My wife is a witch princess.

Song Che didn't plan to tell his parents. It was best to pretend that the time travel thing had never happened.

"For example... how should I say it?" Xia Li hesitated.

"If you run into acquaintances outside, just say I'm your boyfriend. You never went to school, your home is in Tainan Mountain, which is on the border of Nanhui and Taixi, your silver hair is hereditary, you're eighteen this year, your parents are gone, and you have no siblings. After I found you, you stayed at my house, and we got together after spending a long time together. You usually take care of me at home... That's about it, I'll add more later if needed."

What's the difference between a boyfriend and a friend?

"Boyfriends and girlfriends can do many things that friends wouldn't do. But we're just pretending, so we don't have to be reserved when no one else is around, and we can act as usual."

Xia Li looked down at her phone and searched, her ears instantly turning red. She interrupted Song Che: "...I want to change my identity."

"Nothing could be more reasonable."

"This identity... is not legitimate."

“I’m a decent person, and so are you. So it’s okay.” Song Che paused. “You should be a decent person… right?”

"……I am."

"Really?"

"I..." Xia Li suddenly didn't know how to explain. What kind of people are "decent people"?

"That's good. By the way, all the clothes are dry, you can get them yourself if you need a change. If your leg injury is almost healed, you can take a shower tonight. I'm going to lie down for a while."

After giving his instructions, Song Che returned to his bedroom.

Xia Li stayed alone in the living room, holding the science magazine and continuing to read, thinking about how to prove that she was a decent person.

……

The indoor lighting gradually dimmed.

When Song Che woke up, he realized he had slept for two hours. He felt empty inside after not studying for so long.

He stared at the ceiling, felt a wave of self-reproach, glanced at the time, and then decided to fill the emptiness with two movie tickets.

Xia Li has been reading magazines lately, so tonight I'm taking her to see another great human invention: movies.

He stretched his arms and legs and walked out of the bedroom.

Xia Li lay face down on the living room carpet, her face pressed against a daily magazine.

Ever since Song Che asked her to learn modern common sense, she has been reading that book whenever she has free time.

Song Che quietly approached.

Even in her sleep, her face showed no signs of relaxation, but at least she was asleep. In this other world, beings like witches hardly need sleep.

Her small face was half-buried in her silver hair, her lips were gently pursed, then slightly parted.

Her body curled up slightly because of the cold.

Just as Song Che was about to get closer, Xia Li suddenly opened her eyes.

"...You were peeking at me."

"I just came out." Song Che said calmly. "I won two movie tickets in a lottery at noon. I'll take you to see a movie and we'll eat out afterwards. Do you want to come?"

"go."

She grabbed the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, ready to go out.

"Wait a minute." Song Che stopped her, took off the scarf, and rearranged it. "Don't you feel uncomfortable wrapping it like that?"

"...Yes, a little."

Outside the window, snow piled up along the roadside. The ice and snow have been gradually melting in recent days, and the most biting days are finally here.

Winter is cold and dry, so be careful with fire.

Chapter 39 Do you have three moles on the soles of your feet?

As evening approached, the students had all hurried home. The bus was finally less crowded, and Xia Li had a seat for the first time.

She leaned against the window, gazing silently at the street scene and lights outside.

It wasn't until she got off the train and stood in the night breeze that she looked up and asked, "What is a movie?"

Upon hearing this, Song Che replied, "Humans play the roles and tell a pre-designed story. Some stories, once seen, can live in your memory for a long time."

He looked at the movie ticket in his hand under the streetlight; it was a re-release of a classic old film.

—A Chinese Odyssey.

Many people are already familiar with every plot point, and this time they went to the theater probably for some kind of nostalgia.

The screening room is hidden on the third floor of an old supermarket.

The parking spaces downstairs were packed, indicating that this event was quite popular. Song Che thought that the emotional appeal of Stephen Chow's works hadn't diminished over the years.

The stairwell leading to the third floor was dark and cramped, piled with cardboard boxes and discarded furniture belonging to someone. The walls were covered in graffiti and small advertisements, and only fragments of the original safety warning signs remained. Several dusty electric bikes were parked crookedly in the corner, and a brightly colored power strip hung precariously from a gap in the railing, charging one of them.

The green light overhead, marked "Emergency Exit," flickered laboriously, its glow reminiscent of a poorly made horror film.

...The environment of this small cinema is really hard to describe.

The so-called rest area on the third floor was already full of several peeling plastic benches. With about ten minutes to go before the next show started, Song Che and Xia Li stood against the wall waiting.

Song Che lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "When we go inside, try to speak softly. Watching a movie requires quiet, so don't disturb others. If you feel uncomfortable or have anything you want to say, tell me."

"Okay." Xia Li looked at the banner hanging on the wall of the lounge.

Song Che also looked up. It seemed the owner was a die-hard Stephen Chow fan, having specially hung up a portrait of Supreme Treasure and Zixia gazing at each other, with the words "I love you for ten thousand years" written below.

...The boss is probably someone with a story.

“That monkey,” Xia Li suddenly said, “looks like a dog.”

Song Che was taken aback. Wasn't that a line from a movie?

Xia Li asked again.

"Why only love for ten thousand years? What does [love] mean?"

Song Che paused, unable to answer the question clearly. "[Love] is a very abstract yet very concrete word. First, two people develop feelings for each other, like each other, and finally confirm their feelings, get married, have children, and live together... But it is very difficult to do all of this, because falling in love with someone is easy, but loving someone for a long time is too difficult. Ten thousand years is already a very long time."

“…Oh.” Xia Li nodded. “I don’t quite understand.”

I don't understand why you're nodding!

Song Che didn't expect a witch to understand human love. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Xia Li stopped asking questions and instead turned her gaze back to the Sun Wukong on the banner. At that moment, a figure quietly approached, poking Song Che's shoulder with a timid yet assertive tone:

"Dude, the evidence is conclusive... Jiang Shuo, that kid, really didn't lie to me."

Song Che turned his head and saw a familiar face—short hair to his ears, and a mischievous smile in his eyes behind his glasses.

"Zhang Hanyu? You're here to watch this show too?"

"Yeah, I'm about to be driven crazy by the high school seniors, I need to catch my breath." Zhang Hanyu smiled, his gaze shifting to Xia Li beside Song Che. His eyes brightened, and his voice softened: "Hello, sister-in-law! I'm Zhang Hanyu, Song Che's... good brother."

"Hello, I am Xia Li." For the first time ever, Xia Li did not reveal that she was the Witch Princess.

"Does your sister-in-law mind having another girlfriend?"

Only a truly perverted person could say something like that.

Song Che glanced at her: "Hanyu, don't make jokes like that in front of her. Can't you be serious, you're a girl?"

"Okay, okay, just kidding. Long live singlehood, you know?" Zhang Hanyu spoke timidly, but his words were sharp enough to shut someone up. "Your sister-in-law won't find your hidden study materials, will she?"

"I haven't seen it." Song Che was extremely serious. "Alright, the movie is about to start, let's go."

Xia Li stood quietly to the side, looking at Song Che and then at Zhang Hanyu, a look of confusion on her face.

After having your ticket checked, enter the screening room and find your seat.

Song Che and Xia Li's seats were next to each other, with Zhang Hanyu right behind them. The theater was dimly lit, with only the noisy advertisements and trailers playing on the screen. The audience members gradually took their seats, creating a rustling sound.

Song Che leaned back in the velvet seat, sighed comfortably, and temporarily cleared his mind.

Xia Li, however, stared intently at the advertisement. She gently nudged Song Che: "Is this 'A Chinese Odyssey'?"

"This is an advertisement; the full movie will be released in a while."

Song Che turned his head and looked at Xia Li's profile. This girl was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, while he was extremely worried about her identity—not to mention solving it, he didn't even have a clue. Even if he had lived for a hundred years, here he would only be a high school student, completely ignorant of household registration laws except for the census.

The longer-term question is... the witch's lifespan is almost endless. Decades, a hundred years from now, when all those she knows have grown old or left, will she be able to survive alone in this complex human society? And by then, will she still remember someone named Song Che who briefly took her in?

"Brother, this is for your wife." A bucket of sweet-smelling popcorn was handed over from the back seat, interrupting his thoughts.

Thanks.

Song Che took it, handed it to Xia Li, and then popped one into his mouth.

It has a creamy flavor and is sweet.

Xia Li was eating this for the first time and asked, "What is this? How is it made?"

"Popcorn, made from corn."

“Corn…” Xia Li paused, “This is scientific, right?”

"It's similar, but the principle is very simple, and we can do it ourselves."

Zhang Hanyu chimed in, "I can make it! Next time you come to my house, I'll cook it for you."

"Alright, then I really won't stand on ceremony." Song Che turned his head and smiled. "Didn't Jiang Shuo warn you? Xia Li's appetite... might be a little beyond your imagination."

"Even if you can eat a lot, you're still a girl. A good appetite is a blessing." Zhang Hanyu waved his hand, as if to say, "I've stocked up on plenty of food, I guarantee you'll be full. By the way, bro."

She changed the subject, "Our small club has a theater production. I heard they're putting a lot of effort into it, and they have a chance to compete in the provincial competition, with prize money too. Want to come and see?"

"A performance?" Song Che hesitated. He had originally planned to take Xia Li to the stargazing center on the weekend.

"It's just a small event, but the atmosphere should be good," Zhang Hanyu added.

"Let me see, if I have time," Song Che said, not giving a definitive answer.

Just now.

Snapped--

The lights suddenly went out.