Varesa then naturally pushed a bowl of soup in front of her.
"Have some soup first to warm your stomach; it's been freezing outside all the way."
Bai You let out a soft "Oh," obediently picked up the bowl, covered the rim with both hands, and took a big gulp.
The meal was lavish. Odette had probably timed their return perfectly, as a pot of rich vegetable soup was laid out on the table.
A plate of fish, perfectly grilled to a crispy exterior and tender interior, a dish of neatly sliced rye bread, and a large bowl of vegetable salad on the side.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, making everything warm and cozy.
"Eat quickly, and tell us how the cave is being cleaned up after you're done."
Odette sat down, saying something while placing a piece of tender fish on Bai You's plate.
She then slowly began to mix the salad in front of her—her fondness for this green vegetable was something the others were already used to.
Columbina sat opposite Bai You, her long, reddish-black hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. She was quiet and ate gently.
She took a slice of hot bread and chewed it slowly. Her light purple eyes lingered on Bai You's face for a moment, and she spoke first, her voice soft:
"Isn't it cold outside? My face is all red from the cold."
"It was cold when we went there, but on the way back, Varesa kept me warm, so I wasn't cold," Bai You mumbled, her mouth full of fish.
Varesa was picking fish bones out of her bowl when she heard this. She looked up, smiled, and without saying anything, simply put the cleaned piece back into her bowl.
The meal was eaten slowly. Bai You recounted everything that had happened in the cave that day to the two of them.
Odette occasionally chimed in, "It's good you're not hurt. Don't keep soaking yourself in cold water."
Columbina listened quietly, and when she heard something interesting, the corners of her eyes would curve into a very slight smile.
"Oh, right," Bai You suddenly remembered, looking up at Varesa and Odette, "You're going on stage tomorrow night, aren't you nervous?"
Odette shook her head and said:
"It's alright, it's not the first time."
"What's there to be nervous about?" Varesa served her a second bowl of soup, her tone relaxed.
"We've practiced everything we need to, then we can talk about it later—" She paused, her gaze sweeping over Bai You's face.
"Didn't you want to sit in the first row? With you down here, I won't feel nervous."
Bai You's face flushed, and she lowered her head to drink her soup, pretending not to hear, but the tips of her ears turned red.
Odette glanced at the scene from the opposite side but did not interrupt them.
She silently picked up another piece of salad with her chopsticks, knowing exactly what was going on.
Columbina watched, smiled faintly, and remained silent.
After finishing their meal, Odette and Varesa cleared away the dishes together.
Bai You wanted to help, but the two of them pressed her back into her chair in unison.
She had no choice but to huddle up to the fireplace, sit down next to Columbina, and watch the firelight flicker.
Once the sound of water in the kitchen stopped, the four of them gathered on the large sofa in the living room.
Bai You was pulled to huddle beside Varesa, while Odette brought over several soft blankets.
Columbina hugged a cushion and curled up quietly at the other end.
"What do you want to watch tonight?" Odette asked, fiddling with the photographic device and projecting a small screen of light onto the wall.
None of them made a decision immediately. Varesa didn't care, nor did Bai You; Columbina was always easygoing.
Odette flipped through the boxes of photo tapes beside her and pulled out one of them:
"Then let's watch that one, the one about cats. I bought it a while ago but haven't watched it yet. I heard it's quite interesting; it's about a kitten that wanders around and is eventually taken in by someone."
" Cat?"
The moment that word entered her ears, Bai You's droopy eyelids snapped open.
cat.
A sudden "ding" sounded in her mind, as if something had been awakened by those two words.
She paused for two seconds, then suddenly remembered—there really was something related to cats lying in her storage space!
That was some kind of cat candy that the system gave me during a lottery a few days ago.
She was told that eating it would temporarily turn her into a kitten, but she never bothered to use it. Later, one thing after another happened, and she completely forgot about it.
Only now, with the word "cat" mentioned, did those memories resurface.
Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
Turning into a cat... she had never tried it before.
"What's wrong?" Varesa was the first to notice her unusual behavior, looking down at her. "Hearing the word 'cat,' her eyes lit up."
"Um..." Bai You sat up straight, looked at Varesa, then at Odette and Columbina, and hesitated.
With a barely suppressed excitement, I said, "I have something to tell you, but don't be surprised."
All three people's attention fell on her.
Bai You reached into her small pocket, and with a thought, took out the candy from her storage space and showed it to them in her palm.
It was a small, round candy, wrapped in translucent wrapper, with a pale milky white candy inside. It looked quite delicate in the fireplace light.
"What's this?" Odette leaned closer to look, her brow furrowing slightly, as was her usual cautious demeanor. "Edible?"
"Sugar." Bai You nodded, organizing her thoughts—she couldn't talk about the system, so she could only gloss over it, "I also... discovered it by chance before."
"I discovered I also have an ability: to shape energy into this candy. Eating it temporarily turns me into a cat."
System: It's become your ability again...
"A cat?" This time it was Varesa's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean, turn into a real cat? Water Nymph turning into a cat? I've never seen anything like it."
"Yeah, it's exactly what it sounds like—turning into a kitten, with four legs, a tail, and the ability to meow. This is an ability I suddenly discovered, which is why I haven't told you about it."
Bai You explain as clearly as possible, "It has a time limit; it will revert to its original state after a while. It doesn't change indefinitely."
There was a moment of silence in the living room.
The three people reacted differently.
Varesa was taken aback at first, then her eyes softened, but as soft as they were, she was still most concerned about Bai You's health.
He reached out and patted Bai You's head, his tone tinged with concern:
"Really? You've only just recovered from your injury, don't cause any more trouble."
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with this weird stuff?"
"Yes, yes, I know what I'm doing." Bai You nodded quickly, but also felt a little guilty—actually, it was her first time using it, and she didn't know what it felt like.
Odette, on the other hand, was much calmer. She didn't immediately object, but stared at the candy for a few seconds before launching into a series of questions. She was indeed the most reliable of the group:
How long can the transformation last? Will I be fully conscious while transforming? Will I feel uncomfortable when I transform back? Can I change back early?
Bai You was taken aback by the question and honestly shook her head:
"How long exactly... it shouldn't be too long, about an hour."
"I was definitely conscious; it's just that I changed my appearance. Changing back... it should be changing back, right?"
As she spoke, she herself felt a little unsure, but the novelty ultimately overcame her anxiety, and she clutched the candy tightly.
"I'll try this once, you guys just watch and see, see if it works?"
Finally, there's Columbina.
She remained silent, only leaning slightly forward, her light purple eyes fixed on the candy.
Her gaze then fell on Bai You's face, her Kamisato showing neither the worry of Varesa nor the caution of Odette.
It was more of a pure, subtle curiosity. Only after Bai You looked over did she speak softly, her voice gentle:
"What kind of cat would I become if I turned into a cat?"
Bai You was stumped by her question and scratched her head, "I don't know either, I'll only know when it changes."
"Then let it change," Columbina said softly, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "We're all here."
With her words and Bai You's eager expression, Varesa and Odette exchanged a glance and finally relented.
"Okay, let's try it once." Varesa pinched her cheek.
"If you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable, immediately find a way to change back, understand?"
"I heard you!"
Bai You's heart was pounding with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
She sat up straight and, under the watchful eyes of the three people, slowly unwrapped the candy.
A very faint, sweet fragrance wafted out first, like warm milk, with a hint of indescribable, refreshing moisture. She put the candy in her mouth.
The sugar melted as soon as it touched her tongue; it wasn't as sweet as she had imagined, but rather cool and moist.
The coolness slid down my throat, leaving a warm, tingling sensation wherever it went.
Hmm...
At first, it was just a warm feeling in my stomach.
The warmth slowly spread from her stomach, like someone had lit a small fire deep within her body.
It gently warms, seeping into the limbs and bones through the blood vessels.
Bai You closed her eyes and could clearly feel the warmth flowing to her fingertips, to her toes, and then up her spine.
Immediately afterwards, the tingling and itching started.
It wasn't an unpleasant itch, but rather a fine, dense tingling sensation that seemed to emanate simultaneously from beneath the skin and into the bones.
It was as if countless tiny things were awakening, surging, and rearranging within her body.
She felt it in her fingers first—a tingling, swollen sensation at the fingertips, like the numbness in her hands and feet after lying down for a long time, but much gentler, coming in waves.
"It's starting..." Bai You whispered. This was the last sentence she could still speak.
The change begins at the bone level.
She clearly heard a series of extremely light, fine creaking sounds coming from inside her body. It didn't hurt; it was more like someone had gently disassembled her skeleton and then reassembled it using a smaller mold.
She felt herself shrinking and sinking uncontrollably, and the sofa seemed to grow taller and bigger inch by inch in her perception.
The firelight from the fireplace opposite, the light curtain on the wall, and Varesa's face beside me were all rising and receding at a slow but clear pace.
Her field of vision was declining.
He could see Varesa from his seated position, but now he had to tilt his head back little by little to see her chin, lips, and then her eyes filled with surprise and worry.
The world seemed to have quietly changed size before her eyes; the texture of the sofa, the fibers of the blanket, and the tiny dust particles floating in the firelight all became larger and clearer.
The hands were the first to be transformed.
The throbbing numbness concentrated in her palms. She looked down and saw her fingers gradually shortening and rounding, her once distinct knuckles softening and smoothing, and her nails retracting.
And then a tiny, curved claw peeks out from between its fingertips, hidden between its soft, pink paw pads, able to extend and retract at will.
The palms shrank and thickened, turning into two furry, round cat paws.