Gift Oh

"Gurgle—" The kettle was making noise.

The water was boiling.

It was Christmas Day. Perhaps it would be quite lively in some countries, but domestically, only a few places would celebrate it a little. You might not find one family in a hundred with a Christmas tree, as this is essentially the foreign equivalent of the Spring Festival.

Ye Shuang picked up the kettle and poured hot water into his thermos.

"......" At this moment, he was lost in thought, recalling the events of last night.

"Meow!"

His pant leg was suddenly scratched. Only then did Ye Shuang snap back to reality, simultaneously feeling a sharp pain in his finger.

The water in the thermos had overflowed, scalding him quite badly.

"Tss!" Ye Shuang withdrew his hand, then immediately hurried to the faucet to run his finger under cold water. Only after the burning sensation subsided a bit did he dry his finger and go apply some ointment.

"Meow ga." Pudgy Yiwàn, with its tail held high, walked over and slightly raised itself on its hind legs to look at Ye Shuang's finger.

Ye Shuang smiled, "I actually made you worry, sorry."

"Meow."

It was now four in the morning. The house was quiet; neither Chen Qin nor Bai Yuyou were awake yet, but Ye Shuang was already sitting in the living room, unable to sleep.

"Hmm..."

Ye Shuang propped his cheek with one hand, slowly sipping his hot tea.

Only after his body warmed up a little did he suddenly speak to the fat cat keeping him company, "Am I a very selfish person?"

"Meow."

"Mm, you're right." Ye Shuang fell quiet again. He sat on the sofa until five o'clock, perfectly still the whole time, just staring blankly at the empty space before him.

Slowly pulling his gaze back, Ye Shuang now stood up and headed upstairs.

Better force himself to sleep a little, after all, there were things to do during the day.

Just as Ye Shuang was thinking that, he noticed some rustling sounds coming from a nearby room. It was Bai Yuyou's room; Keke had stayed over tonight, and the two were sleeping together.

"Are they up?" Ye Shuang was taken aback. He checked the time again, even wondering if he had misheard.

Probably just misheard.

Returning to his room, Ye Shuang lay down on the bed.

Tossing and turning, yet unable to fall asleep.

Ye Shuang: "......"

He sat up again and finally chose to turn on his computer.

Unintentionally, Ye Shuang's gaze fell on a game icon on the desktop, and he proceeded to log into the game.

"......" Looking at his character in the game, Ye Shuang just wandered aimlessly.

Much like himself, not knowing what he should do.

"Huh?" Ye Shuang suddenly noticed a message pop up in the private chat window.

LoveNight: Oho, you're up early?

Seeing the familiar ID, Ye Shuang was stunned for a few seconds, then typed back.

LoveYaoyao: Have something on my mind, can't sleep.

LoveNight: Then chat with me about it. What's up, love troubles?

Ye Shuang chuckled lightly. But considering the other person was a stranger, it wasn't so hard to talk about.

LoveYaoyao: Not exactly love troubles. Just feel like I'm not worthy of the other person.

LoveNight: Why's that?

LoveYaoyao: It's a long story.

LoveNight: Give me the short version then. I'm not sleepy anyway.

Ye Shuang thought for a moment and gave a simple explanation: roughly that the other person's love was too pure, while his own heart was too cluttered with thoughts.

LoveYaoyao: So what do you think?

LoveNight: About this? At the very least, give the other person an answer?

Ye Shuang agreed with that point.

After chatting a bit more, Ye Shuang found the other person to be a very suitable conversation partner, as if they shared a bit of tacit understanding.

LoveYaoyao: So why aren't you asleep either?

LoveNight: It's Christmas today. I went on a date with the person I like. Too happy to sleep.

LoveYaoyao: You have someone, yet you still call me hubby.

LoveNight: It's fine, it's all the same.

All the same?

Ye Shuang thought about it, but indeed many people strictly separate games from reality.

LoveYaoyao: Congratulations, but it's still better to get some rest.

LoveNight: I know, you too.

LoveNight: Hey hey, I'm actually curious about something.

LoveYaoyao: What?

LoveNight: Do you really like that girl? Or... do you just think she's suitable for you, or feel like you owe her?

This question stopped Ye Shuang in his tracks.

Ye Shuang pondered for a while, until the other person asked again: 【Did I stump you?】 He slowly snapped out of it.

Ye Shuang typed:

No, I like her.

LoveNight: Then that's enough. That's all that's needed.

LoveNight: Get some rest early. I'm logging off.

Ye Shuang: Mm.

Watching the other's ID turn gray and their character disappear, Ye Shuang now stood there thinking. Perhaps because he had chatted with this person for a bit, his mood had improved considerably.

"Alright, time to rest."

Returning to bed, Ye Shuang found that on his phone, that "Tuutu" had sent him a sticker.

Tuutu: Good night.

Tuutu: Yibu Bu covers with blanket.ipg

Ye Shuang: Good night.

Closing his eyes, Ye Shuang suddenly fell into a deep sleep.

In his drowsiness, he felt like someone had entered his room, but his eyelids were too heavy, and he still didn't open them.

"Shh, over here."

"Oh."

Sounded like Keke and the others. Did they come in?

Ye Shuang slept a full three hours before slowly opening his eyes. He wasn't used to sleeping in until noon anymore, so he woke up before ten.

Rubbing his eyes, Ye Shuang sat up straight.

"Huh?"

Ye Shuang looked to the side and discovered a one-meter-tall gift box placed next to the computer desk, tied with a ribbon bow.

"What is this..."

Seeing such a huge gift box, Ye Shuang rubbed his eyes, then hesitated for a few seconds before lying back down.

Woke up too fast, seeing weird things.

After closing his eyes for a moment, Ye Shuang sat up again, confirming that the one-meter-plus tall gift box was not a hallucination.

"Yuyou and the others must have put it here. A Christmas gift?" Ye Shuang walked over to the gift and examined it.

What could be inside?

So big, it feels like it could fit a person.

Ye Shuang reached out and shook it; it felt somewhat heavy.

"Hmm..."

Ye Shuang took out his phone and sent a message to Yuyou.

Ye Shuang: Yuyou, is the gift in my room from you?

But the very next second, a phone notification sound came from inside the gift box.

Ye Shuang: ?

Could it be.

At that moment, a reply also came on his phone.

Bai Yuyou: (。•ω•。) Open it.

Ye Shuang: "......"

As if sensing something, Ye Shuang untied the ribbon. The gift box opened like falling apart, revealing the figure inside.

The girl was wrapped only in a few ribbons, her long hair cascading and spreading on the floor. She sat in a "seiza" (formal sitting) pose, her delicate face slightly flushed from being stuffy. She made her hands into little cat paws.

"Ye Shuang, I am your gift."

"Meow."