After the car accident, my boyfriend got straight - Chapter 63

As the competition approached, Jiang Shiyu was suddenly handed a yellow envelope by his French teacher after class.

“This is your final competition here, and it counts as your graduation performance. You should invite your family or friends to join you, so you won’t have any regrets.”

The teacher’s words were like a wake-up call for him, who had always believed in persevering alone.

Indeed, if the people he loved most couldn’t witness his final performance, what would be the meaning of all his efforts throughout the year?

He took the envelope, bowed to his teacher, and thanked him.

Unable to wait until he got back to the dormitory, he called his first contact while still on the road. The first call was to Li Muzi, who agreed immediately. He said that even if Jiang Shiyu hadn’t invited him, he had planned to secretly come and cheer him on.

The second call was to Aunt Bai Yun. This year, she had flown over several times to visit him, bringing so many gifts and supplies that his dormitory was overflowing.

He anxiously asked if she could make it to his competition at the end of the month.

“Foolish child, I’ve been waiting for you to say this. Shen Li already told me about your competition at the end of the month. I was planning to surprise you. Don’t worry, Auntie will definitely be there to cheer you on.”

Jiang Shiyu hung up the phone with tears in his eyes and looked at his last contact. He hesitated before making the call.

The video call was answered within three seconds.

On the screen, the familiar contours of a male face appeared. In the next moment, a teasing smile and nonchalant eyes slowly came into view.

Shen Li did not speak, just gazed at the person on the other end of the video call, as if waiting for him to say something.

When their eyes met, they seemed to understand each other perfectly.

Jiang Shiyu felt that he didn’t need to say anything more; the person on the other end already knew.

But he still cautiously asked, “Will you come?”

Shen Li revealed a smile that was both reassuring and oddly amusing. “Jiang Shiyu, so my status in your heart is so low that this wasn’t the first question you asked me.”

Jiang Shiyu was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized.

“It’s precisely because you’re so important that I didn’t ask you first. I had to mentally prepare myself.”

“Are you afraid I won’t come?”

Jiang Shiyu shook his head, then nodded.

“I’m afraid you will come, and I’m afraid you won’t come.”

Afraid that after a year apart, he might not have grown enough to stand before Shen Li as someone admirable.

“Jiang Shiyu, whether you called me today or invited me or not, I would definitely come.”

Jiang Shiyu’s face lit up with a bright smile.

As finals week approached, the atmosphere at school became increasingly tense. The library and practice rooms were crowded every day. Jiang Shiyu had to deal with both the final exams and the upcoming international piano competition.

He was so busy that he felt dizzy, practicing until his fingers were stiff. He would wake up at night with sore fingers, feeling exhausted and rubbing his knuckles before drifting back to sleep.

Today was a rare sunny day, with the sun breaking through thick clouds, casting a bit of golden light. Although it wasn’t strong, the sunshine after more than half a month of gloomy, rainy, and windy weather brightened everyone’s mood.

When he returned to the dormitory, Leo, dressed up flamboyantly, was standing in front of the mirror, checking himself out. Seeing Jiang Shiyu come back, he quickly approached him.

“Jiang, do I look good?”

Leo, who looked youthful but dressed in a more mature and glamorous manner, had his features altered by thick makeup. Though he looked attractive, Jiang Shiyu still seriously nodded.

“You look beautiful.”

Leo had lived with the Chinese boy for a year and knew that Jiang Shiyu never said insincere things. Hearing him praise his appearance, he immediately turned around, happily admiring himself in the mirror.

“Are you going out? Will you be back tonight? Do I need to leave the door open for you?”

Jiang Shiyu asked, and Leo looked puzzled.

“Aren’t you going out?”

Jiang Shiyu shook his head. “I’m not going out; I still have to review.”

“Oh my god, you’re not going out today?”

Jiang Shiyu was confused. “Why? Is today some special day?”

Leo rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the dormitory. “Don’t you see the strong festive atmosphere and decorations around?”

Jiang Shiyu was stunned. He really hadn’t noticed.

Since he always wore headphones and focused on his notes or the music in his ears, he barely paid attention to his surroundings.

Leo looked at his expression and found it amusing.

“It’s Christmas today! You’re so focused on studying that you’re oblivious. Trust me, take a break and go out to relax.”

Jiang Shiyu stared blankly for a while before exclaiming, “Oh, it’s Christmas already?”

When Leo left, he looked back at him, who was still sitting at the desk. He sighed, trying to persuade him for a while longer, saying he was too stressed and that there was no rush to study just for tonight. It was Christmas, a special day, and he should go out and have some fun.

But Jiang Shiyu seemed to have thought of something and shook his head in the end.

“I don’t have anyone to celebrate with, so going out seems pointless. It’s better to review a few more pages of material.”

Leo had never seen such a study-focused classmate before and could only admire him with a thumbs-up.

As night fell, the campus gradually quieted down, and faint Christmas music could be heard from afar.

Jiang Shiyu put down his study materials and felt a sense of loneliness in the empty, quiet dormitory.

Last Christmas, he had spent it in the hospital due to heart surgery and didn’t even get to experience the Christmas atmosphere. This year, he was alone in a foreign country surrounded by festive decorations, but he had no inclination to enjoy it.

He aimlessly scrolled through his phone and saw that everyone back home was also immersed in the Christmas spirit, with beautifully decorated Christmas trees piled with gifts, people gathering for chat and feasts.

Seeing these images, he finally put away his phone, took out a cotton-padded jacket from his wardrobe, and wrapped himself up.

On the streets, as Leo said, the festive atmosphere was overwhelming. Most people were in pairs or groups of friends, he, alone, walked slowly through the French streets.

He had no particular destination, seemingly just trying to fit in with the Christmas celebration and not stand out.

In the daytime, there was still some sunlight, but by nightfall, the temperature dropped. Before he reached the end of the road, he saw delicate snowflakes falling under the streetlights.

The Christmas snowflakes heightened the festive atmosphere.

Pedestrians on the road stopped to admire or catch the falling snowflakes with their hands.

The streets, lined with endless stores, were brightly lit. Occasionally, jingling music and bells could be heard.

The entire city of France felt like a fairy tale castle, with huge Christmas trees, reindeer, and twinkling lights everywhere, enveloping the city in romance and fantasy.

He felt like an outsider who had wandered into a fairy tale world.

As he passed a house decorated like a gingerbread house, a man dressed as Santa Claus emerged, carrying a large sack, as if preparing to deliver gifts through chimneys.

“Hey, come in and sit! It’s Christmas, so there’s an 85% discount and a scratch card lottery.”

Jiang Shiyu looked through the Santa Claus at the interior, which seemed to be a cozy café with single seats by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Come in and sit. Maybe Santa Claus will grant your wish.”

Jiang Shiyu smiled and replied, “Really?”

The Santa Claus winked and said, “Maybe.”

Jiang Shiyu, not wanting to walk alone on the street, pushed open the door of the gingerbread house. The warmth and aroma of roasted chicken greeted him. The interior was not large, just enough to accommodate a dozen people. There was a small stage at the front where someone was currently singing.

A waiter dressed in Christmas attire approached and he pointed to a single seat by the floor-to-ceiling window, indicating he wanted to sit there.

After the waiter seated him, they handed him a menu and a scratch card at the same time.

“Tonight, every customer who comes in will receive a scratch card. The rewards are random, so please don’t scratch it until we announce it later. Good luck and Merry Christmas.”

Jiang Shiyu smiled and nodded, wishing the waiter a Merry Christmas in return, and then he ordered his food and handed back the menu.

After the waiter left, he took a look around the gingerbread house. The decorations inside and out were in the same style, but the inside was a bit dimmer. The small bar was decorated with various Christmas elements, giving it a cluttered but organized appearance. With the limited seating, there was a good amount of personal space between tables.

Inside the gingerbread house, everything seemed to slow down. The patrons were leisurely enjoying their meals and chatting softly, while the singer on stage played soothing Christmas tunes. The wall-mounted fireplace decorations cast a warm, reddish glow that made the cold winter evening feel cozy. Sitting by the glass window, Jiang Shiyu watched the passing pedestrians and the slowly falling snowflakes. The twinkling lights along the road made the scene look like a starry river.

His food soon arrived—a cup of hot milk tea and a cheese soufflé. After a year in France, he had grown indifferent to the food, and his already thin frame had become even more slender.

The warm milk tea slid down his throat, spreading warmth throughout his body, and the cold limbs began to relax in the cozy environment. He sipped his tea, listened to the slow, melodious music, and gazed at the snowflakes and passersby outside, with the twinkling lights making the streets look like a scene from a fairytale.

Time passed, and the singer continued to perform a series of English songs on stage. At some point, he noticed a familiar melody playing.

Holding his cup, he snapped out of his daze and looked from the window to the small stage nearby.

The familiar piano tune filled the air, and he realized that the performer had left the stage, leaving the lively tune to reverberate throughout the gingerbread house.

He blinked and had no time to react before a waiter in Christmas attire approached him.

The waiter carried a bouquet of white bellflowers wrapped neatly in a small bundle, emitting a faint fragrance.

“Sir, this bouquet was ordered for you. Please sign here to accept it.”

He was puzzled and didn’t reach out.

“Who sent this?”

“I’m sorry, the sender communicated by phone and didn’t leave a name.”

Jiang Shiyu looked at the bellflower bouquet, which was beautifully wrapped but not overly large, just a small, clean bundle easy to hold.

He glanced around but saw nothing unusual. The waiter continued to hold out the bouquet, waiting for him to accept it.

He had a fleeting, wild thought but quickly dismissed it. It wasn’t possible; his performance was still a week away.

Ultimately, he declined the bouquet, apologizing to the waiter that he couldn’t accept it.

The waiter seemed to have anticipated his refusal, showing no surprise and merely nodding before taking the bouquet away.

Afterward, the gingerbread house continued to play the piano tune on a loop. On this Christmas Eve, it felt a bit out of place yet somehow fitting.

Soon, the waiter returned to the stage, taking the microphone to deliver Christmas greetings and informing everyone that each of them had been given a scratch card before ordering. They could scratch them now and redeem their prizes.

Jiang Shiyu soon heard exclamations of excitement from the neighboring table. A man raised his scratch card and announced he had won a free meal voucher.

Quickly, cheers and excitement spread among the patrons.

Free meal vouchers, discount coupons, complimentary dishes, and even gifts were being won.

Jiang Shiyu looked at the lively scene around him, his gaze falling back on the walnut wood table where the scratch card lay. The card, themed for Christmas, had a red background with bells on the corners and a coating over the prize area.

He felt a bit indifferent. Leo’s earlier words made him want to experience the festive atmosphere, but it was hard to enjoy the holiday alone. Despite being in a lively environment, he felt lonely and uninterested.

Suddenly, he recalled the Santa Claus’s words at the entrance.

Wishes come true.

Christmas, Santa Claus, making wishes come true.

These were just things said to children. When he was young, he would leave a sock by his pillow at night, and Santa would fill it with gifts.

In reality, the sock filled with gifts was just a way for those who loved him to express their affection.

He picked up the scratcher and slowly scratched off the coating on the card.

As he revealed the text beneath, his eyes widened.

“Another one?”

What was this?

Were there really multiple “another one” on the scratch card? Was this some kind of drink voucher stamp?

He had just seen a waiter walk by and quickly stopped him, handing over the scratch card.

“Excuse me, can you tell me about this scratch card? ‘Another one’?”

The waiter’s eyes sparkled briefly as he looked at the card and then at him. He took the card and said, “Please wait a moment while I get you another one.”

The dull Christmas seemed to become a bit lively with this unexpected twist. He was curious if only he had scratched “another one” repeatedly.

The waiter soon returned with a new card.

“Here you go. You can scratch this one.”

The waiter stood by, watching.

He scratched the new card.

“Another one” again.

He was puzzled and felt like he was being played. Why did he keep getting “another one”?

Before he could say anything, the waiter quickly left and returned with yet another new card.

“Here is your lucky card. Please check your gift.”

The waiter handed the card to him. Jiang Shiyu paused for a few seconds before scratching off the coating on the third card.

This time, it wasn’t the repeated “another one.”

Instead, it said, “Congratulations, you’ve won.”

The waiter, standing nearby, smiled and said, “Congratulations, you’ve won. Please turn around to collect your gift.”

Jiang Shiyu felt a rush of emotion in his chest. The waiter’s voice was close, and he slowly turned around while seated by the glass window.

Outside, Shen Li stood holding the bouquet of bellflowers, smiling at him. The dim yellow light from the street lamps combined with the falling snowflakes created a scene straight out of a dream.

Jiang Shiyu looked through the glass and immediately recognized the person.

“Merry Christmas.”