My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 39 Do you have three moles on the soles of your feet?

As evening approached, the students had all hurried home. The bus was finally less crowded, and Xia Li had a seat for the first time.

She leaned against the window, gazing silently at the street scene and lights outside.

Only after getting off the train and standing in the night breeze did she look up and ask, "What's a movie?"

Upon hearing this, Song Che replied, "Humans play the roles and tell a pre-designed story. Some stories, once seen, can live on in your memory for a long time."

He looked at the movie ticket in his hand under the streetlight; it was a re-release of a classic old film.

—A Chinese Odyssey.

Many people are already familiar with every plot point, and this time they went to the theater probably for some kind of nostalgia.

The screening room is hidden on the third floor of an old supermarket.

The parking spaces downstairs were packed, indicating that this event was quite popular. Song Che thought that the emotional appeal of Stephen Chow's works had not diminished over the years.

The stairwell leading to the third floor was dark and cramped, piled with cardboard boxes and discarded furniture belonging to someone. The walls were covered in graffiti and little GGs, and only fragments of the original safety warning signs remained. Several dusty electric bikes were parked crookedly in the corner, and a brightly colored power strip hung precariously from a gap in the railing, charging one of them.

The green light overhead, marked "Emergency Exit," flickered laboriously, its glow reminiscent of a poorly made horror film.

...The environment of this small cinema is really hard to describe.

The so-called rest area on the third floor was already full of several peeling plastic benches. With about ten minutes to go before the next show started, Song Che and Xia Li stood against the wall waiting.

Song Che lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "When we go inside, try to speak softly. Movies require quiet, so don't disturb others. If you feel uncomfortable or have anything you want to say, tell me."

"Okay." Xia Li looked at the banner hanging on the wall of the lounge.

Song Che also looked up. It seemed the boss was a die-hard Stephen Chow fan, having specially hung up a portrait of Supreme Treasure and Zixia gazing at each other, with the words "I love you for ten thousand years" written below.

...The boss must be someone with a story.

"That monkey," Xia Li suddenly said, "looks like a dog."

Song Che was taken aback. Wasn't this a line from a movie?

Xia Li asked again.

"Why only love for ten thousand years? What does [love] mean?"

Song Che paused, unable to answer the question clearly. "[Love] is a very abstract yet very concrete word. First, two people develop feelings for each other, like each other, and finally confirm their feelings, get married, have children, and live together... But it is very difficult to do all of this, because falling in love with someone is easy, but loving someone for a long time is too difficult. Ten thousand years is already a long time."

"...Oh." Xia Li nodded. "I don't quite understand."

I don't understand why you're nodding!

Song Che didn't expect a witch to understand human love. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Xia Li stopped asking questions and instead turned her gaze back to the Sun Wukong on the banner. At that moment, a figure quietly approached, poking Song Che's shoulder with a timid yet assertive tone:

"Dude, the evidence is conclusive... Jiang Shuo, that kid, he really didn't lie to me."

Song Che turned his head and saw a familiar face—short hair to his ears, and a mischievous smile in his eyes behind his glasses.

"Zhang Hanyu? You're here to watch this show too?"

"Yeah, I'm about to be driven crazy by the high school seniors, I need to catch my breath." Zhang Hanyu smiled, his gaze shifting to Xia Li beside Song Che. His eyes brightened, and his voice softened, "Hello, sister-in-law! I'm Zhang Hanyu, Song Che's... good brother."

"Hello, I am Xia Li." For the first time ever, Xia Li did not reveal that she was the Witch Princess.

"Does your sister-in-law mind having another girlfriend?"

Only a truly perverted person could say something like that.

Song Che glanced at her: "Hanyu, don't make jokes like that in front of her. Can't you be serious, you're a girl?"

"Okay, okay, just kidding. Long live singlehood, you know?" Zhang Hanyu spoke timidly, but his words were sharp enough to shut someone up. "Your sister-in-law won't find your hidden study materials, will she?"

"I haven't seen it." Song Che was extremely serious. "Alright, the movie's about to start, let's go."

Xia Li stood quietly to the side, looking at Song Che and then at Zhang Hanyu, a look of confusion on her face.

After having your ticket checked, enter the screening room and find your seat.

Song Che and Xia Li's seats were next to each other, with Zhang Hanyu right behind them. The theater was dimly lit, with only the noisy trailer for "GG" playing on the screen. The audience members gradually took their seats, creating a rustling sound.

Song Che leaned back in the velvet seat, sighed comfortably, and temporarily cleared his mind.

Xia Li stared at GG with curiosity, unable to stop. She gently nudged Song Che: "Is this 'A Chinese Odyssey'?"

"This is GG, the full movie will have to wait a while."

Song Che turned his head and looked at Xia Li's profile. This girl was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, while he was extremely worried about her identity—not to mention solving it, he didn't even have a clue. Even if he had lived for a hundred years, here he would only be a high school student, completely ignorant of household registration laws except for the census.

The longer-term question is... a witch's lifespan is almost endless. Decades, a hundred years from now, when all those she knows have grown old or left, will she be able to survive alone in this complex human society? And by then, will she still remember someone named Song Che who briefly took her in?

"Brother, this is for your wife." A bucket of sweet-smelling popcorn was handed over from the back seat, interrupting his thoughts.

Thanks.

Song Che took it, handed it to Xia Li, and then popped one into his mouth.

It has a creamy flavor and is sweet.

Xia Li was eating this for the first time and asked, "What is this? How is it made?"

"Popcorn, made from corn."

"Corn..." Xia Li paused, "This is scientific, right?"

"Similarly, but the principle is very simple, and we can do it ourselves."

Zhang Hanyu chimed in, "I can make it! Next time you come to my house, I'll cook for you."

"Alright, then I really won't stand on ceremony." Song Che turned his head and smiled. "Didn't Jiang Shuo warn you? Xia Li's appetite... might be a little beyond your imagination."

"Even if you can eat a lot, you're still a girl. A good appetite is a blessing." Zhang Hanyu waved his hand, as if to say, "I've stocked up on plenty of food, I guarantee you'll be full. By the way, bro."

She changed the subject abruptly, "Our small club has a theater production. I heard they're putting a lot of effort into it, and they have a chance to compete in the provincial competition, with prize money too. Want to come and see?"

"A performance?" Song Che hesitated. He had originally planned to take Xia Li to the stargazing center on the weekend.

"It's just a small event, but the atmosphere should be good," Zhang Hanyu added.

"Let me see, if I have time," Song Che said, not giving a definitive answer.

Just now.

Snapped--

The lights suddenly went out.

The screen lit up, and the movie began. The immersive experience brought by the surround sound and the giant screen immediately captured Xia Li's attention.

[Five hundred years ago...]

Xia Li sat upright, leaning forward, the popcorn in her hand landing on her lips, but she didn't eat it.

A desolate desert, a fairy in flowing robes, a vain human... and he draws a precious sword.

Song Che wasn't really paying attention; he was mostly observing Xia Li. He was already familiar with the plot, and now he was more interested in seeing how this otherworldly witch would react.

It seems the plot has captivated her; she's even stopped eating popcorn.

The screen lights and shadows shift, and the plot unfolds slowly.

[There was once a sincere love placed before me, but I did not cherish it. Only when I lost it did I realize my regret...]

On the screen, Supreme Treasure is facing Fairy Zixia, telling her the lie that later became a classic.

Xia Li bit off the popcorn she had been holding in her hand, chewing slowly. She suddenly turned her head and asked softly:

"Song Che, do you have three moles on the soles of your feet?"

"Your Highness, you've switched channels."

Xia Li ate popcorn in small bites, her reaction quite different from the surrounding audience—she couldn't understand the nonsensical jokes, her face always carrying a slightly bewildered seriousness. But whenever an important line was uttered, her eyes would flicker slightly.

[Marriage is ultimately arranged by fate...]

...That sword was a kind of contract. But why was it he who drew it? Did drawing the sword mean signing a contract with fate?

He really looks like a kobold when he's lying.