My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 67 Song Che's cooking is delicious!

He Lan grew to like Xia Li more and more the more she looked at her.

The sunflowers the child brought were treasured and placed in the most prominent spot on the TV cabinet.

Watching Song Che and Xia Li interact, they didn't seem like a young couple just starting out in love. Instead, they had a kind of... slow and steady understanding, like an old married couple who had been living together for a long time.

This young couple, who haven't finished university or found jobs yet, live a down-to-earth and peaceful life.

But... this is fine too, as long as they're happy.

Looking at Song Che's eyes, you can't hide his affection. Although Xia Li is always a bit slow and doesn't talk much, she listens to Song Che in everything, and there's a kind of unspoken trust between them.

Especially when that girl smiles.

It's absolutely gorgeous.

It was a clean, carefree laugh, unlike many children's smiles nowadays, where something else is mixed into their smiles early on, losing some of their pure innocence.

When did it start? Middle school? Or high school?

He Lan rubbed her slightly throbbing temples.

"I'm really getting old; my memory is getting worse and worse."

She murmured to herself, "But... is Xia Li's hair black?"

A vague question lingered in her mind, so she turned around and pulled a thick notebook from her cloth bag.

The paper was so worn that the edges were frayed, leaving countless folded marks.

Memory is like a leaky sieve, but thankfully this notebook helped her catch some fragments.

She carefully flipped through the pages, her finger pausing on the most recent ones:

"Xia Li has very beautiful silver hair."

"Song Che is almost nineteen years old this year and loves to eat pork ribs."

"Yangyang... gave me... no, it was Xia Li. Xia Li gave me a sunflower doll, it's so cute."

"Song Jianguo lent me two hundred yuan, oh dear, I forgot to pay it back again."

"Zhang Shushu reminded me to see a doctor, saying my complexion has been poor lately..."

He Lan went through the notebook again from beginning to end.

She often forgets where she puts her phone these days, but this notebook is the one she unconsciously carries with her every day. Yet, she can't remember who first gave her this notebook. She only vaguely feels that it was someone very important.

With that lingering doubt about her hair color, she closed the notebook and slowly strolled back to her bedroom.

Two images keep flashing through my mind: one is long, silver hair that gleams coldly in the sunlight, and the other is smooth, jet-black hair.

You must have misremembered.

The notebook clearly says "silver hair," but why does it always seem like her hair is black?

……

In the kitchen, Xia Li neatly tied her silver hair into a high ponytail, wearing an apron, and was concentrating on preparing the pork rib soup in the pot.

Compared to stir-frying, which requires precise control of heat and timing, stewing soup and making porridge seem much simpler to her.

It's more like preparing a mild potion; you just need to add the ingredients in order and control the timing and amount.

She doesn't dare to try cooking easily, mainly because she has to stay next to the gas stove all the time.

There was clearly no magical fluctuation below, yet such a large flame could suddenly burst out with a bang, making her instinctively want to shrink back every time it was lit.

The pot was bubbling away, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the sweetness of corn and carrots filled the air.

The flavor here is completely different from the pure stew of Hitler. The ingredients here have a more complex flavor profile, and even the most ordinary salt is so finely seasoned that there is not a trace of grit.

She enjoyed the process; it was quiet, orderly, and full of anticipation.

The soup was ready, and she carefully brought the pot to the table.

Tao Yao had disappeared off to who-knows-where again. Song Che washed his hands and came over, looking at the milky white soup on the table. He smelled it and said, "It smells quite good. It seems Your Highness has a real talent for making soup."

"You know..." Xia Li rarely took the initiative to ask for opinions, her eyes shining, "If I make this for Auntie, will she be happy?"

"Definitely." Song Che scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and took a sip. The ribs were stewed until tender and melted in his mouth. "Hmm! This is an improvement of more than one dimension compared to the stir-fried vegetables last time. You learn so fast."

"I can learn other things." Xia Li took a bite of the pork ribs in her bowl; the meat was tender and juicy. She narrowed her eyes slightly, then quickened her eating pace, her cheeks bulging. "I saw in the Magic Mirror that you have to go to school to earn decent money. If I don't have an ID card, can I never go to school?"

"You want to go to school?" Song Che was somewhat surprised.

"Mm." Xia Li nodded, swallowing the food in her mouth. "Because Song Che is also in school. If I can go to school with Song Che, we can earn money together. It seems like that gold coin is almost gone."

"There's no rush." ​​Song Che put a piece of corn on her plate. "If you just want to learn about humans, I can teach you at home. As for school... to be honest, my grades are terrible right now. If my grades are bad, I won't be able to get into a good university, and my chances of making a lot of money in the future will be slim."

"What if we make some extra money together?" Xia Li seriously considered.

"More or less," Song Che said with a wry smile.

In an era where academic qualifications are devalued, he might not even be able to obtain one, and his future seemed bleak.

"I asked the Magic Mirror a lot of questions. You can actually do a lot of things without an ID card: set up a street stall, open a small shop..."

"It might be enough to maintain basic food and clothing. But if I get sick, or encounter some other unexpected event, that little money won't be enough."

"Then let's open ten small shops." Xia Li's logic was simple and direct.

Song Che chuckled at her words: "This isn't just a simple matter of adding up numbers. If we open ten stores, who will look after them? What will we sell? Purchasing, management, dealing with inspections... these are all problems."

He paused, then softened his tone, "However... the idea of ​​opening a small shop is something we can consider. If it goes well, we can open a small shop together and live a simple life; that would be quite pleasant."

Xia Li fell into deep thought.

She knew she knew almost nothing about these things, but she just wanted to do something and didn't want to be a burden to be supported.

Song Che understood what she was thinking, of course.

This thought had been lingering in her mind for more than just a day or two.

He was always thinking about washing dishes, doing housework, and even considering doing illegal work.

This girl's way of thinking is different from others; it's hard to say whether she's stupid or overly naive.

Most normal people would first assess their own "value." For example, her good looks are an asset, which might help her find a better partner. But Xia Li didn't. What she was thinking about was how to make Song Che rich, so that she could give him all the money she earned and have him pay for everything when they went out. That way, she would feel very prestigious.

Song Che was taken aback, then suddenly realized that his own thinking might have been biased.

He had always subconsciously believed that human relationships were somewhat intertwined with considerations of self-interest, and that it was normal for a girl to leave and look for someone better if she felt that a boy couldn't give her what she wanted. He unconsciously projected this mindset onto Xia Li as well.

But Xia Li is quite the opposite.

She never seemed to doubt what Song Che would give her; on the contrary, she was vaguely worried that Song Che might one day find her troublesome and leave.

Song Che guessed that this silly girl had never even thought about assessing her own worth.

Just like if you ask her how many people are in the room, she will count carefully: "Song Che, Bruce, Tao Xiang, three in total."

—She forgot to include herself in the calculation.

"Pfft..." Song Che suddenly couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Xia Li didn't laugh.

She heard it clearly: Song Che was telling her in his mind that she wasn't human. Although she wasn't human in the strict sense, in a human context, it was obviously an insult.

"You're cursing me in your mind again," she pointed out calmly.

"I'm sorry," Song Che readily admitted his mistake.

"It's okay." This time, Xia Li didn't rush to tap him on the head as usual. She simply said quietly, "I think what you were thinking earlier was wrong. I do recognize my own 'worth.' But I believe my value is mine, and your value is yours. Why should someone look down on another person just because they are more valuable than them?"

Song Che's expression became complicated, a mixture of heartache and a hint of helplessness.

Xia Li's ideas were too pure and too idealistic, as bright as a mirror, yet as fragile as a mirror.

"The reality is that if one person's value, usually referring to social status, wealth, etc., is higher than another person's, the one with lower value is often looked down upon."

He tried to explain this cruel yet universal rule.

"That's not right." Xia Li frowned slightly.

"That's right—because that's how reality works."

"Then...do you also look down on me?" Xia Li pursed her lips and asked softly.

"No, not at all." Song Che immediately shook his head, looking into her clear eyes, and said with utmost seriousness, "I think you're a very good person. It's precisely because you don't understand the complex rules of human society that you seem so pure and precious."

"Is this a compliment?"

"Yes, His Highness is indeed a very good person." Song Che nodded vigorously.

A little bit of joy quietly welled up in Xia Li's heart, like drinking a sip of warm honey water.

"I think Song Che is a good person."

"Of course, Your Highness, you only just realized that?" Song Che deliberately put on a stern face, but the little flame of expectation in his heart reignited. "Then tell me, Your Highness, what aspects of me are good?"

He was still somewhat concerned about his image in Xia Li's eyes. After all, it was basically unrequited love right now; this silly witch didn't even understand what "like" meant.

Xia Li put down her chopsticks and began to think seriously.

"...Song Cheol's cooking is delicious!"

"Is there anything else?"

"...Song Che's porridge is delicious!"

"Anything else?" Song Che's expectations began to slowly decline.

"Let me think..." Xia Li pondered for a few more minutes, "...The steamed buns that Song Che took me to eat were delicious."

Song Che: "..."

Xia Li blinked, somewhat puzzled, when she saw him suddenly stop talking and just stare at her.

"Let me think about it some more." She thought she hadn't said enough and decided to keep digging.

If you can't figure it out, I'll strangle you tonight!

"Are you trying to strangle me again?" Xia Li paused, her tone still serious. "I don't think that's right. I just haven't thought of anything yet, I haven't done anything wrong."

"I know……"

Song Che was a little dejected, but also a little amused.

After all that, it turns out that his goodness in her heart is roughly equivalent to his delicious cooking?

What's so special about this? Does it mean he's a good cook?

He secretly hoped that she would find him thoughtful, considerate, and patient.

"I……"

Xia Li couldn't think of anything else right away, but she just felt that Song Che was good. That "good" was general, rather than a series of specific merits.

She paused, trying to organize her thoughts, "I think you are meticulous and helpful."

"That was just what I was thinking," Song Che bluntly exposed.

"Yes," Xia Li readily admitted.

You still have the nerve!

Song Che had always considered himself to have a good mindset and strong resilience. But at this moment, he deeply felt that Xia Li was the true queen who couldn't handle pressure.

No matter how fierce the wind and rain, she remains unmoved.

Xia Li was already used to his internal criticism, so she didn't argue back. She just stubbornly continued to ponder the serious question of "what's so good about Song Che?"

He even forgot to eat the cold ribs in his bowl.

Song Che didn't leave either, but sat opposite him and waited, looking like he was saying, "Let's see what you can come up with."

The steam from the pork rib soup had almost completely dissipated.

—The pork rib soup's cultivation has been completely dissipated, and it can no longer rise again.

Xia Li finally spoke again, this time her voice was soft, but with a wistful seriousness: "I feel... Song Che and I have been through a lot together. Back in Hit, Song Che was very smart. When we attacked the Forbidden Kingdom, the tactics you proposed were effective time and time again, saving so many people."

"I was just standing on the shoulders of giants." Song Che shook his head, not taking credit. "Those tactical ideas were not my original creations. I just used the wisdom of my predecessors and was lucky."

Xia Li had never examined "Song Che" so closely before.

After she finished speaking, she remained silent for a long time, so long that Song Che thought the topic was over, before she raised her eyes and solemnly said:

"I'll think about it carefully. I'll let you know tomorrow."

Her expression was unusually serious, as if answering this question was no less important than breaking a high-level magic circle or concocting a perfect longevity potion.

After saying that, she picked up her chopsticks again and touched the ribs that had gone cold on the rim of the bowl: "They're cold, Song Che."

"Okay, I'll go heat it up." Song Che picked up the pot and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Just as he turned around, Xia Li, looking at his back, suddenly said clearly:

"Song Che, I feel... you're very good to me."

Song Che paused, then put the pot down and came out. "Do you want to kiss me?"

"...No." Xia Li almost agreed to Song Che's request. That little rascal always tricked her unexpectedly. She asked the magic mirror after kissing him last time, which was very improper.

The fake boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is legitimate, but now it's subtly crossing that line, meaning it's developing in an improper direction.

Xia Li wasn't ready yet.

Because she didn't understand what liking someone meant, whether she liked Song Che or not, she didn't want to live like this in a daze. She wanted to be clear about her feelings, to be certain of them, and then to respond to Song Che seriously.

This is the proper etiquette and respect Your Highness should show.

"I'll think it over and then I can kiss you," Xia Li promised.

"Okay." Song Che felt that this would take forever. What if Xia Li got too much exposure to modern life and went astray?

Becoming like those bad girls...

Song Che dared not think about it; he absolutely could not let Xia Li become like that!

"Xia Li, you really need to go to school and learn about true human emotions and values."

Xia Li asked in confusion, "But I don't have an ID card."

"I'll teach you. Let me think about where to start..." Song Che pondered, "Let's start with how girls should respect and love themselves. There are some things that can't be taken lightly."