My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 66 One Smack

Xia Li, carrying a broom and a rag, silently followed Song Che downstairs.

After a few minutes of mental preparation and repeatedly confirming the contents of the "agreement," she felt that since she had taken the initiative to propose it, she should fulfill it.

But Song Che doesn't seem to have any intention of making it right away.

They arrived at the apartment downstairs from Aunt Lan's, the one that was about to be rented to Song Che's mother.

The layout is similar to Song Che's current residence, symmetrical with the building across the street, with good lighting, sufficient space, and reasonable rent, making it a very cost-effective choice.

After receiving the key from Aunt Lan and exchanging a few brief pleasantries, the two officially entered the house.

The room was surprisingly clean.

The floor was gleaming, the windows were spotless, and there wasn't a speck of dust in even the corners—clearly, Aunt Lan had cleaned it carefully beforehand. The bedding was also neatly folded, emitting a clean, sun-dried scent.

"It seems... we only need to do some simple maintenance." Song Che looked around, somewhat amused and exasperated.

Aunt Lan did a really good job.

He led Xia Li along, symbolically assigning tasks: "I'll sweep the living room and kitchen, you'll be in charge of the bedroom. Let's just go through the motions, just to get by."

"...Okay." Xia Li answered a beat slower this time, as if she was lost in thought.

After hearing the content clearly, he added another sentence.

Song Che didn't pay any attention and went to the living room with a broom.

Xia Li went into the bedroom, picked up a broom, and looked around blankly.

Unable to find any place that needed cleaning, she symbolically swept the already clean floor again from top to bottom.

The dust swept up is probably only enough to crush an ant.

When she peeked out of the bedroom, she found Song Che standing in the middle of the empty living room, holding a nearly spotless broom, with the same expression of having nothing to do.

The two looked at each other, and an awkward silence filled the air, a feeling that their "labor plan had been prematurely abandoned."

Xia Li hesitated for a moment, but still decided to move forward with her agenda.

She walked up to Song Che, tilted her head back, and looked directly at him with her blue eyes, her tone as calm as if she were asking, "What are we having for dinner today?"

"When are you going to kiss me?"

The air in the living room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Song Che tightened his grip on the broom handle, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"...Wait a minute." He looked away, his voice lower than usual.

"...Oh." Xia Li responded, but did not leave.

She was a little anxious and wanted him to finish kissing her as soon as possible, so that the "agreement" would be fulfilled and she could put aside that inexplicable worry in her heart.

But Song Che didn't make a move for a long time, which made her wonder if he was planning something even more "pushing his luck".

She quietly focused her mind to "listen" to his inner voice.

Where should I kiss? On the lips, or on the cheek?

"A kiss on the cheek would be better," Xia Li immediately made the decision for him, her voice clear.

In her view, kissing on the cheek was a common etiquette among nobles and conformed to norms.

Kissing...that's different.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact difference, but her intuition told her she couldn't let Song Che get away with it so easily. Once he got a taste of success, who knew what even more outrageous demands he might make next time.

Xia Li had to admit that Song Che's clever tricks and fallacies sometimes did confuse her and make her fall into his trap without even realizing it.

Song Che nodded and did not object.

He actually wanted to kiss her, but faced with Xia Li's overly clear and straightforward eyes, he inexplicably became timid and embarrassed.

Especially when Xia Li looks at people, she always stares into their eyes without any hesitation, and sometimes she will blink gently. That kind of pure and slightly unconscious focus is so cute that it's almost unfair.

He wasn't sure if he could control himself when he actually kissed her.

...Even a normal man would find it hard to resist.

"I... I'll think about it first." Song Che was unusually indecisive, his eyes darting around.

But Xia Li couldn't wait any longer.

She took another small step closer, the distance between them suddenly shrinking. She still looked up, her eyes fixed on Song Che, trying to exert pressure with her gaze: "You need to... be serious. Otherwise..."

She hesitated for a long time, but couldn't come up with a reason. She just gripped the broom handle tightly with her fingers.

He made a decision in his heart.

If Song Che dares to do anything inappropriate beyond "kissing on the cheek", she will immediately flick his forehead!

Whether it works or not is another matter, but at least you have to vent your anger by flicking it.

Song Che was forced to meet her gaze.

When it comes to kissing a girl, sometimes you just act impulsively and kiss her. But now the atmosphere has become so formal, and the other person is staring at you so intently, he's a little at a loss and doesn't know how to start.

"Xia Li," he tried to ease the tension, his voice a little dry, "why don't you... close your eyes first?"

"No." Xia Li refused decisively, even widening her eyes slightly to show her wariness.

If you close your eyes, wouldn't you be at the mercy of others?

Who knows what he might do during this opportunity?

She continued to stare at Song Che, her gaze slowly moving down from his eyes to his lips.

Song Che's gaze also lingered on Xia Li's face.

This girl, no matter if she's feeling nervous or not, always has a calm and composed expression on her face.

As I got closer, her features became exceptionally clear: her blue eyes were like two deep pools of water, and her eyelashes were long and thick. Her skin was delicate, and the tip of her nose still had a cute, slight redness from her earlier movement and nervousness.

Her lips were a pale cherry blossom color, small and moisturized...

The more he looked, the faster his heart beat; the affection in his heart was like boiling water, bubbling and gurgling.

"Are you going to kiss me?" Xia Li suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Hmm..." Song Che responded, his Adam's apple bobbing again.

"Then kiss me." Xia Li straightened her body a little.

"...Hmm." Song Che responded, but still did not move.

His reason and impulse were locked in a fierce tug-of-war.

Kissing her on the lips...won't she get angry?

But... I really want to kiss him.

Just once, gently...

Xia Li pursed her lips and didn't urge her any further.

She simply looked at him, at the hesitation, longing, and a familiar awkwardness swirling in his dark eyes.

She suddenly realized that perhaps... he was even more nervous than she was.

This discovery strangely eased Xia Li's tense nerves a little.

Song Che finally took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He slowly raised one hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, and touched Xia Li's cheek.

Xia Li's body stiffened for a moment, but she did not dodge.

His fingertips were warm, and the touch was distinct.

Then, he leaned down slightly and moved closer.

Xia Li held her breath, her eyes still wide open, watching his face grow larger and larger in her field of vision.

His target didn't seem to be the cheek...

Just a second before his lips were about to touch that pale cherry blossom color, Song Che's movements suddenly stopped.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. One second, two seconds... more than ten seconds passed.

He remained frozen there, so close, his warm breath brushing against her skin, yet never touching her.

Xia Li looked at his face, which was so close to hers, filled with struggle. His eyes, which always held a mischievous or smiling look, were now tightly closed, and his eyelashes trembled nervously.

Since he couldn't make up his mind, then she would fulfill this "promise".

So, while Song Che was torn between his inner turmoil and was almost suffocating from excessive tension.

Without much hesitation, Xia Li tiptoed and gently pressed her soft lips to the corner of his mouth.

A very light, very fast touch, with a noticeable deviation and hesitation.

It didn't even feel like a real kiss; it was more like an accidental brush of a feather.

Instantly separate.

Song Che straightened up abruptly as if he had been electrocuted, instantly creating distance between them, his ears turning bright red at a visible speed.

He turned his face away, completely avoiding Xia Li's eyes, his voice so muffled it was almost inaudible: "Okay, okay..."

Xia Li stood there stunned. She didn't know if she wanted to fulfill her promise or what, but her body subconsciously made the gesture of "kissing Song Che".

She raised her hand and touched the corner of her lips with her fingertips, where a trace of unfamiliar warmth and touch seemed to linger.

She looked at Song Che, whose eyes were darting around and who seemed at a loss.

The inexplicable anxiety and anticipation in my heart seemed to suddenly deflate.

Instead, a stranger feeling arose.

Looking at Song Che, who seemed even more uncomfortable than herself and almost evaporated on the spot, she suddenly felt...

It doesn't seem that scary.

Even, a little... clumsy.

Song Che is a bit slow.

Xia Li, broom in hand, walked to the wall, pulled out a small stool, and pushed it next to Song Che's feet: "Sit down for a while. Are you about to faint?"

"I...I'm fine." Song Che's voice was weak; he hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Xia Li actually turned the tables on me!

My mind went blank for a moment, and I couldn't react at all.

Xia Li's actions... how are they any different from flirting?

...Bad woman!

"I'm not a bad woman," Xia Li immediately corrected, her tone calm but tinged with displeasure. "You're always cursing me in your heart. I... I'm not happy about it."

She seemed much more at ease speaking. Normally, she wouldn't directly tell Song Che "I'm unhappy"; she would usually just flick him on the head.

Song Che sat down on the low stool as instructed, his head still feeling a little dizzy.

He never imagined he would actually have this kind of contact with "Your Highness," let alone that she would take the initiative.

He now has so much inner monologue he could write a whole TV series.

After Xia Li finished kissing him, she seemed much more at ease, as if she had completed a task that had been pending.

Song Che's clever tricks will only work on her once. Next time... she definitely won't fall for his tricks again.

Although a kiss wouldn't hurt her, Song Che kept having long monologues in his mind that she couldn't understand, which gave her a headache, yet she couldn't help but keep thinking about them.

Xia Li pursed her lips, licked the corner of her mouth with her tongue, and then frowned slightly: "Liar, your words aren't sweet at all."

She looked up at Song Che, who was still lost in thought, and said, "Besides, stop dwelling on what 'the taste of your mouth' means. It's weird. It doesn't taste like anything at all, it's just... a bit soft."

Song Che couldn't explain it to her: "It's just a metaphor! It's just a metaphor!"

"not understand."

"If you don't understand, then forget it." Song Che was indeed a little disappointed.

He liked Xia Li, so even though he didn't kiss her on the lips just now, he was still happy and felt that moment was "sweet." But Xia Li didn't understand what "liking" meant.

This silly witch, when she's unhappy she hits people on the head, or she sulks, and even when she's happy she has this same expression... Thinking about it, she really is a "bad woman" that you can't do anything with.

"I can learn to 'like' it," Xia Li suddenly said, her voice very soft.

"You can't learn to like something." Song Che shook his head, his tone softening. "Forced liking isn't true liking."

He knew that the witch's emotions were a fatal flaw.

Xia Li seems to lack this module from birth; she has no emotions. How could she learn it? If she could learn it, she would have already. After all, she can "read minds," so how could she not sense his affection?

I think I sensed it, but it didn't really help.

It's like describing the warmth of a flame to a block of ice; it might "know" it, but it can't truly "experience" it.

Song Che hasn't come up with a solution yet.

However, this is for the best.

Although Song Che secretly wished that Xia Li would like him too, and wanted to see her smile when she saw him, then give him a big kiss, and hug him affectionately... of course, he knew that none of this was possible.

It might actually be a good thing that Xia Li doesn't understand these things.

After all, he was a mortal who would die.

Xia Li, that "old woman," has an astonishingly long lifespan.

Song Che was sometimes so envious.

If Xia Li suddenly falls in love with him, and then he dies, pitifully asking her before he dies, "Xia Li, is it really impossible to cultivate immortality without spiritual roots?"... He wasn't sure if Xia Li would have a mental breakdown or do something extreme.

I think so.

Xia Li is too naive, or rather, too stubborn. If she truly understood "liking," she'd probably go crazy researching resurrection potions and forbidden magic. That won't do. In this human society, those are all heretical and taboo; they could easily lead to serious problems.

Song Che had a whole bunch of thoughts on his mind, which made Xia Li's head ache slightly.

"Why do you sometimes curse me in your heart and sometimes... praise me?" Xia Li asked in confusion.

"You...mind your own business." Song Che was a little embarrassed and angry, and didn't want to explain.

...I'm not praising you because you're good-looking!

Xia Li felt that his reaction was too much, after just one kiss. Was this really so complicated, that she needed to think about it so much?

She didn't want Song Che to die. But after her previous experience of "death," Xia Li felt that death wasn't so scary after all. At worst, she could wait a hundred years and travel to the next world, where Song Che might be waiting for her in some small house again.

Of course, she didn't voice this thought. If Song Che knew what she was thinking, he'd probably call her an idiot a hundred times, or make her watch "Peppa Pig" a hundred times. Xia Li's thoughts were sometimes just that... simple and direct.

"Song Che," she changed the subject, "are we still cleaning?"

"No, there's nothing to clean."

"Well... I'd like to learn another dish. Can you teach me tonight?" Xia Li was becoming more and more proactive.

She remembered everything Song Che had said—a girl who can cook can get extra points with her parents.

If she could… she actually didn’t really want to leave this place and become self-reliant.

She felt... that she had really become weak.

This doesn't seem like a good sign... but vaguely, it doesn't seem too bad either.

"What type of cooking do you want to learn? Hot soup, or stir-fry?"

"I don't understand. What kinds are there? I want to learn... the kind Auntie likes to eat."

"My mom?" Song Che looked at her in surprise.

Isn't her level of dedication to "pretending to be a girlfriend" a bit too much?

They've even started researching dishes to please their future "mother-in-law."

"Hmm. What does Auntie like to eat?"

"My mom loves to eat..." Song Che suddenly stammered. He knew what his dad liked to eat, and he also knew what Aunt Lan liked to eat, but strangely, he seemed to have never seriously thought about what his mom liked to eat.

My mom never seems to explicitly say what she likes to eat. Whenever there's something delicious, she always says, "Mom doesn't like this, you eat it." or "Mom doesn't like this, you eat more of it."

Well... maybe we can deduce what Mom likes to eat by working backwards.

Song Che didn't understand when he was a child, but he understands now.

The things Mom loves to eat... must be hidden inside the things he loves to eat.

For example, pork rib soup? Every time she makes soup, she only drinks a small bowl herself, but keeps serving him more and more.

Damn it, thinking about it this way, my mom is a "stupid woman" too. That "stupid mom" has been lying to him for over ten years. So, a woman's "stubbornness" is innate? My mom is a woman too, and she's stubborn too.

"Why were you cursing your aunt in your mind?" Xia Li paused, her tone becoming somewhat serious. "You've been swearing a lot lately. Swearing isn't good. I remember when you first came to the castle, I taught you manners, don't you remember?"

"I remember. But... this isn't swearing," Song Che tried to explain.

"That's swearing."

Damn it, you're an idiot too!

"Look, you're still insulting me."

"..." Song Che was speechless. He admitted that he had been a bit outspoken lately. But the word "idiot" often just popped into his head unconsciously... It was all Xia Li's fault for being able to read his mind!

Just hang in there a little longer... Is her mind-reading ability time-limited? I'll secretly curse her after the time is up...

Xia Li heard it all clearly.

She's not stupid. She can't stop Song Che from swearing, but she can... write it down.

Then, tell your aunt.

Because the power of a human mother to control her son is innate—Xia Li felt she understood this very well.

...Idiot Song Che!

Xia Li cursed inwardly.