One song after another.
Some are gentle, while others carry a touch of melancholy.
That sad song, with Varesa's voice very soft, seemed to be about a distant place, about waiting, about a goodbye that could not be spoken.
Odette's dance slowed down; she turned her back to the audience and slowly withdrew her arms.
The light blue skirt hung quietly, like a lonely shadow.
For a fleeting moment, she tilted her head back slightly, her arm raised halfway, but then stopped, as if waiting for someone who would never return.
Bai You watched, completely shocked. Was their performance really that amazing?
The music gradually increased in volume.
The last song reached its climax.
The music became more melodious and fuller, and Varesa's voice slowly rose, passing through the stage and the crowd.
Odette's dance steps became faster and faster.
She twirled several times, her blue skirt billowing out, tracing arcs in the light.
Then, at the moment Varesa sang that clearest high note—
Odette rose slightly.
It's not tall, but it's very light.
The light blue skirt billowed out in mid-air, like a flower blooming in the night, or a bird spreading its wings.
She gently opened her hands, her long hair billowing behind her.
At that moment, the spotlight was at its brightest.
On one side was Varesa, singing high notes, her long blue hair swaying slightly;
On one side is Odette, leaping into the air with her skirt fully unfurled.
The song and the figure were both frozen in the light.
Bai You's breathing stopped completely.
She stared at the scene, her mind blank.
Only one thought remained--
So beautiful.
It's really... so beautiful.
The next second, Odette landed gently back on the ground, her steps steady, landing precisely on the last beat.
Varesa's high notes gradually faded, softly and gently, blending with the last few notes of the music.
Then, it slowly dissipated.
The entire hall fell silent.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then--
The applause erupted like thunder.
Many people stood up and clapped enthusiastically. Some shouted "Bravo!" and others handed the flowers they were holding to the side of the stage. Some girls were even moved to tears.
Bai You then suddenly came to her senses.
She clapped softly along with them, but her eyes remained fixed on the stage.
Varesa opened her eyes, and Odette straightened up. The two walked together, stood side by side under the spotlight, and bowed deeply to the audience.
When she looked up, Varesa's gaze seemed to drift casually towards Bai You.
Then, she saw Varesa's lips curl up almost imperceptibly.
Bai You's face immediately flushed.
The applause continued.
Before the performance begins.
Sandrone stood by the railing of the second-floor audience section, holding a program in his hand.
Sandrone grew increasingly uneasy and eventually came to the theater himself.
She wasn't worried, nor was she missing anyone.
She just came to check on things.
Yes, look at what Columbina is up to.
That's all.
She leaned on the railing, looking down from her vantage point.
The performance has already begun.
On stage, Varesa was singing, Odette was dancing beside her, the spotlight was dazzling, and applause came one after another.
Sandrone should have been watching the stage.
But her gaze only lingered on the stage for two seconds before drifting uncontrollably towards the audience.
Then, she saw it.
Two people were sitting on the stool.
Columbina sat there, turned sideways, and leaned close to the ear of the person next to her.
I don't know what he was saying, but his eyes curved into crescents and the corners of his mouth were turned up high.
Sitting next to her was Bai You.
Bai You also tilted her head, listening quietly to Columbina speak, a faint smile on her face, looking obedient and gentle.
They sat very close together.
They got so close to Columbina's arm that they almost touched Bai You's arm.
Sandrone's fingers tightened suddenly.
She watched the two people huddled together, whispering and laughing.
A sudden surge of anger welled up inside me, a sour feeling that was stuck in my chest, making me feel very uncomfortable.
Is it really that funny?
The performance is right in front of us. Instead of watching it, they're just huddled together whispering. What kind of behavior is that?
And Columbina...
She never smiled like that in front of me normally.
Sandrone gently bit her back teeth, turned her face away, and refused to look.
She pretended to go to see the performance on stage, but she didn't hear a single word of what was being sung or danced.
But his ears were perked up, unable to resist trying to hear what the two people downstairs were saying.
They're too far away to hear.
All that could be seen was Columbina smiling again and raising her hand.
Columbina laughed even harder.
Sandrone: '...'
She turned around abruptly, staring at the stage, her expression grim.
--Are we that familiar?
She thought coldly to herself.
Columbina was just too unguarded.
That Bai You, its origin is unknown, even the Doctor's...
Columbina, on the other hand, got so close to them.
What if something goes wrong?
The more Sandrone thought about it, the more convinced he became of his point.
She's not jealous.
She was just... a friend, and felt that Columbina was too lax, so she was a little angry.
Yes, that's it.
She nodded to herself, finding the reason irrefutable.
That pent-up, sour anger that had been building up all night finally coalesced into a soft, slightly smug mutter:
"... Stupid Columbina."
"After watching the show, it's best to remember to come back."
"Otherwise... otherwise I'll feed all your cake to the mechanical puppets."
Columbina and Bai You stood up, preparing to return to the dressing room, when footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Each beat was distinct.
Columbina paused for a moment, then turned around and saw a figure walk in.
Sandrone stood at the doorway, his gaze first falling on Columbina, then slowly shifting to Bai You's face beside him.
The air was silent for two seconds.
" Sandrone?" Columbina reacted first, her eyes lighting up. "What brings you here?"
Sandrone gave a soft hum, her tone indifferent. "Can't I come?"
"No, no!" Columbina immediately shook her head and laughed happily.
"It's a bit of a surprise, you've never come to see a show before..."
"I had some free time today," Sandrone said seriously, "So I thought I'd drop by."
Columbina, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, leaned closer and naturally took Sandrone's hand:
"You've come at the perfect time! Varesa and Odette's show tonight was amazing, did you see it?"
Sandrone's hand was pulled by her, his movements paused slightly, and he almost couldn't maintain his cold expression.
She turned her face away awkwardly and gave a soft "Mmm":
"It's alright, it looks pretty good."
Sandrone... it seems he came for Columbina.
And it seems he doesn't really like being with Columbina?
Bai You thought for a moment, then tactfully stepped aside, making room for him.
He watched as Columbina held his hand, chattering away.
The discomfort that Sandrone had been holding in all night had gradually dissipated.
But he still wouldn't back down verbally.
"The show's over, when are you planning to go back?"
She deliberately frowned, putting on a serious expression.
"After being away for so many days, don't you have any important things to do?"
"Ugh—" Columbina's face fell. "I want to play for a few more days..."
"Play?" Sandrone raised an eyebrow. "You're Harbinger, not here on vacation."
"Or is there something here that makes you so reluctant to leave?"
Columbina thought about it seriously for a moment, then smiled:
"Because it's so lively here! There's Bai You, Varesa, and Odette. It's much more interesting than being alone."
Sandrone: '...'
Her face paled even more immediately.
So she spent the whole night fuming on the second floor, while the other person was having a great time here.
She gently pulled her hand away from Columbina's, her tone cool:
"Really? Then I guess I was being nosy."
Columbina finally realized something was wrong.
She looked at Sandrone, blinked, and seemed a little confused.
"... Sandrone?"
Are you angry?
"No," Sandrone answered quickly, turning his face away from her.
"Why should I be angry?"
Bai You stood to the side, watching this scene, and couldn't help but want to laugh.
... Divider line...
This book is now almost completely dead. It has quite a few flaws, the pacing is poor, the plot is dragging, and the system aspect hasn't been handled well.
Another point is that 80% of this is about Varesa, so some parts of the story are naturally getting a bit tiresome.
Therefore, the author plans to write a new book, essentially running two books simultaneously.
Varesa will be released the day after tomorrow. I wish everyone can get three golds in ten pulls and avoid getting the pity pull.