☆ Chapter 4 — Snowy Night
After a satisfying meal, the three members of the band strolled lazily down the street, rubbing their round, full bellies.
The Christmas spirit was getting stronger with every step. People passing by carried festive decorations in their hands, Christmas songs played from every shop, and a couple was struggling to load a Christmas tree onto their car.
Looking around, Margie sighed, "Christmas is coming… I really want to go home."
Kitty turned to her and said, "Then go."
Margie froze for a second, then quickly waved her hands, flustered. "No, no, I was just saying. I didn't mean I've forgiven them or anything. Kitty, don't get the wrong idea."
Kitty scratched her spiky short black hair and smiled. "I didn't misunderstand. I meant it. It's been half a year—you should go back and see them. They're still your family, after all."
Margie looked at her carefully. "Really? But Pine is going to visit the kids at the orphanage. If I leave too, what about you?"
"I'm fine," Kitty replied casually. "This is your holiday, not mine. We Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year. So go see them. But remember what I said—if they can't even let you enjoy Christmas properly, walk away. No hesitation."
Margie nodded gratefully. "I will!"
Pine chimed in, "Kitty, how about having An Yi spend Christmas with you?"
Kitty rolled her eyes. "What, did that big meal kill your last brain cell? I just had a fight with that guy—why would I go make peace now? It's just Christmas. I'll crash in the tunnel for the night like always. You guys don't need to worry about me."
Pine scratched his head. "O-okay then. I'm planning to buy presents for the kids. Kitty, is there anything you want?"
"I want to go too! Let's pick something out for Kitty together!" Margie added excitedly.
Even though Kitty kept insisting she didn't want any gifts, the holiday vibe had completely taken over the other two. They got so into it that they eventually dashed off to the supermarket to shop for presents.
Kitty sighed and shook her head, handed them all the money she had left, and said goodbye at the supermarket entrance. Then she turned around and walked back alone to her base—the dark tunnel.
It wasn't exactly the nicest place—just a hangout for society's underbelly—but even in this tiny underground space, there were distinct "territories."
At the very front of the tunnel, where it was easiest to get wet when it rained, were the idle homeless people. A little farther in was where the Black street musicians gathered. Across from them were school-skipping punks and a few undocumented Mexican immigrants. And the warmest, driest, and most comfortable corner? That belonged to Kitty and her crew.
Their instruments were still in place, but the spot where Kitty usually slept was now occupied by two Black singers.
She squinted at the two big guys and said coldly, "Forgot what happened last time?"
The two men, both nearly six-foot-three, instantly jumped up with a loud "whoosh" and tried to run, but Kitty stopped them. "Freeze."
"W-we didn't mean anything, Kitty! Just wanted to mess around with your instruments a little!" one of them said nervously, his head ducked. "Please… don't use your Chinese martial arts on us!"
"Yeah, yeah! That Mantis Fist, that White Crane something—super scary! We've learned our lesson!"
Kitty tried not to laugh and held out her hand. "Then hurry up and hand over the good stuff."
The two men exchanged a look, then reluctantly pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes.
"This is all we have. Super expensive! We haven't even dared to smoke it ourselves…"
Kitty took the pack without a word, pulled out two cigarettes, and tossed the rest back at them. The two of them grabbed the pack and bolted, then peeked at her nervously from behind a wall.
Kitty lit a cigarette and lay back on the makeshift bed she'd built from an old coat. All around her, people chatted about Christmas in hushed tones, each with their own story. But her eyes stayed locked on the sky at the tunnel entrance.
No stars.
That meant snow was definitely coming tomorrow.
Damn it. Screw the snow.
She puffed out a smoke ring and pulled the coat over her head, forcing herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tunnel, Shu Mingyang had just returned home—but he couldn't stop thinking about that girl named Kitty… and the kiss she gave him.
Part of it was because her black lipstick had left a stubborn mark on his lips. It took a servant and ten minutes of scrubbing to finally get it off. But more than that…
She was just… different.
Shu Mingyang had grown up in privilege, surrounded by two kinds of women: well-bred ladies from rich families like his own, or scheming gold-diggers trying to climb the social ladder.
But he had never met anyone like Kitty before—so free, so wild, doing whatever she pleased. Honestly, after years of obeying his family's expectations, he kind of admired that kind of life.
His friend Gu Leng used to say he was too picky with women, that he didn't like proper ladies or sexy vixens, and joked he was basically emotionally dead. But tonight, something shifted in Shu Mingyang's heart.
Maybe what he needed… was a girl like Kitty. Someone unique. Someone who might finally make him feel something real.
Before he could think more on it, a servant interrupted his thoughts.
"Mr. Shu, Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Would you like us to buy any holiday supplies for you?"
Shu Mingyang looked at the middle-aged white woman and thought for a moment. "No need. I won't need anything. In fact, I'm giving all of you five days off. I know how important this holiday is to you. Enjoy it."
The servant gave him a sincere smile. "Thank you, Mr. Shu. I'll let the others know. Merry Christmas to you too."
So the next morning, when Shu Mingyang woke up, the entire massive villa was silent—he was completely alone.
Security wasn't an issue. The house had an advanced electronic system, and there was a private guard team watching the grounds 24/7. But the place still felt… empty.
Maybe if there were a woman living here with him, it would feel more like a home.
His older brother and sister had already married and had kids back in China, so now his parents had turned their full "marriage pressure" on him. But he kept giving the same response: "Not interested," "Didn't feel anything."
It was driving his parents mad.
The truth was, Shu Mingyang did want to fall in love. But the problem was—he didn't even know what kind of woman he liked.
How could he find someone if he didn't even know what he was looking for?
Forget it. That question was too hard.
Better to focus on work. That was at least something he could handle.
He stepped outside—and was stunned by what he saw.
Overnight, the world had turned completely white.
Certainly! Here's a natural, fluent, and easy-to-understand English translation of the passage you provided:
☆
People out on the streets, in twos and threes, all seemed to welcome the snowfall. Understandably so—Christmas just doesn't feel the same without snow.
Wearing a long coat, Shu Mingyang walked through the tunnel. As he passed by the spot where he and Kitty had sung together the day before, he couldn't help but slow down and look around for her. He found her quickly—but today, she was alone, and something seemed… off.
Kitty was sitting against the wall with her head buried between her knees, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She was hugging herself so hard, her knuckles had turned white.
Shu Mingyang walked over and asked softly, "Kitty, are you okay? Where are your friends?"
It took a full minute before Kitty slowly raised her head. Her eyes were red, and the rage and sorrow in them were so intense that Shu Mingyang forgot to breathe for a second.
But what shocked him even more was what happened next—Kitty suddenly shoved him hard and yelled angrily, "Get lost! I don't need you meddling in my business!"
Shu Mingyang stared at her, stunned for a couple of seconds, then tried again, "Did something happen? You can tell—"
"What the hell are you to me? Why would I tell you anything?" Kitty snapped, gritting her teeth. "Get out of my sight! Just looking at you makes me sick!"
Embarrassment and frustration surged up inside Shu Mingyang. Even though he was known for his good temper in the business world, being scolded like this—out of nowhere—would piss off anyone.
He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked away. Fine. They were basically strangers anyway. If she didn't want help, he wouldn't push it.
When he got to the office, it took some effort to push that unpleasant encounter out of his mind. From then on, he worked non-stop until evening. Most companies had already let their employees off for the holiday, but his team had to provide important data to their headquarters in China, so it wasn't until 8 p.m. that Shu Mingyang finally wrapped up his day.
As he stepped out of the office, the streets were glowing with the warmth of Christmas. Even strangers were smiling and wishing him a merry Christmas Eve.
He originally planned to drive straight home. But somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened that morning in the tunnel. Was that girl really okay?
Forget it. Might as well check on her one more time.
As he walked back through the heavy snow toward the tunnel, he couldn't help but laugh at himself—what was he doing? She had called him "disgusting" just that morning, and here he was again, like some glutton for punishment. What the hell was he hoping for?
He mentally braced himself for anything. But when he arrived at the tunnel entrance… it was completely empty.
Everyone must've gone off to celebrate Christmas, even Kitty. So maybe she was fine after all?
Still unsure, Shu Mingyang walked a few steps inside. That's when he noticed something—right where Kitty had been sitting that morning, there was a lumpy shape covered by an old, tattered coat.
Scenes from all those crime dramas he'd watched flashed through his mind—bloody, violent images that made his scalp tingle. Instinctively, he rushed forward and pulled the coat back.
Underneath it, curled up in a ball, was Kitty—half-conscious.
He quickly patted her face. "Kitty! It's me, Shu Mingyang! Are you okay? I'll call an ambulance!"
But as he reached for his phone, her cold hand weakly pressed down on his.
"I'm fine… no ambulance," she whispered, voice as soft as a mosquito's.
"But you—"
"I really am fine," Kitty said hoarsely. "Just a bit… cold. Can I trouble you to sit with me for a little while? Just a little."
Shu Mingyang looked at her flushed face and those pitiful eyes. Then he glanced around the damp, freezing tunnel. A sudden thought crossed his mind—he didn't even think it through before blurting out:
"Why don't you come to my place? It's Christmas Eve. You shouldn't be sleeping out here on the streets."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. What if she thought he had some shady motive?
He was just about to explain when the girl in front of him looked at him like he was her savior. She nodded—firmly.
"Okay."
Author's Note:
The female lead has many secrets—any guesses after this chapter?
P.S. The bossy CEO will be randomly handing out red envelopes to sweet and serious little angels~ 💌