My wife is a witch princess.

The audience was packed with people, and he could barely make out the outlines of a few judges.

He took a breath and read the first sentence:

"In the name of sword and honor, I will bring back Princess Silvermoon—"

The sound resonated throughout the auditorium, remaining relatively steady.

Next, he talks to two junior students who play villagers, trying to gather information, and then they set off, which is actually just walking half a circle around the stage, symbolizing a long journey.

These are all basic theatrical performance techniques.

Song Che practiced this scene many times and was familiar with the actions and lines.

He followed the script, gazing into the distance, occasionally drawing his sword, and drinking water when thirsty. The audience's reaction was lukewarm; these were typical openings for a play, nothing new.

Until he reached the castle.

According to the script, the knight has to climb the vines, which are just a few green strips of cloth hanging down, before entering the tower.

Song Che grabbed the strip of cloth, braced his feet against the protrusions on the backdrop, and pretended to climb.

Just then—

The board he was standing on with his left foot suddenly loosened.

The movement wasn't large, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and possibly fall off the stage, which would be embarrassing.

He instinctively gripped the strip of cloth, but couldn't help leaning backward.

A few gasps came from the audience.

At that very moment, a hand reached out from behind the curtain on the other side of the stage.

A hand wearing a silver bracelet steadily supported his lower back.

The force wasn't great, but it stopped him from falling backward.

Song Che used that bit of force to adjust his center of gravity and regain his footing.

He turned his head and caught a glimpse of Xia Li's profile through the gap in the curtain.

She didn't look at him, but simply withdrew her hand and retreated into the darkness behind the curtain.

The whole process took no more than two seconds, as fast as a stage movement that had been rehearsed long ago.

The audience probably thought it was part of the plot—the knight almost fell, but was saved by some mysterious force.

No one expected it to be an accident.

Only Song Che knew that this scene wasn't in the script.

This was an accident; in fact, it was a giveaway.

He steadied himself, continued climbing, climbed over the tower window, and jumped inside.

The stage lights then switched to an orange hue.

Xia Li sat on a chair in the center of the tower, wearing a moon-white long dress, her silver hair cascading down like water.

According to the script, the knight should kneel on one knee and swear allegiance.

Song Che knelt down on one knee and looked up at her: "Your Highness, I've come to take you away."

Xia Li looked at him without saying anything.

The pause lasted a few seconds longer than during rehearsal. Seriously, Xia Li can forget her lines too?

Just when Song Che thought she had forgotten her lines, she spoke, her voice cold and clear:

Why have you come?

The line was from the script, but the way she asked it was wrong.

It wasn't the kind of joy one would expect from someone being rescued; it was more like... scrutiny. Like someone who'd been at a high place for too long, weighing the newcomer's worth.

Strictly speaking, Xia Li acted wrong again.

Song Che replied according to his lines: "For honor, for justice, for fulfilling the oath of a knight."

Xia Li tilted her head slightly, her silver hair sliding down her shoulders.

She stood up, walked up to him, and looked down at him. From this angle, Xia Li appeared to be taller.

“Then knight,” she said, “please protect yourself first.”

She reached out her hand, not to wait for him to help her up, but to gesture for her to stand.

Song Che paused for a moment before realizing what was happening and stood up.

The next scene was supposed to be the knight confidently saying he could lead the princess out of the fray, but when Song Che was reciting his lines, he felt that Xia Li's gaze towards him held a hint of... how to put it, helplessness.

It's like watching a clueless, arrogant child.

Damn it, I'm actually pretty good at fighting.

In the judges' panel, the bespectacled male teacher leaned forward and wrote something on the score sheet.

The story continues.

The knight led the princess out of the tower, only to encounter gargoyles sent by the wizard in the castle corridor.

Actually, the attire was quite simple; it consisted of two classmates wearing black cloths.

According to the adapted script, this scene should have been the knight fighting hard to protect the princess, but the language teacher changed it during rehearsals: the knight was inexperienced and fought quite miserably.

Song Che wielded the prop sword and fought the gargoyle, performing several thrilling dodges as designed. Song Che knew all of these moves; he had indeed studied martial arts and combat techniques.

He can take down the entire opposing team by himself.

But he had to pretend he couldn't win.

Just as he was pretending to be cornered—

Xia Li moved.

She strode forward, lifted her skirt, stepped on the gargoyle's black cloth tail that was dragging on the ground, and tripped it hard.

The student wearing the black cloth was completely unprepared for this turn of events, tripped and stumbled, losing all rhythm.

—No, the script didn't say I was supposed to trip over!

Song Che seized the opportunity and took one down. Another "gargoyle" pounced, but Xia Li calmly stretched out her foot and tripped its leg.

—No, you're coming again!

Xia Li didn't trip her on purpose.

Song Che followed up with a sword strike, looking quite skillful, and the second one fell down as well. However, the two classmates suffered a bit, almost being startled by Xia Li's sudden trip.

A few rounds of applause came from the audience. It seemed like the fun was going well. However, this was simply because Xia Li suddenly remembered the protective provisions of the contract and accidentally tripped up the other party.

The knight and princess fled into the forest, and Lin Xiao appeared. Her delivery of lines was quite good; her eerie lines made several younger students shrink back, feeling that this wizard was like an old witch.

As the script climaxes, the wizard will launch an attack, and the knight will naturally step in front of the princess, only to be brutally knocked down. Just as the wizard is about to deliver the fatal blow, the princess will tear open her skirt, pick up the knight's dropped sword, and stand in front of him.

From princess to battle princess.

The lights suddenly focused on Xia Li.

She had her back to the fallen Song Che and was facing the wizard.

Her original silver hair was now a little disheveled.

She held the prop sword in her hand, which was Song Che's wooden stick wrapped in tin foil, but her grip on the sword was very steady, with the tip pointing upwards, making her look like a female knight-errant.

That's way cooler than holding a magic wand.

But she doesn't actually know how to hold a sword; it's a move she learned from television.

Then she looked up at the wizard.

That look in his eyes carried a hint of fighting spirit.

Song Che was lying on the ground, looking up from below, and could see very clearly.

Xia Li's eyes are usually calm, with only occasional confusion. But at this moment, there is something else in her eyes besides calmness and fighting spirit.

It wasn't anger, nor bravery, but a certain... disdain. She usually showed this look when facing strangers.

It seems that standing in front of the weak is something she was born to do.

“You shouldn’t have hurt him,” she said.

The original line was "You shouldn't hurt innocent people," but she changed it.

Lin Xiao was clearly taken aback for a moment, but quickly replied, "Foolish princess, do you think you can fight just by picking up a sword?"

“I don’t need to know how to fight.” Xia Li took a step forward, the tip of her sword steadily aimed at the wizard. “I just need to make sure you can’t go any further.”

She said it so naturally, it didn't sound like she was reciting lines.

The audience was completely silent.

On the judges' panel, the middle-aged female teacher held her breath, her pen hovering over the paper. She felt the play's content was just so-so, even somewhat illogical, but the actress's performance was so outstanding that it had completely captivated her.

The lighting technician cooperated by shining the main beam of light on Xia Li. She had torn her moon-white skirt up to her calves, revealing black leggings underneath.

Song Che made her wear it; he didn't want Xia Li to be exposed.

She stood there, holding a ridiculous tin foil wooden sword and wearing a half-ripped princess dress, yet inexplicably...

It is convincing.

I believe she can truly protect those behind her.

The ensuing fight was a rehearsed routine. Xia Li and Lin Xiao exchanged a few blows, and finally the princess used her sword to knock away the wizard's wand—a branch that sprayed black paint—and the wizard fled in panic.

The lights turned a soft yellow.

Xia Li turned around and looked at Song Che, who was still lying on the ground.

According to the script, the knight should struggle to his feet, the two should smile at each other, and walk hand in hand towards a new life.

But Xia Li didn't wait for him to stand up.

She walked to his side and knelt down on one knee.

This was not the princess's courtesy to the knight, but rather kneeling face-to-face at the same height.