Every afternoon, SigrdrÃfa would arrive at the infirmary on time to visit Xuan Xi, bringing her dinner from the cafeteria. Not the bland, tasteless nutrition meals from the infirmary, but freshly baked toast, milk, and jam from the cafeteria, and occasionally even a small plate of fruit.
She would place the tray on the nightstand, sit down on the edge of the bed, and say nothing, just quietly watching Xuan Xi finish eating, then take the tray away.
This went on every day. Until the third afternoon, when she came carrying a backpack as well.
“Academy winter break assignment list.” She pulled a sheet of paper from the backpack and placed it in front of Xuan Xi.
Winter tasks were, of course, the assignments every student needed to complete during winter break.
You could choose to do them at the Academy or take them home, and just hand in the results after the new semester started. On Xuan Xi’s assignment list was a single line — “Research water element, attempt to create or improve a water high-level spell.” She glanced at the assignment list, then looked at SigrdrÃfa.
“That hard? Sig, will you help me?”
“Figure it out yourself. I still have to improve or create a lightning high-level spell. It’s all because you performed too well in the assessment. Elsa and the others only need to learn to cast one high-level spell.”
Xuan Xi let out a sigh. Fame truly was a heavy burden. She folded the assignment list and tucked it into her pocket.
The next morning, Doctor Yilian checked her wounds for the last time.
The bruising on her right arm had completely faded, the scabs on several cuts were nearly healed, and the one on her face had fallen off by itself while showering the day before, revealing pale pink new skin underneath, whiter than the surrounding skin, like a faint crescent moon.
“Congratulations! Student Xuan Xi, you can be discharged.” Doctor Yilian made a checkmark on her medical chart, indicating she had fully recovered.
When Xuan Xi stepped out of the infirmary, the sunlight was a bit harsh, making her squint.
The Academy’s stone paths gleamed in the sun, and the leaves on the plane trees lining the roads had already fallen completely, bare branches swaying gently in the wind — which also meant — winter break was here.
On the night she packed her luggage, Dormitory 404 was a mess like a typhoon had swept through.
Xuan Xi yanked clothes out of the wardrobe and piled them on the bed.
Notebooks, diary, handkerchief — the little library she had built under her pillow was all pulled out and toppled over. Xuan Xi neatly stacked them one by one into the suitcase. The jade pendant hung around her neck, resting against her heart.
After shoving the last piece of clothing into the suitcase, she zipped it up and let out a breath.
From the bathroom came the sound of running water — SigrdrÃfa was showering.
Through the semi-transparent glass window of the bathroom door, the silhouette of her chest appeared and disappeared in the steam, looking heavy, like two medium-sized grapefruits.
Xuan Xi turned around and walked to the folding screen. It had stood there since the very first day of enrollment.
Suddenly, she slipped her fingers into the gap at the edge of the screen and pried gently. The screen came apart in Xuan Xi’s hands.
This was her first time damaging school property (she would only find out later it was a decorative item SigrdrÃfa had bought).
The bathroom door opened. Steam rushed out first, dispersing into a thin white mist under the light. SigrdrÃfa stepped out, her silver-white hair draped loosely over her shoulders, the ends slightly curled, water droplets dripping from her hair tips onto her nightgown.
Her sash was tied loosely, her face flushed a thin red from the bathroom’s heat, tiny water beads still clinging to her lashes. She looked far softer than usual.
She raised a hand to gather her half-damp hair, lifted her head, and her gaze habitually fell toward the direction of the folding screen — then froze.
The semi-transparent barrier that had stood there for a whole semester was gone.
Looking closer, the wooden frame was leaning against the corner of the wall, and the silk fabric had been removed and folded neatly beside it, folded so tidily, like a document carefully archived.
Xuan Xi had even deliberately folded it fabric side up — afraid of dirtying the silk.
The entire screen had been dismantled cleanly, not even a single nail left behind. Yet the disassembled pieces were all tidily organized.
SigrdrÃfa stood in place, stunned for a few seconds. She was the one who had bought that screen.
During the first week of school, she felt the dormitory was too empty and had someone send it from home. She called it decoration, but really, it was also to separate the space between two people.
After all, she didn’t want a stranger to see her sleeping, nor did she want a stranger getting too close.
She had thought the screen would stand for four years, only to be taken down when they graduated. She never expected Xuan Xi to take it apart today.
“I paid two hundred gold coins for that.” Her voice was flat, impossible to tell if it was a statement or an accusation.
Xuan Xi stood at the spot where the screen used to be, her ink-blue hair cascading over her shoulders, holding a blanket in her hands and spreading it on the floor.
Her movements paused at the words. She looked down at the blanket on the floor, then at the screen frame leaning against the wall.
“…You spent two hundred gold coins on that?”
“Yeah.”
“Um, want me to put it back for you?”
“No need. Since it’s taken apart, let it be. I didn’t want it anyway.”
Xuan Xi could naturally tell how flimsy SigrdrÃfa’s excuse was, but SigrdrÃfa didn’t say anything more.
Her gaze moved past Xuan Xi and landed on her bed.
Xuan Xi’s blanket was gone, her quilt was gone, and her pillow was gone too.
All that remained on the bed was a pile of books — the diary, notebooks, the handkerchief she had given her, and Xuan Xi’s notes, all pulled out from who knows where, stacked into a little mountain.
“So where are you sleeping tonight?” she asked.
Xuan Xi spread the last blanket on the floor. “On the ground. I took down the screen so I could make a floor bed.”
“Oh.” SigrdrÃfa’s tone didn’t change, but she didn’t walk toward her own bed either.
She stood at the bathroom door, silver-white hair still dripping. Xuan Xi looked up at her, water drops trickling down her hair tips onto the floor.
“You wanna join?” Xuan Xi’s voice was soft.
SigrdrÃfa didn’t answer. Xuan Xi took that as a yes. She smoothed out the blanket in her hands, stood up, walked over to SigrdrÃfa, and took her hand.
Her fingers slipped between SigrdrÃfa’s, interlocking, palm against palm.
SigrdrÃfa’s palm was warm, the back of her hand still bearing undried water stains. She led SigrdrÃfa toward the freshly laid floor bed.
SigrdrÃfa didn’t resist, and instead seemed a little eager.
The two lay down. The floor had two layers of blankets, with the quilt on top. The pillows were placed side by side, one left, one right, each brought from their own beds.
They faced each other, so close they could count each other’s eyelashes, so close they could feel each other’s breath brushing across their skin. Xuan Xi didn’t let go of her hand, and SigrdrÃfa didn’t let go of hers either. The two just gazed at each other.
The warmth inside the bedding began to rise little by little — heat radiating from their bodies, slowly accumulating in the cramped space.
Xuan Xi could feel SigrdrÃfa’s heartbeat. Thump, thump — just as fast as her own.
“Good night, Sig…”
“Good night, Xuan Xi…”
Click! The light went out. Not another word was said that night.