I really like your sand sculpture group friends

He hadn't experienced this kind of atmosphere in his hometown for a long time.

When I returned from the Spring Festival, the constant roar of firecrackers and fireworks made it impossible to hear these subtle sounds.

It's kind of funny, but when he was a child, he was actually quite afraid of birdsong and insect chirping at night, and in the summer he could also hear some frog croaking.

Now, hearing it, I unexpectedly feel a sense of warmth and reassurance.

I don't know how long I was lost in thought, but drowsiness gradually crept in.

Just as he closed his eyes, a series of rustling footsteps approached from afar and stopped beside his bed.

He instinctively opened his eyes and bumped into a white, fluffy ball of fur hugging a pillow, quietly climbing up.

Even without thinking carefully, he knew it was Shishi.

What is this little girl doing here again?

He relaxed and watched silently, wanting to see what she was up to.

After Bai Shishi climbed up, she didn't lie down immediately. Instead, she glanced at his face for no apparent reason and their eyes met in the darkness.

Although he couldn't see her expression clearly, Mo Xiangwen could clearly sense that she had paused for a moment.

Caught red-handed, Bai Shishi didn't retreat. Instead, she muttered under her breath, "I misread it, I misread it..." and lay down, trying to get away with it by being cute.

Mo Xiangwen chuckled and turned to face her. Now that Shishi has come over, isn't Nuoya all alone over there?

Bai Shishi immediately lowered her head, curled up like a quail, and made loud breathing sounds, pretending to be fast asleep.

Mo Xiangwen reached out and gently pinched her cheeks. Bai Shishi let out a soft "woof" and raised her head, her scarlet eyes filled with pitifulness.

"Shishi doesn't know!"

Goodness, they've all learned to answer first? He hasn't even asked anything yet.

Mo Xiangwen was slightly taken aback, feeling a sense of helplessness, so he lowered his hand and instead ruffled her hair. Bai Shishi immediately chuckled again.

"Tell me the truth," Mo Xiangwen asked, both amused and exasperated, "why did you come here again? You can't be sleepwalking again today, can you? You seem perfectly lucid."

"It was what Sister Nuoya told me to do," Bai Shishi confessed without hesitation.

What did Noah tell you? What is she up to...?

"You're quite honest," Mo Xiangwen said, rubbing her little head. "What did she say?"

“This is what Sister Nuoya said,” Bai Shishi lowered her voice, mimicking Yan Nuoya’s tone, “'Go tell Xiang Wen later that the noises outside sound a bit scary and he can’t sleep. Anyway, whether it’s true or not, he’ll definitely agree to let you come over.'”

...He hadn't expected that.

What was a calming, or even hypnotic, symphony of nature for him was somewhat frightening for Shishi.

Moreover, this probably adds even more difficulty for Noah, who is already not good at adapting to unfamiliar environments.

"What if I had fallen asleep long ago, like yesterday?"

"Sister Nuoya said you definitely weren't asleep right now, and even if you were, you weren't in a deep sleep," Bai Shishi repeated word for word. "'If you happen to fall asleep because you're too tired, then save that as an excuse for tomorrow.'"

Is this woman... really not a mind reader?

Mo Xiangwen hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Does Shishi really find it a little scary?"

"It's just a little bit," Bai Shishi shook her head, gesturing a short distance in front of him. "But even if Sister Nuoya didn't say anything, I'd probably sneak over later anyway. So it's okay!"

Mo Xiangwen sighed silently and sat up.

Perhaps... I should try to make some changes?

The thought quietly surfaced in his mind.

However, he had never really thought about these things carefully before, and had always lived a life of just getting by.

Now that things have come to this, if we really want to change our mindset, where should we start?

“You go back first,” he said to Bai Shishi. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

"Hehehe," Bai Shishi gave a silly smile and hugged her pillow tightly. "I only have one pillow. I'll just go with Xiao Yi later."

Seeing her say that, Mo Xiangwen didn't insist anymore and neatly began to fold the quilt. After tidying up, he carried the quilt and pillow, and he and Bai Shishi returned to the large room that had just been renovated today.

The lights in the room were still on; Yan Nuoya was clearly still awake. She was sitting at her computer desk, her fingers lightly tapping on the laptop keyboard.

It's so late, I wonder if they're dealing with work or something else.

She seemed to sense their arrival, looked up, and smiled and nodded at Mo Xiangwen.

Having made the decision, Mo Xiangwen had no intention of going back on his word or backing down, and simply put the pillow and blanket in an empty space.

"What are you busy with?" He sat on the edge of the bed and asked Yan Nuoya.

"Yes, I'm working on some advertising and WeChat promotion articles," Yan Nuoya said calmly as her hands kept moving. "Although I now have a studio job and a salary, I still have quite a few odd jobs I took to make ends meet before. Even though there are no contracts, people have been taking such good care of me for so long, so I have to finish them properly."

He had actually dabbled in this field before.

"Shall I help you with some?" he blurted out.

"Okay, thank you for your help." Yan Nuoya seemed completely unsurprised that he offered to help, and even unsurprised that he would do it. She was not polite at all, but rather took it for granted, revealing a silent trust. "I've sent the details and requirements to your QQ."

"Okay." Mo Xiangwen casually agreed, then turned to look at Bai Shishi, who had already started yawning, "Shishi, go to sleep first."

"Okay, goodnight, Brother Xiangwen, Sister Nuoya." Bai Shishi nodded obediently, and then, taking advantage of the moment he turned his back, she very naturally switched his pillow and blanket with her own. Then, she rolled to the wall with satisfaction, hugged the blanket, and closed her eyes.

Mo Xiangwen sat down in the chair next to Yan Nuoya and turned on his computer to log in to QQ.

Yan Nuoya's avatar was indeed flashing incessantly. He opened the file she sent, which contained details of several projects, writing requirements, and target audience analysis.

Looking at these familiar document formats and requirement descriptions, Mo Xiangwen almost felt as if he had returned to that time in the past. He steadied himself, took a deep breath, and prepared to start working.

Yan Nuoya sent another new message.

A soft penguin notification sounded.

He clicked on it.

"No rush, take your time. These manuscripts aren't actually that urgent or important, just do them at your own pace."

The text remained silently on the screen.

"and,"

"I'll wait until you're finished."

Her writing, like her tone, remained calm and composed, as if she were simply discussing work-related issues.

But as Mo Xiangwen looked at that line of text, his fingertips paused slightly on the keyboard for a moment.

Outside the window, unidentified birds and insects continued their tireless chirping.

He suddenly realized that she might not just be talking about the manuscripts from tonight.

Chapter 192 A Look Ahead at Retirement Life

Mo Xiangwen opened his eyes, and what came into view was not an unfamiliar ceiling, but a pair of calm purple eyes close to his face.

Yan Nuoya lay on her side, facing him.

Their gazes were almost at the same level, and her expression remained as calm as ever, showing no emotion.

But for some reason, Mo Xiangwen could vaguely sense from her relaxed brows that she seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

At the same time, the warmth and weight coming from his back clearly reminded him that Bai Shishi was pressed close to him, and one of her small feet, just like yesterday, was unceremoniously placed on his calf.

He remembered that Bai Shishi went to bed early last night, perhaps because she was seeking a sense of security; she initially slept against the wall.

Mo Xiangwen wanted to sleep in the corner on the other side of the wall, but Yan Nuoya gently stopped him: "You and Shishi are so far apart, she will probably crawl over there in the middle of the night in a daze. Why don't you just sleep next to her?"

Mo Xiangwen thought about it and felt it made sense, so he readily lay down next to Bai Shishi.

When he lay down, Bai Shishi was still facing the wall, curled up tightly hugging the blanket.

How come I woke up to find myself in this koala-like accessory mode again?

Why can't you be like Yan Nuoya, consciously maintaining a distance of about 1.2 meters, neither too far nor too close?

"Good morning." Mo Xiangwen lowered his voice, afraid of waking the person behind him.

"Good morning," Yan Nuoya replied softly.

When did you wake up?

"A minute or two earlier than you."

Mo Xiangwen nodded, then gently bent over and carefully removed Bai Shishi's restless foot from his lap before lifting the covers and getting up. Yan Nuoya also sat up.

The two washed up one after the other in tacit agreement, and just like yesterday, they cooked a simple bowl of noodles for breakfast.

After breakfast, they went to the courtyard.

The morning air carries the moist scent of grass and trees and a touch of coolness, which is refreshing and invigorating.

Yan Nuoya's gaze fell on the long-abandoned land in the yard. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke: "I used to think that when I made money in the future, I would find a house with a big yard like this."

Mo Xiangwen turned his head to look at her.

"Grow some vegetables, raise a cat, and maybe a few geese or pigeons." Her expression was calm, and her voice was gentle, as if she were describing a long-forgotten dream. "Living alone and retiring early doesn't seem so bad."

Mo Xiangwen was slightly taken aback, then said, "This goal is not difficult for you to achieve. Once the studio is profitable, you can definitely buy one."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "Moreover, I think if you really intend to live alone, not only me, but also Mengyao, Mengli, and Shishi will definitely worry about you. So, the idea of ​​taking care of yourself in your old age is probably not going to work out."

Yan Nuoya pursed her lips, not replying, but staring blankly at the wasteland.

“If…if that day really comes and I haven’t found anyone more suitable,” Mo Xiangwen looked at the fields outside the courtyard, which belonged to someone else, and said softly, “it would be good to come here. Actually…I sometimes have this thought of retiring early. If that happens, at least I’ll have someone to keep me company.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Shishi's voice came from behind him, soft and sweet from just waking up, but with a hint of dissatisfaction: "You clearly promised to cook with me yesterday—Xiao Yi, you big liar!"

Mo Xiangwen turned around and saw Bai Shishi standing at the door, walking angrily toward him, her white hair looking somewhat messy in the morning light.

"We just didn't want to disturb Shishi's quality sleep," Mo Xiangwen explained with a smile, then gently patted her head as she leaned in. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept very comfortably because Xiao Yi was next to me!" Bai Shishi answered angrily but with unusual honesty, not forgetting to make a request, "It would be even better if Xiao Yi could wake me up in the morning!"

"Haha, I'm so sorry," Mo Xiangwen apologized readily, feeling the softness of her hair. "I was thinking that lunch would be the most lavish, so I saved it for lunch to show off my skills with Shishi."

Bai Shishi's eyes lit up instantly, and her little temper vanished immediately: "Really? What are we doing for lunch today?"

"That depends on what our chef, Shishi, wants to eat," Mo Xiangwen threw the question back at her.

"I want roast chicken! Fried chicken!" Bai Shishi raised her hand almost without thinking.

No wonder Bai Shishi and Su Mengyao get along so well; they're both foodies.

Mo Xiangwen chuckled: "That won't do, you need to take care of your health."

Deep-frying and grilling over an open flame are too greasy and heaty for her right now, as she needs to recuperate. For the sake of her health, Mo Xiangwen would never agree to that.

Although the teacher also told him that it was okay to say a little bit.

Just as he was thinking about how to appease this little foodie, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind—Beggar's Chicken.

First, marinate the chicken with seasonings, brush it with a thin layer of oil, then wrap it tightly with lotus leaves, then coat the outside with a thick layer of yellow mud, and finally put it in a pile of firewood to simmer slowly until cooked.

This method produces tender and juicy chicken with its aroma locked in, resulting in a flavor far richer than ordinary roasted chicken.

Moreover, as long as you pay attention to the combination of seasonings, it is indeed less likely to cause internal heat than direct grilling or deep-frying, which is more suitable for Bai Shishi now.

Although lotus leaves are not available now, bamboo leaves can be used as a temporary substitute.

He deliberately put on a serious face, revealing a mysterious expression: "Hmm... I've thought of a good idea."

"What is it? What is it?" Bai Shishi's curiosity was immediately piqued, and she grabbed his arm and shook it gently.

"I can't tell you now," Mo Xiangwen said with a smile, pulling his hand away and gently tapping her forehead. "Be good and wait at home with Nuoya for a while. I'll go to the market to buy some groceries and come right back."

The rural morning market is bustling and full of vibrant life.

Many nearby farmers brought their own chickens and ducks to sell.

Mo Xiangwen stopped in front of a stall. The chickens in the cages had bright feathers and were full of energy. They were obviously free-range chickens, and their meat was far superior to that of the feed chickens commonly found in the city.

In H city, it would be difficult to buy chickens of this quality without putting in some effort to find a reliable source.

"Boss, how much are these chickens?" he asked, pointing to the two most energetic ones.

After some simple bargaining, Mo Xiangwen successfully bought two chickens.

He figured one might be enough, but he still hoped the two girls could eat their fill, and any extras could be used for dinner.