My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 53 Returning Home, a Lamp Remains

Exams come and go quickly.

Song Che finished his exam and was walking on the road.

How much sorrow can one have? It's like a river of spring water flowing eastward.

He felt it necessary to cultivate a good relationship with the Chinese teacher so that he could at least have a more dignified end next time he was dragged to the office. As for his grades, he feared they wouldn't improve much until next year.

He was carrying a shoulder bag and a bag of clothes and groceries in his hand, and he walked a little slowly.

Jiang Xiaoxiao brought the princess's costume from the drama club and also gave her the script, saying that they would rehearse every weekend and there would be a selection in three weeks.

Song Che quickly flipped through the script.

The story is about a princess and a knight.

But it's not the traditional knight-protects-princess trope where the princess is ultimately snatched away by the prince. This time, it's the princess protecting the knight—the princess isn't necessarily the one being protected, and the knight's protection of the princess isn't for any prince's sake.

Regarding the princess's character, Song Che felt Xia Li needed to tone down her acting. Don't let Xia Li's usual blank stare and seemingly silly demeanor fool you; when she really gets going, her aura is terrifying. However, her enemies usually don't even have a chance to sense it—before they're even touched by a super-tier magic spell.

Song Che picked up the package from the Cainiao Post Station and carried it home. The package was really heavy, making him pant heavily.

As soon as he opened the door, two girls and a cat were already waiting for him.

Momoka: "Welcome home!"

Xia Li: "You're back."

Bruce: "Woof woof woof woof!"

Xia Li took the shoulder bag and coat bag from his hands, picked up the groceries, and went into the kitchen. Bruce kept rubbing against his leg, being very affectionate. Only Tao Xiang was still a little reserved, whispering, "I was very well-behaved at home this time. I didn't steal any cat food or knock anything over."

"Good girl." Song Che patted her head. "I'll cook dinner in a bit."

Momoka, who clearly has cat genes, squinted her eyes in pleasure as she was being petted.

Song Che closed the door, handed a script to Xia Li, and then took out clothes from his bag and spread them on the sofa.

The princess's dress paired with fleece-lined stockings looks expensive.

The knight's uniform was much rougher.

His armor looked like it was photoshopped on.

To be precise, it was photoshopped in.

"Xia Li, try on the clothes after you finish eating. If the size is right, Xiao Xiao won't have to change them."

"it is good."

After putting his things down, Song Che went into the kitchen to wash his hands and prepare to cook, while Xia Li rinsed the rice beside him. Seeing that she was doing a good job, Song Che turned around and went to chop vegetables.

The food at home is running low. Now that there are three mouths to feed, Song Che suddenly has the illusion of being a stay-at-home dad—he has to think about what to cook and how much to cook. Xia Li doesn't like celery, and he doesn't know what Tao Xiang likes. Bruce is fine with cat food, but he'll have to change the dishes when he gets tired of them. Should he eat noodles or rice...?

Song Che looked at Xia Li. The girl was intently watching the rice cooker, waiting for the rice to finish cooking. The lines of her profile were gentle and soft, and he couldn't help but think: Xia Li would be so cute if she knew how to act coquettishly.

Xia Li suddenly turned her face away: "I don't know how to act cute."

"I know," Song Che smiled. "I'll just think about it."

The rice was cooked, and Xia Li stood by watching Song Che stir-fry the dishes. Back in the castle, she was always engrossed in studying potions and magic, barely paying attention to what Song Che was doing. It wasn't until Song Che died that she belatedly went to his bedroom, his kitchen, and the meditation room where he studied how to negotiate with the forbidden kingdom. But by then, it was too late.

Fortunately, it's not too late.

Xia Li stayed quietly beside Song Che, watching. Tao Xiang lay by the kitchen door, peering curiously. She had always been a wanderer, without a home, and seeing the two figures in the kitchen, she suddenly felt a warm glow in her heart. Bruce also squatted nearby; a cat and a person, a princess and a knight.

A breeze picked up outside the window.

Night had completely fallen, and lights were on in every household.

It's almost midnight, and many people are still awake. Quite a few people are going out wrapped in coats—some for fun, some just to join in the fun.

Because tonight is the last day of the year.

Tomorrow is New Year's Day.

With New Year's Day over, the holidays are getting closer and closer, and the New Year is just around the corner. Some people have already secretly started preparing fireworks. No matter how strictly regulations are enforced, some things are simply impossible to control.

When I was a child, I loved Chinese New Year the most. As soon as January came, the festive atmosphere was so strong that it made me feel at ease. But in recent years, I feel that the festive atmosphere has faded, as if it has been covered with a layer of dust.

Song Che didn't care much about New Year's Eve rituals, but after dinner and washing the dishes, the two girls looked at him simultaneously, and Bruce snuggled into his arms. Xia Li didn't understand what New Year's Eve was, but Tao Xiang knew very well and kept saying that there would be fireworks outside and she wanted to go out and play.

Of course we have to go out—and we'll look at the stars together.

However, there's still no sign of fireworks; they were probably stopped by the city management officers before they could even be set off. To be honest, fireworks are indeed dangerous, and accidents can easily happen if not handled properly.

For many people, it's a longing; after a year of work, they just want to come home and do something relaxing with their wife and kids.

Song Che felt that everyone had their own reasons, and since he wouldn't let go, he would just watch others do it... This was what was meant by stepping back behind the crowd and frowning.

"Tao Xiang wants to go out and watch the fireworks—" Tao Xiang started to whine again, like a little child, pulling Song Che's hand one moment and tugging at Xia Li's sleeve the next.

Xia Li ignored her.

She focused her attention on Song Che.

"Okay, okay, we were going out anyway." Song Che patted the unopened delivery box. "Xia Li, guess what's inside?"

"A telescope. You're leaving soon, find an open spot, and maybe watch the fireworks... What are fireworks?"

"I almost forgot you can read minds." Song Che gave up on teasing her. "Get dressed, the whole family will go."

Tao Xiang repeated softly, "The whole family is going... Song Che said, the whole family..."

She smiled, pursing her lips; Taoxiang wanted a home.

Bruce was already squatting at the door, waiting to leave. Song Che turned around and adjusted Xia Li's scarf.

Xia Li suddenly spoke up: "You think I'm stupid."

"It's not that I'm stupid." Song Che continued working, but his voice softened. "It's that I think you're quite cute."

"Cute..." Xia Li didn't really like that description; she preferred to describe herself as dignified.

"Yes, just like a real girl." Song Che straightened his scarf, looked up at her, and said, "Haven't you noticed? You've changed a lot since you came here. You no longer speak in a commanding tone, and it sounds much nicer."

"……Um."

Xia Li wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a joke. She felt she hadn't done a very good job—her tone was still occasionally stiff, and sometimes she didn't know how to respond. This world was completely different from the one she was familiar with; there was no magic, no subjects, no authority that had to be maintained. She was simply learning to live like a human being.

But Song Che said she was cute.

Is this... cute?

She lowered her eyes and tightened her grip on her scarf. A thought flickered in her mind, a feeling she couldn't quite pinpoint—whether it was confusion or something else entirely.

"Stop daydreaming, it's almost New Year's Eve. Grab your binoculars and let's go."

"Can you really see the stars?"

"Hmm, the stars... are out."