Bai You's thoughts were undoubtedly in disarray.
Before, she could only watch the adorable little water sprite from the other side of a cold screen.
She had never imagined that she would actually stand inside Tide Song Cavern, with Varesa leaning so close to tease her, and hear her say something so close to a promise in person.
It all felt like a light, fleeting dream. She scarcely dared breathe too hard, afraid that the scene before her would shatter and vanish if she wasn't careful.
Varesa watched her eyes wander and dart away, and saw the blush spreading across her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.
Seeing that she was almost unable to withstand the teasing, Varesa gradually abandoned her intention to tease her further.
She released Bai You's forearm and took her slightly cool hand in her warm palm, naturally slipping her fingers between Bai You's.
"I'll stop teasing you." Varesa chuckled softly, her voice gentle. "Let's go farther into the cavern. There's a little patch of snow in there."
"When I moved here not long ago, I looked forward to building a snowman there. But I was alone, and I was a little busy decorating the cavern, so I never did."
"Will you build a snowman with me now?"
Bai You came back to herself a little, her jumbled thoughts gradually settling.
The warmth against her palm felt so real. Varesa's small hand was soft, with a trace of coolness unique to her palm. Her fingertips brushed lightly over the back of Bai You's hand, drawing her out of the hazy dream and back to reality.
She looked up at Varesa's smiling face and nodded gently. "Okay."
Varesa's eyes lit up at once. She tightened her grip and led Bai You deeper into the cavern.
Patterns like dim blue ripples flowed across the rock walls. The sound of water from the lake behind them grew increasingly distant, and the damp mist slowly dispersed, giving way to a piercing chill.
Before long, a small patch of snow appeared before them, tiny flecks of ice drifting through the air above it. The smooth, clean snow lay empty and unmarked.
Varesa let go of her hand and bent down to scoop up a handful of fluffy snow, slowly packing it into a ball in her palms.
"Only I know about this place. No one has ever come here." She tilted her head and looked sideways at Bai You. "Have you ever built a snowman before?"
Bai You shook her head gently. It hardly ever snowed in the city where she used to live, though there were plenty of twin-tails.
In all her years, she could count the times she had touched snow with her own hands, let alone built a snowman.
"That's okay. I'll guide you today. We'll start from scratch, and I'll teach you how to make a super, super big snowman."
Varesa's eyes curved as she smiled.
"First, roll a big ball for the snowman's body. You have to pack the snow tightly, or it'll fall apart as soon as you touch it."
As she spoke, she placed her hand over the back of Bai You's and guided it into the snow with hers.
The cold snow instantly enveloped their overlapping hands, and a piercing chill swept over Bai You. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Varesa gently held her wrist in place.
"Don't be afraid. You'll get used to the cold in a little while. If it really gets too cold, you can hug me, hehe." Varesa's breath brushed against her ear.
Her palm enveloped Bai You's little hand as she gathered the loose snow and gradually pressed it into a small ball.
A layer of snow lay between their skin. The snow was cold, but warmth flowed steadily from their touching palms.
Bai You couldn't concentrate on the snow in her hands at all. Everything around them was silent; there were only the two of them. Without realizing it, she turned to look at Varesa's profile.
Varesa's eyes were lowered, her long lashes hanging down as she carefully packed the snowball. Faint light fell across her gentle features, making her so beautiful that Bai You couldn't look away.
"What are you thinking about? Did your mind wander?" Varesa suddenly looked up, meeting Bai You's unwavering gaze.
Bai You abruptly came to her senses and hurriedly lowered her head. Her grip loosened, and the little snowball, not yet fully formed, crumbled apart, scattering snow over the backs of their hands.
"Ah." Bai You let out a quiet exclamation.
Varesa burst out laughing, casually picked up a pinch of snow, and dabbed it onto the tip of Bai You's nose.
The tiny, icy grains clung to her nose, and Bai You jerked back.
"Silly, how are you going to build a snowman if you get distracted?" Varesa said with a smile. "Focus. Let's roll out the snowman's body first."
Bai You brushed the snow off her nose, her cheeks growing hot again. She collected herself and copied Varesa, gathering the snow and slowly packing it together.
This time, she didn't dare let her mind wander. She first scooped up a small pile of snow and pressed it firmly together, then crouched in the snow and pushed the ball forward.
The ball grew larger and larger as it rolled over the fluffy snow, its surface gathering layer after layer of fresh snow. Before long, a large snowball half a person's height had taken shape, resting firmly in the middle of the snowy ground.
Varesa crouched beside her, watching with a smile in her eyes. "Good. Next, it's time to roll the head. It should be a size smaller than the body."
After some effort, the second snowball was nearly done. It had gradually grown round, and was just the right size.
Varesa turned her head and gently rubbed her cheek against the top of Bai You's hair.
"Look, we did it," she said softly, a trace of excitement hidden in her voice.
The two carefully picked up the snowball and stood. They walked over to the larger one and set the snowman's head securely on top.
At first it tilted slightly, so they reached out from either side to steady it, adjusting the angle little by little until the round head sat firmly in place.
"Wonderful," Bai You couldn't help cheering quietly, flecks of light dancing in her eyes.
Seeing her so happy, Varesa's heart softened.
She turned to search the cracks in the surrounding rock walls, picking up two long, thin, dry branches and digging two smooth black pebbles out from under the snow.
"Come on, let's give the snowman eyes and arms."
Bai You took the pebbles and crouched down, carefully pressing them into the front of the snowman's head for its eyes.
Varesa crouched beside her and stuck the branches into either side of the snowman's body to make its arms.
Once that was done, Varesa picked up another small clump of snow, shaped it into a gentle curve, and pressed it below the stones to make an upturned mouth.
The previously bare snowman came to life at once, its goofy smiling face turned toward them.
Bai You gazed at the snowman they had built together, the corners of her mouth lifting without her realizing it.
Varesa slowly stood and walked behind Bai You. Opening her arms, she gently wrapped them around her, holding her in an embrace as they both looked down at the snowman before them.
Warm breath fell on the top of Bai You's head.
"Look, this is a snowman that belongs to just the two of us!" Varesa's excited voice sounded close to her ear.
Held from behind, Bai You's body stiffened slightly, her back pressed against Varesa's soft body.
A faint scent, like a lotus in clear water, enveloped her.
She looked at the goofy snowman before her, and for some reason, a stinging sensation rose in her nose as a burning emotion surged in her heart. Warmth spread from her chest, and her eyes grew slightly hot.
She took a deep breath, abruptly turned around, and threw her arms tightly around the girl behind her, gently burying her cheek against Varesa's chest.
Listening to the increasingly rapid heartbeat by her ear, Bai You spoke in a muffled voice, faintly husky with tears. "I'm so glad I met you."
Varesa froze for a moment, her heart beating even faster as her soft arms instinctively tightened around her.
Tiny, cool ice crystals drifted down slowly from the top of the cavern, one or two settling on their overlapping hair.
Varesa held Bai You in her arms without speaking for a long while, simply stroking her back gently, again and again.
She lowered her head, her soft hair brushing lightly against Bai You's forehead. The faint, fresh fragrance of Bai You lingered at her nose, giving her an inexplicable sense of peace, and a feeling of belonging.
In all that long stretch of time, this was the first time anyone had said such gentle words to her.
She responded softly, "Me too..."
After a long while, the emotions surging in Bai You's heart slowly settled. She gently raised her hands to Varesa's shoulders and slowly pulled back a short distance from the warm embrace.
A blush still lingered on her cheeks, and a faint sheen of tears remained in her eyes as she looked up at the water sprite girl before her.
Tiny ice crystals drifted down through the cavern and landed coolly on the ends of her hair.
Not far away, the snowman stood quietly in the snow, especially conspicuous in the dim surroundings.