Everything that had happened today felt like a dream-transmigrating, the system, Varesa, the theater, Odette... Only now, with warm water pouring over her, did it finally begin to feel real.
She looked down at her little hands. No matter what, things had turned out well in the end.
Bai You took a deep breath, turned off the shower, dried herself, and changed into the pajamas Varesa had given her.
The light blue cotton pajamas were printed with tiny waves and carried a faint fragrance. They were a little too big.
The shoulders slipped down slightly, the cuffs covered most of her hands, and the loose hem hung down to her thighs.
The soft fabric enveloped her petite body, gently outlining her slender figure.
Varesa's scent lingered around her as Bai You looked at herself in the mirror, the tips of her ears growing warm.
When she pushed open the bathroom door and came out, Varesa was sitting on the edge of the bed, opening snack packages. A large blanket had been spread on the floor, with potato chips, chocolate, cookies, and two bottles of juice Varesa had just brought arranged on it.
"All done?" Varesa looked up at her, her eyes lighting up. "Come on over, I've opened all the snacks."
Bai You walked over and sat down on the blanket.
"What do you like to eat?" Varesa passed her the potato chips.
"These are cheese-flavored, and these are plain. There's chocolate too-but don't eat too much chocolate, or you'll get fat."
Bai You picked up a potato chip and carefully took a bite.
It was crisp and salty, with the aroma of cheese.
Her eyes lit up at once.
"Is it good?" Varesa smiled at her expression.
"Mm!" Bai You nodded vigorously and picked up another chip.
"Have more if you like them." Varesa took a chip herself and leaned against the bed. "I'm telling you, the food in the theater cafeteria is pretty mediocre. I usually survive on these snacks."
Bai You listened as she ate, and the two of them chatted over their snacks.
Varesa told her lots of amusing stories about the troupe and occasionally grumbled about things, including a gloomy factory director.
Before they knew it, they had eaten most of the snacks and finished the juice.
Varesa stood up, cleared away the snack wrappers, and folded the blanket before putting it on a chair.
Varesa glanced at the time and yawned. "It's getting late. Looks like it's time for bed. It's all Odette's fault, not letting you squeeze into my room and sleep with me. That hard folding bed must be uncomfortable."
"It's okay. It's actually not that hard. It's pretty soft, really. Don't worry, I can get used to it," Bai You replied.
"Ah, all right then. I'll come see you tomorrow."
Varesa walked to the door and looked back at her. "Good night, my little Bai You."
"Good night, Varesa... sis." Sitting on the bed, Bai You waved at her.
After saying that, Bai You's face was as red as a ripe persimmon. She seemed to have given up struggling.
"Bai You, oh Bai You, you've really fallen into depravity completely."
Varesa's fingers tightened sharply on the doorknob. Perhaps being called "sis" had caught her off guard.
She hadn't expected Bai You to take her teasing seriously...
She wanted to turn around and say something more, but it was as if something had lodged in her throat. She opened her mouth, but in the end, all she managed was a quiet "Mm," her voice a little hoarser than usual.
"Go to sleep. I'll come back tomorrow."
Varesa stood in the hallway for quite a while. Only when her breathing had settled did she turn and walk back to her own lounge.
The door was gently pulled shut.
Bai You stood where she was for a long while, until the blush on her face slowly faded. Only then did she climb onto the bed and lie down.
The bed was hard, but the pillow Varesa had given her was very soft. Both the pajamas she wore and the pillow carried Varesa's scent-a faint fragrance.
"This pillow is probably the one Varesa sleeps on, or maybe it's her body pillow."
By then, Varesa had returned to her lounge. The room was warm and cozy, the fire in the fireplace had yet to go out, and the logs occasionally gave a soft crackle.
Varesa didn't go straight to bed. She sat down at her desk and took a diary from the depths of a drawer.
Its cover was worn pale and its corners curled, and it was filled with dense handwriting. It had been her habit for years to write a few lines whenever something especially happy happened.
She opened to a fresh page and dipped her quill in ink, but for a long while, she didn't put it to paper.
After a while, Varesa finally began to write:
I always miss my fringed dress, the thick bed curtains, and the first ray of sunlight that shone into the manor in the morning.
But things are all right now. If I squint, the light shining through a crack in a door backstage looks just like the light at our manor.
I know that life can never come back. I still miss it, but now I feel that what I have here is just as precious.
I was so happy today. I met a water spirit just like me. She built a snowman with me, and we can blow bubbles together in the water. She even gave me a present, loves listening to me sing, and called me sis. She's mine! I won't ever lose her again! Never!
After some time, Varesa put down her pen and leaned back in her chair, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling for a long while.
Varesa went to bed as usual, but unlike other nights, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt as though someone was missing from beside her pillow.
"What was I thinking? Why didn't I talk back to Odette?" Varesa muttered to herself, her voice full of annoyance.
"I could have let her sleep in my bed. It's not small, and there's plenty of room for two people to sleep cuddled together. Odette said no, so that's that? Why should I listen to her?"
Varesa tossed and turned in bed, growing more upset the more she thought about it.
Suddenly, as though struck by inspiration, she had a good idea:
"Odette said Bai You couldn't come sleep with me, but she never said I couldn't go sleep with her. I'm so smart."
There's one more chapter tonight ૮₍˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶₎ა, but it'll be a little later.