Feng Ci had no experience raising children and completely lost track of time. When he finally looked up from his game, Berry had already been bathing in the bathroom for half an hour.
She still hadn’t come out after so long, and Feng Ci felt a growing unease. He rushed to the bathroom door in a few quick strides.
“Kid, are you done yet?” he called out, knocking on the door. “It’s been half an hour. Say something.”
He pressed his ear against the door. Inside, the sound of running water came and went intermittently, but there was no response from the child. Feng Ci grew anxious. “Berry, say something.”
Click—the door opened halfway.
Berry’s round head peeked out. “Squeak, squeak, squeak.”
“Are you stupid? I didn’t mean… bleh!” As soon as Feng Ci opened his mouth, a floating bubble flew straight into it.
Feng Ci’s face twisted in disgust. Leaning against the wall, he spat and dry-heaved, feeling as though his insides were about to come out.
Without hesitation, Berry thumped him twice on the back with her little fists.
The muffled thuds nearly knocked the wind out of him. Feng Ci turned around, glaring angrily. “What are you doing?”
“I’m helping you.”
The little witch with dark hair and blue eyes smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. Her freshly washed face was delicate and rosy, framed by a head of wavy black bobbed hair. Gone was the coal-miner look; now she resembled a delicate little doll.
This was more or less what Feng Ci had expected. The only surprise was that the child was likely of mixed Chinese and Western heritage.
Though she had strikingly exotic lake-blue eyes and a cute, upturned nose, her eye sockets weren’t deep. Her eye shape was the typical Eastern almond—round and bright.
“Do you feel better now?” the helpful little witch asked, as bubbles with a woody fragrance continuously drifted out from behind the door.
“You…”
Feng Ci’s mouth still tasted of shower gel. He glanced speechlessly at the bathroom, now filled with bubbles, and woodenly waved them away.
“Are you bathing or playing with water? Making so many bubbles—are you trying to flood the house?”
Berry spoke slowly, sounding a bit embarrassed. “Xiuxiu wanted to bathe too. I was helping Xiuxiu take a bath.”
A broom, standing upright, shyly leaned out from behind the door. Its once-fluffy bristles were now dripping wet, looking as bedraggled as a drowned rat.
Catching sight of this out of the corner of his eye, Feng Ci was baffled.
When did this stick get into the bathroom?
Berry spread out her ten short, pale fingers. “My Magic Power isn’t enough to dry Xiuxiu’s hair. It’s too shy to come out and meet people.”
At three and a half years old, Berry’s Magic Power was still shallow. Drying her own hair once used up most of it. Plus, she had ridden the broom for a while both before and after crossing over, and the back-and-forth had drained her Magic Power even further.
A stick that’s quite vain, Feng Ci thought, curling his lip. He pointed to the cabinet by the sink.
“There’s a hairdryer in the second cabinet. Use it to dry it.” He paused briefly. Never mind, I’ll do it myself.
Feng Ci pushed the door open wider. “I’ll show you how to use it.”
He stepped inside with one foot, but when he saw Berry’s appearance, he couldn’t hold back a laugh. No wonder she’d only shown her head—she’d put her clothes on like a ragpicker.
Her little yellow duck shirt was on backward, the collar tightly choking her neck, and her pants were uneven, one side higher than the other.
Feng Ci bent down and asked in a gleeful tone, “Doesn’t your neck hurt? Don’t you feel like someone’s choking you?”
Berry reacted for two seconds, then slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, oh no! I've been cursed by a Dark Wizard!"
The child's eyes welled up with tears as she wailed with a mournful face: Moo—
"If only I hadn't taken a bath. Now that the great little witch smells sweeter than delicious roast chicken, the Dark Wizard will definitely not let me go."
Feng Ci suppressed the corner of his mouth, squinted his eyes with an air of profound mystery, and said, "I have a way to break the curse. Want to know?"
"Yes!"
Driven by a strong will to survive, the child clung to his pant leg and made a generous offer: "As long as you can save me, I can teach you how to brew the most powerful Magic Potions!"
"…That won't be necessary."
Bringing up the very thing he didn't want to hear, he now felt his throat turn bitter again.
Getting back to the point, Feng Ci signaled with his eyes: "The method to break the curse is simple. Wear the side with the little duck facing forward and the side with the big duck facing backward."
Afraid she might still not understand what forward and backward meant, Feng Ci explained, "Forward is the same direction as your eyes, eyebrows, and nose. Backward is the same direction as your butt. Got it?"
"Oh, oh, I understand."
When the child came out again, she indeed looked much more presentable. Feng Ci stroked his chin, uncomfortably eyeing her still crooked pants. His obsessive-compulsive tendencies flared up, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and straighten them for her.
Unable to resist complaining, he said, "How did you manage to put on your clothes before? T-shirts and shorts are much simpler and easier to wear than that Witch outfit of yours."
"Grandma helped me put them on," Berry sighed. "But she's been gone for a year now."
Feng Ci's eyelids twitched, and a terrible guess popped into his head: "Don't tell me you haven't changed your clothes for a year."
"Yes, yes," Berry replied proudly, chattering away. "I learned a Magic spell that can make dirty clothes clean, so I don't need to change them every day."
Her big, bright eyes fixed on him. Seeing Feng Ci foolishly unmoved, she put her hands on her hips and said:
"You can praise me now."
Feng Ci raised an eyebrow and snorted with a laugh, ignoring her.
He took the hairdryer from the cabinet, plugged it in, and handed it to Berry:
"Now you can help your little friend dry her hair. Press here for hot air, below for cold air, and the round button adjusts the wind intensity."
Berry listened quietly. After Feng Ci demonstrated twice, she learned how to use it. Holding the hairdryer with both hands, she aimed it at Xiuxiu, looking every bit like a little stylist.
Feng Ci gave a few instructions and then went out. Just as he poured a glass of water in the living room, the doorbell rang.
Feng Ci tapped the video doorbell, and Zhang Mai's large face filled the entire screen.
"Brother Feng, it's me. Open the door."
"What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
"Bringing you some warmth."
As soon as the door opened, Feng Ci realized it wasn't just Zhang Mai—behind him stood his two troublemaking friends, Fang Chengxuan and Jiang Hao.
"What are you all doing here?"
Zhang Mai swaggered past him, carrying a large bag of snacks: "Just here to find some peace and quiet."
"At home, I'm annoying, and even breathing is wrong. My mom woke me up at seven, and I'm exhausted." Zhang Mai tossed the snacks onto the sofa and slumped into it like a boneless heap. "I'm here to catch up on some sleep."
Fang Chengxuan and Jiang Hao followed closely behind.
"Brother Feng, it wasn't very nice of you and Aunt Zhang to sneak off first last night. If my parents hadn't happened to be out of town, you wouldn't have seen me today," Jiang Hao said with a resentful expression.
"Hey, you little brat, who are you calling Aunt Zhang? I'm Zhang Mai!"
"Got it, got it, Aunt Zhang."
The two quickly started tussling, turning the living room into a noisy mess. Feng Ci turned around and poured three glasses of water. "Drink up and leave. I have things to do today, so I won’t be entertaining you."
Zhang Mai: "What’s up? Are you heading out?"
"I have a guest at home. It’s not convenient."
The three of them immediately perked up with curiosity. Zhang Mai craned his neck, looking around. "Who is it? Who?"
"Could it be you’re hiding a beauty in your golden chamber?" Jiang Hao said, and the three exchanged glances, snickering suggestively.
"None of your business. Anyway, today’s not happening." Feng Ci thought for a moment and added, "This whole month, actually."
An entire month without letting them visit—this was unprecedented. Zhang Mai couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild. He winked and asked, "Feng-ge, did you bring a girl back to stay? Who is it? Someone from our school?"
Feng Ci waved his hand impatiently. "No, none of that. Stop making things up. Alright, get going."
Zhang Mai wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip. He sprang up and started looking around. "Where’s sister-in-law? Feng-ge, you’re not being fair. Why are you hiding her?"
Zhang Mai knew Feng Ci’s house better than his own, having stayed over often. He headed straight for the bedrooms and guest room with clear purpose. "Sister-in-law, I’m Zhang Mai, Feng-ge’s little brother. I brought snacks. Come out and have some with us!"
Feng Ci’s face darkened. He hooked an arm around Zhang Mai’s neck and dragged him out. "Stop shouting. Finish your snacks and get lost."
Fang Chengxuan: "Feng-ge, you really are hiding a beauty in your golden chamber."
"Look how nervous Feng-ge is. He must’ve brought a girl home," Jiang Hao said confidently.
Feng Ci regretted opening the door. He shouldn’t have let these three chatterboxes in.
The commotion from their roughhousing was loud, and by the time they snapped back to attention, a small, short figure was watching them curiously.
The three hadn’t expected that the one they’d been calling for wasn’t a sister-in-law but a little kid holding a broom.
Zhang Mai looked at the little one, then at Feng Ci.
"Feng-ge, is this your sister?"
"Who are you cursing?" Feng Ci introduced dismissively, "A relative’s kid. Here to stay for a while."
"So that’s it. Geez, why didn’t you say so earlier? Hiding it like that, I thought you had someone special here. Got my hopes up for nothing."
Feng Ci shot him a glare. "Too much talk."
At seventeen or eighteen, they were at that rebellious age. These troublemakers usually skipped classes, got into fights, hung out at bars, or raced cars. Even if they had younger siblings at home, they wouldn’t bring them along.
The three laid-back teens developed a strong interest in this fresh-faced human child.
Zhang Mai grinned, trying to get friendly. "Hey there, little sister! How old are you? Do you go to school?"
Berry wasn’t shy. She held up four short fingers and said, "Four years old. I’m very busy. No time for school."
"You’re clearly three and a half," Feng Ci raised an eyebrow, calling her out. "Didn’t you say great little witches never lie?"
"I’m four in nominal age. I’m not lying." Berry explained clearly, not letting him corner her. Not only that, she earnestly advised, "Feng-ge needs to study arithmetic properly."
The three burst into laughter. "Hahahahaha!"
Feng Ci’s grades were terrible, but he never dreamed he’d be looked down on by a kid. He gritted his teeth. This little illiterate who couldn’t tell left from right was lecturing him? The world really was upside down.
Wait, what did she just call him? Feng-ge?
Feng Ci put on a stern face. "Don’t copy them blindly. Call me brother."
"Oh, brother."
Every time the chubby kid Zhang Mai came to Feng Ci's house, he would bring a pile of food and drinks, and this time was no exception.
Feng Ci glanced at the cigarettes and lighter mixed in with the snack bags, and the two cases of beer carried in by Fang Chengxuan and Jiang Hao, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.
Zhang Mai had already started calling out: "Little sister, come over and have some snacks. I bought a lot of goodies. Come see if there's anything you like."
All four of them had a taste for spicy food. The big bag of snacks was filled with pickled pepper chicken feet, spicy prince snacks, and Weilong spicy strips—none of it suitable for a child to eat.
Zhang Mai scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh, how about I order some takeout? What does little sister like to eat?"
"Meat!"
Just mentioning the word made Berry drool uncontrollably.
Feng Ci checked the time. It was just past eleven, and she had only eaten breakfast at eight. She was already hungry again.
In the end, Feng Ci ordered a KFC family bucket. The moment the packaging was opened, the rich aroma of fried chicken filled the entire house, making Berry dizzy with delight.
The little witch's broom in her arms also began to stir restlessly. To prevent the three foolish boys from being scared out of their wits, Feng Ci decisively moved the broom away.
Feng Ci gave Berry a chicken leg. The fried chicken was from a young chicken, so the leg wasn't particularly large, but in Berry's hands, it instantly turned into a giant drumstick, and she ate it with immense relish.
Watching a child eat was like watching a little pet at home—it brought a special sense of satisfaction and made everything feel more enjoyable.
After the meal, Fang Chengxuan and Jiang Hao cleared the table, while Zhang Mai picked up his lighter and headed to the bathroom.
Just as Zhang Mai lit his cigarette, Feng Ci, who had followed him in, spoke up quietly: "Put it out."
Zhang Mai's hand holding the cigarette trembled: "What, Brother Feng, not even in the bathroom?"
"No," Feng Ci said firmly. "Secondhand smoke lingers."
"Is it really that serious? The bathroom has a ventilation pipe… Alright, alright, I won't smoke."
Zhang Mai obediently extinguished the cigarette butt. "Brother Feng, with the little sister staying for a month, you'll have to quit smoking this month. Can you handle it?"
Feng Ci scoffed: "Who said that? I just won't smoke at home."
He certainly wouldn't quit smoking for some unrelated little brat.
Feng Ci and the others hadn't been smoking for long, so the smell on them wasn't strong. Feng Ci, in particular, carried mouthwash and breath spray with him, brushed his teeth three times a day, and regularly went for dental cleanings and oral care, so there was hardly any detectable odor.
But Berry was a little witch who loved concocting various potions, and her sense of smell was several times sharper than that of an ordinary person. She could sniff it out immediately.
To thank Feng Ci for treating her to the fried chicken she had been craving, the grateful little witch decided to brew a Magic Potion to help him quit smoking.
Feng Ci had no idea about Berry's plan. He just noticed that from the next day onward, the little girl was always fiddling with strange things, and he had no idea who she was trying to poison.
As a proper Chinese person, Magic Potions were nothing but unregulated products in his eyes—dangerous at that.
The last potion, which tasted like feces, had left a deep impression on him.