi unplugged her phone and started to dial his number. After the third ring, it went through.
"Hello?"
"Is it you, Deming?" She asked.
"Yes. What's the matter?" He was groggy since he wasn't able to get a goodnight sleep.
"Sorry to disturb you. I'll call you later." She was about to hang up, but then she heard, "Wait."
"Yes?" Xunyi replied and waited.
"I'm sorry, Xunyi. I didn't know it was you. Is everything good?" He replied and got up from his desk.
"I'm well. Don't worry. I heard you are working on a difficult case. Be careful." She replied.
"Were you worried about me?" He asked in a flirty voice.
"Yes... sort of... take care of yourself." She replied quickly.
"Thank you for worrying about me. I'll be fine." He replied, "I'll need to go back to work now. If you are short on money, let me know."
"Okay, take care!" She hung up and then quickly felt relieved.
Hailey and Gabriela were leaned close to Xunyi.
"What did he say?" They asked.
"He said thank you for worrying about me. I will be fine." She replied.
"That's good, isn't it? He will be able to handle the case." Gabriela smiled. Susie looked at Xunyi and slightly smiled. She didn't say anything because she knew that Xunyi had some sort of feelings for Deming.
Susie had to hide her identity as an officer because she was there to protect Xunyi after she agreed to work for him. As the day finally passed, Xunyi went back to her dorm and lay down on her soft mattress. She stared at the ceiling light and thought about Deming. She didn't know why her heart was racing during the call. She shouldn't be nervous around him at all because, after all, it's not like they never met before.
"Why am I nervous now?" She questioned herself until she fell asleep.
It was Christmas Eve, people walked to and fro between shopping malls and restaurants. Xunyi and Gabriela went shopping together since Hailey was down with the flu. Susie and the two officers were patrolling the area while accompanying them.
"Are you planning on getting anything?" Xunyi asked Gabriela.
"My parents aren't missing anything, nor do they want anything. I'm probably getting something for myself instead. My mom gave her credit card to me. How about you?"
"I'm not too sure yet. Even if I mail my grandparents something, it will take quite a while to get to them. Same with Deming. I don't think he needs anything." Xunyi replied.
"You're thinking about him quite a lot, aren't you?" Gabriela replied and teased Xunyi, "Do you like him?"
"We're not even compatible. He's a successful lawyer, yet I'm just a university student." Xunyi replied, but her friend shook her head, "Age doesn't matter when you like someone."
"It will take me a long time to catch up onto him. He's like up there, and I'm down here." Xunyi sighed as she looked ahead of her.
"Well, you will graduate soon. A few more years to go, and you can be a lawyer." Gabriela was optimistic about everything.
"When I dated my ex, I was the one who chased after him. After some time, he got tired of me, so we broke up. But right now, I'm dating someone online, and everything is going quite smoothly. So Xunyi, if you like him, go after him. Don't let another girl grab him." Gabriela warned her because opportunities like this can go away pretty quickly.
"Confess to him! If he rejects you, at least he will know you like him. If he agrees, then great!" Gabriela encouraged her, but Xunyi doesn't feel quite ready yet because her last relationship went the other way around. But Xunyi started to think about Deming more often than before. She had to confirm her feelings first whether she truly likes him or she only likes him because he's rich. Xunyi accepted that there is still a huge gap between them.
"I want to be someone who is worthy to have him. Someone who can take his burden, his flaws, and lastly, love everything about him." She thought about it as she walked down the streets with shops on both sides.
A few hours later, Xunyi decided not to get anything because she would be getting some duty-free items from the airport when she decided to go back to China. Since she had already mailed a few postcards and small gifts, she decided to wait. She wanted to get something special for Deming as well, but she ended up thinking too much and gave up.
"I'll get him something before I leave London, then."
That night, she sent Christmas greetings to Deming, his parents, and her grandparents. All of her friends had already sent her greetings. Deming's parents also sent their greetings to Xunyi, and they posted a great group photo of them standing in front of the decorated sign of J&J Law Groups building. Xunyi giggled because Deming looked like he was dying on the inside.
After the clock reached 12 AM, she received a call from Deming.
"Merry Christmas, Xunyi. How are you doing lately?" His deep and smooth voice sounded comforting to Xunyi's ears.
"I'm doing well. How about you? How are you celebrating Christmas this year?" She asked.
"I still have to work on the case. I probably won't even go home tonight. There is a lot of stuff to be finished. Xunyi, I missed talking to you. I will be busy for the next few days, so if I message you at a later time, don't be mad." He explained, and Xunyi chuckled a bit, "When was I ever mad at you? Take your time. I have something to say to you after I go back. Hang in there."
"Alright, have a good night's rest, Xunyi." Deming smiled at the other end before he ended the call.
"Merry Christmas, Deming. Thank you."