Staring into Iris’s eyes, which sparkled like a starry sky, Anya suddenly felt a lump in her nose.
She couldn’t hold back, and crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I-why are you crying, little Anya?” Iris panicked, not knowing where to put her hands or feet.
“Tha…thank you, Iris.”
Anya wiped her tears away messily, and before Iris could react, she threw herself into her arms.
Iris hugged her naturally, resting her chin against Anya’s soft blue hair.
Seeing this, she understood in her heart that little Anya had been holding back her emotions for too long, and they were finally bursting out.
The best thing to do now was to quietly stay by her side.
“Cry if you want, it’s okay.” Iris spoke softly, gently stroking her back. “All those grievances you never spoke of, all that loneliness you’ve bottled up—let it all out. You don’t have to always pretend to be strong, you don’t have to force yourself into the shape someone else expects.”
At first, Anya’s body was a bit stiff, as if she had never been treated with such tenderness before.
But Iris’s embrace was too warm, her acceptance without any conditions felt like a stream of warmth, instantly breaking down the walls Anya had built for years.
Trembling, she lifted her hand and clung tightly to the hem of Iris’s clothes.
Years of pent-up grievances finally broke loose, and her tears gushed forth, soaking the other’s collar.
“I…I’ve always wanted Father to know…” Anya choked out, her voice so broken it was barely recognizable, “I wanted him to know I can be amazing too…I’m not just someone who brings shame to the Family…”
“I know, I know all of it.” Iris gently patted her back. “But little Anya, whether you’re amazing or not, you never need someone else’s definition. To stand your ground, you practiced Sword Training day after day—your courage and determination are already dazzling enough.”
She tightened her embrace and whispered in Anya’s ear, “As long as I’m here, you don’t have to bear it all alone anymore. Let’s find the meaning that belongs to you together. Let’s live in the way you love, all right?”
Anya didn’t answer.
She just buried herself in Iris’s arms, trembling as she cried.
Through her blurred, teary vision, she saw Iris’s silvery hair shimmering with a gentle glow, blurring into a warm ball of light before her eyes.
This peace and warmth—she had never touched something so beautiful before.
She unconsciously tightened her arms, wanting to hold this precious moment in her heart, afraid that it would slip away if she let go.
“All right, all right, if you keep crying, the Fireworks Feast will be over.” Iris noticed Anya holding her even tighter, and hurried to coax her.
“I want to lean on you while watching, Iris, is that okay?” Anya lifted her head at these words, her eyes red, but unusually sincere.
Iris was stunned for a second, then smiled and nodded. “Of course you can. Today’s your Birthday, little Anya. You can do whatever you like.”
After all, getting to snuggle with a beautiful girl isn’t a bad deal. Maybe she was the one who got lucky.
Anya nodded obediently and shifted closer, sitting side by side with Iris and facing the sky full of fireworks. She was almost glued to her.
“Iris, you’re really good to me.” Anya said softly, and without thinking, she held the White Furred Ball’s little hand.
Iris felt the warmth in her palm, glanced at the Anya right beside her, and couldn’t help but blush.
“It’s nothing much, really.”
She was a little embarrassed at the compliment and quickly turned her face away.
For some reason, Anya thought Iris’s stubbornness was quite cute.
Taking advantage of Iris turning her head, she secretly laced her fingers with Iris’s, then looked up at the sky.
The fireworks still blossomed in the night, crackling and bursting with warm light, as the two nestled together, their silhouettes especially gentle in the glow.
“If you make a Wish on the fireworks, it might just come true.” Iris turned her head and whispered to Anya.
Anya glanced at Iris and curiously asked, “Iris, what’s your Wish?”
Iris laughed lightly. “My Wish is simple—I just want to have endless Comic books to read and endless Games to play.”
Hearing this, a small, inexplicable sense of loss flashed through Anya’s heart.
But Iris didn’t notice that fleeting emotion. Instead, she leaned closer and asked, “So what about little Anya’s Wish?”
“Secret.” Anya had no intention of telling Iris her Wish.
“So stingy!” Iris pouted, but didn’t press further.
After all, today was Anya’s Birthday. If you say your Birthday Wish out loud, it won’t come true, and she didn’t want to ruin the mood.
She just didn’t notice that Anya’s gaze kept falling on her, each glance becoming more intense.
Soon, the Fireworks Feast came to an end with one last loud bang.
Iris stretched in a big, lazy yawn. “All right, little Anya, it’s getting late. I’ll take you back to sleep, okay?”
But Anya gripped Iris’s hand and shook her head, then blushed and said, “I don’t want to go back yet, Iris.”
“Huh?” Iris was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“Can I…sleep here with you tonight?” Anya mumbled, her head lowered, barely able to finish her sentence.
“Ah?” Iris blinked, then shrugged indifferently. “Sure, if you want to sleep together, let’s sleep.”
With that, she flopped back, sinking straight into her soft, fluffy bed.
Seeing Iris wasn’t chasing her away, Anya’s eyes sparkled with joy.
“You sleep on that side, I’ll sleep on this side. It really is late, I was so busy yesterday I could die from exhaustion. Good night, little Anya.” Iris gave a huge yawn, and as soon as she finished speaking, she fell asleep in an instant.
Anya didn’t expect the White Furred Ball to fall asleep so quickly after speaking. It was clear how tired she must have been yesterday.
Usually, Iris didn’t wake her up so early. Maybe she really had been busy all night?
Thinking this, a hint of ache rose in Anya’s heart—Iris really did care for her.
She quietly inched closer to Iris, listening to her light breathing. Suddenly, she remembered how they first met.
Wasn’t Iris asleep back then, too?
“Iris, are you asleep?” she whispered, gently poking Iris’s cheek.
Seeing no response, she grew a bit bolder.
“If you’re already asleep…holding you while I sleep shouldn’t be a problem, right? After all, you promised you’d grant my request.”
Anya crept closer, their faces nearly touching.
Looking at Iris’s peaceful sleeping face, surrounded by a faint scent of gardenia, Anya became momentarily dazed.
Almost unconsciously, she leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Iris’s delicate lips.
Realizing what she’d done, Anya froze, but soon managed to calm herself.
“It was just an accident, Iris won’t know. It’s fine.” She touched her own lips, still savoring the soft sensation from that fleeting moment.
Suddenly, she recalled the Comic Iris had given her. There had been a scene just like this.
Unknowingly, she’d replaced the comic’s protagonists with herself and Iris.
“Time to sleep.”
Anya shook her head, pushing away the jumble of thoughts.
She gently hugged Iris in her arms, quietly savoring the beauty of this moment.
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