HLM – Chapter 984 Shadow Play

Wang Bo thought that Eva might have seen some information about magical candles during her previous work. Or perhaps, since she had been a special agent, she had learned more advanced, secret methods for making magical candles.

But that wasn’t the case. Eva opened a bunch of web pages on her computer and followed them step by step to learn.

Looking at the content on the websites, Wang Bo was utterly baffled. “Wait, darling… what are you doing? Learning it and making it at the same time?”

“Exactly! Isn’t that fun?” Eva said. “Come sit, let’s learn together. I’ll teach you a skill. Even if your campaign fails, you can make a living with this.”

Wang Bo replied, “Even if the campaign fails, I can live off the ranch.”

Eva raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem very willing?”

“No, how could I not be willing? Darling, why would you think that? Look at my face—what a willing smile! Making magical candles with my wife… oh my god, just thinking about it makes me so happy I want to laugh!” Wang Bo said, exaggerating.

At the door, Dale overheard him and said, “They say proximity affects people—hang around pigs, you eat like pigs; hang around birds, you go black. You spend so much time with Atulu, do you get weak in the knees whenever you see your wife?”

“What nonsense are you saying?” Wang Bo wasn’t going to be so gentle with her. “It’s ‘near vermilion, one turns red; near ink, one turns black’! Not whatever nonsense you just said!”

Dale made a face and ran off. Eva rested her chin on her hands and looked at him. “Am I not treating you nicely enough?”

Wang Bo replied, “Nope. Don’t listen to Dale. Shouldn’t a husband pamper his wife?”

Eva smiled gently. “Right. We’re actually easy to pamper. For example, if we want diamonds but they’re too expensive, you can just pluck some stars from the sky.”

Wang Bo said, “I’ll just make a few magical candles for you instead.”

The magical candles Eva wanted to make were of two types: one like the amazing candle Wang Bo had lit on the stormy night, and another that was just beautifully patterned and intricately carved.

The latter type had a unique name in New Zealand—it was called a “sacrificial candle,” or sometimes a “ritual candle.” During this Easter night, many people used this kind of candle.

These candles required a certain technical skill: soft wax had to be carved into shapes, demanding fine craftsmanship.

Wang Bo and Eva weren’t skilled at that, so Eva bought some stickers and simply applied them to the outer walls of the candle cups. The stickers had designs like angel babies and unicorns.

“These aren’t ordinary stickers. Don’t make that face,” Eva warned.

Wang Bo asked, “What’s so special about these stickers? Do angels fly out when you light them?”

Eva snorted. “You’ll see how amazing these candles are when it’s dark.”

Wang Bo drew the curtains and closed the door. “Then show me.”

Just as he closed the door, Dale suddenly pushed it open and shouted, “The sun’s so high, the sky’s so bright, and you’re doing naughty things?”

Hearing that, Wang Bo panicked. “What are you talking about? Naughty things?”

The girl had grown; she was no longer a little child. She knew quite a lot about the world. As for matters between men and women, she had a rough idea. New Zealand elementary schools emphasized health and natural education, including bodily awareness and hygiene.

Eva raised a candle. “Stop guessing adult things. Come here—sister will show you something fun.”

“Oh.” Dale puffed out her cheeks. “What fun thing?”

Curtains drawn and door closed, the room plunged into darkness.

Eva lit a candle. The candle’s outer wall was thin, transparent plastic, heat-resistant, with a sticker depicting a grassland. In the candlelight, the sticker cast a shadow on the wall, creating the illusion of a grassy plain.

Eva crossed her hands in front of the flame, wiggled her fingers slightly, and the shadow of a rabbit’s upper body appeared on the wall.

Dale clapped and shouted, “Wow! Shadow play! Sister, you’re amazing!”

Wang Bo nodded. Eva’s rabbit shadow was indeed lifelike.

Eva smiled proudly, changed her hand shapes, and a dog appeared on the wall. Combined with the grassland sticker, the shadow looked even more interesting.

Eva asked, “How is it? Amazing, right? What do you want to see next?”

“Make an eagle,” said Dale.

Eva flipped her hands, and an eagle appeared above the grassland.

“Awesome! Now make an elephant,” Dale said.

Eva pressed her right hand over her left, extended her left-hand index and pinky fingers as tusks, while her middle and ring fingers hung down as a trunk. With her right hand, it looked like a full elephant appeared.

Dale turned to Wang Bo. He genuinely exclaimed, “That’s incredible!”

Eva widened her eyes. “…”

Only then did Wang Bo realize how inappropriate his compliment sounded and laughed awkwardly. “No, I didn’t mean it that way, darling. You misunderstood.”

Dale, however, was excited. “Hurry, show me more! You can do this too?”

The demonstration ended. Eva opened the curtains and continued making magical candles.

Dale pouted. “You haven’t finished showing us yet.”

Eva snorted, picked her up by the ear, and tossed her out. Dale shouted “Tyrant!” from outside the door.

The simple candles were easy, but the real magical candles were harder to make.

Some candles contained magical powder that hissed when burning. Because the light source was cold, it didn’t hurt the skin even if it fell on it.

Candles that made flames leap into the air relied on visual tricks, mainly using the candle cup. These were actually easier to make—just place the wax and wick in the cup.

Then there were jelly candles. These used liquid jelly wax. Odd-shaped decorations or miniature models of flowers and animals were placed inside the cup before pouring in the jelly wax, creating a stunning effect.

Wang Bo picked up a jelly candle shaped like a forest cabin. “A view this beautiful… will the kids think it’s cruel to burn it?”

Eva replied calmly, “If they feel it’s a pity, it means they’re recovering well. And it’s not just a candle—if it were a whole house…” She glanced at Wang Bo. “Even the parents would think it’s worth it.”

Wang Bo felt he still had psychological issues—OCD, anxiety—but after spending years in the scenic Sunset Town, he felt mostly recovered.

With a pile of candles, Eva drove to school, leaving Wang Bo alone, sighing at the sunset