There's room to wait

Episode 6

When Elaine returns to the suite, everything is quiet, and the living room is pitch black.

She gently closes the door, leaning against it, gazing at Sibley’s closed door in the dark. The aftereffects of the alcohol start to take hold, her body and stomach warm up, and her heart becomes restless.

Despite longing to express thousands of words after their long separation, she hardly had the chance to speak to Sibley today.

Elaine opens her handbag and takes out a long box. Inside is an exquisitely delicate bracelet, featuring a black and white jade panda charm. She holds it in her palm, examining it in the moonlight streaming through the window, her eyes filled with tenderness.

This was a gift she had designed in her previous life for their sixth anniversary, a project she couldn’t finalize and lost the opportunity to give. In this life, she found the draft, perfected it, and contacted Sibley’s favorite jewelry designer in France to participate in its making.

She's longed to give it to Sibley, a desire that turned into regret in her last life. Instinctively, she turns towards Sibley’s room.

One step, two steps, then she suddenly stops. Raising her hands to her nose, she sniffs her sleeves and chuckles wryly.

The mix of perfume and alcohol has become an irritating smell.

She’s definitely drunk. At this hour, Sibley must be resting. To disturb her with a scent she hates, isn’t she just making herself more detestable?

Elaine pats her warm forehead, puts the box back in her bag, and turns to head to her room.

In her dimly lit room, Sibley pauses in drying her hair with a tower, listening to Elaine’s footsteps, her heartbeat accompanying the sound that grows fainter, then distant, and finally ends with the sound of a door closing.

Sibley glances at the stomach medicine lying quietly under the lamplight, sighs imperceptibly, and resumes drying her hair.

Why did Sibley also like pandas so much? Elaine ponders as she dries her hair after her shower, her thoughts drifting.

Seven years ago, after a foreign idol group creation reality show was introduced on a platform, similar shows proliferated on various platforms and even on satellite TV. However, the imported format involved selecting trainees already under contract with different companies. The groups formed had a limited duration, and due to the large number of members, conflicts and even lawsuits arose between the original agencies and the new management companies over profit sharing, leading to the groups dissolving before their time. Consequently, these shows often had huge momentum during the competition but faded quickly afterward, using up the participants’ popularity without leaving a lasting impact.

From the lesson learnt from several predecessors, NewRiver Science and Technology, which had just started to gain popularity on video websites and was competing for market share, improved their program format and launched "Idol Creation Plan," a female group talent show. The show selected 99 uncontracted amateurs for two months of unified training. Through competitions and public voting, they ultimately chose the best trio to become the next girl group that the company would focus on building.

NewRiver set out to pay tribute to the once-popular but now disbanded Asian female trio "EVE." They ambitiously hired EVE's former manager and dance instructors, aiming to create the country's top girl group within three years and to recreate a legend.

Despite the slim chances of success, the program's low entry requirements, high exposure, and high return rate attracted many amateurs who had no other way into the industry. Even if they didn't make it into the group, gaining some fame and exposure from appearing on the show was an excellent stepping stone.

It was under these high stakes that Elaine and Sibley, both 20 years old, met in this variety show. Elaine, who had given up on a combined Master's and PhD program to take part in the show, was almost thrown out of her house.

Elaine always forgot to ask Sibley when she first saw her and what impression she had. But she clearly remembered that she instantly noticed Sibley in the crowd and labeled her as unapproachable.

When the 99 contestants arrived at the show's recording center, they waited in the chaotic hall for dormitory assignments and further instructions. Not knowing each other, they were already busy making connections. Elaine, dressed plainly and wearing light makeup, went unnoticed among the flashy beauties. Previously popular in school and not used to initiating conversations, she quickly became forgotten in a corner after a few awkward chats.

Yet Elaine felt a sense of relief at being left out of the excitement. Struggling with unfamiliar people's awkward enthusiasm and being slightly face-blind, she observed the girls in the hall, finding them all beautiful but too similar in appearance, realizing it would take time to recognize them.

That changed when she inadvertently turned her head and saw Sibley, surrounded by a small crowd in the center. The sight was stunning. After a glance at Sibley and then at the other girls, everything else seemed bland. Her gaze unconsciously returned to Sibley.

This girl was not just beautiful and ethereal in demeanor, but her clothes and accessories exuded a subtle opulence, hinting at her extraordinary strength and background. It wasn't just Elaine who noticed; others also approached Sibley to make connections.

But Elaine just smiled faintly to herself and looked away.

She wasn't sure if others had noticed, but she did. Although the girl always responded with a smile to those talking to her, her eyes conveyed only a cold, detached emotion. It was like a proud white swan watching a group of noisy, oblivious ducks. Elaine amusingly thought of this analogy.

"I won't be one of those clueless ducks," Elaine reminded herself proudly.

So, when she found out that this outstanding girl was one of her six dorm mates, she just exchanged a faint smile and introductions with her when their eyes met. Then, Elaine looked away, found her bed, and began arranging her belongings.

While her roommates were already getting along and laughing, Elaine stayed silent, just taking off her backpack to make her bed.

As she was halfway through removing her backpack and turning to get off to the other side, she was caught off guard by a delicate hand appearing in her field of view.

"This charm is quite unique," said the owner of the hand, holding a panda charm with a voice as clear and refreshing as a spring.

Elaine looked up, meeting Sibley's amber eyes and seeing her clear smile. She was momentarily taken aback.

"Did you decorate it yourself?" she asked.

Before Elaine could answer, their roommate Melinda Hammond joined the conversation, exclaiming, "Wow, that's really cool, Elaine! Who put the cinnabar dot on its forehead? It's so cute."

Feeling a bit embarrassed as Melinda teased her and meeting Sibley's eyes, Elaine's ears warmed up. "I do it habitually," she said. Noticing Sibley's fascination with the panda, Elaine changed the subject: "Do you like pandas?"

Elaine nodded.

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll give this to you as a gift for our first meeting," Elaine said, taking off her backpack and handing Sibley a box with another panda charm with a cinnabar dot on its forehead.

Sibley's lips curled into a smile as she took the box, asking with interest, "Do you always carry this many pandas in your bag?"

Blinking blankly, Elaine was about to reply when Melinda and the other roommates jokingly said, "Many pandas? Does that mean everyone who sees them gets one?"

Elaine quickly and awkwardly explained, "No, there aren't any more; I'm sorry. But I have prepared other gifts for everyone."

Later, when they were together, Elaine joked that the panda was their matchmaker; without it, Miss Reyes would probably never have noticed her, an unknown figure. What did Sibley reply to her at that time?

Elaine couldn't recall the exact response when suddenly a gentle knocking sounded at the door.

Three rhythmic knocks, neither light nor heavy, and then silence.

Elaine turned off the hairdryer, momentarily thinking she had imagined the sound. The next moment, realizing what it was, she hurriedly put the hairdryer down and rushed to the door.

When her hand touches the doorknob, she quickly let go and raises her hands to hastily smooth out her hair, which had become frizzy from the drying. Worried that the person outside might be in a hurry, she gave up after just two seconds and hurriedly opened the door.

"Ah... Sib... Miss Reyes, did my hair drying disturb you?" Elaine stuttered, almost biting her tongue as she corrected herself.

In the rush, Elaine's nightgown had nearly turned into a low-cut top. Sibley, noticing the beauty nearly spilling out, swallowed and averted her eyes discreetly, succinctly denying, "No."

She raised her hand, extending it forward, and Elaine realized she was holding two boxes of medicine.

Elaine accepted them somewhat dazedly, hearing Sibley's explanation, "Don't misunderstand, I was just bringing Sophie back to her room, and Sarah asked me to give these to you if it was convenient."

"It's late; I won't disturb you any longer." After speaking, Sibley turned and left, leaving Elaine to say a long-missed "Good night" to the air.

Elaine wasn't sure if Sibley had heard her. She closed the door, feeling a bit dejected, and walked back to her desk. Pressing her still-burning upper abdomen, she took the medicine with the hot water Sarah had prepared for her earlier.

Following her and Sarah's usual routine, Elaine habitually opened the top drawer of her desk. Normally, wherever she goes, the medicines are always stored in this spot. However, as she placed the two boxes of medicine inside, she saw that the drawer already contained two boxes of the same stomach medicine.

Right, her stomach pain was an old issue. How could Sarah not have prepared stomach medicine for her beforehand and have to ask Sibley to bring it up at the last minute?

Was it Sibley who was worried that she might suffer from stomach pain without any medicine?

At that instant, Elaine's heart leapt wildly with excitement.