Bai You felt limp all over and leaned obediently on her shoulder, letting her carry her out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom.
Varesa put her on the bed and used a dry towel to dry her wet hair and body.
Then I carefully helped her put on a soft set of pajamas.
"Alright, little silkworm pupa." She tucked Bai You into the blanket, pulling it up to her chin, and then casually ruffled her frizzy hair.
"You lie down first, I'm going to take a shower, I'll be right back. Don't move around, understand?"
"I heard you." Bai You nodded obediently, showing only her rosy little face.
Varesa also grabbed a change of clothes, turned and went into the bathroom, not forgetting to leave the door slightly ajar.
In the bathroom, she filled a tub with warm water and sank in.
She leaned against the edge of the bathtub, her eyes closed, but the image of Bai You's small, azure-white fishtail lingered in her mind.
She herself was Water Nymph.
With a slight thought, a cool, warm force flowed through her waist and abdomen, and her long, slender legs underwater quietly came together and lengthened, transforming into a fish tail.
When the tail fin is extended, it has a mature and graceful curve.
She gently swayed her tail in the water, watching the ripples spread out, and thought of Bai You again.
That little tail is so pretty, just like her, so cute.
A thought, without warning, suddenly crept into my mind.
Once Bai You recovers and the performance is over, she wants to take her to see the real ocean.
Then, the two of them will transform into mermaids and swim side by side into that boundless blue sea, where there will only be seawater, sunlight, and each other.
She wanted to see what they would look like in the real ocean.
Varesa thought to herself, and smiled softly in the steam, her eyes filled with an unyielding tenderness.
She didn't voice this thought aloud; she kept it quietly in her heart.
In the bedroom, Bai You lay alone in bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
She changed position on the bed, and as her back sank down, she felt something hard and cool against her side.
Bai You let out a soft "hmm," reached under her body, and pulled a small bead from the crack in the bed.
The bead was only the size of a fingernail, its entire body a warm, deep blue, and its interior seemed to hold a pool of living water; it was so beautiful that it seemed otherworldly.
She brought it close to her eyes, turning it over and over to examine it, then clenched it in her palm. A faint, gentle warmth seeped into her body through her palm.
It is subtly related to a part of her power, sharing a similar origin, which feels inexplicably comfortable and familiar.
strangeness.
"What is this...?" Bai You muttered softly.
Oh right, and the details of the battle during the day—she remembered them clearly. The system had clearly told her that using the Annihilation Strike once would cause her to be unconscious for two days.
But how long had she slept? Why did she wake up so early?
And then there was the Doctor's final blow.
An attack of that magnitude, landing squarely on her, should have made her weak in the knees, not just trembling...
She shivered, not daring to think any further.
However, before I completely lost consciousness, I seemed to vaguely hear the system say, "[As long as I'm here, you won't die]".
If you're unsure what to do, you can ask the system.
"System, system?" she cried out in her mind.
"What?" the system lazily popped up and said.
"I have a question for you." Bai You blurted out all her questions in her mind.
What is that bead? And wasn't the Annihilation Strike supposed to leave you unconscious for two days? How come I woke up early?
And that last spear thrust from the Doctor, it clearly hit me.
[Hey, your brain isn't fried, you even know how to review things.] The system dragged out its words, but still honestly explained to her.
[Okay, this system is in a good mood today, so I'll go through it all for you from the beginning.]
[That bead is a valuable item; you can ask the little Water Nymph about it later. I won't go into details.]
[And that blow you dealt, well, you really should have stayed here for two full days, not a single day less.]
[But the system saw how pitiful the little Water Nymph was with you and couldn't bear it, so it woke you up early.]
[As for Dottore's final blow--]
[Actually, you should have died back then.]
Bai You's heart skipped a beat.
"But," the system changed its tone, a hint of smugness in its voice.
[Your system, I, saved you a split second before your death.]
[However, I also need to pay the system, so it's like you're getting an advance payment for your check-in the day after tomorrow.]
Alright, enough of this nonsense. I'm going to sleep now. If you really want to thank me, light three incense sticks for me.
[Just now, your little Water Nymph also appeared...]
Bai You was listening when the bathroom door clicked open.
She snapped out of her daze instantly.
After taking a shower, Varesa changed into a loose set of pajamas, her long hair draped loosely over her shoulders.
She tiptoed to the bedside and saw that Bai You was not moving, so she assumed that Bai You was asleep.
He moved slowly, lifting a corner of the blanket and carefully lying down inside.
As soon as Varesa lay down, Bai You's little hand reached out and gently tugged at the hem of her clothes.
"Not asleep yet?" Varesa chuckled softly, reaching out to pull the person, blanket and all, into her arms.
"I've been waiting for you." Bai You leaned in, pressing her cheek against her warm chest, listening to her heartbeat, and her whole body relaxed.
" Varesa," Bai You called softly.
"Hmm?"
Bai You opened her little hand from under the covers, revealing the pearl with a faint blue glow in her palm, which she held up to her eyes.
"What's this?" she asked softly. "I felt it on the bed just now."
Varesa's gaze fell upon it, and she was clearly taken aback at first.
She had completely forgotten about the bead.
She was crying and panicking at the time, but when Bai You woke up, her mind was completely focused on Bai You.
She completely forgot about the bead; she didn't even find it when she was making the bed.
When Bai You pulled it out like that, she was stunned for two seconds before she seemed to suddenly come to her senses and let out an "Ah!"
"Oh, this..." She picked the bead up from Bai You's palm, her voice softening little by little.
"I almost forgot about it myself."
"What is it?" Bai You leaned closer, blinking her eyes.
"It's a pearl," Varesa whispered, "Made from my tears."
"Tears?" Bai You stared wide-eyed, unable to reconcile the beautiful beads with tears.
"Hmm. Our Water Nymph clan has a very old legend."
(It was mentioned briefly in the Gathering Place mission section)
Varesa placed the bead back in her palm and then slowly explained.
Bai You held her breath upon hearing this.
"You lay there all day, unresponsive no matter how I called you. I stayed by your side, crying for a very long time, until it felt like my last tear froze into a solid."
Varesa spoke casually, but her fingertips lightly brushed against the bead. "It's very precious, you know."
Bai You looked down at the pearl in her palm that shimmered with a faint light, and suddenly understood everything.
No wonder it feels so familiar to hold, no wonder it feels like it comes from the same source as the power within me.
Her eyes instantly reddened.
"How could you be so foolish..." Her voice choked, and she clutched the bead tightly, burying herself in Varesa's arms.
"You're the fool," Varesa laughed, encircling her and resting her chin on the top of her head.
"I was so worried about you back then."
Bai You nestled in her arms for a long time before finally raising her head and cautiously asking, "Then... this bead..."
Varesa looked at her and suddenly smiled.
She took the pearl again, got out of bed, took a thin red string from the cabinet, used a little force to drill a hole, then skillfully threaded it through and tied a knot securely.
Then he gently opened Bai You's collar and slipped it around her neck.
The cool beads fell against my heart.
"This one is for you."
She straightened Bai You's collar, gently touching the bead with her fingertip, her tone more earnest and tender than ever before.
"It's my most cherished possession, so naturally I want to give it to the person I hold dear."
"Wearing it is like I'm always keeping it close to my heart."
Bai You lowered her head and touched the warm pearl on her neck, then looked up at Varesa, her eyes red, and nodded emphatically.
"Since I've given you my tears, shouldn't you give me something in return?"
Varesa said with a sly smile.
"Come on, don't move." After saying that, Varesa quickly kissed Bai You's little face.
Bai You froze completely.
The touch was warm and moist, but the skin that had been kissed instantly burned.
The heat spread, turning my entire face, the base of my ears, and my neck completely red.
She remained with her head tilted back, stunned for a full two seconds, before suddenly raising her hand to cover the side of her face that had been kissed, as if a switch had been flipped.
His eyes were wide open, staring unblinkingly at Varesa. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
"You, you..."
"What's wrong with me?" Varesa looked at her, propping her head up with her hand, unable to hide the smile in her eyes, and deliberately added slowly.
"Didn't you say you wanted a reward? I took it myself."
"But you've already kissed me twice today..."
"My Little Bai You is all mine now. I can kiss it whenever I want."
Finally, Bai You simply darted into the covers and buried her face in them, leaving only a small section of her bright red ear showing.
"... You bastard..." A muffled, weak accusation came from under the covers.
Varesa laughed out loud at her antics, gently rubbing the small, curled-up figure through the blanket, her heart melting completely.
After a while, Bai You felt a little sleepy; nothing was as comfortable as being in Varesa's arms.
Then she quietly snuggled into Varesa's arms, and Varesa gently hugged her back.
Bai You shifted closer to her, pressing her face against her warm chest.
She fell asleep shortly afterward.
Varesa looked down at the sleeping face of the person in her arms, who was gradually calming down, and gently touched the top of her head before speaking softly.
" Little Bai You, I've found myself liking you more and more..."
Beneath the walls of Snezhnaya City, layers upon layers of corridors extend deep into the Dominus Lapidis, behind a heavy door at the very back.
It was Dr. Daughtore's private laboratory, a place that even other executives rarely set foot in.
The door opened silently.
Pierro, wearing that white robe, walked in alone.
The mask covered most of his face, and the half of his face that was exposed looked particularly imposing.
On the high platform in the center of the laboratory, a figure slowly turned around.
Dottore was adjusting a piece of equipment when he heard this. He looked up, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.
"It's cold and stuffy here, I don't have much to offer you."
Pierro didn't respond to him, nor did he stop. He walked all the way down from the platform before finally stopping.
" Her Majesty the Tsaritsa has given the order." He spoke, his voice low and flat.
"Your dissected specimen, used against the Twelfth Harbinger, violated the most basic principles of conduct among Harbinger."
Dottore raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"Your Majesty said," Pierro paused, then repeated the imperial edict verbatim, word by word.
"Since you enjoy cutting yourself into pieces so much, then clean yourself up piece by piece."
There was a moment of silence in the laboratory.
Dottore's casual smile faded somewhat.
He shrugged, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
" Her Majesty the Tsaritsa ordered me to clear them all out?"
Pierro looked at him expressionlessly, "If you refuse, His Majesty will clean it for you himself."
"..."
"Heh." After a long pause, he chuckled softly, a laugh devoid of emotion.
"It just so happens that the dissection you're seeing right now is the most selfish, the one that could bring itself to do it."
"Understood. Since it's Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's order, I will comply."
Then, various voices echoed in Dottore's mind:
The younger the Doctor: "This is such an absurd decision, are you kidding me?"
An elderly the Doctor: "Utterly foolish... How short-sighted I was back then."
The helpless the Doctor: "A guy who would even betray himself... Oh well."
The weak and fearful the Doctor: "Wait a minute, please wait a moment!"
The near-mad the Doctor: "I hope you live up to this moment."
The disgruntled the Doctor: "This isn't over yet! I will take my revenge!"
The Doctor in his youth. "You'll definitely regret it!"
(The above short paragraph is the original text of the Sumeru storyline)
"Not a single one left." Dottore withdrew his hand, turned around, and put on his nonchalant smile again.
Are the officials in charge satisfied?
Pierro ignored the subtle barb in his words.
"I'm warning you one last time, Dottore." He took a half step forward, his gaze sharp in the shadows.
"The twelfth seat was personally chosen by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. Keep your designs to yourself. From now on, you are not allowed to interfere in her affairs."
"And," his voice deepened further.
" Sumeru, proceed according to the established procedures. If anyone dares to make further mistakes under the guise of research, the next time, it won't just be a verbal order."
"I understand, I understand," Dottore raised his hand, striking a pose with perfect precision.
Pierro gave him a deep look, but in the end, he didn't say another word and turned away.
With a white cloak billowing, he walked out of the laboratory, retracing his steps.
The heavy alloy door slowly closed behind us, completely cutting off the remaining light in the corridor.
In the vast underground laboratory, only Dottore remained.
"What a pity."
He genuinely wanted to get Bai You.
Putting aside her ability to reverse fate, the power she unleashed at the end made her the perfect experimental subject.
But now, he can't touch her anytime soon.
Dottore raised his hand and rubbed his temples. He was left with only this one fragment.
Many plans that could have been rolled out simultaneously had to be put on hold.
"That's enough."
He chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the empty laboratory, carrying a hint of suppressed madness.
He turned and walked deeper into the laboratory, where another enormous instrument was quietly operating.
A map of a distant land was projected onto the screen—lush rainforests, towering trees, and a place called the Akademiya standing atop the tree canopy.
Sumeru.
The experiments there are already being prepared.
"Take your time."
Dottore stretched out a finger and gently traced the outline of the rainforest on the light screen, a wicked smile appearing beneath his mask.
"We'll meet again someday."
... Divider Line...
I feel like the book is really going to fail; the data is terrible both on weekends and weekdays.
Perfect attendance is something you can never achieve.
(-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
If you like it, please consider supporting me! Thank you for your support! づ♡ど
No matter how bad the data is, the author will persevere in writing, because a story should have a complete ending.