"We're here." The taxi driver lifted the meter. The car was stopped right in front of Lin's house.
"I'll pay." The two women said in unison, glanced at each other, and then both pulled out their phones.
…
"…"
"…"
The atmosphere fell into a strange silence. Lin was sound asleep on the bed. The two girls each pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, staring at each other.
A blue and a gold pupil silently reflected the other.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Mobius couldn't stand the tension any longer and spoke first.
The desk lamp flickered, its light wavering as if a candle about to sink into darkness.
Aponia sat composedly with her eyes closed, "What about you?"
"I still have things to do."
"If you intend to do anything to Lin, please leave. It wouldn't be good for him."
"You play a pure nun in the movie, so why are you so hypocritical and lew— [Censored] in real life?" Mobius retorted, "If Lin knew what you've done to him, would you still be able to maintain that ridiculous sanctity of yours?"
"Doesn't that same sentence apply to you?" Aponia opened her eyes, her captivating blue pupils glowing faintly.
As the two debated fiercely, trading jabs and exposing each other's secrets, neither of them noticed a person shivering beneath Lin's bed.
Elysia covered her mouth, watching the stockings-clad legs of the two women outside the bed, afraid to take a breath.
How did it come to this…
With Lin's territorial nature, he never let anyone into his house. But that was only his own perception. In reality, several people had secretly tracked him, figured out his address, and could even enter and exit his house at will.
And coincidentally, these people had never run into each other. It was as if they had made an unspoken agreement, forming a tacit understanding to "bother" Lin on an alternating schedule—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for some, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for others.
Until this Christmas, all three of them coincidentally decided to give themselves a Christmas gift.
That's right, Lin was the gift.
"What should I do…" Elysia's mind raced for a solution. It was impossible for her to crawl out now, burst into laughter, claim they were all sisters, and peacefully agree to share Lin.
A glance at the corner of her eye. In the dim light, Elysia saw something familiar drop by the bed. She had a flash of inspiration and picked up the item.
Lin's cell phone.
Elysia was overjoyed. She immediately used the collected sample of Lin's fingerprint to unlock the phone, then sent a message to someone in his contact list.
…
As the two were in a stalemate, exchanging revelations about each other, a loud bang erupted from the doorway.
"Boom!"
"What are you doing to my brother!"
A tall, burly figure stood in the light. Snowmelt dotted his bright red hat. He stood with his hands on his hips, an imposing aura of integrity radiating from him.
Two shorter people followed behind him, looking very confused.
"Kalpas?"
The masked man dressed as Santa Claus stood at the doorway like a savior from heaven, pointing a finger at the two girls who were caught in the act.
"What are you doing here!"
"What are you doing here!" Mobius couldn't help but criticize his bizarre attire, "And are you trying to be Santa Claus?"
"Hmph… I just received a distress text from Lin while celebrating Christmas with Kosma and Griseo, so I rushed over." Kalpas folded his arms, completely unashamed of his outfit, "Where is Lin?"
Kosma, who knew a bit of the inside story, chose to block the curious Griseo from looking inside, lest her eyes be tainted by the filth.
Aponia stood up, blocking Kalpas's line of sight to Lin, "Lin is fine. We just brought him back after he got drunk."
"How did you two know Lin's address? He didn't tell you, did he?"
"And how did you know?"
"He told me," Kalpas stated matter-of-factly.
…Why would he give his address to this guy? Is it some kind of attraction between masked men?
"Alright, all of you get out! Don't disturb Lin's rest!"
Kalpas directly blasted the two women out of the room.
…
"Heh heh heh heh…"
Elysia crawled out from under the bed, performing an elegant pirouette. Her long eyelashes trembled in the faint light. She was wearing a sheer, crystal-clear nightgown that was her backup outfit hidden in Lin's house.
She first walked to the door, locked it, and braced it with a chair. Then, she turned on the heater and approached Lin's bed.
One hand took out a red ribbon, which she had prepared earlier for her Christmas gift, and reached down toward the sleeping Lin, humming a tune, ready to start celebrating Christmas.
"Click."
A soft sound sent a chill from her head to her toe. She immediately pulled the blanket over herself, slid under it, and returned to her hiding spot under the bed.
Who came back?
"How utterly annoying."
Mobius stepped lightly onto the floor in her stockings, having removed her shoes.
She looked at the door with an expression of disgust, failing to notice the anomaly of the door. If she had been more observant, she would have realized the problem with a door that no one should have been able to lock.
"Heh… he's quite cute when he's asleep." Mobius chuckled, sitting by Lin's bed. She reached out and gently smoothed the hair covering his eyes, her finger hooking onto his mask. She only needed to pull gently to remove it.
But Mobius didn't rush. She stroked Lin's face with a rare, spring-like tenderness.
"Speaking of which, we've known each other the longest, even longer than Elysia, but only gradually came to understand each other later on."
Then, without haste, she pulled out a familiar-looking ribbon.
Someone under the bed swallowed. She had guessed what was about to happen next.
Should I go out now?
"Click."
"Swoosh."
Aponia carefully landed on Lin's bed, kneeling beside his head.
Elysia and Mobius exchanged silent glances, both seeing the ribbon clenched in the other's hand. For a moment, Elysia pretended to whistle, while Mobius looked at her with contempt.
Now I know who sent that distress text.
"You were sneaking around." Mobius mouthed, making Elysia even more awkward.
But Elysia immediately retorted in a small voice, "Lin said he hasn't been feeling well recently. I've only done it very rarely. It must be you two."
"Is this about frequency!"
While the two were having a "friendly" conversation under the bed, a rustling sound of clothes came from the bed, and a woman's jacket was tossed onto the floor.
Both immediately fell silent.
"Lin, in the tangle of destiny, you told me that a clear conscience is our fate… But… how far away… that is for me…"
Elysia glanced at Mobius, who rolled her eyes.
"Aponia must be taking her role too seriously," Elysia whispered with a smile.
"Click."
"Swoosh."
Three pairs of eyes stared wide-eyed at each other.
"What are you two doing here?" Even Aponia couldn't help but question them.
"It's a long story… Shh."
A pair of bare feet stepped in front of them. Judging by the size and skin tone, it was also a female.
They held their breath.