Chapter 174:

Time crept forward, slow and deliberate, each moment weighed with anticipation.

The end-of-year snow fell much slower than before. Alongside the witch, who lifted her skirt delicately as she spun, even time seemed to decelerate in Xu Xi’s eyes.

Was the turn graceful?

Not really.

Krisha’s movements were clumsy, stiff, and unnatural. Her expression was solemn, as if she were performing an important ritual. There was nothing elegant about it, yet Xu Xi found himself smiling.

Flawless white snowflakes drifted from the sky, blending into her silvery-gray hair. The wide brim of her hat cast a soft shadow over her face, and her bright yet vacant eyes reflected fleeting traces of light.

“…Master?”

Seeing Xu Xi’s smile, Krisha stopped abruptly. She thought she had done something wrong and made him laugh.

“Am I clumsy?” she asked, her empty eyes blinking in confusion, their delicate hues glimmering faintly.

Standing amidst the snow, her blank gaze paired with the slightly tilted witch hat created a peculiar charm—a blend of innocence and awkwardness.

“No,” Xu Xi said, shaking his head. “Krisha looks wonderful.”

He stepped forward and adjusted her hat, carefully straightening the brim. His fingers brushed against her silvery-gray hair, marveling at its silky texture.

It was a stark contrast to the dry, brittle strands he remembered from when they first met.

Krisha stood quietly as Xu Xi’s warm hands passed by her ears, gently brushing her hair and readjusting the oversized hat. The biting cold of winter seemed to fade away, replaced by the warmth of his care.

When he finished, she politely said, “Thank you.”

Her gratitude wasn’t only for the gesture of fixing her hat but also for his earlier compliment.

It wasn’t that the hat was beautiful—it was that she looked beautiful wearing it.

The clumsy witch picked up on this nuance, and a faint, indescribable joy welled up in her chest. Her eyes, usually empty, seemed to ripple with emotion.

“Krisha, does the hat feel uncomfortable to wear?” Xu Xi asked.

Krisha shook her head.

“That’s good,” he said, stepping back to observe her from a distance.

Taking in the full picture, he nodded in satisfaction. “It suits you perfectly, Krisha. It gives you a mysterious aura.”

Krisha looked striking. Her delicate features, graceful demeanor, and the interplay between her long silvery-gray hair and the black, triangular witch hat made her appearance captivating.

Xu Xi admired her sincerely before deciding to purchase the hat.

The price was modest—just an ordinary sum.

“Master, is this… a New Year’s gift for me?” Krisha asked as they left the shop.

“Of course not,” Xu Xi replied, surprised by her question.

He smiled and explained that it was just a small, ordinary item and not a proper New Year’s gift. In his view, using something bought casually as a meaningful New Year’s gift would be irresponsible.

The only reason he purchased the witch hat was because it suited her so well and because she had shown an interest in it.

“I see…”

Krisha’s delicate fingers brushed against the necklace she wore, then moved to the edge of the hat, lightly tracing its brim.

To her, these two seemingly unrelated gifts—the necklace and the hat—carried a similar warmth. They were imbued with a meaning that transcended their physical value, a warmth that gently melted the coldness within her.

“Master…” she said softly. “Let’s consider this hat a New Year’s gift.”

To Krisha, the price or practicality of a gift didn’t matter. What mattered was the thought and emotion behind it.

“I love your… gift.”

Her usually plain voice sounded different, like a serene stream with ripples of joy dancing across its surface.

Xu Xi hesitated. He still felt that giving her a simple hat as a New Year’s gift was too perfunctory.

But seeing Krisha’s sincere happiness, he finally nodded. “Alright, as long as you like it, Krisha.”

With a light chuckle, Xu Xi led her down Yanshan City’s snowy streets toward their courtyard.

Sometimes, life unfolds in unexpected ways.

Xu Xi hadn’t anticipated that one of his three New Year’s gifts would be resolved so coincidentally.

“Now only Moli and Yingxue are left,” he thought. “I hope everything else goes this smoothly.”

They walked on, their steps breaking the stillness of winter. Around them, the city lay blanketed in frost and snow. The winter sun reflected on the icy ground, casting a dreamy glow that sparkled before being trampled underfoot by passersby.

Xu Xi and Krisha turned from the bustling avenue into a quiet alley. The contrast was stark—each step took them from shadow into light.

Krisha allowed herself to be led. Her mind wandered back to that distant day in a dark, decaying alley. Back then, a gentle hand had reached out to her, guiding her toward the light, just as Xu Xi was doing now.

Krisha removed her hat, holding it close to her chest with one hand while letting Xu Xi guide her with the other. The wide brim of the hat blocked her view of the light, so she took it off.

“Master,” she said as the outline of their courtyard came into view.

Just before they reached home, Krisha suddenly asked, “Is the power of love truly infinite?”

Xu Xi paused, slightly taken aback by the question. Then, he smiled and replied, “I’m not sure, but maybe it is.”

“Why do you ask, Krisha?”

“Nothing…”

Krisha shook her head, her gaze wandering toward the sky.

Perhaps the power of love really was infinite.

But… the place for love was limited.

In the cold winter, love was the only warmth and salvation. Yet, countless people yearned for it, competing for its glow.

Krisha was not greedy or selfish by nature. But she didn’t like the thought of others encroaching on her place, blocking her from seeing the light or feeling its warmth.

How annoying…

Silently, Krisha tightened her grip on Xu Xi’s hand.

The shadow born of light no longer wanted to follow passively. This time, it would take the initiative to catch up with the light and walk beside it.

“Come on, Krisha. We’re home.”

“…Yes.”