A soft, trembling voice carried a hint of unease.
It was the sorrow borne from the past.
Afraid to face it, unwilling to see it.
Following the first opposition from the witch, in the real world, Xu Xi encountered the witch's first display of dislike.
What she disliked was the rather incomprehensible "white hair."
"It's alright, Krisha, it's just some snow," a warm, broad hand gently stroked the witch's head, soothing the unease in her heart.
Xu Xi's voice was soft, gentle, and soothing.
Wounds of the soul could only be carefully mended with care, stitch by stitch.
Xu Xi understood.
In the second simulation, he had grown old and died before the witch, causing a great emotional shock that lingered to this day.
That emptiness left behind.
By the time they reunited, it had already been repaired to a great extent.
However, the witch still feared such a scene, reacting instinctively whenever she saw it, leading to the situation earlier.
"Don't worry, I'm right here, always..."
The hand passed through the silvery-gray hair.
With each gentle caress, the witch's expression gradually calmed, her eyes returning to the empty gaze familiar to Xu Xi.
"I'm sorry, mentor..."
Krisha lowered her head, almost burying her face in her chest, the dullness in her eyes clearly visible.
She felt that she had caused trouble for Xu Xi.
Although, to Xu Xi, this so-called trouble was minor, hardly worth mentioning.
But the witch thought.
As an object, affecting the master was in itself an unforgivable mistake.
"There's no need to apologize, Krisha. You haven't done anything wrong," the world fell silent as the snow subsided, leaving only Xu Xi's voice echoing.
"But I..."
"You're doing great, aren't you? Always trying to think for me."
The warm, comforting voice dispelled the chill of winter, blowing away the unease in the witch's heart.
"Let's go, we're heading home," Xu Xi took Krisha's hand, gentle but firm, enveloping her slender, trembling fingers, leading the bewildered witch down the path home.
Without the influence of Krisha's supreme power.
Not long after.
The path home began to sprinkle with fine snowflakes once more.
This time, the clever witch had learned to anticipate it, and an invisible spatial barrier enveloped the sky, swallowing all the snowflakes that fell above their heads.
The sounds of pedestrians echoed around them.
"This snow is so weird."
"Yeah, it stops and starts like it's got a mind of its own, harder to understand than a woman's heart."
"Let's hurry up, or it'll get worse again."
Prompted by the urgency of the situation, people quickened their steps, heading toward their destinations, some even sprinting through the snow.
Xu Xi and Krisha's figures were unremarkable in the crowd, walking side by side, their steps slow and even, leaving uniform footprints on the road.
"Winter in Yanshan City has its own charm."
As they walked.
Xu Xi gazed at the streets on either side.
The winter city had a beauty all its own—the world draped in white, the silver-clad landscape lit up by "stars" of light.
Those were the streetlights in the cold night, warmly illuminating the roads.
The sounds of distant cars roaring, trembling the snow layer.
In the quiet and purity, people bustling for the new year added the final touch to the winter scene, the bustle of humanity.
"What is it, Krisha?"
Turning a corner.
Still some distance from the courtyard.
Xu Xi paused, not because he wanted to do anything, but because the witch walking beside him suddenly stopped, her eyes fixed on a store by the roadside.
Following Krisha's gaze.
Xu Xi saw a hat shop.
In the frosty winter, the business was sparse, and the hat shop appeared even more desolate and quiet. Few passersby entered.
But the hats displayed outside the shop were quite intriguing and interesting.
Roughly glancing, Xu Xi saw not only traditional hat styles but also some specially designed for the young, the so-called "otaku hats."
Some had bizarre and comical shapes.
Others paired with dramatic flair.
And some corresponded to characters from games and anime.
The witch was gazing at those oddly shaped "otaku hats."
Her eyes scanned left and right, filled with confusion and curiosity, finally settling on a triangular hat.
Xu Xi recognized that hat.
"A Western fantasy-style witch's hat?"
Xu Xi considered, realizing that Krisha, who had achieved the pinnacle of power, likely understood the essence of any object at first glance.
It was probably for this reason.
That Krisha, being a witch, was drawn to the witch's hat in the shop.
Though the witches they represented were not the same.
"Krisha, do you want to try it on?"
Snowflakes swirled in the air like wild butterflies.
Whispered by the wind, they filled the world with noise.
In response to Xu Xi's question, Krisha first nodded, then shook her head.
"Mentor, I don't need it."
The witch spoke her true thoughts, expressing that she was merely curious about the hat, not truly wanting it, and there was no need to waste time on it.
"Give it a try, you might like it," Xu Xi said with a smile, as things that piqued Krisha's interest were rare.
He led the hesitant, uncertain witch.
Toward the hat shop.
Under the shopkeeper's enthusiastic introduction, Xu Xi picked up the triangular witch's hat, examining it closely before looking at Krisha's head.
"Krisha, want to try it?"
"...Yes."
The witch seemed genuinely intrigued by the hat.
As Xu Xi held it, her gaze followed its movements.
"Krisha, lower your head a bit."
Krisha obediently lowered her head, and Xu Xi gently placed the wide witch's hat atop the girl's head.
This particular hat was quite large.
Far larger than ordinary hats.
With its triangular, wide-brimmed design, it was also a bit heavier to wear.
Yet, it could not be denied that the triangular witch's hat looked very fitting for the witch with silvery-gray hair.
"…Mentor?"
In the silent, snow-filled world, Krisha stood still, dressed in a black-and-white ensemble, her delicate face tinged with confusion beneath the dark witch's hat.
She wasn't sure.
What she looked like now.
Whether it was beautiful or not, the girl cared about Xu Xi's opinion.
"Krisha, can you turn around a bit?" Xu Xi observed her, feeling the front view was good, but not sure about other angles.
So, he asked Krisha to turn around.
"…Yes, mentor."
The witch nodded.
She found that her long dress made movement awkward.
So, she gently lifted the hem with one hand, holding the wide brim of the hat with the other, turning in the swirling snow, displaying her complete appearance to Xu Xi.