My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 68 You are first and foremost Xia Li

The reheated ribs didn't taste quite as good as when they were fresh out of the pot, but the aroma of the meat was still irresistible.

Xia Li didn't say anything this time, focusing instead on the few pieces left in her bowl. Song Che was also genuinely hungry; he hadn't noticed while chatting so enthusiastically, but now his stomach was growling loudly, making him feel dizzy with hunger.

Generally speaking, when two people are together, one of them is usually clueless and the other is unhappy.

But here, Xia Li has two roles: she is often confused about the situation and easily gets angry over all sorts of trivial matters.

After finishing their meal and while clearing the dishes, Xia Li suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence: "What you said, 'self-respect and self-love'... I understand what it means. Cherish yourself, don't belittle yourself, act with moderation, and be self-disciplined and principled."

She didn't stop wiping the table, her tone as if she were reciting some rule of conduct for His Highness.

Song Che placed the washed dishes on the drainer, dried his hands, and turned to look at her: "I know Your Highness has always been sensible, serious, and meticulous in your work, and you are strict with yourself. But when I said 'self-respect and self-love,' I didn't mean exactly that."

He walked to the dining table and sat down, gesturing for Xia Li to sit down as well.

Bruce sidled up to him and lay down at his feet.

"In my opinion, Your Highness may... not have truly achieved it."

Song Che spoke earnestly, looking at her with a calm gaze.

Xia Li sat opposite her, her brows furrowed, clearly not convinced by the assessment: "I have always had self-respect and self-love."

As a witch princess, she never slacked off in her demeanor, speech, or even her inner principles.

"No, what I mean by 'self-respect and self-love' is first and foremost about clearly recognizing 'yourself's' existence, and then about how to treat that 'self'." Song Che tried to explain more clearly, "Xia Li, first and foremost you are 'Xia Li,' an individual with your own feelings, and only then are you 'Your Highness,' 'someone's friend,' or 'tenant.' But I've noticed that you often forget the 'Xia Li' from the beginning."

He paused, then gave an example: "For instance, you always seem to be afraid of 'troubling' me. You'd rather struggle to figure things out on your own, even if it means hitting walls and potentially getting hurt, than ask for help."

"That's because..." Xia Li replied immediately, feeling that her logic was sound. "One should try one's best to solve one's own problems first, and only seek help if one is truly unable to do so. This is independence and responsibility. I'm just a little slower, but I believe I can eventually do it."

"So you just endured the pain in your leg without saying anything?" Song Che wasn't blaming you, just stating the facts. "If it really was a bone or ligament injury, the longer you waited, the bigger the problem would become. Your own body was giving you warnings, but you didn't hear them, or you heard them but chose to ignore them. Is that what you call taking care of yourself?"

Xia Li pursed her lips, not immediately refuting.

"I understand your thinking. We have a saying here, 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.' It's good that you don't want to suffer the troubles yourself, and it shows that you are considerate of others."

Song Che's tone softened, "But there's another saying: 'Relationships are mutual, and dependence is permissible.' Sometimes, accepting help from others and allowing yourself to 'bother' them isn't weakness or rudeness, but rather trust, and it's also giving each other an opportunity to deepen our connection."

You always think about 'not being a burden,' but have you ever considered that your excessive 'avoidance' sometimes makes me feel...pushed away, and that you don't really trust that I can or am willing to share the burden with you?"

Xia Li's eyelashes trembled, and her fingers, resting on her knees, curled slightly.

These words were somewhat unfamiliar to her, even a bit subversive.

In Hitler, it was common for the strong to act alone, and weakness and dependence were often accompanied by danger. Her upbringing taught her self-control, resilience, and the ability to take responsibility on her own.

"It's like when I teach you to cook," Song Che used a more relaxed example. "If you were terrified of the oil splattering the first time you stir-fried vegetables, but you stubbornly insisted on finishing the dish, you might end up burning yourself and ruining the food. But if you yelled and dodged, that's okay. I teach you the method, shield you from the splatter, and in the end, the dish is cooked, and you've learned something. Isn't that better than stubbornly enduring it?"

"But..." Xia Li tried to find a foothold for her own ideas, "If you always rely on others, you can't truly grow."

"That's right, so the key is balance." Song Che nodded. "It's not about relying on everything, but about daring to reach out when needed, or accepting a helping hand when it's offered. 'Self-respect and self-love' also includes understanding your own limits, using resources wisely to achieve goals more effectively, and taking good care of yourself at the same time. These are not contradictory."

He looked at her profile as she fell into thought and continued, "True 'love yourself' means listening to your body and your heart, eating when you're hungry, resting when you're tired, speaking up when you're in pain, and asking questions when you're confused. It means allowing yourself to have areas where you're not good at something and that require time to learn, instead of criticizing yourself for 'not being able to do it.' It means putting Xia Li's feelings on your priority list, instead of always putting them behind 'responsibility,' 'obligation,' and 'not causing trouble for others.'"

The living room was quiet, with only the faint sound of wind outside the window.

After a long while, Xia Li finally raised her eyes: "I... I'm not used to thinking like this. In Hit, any weak thought can have fatal consequences."

"I understand." Song Che's voice was gentle. "But this isn't Hitler. At least in front of me, in my home, you can try... to relax a little. Put 'Xia Li's' feelings first. For example, next time your hair isn't dry, just call me; if you're tired from walking, say we should take a car; if there's something you don't understand, ask it like you did just now. This won't make you weak, it will only make you... more like a living, breathing person who can cry and laugh, who needs and is needed."

Xia Li listened quietly for a long time before nodding slightly: "I... will try to think about it."

She inexplicably felt that these words made her feel at ease and happy.

"That's enough." Song Che smiled, reaching out to pat her head. "Take it slow. Remember, first and foremost, you have to be Xia Li, a girl who deserves to be treated well and who can rightfully take care of herself. All other identities come second."

Xia Li felt the touch on her head and moved away slightly. "Do I feel the same way about you as I do about Bruce? I see you always touching Bruce like that."

"It's definitely different now, but I touched your head because..." Song Che laughed, "because I knew I could touch it now. Normally, you would have hit me on the head."

How do you know I won't hit you right now?

"Because..." Song Che looked at the corner of her mouth, "Did you notice? You just... smiled."

"……I."

"Hmm, you have a beautiful smile." Song Che didn't know if Xia Li would be happy to be complimented on her looks like other girls, but he wanted to express his true feelings, "Being so beautiful makes me want to be indecent."

Just as Song Che was about to get a tap on the head from Xia Li, Xia Li spoke softly, "Is it really that good-looking?"