My wife is a witch princess.

She picked up the colander, remembering Song Che's words this time, and lowered it, sliding the vegetables into the pot along the edge.

"Thorn-"

There was another sound, but it was much gentler than before.

When the green vegetables are heated, they shrink rapidly, and their bright green color appears particularly vibrant in the oil.

"Stir it quickly, or the bottom will burn," Song Che reminded him from the side.

Upon hearing this, Xia Li immediately began to stir-fry vigorously.

Her movements were completely haphazard; instead of stir-frying, it was more like... digging in the pot.

She shoveled the vegetables high into the air, then they fell back down in a scattered mess, with a few leaves even landing on the stove.

"Be gentle! Your Highness, this isn't cooking, it's practicing martial arts!" Song Che watched with bated breath, afraid she would overturn the pot. "Just use your wrist and gently nudge it..."

Xia Li pursed her lips, adjusted her posture, and softened her movements, but she was still stiff. She stared intently at the vegetables bubbling in the pot, her brows furrowed, as if she were dealing with some troublesome magical ingredient.

"It's time to add salt." Song Che handed over the salt shaker.

Xia Li took it, hesitated for a moment, then pinched up a small amount and carefully sprinkled it on.

“…Add a little more, Your Highness.”

Xia Li added a small pinch more.

"A little more...yes, almost there. And just a tiny bit of light soy sauce, yes, from that bottle, just a tiny bit!"

With Song Che's remote command and occasional intervention, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, which wasn't exactly visually appealing but was at least cooked and exuded a complex aroma, was finally ready.

Xia Li turned off the stove and stared at the plate of glistening, dark-colored vegetables with unevenly distributed minced garlic. She remained silent for a few seconds.

"It seems... a little different." She compared it to the bright green and refreshing vegetables that Song Che had stir-fried in her memory.

"It is a little different." Song Che leaned over, picked up a piece with his chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

chew.

pause.

Facial expression management.

"How is it?" Xia Li looked at him, a rare hint of nervousness and anticipation showing in her blue eyes.

Song Che swallowed with difficulty, carefully choosing his words: "Hmm... it's cooked, and the saltiness... is barely acceptable. It's just that there's a bit too much oil, the garlic is a bit burnt, the cooking time is a little too long, and the vegetables are a bit old..."

Xia Li's eyes dimmed little by little as he spoke.

“…But!” Song Che changed the subject, picking up another piece of food with his chopsticks. “This is Your Highness’s first time cooking, and to be able to do it like this is already very impressive! It’s much better than my first time, when I burned through the bottom of the pot!”

That's true, although he forgot to turn off the stove that time.

Xia Li looked up at him, as if trying to determine whether he was trying to comfort her.

“Really.” Song Che took another bite, this time with a more natural expression, perhaps because he was numb. “The oil is so fragrant, and the garlic is also unique! The key is the sentiment! No one else is qualified to eat dishes cooked by His Highness himself.”

Xia Li watched his slightly exaggerated performance, the corners of her mouth curved almost imperceptibly, then immediately straightened up again.

"I'll do better next time."

"Absolutely, Xia Li learns everything so quickly." Song Che smiled and placed the plate of stir-fried vegetables, which looked rather unappetizing but was of great significance, on the table. "Today's main dish—a special 'Jade Dragon'!"

This dish received special attention at the dinner table.

Song Che ate most of the food without changing his expression, continuing his food commentary as he ate. Tao Xiang took a bite, her little face scrunched up, but at Song Che's prompting look, she obediently ate it.

Bruce... Bruce only cares about whether Tao Yao has stolen his cat food.

Xia Li ate a few bites herself, then silently put down her chopsticks.

"It is a bit oily," she commented objectively.

"It's okay, we'll just eat less oily food tomorrow." Song Che smiled and ladled her a bowl of soup. "It's your first time, that's great. I'll teach you step by step next time."

"Ah."

Xia Li nodded, looking at the plate of vegetables on the table that had been mostly "devoured." The slight sense of frustration in her heart seemed to be slowly smoothed out by Song Che's nonsensical praise.

This time, he didn't call her an idiot?

Xia Li didn't understand, but she felt good because she wasn't stupid to begin with.

She thought that cooking seemed a little harder than she had imagined.

But... it doesn't seem that difficult.

At least, someone was willing to eat the food she made, even though it wasn't very tasty.

This feeling... isn't bad.

Chapter 65 How about I give you a kiss?

Song Che noticed that Xia Li's lips curved slightly when he praised her.

Although it was only for a moment, she quickly straightened her expression and returned to her usual blank look.

But this is already a remarkable step forward.

He knew that even though Xia Li had learned to laugh, she was still unaccustomed to it deep down, and even resisted this kind of emotional expression.

Just like before, he clearly liked looking at pretty girls on the street, but if someone asked him about it to his face, he would always subconsciously deny it or change the subject.

Some things are always the hardest the first time.

It requires patience, guidance, and... explaining things in simple terms while maintaining a steady pace.

Xia Li is indeed becoming more and more like a human being.

It wasn't about her appearance, but rather the increasingly human reactions she displayed: slight annoyance, fleeting smugness, barely perceptible shyness, and the smile he caught at that moment.

Song Che was planning to teach her a few more dishes in the future. Firstly, it would greatly improve her standing in her mother's eyes—a girl who can cook and is willing to work makes elders feel at ease. Secondly, it would also soothe His Highness's sensitive pride.

She was always thinking about making money, being useful, and not living there for nothing.

This is a habit ingrained in her, or rather, a kind of "Your Highness's Illness".

She seems to have an innate need for some kind of "contract" to define relationships, regardless of whether the contract is strictly equal, there must at least be a framework of agreement, punishment and reward.

This current state of simply being cared for is clearly making her uneasy.

She usually puts on an indifferent act, and Song Che suspects that it's mostly a disguise when she's at a loss.

Interestingly, even if Xia Li possesses the ability to read minds, Song Che feels that his ability to "read" her thoughts is probably no less impressive.

She can't hide anything at all. If something is on her mind, even if she tries not to say it, her eyes and habits will always give it away.

What's even more interesting is that even when she "hears" his inner thoughts, she often can't understand the intricacies of his meaning. Sometimes, when he rambles on, she becomes even more confused and ends up not understanding what he really means.

After finishing lunch, Song Che seized the time to catch up on sleep—every minute of sleep was precious on this hard-won day off for the senior high school students.

Xia Li always seemed to be full of energy.

She stayed alone in her room, continuing to ponder the things that she couldn't understand no matter how hard she tried.

She discovered that there were simply too many things she couldn't understand. This world was infinitely more complex than Hitler's.

In Hitler, life seemed much simpler.

Studying magic, concocting potions, handling government affairs, responding to wars... the goals are clear, and the path is well-defined.

But here, there are too many concepts, rules, and... especially, emotions that she cannot understand.

Lately, the word she thinks about most is "like".

She knew the love for the mysteries of magic, that burning thirst for knowledge and power. She also knew the love for rare potion ingredients, that focused desire to collect and study them.

But when the object of her affection changed to a different person... she was completely at a loss.

She didn't understand the logic behind Song Che's sometimes clumsy, sometimes cunning behavior.

That little rascal will laugh at her for being stupid.

They didn't understand their body's strange reactions at all.

When he gets close, I subconsciously tense up, feeling that I should resist, but my body honestly gives me a hint of... comfort.

It felt like a weak electric current coursing through my limbs and bones; it wasn't uncomfortable, but rather made me a little dizzy.

...I don't dislike Song Che.

She was certain of that.

...But, do I like Song Che?

She asked herself the question. Her mind was blank, with no answer.

This made her feel more anxious than ever before, to the point that her head was about to explode.

Deep within my memory, some dusty fragments resurface.

Those were words spoken in a cold tone by a deceased witch when she was still in Hittite:

"Witches are destined to never truly fall in love with others."

"All the witches who fell in love with mortals... are dead."

"That is a taboo etched into blood and destiny. Your Highness, please remember it."

At the time, Xia Li was still a young witch, and upon hearing this, she felt a chill run down her spine.

die?

She didn't want to die.

So she buried this warning deep inside, along with her instinctive wariness and alienation from the word "love."

But now, this sealed-off problem, along with Song Che's mischievous smile, has barged back in forcefully.

why?

Why do witches die when they fall in love with someone else?

What exactly does love feel like?

Is it related to her current state of confusion, excitement, and bittersweet feelings?