"So... should we get into bed?"
"Mm."
A rustling sound, punctuated by soft breaths, filled the room.
"Um... Ruan Mei, should we pull up the covers? Or... just leave it like this?"
"I told you, I'll agree to whatever you want. So, however you want to do it is fine with me."
"Then let's use the covers. We wouldn't want you catching a cold."
"Mm..."
The rustling sound resumed as Lumina and Ruan Mei settled onto the same bed, under the same blanket.
"Ugh... Ruan Mei, should we turn off the light?"
"Mm, I don't mind either way. It's up to you."
"Then let's leave it on. Just like this..."
"Alright."
With that final word, a deathly silence descended upon the room.
Were it not for the faint tremors of the bed and the soft glow of the lamp illuminating the space, one might have thought the occupants had vanished long ago.
"Ruan Mei, I remember you studied biology, right..."
"Yes, I've studied biology before. But I haven't researched this particular phenomenon before. If you'd like, I could start investigating now and see if I can draw any conclusions."
"Hmm... let's skip that for now."
In the room, on the bed, nestled under the covers, Lumina and Ruan Mei were still in the same position they'd been in during their conversation with Herta.
There was one key difference, though. Their bodies remained pressed close, but some movements had shifted slightly.
During the video call with Herta, Ruan Mei had positioned her head near Lumina's cheek to ensure her face was visible to the camera.
Now that the call was over, Ruan Mei no longer needed to force herself into that awkward position, which had felt somewhat uncomfortable for both of them.
So Ruan Mei tilted her head and rested it on Lumina's shoulder.
The two remained like that, breathing in each other's scents.
At first glance, their closeness seemed intimate, but it was perfectly balanced, leaving no impression that they were a couple.
Compared to intimate lovers, the two of them now resembled lifelong best friends who knew each other inside and out and could walk through life together.
"This is the first time I've ever been so close to someone," Ruan Mei said calmly after a moment, her arm draped across Lumina's shoulder.
It was as if this intimacy, typically reserved for close female friends, held no particular significance for her.
There was no joy, no embarrassment, and certainly no excitement. To her, it seemed as ordinary as breathing.
And for Lumina?
It probably felt just as normal.
Though Lumina's expression was slightly more complex than Ruan Mei's, it remained remarkably composed compared to what a normal person might feel.
The faint blush on her cheeks wouldn't make anyone suspect she had impure thoughts. Instead, they might wonder if the air conditioning was set too high, making it a bit warm in here.
"Have you never done this with Herta before?" Lumina asked calmly, her voice tinged with curiosity.
From her position, Lumina could clearly see Ruan Mei's eyebrows, and even more clearly, her beauty...
Lumina naturally wouldn't let Ruan Mei's apology—for doing anything—go to waste. After much deliberation, she decided to have Ruan Mei sleep with her that night.
Sleep, as in, the literal act of sleeping.
This sleep was entirely devoid of any impropriety.
It was a perfectly proper, wholesome sleep.
Just like the kind of sleep you'd have with your best girlfriend—purely for companionship, to avoid feeling lonely.
Lumina had proposed this as Ruan Mei's apology gift with precisely this intention.
But was it really that simple?
Of course not.
Ruan Mei's actions had infuriated Lumina, so she certainly wouldn't let Ruan Mei off so easily.
While having Ruan Mei sleep with her, Lumina also insisted she maintain the same pose she'd struck during the video call with Herta.
However, since that pose couldn't be sustained for long, and to avoid making things too easy for Ruan Mei, Lumina had her rest her head on her shoulder instead.
In this way, Ruan Mei would receive her "punishment" as well.
Hmm... but where's the punishment?
Come on, constantly tilting your head against someone's shoulder is going to make your neck stiff and tired, you know?
"No, Herta and I have only had brief physical contact due to accidental moments," Ruan Mei replied to Lumina's questions, almost answering each one as it was asked.
And every answer was truthful, without a hint of deception.
"Those contacts were unintentional. Neither Herta nor I paid much attention to them; sometimes we didn't even notice them."
"We'd forget them in an instant, unlike this time."
Ruan Mei murmured softly, revealing her true thoughts.
Although these intimate moments with Lumina still hadn't stirred any emotions in Ruan Mei, they had left a lasting impression in her mind, something she could "recall."
"I see..." Lumina nodded slightly, offering no further comment.
She felt the warmth radiating from Ruan Mei's body and the gentle rhythm of her breath.
It was truly astonishing. Despite having met only twice, they felt like lifelong best friends who had shared decades of companionship, destined to walk through life together.
Perhaps all of this was due to Ruan Mei's profoundly indifferent and apathetic demeanor.
That makes sense.
It was precisely because Ruan Mei didn't care about these actions that their progress had been so rapid.
If she had been replaced by Herta, Herta would never have agreed to her request, no matter what.
As Lumina pondered this, she couldn't help but imagine Herta's reaction.
If she had said the same words to Herta as she had to Ruan Mei, Herta would undoubtedly have given her a look of contempt, labeling her childish and boring.
"What's wrong? Did my actions remind you of someone?"
Ruan Mei was a genius, not just in experimentation but also in interpersonal interactions.
Her body froze slightly, and it was easy to tell she was thinking about something else.
Lifting her gaze to meet Lumina's clearly visible face, she asked.
Ruan Mei wasn't the type to get angry over such things.
Or rather, she likely didn't even realize Lumina's actions were inappropriate, so there was no reason to be upset.
Her inquiry stemmed purely from curiosity.
"No, it's nothing. Just thinking about something," Lumina said, shaking her head slightly without moving her shoulders, careful not to disturb the girl resting on her shoulder.
"I see," Ruan Mei murmured, knowing Lumina wouldn't tell her and refraining from further questioning.
As Ruan Mei's soft murmur faded, the room once again fell into a peaceful silence, broken only by their quiet breathing.
Rustle... rustle...
A moment later, Ruan Mei shifted slightly.
The friction between their bodies through their clothes left both their expressions unchanged, showing no outward reaction.
After the brief movement, Ruan Mei and Lumina remained in the same position, bodies pressed close together. Ruan Mei rested her head on Lumina's shoulder, giving her an unexpectedly docile appearance.
Though Ruan Mei herself was far from docile—her seeming docility stemmed solely from her detached demeanor—in this intimate setting, her posture resembled that of a young girlfriend leaning against her partner. Wasn't that docility?
Glancing down at their pressed bodies, Ruan Mei asked softly, "What about you, Lumina?"
"Have you ever done this with anyone else?"
After all, Lumina just asked me that. It should be fine for me to ask her too, right?
"No," Lumina replied truthfully, shaking her head.
This time, she really wasn't lying. She had never done anything like this before.
When playing with March 7th, Stelle, and the others, they would only hug or Lumina would simply lie in their laps. Nothing remotely similar to what they were doing now.
Or rather, it wasn't even similar. This moment marked the first time Lumina had ever gotten this close to a beautiful girl.
In other words, this was the closest Lumina had ever been to a beautiful girl.
"I see," Ruan Mei murmured softly, then sighed in a flat, emotionless tone, "That's quite... unexpected."
When Lumina had suggested this act as an apology, Ruan Mei had assumed she had done it with others before.
But it turned out she was Lumina's first...
Ruan Mei thought to herself.
Her body, already pressed close to Lumina's, leaned in even closer—close enough to feel the warmth radiating between them.
Even after all that, Ruan Mei's eyes still held a hint of contemplation, as if she were pondering something.
A moment later, under Lumina's puzzled and astonished gaze, Ruan Mei reached over with the arm leaning against Lumina's side, crossing it over Lumina's arm and letting her hand rest on the back of Lumina's hand.
Under Lumina's suspicious gaze, the corners of Ruan Mei's lips curved into a faint smile as she said, "You like this, don't you?"
"So, this is for you. A reward..."
Lumina: ...
Hmm... Why does Ruan Mei seem so utterly unrepentant?
Still... Lumina didn't dislike it.
In fact, Lumina would have preferred Ruan Mei to be even bolder.
If she dares to do it, I won't resist!
Ahem... What Lumina meant was, if Ruan Mei dared to treat her like March 7th and the others—like a mother, clinging to her chest—Lumina would acknowledge Ruan Mei's gesture and consider her as her own precious daughter...
"Do you want to take a bath?" Ruan Mei asked.
"No dust or dirt can touch me, so under normal circumstances, I don't need to bathe," Lumina answered truthfully.
Sleeping and bathing were actions Lumina simply didn't need to perform.
As an Emanator, she had long been freed from the shackles of fatigue. Moreover, because no dust or dirt could approach her, her body never got dirty. She was perpetually fragrant and soft, rendering bathing completely redundant.
Yet these were Lumina's habits. Even though she didn't need to perform these actions, she continued to do them.
This wasn't merely for appearances, but also for the inner contentment she derived from these rituals.
So why, when Ruan Mei suggested bathing, had she declined so emphatically?
Hmm... that seemed like a rhetorical question.
With such a beautiful girl beside her, who else would choose to leave? After all, everyone wants to preserve such warm, tender, and blissful moments forever, right?
"Mm, I understand now," Ruan Mei said, sniffing twice at the air. She silently agreed with Lumina's explanation.
Fragrant, without the slightest hint of body odor—indeed, there's no need to bathe.
"So... shall we sleep?" Ruan Mei asked after taking a few more deep breaths.
"Are you sleepy?"
"I don't experience the sensation of sleepiness."
"I see..."
"We can maintain this position even while sleeping." Though Lumina hadn't uttered a word, Ruan Mei seemed to possess telepathic abilities, reading her mind as if it were an open book. She chuckled softly.
"Then... let's sleep?" Lumina countered.
"Mm," Ruan Mei nodded slightly, releasing her grip on Lumina's arm and tilting her body to slide most of herself under the covers.
"Sleep well."
Ruan Mei lay on her side, only her head visible above the blanket. Her calm expression and steady gaze fixed on Lumina, though she said nothing, her eyes seemed to urge Lumina to lie down quickly.
How could Lumina possibly refuse such an invitation from a beautiful girl? Especially since she had suggested it herself? Refusal was out of the question.
Unlike Ruan Mei, who had simply slid under the covers, Lumina moved with deliberate grace.
Lumina first turned sideways, gripping the blanket with one hand to lift it open while supporting herself with the other arm. She then used the combined force of her supporting arm and thighs to slide into the bed, releasing her grip on the blanket.
The blanket slipped down, leaving only Lumina's head exposed, just like Ruan Mei.
As Lumina completed this maneuver, a soft body instantly pressed against her, warming her right side completely.
Ruan Mei rested her head on Lumina's shoulder, one arm wrapped around Lumina's arm, and the other pressed against Lumina's chest, her hand resting on Lumina's opposite shoulder.
Lumina: ...
This gesture...
Is Ruan Mei also afraid of thunder?
"If you don't like this, or if you'd prefer to do it the other way around, just say so. I won't mind."
Lying down was completely different from sitting up, especially with Ruan Mei tilting her head back to speak.
A warm breath brushed past Lumina's ear.
"It's fine. Let's leave it like this," Lumina replied, her expression unchanged, making it impossible to discern whether she enjoyed the arrangement.
"Mm, good night," Ruan Mei murmured softly, closing her eyes without betraying any emotion.
"Good night."
Feeling the warmth radiating from Ruan Mei, Lumina gradually closed her eyes as well.
The instant Lumina's eyes closed, a small green light extinguished all the lights in the room...
With the room plunged into darkness, everything became utterly still.
Only the sound of two intertwining breaths remained...