My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 156 My alcohol tolerance is better than yours

Chapter 157 My alcohol tolerance is better than yours

Xia Li didn't care about infatuated women or anything like that.

She felt the fruit wine wasn't strong enough and that she should choose a white wine, so she hurriedly went out again.

When Xia Li returned to the room with the wine, Song Che was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his socks.

Xia Li stuffed the bag into the wardrobe and covered it with clothes, clearly intending to hide something she didn't want anyone to see.

As Song Che watched her retreating figure, he suddenly found the way this girl was being stubborn quite amusing. Why the hell did she need to hide it? Wasn't it just wine?

Is it white this time?

"Hidden well?"

Xia Li closed the wardrobe door. "I didn't hide anything."

"What were you doing just now?"

"Put things in."

Song Che was too lazy to expose her, so he stood up and went to wash up.

When she came out, Xia Li was still standing in front of the wardrobe, as if she was checking to make sure that the two bottles of wine had grown legs and run away.

Tao Xiang knocked on the door from outside. "Brother Song Che, Sister Xia Li, breakfast is ready. Aunt Zhang said we're going hiking today, so we need to leave early."

This little one no longer calls me "Mommy," but "Mommy" instead.

Zhang Shushu mentioned the mountain climbing yesterday. There's a mountain at the border of Licheng and Taixi. It's not high, but the scenery is beautiful. There's an old temple on the mountain, which is said to be very effective for praying for good fortune.

Breakfast was served at the hotel restaurant; it was a buffet with a limited selection, but enough to eat.

Zhang Shushu sat by the window, slowly eating a bowl of porridge, an egg, and two sweet potatoes. Tao Xiang followed her, carrying a plate of bread, which she spread with a thick layer of strawberry jam, getting it all over her face as she ate.

Xia Li followed Song Che's example and sat down next to him with a bowl of porridge.

The buffet was a new thing for her, so she didn't dare take too much. But it was obviously not enough, so she drank the bowl of porridge very clean. After she finished, she didn't even need to wash the bowl.

When Zhang Shushu saw this, she smiled and said, "This child doesn't waste food, that's good."

It seems Mom doesn't really understand Xia Li.

The hike was scheduled for nine in the morning, and there was still an hour after breakfast. Zhang Shushu said she was going back to her room to pack her things, and Tao Xiang followed her, leaving only Song Che and Xia Li in the corridor.

Xia Li glanced at Song Che. "Go back?"

"Um."

Back in her room, the first thing Xia Li did was open the wardrobe and take a look. Several jars of wine were still there, covered by clothes, with only a small part of the jars sticking out.

She felt relieved, closed the cabinet door, and sat on the bed.

This is a classic case of "protesting too much," and Xia Li is nowhere to be found; Song Che doesn't even look at it.

Song Che leaned against the headboard, looking at his phone. Jiang Shuo was sending a message in the group chat, saying that his college application was basically settled, and his parents were so happy they set off a string of firecrackers. Zhang Hanyu said he wanted to apply to a school outside the province, somewhere far from home.

Song Che replied with a few words of congratulations, put down his phone, and noticed that Xia Li was looking at him.

"What's wrong?"

"No." Xia Li looked away, then looked back. "Are you free tonight?"

Song Che thought for a moment, "Aren't we going to have dinner together tonight?"

"After eating."

"After dinner, go back to your room and sleep. Then you can drink your wine, but I won't. After you finish drinking, I'll tie you up."

Xia Li nodded and remained silent. After a while, she asked again, "Could you have some wine tonight?"

Song Che looked at her. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"It's nothing." Xia Li stood up, walked to the window, and repeatedly opened and closed the curtains. "I was just asking, I didn't mean anything by it."

At 9:00 AM sharp, the family gathered in the hotel lobby.

Zhang Shushu changed into a white tracksuit and looked very energetic.

Tao Xiang wore a yellow sun-protective shirt and a sun hat that Zhang Shushu had bought for her, with the words "[Licheng]" printed on the brim.

Xia Li was still wearing the same dress, with black arm sleeves and canvas shoes.

Zhang Shushu glanced at her. "Won't it be inconvenient to wear a skirt while hiking?"

Xia Li was taken aback; she hadn't thought about this question before.

Song Che said, "It's okay, the mountain isn't high and the road is easy to walk on."

Zhang Shushu didn't say anything more and quietly stuffed a pair of sweatpants into her bag.

The mountain is located east of Licheng, about a 20-minute taxi ride away.

There's a parking lot at the foot of the mountain, next to which are a row of stalls selling water and snacks, as well as a few vendors selling incense and candles. They say the temple on the mountain is very efficacious and can grant any wish.

Zhang Shushu bought five bottles of water, one for each person, and also bought a stick of incense, saying she was going to offer prayers. The path up the mountain was a narrow stone staircase, just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The trees on both sides were very tall, completely blocking out the sun, with only slivers of sunlight filtering through the leaves and falling on the stone steps.

The air smelled of leaves and soil, even more natural and refreshing than the smell back home.

The family walked slowly, still full of peach fragrance and vitality, leading the way, with Song Che and Xia Li bringing up the rear.

When you reach the middle of the mountain, there is a pavilion made of wood with a thatched roof, which looks like a secluded place often seen in TV dramas.

Zhang Shushu suggested they rest for a while, and the group sat down. But Tao Xiang wasn't tired; she ran around the pavilion chasing a butterfly.

Song Jianguo took out his thermos, took a sip of water, and handed it to Zhang Shushu, who also took a sip.

Xia Li leaned against a pillar, looking down the mountain. The houses below were small, like building blocks, and cars were climbing on them; everything seemed unreal, like a game model.

"Is it pretty?" Song Che asked.

"It's beautiful," Xia Li said. "It's different from the mountains of Hite."

"What's different?"

Xia Li thought for a moment, "There are castles, people, and magic on the mountains of Hite. There are only trees on these mountains."

She paused for a moment, then added, "But the mountains here are beautiful."

Song Che stood next to her and looked down as well.

After resting for ten minutes, we continued uphill.

The stone steps became steeper and steeper, Tao Xiang slowed down, and Zhang Shushu also began to pant.

Although the mountain wasn't high, none of them were tall, except for Song Jianguo, who had good stamina. He led the group up the mountain, and their backpacks were all left on his shoulders.

As we approached the summit, red ribbons began to appear on both sides of the road, tied to tree branches, with words written on them—names, dates, and phrases like "May all your wishes come true," "May you pass the imperial examination with flying colors," and "May you have a son soon."

These red ribbons fluttered in the wind, standing out brightly on the mountainside, each one carrying their most sincere wishes.

Momoka saw it and asked, "What's this?"

Zhang Shushu said, "You make a wish. Tie a red cloth here, and the gods will see your wish."

Momoka thought for a moment, "Then I want to make a wish too."

What did you wish for?

"I won't tell you, because if I do, it won't work anymore. It's the same with birthdays."

"Then why don't you write it on the red string?"

Momoka lowered her head, "—That seems right."

Five more red ropes appeared on the tree. These red ropes were no different from the other red ropes, except that they were floating, like thousands of red ropes dancing in the wind.

The temple on the mountaintop is small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, in the same style as the ancient buildings at the foot of the mountain. The mountain is damp all year round, with continuous mist and rain, and the paint on the door frame has peeled off, revealing the wood underneath.

There was an old incense burner by the door, filled with incense sticks. The smoke was blown away by the wind and then gathered again. Zhang Shushu lit the incense she had brought, gave three sticks to Song Jianguo, kept three for herself, and handed the rest to Song Che, saying, "You two should also offer your prayers."

"You know him?" Song Che smiled.

"I don't know him," Xia Li said, "but he looks familiar."

"Really?"

She followed Song Che to the incense burner, inserted the incense sticks, and it took her several tries to get them in place. The smoke rose, making her squint.

Zhang Shushu had finished praying and was standing to the side waiting.

Song Jianguo finished his prayers, placed the incense sticks in the burner, stepped back, and clasped his hands together. Tao Xiang couldn't reach the burner, so Song Jianguo picked her up. Holding the three incense sticks, she bowed three times like an adult, then tossed the incense sticks into the burner, clapped her hands, and exclaimed, "All done!"

Zhang Shushu was amused by her, "That's not how you bow."

"Then I will pray again."

"No need, the gods heard us."

After leaving the temple, Zhang Shushu said she was going to buy water at the nearby convenience store, and Tao Xiang went with her.

Song Jianguo stood at the temple entrance, admiring the scenery, still clutching the three unburnt incense sticks in his hand, unsure where to throw them. Xia Li stood under a large tree, its canopy casting her entirely in shade. Song Che walked over and stood beside her.

"What did you wish for?" he asked.

I won't tell you.

Why?

"What Taoxiang said won't come true if you say it."

Song Che laughed. "You still believe in this?"

Xia Li looked at him. "I believe you."

Song Che didn't say anything.

A breeze rustled the leaves, the wind dancing on her face. The dress she wore today appeared black in the shade, making her skin look even whiter. Song Che suddenly remembered what happened last night, how she sat on his lap, called him "husband," and then got scolded.

He regretted something—not the part where he insulted her, but the part where he didn't respond to her properly.

"Xia Li," he called her.

"Um?"

"I'm not angry about what happened last night."

Xia Li looked at him.

"I was just—unprepared," Song Che said. "It was too sudden."

Xia Li thought for a moment, "When will you be ready?"

Song Che was stumped. "I don't know."

"Then I can wait for you," Xia Li said, "but you can't keep me waiting too long."

She paused, then said, "I've been waiting for a hundred years."

Song Che was stunned for a moment.

He suddenly remembered that the hundred years she mentioned wasn't just a casual remark; she had truly waited a hundred years. In Hitt, she had searched for him for a hundred years. Not the kind of waiting while sitting at home, but the kind of waiting that involved traveling across the entire continent, traversing every mountain, and asking every single person.

"You won't have to wait too long."

Xia Li nodded, "That's fine then."

It was almost 2 p.m. when we came down from the mountain. Zhang Shushu suggested we go have lunch, and Song Jianguo said there was a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the mountain that looked alright.

The farmhouse is small, with a few tables in the yard and grape trellises overhead. The grapes are not yet ripe, and they are green, hanging in bunches overhead.

The proprietress was a plump middle-aged woman wearing a floral apron. She spoke loudly, but had a beautiful smile. Zhang Shushu ordered several dishes.

Braised chicken pieces, steamed fish, and stir-fried cured pork were all typical country dishes. After the dishes were served, Taoxiang was the first to pick up her chopsticks. She took a piece of chicken, ate a couple of bites, and her eyes lit up. "Mommy, this is delicious!"

Zhang Shushu smiled, "Eat more if it's delicious."

The family always smiles when they eat together.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel, and it was already past four o'clock. Zhang Shushu said we wouldn't go out for dinner that night; we'd order takeout and eat in the room. Song Che agreed, Xia Li agreed, and Tao Xiang agreed.

Three people together.

They all went back to their rooms to rest.

As soon as Xia Li returned to her room, she opened the wardrobe and glanced inside. The two jars of wine were still there, pink jars, untouched.

She felt relieved, closed the cabinet door, and sat on the bed.

Song Che was lying in bed looking at his phone when Jiang Shuo sent a message in the group chat, saying that he was going to play games that night and asking if Song Che wanted to come.

You definitely won't be able to enjoy yourself while traveling.

Jiang Shuo sent a string of exclamation marks and said, "You actually went out to play without even calling me."

Zhang Hanyu said, "They're just a family going out to play, why would they call you?"

Song Che put down his phone and noticed that Xia Li was standing in front of the wardrobe again.

"Why are you staring at it?" he asked. "You've been standing there for half an hour."

Xia Li walked over, sat on the bed, and picked up the remote to watch TV. She flipped through several channels but couldn't concentrate on anything. Song Che looked at her absent-minded appearance and suddenly found it amusing.

"Are you waiting for tonight?" he asked.

Xia Li was taken aback for a moment. "Wait until tonight? What for?"

"drink wine."

Xia Li remained silent. Song Che sat up and looked at her. "Are you planning to get me drunk?"

Xia Li remained silent.

"And then?" Song Che asked, "Forced sex?"

Xia Li's ears turned red, but her expression remained calm. "I didn't say anything."

"What you think."

"I didn't mean to."

Song Che looked at her and suddenly laughed. "You even bought the wine, and you still say you didn't think about it? You're just playing dumb."

Xia Li lowered her head, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. After a while, she looked up and said, "That's what that bad woman said."

"What did she say?"

"You're a quiet type, you need to take the initiative."

Song Che was stunned for a moment.

A silent, unassuming person?

he?

He felt he talked a lot.

"What else did she say?"

Xia Li thought for a moment, "And then there's the matter of forcing oneself on someone."

Song Che's face darkened. "She taught you this?"

Xia Li nodded. Song Che took a deep breath, thinking that although the bad woman was gone, her influence remained. And it was quite significant, so significant that Xia Li wanted to buy him alcohol and get him drunk.

"Xia Li, you don't need to get me drunk."

Xia Li looked at him.

"Just tell me directly."

Xia Li thought for a moment, then asked, "So, do you agree?"

Song Che thought for a moment, then said, "I disagree."

Why?

"Because it's not the right time yet," Song Che said. "We're not married yet, we're not ready, we're not—"

"I don't need to prepare," Xia Li interrupted him. "I've been waiting for you for a hundred years."

Song Che was speechless again by those words.

He found that every time Xia Li said "I've waited a hundred years," he didn't know what to say.

A hundred years is too long.

He grew up to the point that he felt everything he said sounded insignificant.