After a hearty meal, the three band members strolled leisurely down the street, patting their full bellies. The Christmas atmosphere was growing stronger; passersby carried various Christmas decorations, every store played Christmas songs, and some couples were struggling to load Christmas trees onto their cars.
Marcy looked at all this and couldn't help but sigh, "Christmas is coming; I really want to go home and see my family."
Xiaowan turned to her upon hearing this and said, "Then go back."
Marcy was taken aback and quickly waved her hands nervously, "No, no, I was just saying. I don't mean to forgive them, Kitty, don't misunderstand."
Xiaowan, however, ruffled her spiky black short hair and smiled, "I didn't misunderstand. I'm serious; it's been half a year; you should go back and see them. After all, they are your family."
Marcy cautiously looked at her, "Really? If I leave and Pine goes to the orphanage to visit the children, what about you?"
"I don't mind. I was just joining in your festivities; our Chinese tradition is to celebrate the New Year," Xiaowan said lightly. "So go back and see them. But remember what I said: if they don't let you have a good Christmas, leave immediately."
Marcy nodded gratefully, "I will!"
Pine suggested from the side, "Kitty, why don't you spend Christmas with Lengqing?"
Xiaowan rolled her eyes at him, "Did that big meal make you lose your intelligence? I just had a fight with that guy; who wants to make up with him! It's just Christmas; I'll just spend the night in the tunnel as usual. You don't need to worry about me."
Pine scratched his head, "Well, okay. I want to buy gifts for the kids. Kitty, do you want to come with me?"
The two burly men immediately took out a few crumpled dollar bills from their pockets and handed them over. Xiaowan took the money, counted it, and said, "That's all?" The two men nodded repeatedly. She sneered, "Next time, if you touch my things without permission, it won't be settled this easily." The two men nodded like chickens pecking at rice and quickly fled.
Xiaowan sighed, sat down, and gently stroked her guitar. She took out a small notebook from her bag, opened it, and began to write something. The tunnel was dimly lit, with only a few scattered streetlights casting faint light. The sound of distant carols and laughter could be heard, but here, it was cold and deserted.
After an unknown amount of time, a familiar voice came from behind, "Kitty, writing songs again?" Xiaowan turned her head and saw Lengqing standing there, holding two cups of hot coffee. She frowned, "Why are you here?"
Lengqing handed her a cup of coffee, "I was passing by and saw you here alone. Thought you might need something warm."
Xiaowan hesitated for a moment but s
Lengqing sat down beside her, "It's Christmas Eve. Do you have any plans?"
She shook her head, "Just staying here."
He looked at her, "How about coming with me to a party? There will be many musicians there; you might find it interesting."
Xiaowan was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm not in the mood."
Lengqing didn't press further, "Alright. But if you change your mind, you can call me anytime."
She nodded, "Okay."
Lengqing stood up, "Then I'll leave you to your writing. Merry Christmas, Kitty."
Xiaowan watched his departing figure, whispered, "Merry Christmas," and then returned to her notebook, continuing to write under the dim light.
The two Black men exchanged glances and reluctantly took out an unopened pack of cigarettes. "This is all we have. It's really expensive! We can't even bear to smoke it…"
Without a word, Xiaowan took the pack, extracted two cigarettes, and tossed the rest back to them. They quickly grabbed the pack and ran off, cautiously peeking at her from a corner.
With a cigarette dangling from her lips, Xiaowan lay comfortably in her makeshift nest of tattered coats. She listened to the various conversations around her about Christmas, her eyes fixed on the patch of sky visible from the tunnel entrance.
Not a single star was visible; it was certain to snow tomorrow.
D*mn it, d*mn this snow.
Frustrated, Xiaowan exhaled a smoke ring, buried her head under the coat, and forced herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, back home after passing through the tunnel, Chen Xin couldn't stop thinking about the kiss from the girl named Kitty.
Partly because her black lipstick had left a stubborn mark on his lips, requiring ten minutes and the help of a servant to remove.
But more so because she was so unique.
Raised in privilege, Chen Xin had only encountered two types of women: well-behaved ladies from wealthy families like his own, and scheming gold-diggers aiming to marry into wealth.
He had never met anyone like Kitty, who lived so freely and did as she pleased.
To be honest, someone like him, who had always followed his family's plans, felt a tinge of envy towards such a lifestyle.
Ye Chen often scolded him for being too picky with women, saying he wasn't interested in virtuous ladies or seductive vamps, labeling him as practically asexual.
Chen Xin suddenly had a thought: perhaps he should find such a unique girl; maybe he could finally experience the feeling of being moved.
Before he could figure it out, a servant interrupted his thoughts: "Mr. Chen, the day after tomorrow is Christmas. Do you need us to purchase any Christmas supplies for you?"
Looking at the middle-aged Caucasian woman in front of him, Chen Xin thought for a moment and said, "No need, I don't require anything. Starting tomorrow, I'll give you all five days off. I know you value this holiday; have a good one."
The maid gave a sincere smile, "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I'll convey this message to the others. Merry Christmas to you too."
So, early the next morning, when Chen Xin got up, he was the only one left in the vast villa.
The villa's security measures were fully electronic, and there was a specially hired security team providing protection 365 days a year, so he wasn't worried about safety. It just felt that this home… was a bit empty.
If there were a hostess, it would probably be much better. Chen Xin's sister and brother had long been married with children back home, so his parents focused all their matchmaking efforts on him. However, all these years, he always felt "unmoved" and "indifferent," nearly driving his parents mad.
Actually, Chen Xin did want to find a woman he liked, but he didn't even know what kind he preferred. How was he supposed to find one?
Forget it, this problem is too difficult. He'd better solve work-related issues first; those were much simpler for him. Chen Xin stepped out the door and found that overnight, the outside world had turned into a silver wonderland—
It had snowed, and heavily.
The few pedestrians on the road welcomed the arrival of this snow. Indeed, if it doesn't snow during Christmas, the atmosphere would be much less festive.
Chen Xin, wearing a long coat, passed through the tunnel. As he walked by the spot where he had sung with Kitty the previous day, he couldn't help but slow down to look for her. He quickly spotted her, but today she was alone and seemed off.
Xiao Wan was sitting against the wall, her head buried between her knees, arms tightly wrapped around her legs, gripping so hard that her knuckles were white.
Chen Xin approached and softly asked, "Kitty, are you okay? Where are your friends?"
After a full minute, Xiao Wan slowly raised her head, her eyes red as she looked at him. The intense anger and sadness in her eyes left Chen Xin momentarily breathless.
What shocked him more was what happened next. Xiao Wan suddenly shoved him hard, shouting angrily, "Get lost! It's none of your business!"
Chen Xin stared at her in astonishment for two seconds before trying again, "Did something happen? You can tell—"
"Who do you think you are? Why should I tell you? Get out of my sight; you make me sick!" Xiao Wan spat through gritted teeth.
A mix of embarrassment and frustration surged within Chen Xin. Even someone known for his good temper couldn't stay calm after being inexplicably called "disgusting."
He took a deep breath, turned, and walked away. After all, they were strangers. Since she didn't want his help, he wouldn't meddle.
Upon arriving at the company, it took some effort to push the troubling incident out of his mind. He then worked from morning until night. Although most companies had given the afternoon off, his needed to provide important data to the headquarters in China. It wasn't until 8 p.m. that Chen Xin finished his day's work.
Chen Xin suddenly had a thought: perhaps he should find such a unique girl; maybe then he could truly experience the feeling of being moved.
Before he could figure it out, a servant interrupted his thoughts: "Mr. Chen, the day after tomorrow is Christmas. Do you need us to help you purchase any Christmas items?"
Looking at the middle-aged white woman in front of him, Chen Xin thought for a moment and said, "No need, I don't require anything. Starting tomorrow, I'll give you all five days off. I know you value this holiday; I wish you a happy one."
The maid gave a sincere smile, "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I'll convey this message to the others. Merry Christmas to you too."
So, early the next morning, when Chen Xin got up, he was the only one left in the large villa.
The villa's security measures were fully electronic, and there was a specially hired security team providing protection 365 days a year, so he wasn't worried about safety. However, he did feel that this home… was a bit empty.
If there were a hostess, it would probably be much better. Chen Xin's sister and brother had long been married with children back home, so his parents focused all their energy on urging him to marry. However, over the years, he always felt "unmoved" and "no feelings," which almost drove his parents mad.
Actually, Chen Xin did want to find a woman he liked, but he didn't even know what kind he liked, so how could he find one?
Forget it, this problem is too difficult. He'd better solve work-related issues first; that's much simpler for him. Chen Xin went out, only to find that overnight, the outside world had turned into a silver wonderland—
It had snowed, and heavily.
The few pedestrians on the road welcomed the arrival of this snow. Indeed, if it didn't snow during Christmas, the atmosphere would be much less festive.
Chen Xin, wearing a long coat, passed through the tunnel. When he reached the place where he sang with Kitty yesterday, he couldn't help but slow down to look for her figure. He quickly found her, but today she was alone, and something seemed off.
Xiao Wan was sitting against the wall, her head buried between her knees, arms tightly hugging her legs, gripping so hard that her knuckles were white.
Chen Xin walked over and softly asked, "Kitty, are you okay? Where are your friends?"
It took a full minute before Xiao Wan slowly raised her head. Her eyes were red as she looked at him, the anger and sadness in them so intense that Chen Xin momentarily forgot to breathe.
But what shocked him more was what happened next. Lin Xiaowan suddenly pushed him hard and shouted angrily, "Go away! Mind your own business!"
Chen Xin stared at her in astonishment for two seconds, then tried again, "Did something happen? You can tell—"
"Who do you think you are? Why should I tell you? Get out of my sight; you make me sick!" Xiaowan spat out each word forcefully.
A mix of embarrassment and frustration surged within Chen Xin. Even though he was known for his good temper in the business circle, being inexplicably called "disgusting" would make anyone upset.
He took a deep breath and turned to leave. Forget it, they were strangers anyway. Since she didn't want his help, he wouldn't meddle.
Upon arriving at the company, it took some effort to push the troubling incident out of his mind. He then worked from morning till evening. Although most companies had already closed for the holiday that afternoon, his needed to provide important data to the headquarters back home. It wasn't until 8 p.m. that Chen Xin finished his day's work.
When he walked out of the company, the streets were filled with Christmas spirit. Even strangers greeted him with "Merry Christmas Eve" with smiling faces.
Chen Xin originally planned to drive home via the highway, but for some reason, he thought of the morning's incident at the tunnel entrance and couldn't help but worry if that girl was in trouble.
Forget it, I'll go check on her again.
As he braved the heavy snow towards the tunnel, he mocked himself for seeking trouble. She had called him "disgusting" in the morning, yet here he was, approaching her again. What was he thinking?
He mentally prepared himself, but upon reaching the tunnel, he found it empty.
Has everyone gone to celebrate Christmas? Even Kitty? Does that mean she's okay?
Uncertain, Chen Xin walked a few steps inside and suddenly noticed a bulge covered by a worn-out coat where Kitty used to sit.
Scenes from crime dramas flashed through his mind, making his scalp tingle. Without thinking, he pulled away the clothes, revealing Lin Xiaowan curled up and semi-conscious.
He quickly patted her face, "Kitty, it's Chen Xin! Are you okay? I'll call an ambulance!"
But as he reached for his phone, Xiaowan weakly held his hand and whispered, "I'm fine, no need for an ambulance."
"But you—"
"I'm really fine," Xiaowan said hoarsely. "I'm just… cold. Could you stay with me for a while? Just a while."
In the chilly tunnel, an idea suddenly came to him, and he spoke without much thought: "How about I take you to my place? It's Christmas Eve; you shouldn't be sleeping on the street." As soon as he said it, he regretted it, wondering if she might think he had ulterior motives. Just as he was about to explain, he saw the girl before him nod vigorously, as if she had found a savior. "Okay," she said.