Chapter 68

"Forget it. I can't be bothered with him; I’m going back for a nap." Xingyu straightened up and turned to leave. Back in her gloomy little house, she climbed to the attic and pulled back the heavy green velvet curtains that were always kept tightly drawn, letting the light spill onto the green sofa. The sun felt warm and cozy. Xingyu curled up on the sofa with the little black cat and drifted off, sleeping until four or five in the afternoon. She let out a yawn, sat up, and stared blankly for a moment. Once she gathered her wits, she rubbed her sun-warmed cheeks, slipped into her sandals, and crouched down to rummage through a damp, mushroom-covered corner, pulling out a handful of silver coins that were on the verge of rusting. She held them to her face and sniffed; they smelled of rust and mold. Xingyu wrinkled her nose in disgust, carried the coins to the sink, and scrubbed them clean, intending to use them to buy a meal in town. In the original plot, the witch had always used her cauldron to brew "dark cuisine," but Xingyu had no intention of eating dark mushroom soup.