Bai You was pressed back onto the sofa by two hands, her cheeks puffed out.
"I'm really quite efficient," she argued softly.
"She sat down after she was done." Varesa pinched her cheek, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"You can stay with Columbina by the fire; I'll call you when it's ready."
Beside her Columbina, holding a cup of hot tea, her light purple eyes crinkling slightly, slowly added, "Just sit still."
Bai You had no choice but to swallow back the words she was about to say and shrink into the blanket.
Soon, the sounds of washing and chopping vegetables, and the light clinking of spatulas filled the kitchen.
Odette remembered that Varesa had been singing all afternoon, so she made a light dinner: a pot of fresh vegetable soup, beef bone soup, and she also steamed a soft egg custard for Bai You separately.
A fragrant aroma wafted out from under the door. Bai You couldn't sit still for long, so she tiptoed to the door and peered through the doorframe.
After being fed a spoonful of cooled soup by Varesa and a piece of bread by Odette, he finally rushed back to the sofa.
After dinner was served, the four of them sat around the table to eat.
"Tomorrow, Bai You and I are going to the cave," Varesa said, sipping her soup.
"Odette, Columbina, are you going too?"
"Forget it, I won't go. It's ruined my training schedule these past few days. I'll go to training tomorrow."
"I'll stay and keep her company," Columbina smiled faintly.
"It just so happens that my role Harbinger can also be of some use."
"Alright then."
After dinner, they chatted around the fire for a while before returning to their rooms to rest.
Back inside, Varesa and Bai You sat down. Bai You had a thought, and her consciousness entered the system's storage space.
Check if anything is missing from the things I'm taking tomorrow.
I checked everything one by one—snacks, and the renovation items that Varesa had bought.
The thin blanket with the kitten print and the lily planted in the clear water were both safely stored away, nothing missing.
The system suddenly yawned in its mind.
[These items are produced by this system, so they can't be lost, and fighting won't affect them.]
"That's good." Bai You responded in her mind and exited the space.
Varesa stared at Bai You and said, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing much, just making sure I have everything I need for tomorrow."
Varesa nodded. " Little Bai You is really well prepared."
"Let's go then, take a hot shower, and go to bed early tonight."
Upon entering the room, Varesa went first to the bathroom to turn on the water. The hot water created a cloud of white steam, and soon the entire bathroom was filled with warm mist.
She tested the water temperature, turned around, and hesitated before speaking.
Usually, she would wash Bai You first, carry her out, and then wash herself.
For some reason, she suddenly wanted to be together today.
"Um..." Varesa cleared her throat, her ears feeling slightly hot, but she pretended to be nonchalant.
"Let's shower together today, so we don't have to go back and forth."
Bai You paused in her unbuttoning.
Upon hearing the words "wash together," her face instantly flushed.
Previously, she would either soak the food herself while Varesa took care of everything.
They usually take turns soaking in the same bathtub together; this is the first time I've ever seen two people actually soaking together like this.
"Huh?" Her voice was a little unsteady. "Together?"
"What, are you still shy?" Seeing her reaction, Varesa was amused and calmed down a bit.
She deliberately raised an eyebrow. "What part of your body haven't I seen? Besides, we're both girls, it's okay."
Bai You looked at Varesa's expectant face and had no choice but to nod.
That's what she said, but when she actually took off her outer clothes, Varesa was a beat slower, and her gaze drifted uncomfortably elsewhere.
Neither of them looked at the other again; only the sound of running water filled the bathroom, and an indescribable, warm yet awkward silence hung in the air.
Varesa stepped into the bathtub and sat down before turning to face the person still standing by the tub.
Bai You, still clutching a bath towel and lingering, reached out her hand. "Here, I've tested the water, it's not hot."
Bai You lowered her face slightly, took her hand, and carefully stepped in.
The bathtub wasn't very big, and as soon as she sat down, her knee inevitably bumped into Varesa's, causing them both to stiffen slightly at the same time.
Varesa helped her lean back, and the moment Bai You's back pressed against her warm body...
Although it was nothing special, it was still soft, which made Bai You's nose feel hot without warning.
Bai You's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, no way!
Startled, she quickly tilted her head back, pinched the bridge of her nose, and frantically chanted "calm down, calm down" in her mind, forcefully suppressing the rising heat.
Please, please don't let things fall apart at a time like this.
"What's wrong?" Varesa noticed her unusual expression. "Your face is so red, are you feeling down?"
"N-nothing!" Bai You tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and said in a muffled voice.
"The water's too hot, it'll be steamed soon..."
"Really?" Varesa asked skeptically, reaching out to test the water temperature. "It's not hot at all."
She didn't think much of it, assuming she was just dizzy from soaking in the water for too long. I gently wrapped my arms around her from behind, saying, "Lean against me, let's catch our breath."
Bai You was hugged like that again, her back pressed against warm skin, and her nose felt hot again. She wanted to cry but couldn't, so she held back her tears.
She didn't even dare to breathe loudly. After a while, when she was sure that the strange feeling had really been suppressed, she dared to slowly relax and let the person behind her hug her.
"Oh, right." Varesa seemed to suddenly remember something, resting her chin on her shoulder.
"I played in the garden pond for so long today, my tail is all dirty now."
"We're in the water now, show me your tail, I'll wash it for you."
Bai You hummed in agreement, and with a thought, her bluish-white fishtail unfurled underwater.
Almost simultaneously, Varesa also conjured her own blue-green fishtail.
In the cramped bathtub, two fish tails suddenly squeezed together, scales touching scales, tail fins overlapping, gently brushing against each other with the ripples of water.
This sudden intimacy almost brought Bai You back to life, and the warmth she had just suppressed nearly returned. Her tail tip involuntarily twitched, instead wrapping around Varesa's tail.
"Don't move, don't move, it's crowded." Varesa's voice softened at the touch, and she steadied herself.
She lifted the Bai You's fish tail and placed it on her lower abdomen, "Sweetie, let me wash you first."
She poured some mild balm into her palm and rubbed it in, following the lines of the Bai You scales.
I gently wiped each piece with great patience, then rinsed it off with warm water.
A slight itch ran through my fingers as I brushed against the edge of the scales. When I got to the base of the tail—the most sensitive area—the slightest touch of my fingertip caused a tingling sensation.
Bai You's entire fishtail sprang up with a "splat," splashing a large spray of water that covered both of their faces.
"Hahaha, don't, don't touch there, it tickles!" Bai You laughed so hard she shrank back, her fishtail swaying wildly, splashing water again. This time, the heat at the root of her nose was truly gone, thanks to her laughter.
"This needs to be washed clean too." Varesa was also splashed so much that she couldn't open her eyes, but she couldn't stop laughing.
He deliberately scratched her lightly again, "Who told you to be swimming around in the pool this morning?"
"I was wrong, I was wrong--"
After quite a while, the bluish-white fish tail was finally washed clean.
Bai You, panting, looked at the damp stray hairs at Varesa's temples, and most of her shyness had long since dissipated.
Instead, she mustered her courage and whispered, "Then, then I'll help you wash it too."
Varesa paused for a moment, then a soft smile spread across her eyes as she offered the blue-green fishtail towards her.
"Okay, Little Bai You, be gentle."
Bai You knelt up and, imitating her, poured out the perfume, rubbed it in, and carefully applied it to the blue scale.
This was the first time she had touched Varesa's fishtail so closely and so carefully; her fingertips felt its cool, smooth texture.
She was so nervous that she held her breath and carefully smoothed the skin along the lines, one patch at a time, afraid of hurting the other person if she used too much force.
Looking at her daughter's drooping eyelashes and serious expression, Varesa's heart melted.
Even the slight itch when the base of the tail is rubbed transforms into an irresistible tenderness.
Quietly, she let those little hands clumsily but earnestly wash her fish tail clean, little by little.
After washing the fish's tail, they washed its hair. Varesa held Bai You's neck and rubbed it with foam, and Bai You followed suit and rubbed it with her hair too.
Lacking experience, he quickly rubbed the foam onto her ears and neck. Bai You couldn't help but laugh when she saw the other woman's head covered in snow-white foam.
Then Varesa retaliated, throwing bubbles at Bai You's clean head as well.
The initial awkwardness completely disappeared amidst bursts of laughter.
In the end, Bai You quietly nestled back into Varesa's arms, their two fish tails naturally overlapping underwater, neither of them trying to escape.
Bai You leaned against Varesa's soft body, her eyelids drooping little by little.
Seeing this, Varesa quickly shouted:
"Don't fall asleep! You'll catch a cold if you sleep in the water."
Varesa patted her with a smile, got up to run the water, and took two warm bath towels.
The two of them then retracted their fish tails and transformed into legs.
Varesa first took the Bai You out of the bathtub, then took a bath towel and carefully dried herself from head to toe.
Then Varesa first wrapped the Bai You in a bath towel, and then wrapped herself in a bath towel as well.
Normally, after showering, I would change into clean, soft pajamas before going out.
But today was probably the first time we'd all washed together, and in the rush, everyone forgot about that.
Bai You secretly glanced at Varesa, who had just straightened up and was drying herself with another towel.
Her long, wet hair cascaded over her shoulders, the moisture sliding down the ends and settling on her softly sculpted neck and collarbone.
Bai You abruptly looked away, her heart leaping into her throat, and her nose instantly felt hot again.
She hurriedly tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and frantically chanted scriptures in her mind.
Ignore it, ignore it, don't think about it. That's Varesa. Calm down, calm down.
Emptiness is form, form is emptiness...
"Why are you tilting your head back again?" Varesa asked, drying her hair and turning her head to look at her. "Are you really drunk?"
"No, no!" Bai You tilted her head back, her voice soft and sweet.
"That's right... didn't we forget our pajamas?"
Varesa paused, glancing back at the empty clothes rack.
Then I looked at Bai You, who was wrapped up in a little ball with only her bright red face showing.
He suddenly smiled, a mischievous tenderness in his eyes.
"Oh, now you know how to be shy?" she deliberately dragged out her words.
"We've already hugged each other in the water, and our tails are all tangled together, and now you're suddenly remembering?"
Bai You felt so ashamed by what she said that she buried her face even deeper in the bath towel, her voice muffled:
"That's different..."
"What's different?" Varesa walked over with a smile and, without any sense of reason, picked her up horizontally, towel and all.
"I'm going to sleep soon anyway, why bother with pajamas? I'll just get into bed and be warm."
"Wait, wait, wait---" Bai You was caught off guard and suddenly jumped into the air. She was so frightened that she quickly hugged her neck and shrank into her arms, not daring to breathe loudly.
She was wearing nothing under the bath towel, and she could clearly feel the warmth of the arm supporting her.
She felt like she was being burned alive, so she buried her face in Varesa's arms and pretended nothing had happened.
Fortunately, the bathroom was only a short walk from the bed. Varesa was already warmed up by the heater under the covers, and when she lifted the corner of the covers, it was cozy and cozy inside.
She gently placed Bai You inside, and as soon as Bai You touched the warm, soft sheets, she instinctively pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
He curled up into a small ball, only his wet eyes showing, looking at her warily and shyly.
"What's there to be nervous about? Do you think I'm going to eat you?" Varesa laughed, amused by her words.
He casually untied the bath towel he was wearing and put it aside, then lifted the other corner of the blanket and lay down next to her.
The mattress sank slightly.
The next moment, a warm body pressed against him from behind.
Without their pajamas or the thin bath towel separating them, their skin pressed together seamlessly.
Bai You could clearly feel the softness and warmth of the person's chest behind her, and their steady breaths brushing against her neck.
And there was that arm that naturally wrapped around her waist, its palm gently resting on her lower abdomen.
"Ugh." Bai You let out a very soft whimper, her whole body stiffening like a wooden board, and the warmth at the root of her nose surged up for the third time.
She was practically bursting with pent-up frustration; her toes were quietly curled up in a ball under the covers.
"Why are you so tense?" Varesa's laughter vibrated against her earlobe, carrying a low, magnetic tone.
Instead of backing away, she pulled Bai You closer to her, so that Bai You's entire back was pressed tightly against hers.
"Relax, nobody's watching you."
Her hand moved down Bai You's arm and touched her slightly cool feet. She then naturally used her own legs to gently hold them and warm them.
"My feet are so cold." She frowned, gently massaging Bai You's lower abdomen with her palms, spreading warmth little by little.
"I've been soaking in the water for so long, the water's almost cold, but I don't even feel it."
Warmth spread gradually throughout the body from the backs pressed together, from the soles of the feet that were held between them, and from the palms covering the lower abdomen.
Bai You initially remained composed, but Varesa's embrace was so familiar and reassuring that the shyness that made her scalp tingle ultimately couldn't overcome the genuine warmth.
She remained frozen for a long while before slowly and cautiously relaxing.
She tentatively leaned back, nestling herself more comfortably into that embrace.
"That's right." Varesa chuckled with satisfaction, tucking the blanket around her tightly so that not a single breeze could get in.
He gently touched her burning earlobe again, "Sleep well, I'm holding you."
"Are you still cold?" Varesa, wrapping her arm around her waist again.
"No, it's not cold." Bai You's voice was a little tight, but she honestly leaned closer to her.
Varesa chuckled softly, not saying anything, but simply holding the person even more comfortably.
The blankets were as soft as a cloud, and the reassuring sound of a heartbeat behind her made Bai You bury her face in Varesa's arms.
Listening to the person's breathing behind her, a sense of shyness gradually spread throughout her body.
She quietly exhaled, finally stopping thinking about those things that made her nose feel hot.
It just felt so good to be held and warmed like this without reservation.
Then Bai You and Varesa fell asleep, pressed tightly together.
Bai You was awakened by a ray of light shining directly on her face.
The curtains weren't fully drawn, and the morning light peeked in through the gap, falling directly on her eyelids.
She opened her eyes groggily, feeling a moment of confusion before realizing something was wrong.
A warm body was pressed against her back, and an arm was tightly wrapped around her waist.
The two people's legs were intertwined in the blankets, their skin pressed together, without the slightest barrier between them.
The memory of falling asleep like this last night suddenly came flooding back.
Bai You froze, even her breathing became soft.
She could clearly feel the steady breathing of the person behind her brushing against the back of her neck, the warm chest rising and falling with each breath, pressed against her back.
She didn't dare to move much, only subtly tilting her head to look out of the corner of her eye.
Varesa is still asleep.
When she falls asleep, her usual slyness and doting nature disappear, her eyebrows relax, and her long eyelashes droop quietly.
Her long hair was spread out on the pillow, with a few strands draped over Bai You's shoulder. The morning light fell on her profile, making her look incredibly cute and gentle.
As Bai You watched, the bridge of her nose started to feel slightly hot again. She quickly recited a few Qingxin in her mind to suppress the unpleasant heat.
She'd been hugging him all night and was still shy. She cursed herself inwardly, but her body betrayed her, and she shrank back little by little, trying to press the embrace even tighter.
As he nudged, the person behind him made a sound.
Varesa let out a muffled groan, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Still a little groggy from just waking up, she instinctively pulled the little one in her arms closer and nuzzled her chin against Bai You's shoulder.
His voice was hoarse, with a nasal tone from just waking up. "Awake?"
"Mmm." Bai You's voice was soft and gentle.
"What time is it?" Varesa asked lazily, without opening her eyes.
Bai You laboriously pulled out her pocket watch from beside her pillow and glanced at it. "It's almost nine o'clock."
"It's still early," Varesa muttered, but didn't let go.
Instead, she hugged him even tighter, clinging to him like a warm heater, "Just five more minutes."
"Wake up! Aren't we going to the cave today?" Bai You wanted to laugh as her mother squeezed her, but dared not move too much. "Didn't we say we'd go early and come back early? We still have to catch the train."
"The train..." Varesa slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes.
The drowsiness in his eyes gradually faded, and his gaze returned. "Yes, today we're going to Tide Song Cavern."
She looked down at the person in her arms, then at the two of them naked and pressed together.
Suddenly, her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she deliberately leaned close to Bai You's ear, lowering her voice. "Who was it last night, holding me so tightly and refusing to let go?"
"I didn't!" Bai You's face flushed, and she immediately retorted.
"Yes, she even snuggles into my arms in the middle of the night." Varesa casually revealed her secret, watching as Bai You's face turned bright red at a visible speed.
Finally, unable to resist, I smiled and kissed her puffed-up cheek. "Okay, I won't tease you anymore, get up."
After getting ready, the two went downstairs.
The kitchen was already filled with delicious aromas; Odette had gotten up even earlier than them.
They're taking freshly baked bread out of the oven right now; it's golden and crispy, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the steam fills the whole room.
Hot milk, a small dish of jam, and a large plate of Odette's favorite vegetable salad were already laid out on the long table.
Columbina sat at the table, her long, reddish-black hair loosely tied up, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand, slowly eating a hot bread.
"Oh, you two are up." Odette glanced back at them. "Please sit down, the bread is fresh out of the oven, eat it while it's hot."
"It smells so good!" Bai You's eyes lit up, and she obediently climbed onto the chair.
"You're going to the cave today, it'll be a long journey, so eat something substantial."
As she spoke, Odette placed two slices of bread on the Bai You plate and then served Varesa a bowl of hot soup.
"With your voice, drink this hot bowl before you go out; it's windy outside."
"Okay, okay, you're so long-winded," Varesa complained, but her actions betrayed her words as she drank the soup.
Breakfast was warm and lively. Bai You had a good appetite, finishing two slices of bread with jam and drinking most of a cup of hot milk.
After the meal, Varesa fastened Bai You's coat and pulled up her hat, checked it again, and then led her out the door.
Odette walked him all the way to the theater entrance. The morning breeze, crisp and cool after the snow, brushed against his face.
She repeated herself, still worried. "When you get there, check if it's safe. If anything seems wrong, don't be reckless, come back immediately, understand?"
"You heard that? Our Odette is just a mother hen now." Varesa smiled and waved at her.
"Say it again?"
"I'm praising you! I'm praising you!" Varesa quickly pulled Bai You around, "Let's go, see you tonight!"
"See you tonight." Columbina stood at the door, a faint smile in her light purple eyes.
Odette waved to them, "Be careful."
The two stepped out of the theater through the light morning snow...
... Divider line...
The author spent most of the day traveling and finally finished a chapter. Thank you for the gifts, see you tomorrow! However, the content of this chapter is a bit... Shenhe many times, and I feel like I won't be able to read it again in a couple of days, so I'll cherish it while I can.
There might be some issues with the content, possibly due to the phone's input method. Some sentences may be incorrect; please point them out, and I'll find time to revise them after school starts tomorrow.
Those who still clicked in even though only one chapter was updated are true fans; this chapter is barely enough for three chapters.
Thank you everyone for your support...つ♡⊂