Upon hearing this, Sefina’s pupils slightly widened, and her heart seemed to stop for an instant.
So that was it… No wonder she had been so anxious earlier, even using her wrist to block her mouth in order to snatch back that piece of bread…
It wasn’t ordinary food—it was the ration she had prepared for her grandmother with bad teeth.
A strong sense of guilt surged over her again like a tide, almost drowning Sefina. She looked at the clear tooth mark on the girl’s wrist, and her tears once again uncontrollably spilled out. Her voice choked with remorse:
“I’m sorry… really… I’m so sorry…”
The girl turned around. The firelight illuminated her pink hair and gentle profile. She looked at Sefina, whose eyes were brimming with tears, and gently shook her head, no blame on her face.
“I don’t blame you,” the girl said, her voice calm, with tolerance and understanding. “You had no choice either, right?”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the black bread being toasted, her tone tinged with a hint of gloom:
“But… there really isn’t much bread left, so… so the two of us will have to share just this one…”
Sefina nodded vigorously, too choked up to speak. Being able to split half a piece of black bread was already an immense kindness to her. How could she dare to ask for more?
Seeing that Sefina had no objection, the girl said no more and focused on flipping the bread over the fire.
After a while, she seemed to think of something, raised her head again, and looked at Sefina. Those pink eyes appeared exceptionally clear and sincere in the firelight.
“By the way, I’m Theresa,” she asked softly. “What’s your name?”
“Sefina.” The blue-haired girl lowered her head, her voice very faint, almost drowned out by the crackling of the stove. She didn’t even dare to look into Theresa’s overly clear and warm eyes.
But Theresa didn’t mind her shrinking back.
She reached out, using her palm that had just been warmed by the stove fire, gently cupped Sefina’s cold and dirty cheek, and softly lifted her face. Sefina shuddered all over. That long-lost warmth seeped through her skin.
She was forced to raise her eyes, her wet wine-red pupils meeting Theresa’s pink ones. Sefina’s lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say. Gratitude, shame, confusion… All kinds of emotions clogged her chest.
Theresa just smiled lightly, then withdrew her hand. She picked up the black bread that had been toasted until its crust was slightly charred, carefully broke it into two roughly equal halves, and handed one half to Sefina.
“Here, eat it.”
Sefina took that half piece of warm black bread with trembling hands. The instinct of hunger instantly overwhelmed everything.
She no longer cared about reserve or manners. Holding the bread in both hands, she brought it to her mouth and bit down hard.
A crisp crack sounded. The black bread was surprisingly hard, like chewing on a frozen stone. Sefina struggled to tear off a small piece and chewed it with difficulty.
The texture was as rough as if mixed with gravel, and an indescribable taste spread through her mouth, far inferior to any soft white steamed bun from her past life.
Yet, for some reason, Sefina felt that in this winter, this was the best thing she had ever eaten…
At night, the wind and snow outside seemed to have lessened, but the cold remained.
Theresa stoked the fire to make it burn brighter, then used a rusty iron kettle to boil quite a bit of hot water and poured it into a somewhat broken wooden tub.
“Take a hot bath,” Theresa said while testing the water temperature to Sefina, who was curled up by the fire. “This should warm you up for a while. And… your hair needs washing too.”
Watching Theresa’s busy back, Sefina felt that unfamiliar flutter in her heart again, like a warm current flowing under an ice-bound lake.
Since coming to this world, she had encountered endless indifference and rejection. This was the first time… someone had been so kind to her. Even though they had only met today, and in such a terrible way.
“The water is ready, the temperature is just right.” Theresa’s voice interrupted Sefina’s thoughts.
Then, to Sefina’s surprise, Theresa didn’t tell her to go to some hidden corner. Instead, right by the warm living room stove, she began to unbutton her cotton jacket.
“Come here, Sefina, I’ll help you wash,” Theresa said naturally. For her, washing separately meant needing to boil water again, which would waste precious firewood. Washing together was clearly more efficient and warmer.
Seeing this, Sefina’s cheeks instantly flushed two patches of red, spreading to her ears. She certainly understood the practicality of Theresa’s idea, but…
But deep in her soul, she still retained the gender identity from her previous life! Even if her body was that of a little girl, this kind of “bare-faced meeting” made her feel incredibly ashamed.
Sefina’s face was so red it seemed to steam. Her gaze darted away, not daring to look at Theresa, who was removing her outer clothes.
Theresa saw her frozen in place with a red face and simply thought the little girl was shy, not thinking much of it.
She quickly took off her jacket, leaving only a thin slip, then walked over to Sefina and began to untie the ties of her tattered, thin shirt.
“Don’t be scared, it’ll be over soon. You’ll feel comfortable after washing,” Theresa soothed softly.
Sefina’s body was stiff, almost like a puppet as Theresa moved. The rough fabric was stripped away, revealing her skinny body.
The slightly cool air made her shrink, but the next second, she was carefully picked up by Theresa and gently placed into the wooden tub filled with warm water.
“Mm…” Sefina let out a low cry. The comfort of being immersed in warm water relaxed her a little. But then, Theresa also stepped in.
The space inside the tub immediately became a bit cramped. The water surface rippled, and their bodies inevitably brushed lightly against each other in the warm water.
Sefina’s face turned even redder, almost burying it in the water. Theresa, however, seemed not to notice her embarrassment, or perhaps, in her view, it was just a little girl’s shyness, nothing more.
She picked up a rough but clean cloth, wet it, and began to wipe Sefina’s body meticulously. Theresa’s movements were gentle, carefully avoiding the bruises and wounds.
From the thin neck to the visible collarbone, then to the arms and back… The warm water and the wiping of the cloth brought cleanliness and warmth, and also a tingling numbness that made Sefina’s scalp tingle, along with embarrassment.
Theresa’s expression was focused and earnest. Her pink hair was wet from the steam, sticking to her cheeks. Occasionally, she would softly say “lift your arm” or “turn a little,” and Sefina would obey like a puppet.
When wiping Sefina’s slender legs, Theresa’s fingers inevitably brushed against her sensitive skin. Sefina couldn’t help but tremble slightly and bit her lower lip, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
‘Mm—so awkward, this atmosphere… too weird…’
Sefina closed her eyes tightly, her mind in turmoil, but she could only silently “endure” everything, feeling this touch that was both shy and incredibly comfortable.
Finally, the bath was over. Theresa wrapped Sefina in a dry old blanket, carefully dried the water droplets on her body, and then gently wiped her blue hair, which had finally regained its luster, with another cloth.
Sefina changed into a shirt that Theresa had found for her. Although it was a bit old and a little big, it was clean and comfortable enough.
Sefina felt completely refreshed and warm, as if even the pain on her body had lessened.
This was the first time since her transmigration that she felt so clean and comfortable. Of course, that was ignoring the blush-inducing “mutual aid” bath process just now…
Sefina lowered her head, still occasionally flashing fragments of the scene in her mind, making her ears hot. Theresa, who had also changed into dry clothes, tidied the bedding and asked with concern:
“How is it? Do the wounds still hurt?”
Sefina shook her head, her voice clearer than before:
“Much… much better, thank you.”
Theresa smiled calmly, the smile appearing especially soft in the flickering glow of the stove. She patted the bed beside her, which was spread with straw and an old blanket, and said naturally:
“It’s getting late. Let’s sleep and rest.”
Theresa’s intention was obvious—she wanted Sefina to sleep with her.
‘!!!’