Chapter 27: A Night of Unexpected Serenity

The steamy warmth of the hot spring was already making her drowsy, a feeling exacerbated by the earlier commotion and the recent roller-coaster of emotions, leaving Kazami Jin feeling utterly depleted.

Now, immersed in the overly hot spring water and mentally drained by the ‘cup shock,’ she felt her head growing progressively heavier, her vision blurring at the edges.

Lin Wan’s laughter and Yu Niannian’s anxious inquiries, though spoken nearby, seemed muffled by a distant veil, becoming remote and indistinct.

‘Mmh…’ she whimpered unconsciously as the towel covering her face slipped away, revealing cheeks flushed with an alarming redness.

Her eyes glazed over, and her body began to slide limply into the water, her mouth and nose perilously close to being submerged.

‘Hey! Jin?!’ Lin Wan, instantly sensing something was wrong, abruptly cut off her laughter and swiftly reached out, pulling her close.

Xia Yue, too, quickly approached with a furrowed brow.

Her fingertips brushed against Jin’s scorching skin, and she calmly declared, ‘She’s been soaking for too long and is feeling lightheaded.

We need to get her out.’

Yu Niannian, flustered, rushed to assist.

Forgetting their own soak, the trio frantically pulled the limp, semi-conscious Jin, who felt as pliable as mud, from the hot spring.

Lin Wan and Yu Niannian supported her on either side, while Xia Yue quickly snatched a large bath towel and, with practiced efficiency, wrapped her in it, absorbing the excess moisture.

Jin felt utterly disoriented, as if treading on clouds, her body instinctively gravitating towards any nearby warmth.

She vaguely perceived hands wiping her down, then dressed in dry, soft pajamas (they fit surprisingly well, though she couldn’t recall who had provided them).

Throughout this entire ordeal, she remained in a hazy stupor, only capable of emitting a few incoherent sounds, much like a docile—or rather, utterly helpless—rag doll being moved at will.

Eventually, she was half-supported and half-carried from the bathhouse, guided through the quiet, brightly lit corridors of the base, until they reached the temporary lounge allocated to them.

The lounge proved spacious, furnished with several inviting beds.

The trio gently settled Jin onto the innermost bed, nestled against the wall.

The instant she felt the soft bedding, Jin emitted a sigh of profound contentment, curled into herself, and was almost immediately claimed by the irresistible pull of sleep.

Yet, even as she teetered on the brink of complete unconsciousness, a persistent sliver of her awareness still vaguely registered the subtle movements around her.

Lin Wan seemed to linger by her bedside for a moment, muttering, ‘She’s so frail,’ before gently tugging at Jin’s cheek, an action swiftly curtailed by a sharp glance from Xia Yue.

Yu Niannian, on the other hand, meticulously tucked the covers around her, then gently stroked her forehead, whispering, ‘Rest well, big sister.’

After a final assessment, Xia Yue confirmed that Jin was suffering only from exhaustion and mild dizziness, nothing severe.

She then subtly gestured to Lin Wan and Yu Niannian, and the three women quietly withdrew to the far side of the room, their voices dropping to a hushed murmur as they discussed what seemed to be future arrangements and reports.

These fragmented sounds, weaving together like a gentle lullaby, enveloped Jin’s ears.

Her body felt heavy with fatigue, her mind clouded, yet, oddly, her heart harbored little fear or apprehension.

Though her circumstances remained precarious, the future shrouded in uncertainty, and her three ‘guardians’ displayed unsettling behaviors, at this precise moment, cocooned in the warm, dry bedding, listening to their hushed murmurs and savoring this fleeting tranquility…

‘Perhaps… for the time being… this isn’t so bad?’

Embracing this vague notion, Kazami Jin finally surrendered to profound relaxation, sinking into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into an almost imperceptible, exquisitely faint smile.

This marked the first occasion since her transmigration—and perhaps in a very, very long time—that she had slept with such utter defenselessness and profound tranquility, especially within such a ‘complex’ environment.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the room, the three magical girls, still engaged in their hushed discussion, occasionally cast glances toward the figure curled up in the bed, breathing with serene regularity.

In their eyes, a medley of distinct yet equally complex emotions flickered.

It appeared this seemingly ‘harmless’ witch, who they were tasked with ‘supervising,’ was quietly weaving herself into the fabric of their lives in a manner none of them had foreseen, even beginning to stir their innermost emotions.

For Kazami Jin, this night was destined to be a rare and profoundly peaceful one.

As night deepened, the corridor lights of the base were gradually dimmed, leaving only the subtle, ethereal green glow of the safety indicators.

A profound silence enveloped the lounge, broken only by the faint, almost imperceptible hum of the air conditioning system and the steady, rhythmic breathing of the three occupants on their beds.

Lin Wan and Xia Yue had long since drifted into slumber, one sprawling carelessly with limbs outstretched, the other lying primly on her back, both lost in the depths of their individual dreams.

Yu Niannian, however, found herself restless, tossing and turning.

Lying on her side, her gaze pierced the ambient gloom, settling intently on the innermost bed.

In the soft moonlight, Kazami Jin’s curled form appeared exquisitely small and vulnerable, her unbound dark hair fanned across the pillow like a delicate ink wash painting.

Recalling Jin’s collapse in the hot spring earlier that evening, Yu Niannian felt an ineffable surge of protectiveness, mingled with a more profound, unspoken curiosity.

Quietly, she sat up, her bare feet pressing against the cool floor.

Like a phantom cat, she padded silently towards Jin’s bed.

Moonlight, piercing through the narrow gaps of the blinds, painted dappled patterns of light and shadow across Jin’s slumbering face.

Crouching by the bedside, Yu Niannian closely observed the witch they were ‘supervising.’

Jin’s sleeping face was utterly serene, her long eyelashes casting delicate shadows beneath her closed lids, and her lips were slightly parted, exhaling soft, warm breaths.

Yu Niannian reached out, her fingertips gently caressing the wisps of hair on Jin’s forehead.

Her touch was so delicate, she feared even the slightest movement might rouse her.

Just as she prepared to withdraw her hand, however, Jin unconsciously nudged her fingers in her sleep, like a small, trusting animal seeking reassurance.

This innocent, unconscious gesture made Yu Niannian’s heart skip a beat.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally lifted a corner of the blanket, carefully easing herself down beside Jin.

The bed dipped subtly with her added weight, and in her sleep, Jin instinctively gravitated towards the source of warmth, rolling gently into Yu Niannian’s embrace.

Their warm bodies pressed intimately together, and Yu Niannian could feel Jin’s steady heartbeat resonating through the thin fabric of her pajamas.

Yu Niannian’s arm encircled Jin’s waist, finding it even more slender than she had anticipated.

Her fingers unconsciously drifted across Jin’s back, sensing the supple contours of muscle beneath the soft pajamas.

Jin emitted a soft, contented whimper in her sleep, snuggling even closer to Yu Niannian, her forehead nestling into the hollow of Yu Niannian’s neck as warm breaths feathered across her sensitive skin.

Yu Niannian lowered her gaze to the figure cradled in her arms.

In the moonlight, Jin’s neck revealed elegant lines, her collarbones subtly hinted beneath the skin.

She found herself unable to resist, her fingertips delicately tracing the graceful curve, feeling the warm, steady pulse beating beneath the skin.

Jin seemed to revel in the touch, subtly tilting her head back in her sleep, thereby revealing even more of her delicate neck.

This unconscious invitation sent a jolt through Yu Niannian, quickening her breath.

She leaned closer, her lips brushing lightly against Jin’s neck, not with force, but merely to savor the exquisite warmth and softness.

Jin carried a faint, sweet scent, like the lingering gardenia fragrance of shower gel, mingled with a subtle, elusive hint of her own unique magic.

Yu Niannian’s hand unconsciously slipped to Jin’s waist, her fingertips tracing beneath the hem of the pajamas, making contact with smooth, delicate skin.

That skin was exceptionally fine, warm from sleep.

Her palm flattened against Jin’s side, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breath.

In her sleep, Jin seemed to sense something, her body shifting slightly.

As a result, the neckline of her pajamas slipped, revealing the soft curve of one shoulder.

Moonlight bathed that exposed skin, giving it a pearlescent sheen.

Yu Niannian’s throat tightened.

Her fingertips lightly brushed the bare skin, marveling at its velvety texture.

Just then, Jin stirred, her eyes fluttering open hazily.

Yu Niannian froze, believing she had woken.

But Jin merely glanced at her with sleepy confusion, then, as if reassured, burrowed deeper into her embrace, murmuring a muffled, ‘So warm,’ before sinking back into profound sleep.

Yu Niannian let out a silent breath of relief, simultaneously experiencing a thrill of illicit excitement.

She tightened her arms, pulling Jin fully into her embrace, their bodies pressing together in perfect congruence.

She could feel the softness of Jin’s chest against her own, her heartbeat involuntarily accelerating.

In the profound silence of this night, within the warmth of their shared covers, holding the witch they were meant to supervise, Yu Niannian felt a strange, compelling sense of contentment.

She lowered her head and pressed a gentle kiss to Jin’s forehead, then closed her eyes, utterly satisfied.

Outside the window, the moon silently ascended to its zenith, its silver light bathing the room and enveloping the two embracing figures in a hazy, ethereal glow.

At the other end of the room, Xia Yue, who should have been sound asleep, slowly opened her eyes in the darkness, her gaze complex as it rested on that bed, before she quietly closed them once more.