My wife is a witch princess.

“They…” Zhang Shushu hesitated for a moment, “Are all their elders gone?”

“Yes. Xia Li used to do odd jobs, but it’s been cold lately, so there’s less work,” Song Che replied, his tone as usual.

“It’s tough.” Zhang Shushu sighed, her gaze softening. “These days, money is hard to earn, and the weather is freezing cold.”

"So I cleaned out the storage room and let her stay there temporarily. She's stubborn and wouldn't stay for free, so she insisted on giving me several thousand yuan." Song Che said as he walked towards the kitchen. "We usually do housework together and eat together. It's just that she... doesn't talk much and doesn't smile much. Please forgive her, Mom."

“It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t smile much,” Zhang Shushu waved her hand, believing it to be about 70-80%. He Lan had said the same thing on the phone, so the girl seemed to be of good character. But you can’t judge a book by its cover, so she still needed to observe carefully.

Just then, I heard a small "gurgling" sound beside me.

She looked down and saw Tao Xiang covering her stomach with her two little hands, looking up at her with her big eyes blinking and her little mouth slightly pouting.

Zhang Shushu's heart softened instantly.

"Auntie, I'm hungry." Tao Xiang's voice was soft and sweet.

"Oh dear, look how hungry the child is." Zhang Shushu felt extremely sorry for him and immediately got up. "Auntie will go and get you something to eat."

"Mom, please sit down." Song Che had already tied on his apron and opened the kitchen sliding door. "It's a bit rushed today, so I'll just make something quick to tide me over. We'll have a proper meal tomorrow."

The sound of running water washing vegetables could be heard from the kitchen.

The bedroom door opened gently at that moment.

Xia Li came out.

She changed into a clean beige loungewear set, her silver hair loosely tied up at the back of her head, revealing her smooth forehead and neck. She had probably just showered, as her body still carried a refreshing dampness. Her face was expressionless, her blue eyes were clear and deep, and her lips were a natural pale pink.

She looked at Zhang Shushu, paused for a moment, and then spoke.

"Hello, Auntie." The voice was calm, with a hint of restraint.

Zhang Shushu turned around upon hearing the sound.

She was stunned at first glance.

The girl stood there quietly, her figure slender and graceful. Her blue eyes were like two clear springs, pure and without impurities. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, her skin pale and cool, which looked even more attractive under the living room lights.

Song Che, this child… Zhang Shushu thought to herself.

They have a really good eye.

However, Zhang Shushu had a sharp eye. After observing the girl up and down, she quickly noticed that although the girl's hands looked pretty, a closer look revealed that Xia Li's hands were even more frostbitten than Song Che's. The girl's skin was delicate, and she was the kind of person who didn't often do housework at home, but there were obvious frostbite marks on her hands, which meant that Song Che really didn't turn on the air conditioning... and he even made the girl do the work, which was a bit irresponsible!

"Song Che, let me make some soup," Xia Li offered.

Chapter 76 He didn't bully his sister... right?

Song Che and Xia Li squeezed into the kitchen, making the space seem even smaller. Zhang Shushu, after being persuaded by her son several times, had no choice but to return to the living room sofa to wait. Why was her son being more polite than she was?

The kitchen sliding door wasn't closed properly, and intermittent sounds drifted out from inside—it was two people chatting, seemingly arguing.

"Xia Li, you've never made this soup before, let me do it." It was Song Che's voice, lowered, with a hint of negotiation.

“No.” Xia Li’s answer was short and clear. “I’ll do it this time.”

"Next time, I'll let you make the pork ribs. The main problem is I didn't buy any pork ribs today..."

"Just this once."

As Zhang Shushu listened, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

Her gaze fell on Tao Xiang at the table next to her. The little girl was lying there, her hands supporting her cheeks, her rosy cheeks making her heart melt.

She moved closer and noticed a small, thin-looking quilt folded beside Tao Xiang.

"This quilt is...?"

"It's the one Taoxiang used to sleep under!" Taoxiang answered immediately, her tone carrying a hint of boastfulness. "It's so warm."

"Warm?" Zhang Shushu was a little puzzled. She reached out and touched it; it was indeed fluffy and soft. But she didn't think anything of it, just frowned. "Song Che wouldn't just let you sleep here and use this as a cover, would he?"

"Okay, I'll sleep here tonight." Tao Xiang nodded, then added, "But I can only sleep here at night, because Song Che-gege has to study during the day."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shushu's heart immediately clenched.

In the dead of winter, why would you let such a little girl sleep on the sofa covered with a small blanket?

This child!

Tao Xiang seemed to suddenly realize something and quickly waved her hands, "Auntie, I'm not cold. Really, not at all. It's not Song Che's fault!"

"Does he... bully you usually?" Zhang Shushu asked in a soft voice.

"I haven't bullied you anymore..." Momoka blinked and answered honestly.

She was just stating the facts; after all, when she first arrived, she was kicked and sent flying quite a distance.

"So he just made you sleep here all this time?" Zhang Shushu's brows furrowed even more.

"No, not exactly." Tao Xiang pointed with her little finger to something on the floor in the corner of the sofa. "I can sleep there too."

Zhang Shushu looked in that direction—it was a small-looking…cat's nest?

Black.

"Did Song Che buy this for you?" Her voice was dry.

“Yes!” Tao Xiang nodded. “Last time he asked me what color I liked, and I said black, so he bought it.”

Zhang Shushu's heart skipped a beat.

Song Che... why does he seem to be... abusing children at home?

This thought made her sit up straight.

She steadied herself and changed the subject, asking, "So... what does your sister usually do at home? Does Song Che... bully her?"

“My sister was beaten up really badly at first,” Tao Xiang blurted out, but then covered her mouth, realizing that the sister her aunt was talking about was Xia Li, not Tao Yao. “Ah, no, no, I was just talking nonsense. My sister was never bullied. I accidentally said the wrong thing.”

Zhang Shushu's heart sank. This little girl was so frightened; she must have really been bullied.

Tao Xiang hurriedly added, "My older sister... um, it's Xia Li. She sleeps in that bedroom, she doesn't have to sleep on the sofa like me. She usually cooks with my brother... She mainly does the housework because my brother has to study."

After she finished speaking, she felt that there was nothing wrong with her statement and nodded.

She always sticks to the facts.

Zhang Shushu's brows were almost knotted together.

...Going out to work means I really can't discipline my child. Is this child going astray?

She tried to keep her voice calm: "Taoxiang, tell Auntie the truth, does Song Che usually... verbally abuse your sister, or... physically assault her?"

“Brother… um, sometimes he calls sister ‘idiot’.” Momoka tried hard to recall, “I don’t think I ever hit sister.”

“Baby, don’t be afraid, speak up.” Zhang Shushu held her little hand, her tone firm. “If Song Che bullies you, Auntie will definitely stand up for you. He really…never hit you?”

"No... I don't think so..." Momoka tilted her head, searching her memory carefully. Hitting her older sister?

It seems... only Sister Taoyao has ever been bullied.

To Zhang Shushu, that hesitant "No, I guess," was tantamount to confirmation.

No, I'm not sure.

Uncertainty means that something is possible.

How could this child treat a girl like that!

Are you going to resort to violence?

Zhang Shushu felt a surge of anger rising within her.

She's always been a very clear-cut person; right is right, and wrong is wrong.

She had to find out the truth about this.

She stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

As soon as I reached the sliding door, before I could even open it, the voices inside came through clearly.

It was Xia Li's calm voice tinged with a hint of confusion: "Why did you try to strangle me again? I just wanted to make soup for Auntie, I didn't do anything wrong."

This was followed by Song Che's helpless reply: "You idiot..."

Song Che's original intention was to have Xia Li stew some good soup, but he decided to leave it for today. If the soup wasn't stewed well today, he would lose the bonus points. Not to mention that Xia Li was an unregistered resident, had no money, no place to live, had silver hair, an arrogant expression, had never been to school, and even hit people on the head... and a whole host of other problems.

Every mother needs to get used to it for a while.

Zhang Shushu stood frozen at the doorway, her hand hovering in mid-air.

He actually wanted to strangle someone?

She was about to push the door open when she suddenly stopped.

No, we can't just listen to one side of the story. We need to observe this further. If Song Che really went too far, she has to intervene and give the girl an explanation.

But right now...

She glanced at the small sofa and cat bed with a heavy look in her eyes.

It's already very wrong to let such a young child sleep here with a small blanket!

She took a few deep breaths, suppressed her turbulent emotions, and calmly retreated to sit down on the sofa, though her expression was much more somber than before.

About ten minutes later, the sky outside the window was completely dark, and the lights of the buildings across the street were twinkling on.

The kitchen sliding door opened, and Xia Li came out first, steadily carrying a large bowl of steaming soup. She placed the soup in the middle of the table, then turned back to get more bowls and chopsticks.

Song Che followed her out and naturally pulled out a chair to sit down—his intention was to let Xia Li show her diligence in front of his mother, not to actually order her around.

On ordinary days, he and Xia Li usually do these small tasks like setting the table together.

Xia Li put the bowls down, counted them, and realized that one pair was missing.

She raised her head, her gaze naturally drifting towards Song Che, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

(Give the chopsticks to Mom first. She'll feel even softer seeing how well-behaved you are.)

Song Che mentally gave Xia Li a hint.

Xia Li understood.

She picked up the extra pair of chopsticks, turned around, and quietly handed them to Zhang Shushu: "Auntie, these are for you."