Chapter 39: Unable to Abandon the One Who Seeks Help

The lavish dinner began.

The meat was tender and smooth, the vegetables crisp and delicious.

The hot soup was also extremely flavorful.

In this magical world, people usually use knives and forks, but Xu Xi is more accustomed to using chopsticks, so he carved two for himself.

Cressa originally used knives and forks too, but after seeing Xu Xi use chopsticks, for some reason, she wanted to learn how to use them.

And so.

A peculiar scene unfolded at Xu Xi’s home.

While everyone else was happily using knives and forks to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the little witch struggled with the chopsticks, repeatedly picking up and dropping them in an awkward situation.

She blinked in confusion.

“Hard to use…”

Cressa couldn’t understand why, after more than half a month of practice, she still couldn’t master these two little sticks.

They were just ordinary wooden sticks, yet harder to learn than magic.

“Cressa, take it slow.”

Xu Xi comforted her, demonstrating in slow motion. After another ten minutes, the girl finally managed to pick up her first piece of meat with the chopsticks.

As if completing some ultimate goal, she sighed in relief.

Chopsticks, the enemy of a lifetime!

To avoid the dinner getting cold, the girl eventually gave up the battle with the chopsticks and switched back to her familiar knife and fork, starting to taste the delicious food Xu Xi had prepared.

“Is it good?” Xu Xi asked.

“Mentor, it’s delicious,” Cressa’s eyes slightly widened.

The clinking of knives and forks against plates.

The sound of teeth chewing food, the tongue rolling.

All happening at the same time.

Without a doubt, judging from her expression, the girl really liked the food Xu Xi made.

But after the first bite, she suddenly stopped and looked at Xu Xi with those hollow eyes, as if waiting for something.

“Alright, I’ll eat too.”

Xu Xi smiled and also started eating.

Under the light, the long shadows of the two were cast, the bright light and the dark shadows so distinct yet perfectly harmonious.

The New Year’s Eve dinner for just the two of them was quiet, far less bustling than the ordinary households in the city.

But Xu Xi felt it was enough.

With delicious food and someone to accompany, isn’t that plenty?

“Whoosh—”

“Whoosh—”

The strong wind slapped against the windows.

Outside was a world full of snow.

The once beautiful courtyard full of flowers now had only increasingly thick snow, including the withered tree, its branches heavy with snow.

Sitting inside, Xu Xi felt an inexplicable warmth after a sip of hot soup.

Not just because of the warm steam flowing inside.

But also because of the girl sitting beside him.

“It feels like home…” Xu Xi thought, looking at the snow outside.

For this New Year’s Eve dinner, Xu Xi had put in a lot of effort, wanting to give Cressa an unforgettable New Year, but for two people, four dishes and a soup were clearly a bit too much.

Even though the girl had demon bloodline, her appetite was only slightly larger than normal.

After half an hour of “battle.”

There was still a lot of food left on the table.

Cressa stood up, actively starting to clean up the dishes, wanting to wash them, but was stopped by Xu Xi.

“Wait, Cressa.”

“Mentor…?”

In the girl’s confused expression, Xu Xi’s fingers brushed over the spatial ring, taking out the sapphire necklace and a gold coin he had prepared earlier.

The sapphire necklace was placed in the girl’s left hand.

The gold coin was placed in her right hand.

Her expression became even more bewildered.

Xu Xi explained, “In my hometown, there’s a tradition of giving gifts to children for blessings when the new year replaces the old.”

“So, I chose this necklace for you.”

“I think if it’s Cressa, it will look very beautiful, and the sapphire in the necklace has a certain enhancement effect on your water magic.”

“As for this gold coin, it’s your New Year’s lucky money, wishing you peace and safety.”

Xu Xi spoke softly.

Waiting for Cressa to accept the gifts.

But, the young witch neither accepted nor refused, just stood there dumbfounded, with those still hollow and lifeless eyes, staring at Xu Xi’s figure.

The room was quiet, but Cressa’s eyes were even quieter.

Like a fragile mirror, bright yet fragile.

This mirror had shattered many times, over and over, so much that even Cressa herself had forgotten how many times it had happened.

And today.

This fragile mirror, these lifeless eyes.

Only reflected Xu Xi’s figure.

Occupying the entire world before her.

For some reason, Cressa suddenly felt her throat dry, her lips parting several times before barely managing to utter a complete sentence.

“Why… why… are you giving… me…”

“Do I need a reason?”

Xu Xi reached out his hand, gently ruffling the girl’s hair, which after two months of rest and care, had become smooth and soft, no longer dry like straw.

“But… but…”

The girl’s eyes were full of confusion.

But a lowly creature like me doesn’t deserve gifts.

I should have been discarded, useless, annoying trash.

Yet I can be bathed in the warmth of the “sun,” living in the light.

This is already enough to be happy, enough to be content, as long as I can maintain this life, the witch truly feels satisfied.

Yes.

A defective failure like me, how can I ask for more?

“No buts, Cressa.”

Xu Xi’s words interrupted the girl’s confusion and helplessness.

Those words carried warmth, like flickering candlelight, attracting the struggling soul in the darkness, unconsciously wanting to get closer.

He said:

“In life, one doesn’t need to think too much, there aren’t so many whys.”

“Do what you like, don’t do what you don’t like.”

“Cressa is usually very obedient, so I like Cressa, willing to give her gifts.”

“Similarly, if Cressa likes the gifts I give, just accept them, unless, Cressa doesn’t like—”

Hearing this.

The girl quickly shook her head, tightly holding the necklace and gold coin.

Using actions to express her liking for these two gifts.

“I like… the mentor’s gifts.”

“Is that so, that’s great.”

Hearing the witch’s answer, Xu Xi’s face showed a smile.

The frail and thin Cressa looked very quiet and well-behaved, but her expressionless face and hollow eyes still made one instinctively worry for her.

However.

Compared to two months ago, it’s already much better, isn’t it?

Xu Xi’s eyelids slightly closed, his mind recalling the pitiful state of the girl when he first met her two months ago.

The filthy alley with flowing sewage, the battered and broken body, the young face covered in blood, the trembling and fearful legs.

At that time, Cressa held a small knife, trying to rob Xu Xi.

But what Xu Xi saw and heard.

Was a clear cry for help.

“Save me…” It was a plea even the witch herself hadn’t realized, hidden deep in her eyes, in every wound, in every bit of pain.

Longing for someone to see her.

Praying for someone to take her out of despair.

Silently crying for help to everyone she met.

Xu Xi saw it, and heard it all, so, he saved Cressa at that time.

Unable to abandon such a sorrowful cry for help from the witch.