Varesa acted as soon as she made up her mind, throwing back the covers and springing out of bed.
The moment her feet touched the floor, the icy cold made her shiver.
She glanced down at her wrinkled nightgown, then at the door. Her heart suddenly began to race.
Was I really going?
The thought lasted only a second before she snuffed it out. Why wouldn't she go? Odette might have a say in everything, but could she dictate which room Varesa slept in at night?
Suddenly, Varesa remembered that writing in her diary had taken some time too. Maybe Bai You was asleep by now.
Wouldn't it be a little too improper to barge over like this?
What if Bai You was asleep? Would she wake her up if she went over like this?
Agitated, Varesa scratched at her hair in frustration.
Her fingers accidentally brushed against the necklace around her neck.
The gemstone engraved with Bai You's name.
She suddenly froze.
The necklace.
The Bond Necklace.
When Bai You had put it on her that afternoon, she had said the necklace could sense the other person's condition.
Varesa hadn't paid it much mind at the time, treating it simply as a gift from Bai You.
But now-
Varesa's eyes gradually lit up, like a lamp suddenly kindled in a dark room.
She gently clasped the gemstone on the necklace, calmed herself, and focused on sensing it.
The result surprised her. She hadn't expected it to really work.
Bai You was still awake. She seemed very happy, and she missed Varesa too.
Hehe, I didn't expect my little Bai You to be missing me too. Then I'll come sleep with you in a little while, Varesa thought happily.
Varesa was wondering how to get to Bai You's room. If she knocked, Odette's alertness and hearing might get her caught.
As she frowned and pondered the problem, she suddenly remembered another function Bai You had mentioned when introducing the necklace.
Teleportation.
She could teleport over.
She looked down at her bed-the soft mattress and the thick down comforter, which had been shipped from Mondstadt. It was filled with swan down, light as a cloud but as warm as a little stove.
An idea took shape in her mind and swelled with unstoppable speed.
Varesa practically pounced on the bed.
She yanked up the sheet and rolled it up with the mattress and bedding. Halfway through, she realized it was too wide to hold, so she hurriedly folded it over again.
After finally rolling it into a cylinder she could carry, she dragged over the thick down comforter, bunched it up haphazardly, and tucked it under her arm.
Holding the mattress and comforter, Varesa looked down at the necklace and took a deep breath.
She could sense that Bai You, at the other end of the necklace, was still awake-her emotions tinged with the irritation of tossing and turning.
That's right. The bed must be too hard for her to sleep. I'm coming to the rescue.
Varesa's lips curved upward.
"Little Bai You," she murmured, as though whispering to the person at the other end of the necklace, "hehe, big sis is coming."
Varesa poured her mental energy into the gemstone, and a blue light suddenly flared.
In the storage room next door, Bai You was staring blankly at the ceiling.
The wooden boards of the folding bed dug into her shoulder blades. She had changed positions at least five times, but she couldn't get comfortable no matter how she lay.
The blanket was as thin as a sheet of paper, and the cold seeped in from all directions. She curled up and buried her face in her collar.
A faint fragrance lingered around her nose-the scent of Varesa's pajamas. Only that scent could give her a little comfort now.
She suddenly remembered that she seemed to have a system too. Her attention was always on Varesa, and she kept forgetting about it.
So she called out to the system in her mind to see if it could relieve her boredom.
"System, system, come out! I'm so bored."
[...When you put it like that, you make me sound like your backup...]
"Don't say that, system. You're the best. It's been almost a day. Do you have anything good for me?"
[This system is a Sign-In System. You have to wait until the next day...]
"System, didn't you say you were really powerful? Is signing in your only function? Think about it. At this rate, how long am I going to have to wait before I get stronger?"
"It's not like you don't know how dangerous Teyvat is, and right now I'm in the Fatui's headquarters. What if a really bad Harbinger like the Doctor sets his sights on me one day and just snatches me away? Wouldn't I be screwed?"
"System, I know you're the best. Hurry up and give me more benefits, unlock some new functions, and let me sweep across Teyvat."
[...What are you daydreaming about, host? Maybe you'll dream of it once you fall asleep. But now that you mention it, that does sound reasonable. If you get killed, I'll be done for too. No, no, I'll unlock a lottery function for you.]
"What a shitty system. If I hadn't asked, you really wouldn't have given me anything. Fuck your &%*%#@@#%[%$&."
Speechless, Bai You cursed the system's mother.
[Lottery function unlocked. As this is the host's first draw, you may make one free ten-pull.]
[Lottery tickets can be obtained through sign-ins or under special circumstances.]
Bai You's eyes lit up at once.
"A ten-pull? For free?"
She immediately sat up on the folding bed, making its wooden boards creak. "Quick, quick, quick, draw now!"
[Please remain calm, host. The lottery panel is open. Please choose whether to use your free ten-pull.]
A translucent blue panel appeared before Bai You's eyes, with a sparkling chest pictured on it.
Beside it were the large words "Ten-pull," and below was a "Draw" button that pulsed frantically, as though urging her to hurry.
"Draw! Of course I'm drawing!" She reached out and jabbed the button hard.
The chest on the panel burst open, and multicolored light poured out, making Bai You squint.
Ten beams of light flew out one after another and lined up in midair, each wrapped in a different-colored halo. Two of them shone gold.
"Holy shit, two golds!!!!"
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the following items-]
[Mora × 10,000] (common)
[Mora × 10,000] (common)
[Mora × 10,000] (common)
[Sweet Madame × 5] (common)
[Sweet Madame × 5] (common)
[Cat Transformation Candy × 1] (rare)
[Cat Transformation Candy × 1] (rare)
[The Tsaritsa's Invitation × 1] (epic)
[Seven-Element Talent: Primordial Body × 1] (mythic)
[Thread of Fate × 1] (mythic)
...Divider...
Thanks to This Vortex of Memories~ for one like, to Liu Defei of the City District for one boba milk tea, and to the many readers who sent gifts of support.
The extra chapters for the gifts from the past two days are finally done. As for the extra chapter for the next 100 gifts of support,
You could say it's not far off, but not exactly close either. Hehe, thanks for everyone's support.