The morning after the trial ended, while Xuan Xi was still fast asleep in bed, she was suddenly jolted awake by a frantic knocking at the door. The knocking was thunderous, as if the person on the other side wasn’t afraid of waking her up at all. Xuan Xi lazily turned over, the blanket still covering her head, and mumbled a muffled “I’m coming, I’m coming” before reluctantly getting up to answer the door.
When the door opened, SigrdrÃfa stood at the entrance, her signature silver-white hair draped over her shoulders. Today she wore a light gray long coat with the dark green silk scarf Xuan Xi had given her during Winter Break tied around her neck. She glanced at Xuan Xi’s messy hair and bare feet, then said, “Get changed quickly. You’re coming with me.”
Xuan Xi rubbed her eyes, still groggy, and asked, “This early? Where are we going?”
“The small town at the foot of Academy Mountain. Today’s market has a rare event going on.”
Xuan Xi yawned and glanced out the window, only then realizing it was already late in the morning. As they said back home, the sun was already high enough to warm your backside. She said, “Give me a minute,” and went to wash up and change.
She also put on a clean light gray coat, so similar to SigrdrÃfa’s that they looked like a matching couple’s outfit. She ran a quick comb through her hair before following SigrdrÃfa out of the Dormitory Building. A gentle morning breeze swept past, carrying the scent of fresh grass, and she took a deep breath.
The two of them walked arm in arm down the stone-paved road toward the mountain’s base.
The town’s market was already in full swing. Vegetable stalls, general goods shops, and pastry carts lined the street in a single row, packed so tightly that it was nearly impossible to squeeze through.
SigrdrÃfa walked ahead, weaving through the various stalls before stopping at a well-known bakery. She bought a bag of freshly baked round bread, their crusts baked to a crisp golden brown. After paying, she tossed the paper bag directly to Xuan Xi. Xuan Xi caught it and found the bag still warm. She lowered her head and inhaled—the aroma of flour and butter mingled together, with a hint of sweet caramel underneath.
Before Xuan Xi could finish her bread, SigrdrÃfa stopped at a smoked meat stall and ordered a small portion of smoked ham, sliced thin and wrapped in oil paper before being tossed into Xuan Xi’s bag. Then she picked out a few apples from a fruit cart. Watching the bag grow heavier and heavier, Xuan Xi couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you buying so much?”
“We’ll eat it together for lunch.” SigrdrÃfa made up a random excuse. Xuan Xi glanced at the bulging paper bag in her hand and said, “There’s no way the two of us can finish all this.”
SigrdrÃfa didn’t respond, just kept her head down and continued walking. Xuan Xi had no choice but to lug the somewhat heavy bag and follow behind her. They turned from the main street into a small Alley, and at the end of it stood a restaurant. The storefront was modest, with a wooden sign hanging above it, carved with the shop’s name—”Paimon’s Steak House.” Stained glass with light patterns adorned the windows, offering a glimpse of the inside.
SigrdrÃfa pushed the door open and walked in, holding it for Xuan Xi behind her. The place was small, furnished with a few carefully crafted tables covered in cream-colored tablecloths, with utensils already set out.
SigrdrÃfa chose a seat by the window and sat down, draping her coat over the back of her chair. Xuan Xi sat across from her, set down the bag of food, and looked around the restaurant. It was supposedly mealtime now, yet they were the only two customers in the place.
“Did you invite someone else to eat with us?” Xuan Xi asked.
“No.” SigrdrÃfa opened the menu, her eyes scanning the pages. “Just the two of us.”
Xuan Xi watched her profile and opened her own menu, letting her gaze drift over the dish names. Some of them she had only seen when dining at the Sige estate, and others she had never even heard of.
SigrdrÃfa skimmed through quickly and closed her menu, then waved to signal the waiter. She rattled off several dishes, though Xuan Xi only caught the ones she recognized—”roast meat,” “cream soup,” “baked apples”—all authentic Western dishes, completely different from the way the Academy Cafeteria prepared things.
While waiting for the food, the two sat quietly. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over them. Xuan Xi lowered her head to take a sip of water and caught her reflection in the window out of the corner of her eye. Her hair, though combed, was still a bit disheveled, as if something unspeakable had happened between her and Sige.
When the dishes arrived, they were steaming hot. The roast meat glistened with a layer of oil, accompanied by roasted potato chunks and a few stalks of green vegetables. The plating wasn’t particularly refined, but the portions were generous. Xuan Xi picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with just the right amount of salt and pepper. Absolutely delicious.
“Why did you order so much? We really can’t finish all this.” She set down her fork.
SigrdrÃfa didn’t even look up, still wrestling with a piece of meat on her own plate. “You’ll find out soon enough.” There was a hint of slyness in her tone. Xuan Xi watched her for a few seconds, and when she realized SigrdrÃfa wasn’t going to tell her, she stopped pressing. After all, Sige was definitely footing the bill today, so she just had to play the role of Sige’s well-fed little hamster. The dishes on the table gradually dwindled, and Xuan Xi’s belly slowly swelled.
The restaurant door suddenly swung open. Xuan Xi looked up and saw Elsa and the others standing at the entrance, holding a plate with a round cake on it. The surface was covered in white cream, and in the center, red jam spelled out a few crooked characters, like handwriting of someone who had just learned to write—”Happy birthday, Xixi!” Behind it was a smiley face drawn in an abstract style, its mouth stretched all the way to its ears. Behind Elsa stood Reggie and Veralis, Reggie holding a paper bag and Veralis carrying a bouquet of flowers.
Xuan Xi froze, her gaze fixed on the cake in Elsa’s hands.
Elsa brought the cake over and set it in the center of the table, inserted the candles, then pulled a box of matches from her pocket, struck one, and lit them. “Happy birthday, Xuan Xi!”
Xuan Xi stared at the candle, its flame flickering up and down in the restaurant’s lighting. Somehow, her vision suddenly blurred, and a small, glistening glint of tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
When Elsa saw her expression, she froze completely, and her voice began to stutter, “D-don’t cry. Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong…?” She turned to look at Reggie, trying to seek his help. “Does Xuan Xi not like this…?”
Reggie shook his head. “The cake is fine. It’s not your fault.”
Xuan Xi raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye and sniffled. “I… I didn’t know today was my birthday. I haven’t celebrated one in a long time.” Her voice was a little hoarse. “I’m just so moved.”
Elsa stood there, not knowing what comforting words to say. SigrdrÃfa, sitting across the table, pushed the tissue box toward Xuan Xi.
Xuan Xi took a tissue and pressed it against the corner of her eye, keeping her head down as she took several deep breaths before her emotions finally settled a little. The cake was already sitting in the center of the table, its candles already half-burned down.
“Make a wish. The candles are almost gone.” Veralis said.
Xuan Xi quickly closed her eyes, thought for a moment, and made a wish with all sincerity. Then she opened her eyes and blew out the candles. Elsa volunteered to cut the cake, handling the knife with such care and skill that she didn’t even break apart the jam lettering (though it would have been perfect if the lettering itself had been a bit prettier).
Xuan Xi kept her head down, poking at the cake on her plate with her fork. Just as she was about to bring it to her mouth, SigrdrÃfa suddenly reached out and swiped her finger across Xuan Xi’s face, leaving a trail of white cream in an arc—painting her a crisp white mustache. Xuan Xi froze.
She held her fork up, staring at SigrdrÃfa across the table, whose smile was so wide she could barely contain it.
Xuan Xi set down her fork. Seeing her reflection in the glass, she scooped up some cream from the cake on her plate and flung it toward Sige. Sige simply tilted her head and dodged it effortlessly. The cream grazed past her ear and landed on the tablecloth behind her, leaving a white smear. Xuan Xi stood up and chased after her, but SigrdrÃfa was already backing toward the door. Her movements weren’t particularly fast, but every step was perfectly positioned just beyond Xuan Xi’s reach.
After two steps, Xuan Xi realized Sige was simply toying with her. If Sige didn’t want to be caught, Xuan Xi couldn’t even touch the hem of her coat. By now, SigrdrÃfa had already retreated to the door, standing in the aisle.
Xuan Xi stood by the table, hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Sige, you just wait! One of these days I’m going to screw you so hard you’ll be begging for mercy beneath me!!!”
But when she came back to her senses, she realized just what kind of bizarre nonsense she had shouted?!
Elsa was still by the table, cake still in her mouth, but she had completely forgotten to chew. Reggie held his plate, showing no particular reaction, but the corner of his mouth twitched. Veralis let out a helpless sigh and shook her head after hearing it.
Xuan Xi stood there while SigrdrÃfa stood just a few steps away in the aisle, looking at her with a provocative gaze, her lips curved in a mischievous grin.
And at that moment, Xuan Xi was like a steam locomotive fully loaded with coal and water—her face completely flushed red, wishing she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.