The cafeteria bustling with students walking around, bring their tray full of food to their designated tables. The green chairs contrasted with the black and brown jacket dominating the swarm of people inside.

    Feng Mian already stood out with her looks and her exceptional charisma, not to mention her light pink wool dress which made their group here stand out among the crowds. So many eyes silently peeking at their direction.

    "Yutang, can you join us tonight? Let''s have a real Christmas Eve''s dinner like we used to in our favourite cafe." Liu Xiang asked him.

    Bai Yutang helplessly smiled, "This humble slave can''t do that. This humble slave still needs to revise his presentation. My turn is the day after tomorrow."

    The people on this table know how many subjects Bai Yutang took this semester. Honestly, they admired this guy.. For their first year, Bai Yutang didn''t stand out at all. He was an average student here, drowned among the outstanding talents studying in the best architecture faculty in the country.

    But now, even though he is still not the prodigy among them, to manage those heavy subjects and pass with above average scores is really an admirable thing. Even to get through the standard amount of subjects here is already hard. Bai Yutang took more subjects compared to them.

    Not many students here could get through their depression in their first year. Especially the one that only knows how to study, and didn''t have many friends. Architects do not only rely on their brain. It needs skills to be sensitive to space, and being able to grasp the cultural and societal demands of a place, put it to use in rather interesting ways.

    They have one person in their year who dropped out because he can''t handle the pressure. They were doing the project in their second semesters of that year. Their professor frowned and critiqued just about everything about his project. All the hard work, time, and energy he had poured into the project only highlighted how incompetent he was. It hit him hard.

    As everyone in their class, he had worked extremely hard but failed to meet the expectations. He was having a breakdown, as he was the honoured student when he was in high school. Like all of them here.

    Yu Dong came and sat in front of him. "I thought you finished your presentation already?"

    "It was the hospital design for Professor Xing''s class. But I haven''t finished my presentation for the urban class." Bai Yutang answered while chewing his steamed fish.

    Bai Yutang chose hospital as the theme of his projects. Since he came to hospital every Saturday to accompany his lover, it was easier for him to finalise his project and perfected it. Talking about his hospital project, suddenly it hits him, and he misses his gentle lover.

    His gentle lover who always hugged him when he sleeps. His gentle lover who always kissed him in the morning before he went to campus. His gentle lover who always looks at him as if he was the only thing worth to be seen in the world.

    Bai Yutang suddenly feels his food lost all its taste. He doesn''t want his lover to give him a cold shoulder anymore. Bai Yutang feels like he needs to throw away his own pride, and maybe just beg for his lover not to drown in a bad mood anymore.

    Maybe he could cook his lover''s favourite dishes today, and then asked his lover what he could do to appease his anger.

    "I heard that your hospital design received a compliment from Professor Xing, is that true?" Yu Dong asked once again.

    Bai Yutang waved his hand, "It was acceptable, but still can''t beat Yu Ling''s design. Her library design is truly marvellous."

    Liu Xiang wanted to throw his chopstick to Bai Yutang. Is this a new way to flaunt his achievement? Professor Xing is the one that made their friend drop out on their first year. His words are harsh. It''s really a nightmare if you got his class and can''t change your class because you''re late coming to the administrator office to change your class''s lecturer. To get an ''acceptable'' comment from him is already one of their highest achievements in class.

    "Okay then, it means only six of us going for tonight''s Christmas Eve dinner. Do you want to join us, Feng Mian?" Liu Xiang asked the pretty girl who was stealing glances at the man besides her.

    Feng Mian was a little bit startled, and answered, "Um, if Fei Hong joins the dinner, I''ll come with her too."

    Tang Yuxuan grinned, "Even though TangTang didn''t join us, do you still want to grace us with your presence?"

    Bai Yutang frowned to hear Tang Yuxuan''s comment. But he didn''t say anything, and just finished his meal. He really needs to find a way to stop all his friend''s unnecessary comments. This is exactly what makes his lover mad at him.

    Bai Yutang finished his class for today, and saw many people selling apples in front of the university gate. In this country, even though they didn''t celebrate Christmas for real, the tradition of celebrating the day itself is really popular in recent years.

    The sounds of Christmas Eve in their language is similar to apple and peace. Thus it has become a tradition to give apples to their loved ones and colleagues on Christmas Eve. It was called peace apple.

    Bai Yutang looked at one of the stalls selling these peace apples, wrapped in many kinds of decorated boxes. Some had blue boxes with snowflakes printed upon them, some in pink boxes with tiny hearts around them.

    ''Maybe i could make an apple pie for Gege tonight as my apology.''

    Bai Yutang searched for the recipe when he rode his bus home. The ingredients were apples, lemon Jell-O, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla pudding, and cracker crusts. It seems he needs to buy the apples, Jell-O and pudding in the mini market first. For the other, he still has stocks at home.

    Once Bai Yutang reached home after buying the ingredients, he cooked the apple pie. For the first part he only needs to cook the apple, water, Jell-O, cinnamon and nutmeg until apples are tender. Then he added the pudding mix. After that, he only needs to cool it down in the refrigerator. The cracker crusts will need to be sprinkled later on when the pie is ready to serve.

    Bai Yutang looked at the skies beyond that glass door. The skies darkened, nights will fall soon. Today is Monday, his lover must be busy in the clinic now. Bai Yutang opened his WeChat, and texted his lover.

    [Gege, I''m home. What time will you come home today?]

    Bai Yutang sighed after seeing their chat log today. His lover only messaged him twice today.

    [Gege, I''m at campus already.]

    [Okay, take care. I am already here at the hospital.]

    [Have a nice day, gege.]

    [You too.]

    That''s it. Only four lines of messages. Usually his lover will remind him to have his lunch, ask him how''s his lunch, or question how he spent his day so far. This time, his lover was really mad at him.

    Bai Yutang felt his heart heavy. Yesterday he was still raging with his lover''s cold shoulder, and rejected his lover''s request to accompany him to his family dinner. Until now, after they spent one year as lovers, Bai Yutang never met his lover''s family. He doesn''t know why, but he really doesn''t have confidence to come and be introduced to his lover''s magnificent family.

    But, after two days passed, he really didn''t want to fight anymore. He just wants them to come back to their usual warm and loving atmosphere. What is the use of putting your pride high, if you suffer?

    After bathing, Bai Yutang''s phone shows that his message was replied by his lover.

    [TangTang, I have Christmas Eve''s dinner tonight with my colleagues. You could have your dinner first, don''t wait for me. I might be late.]

    Bai Yutang stared at his phone for a while, and didn''t know what he should reply. He already imagined what he wanted to say, what he wanted to do when his lover came home.

    First he''ll hug his lover.

    ''Gege, merry Christmas.''

    Then he''ll kiss his lover''s cheek.

    ''Can you not be mad at me anymore?''

    Then he''ll try to act pitiful and coquettish while serving the peace apple pie he cooked.

    ''Gege, I missed you.''

    Then maybe they could have a short intimate time in the bed.

    But all of it seems impossible to do now. Bai Yutang knew his lover would come home near midnight tonight, just like last year. He felt his hope crushed by this wave of disappointment. Wash his heart cold.

    He sighed. He decided to apologise today, so he''ll just wait for his lover to come home tonight, and still execute his plan. No matter what, they will close today with a peaceful night, not a cold hug when they slept together last night.

    Bai Yutang eats his dinner alone, and works on his urban project in his studio. The room he used to stay before, now served as his small studio, full of his stuff and equipment. He was listening to the songs in his earphone while finishing his project.

    The coffee in the table is getting cold, Bai Yutang stood up and added hot water into it, then sipped it a little bit, getting rid of his sleepiness. He looks at the clock, it''s almost midnight. He walked back to his studio, and texted his lover.

    [Gege, it''s almost midnight. Did you drink a lot? Are you drunk? Do you need me to fetch you?]

    Thirty minutes passed without replies. Bai Yutang felt his disappointment start to change its shape into resentment. But he tried to press his own emotion, and drown himself back to his project presentation. He doesn''t want to fight anymore.

    When the clock showed it was almost 1 o''clock, Bai Yutang heard the faint sound from the door. He put his headphones off, and tried to listen, whether it was his imagination or his lover truly coming home. He already checked several times before, and all of it was just his own imagination.

    Few minutes later, he heard the sound of their bedroom door opening and closing. Bai Yutang was relieved, it seems his lover was really back home. He turns his computer off, and tidies his table.

    When he opened the door, he saw a lamp in their balcony flickering. He notes in his mind, they need to change the lightbulb tomorrow. He opened their bedroom door, it was dimmed. Bai Yutang forgot to turn the lights on after he took a bath this afternoon. The lights only come from their window outside.

    When he saw the shadows in the bed, he felt his sleepiness swept away. Splashed by a cold water, freezing his mind, shattering his heart. His hands which were still holding the door knob were numbed, and cold. As cold as what he felt inside right now.

    He saw two shadows collide in the bed. He recognised his lover''s shadow, lying in the bed. Still wearing the shoes, and his coat was laid on the floor. There''s an unknown shadow on top of him.

    His world is crumbling down.