“What’s your name, and where are you from?”
“I’m Berry from Southgrove Town. I’m a witch.”
Feng Ci had lived in City A for eighteen years and was certain there was no town or village called Southgrove.
Frowning at the little girl in front of him who seemed obsessed with cosplaying a witch, he continued, “Do you know your parents’ phone number?”
“What’s a phone?”
Feng Ci: “…”
Forget it. You couldn’t expect a three-year-old to remember her parents’ phone number. He lazily narrowed his eyes, putting on an intimidating expression.
“How did you get into my house? Where are your accomplices?”
Feng Ci lived alone in a high-end residential complex, where security was top-notch. The electronic lock on his door could only be opened with his fingerprint.
He didn’t believe a child as tiny as a speck could just appear in his house out of nowhere. He was convinced there were accomplices helping her in secret. Whether their goal was to scam him or something else, he’d find out at the police station soon enough.
Berry pointed to the corner of the room and answered in a muffled voice, “I was picking Fluffseeds and Scarletberries in the forest when I suddenly fell here.”
Feng Ci followed the child’s finger and saw a bulging burlap sack standing there. The worn-out sack contrasted sharply with the polished floor.
Feng Ci smirked faintly. “You even brought your luggage. Planning to stay here long-term?”
“No.” The child refused outright.
Oh, sweet honey-glazed roast chicken, she definitely didn’t want to stay in a Dark Wizard’s house.
Berry scampered over, pulled open the sack, and nearly crawled halfway inside. Sticking her bottom out, she fished out a bright red fruit.
She offered it reluctantly as a bribe: “This is a Scarletberry. Do you want to eat it? It’s for you.”
The apple-like fruit was larger than the child’s palm and looked heavy, making one worry it might snap her slender wrist.
Feng Ci coldly averted his gaze and politely replied, “Thank you, but I don’t eat it.”
“It’s really delicious.”
“Still no.”
“Oh, okay.” Berry put the fruit back, rubbed her little hands together, and raised her head. “Can you take me home?”
“No.” Feng Ci was highly vigilant against scams. “But I can take you to the police station. The police will help you find your parents.”
“What’s a police station?” Berry couldn’t understand its meaning from the words alone. She honestly confessed, “I don’t have parents, only a grandma. Grandma has already gone to the sky to be a witch.”
Feng Ci was taken aback and blurted out, “How is that possible?”
“A great little witch never lies.” Berry opened her round eyes wide. As she spoke the second half of the sentence, she clenched her fists and emphasized loudly, “And never steals, hmph.”
Feng Ci’s mouth twitched, and he instinctively covered his chest, still feeling the lingering pain.
The tiny speck of a child punched with surprisingly strong force.
Feng Ci coughed lightly twice, stood up briskly, and made a move to grab Berry’s wrist. “Alright, since you refuse to explain honestly, come with me to the police station and explain to the officers there.”
Berry didn’t understand what the police station or police officers were for. Instinctively, she thought Feng Ci was trying to hand her over to the Dark Wizard for a meal. She shook off his hand and ran.
“Xiuxiu, save me!”
The inconspicuous broom in the corner suddenly floated up and swooped down to Berry’s side.
Feng Ci was stunned by the scene before him, frozen in place. He rubbed his eyes vigorously.
Berry, with her short little legs, seized the moment to swing over, riding her broom as the little witch flew up to the ceiling, her small, round face scrunched up tightly. "Are you going to offer me to the evil Dark Wizard?"
The fearless eighteen-year-old boy stared with unprecedented clarity and confusion in his eyes.
Feng Ci was dumbfounded. "Huh?"
"Can you not offer me to the Dark Wizard? I don’t taste good. I haven’t bathed in six months—I’m smelly, not as tasty as roast chicken."
Feng Ci nodded. "I can see that."
The child’s face was smeared black, as if she’d just been digging coal. The only remotely cute thing about her was her pair of large, watery eyes.
Berry had already explored the entire room while Feng Ci was asleep, but she hadn’t found any escape routes. All the doors and windows were tightly shut, and having never encountered modern housing, she had no idea how to open them.
The little witch pleaded pitifully, "You’re the Magic World’s groom, so you must know how to get out. Please, let me go home."
"…What nonsense is this? I’m not, don’t talk nonsense."
Feng Ci couldn’t believe that something so unscientific was happening right in front of him. He distractedly responded to the child floating mid-air, busily touching and examining everything around him, hoping to find some trace of wires or special effects.
The result was deeply disappointing and utterly chilling.
The child wasn’t using any external support—she was flying on a broomstick just like Harry Potter. She was probably not human!
Half an hour later, Feng Ci had pieced his shattered worldview back together. He grabbed a glass of water and drank it down expressionlessly.
He stared intently at the little witch who had crossed over from the Magic World, unwilling to give up as he confirmed once more, "You really know Magic?"
Berry held a steaming bun in both hands, munching away with a shiny mouth. "Of course! I’m the only Witch in Nan’ge Town."
Feng Ci asked, "Then you must be really powerful?"
"Mhm, mhm." Berry nodded eagerly like a pecking chick, proudly agreeing. "I’m very powerful."
"Then you must know how to get back." Feng Ci crossed his arms.
Berry paused, shifting from happily eating her bun to eating it with a worried expression. "I don’t know, sigh."
A large pile of breakfast takeout lay on the table, untouched by Feng Ci. Just watching the child eat was enough to fill him up.
In just ten short minutes, the little one had already devoured a rice ball, two large meat buns, and was about to start on a sausage roll.
Watching the child eat with her mouth covered in grease, Feng Ci’s cleanliness obsession kicked in. He pulled a tissue from the box and handed it to her. "Wipe your mouth."
Hearing his words, Berry froze, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, no, that’s too wasteful."
The tissue in his hand was pure white, flawless, thin, and soft, just like the silk gowns worn by noble ladies. How could something so precious be used to wipe her mouth? It would be a terrible waste.
Feng Ci could roughly guess that the world she came from had a lower standard of living, so he didn’t bother explaining. Instead, he pinched the tissue and wiped her mouth thoroughly.
At first, Berry tried to dodge, but as the faint fragrance of the tissue drifted into her nose, the little one stopped resisting. She closed her eyes and obediently enjoyed the sensation.
When Feng Ci let go of her, the tissue was already too dirty to look at. Disgusted, he pinched a corner with his fingertips and tossed it into the trash bin—out of sight, out of mind.
Feng Ci tore open a small packet of disinfectant wipes to clean his hands, asking without looking up, "What are your plans next? I mean, where are you going to stay before you go home?"
Although this question might seem a bit heartless, Feng Ci, who was accustomed to solitude, couldn't accept living with a stranger, let alone a four-year-old child who would need constant care.
Oh, to be precise, a three-and-a-half-year-old child.
Children are the most troublesome.
Berry took small sips through her soy milk straw, her little legs hidden beneath her skirt swaying gently.
She cautiously glanced at Feng Ci's expression and shyly asked, "Mr. Bridegroom, can you take me in?"
"I can do many things," the little girl counted on her fingers, listing them one by one. "I can air out blankets, clean rooms, slice bread, mend clothes, and cook delicious soup."
Feng Ci looked surprised.
When he was her age, he was waited on hand and foot, pampered and indulged by the whole family. He spent his days eating and sleeping, never doing a single chore.
Feng Ci pushed aside these random thoughts, straightened up slightly, and corrected her seriously, "Don't call me Mr. Bridegroom. I have nothing to do with the Dark Wizard."
He said, "One month."
"You can stay here for one month. After that, if you still haven't found a way home, I'll take you to the police station to file a report."
In this situation, he was actually afraid to take Berry to the police station. What if she flew around on her broomstick as soon as they stepped outside, got tangled in high-voltage wires, and landed both of them on tomorrow's headlines?
Rather than facing a massive public embarrassment, it would have been better to just pass away last night.
Berry agreed immediately and pulled out the large scissors—bigger than her head—from her small bag.
Feng Ci leaned back, shielding his chest with his hands, and scowled, "What are you doing? Taking advantage of the situation?"
"Here, you can sell it for money," the little girl said earnestly. "A great little witch doesn't take advantage of Muggles."
Muggle Feng Ci: …
"Fine, I'll take it." Not for any other reason—no sensible person would let a child carry around a pair of scissors big enough to take a dog's life.
A Muggle's life matters too.
Since he had decided to take Berry in for a month, Feng Ci felt it necessary to set some ground rules. Without rules, there would be no order, and this was also to ensure that the two of them—one big, one small—could live together harmoniously.
"See the bedroom at the end of the hallway? That's where I sleep. You're not allowed in without my permission."
"The second-to-last room is the gaming room. It's full of valuable items, so you definitely can't go in there."
"On the right is the study, and next to it is the guest room. Starting today, that's where you'll stay."
After showing Berry around the place, Feng Ci emphasized with utmost seriousness:
"The most important rule: no crying or fussing. I have no patience, a bad temper, and I don't know how to comfort people, so don't expect me to soften up."
Berry nodded obediently, accepting everything: "Mm-hmm!"
Next on the agenda: buying clothes and taking a bath.
Though Berry looked adorable in her witch outfit, it was quite dirty. Her little boots were caked with mud, the hem of her skirt and her cloak were dusty, and upon closer inspection, there were even tears from thorns.
Feng Ci decided not to take Berry out immediately. For one, the child had just arrived, and going out rashly might lead to accidents. For another, buying clothes online was convenient—a delivery person would arrive in about twenty minutes.
Feng Ci roughly estimated Berry's size and ordered a set of loungewear, a set of thick outdoor clothes, a pair of slippers, and some wool ankle boots.
He led Berry into the bathroom and showed her how to use the water heater: "Turn left for hot water, right for cold water. Adjust the temperature yourself."
The automatic showerhead gushing hot water amazed the little child, who kept exclaiming "wow wow wow."
Feng Ci: "Did you learn how to use it?"
Berry looked up, her deep blue eyes blinking twice: "What's left? What's right?"
Feng Ci was speechless.
He wiped his face and began explaining basic concepts like an emotionless robot.
Feng Ci went to great lengths to teach the little illiterate, leaving his mouth parched and dry. He had woken up with a bitter taste in his mouth, and now it was so unbearable he couldn't stand it for another moment.
He waved his hand and hurriedly said, "You wash up first. I'm going out."
"Wait." Berry called out to him. "Here, eat a Scarletberry. It'll take the bitterness away."
"How did you know my mouth was bitter?"
Berry grinned: "Because you drank my Magic Potion last night."
"Po…tion?"
"Yes, yes." The little witch puffed out her small chest, brimming with pride. "If it weren't for my potion, you'd have burned up today. I saved your life, you know."
Feng Ci's face darkened.
So that nightmare he had last night—the one where someone chased him and forced him to eat feces—was her doing. She had fed him a potion that tasted like shit!