A draw on Christmas Eve - Part 1
The water-patterned carpet in the center of the living room shimmered softly under the light. They had placed several cushions on the carpet, in low-saturation shades of blue-gray, off-white, and dark green, which were neither too flashy nor too dull, gently defining the space.
In the middle was a low, light-colored wooden tea table. On the tea table were a glass teapot and several small transparent cups that Pan Qiu had prepared in advance, neatly arranged there.
The teapot was filled with a combination she'd recently taken to: a few dried rosebuds in black tea, the color soft, the tea warm, slightly astringent on the palate with a hint of floral fragrance, like a kind of gentle warmth. She loved to do this whenever she had free time—pinching the rosebuds between her fingers, making a slight dry, rubbing sound as she placed them into the teapot, followed by the sound of hot water being poured in, scalding hot, yet comforting.
This subtle, quiet, and effortless sense of ritual made her feel that life wasn't so cold anymore. So, she naturally set up this set at the party. The small glasses were from Muji, so transparent they almost disappeared into the air. She liked that texture—light and clean.
There is no ceiling light in the living room; all the light comes from two floor lamps in opposite corners, spreading out softly as if embracing the house in an inconspicuous way.
A ring of thin Christmas lights was wrapped around the curtains, the little bulbs twinkling as if speaking softly. This lighting method, without a clear "main light," created an indescribable warmth and relaxation. It even made one feel that upon entering, their shoulders naturally relaxed, as if every cell in their body quietly softened its voice.
Zhiwei was the first to change and come downstairs. She wore a tomato-red coral fleece pajama set, styled like a bathrobe, with white piping on the collar and cuffs, playful yet festive. She had also styled her hair into two loose side ponytails, swaying behind her ears, with the ends curled into natural waves. A fluffy reindeer hair clip adorned her head, and her bright eyes made her look even more light and lively than usual.
Pan Qiu, on the other hand, had a different style. She wore a clean-cut, pure cotton long-sleeved and long-legged pajama set in a subtle dusty rose pink color.
She usually prefers cool tones like gray-blue and misty purple, but when she saw this color on the webpage that day, it was like being struck by lightning. The neckline was a simple small V-neck, with two thin letters embroidered in silver thread on the left corner: PQ.
It was a custom-made piece from a European brand she had recently purchased. She didn't know how to pronounce the brand's name, but she remembered it vividly—each outfit allowed her to choose the color and embroidery, and it would come with a sachet of dried flowers, packaged like a personal love letter. She chose lavender, and the moment she opened the box, the clean and calming scent soothed her entire day.
She usually wears her hair in a low ponytail or a casual bun, but tonight, her hair was loosely draped down, drooping softly beside her ears. Paired with her unremarkable pajamas, she exuded a rare, soft, and graceful charm—like a flower that was originally hidden in the wind, suddenly blooming quietly under the warm light.
Panqiu squatted down, reached behind the power strip to pull out the Bluetooth speaker, and skillfully connected it to her phone.
"Don't tell me you're using that 'situational zone playback method' again." Zhiwei poked her head out from the kitchen, her tone amused. "Are you listening to music or curating an exhibition?"
Pan Qiu smiled and tucked her hair behind one ear. "Of course, it's curating."
She opened the playlist, and a line of text popped up on the screen:
livingroom-winter-night. Several other categories are also available below:
kitchen – rainy morning
Study room – focused yet gentle.
Balcony – late night tea
Bathroom – Lavender Steam
These names sound like the names of scented candles, or chapter titles of some emotional novel; only she knows that they correspond to specific moments and spaces in her life.
This isn't a habit of being romantic for the sake of romance. She always felt that a person's emotional state in a space is woven from many subtle elements: light, temperature, fragrance, and even the faint melody in the background. The longer she studied psychology, the more she could perceive the subtle influence of this "environmental regulation" on people's emotions.
She once read a passage that essentially said: when a person repeatedly experiences relaxation and safety in a certain space, that space gradually becomes an internalized psychological anchor point, so that even hearing similar background sounds later on can instantly make them relax. She didn't know if this was a sense of ritual, but she liked the feeling of "laying out an emotional cushion in advance."
"Your names are more sophisticated than the variables I use in my code."
Zhiwei brought out a plate of fruit and placed a small bowl next to the coffee table.
"Why don't you just call it 'Bathroom Crying Background Music' or 'Kitchen Artistic Monologue Style'? It would save me from guessing for so long every time."
Pan Qiu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "Your suggestion is indeed good."
Zhiwei snorted and casually picked up the remote control. "I'll do it. Let's not play those 'emotional background music' tracks where you can't even tell the lyrics."
She pressed the button twice, and suddenly a familiar intro filled the room. "All I want for Christmas is you…"
Zhiwei raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Let's get practical and start with the theme song of 'Love Actually'."
Just as the doorbell rang, the small light on the curtains flickered briefly, as if silently welcoming the first visitor of the holiday.
Zhiwei got up to open the door. Panqiu, carrying hot tea, saw the person standing outside the door through the steam, and her eyes curved into a smile.
"Oh, the green is just right."
Xu Qian stood in the doorway, her breath still carrying the chill of the winter night. She wore a dark green flannel pajama set, a somber color, yet made extra festive by the gold piping on the cuffs and trousers. A soft Santa hat adorned her head, the tip dangling to one side, the pom-pom resting just beside her ear. A red canvas bag slung over her shoulder contained the cold noodles she had made and wrapped small gifts.
"The color scheme is perfect," Zhiwei said as she took the bag. "It complements my red and green perfectly."
"This lighting... is so comfortable," Xu Qian murmured.
Panqiu led her to a small tea table. The teapot was made of transparent glass, and the tea was a pale red color, with a few dried rose petals gently swirling in the water. Several small glasses were neatly arranged on a tray, reflecting the warm yellow light.
"Is this some kind of lifestyle aesthetics channel you guys have started?" Xu Qian took the teacup, took a light sniff, and said, "Oh, never mind, it's so therapeutic."
The doorbell rang again, this time much more urgently, as if it had been pressed twice.
Zhi smiled and went to open the door: "I knew it was you guys—"
As soon as the door opened, Leo poked half his head in first: "Merry Christmas! We're here! This is the food we brought!" He brought a lively atmosphere. June squeezed in right after, and the two of them carried the scent of freshly chilled air mixed with the aroma of freshly cooked food, instantly warming the room a bit.
June added, "But the taste of the food is not guaranteed, it all depends on luck."
Leo laughed without a trace of guilt: "I was only responsible for washing the vegetables today, I didn't even touch the spatula."
June waved her hand as she entered, saying, "If it's not good... just consider it a diet."
They were wearing matching pajamas—a warm yellow base with red checks of varying sizes. "You two are like Christmas elves combined!" Zhiwei laughed as she took the food boxes from their hands.
"Doesn't it create a great atmosphere?" June twirled around triumphantly, her hair styled into a loose bun with a small bell pinned to her hair clip. "I spent three days picking it out on Amazon."
Leo sighed, "She also said she wanted to buy one with LED lights, which I strongly objected to."
"Your taste is so boring," June said, hands on her hips. "But anyway, this outfit is really warm."
Pan Qiu stood up from the sofa and greeted them with a smile: "You all got a perfect score for matching the theme!"
"Absolutely!" Leo patted his stomach. "I'm even skipping lunch for tonight's cold noodles."
They took off their down jackets, changed into indoor slippers, and the moment they entered the room, it was like two fireworks exploding into the living room, suddenly turning the originally gentle space into a lively place.
June immediately noticed the transparent teapot and the tea with flowers on the coffee table: "Wow, Panqiu, the tea you brewed is so beautiful! The decorations you've made are so comfortable, the lights, the carpet, it feels like I'm spending Christmas in an Airbnb."
Zhiwei joked, "Don't you dare stay here and refuse to leave later."
“It’s not like we’re not planning to just lie around all night,” Leo retorted. “I’m ready to eat and then lie down.”
When the third knocking sounded, Zhiwei was pouring tea for Leo and June.
"I'll open it." Panqiu put the teapot back on the small table, got up and walked to the door.
When the door opened, it was Sister Dan and her husband.
"Excuse me," Liu Dan said with a smile as she took off her shoes, carrying a shopping bag with the Chinese Super League logo in one hand. "We brought hot tofu pudding and braised pork ribs, they're still warm."
Chen Yan peeked out from behind her, carrying a heavy thermos: "This is red date and white fungus soup. There's no sugar in it, but you can add it yourself."
Zhiwei came over to help take the food container, and said with a smile, "This is too much! Did you turn off the stove and head out right away?"
"Pretty much." Liu Dan clapped her hands. "I was originally thinking of stir-frying some bok choy, but Chen Yan said that everyone here is a carnivore and no one would like to eat it anyway, so we gave up on that idea."
Chen Yan chuckled sheepishly, took off his coat, and casually tossed it into the foyer. He was wearing a set of dark gray cotton pajamas, simple in style but worn soft from washing, as if they were his most comfortable set of clothes worn over the years. Liu Dan, on the other hand, was wearing a long floral nightgown with a beige knitted cardigan draped over it, the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing a slender wrist and a smart bracelet.
“We’re going for a casual, everyday look,” she said. “There’s no way around it; once you get married, you don’t care much about style anymore.”
“That’s still better than us,” June said while serving the dishes. “We even argued for ten minutes this afternoon about how to match the dishes.”
The atmosphere immediately became lively, with the living room filled with the aroma of food and the perfect smell of cooking.
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