My wife is a witch princess.

Page 212

"Li City, I think the 'Li' in Xia Li's name is this one. It would be a shame not to go and have some fun."

"So, where are you going for fun, and how are you getting there?"

"High-speed rail, you silly child, why are you suddenly acting so silly? I definitely booked high-speed rail tickets, I can't expect you to walk there."

"So, you booked tickets for Xia Li too?"

"You silly child, if I don't book a ticket for Xia Li, she'll just walk there by herself?"

"what?"

"Oh, right, Xia Li left her ID card with me last time. Luckily, Tao Xiang found it, otherwise it would have been a hassle to get a replacement."

"what?"

"You silly child, what are you 'ah'ing about? Come here and take your things back."

"..."

Song Che remained silent until he hung up the phone.

Only Xia Li returned the gesture and said, "I've got it. If I'm giving you a gift, in order not to put you in a difficult position, I'll definitely have to resolve the issue of my identity. The first gift a bad woman gives... is her identity."

Chapter 152 Licheng

It takes about three hours to travel from Nanhui to Licheng by high-speed rail.

Song Che sat by the window, Xia Li in the middle, and Tao Xiang in the aisle. Zhang Shushu and Song Jianguo sat in the front row. As soon as Zhang Shushu got on the bus, she started flipping through a travel guide, muttering about what good food and fun things to do in Licheng. Song Jianguo listened beside her, but mostly looked out the window.

As the train started moving, Xia Li leaned closer to the window, watching the platform slowly recede into the distance. As it receded, it sped up, and then the entire city began to rush past.

She watched this from the bus last time we went to Taixi.

Last time I asked him, "Why does this metal box run so fast?"

She's gotten used to it now; she finds a seat as soon as she gets on the bus and buckles up as soon as she sits down.

“Look,” she suddenly said, pointing out the window.

Song Che looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a mountain range in the distance, hidden in the clouds and mist, undulating like a sleeping dragon.

“It looks good,” he said.

"Mm." Xia Li withdrew her hand and placed it on her knee.

She wore a light yellow dress today, which Zhang Shushu had taken her to buy before they left. Song Che had originally offered to go with her, but Zhang Shushu said, "What do you know, you're a boy," and sent Song Che back.

The skirt fell slightly above her knees, with a white lace trim around the neckline. It was cinched at the waist, making her already slender waist appear even thinner. She wore a pair of new white canvas shoes, the laces still in a knotted knot.

Tao Xiang sat in the aisle, wearing headphones and watching cartoons. She would laugh every now and then, then cover her mouth so as not to disturb others. She was wearing a pink dress, picked out by Zhang Shushu, and her hair was styled in two small braids, each tied with a cherry-shaped hair tie.

She was especially excited today, waking up at 5:30 in the morning and knocking on each door to ask, "Have we left yet? Have we left yet?"

Children have an abundance of energy.

Zhang Shushu leaned over from the front row and asked, "Che'er, are you hungry? Mom brought some food."

I'm not hungry.

Where is Xia Li?

Xia Li shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Momo Xiang?"

Momoka took off her headphones. "Huh?"

"are you hungry?"

I'm not hungry!

Zhang Shushu smiled and turned back, took out a few oranges from her bag, handed one to Song Jianguo, then one to Tao Xiang, and then stuffed two into the seat between Song Che, saying, "Eat them if you're hungry, don't carry them."

Actually, none of them were hungry, but the mother couldn't stay idle and wanted to share any food she had with the children.

Song Che took it and handed one to Xia Li. Xia Li took it, placed it on her lap, and continued looking out the window.

About an hour later, the train entered the mountains, with tunnel after tunnel, alternating between light and darkness. Every time they entered a tunnel, Xia Li would look at Song Che in the reflection of the window, and when they exited the tunnel, she would turn to look out the window again.

Song Che reached out and took her hand. Xia Li's hand was cool; she moved slightly when he held it, then gripped it back. The tunnel was dark, the windows reflecting light so they couldn't see outside, only the lights inside the carriage and the passengers' reflections. In the reflection, Song Che saw Xia Li smiling; she was smiling more and more these days.

Once out of the tunnel, she looked out the window again, but didn't pull her hand back, groping Song Che like a little hooligan.

The three hours passed faster than I expected.

As the train pulled into the station, the name "Licheng" appeared on the platform, and Song Che suddenly felt a little dazed. He had never been to this city before, but he had heard the name many times—in the news, in geography textbooks, and from other people's conversations. Now he was here.

There were many people when they exited the station. Zhang Shushu walked at the front, holding a printed guidebook in her hand, which was covered with dense writing.

Song Jianguo pulled a suitcase and carried a bag on his back, walking steadily. Tao Xiang skipped along behind, turning her head this way and that, wanting to see everything. Song Che and Xia Li walked at the back; Xia Li's suitcase was white, and Song Che's was black. The two walked side by side, the wheels making a gurgling sound on the ground.

After exiting the station and arriving in the city center, the crowds began to increase, but Xia Li also started to encounter trouble, as she kept being pulled to take photos with others.

"Teacher! Can we take a picture together?"

A girl in a Lolita dress blocked Xia Li's way, holding a phone in her hand and looking at her with bright eyes.

Xia Li was stunned for a moment and looked at Song Che.

Song Che nodded, "Okay."

The girl happily leaned closer and held up her phone. Xia Li stood next to her, her expression a little stiff.

She is not used to taking photos with strangers.

After the girl finished taking the photo, she glanced at it and suddenly said, "Teacher, are you sure you didn't lose your character? You look just like..."

She thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with anything, so she smiled sheepishly, "Anyway, it just looks really good."

Xia Li nodded. "Thank you."

The girl left, and Tao Xiang ran back, "Sister Xia Li was stopped again?"

"Ah."

"Which one is it?"

Song Che thought for a moment, "The fifth one after exiting the station."

Tao Xiang laughed, "Sister Xia Li is even more like a cosplayer than those cosplayers."

Xia Li didn't understand, "What is a cosplayer?"

“It’s…” Momoka thought for a moment, “It’s someone who plays an anime character.”

"I'm not."

“I know you’re not, but others don’t know.” Tao Xiang laughed and ran back to find Zhang Shushu.

Xia Li stood there, looked down at her dress, then looked up at Song Che, "Do I look like one?"

"Like what?"

"Like someone playing someone else's role."

Song Che looked at her and suddenly smiled. "No, you're just like yourself."

Xia Li nodded and continued walking forward.

Zhang Shushu booked a hotel on the outskirts of Licheng, a ten-minute walk from the ancient building complex. The hotel wasn't large, but it was clean. The receptionist was a young girl who paused for a moment when she saw Xia Li, then lowered her head to check in without asking for a photo.

There are two rooms. Zhang Shushu and Tao Xiang share one room, Song Che and Xia Li share another, and Song Jianguo sleeps in an extra bed.

Zhang Shushu's original words were, "Don't snore and disturb the child."

Song Jianguo had no objections and took the blanket to lie down on the extra bed.

Once inside the room, Xia Li opened her suitcase and began taking things out. She folded her clothes neatly and stacked them one by one into the wardrobe. Song Che, lying on the bed watching her unpack, suddenly remembered when she first arrived; she simply stuffed clothes into her suitcase, closed the lid, and that was it.

Now she can fold and sort things; she hangs up the ones that wrinkle easily and folds the ones that don't wrinkle easily and puts them in the drawer.

“Your mom said we’re going to the ancient building complex tomorrow,” Xia Li said while folding clothes.

"Ah."

"Going to the museum the day after tomorrow."

"Ah."

"I'm going hiking the day after tomorrow."

"Ah."

Xia Li hung up the last piece of clothing, closed the wardrobe, and turned to look at him. "You knew everything?"

She's said it several times.

Xia Li walked to the bedside, sat down, and took off her shoes. They were white canvas shoes with a knotted lace. She tried to untie them for a while but couldn't, so Song Che sat up and helped her. After untying them, she neatly arranged the shoes by the bed and then lay down next to him.

"Are you nervous?" Xia Li suddenly asked.

What's there to be nervous about?

"Tomorrow. Play with your parents."

Song Che thought for a moment, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

“I do,” Xia Li said. “I’ve never gone out with them before.”

Song Che reached out and took her hand. "It's okay, my mom is more nervous than you. She's worried you won't have a good time."

Xia Li thought for a moment, "She's fine."

"Ah."

"Your dad is good too."

"Ah."

"Taoxiang is also good."

"Ah."