Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

In the afternoon, the old-fashioned door swung open with a slight creaking sound and then shut.

After removing her shoes, the girl's toes, clad in black socks, pressed against the floor, leaving behind faint traces of mist before she switched to a pair of light and breathable sandals and walked inside the house.

"Hexia's here," hearing the movement in the living room, Grandma He, who was pruning the plants in the flowerpot on the balcony, saw the familiar figure down below.

"I'm back. The shop needed some renovations this afternoon, so they let us out early," the girl said.

She opened the fridge, placing the fruit box, drinks, and a few snacks that she was carrying inside, then closed it and made her way to the balcony.

Although this was underground, the residential area's top was fitted with bright day-light lamps that would slowly dim and turn off by evening.

"I'll help with the pruning too," she bent down to look at Grandma He, who was carefully trimming the pot plant.

"No need, no need, just go on with your own things. There's not much in this flowerpot, I'm just trimming for fun," Grandma He said with a smile, shaking her head and gesturing for Hexia to sit by her side.

In the green glazed flowerpot, a small tree grew bearing a single orange-red fruit, larger than usual and with a light white frost on its skin—an improved variety of persimmon.

"Why don't you just relax at home today? It seems you rarely play," suggested Grandma He.

"Rest, huh? I do feel a bit…" the girl touched her own long hair draped over her shoulder, which seemed in need of a good wash.

"I'm going to take a shower," she returned to the upstairs bedroom to fetch clean pajamas, and then headed to the bathroom on the first floor.

Cool water cascaded down, pouring through her hair, trailing down her neck, over her body, bringing the comfortable chill of a summer day.

After wetting her hair, the girl poured out some bath foam and sat on the stool, constantly rubbing her head.

To keep water out of her eyes, her eyelids drooped slightly, and the fine sensation at her fingertips became especially distinct—the friction between strands of hair, occasional droplets falling down her neck, the silence in the room punctuated by the music and talking from the neighbor's house, and outside, the patting sounds of balls and the noises of sport, among others.

Though somewhat clamorous, it was filled with the breath of life, much like the clinking of ice cubes in a chilled juice, calming the soul.

After a short while, Hexia turned the shower back on, rinsed the foam from her hair, had a bath, then dressed in clean pajamas before coming out.

After putting the dirty laundry in the washing machine, she sat on a cushion in the living room, kneeling in front of a small fan. A breeze passed over her body and hair, and with the moisture on her skin evaporating, a refreshing feeling enveloped her.

Resting her arms on the armrest of the sofa beside her, Hexia leaned against it, her body relaxed and eyes unintentionally closing, ready for a little nap.

More than ten minutes later, Grandma He slid open the balcony door and came in to see Hexia, already fast asleep at the edge of the sofa, a kindly and amused expression on her face.

This child… she shook her head slightly, glanced at the thin blanket on the nearby couch, pondered a moment, but didn't cover the girl with it.

"Let her sleep well for a while; waking her now might just disturb her sleep," she thought.

Setting down her tools, Grandma He washed her hands in the kitchen before sitting on the sofa, flipping through an album and notebook she had looked at countless times.

The notebook was filled with many children's names, all former students of hers, along with many small events and comments. The children all had different temperaments: some were smart and wily, some were lively and disobedient, some were shy and quiet, some were loud and outgoing, some were timid but liked to play with others...

The thick notebook was adorned with numerous photos and even some signatures. There were group pictures of a few children standing with her under a big tree. Although electronic records were convenient, she still preferred the feel of touching paper and photos.

The wall clock tick-tocked as time slowly passed from 2 p.m. to just after 3 p.m.

Gradually opening her eyes within the crook of her arm, Hexia felt a comfortable clarity of mind post-sleep, but the downside was that her legs felt somewhat numb.

She carefully moved, leaning against the sofa to stretch her legs out, but the sudden activity brought an intense sensation of pins-and-needles, causing her to slump over involuntarily.

"Your legs must be numb," Grandma He closed the old book in her hands and looked at the suddenly stirring girl.

"Mmm..." Hexia felt a bit embarrassed, but the tingling and numbness in her legs soon dissipated.

She stood up again, moved her legs a little, stepped into her sandals, ascended the stairs, and returned to her room.

Throwing herself onto the soft bed and rolling around a few times, she finally sat upright, hugging the quilt, and then leaned against the pillow beside her.

Resting her chin on the plush pillow and sprawling on the bed, she occasionally lifted her legs while her fingers swiped across the screen of her personal terminal, browsing through some recent messages and records.

Yilin: Do you want to hang out the day after tomorrow, Tilan?

Tilan: Sure (*^▽^*)

Yilin: Then let's go to the Fruit Botanical Gardens. They're not far from Payin City, just about an hour away.

Tilan: Okay~

Yilin: Mm, I'll come pick you up then.

————

In the elementary class group, classmates occasionally posted about their holiday activities; some went on long trips with their families, some celebrated finally completing a video game, and some shared photos of their small pets, two large caterpillar cats lying on bamboo mats, while others posted pictures of familiar faces dining out or playing ball together.

The middle school class group had become much quieter lately, probably because Lina and a few other girls were not talking much; the boys, though they chatted, mostly talked about games and fun, with not much related to their everyday lives.

Gently flicking with her fingertips, Hexia eventually scrolled to the avatar of a girl she had recently met.

Annelli Xielanhuasi, a slightly formal profile and an avatar that didn't resemble that of a 16-year-old girl.

The avatar featured two silver leaves intertwined, their veins distinct, the entire design simple yet spirited, exuding a professionally designed flair.

The Xie Lanhuasi family founded the car manufacturing enterprise 'Silver Leaf Workshop' and currently holds 65% of the company's shares, allowing them absolute control. They are the evergreen tree within Jade Skirt, and 'Silver Leaf Workshop' is also one of the top 100 enterprises within Jade Skirt, employing approximately 500,000 staff.

'Silver Leaf Workshop' may not be the top enterprise in Jade Skirt, but it was certainly formidable. Hexia had heard classmates chatting idly, saying that working in such a big company would practically ensure a comfortable life.

Ever since they exchanged contact information that day and briefly introduced themselves to each other, they hadn't engaged in much deeper conversation. Hexia had almost forgotten about it, but today, it suddenly came to mind again.

"Hello, Annelli," she sent a message, pausing to think for a few seconds before continuing to type.

"Are you also a freshman at Edith Academy?" She wanted to ask the young miss of the Xie Lanhuasi family whether she knew anything about Edith Academy.

"Mm-hmm, I'm going to Edith Academy this year as well, Sister Tilan," Annelli typed on the keyboard. These past few days, she had been worrying about how to cultivate a good relationship with Hexia and was thrilled to finally stumble upon an opportunity today.

This genius young miss of the Xie Lanhuasi family, who had been entrusted with high expectations from a young age, was adept in the business world but had rarely interacted with peers her age. Despite being briefed extensively, she still felt clueless about how to foster good relationships.

Being accustomed only to others flattering her and following behind her, it never occurred to her that she'd have to take the initiative to greet someone today. Not wanting to be excessively enthusiastic and annoy the other person, she had suppressed the impulse to send messages these past few days and instead flipped through some related literature, such as "How to Make Friends," "A Comprehensive Guide to the Preferences of Federation Teen Girls," "Etiquette and Manners in Conversation," "How to Host a Gathering and What to Note," "I Have Many Friends," "Why Boys Like Girls," and so on.

After several days of study, Annelli finally found an opportunity to apply what she had learned today.

Watch out, all my brothers and sisters competing for attention; I, Annelli, will make a heartfelt friend today and hit it off with the future Songstress Miss!

Having processed various thoughts in her mind, Annelli quickly tapped on the keyboard, replying to the message with a sense of optimism.