"You're being lazy!" Jiang Yuan let out a snort, glaring at him. However, her hands didn't stop unpacking the gift boxes. "Why aren't you dressed up as Santa Claus?"
"If you were a good - looking Santa, maybe I would've told you my wish earlier."
Chi Xu immediately burst into laughter. He leaned closer, close enough to see the tiny fluff on her face. She looked incredibly cute.
"In that case, if the gifts here don't meet your expectations, you can tell me right away."
"Dream on!" Jiang Yuan shot him another glare and said crossly, "Is there any Santa as lazy as you? Santa Claus would climb through the window."
"Yuanyuan, you think too highly of me. That's the girls' dormitory. If I climbed in, wouldn't I just be a pervert?" Chi Xu shook his head and simply sat on the ground, stroking Jiao Jiao, who was lying beside him.
Jiang Yuan was at a loss for words. After thinking about it, she realized he was right. She ignored Chi Xu and started unpacking the gifts with great enthusiasm.
The first gift was a ceramic bear wishing tree. It was very cute. Jiang Yuan looked at it for a while and gently put it back before moving on to the next one.
The second gift was an everlasting - flower cube scented lamp. The moment Jiang Yuan pressed the button, the warm - yellow light shone through the cube. There were two or three delicate everlasting flowers inserted at the top. It was both beautiful and practical. It could be used as a night - light or a diffuser.
Jiang Yuan really liked it. She was quite impressed at first sight.
Chi Xu explained beside her, "The everlasting flower symbolizes that flowers will bloom along the way, and so will your future."
"The cube night - light means I wish you to shine brightly and have a promising future."
"Humph." Jiang Yuan didn't say anything else, just replied with a super simple interjection in an adorable and proud way.
She continued to unpack the third gift. It was a pair of exquisite seawater pearls, 10mm in size. Their luster was extremely good, like bulbs shining in the night.
Jiang Yuan glanced at him and said, "These gifts aren't cheap, are they?"
Both she and he were just ordinary students. Even though Chi Xu's family was in business and gave him a generous allowance, it couldn't withstand such expenses.
"Actually, it's not that expensive." Chi Xu smiled. "I also do some small business on my own to share some of my father's burden."
After a pause, he deliberately stopped and stared at Jiang Yuan with bright eyes. Jiang Yuan felt a bit nervous under his gaze. She unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Actually, my parents know about you. I've told them about you."
"Ah?!" Jiang Yuan was shocked. Her mouth fell slightly open, and her face turned bright red. Fortunately, the light wasn't very bright, so her blushing face wasn't immediately noticeable.
"They've always known that I have a girl I like, the one living opposite the house in Haining City. When my mom heard that I reunited with you, she specifically told me to be nice to you, not to bully you, and not to make you run away."
Although he had made her angry before, he also had enough time to make up for it.
"What? When did this happen?" Jiang Yuan stammered. Then, as if remembering something, she punched him hard in the chest and said angrily, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Chi Xu leaned backward, propping his hands on the ground. He laughed for a while before stopping. "You know now, don't you? Don't worry. My family really likes you."
Seeing her increasingly red face, Chi Xu smiled and changed the topic. "Let's not talk about this. Keep unpacking. You're the most important one today."
Jiang Yuan lowered her head and continued to unpack the gifts.
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...
Until there was only one gift left. It wasn't as big as the previous gift boxes, about the thickness of a book.
Jiang Yuan counted and asked in confusion, "Why are there twelve gifts instead of eleven or thirteen?"
Chi Xu just smiled but didn't answer.
Jiang Yuan thought for a while and suddenly had an epiphany. Twelve gifts meant they had known each other for twelve years, from the first grade of primary school until now, spanning primary school, junior high school, high school, and now college. This year was exactly the twelfth year.
After New Year's Day, it would turn into the thirteenth year.
"Open this gift and take a look." Chi Xu said softly, nervously staring at the solitary gift box lying under the Christmas tree.
After unpacking so many gifts, Jiang Yuan was a bit numb. She liked all the gifts Chi Xu gave her, but something was missing.
Maybe it was the warmth.
Those gifts were nice, but they weren't enough to represent the bond between her and Chi Xu. They just looked gorgeous.
She slowly unpacked the twelfth gift. A familiar corner appeared. Jiang Yuan was stunned for a moment and then carefully opened it. What came into view was an album.
The same album she accidentally saw in Chi Xu's room before.
Her heart suddenly tightened. She looked at the album and then at Chi Xu. It seemed as if there were a thousand words stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say a thing.
"This is..." After a long time, she asked in a trembling voice.
Chi Xu's eyes were full of tenderness. He gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear and whispered softly, "Open it and you'll know."
She knew what it was. She had always known since that accidental peek.
Jiang Yuan never thought that Chi Xu would give her this album that he had treasured for so many years.
Her eyes involuntarily turned red. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and then opened the album with trembling hands.
The first page was the same as before.
"Yuan, may Jiang Yuan be safe and happy every year."
She flipped through the pages with a smile. Time had left its marks on the yellowed photos, but it couldn't stop their growth year after year.
Finally, the album stopped at the last page, which was the graduation photo taken in the third year of junior high school. And then it suddenly ended without any warning.
"I've always wanted to find a suitable opportunity to give this album to you. I think today might be a good moment. Yuanyuan, Merry Christmas."
"Can you forgive me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure threw herself into his arms. Chi Xu caught her steadily. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him a bit tightly. He tilted his head slightly and patted her back.
He asked with a smile, "Huh? Yuanyuan, have you completely forgiven me?"
"No. I've only forgiven you half for now. There's still half left. Come on, little Chi Xu. Keep working hard."
Chi Xu couldn't help but laugh. He continued to gently pat her back. "Then what should I do to get the other half of your forgiveness?"
"That depends on your performance." Jiang Yuan snorted. She struggled to get up and half - squatted in front of him. She looked at Chi Xu seriously, and her eyes landed on his lips. A mischievous thought came to her mind.
"You can't ask me. If you do, it'll be much harder for you to get my forgiveness."
"Okay, okay, okay. I'll keep working hard..." Before he could finish his sentence, Chi Xu felt something soft and warm covering his lips. His eyes widened slightly, and he stared at Jiang Yuan in disbelief as her face got closer.
In just two seconds, Jiang Yuan flitted away.