My wife is a witch princess.

Identity, orphanage, adoption... those are the existential issues she needs to resolve. But the topic of discussion at the dinner table is how to continue after those issues are resolved.

Between the two lies a vast chasm. And she stands on the edge of that chasm.

"Xiao Li, what do you want to do in the future? Is there anything you particularly like?" Zhang Shushu's gentle voice interrupted Xia Li's thoughts.

All three people at the table turned their gazes toward her.

Xia Li tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

She put down her chopsticks, sat up straighter, and thought seriously for a few seconds, as if answering a question in class.

"My current goal is to achieve independent living, not to be a burden to Song Che, and to save money for Cai..."

Song Che quickly interrupted her, touching Xia Li's hand under the table to signal her not to speak so bluntly.

"Sure, kids who live independently are very strong. Eat, eat." Zhang Shushu waved her hand and put another piece of pork rib on Xia Li's plate. "Eat more, you're so thin, your health is important."

The atmosphere at the next dinner party became relaxed again.

Zhang Shushu recounted amusing anecdotes from the neighborhood, with Song Che occasionally adding a joke. Xia Li mostly listened quietly.

After the meal, Xia Li had to help clear the dishes.

This time, Zhang Shushu didn't stop her; she just smiled and directed her to wipe the table and gather the leftovers.

Song Che and Song Jianguo were ushered to the living room for tea.

The sound of running water and the soft clinking of dishes came from the kitchen, along with Zhang Shushu's voice: "Wring the dishcloth out a bit more... Yes, like that... Xiaoli, come often, Auntie will teach you to cook more dishes..."

Song Che held his teacup, listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

Before leaving, Zhang Shushu gave Xia Li a thick red envelope.

"Consider it a small gift. Tell me what you like later, and I'll buy it for you. Take it now, and don't refuse!" Zhang Shushu said firmly. "Buy something you like, or get a new dress."

Xia Li held the red paper package and looked at Song Che somewhat helplessly.

Song Che nodded to her because he had already received his father's red envelope... but it was just his own money and didn't seem like much. Then he looked at Xia Li's red envelope, which was a big one!

"...Thank you, Auntie." Xia Li accepted the gift.

"Go to bed early, and remember to turn on the air conditioner," Song Jianguo reminded him at the door.

On the way back, the moon hung high in the sky.

"How are you feeling today?" Song Che asked.

Xia Li walked silently for a while before speaking: "Aunt Zhang and Uncle Song are good people. The red envelopes they gave me... were thicker than yours."

Song Che was taken aback.

So you've been silent for so long because you were showing off that your red envelope was thicker than mine!

Chapter 93 Hoping everything goes smoothly (4k)

Two more days passed.

Song Che decided to put his textbooks aside and focus all his attention on the orphanage. He would start studying again after the New Year.

I can't talk to my parents about the orphanage right now.

It's still far from being cooked properly.

Ideally, everything should be done secretly, so that Xia Li becomes a legal person without anyone knowing, and then there will be no problem with her parents.

Because her parents were kind to Xia Li, polite but showing affection, but they were still a long way from truly accepting her as their daughter.

Some things can only be said after they have weighed their own conscience on the scales of their hearts.

If he had known beforehand that Xia Li was an unregistered resident and couldn't explain it, then things would have been very troublesome.

The home computer was connected to the internet, but Xia Li didn't get engrossed in her work as Song Che had expected. She played for a while and then went back to reading. Most of the time, she would sit next to him in a mop chair, watching him frown at the articles and questions on the screen.

I wanted to help, but could only watch.

Occasionally, when he gets stuck, she'll reach out and tap a word on the screen, or pronounce the search term she understands.

The two of them, one who once wielded magic in another world and the other who had lived two lives, were now trapped by the most practical problem: "How to get someone with no origin to stay?" The information online was scattered and fragmented, making it feel like wading through fog, unable to see the truth.

Xia Li wanted to restore her magic; with a single super-level magic spell, she could negotiate with the king.

However, there is no king here, so doing this is not right.

"It would be great if I knew a policeman." Song Che leaned back in his chair. "Even a local policeman would be good."

Unfortunately, no.

He didn't know anyone here.

He stared at the words "Taixi City Social Welfare Institute" for a long time, deciding to go and investigate in person, as the information he found online was always uncertain. He figured that by acting as a volunteer, he could get closer and see for himself.

Xia Li definitely can't get in.

Now, even if you're just visiting a child at a welfare home, you have to register your identity and go through the application process.

She didn't even have a card.

“I’ll go with you,” Xia Li said. “I’ll wait outside.”

Song Che glanced at her and nodded.

He was worried about leaving her alone at home.

The plan was changed to take a bus to a town on the outskirts of Anhui first, and then take a taxi there.

It's a roundabout way, but it saves you from the ticket checks at train and subway stations.

Jiang Shuo messaged again, urging him to play the shooting game they'd agreed on before the holiday. Song Che replied, "I've been really busy lately, maybe next time," and placed his phone face down on the table. He wasn't in the mood for it; his mind was preoccupied with the orphanage and those fragmented, waking dreams.

"You didn't sleep well." Xia Li's voice pulled him back to reality.

"Hmm." Song Che rubbed his temples. "I had too many dreams."

This was no ordinary dream.

It's a dream that feels like you're awake.

Everything in my dreams felt so real, but when I woke up, I felt exhausted, like I'd stayed up all night. I was actually quite sleepy during the day, but as soon as I closed my eyes, those images would come back to me.

All that running around has left me feeling a bit tired.

Thankfully, it was just a dream.

He didn't react with the same shock as last time, rushing to throw the kitchen knife.

He glanced at Xia Li beside him.

It's this one right in front of you.

His eyes were clear and bright, and he sat upright.

There are differences between the Xia Li in my dream and the Xia Li in the present. The Xia Li in the present doesn't have the same beautiful smile as the one in my dream.

Sometimes, after having too many dreams, I have to stare at Xia Li for a while to make sure I'm awake.

"Let's pick a movie to watch on the way." Song Che turned his laptop around and opened a video app. The bus ride would take one or two hours, and he had originally planned to watch a movie to pass the time, but now he changed his mind.

Let Xia Li choose.

Good movies reveal people's thoughts and ways of life.

She learns quickly; perhaps watching movies will help her understand something else.

Xia Li looked at the densely packed covers on the screen but didn't click on one immediately.

She turned her head to look at Song Che.

He was lost in thought again.

They were talking just now, but suddenly they fell silent, their eyes fixed on a certain spot.

She couldn't hear what he was thinking anymore. But she knew he was probably troubling her again.

Xia Li didn't know what emotion was growing in her heart, and she didn't know that the two words were—heartache.

My finger moved across the touchpad, the cursor gliding over icons one by one, finally stopping on a poster.

“This,” she said.

Song Che glanced at it.

"Wall-E"

It's an animated film, which is great for Xia Li.

"The synopsis says it's about the life of robots...and their entanglements." Xia Li said calmly, "I want to see both of those things."

Song Che didn't say much. "Okay, download it to your phone."

However, before heading to Taixi, I need to get my volunteer ticket first.

This first step was stalled on the school's letter of introduction.

Song Che pulled out the social practice notice he had asked his homeroom teacher about at the end of the semester and dialed the number listed on it.

The person who answered the phone was a teacher from the Academic Affairs Office. When he mentioned wanting a letter of introduction to volunteer at the welfare home, the teacher replied in a businesslike manner, "You need to fill out an application form first, get your class teacher's signature, and then bring it here for review and stamping. Also, student, it's best if you communicate with the welfare home first to confirm that they accept volunteers before we issue the letter."

After hanging up the phone, Song Che filled out some basic information. High school seniors basically don't have any social practice, and he had to ask his homeroom teacher to get a letter of introduction. Even the homeroom teacher himself didn't know if it was reliable or not.

The homeroom teacher is young and easy to talk to. Apart from making a mistake on the exam, he hasn't caused any trouble before, so signing his name shouldn't be difficult. The challenge is how to make the letter seem more compelling and persuad the welfare home to make an exception for him, a high school student who is "acting alone."

He thought of his Chinese teacher. Besides teaching Chinese, Ms. Lan also served as the advisor for the school's literary society and seemed to have some friends in cultural circles outside of school. She was more outgoing than most teachers. She had read Song Che's essays aloud as model examples and praised him for his meticulousness and keen observation.

The next morning, Song Che went to school.

The campus was deserted during the winter break, with only a few teachers and staff coming and going. He found his way to the teachers' office building, where the door to the Chinese language group's office was ajar.

After knocking on the door, Ms. Lan's slightly nasal voice came from inside: "Come in."

Teacher Lan was reading a thick book when she saw Song Che and was a little surprised: "Song Che, why are you at school during the holidays? Did you forget something?"

"Teacher Lan, I forgot something. There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor." Song Che spoke respectfully, explaining that he wanted to volunteer at the Taixi Welfare Home during the winter break and needed a letter of introduction from the school. He didn't mention Xia Li, only saying that he wanted to participate in social practice and gain some experience.

After listening, Teacher Lan took off her glasses and wiped the lenses: "Going to a welfare home to volunteer is a good idea. But why did you think of going so far away? There are welfare institutions in the city too."

“I have a distant relative in Taixi, so I was just passing by.” Song Che had already prepared his explanation. “Besides, I think the experience might be more profound in a different environment.”