"Mmph, Seventh Sister, Seventh Sister!"
Dongfang Minghui felt as though she were in a world of boundless white, with mist swirling all around her. Ahead, a graceful figure flickered in and out of sight. Whenever she tried to part the thick fog for a clearer look, the figure moved farther away.
The farther she went, the colder it became. A bone-deep chill pierced her through, stiffening her hands and feet. Her teeth chattered as she breathed onto her frozen hands, only for the person ahead to suddenly disappear.
"Seventh Sister, Seventh Sister-"
Dongfang Minghui abruptly opened her eyes and found seven or eight pairs of eyes fixed on her. Bewildered, she glanced at them and quickly felt her chin, checking whether she looked disheveled. "Why are you all staring at me?"
"Little Ninth, did you have a nightmare?" Qian Yiling crouched beside her and gently stroked her soft hair, behaving like a mother with her daughter. Dongfang Minghui was rather overwhelmed by the unexpected affection.
Dongfang Minghui ducked away, not quite accustomed to this change in Qian Yiling. The fact that she had calmly accepted her relationship with Seventh Sister had already filled her with joy. She could accept the words, but the physical closeness felt inexplicably strange.
Perhaps her evasion had been too obvious. Qian Yiling awkwardly withdrew her hand. "Your head was covered in sweat, and you were calling Yu'er's name. Did you dream of something?"
"No, I just-"
Dongfang Minghui tried to recall it more carefully but could remember nothing important. She had wandered back and forth through that little patch of space. Instinctively, she rubbed her arms, where goosebumps were still dancing merrily across her skin. "Nothing much happened, really. I was just wandering around somewhere unbelievably cold. Where's Seventh Sister? Why haven't I seen her?"