For three consecutive years, REGARD's Christmas tradition of gift exchanges with complimentary mulled wine and overnight operations had become a distinctive festive highlight on Yuyuan Road.
After losing his wife, Li Ai seemed determined to keep this lively tradition alive.
Restoring a coffee shop within three days wasn't particularly difficult in Shanghai. Hu Xiu heard from Zhao Xiaorou that she had moved her family's Christmas tree to REGARD, urgently ordered glass panels from Qingpu, personally bought a shopping cart's worth of Christmas decorations from stores, and documented the entire decoration process with a camera while setting up.
In the video, she showed no signs of having argued with Li Ai earlier. Dressed in a red sweater with a yellow-green scarf, she looked like a Christmas present herself.
During her busy 72-hour schedule, Hu Xiu noticed Diao Zhiyu's midnight post about losing his harmonica (later deleted) on social media. During a work break, she opened a shopping app, carefully compared options, added one to her cart, but ultimately cleared it with resigned disappointment.
Indeed, amid these packed days, Christmas Eve arrived quietly.
When she first heard Li Ai was inviting everyone for a gift exchange at the shop, Hu Xiu had felt somewhat uneasy—
Not only was she unfamiliar with such occasions, but the idea of placing gifts in a pile for random selection felt like an exercise in delayed disappointment, with unpredictable outcomes.
Now freed from this burden and without the complications of her previous crush, she could simply enjoy exchanging gifts with friends.
It was undeniably a mental load off her shoulders.
Hospitals rarely had any Christmas atmosphere, and the small shops along the narrow streets surrounding them remained isolated from the festive spirit.
Hu Xiu placed a Christmas-colored snow globe on her desk—when activated, snow would swirl inside the crystal sphere—
She had always loved Christmas, especially in Shanghai where holiday festivities were so vibrant.
Inspired by Xu Meng, she bought a cherry-red wool coat that fell in crisp, elegant lines, complementing her long black hair perfectly.
Staring at her reflection, she sensed some subtle change. Though she couldn't pinpoint it, her baby fat had noticeably faded during these few months of knowing Diao Zhiyu.
As for the Christmas gift, she found a beautifully tailored black shirt at a boutique she stumbled upon—unisex, comfortable against the skin, and wrinkle-resistant. It was practically effortless to maintain and easy to wear without much thought.
Returning to the office with the shopping bag, she almost laughed at herself. The shirt seemed tailor-made for Diao Zhiyu. Subconsciously, she had picked something perfect for his dark aesthetic, only to place it among other gifts waiting to be randomly selected—it felt like betraying her own intuition.
While printing documents at her senior colleague's office, she noticed Chen Yang still translating literature at his desk—
He seemed already preparing for next year's regularization. The senior colleague teased: "So, Xiao Hu, any Christmas plans?"
"Just gathering with some friends."
"How about you, Chen Yang?"
Chen Yang adjusted his glasses and looked up: "Going to the Bund with my girlfriend."
"Ah, you youngsters have all the freedom," the senior colleague sighed. "People like me, tied down by husband and kids, still have to stuff Christmas stockings with gifts and organize gatherings."
Her expression showed genuine distaste: "Right now, all I want is to drink and let loose."
A colleague behind them chuckled: "You've been showing off your kid's international school Christmas poster for days! What's there to complain about? That's what they call a sweet burden."Amidst the chatter of several married women, Hu Xiu couldn't tell whether their words carried envy or veiled sarcasm. Her mind was preoccupied with stopping by the gift shop after work to wrap her present into an unrecognizable shape before heading to REGARD.
As Christmas Eve approached and office hours neared their end, the atmosphere in the workplace relaxed considerably. Her senior colleague tidied her desk nearby and remarked, "I noticed Dr. Pei changed into a fresh outfit today—a crisp shirt beneath his white coat, looking particularly spirited. I wonder where he's off to tonight. Hu Xiu, are you two spending the evening together?"
"I'm not sure, I really don't know."
"Ah, make the most of it. Don't let this wanderer get swept away by the tides again. I'd started to think he was finally ready to settle down."
"Wanderer?"
"He's quite popular with the ladies—after all, there aren't many at the hospital with his looks, right? If you're not spending Christmas with him, he'll just find someone else. A man his age doesn't operate on a single track anymore."
Before her colleague could finish, Hu Xiu's phone vibrated. Pei Zhen's message was brief: "Evening gathering at REGARD. Li Ai invited me. Join me?"
Hu Xiu smiled as she replied: "Sure..."
Confident that Pei Zhen would be late due to his evening consultation, Hu Xiu took the gift to be wrapped in a long black box. She then concealed it in a shopping bag from the Shanghai Women’s Articles Store and placed it in the back seat before settling into the passenger seat.
Pei Zhen glanced back, as if trying to memorize the gift, but frowned in confusion. "I’m almost afraid to guess what this is."
"Don’t be so old-fashioned. It’s from a well-established store on Huaihai Road."
"Mainly—I’m worried I might not have any use for it."
Hu Xiu had already deciphered his teasing tone. "Who knows…"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he drove, perhaps accurately sensing that the invisible barrier between them was gradually fading.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiu swayed her shoulders lightly to the music in the car. Moving on in time would spare her deeper heartache.
Back when she and Li Ai had embraced and cried together in the empty, chilly wind, Hu Xiu had come to a realization: even if the outcome brought sorrow, she wouldn’t let it erase the joy. Completely dismissing everything was the folly of the young; adults needed to learn to save their memories and remain dignified friends.
As the car stopped on Anxi Road, Pei Zhen suddenly said, "You go ahead. I need to sneak my gift out, and no peeking once we’re inside. After all, I’ve already seen yours—we can’t ruin the fun of the game."
Hu Xiu tilted her head, studying him. This grown man seemed unusually childish today.
Pei Zhen appeared to soften under her gaze. "Or... if you’re really eager to see my gift, I could show you."
Hu Xiu stepped out of the car, holding the Women’s Articles Store bag. "You said it yourself—the game wouldn’t be any fun otherwise."
The moment she entered the venue, her heart gave a sharp jolt. Diao Zhiyu looked up and noticed her, his gaze lingering for a few seconds before he averted his eyes and turned away completely.
Dressed in a black sweater and black jeans, his dark curls contrasting with his fair skin, the clean lines of his jaw and nose were as sharp as a blade. Had she not known him, her first impression would have been of an aloof, handsome man.
The feeling of liking someone doesn’t fade so easily.
A hand waved gently in front of her—it was Li Ai, subtly signaling her not to be too obvious.
Hu Xiu said, "I deliberately covered it with a bag. There’s absolutely no way anyone would guess this gift is from me."Pei Zhen also noticed this packaging bag and was particularly disdainful—I came with him.
The busy figure moving things overheard every single word without missing a beat.
Li Ai glanced at the packaging bag: "Your bag is genuinely quite ridiculous."
From start to finish, Diao Zhiyu never once looked at the gift in Hu Xiu’s hands.
REGARD had recovered better than expected. The café, originally split in half by its color scheme, now had new wallpaper, all its soft furnishings replaced, and a damaged countertop adorned with a designer-made angel sculpture. In other spots, a Fender bass guitar stood alongside foreign-language books and drama anthologies neatly arranged on new shelves. The decor was packed to the brim, and an organ now occupied what was once empty space, its lacquer finish reminiscent of an antique.
Hu Xiu felt a surge of emotion. These were gifts from Li Ai’s friends, sent spontaneously for REGARD’s Christmas. This seemingly unremarkable little shop, under everyone’s care, had rallied with such vibrant life—so fiercely full that no one could ever destroy their home.
The drama anthologies in Chinese and English, photography textbooks, and cameras displayed in an acrylic case—a Pentax 6x7, Nikon D90, and Leica M7—were likely Diao Zhiyu’s cherished possessions. Quietly, he was guarding Li Ai’s home, making it harder to drift away from his own life.
Her heart raced, but she felt profoundly grateful.
The gifts were stacked mountain-high, roughly twenty or so in all sizes. Hu Xiu’s box was buried among them, looking rather inconspicuous.
That was just as well. Knowing Diao Zhiyu—someone who adored niche products, sought out small yet beautiful things, and had a particular fondness for unassuming girls—he would likely dig through the pile to uncover this box.
From the moment she saw him, a tiny flame of desire had ignited in her heart. Denying it was useless; this gift was truly bought for him. The name "Diao Zhiyu" had long been etched in her subconscious.
“Is everyone here?!” The booming voice belonged to Zhao Xiaorou, dressed in a black dress with reindeer antlers atop her head, her high heels clacking loudly—the very embodiment of Christmas cheer.
She hugged a large bag of gingerbread men, plopping it emphatically in front of Li Ai: “There’s still sugar in the car, but the taxi was rushing me.”
Unfamiliar young friends weaved through the shop, their conversations a mix of English and Chinese—this was unmistakably a Shanghai Christmas.
Xu Meng emerged from the back kitchen, clad in her signature red coat, seemingly brewing mulled wine. The gingerbread men shifted from Li Ai’s vicinity into her hands.
Pei Zhen also entered carrying a gift, greeting Li Ai: “Hu Xiu, could you step aside for a bit? I need to hide this present.”
This was no silent night—it was a Yu Yuan Road battlefield.
Fifty cups of mulled wine stood neatly lined up on the table, the aroma of alcohol blending with the sweetness of cinnamon and apples, wrapping the shop in a warm embrace.
Gifts occupied most of the space, and people squeezed together inside, eventually spilling out the door onto the street, chatting over drinks and occasionally returning to the shop for cake.
Zhao Xiaorou stole the spotlight, weaving through the crowd with the air of a proprietress, her cheeks flushed with triumph: “Drinks are on the house tonight! Hey, don’t bring out the roast chicken yet—we need photos with the gifts! And you, that foreigner! Stay away from the presents! Hu Xiu, translate for him—tell him not to pick first. Fair competition!”Li Ai smiled gently and helplessly, while Xu Meng sat quietly in the corner, still single but with a slightly better chance in the competition.
Pei Zhen held only a bottle of Bundaberg, his words tinged with the fizz of peach-flavored soda: "The atmosphere is too good. In previous years, we'd be in the office or the operating room, and the night would be gone before we did anything."
"Then why aren't you drinking?"
"On standby. Soon there'll be patients with cuts, poisoning, or car accidents, plus those alcohol poisoning cases I don't handle, and people with indigestion from overeating."
Pei Zhen clinked his glass against Hu Xiu's: "Merry Christmas."
"Then I'll have to drink two glasses for you."
Diao Zhiyu's injured hand gently appeared between them: "Excuse me..."
The interruption was perfectly timed. Pei Zhen stopped Diao Zhiyu by the elbow: "The stitching on this scar isn't great. Come see me at the hospital when you have time, I'll redo it for you."
"It's fine, no big deal."
In the few seconds he lingered beside Hu Xiu, Diao Zhiyu's breathing seemed slightly erratic, a bit restless.
Hu Xiu had seen Diao Zhiyu's unintentional aloofness before, catching his faint frown before he turned away, as if deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"The scar will look ugly if it stays. Right on your arm—you won't even be able to wear short sleeves."
"It's fine. Girls like this kind of thing."
The surrounding noise faded beneath her thoughts. Hu Xiu watched Diao Zhiyu's evasive eyes, her heart pounding.
Testing the waters, she spoke first: "Dr. Pei works miracles. Maybe your hand will look like nothing ever happened."
Diao Zhiyu left without a word. Pei Zhen laughed heartily: "Though I can achieve about ninety percent, don't exaggerate like that."
Hu Xiu didn't quite catch Pei Zhen's words, her eyes fixed on Diao Zhiyu's defiant retreat—her moving on so quickly hadn't left him indifferent.
A persistent ache lingered in her heart as Hu Xiu chatted intermittently with Pei Zhen, secretly scanning the pile of gifts, wondering if among the well-wishes there might be one meant just for her.
The slender green package was overly intricate; the flashy shape was probably something even it would disdain; the one propped in the corner was likely specially delivered, too much trouble; the small red cunning box wasn't his style at all.
Someone was clapping—it was Li Ai. The surroundings quieted as he raised his glass, hesitated for a long moment, then shook his head with a smile: "Sorry, I'm really not good at these occasions. That REGARD has become what it is today—thank you, everyone, and Merry Christmas."
His words drew laughter from the crowd. Cheers erupted outside, the space growing noisy as the music volume increased. No Christmas escapes Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
Zhao Xiaorou stood on a stool, pointing at Diao Zhiyu in the distance: "Diao Zhiyu, come take a group photo with everyone! Time to open gifts!Everyone squeezed together, Pei Zhen pressing close to Hu Xiu and simply pulling her into a tight hug.
Diao Zhiyu didn't join the photo, instead carefully framing the shot with a tripod. His bandaged hand stood out starkly against his black attire and fair skin. A girl behind him remarked, "That guy taking pictures is so handsome."
Hu Xiu swallowed hard.The moment finally arrived to unveil the fifty-plus gifts and discover their new owners. Several young ABC international students went first, claiming the vibrant styles. The couple with rock-inspired hairstyles took the cloth bags leaning against the sides. Gifts were opened one by one—drumsticks, an oven, film rolls, a miniature printer...
Hu Xiu felt a pang of regret. Everyone had put such thoughtful effort into their gifts, while hers seemed particularly haphazard.
If she had taken the time to visit the music conservatory and sought a luthier’s advice, selecting an exquisite harmonica wouldn’t have been an issue.
At least then, when Diao Zhiyu unwrapped it, he would have known she’d been quietly paying attention to him.
A lingering unease stayed with her.
Zhao Xiaorou hopped down from her stool. "My turn. I’ve had my eye on that oddly shaped thing for ages. The wrapping is so skillful—could it be from Li Ai?"
Confidently, she strode over and reached for the khaki-colored gift bag. "Then this one..."
She was convinced it was Li Ai’s gift. But just then, a foreign girl behind her exclaimed—apparently, it was from her boyfriend.
Zhao Xiaorou couldn’t hide her disappointment. She tore into the package somewhat roughly, revealing a tea set.
Rolling her eyes, she sighed, "Oh my god, what did I do to deserve this? I don’t even drink tea. Anyone want to swap?"
The foreigner had drawn a stack of twenty pirated discs, quintessentially Chinese, and happily declared he’d stick them on his wall.
Half the gifts were taken, and Hu Xiu’s black box gradually became visible. Her heartbeat quickened.
Diao Zhiyu remained seated, scrolling on his phone, while Pei Zhen grew increasingly anxious. "Oh, that green one looks quite nice. I’m a bit curious—has it been taken yet?"
After it was unwrapped and its owner identified, he brightened up and continued searching for his next target.
After listening for a while, Hu Xiu understood: he was earnestly seeking the gift hidden in packaging from a women and children’s goods store.
Zhao Xiaorou tapped Diao Zhiyu. "Hey, go pick a gift."
"I don’t really care," Diao Zhiyu said, standing up and straightening his posture. As he wandered expressionlessly among the gifts, someone behind him gasped. His fingers brushed past Hu Xiu’s black box, then paused.
Hu Xiu watched his slender fingers intently—Please, pick it up, pick it up—
Diao Zhiyu picked up a nearby red velvet box and straightened his back. A girl behind him squealed excitedly, "Handsome! You got mine!"
The icy-faced young man greeted her gently. It was a small Sony speaker—right up Diao Zhiyu’s alley. The man who even used Sony for his phone seemed pleased but didn’t show it. The girl bounded over to add him on WeChat, and he didn’t refuse.
Hu Xiu turned away, feeling stifled. Beside her, Pei Zhen let out a breath. "My turn..."
He even deliberately softened his footsteps, standing cautiously before the boxes for a long time. He touched each one, then glanced back at Hu Xiu as if testing the waters.
Hu Xiu watched him calmly, a touch of sadness in her heart, until he picked up her long box. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened it. "Let’s see my luck..."
The black shirt unfolded without a single crease. Hu Xiu smiled gently. "It’s mine..."
She had never seen a man so ecstatic over her.
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