I really like your sand sculpture group friends

He carefully tore open the lotus leaf, which had turned dark brown, and a golden, glistening, and tempting chicken was revealed, steaming hot and emitting a rich, enticing aroma; it looked perfectly cooked.

He tore off a plump chicken leg; the golden skin looked crispy, and the juices seemed about to drip out.

He blew on it and then held it to Bai Shishi's lips: "Here, have a taste, be careful it's hot."

Bai Shishi took a small bite from his hand, her eyes instantly lighting up. Ignoring the heat, she breathed on it and mumbled, "Mmm! So delicious! So delicious!"

Mo Xiangwen smiled as he looked at Bai Shishi. After she finished a bite, he lifted the chicken leg and brought it to her mouth, until Bai Shishi finished the chicken leg bite by bite.

He tore off another chicken leg, and just as he was about to open his mouth, he suddenly realized that there was another person who hadn't touched a chicken at all.

So he looked at Yan Nuoya next to him.

"Noya, you should eat too," Mo Xiangwen urged, handing her the chicken leg. "Here, this chicken leg is for you."

Yan Nuoya glanced at the chicken leg offered to her, then looked up at Mo Xiangwen, pursed her lips, and remained silent and still, simply gazing at him quietly, her eyes calm yet seemingly conveying something.

Mo Xiangwen stared at her for a moment, then suddenly realized what she meant, and felt a bit amused and exasperated.

He had no choice but to hold the chicken leg to her lips, his tone tinged with a helpless smile: "Come on, Yan, please have your meal."

Yan Nuoya then slightly opened her mouth, took a small, elegant bite from his hand, and chewed it carefully a few times.

Her purple eyes curved slightly as she gave Mo Xiangwen a faint smile and nodded gently.

"good."

Chapter 195 You'll Get Optimized If You Do That

The afternoon sun streamed through the large French windows, casting warmth into the Su family's living room.

Su Mengli sat gracefully on the sofa, a half-read book on her lap, and a steaming cup of black tea beside her, her posture serene.

In contrast to her, Su Mengyao was nestled on another sofa, looking somewhat bored, idly swiping her phone screen.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated several times, revealing a message popping up in a group chat she was following. Su Mengyao's eyes lit up, and she immediately clicked on it.

The first thing that catches the eye is a few photos.

Mo Xiangwen, Yan Nuoya, and Bai Shishi all had several small white paper strips stuck to their faces, clearly indicating that they had just finished a punishment game.

Bai Shishi laughed carefree at the camera, Mo Xiangwen had a helpless smile, and even Yan Nuoya's lips seemed to have a very slight curve.

"Wow! They actually played Dou Dizhu (a card game) behind our backs, and even had a punishment game!" Su Mengyao was immediately filled with envy.

As she slid her finger down, the scene she saw next made her blush instantly.

Two golden-yellow, quite tempting-looking beggar's chickens were placed on a large plate.

She was so angry that her fingers were trembling slightly, and she typed on the screen much faster.

To use a seductive trick: You mean to say...

Here's a seductive trick: The three of you secretly get together to play cards and a punishment game.

A tempting offer: after the fight, you get roast chicken.

Use a seductive tone: Wow, how can you three be so naughty!

"Sis, look at the group chat!" Su Mengyao's eyes lit up; she decided she couldn't be the only one feeling jealous.

Upon hearing this, Su Mengli picked up her phone and glanced at it, then couldn't help but chuckle: "That's a bit much. How can three people be secretly playing Dou Dizhu and the punishment game?"

"And roast chicken!" Su Mengyao emphasized.

“That looks like beggar’s chicken to me,” Su Mengli said after looking closely at the picture. “Didn’t we try it when we traveled to Jiangnan before? You said it was just so-so back then.”

"Really?" Su Mengyao blinked, staring at the picture, and argued softly, "But theirs looks so appetizing! It just feels different!"

"Maybe it's because it's in the countryside, and the chickens used are truly free-range, so the ingredients themselves are probably better," Su Mengli speculated, and casually sent a message in the group chat.

You're not allowed to play the Holy Slash: You guys have really messed things up.

Bai Bai: Hehe.

Bai Bai: Sister Mengyao and Sister Mengli are here to play too!

Use a seductive approach: Is it that I don't want to play?

Bai Bai: Ah, that's true. We'll be staying home for Chinese New Year during winter break.

Bai Bai: Then let's play together again during summer vacation.

You're not allowed to play the Holy Slash: Hmm, we're looking forward to it too.

"Sigh, although my grandparents are very kind, it's still a bit boring back home." Su Mengyao put down her phone and yawned. "It's not as interesting as being in the studio, or like Xiang Wen and the others, living in the countryside seems quite fun too."

After sending the message, Su Mengli put down her phone, looked at her younger sister who was still pouting, and smiled helplessly: "You were the one who said you wanted to come back early to spend more time with Grandpa and Grandma, but now you're complaining about being bored after only one day back."

She soothed him gently, "Anyway, it'll be New Year's Eve soon, just be patient and wait a little longer. Be good, don't let Mom see you sitting still like this, otherwise Mom won't be happy and it will be hard for her to agree to your request."

"Okay, okay," Su Mengyao muttered, picking up her phone again, her fingertips tapping the screen in frustration. "It's just that counting down the days is a little hard to bear..."

Just then, their mother, Jiang Mengya, came over with a plate of delicate pastries and cut fruit, and happened to overhear the latter part of the sisters' conversation.

"You two girls, you've only been back for a day and you're already complaining about how boring it is back home?" Jiang Mengya smiled as she placed the tray on the coffee table, her gaze gently falling on her younger daughter. "Mengyao, didn't you say before that you wanted to come back sooner and spend more time with your grandpa and grandma?"

Su Mengyao immediately sat up straighter, her face instantly transforming into a bright smile, and her tone becoming sweet and cloying: "Mom, you misheard~ I just said... our hometown is so much fun, hehe..."

As she spoke the second half of her sentence, even she felt guilty. Her voice grew softer and softer, her eyes began to dart around, and she dared not meet her mother's gaze.

This level of lie naturally wouldn't fool Jiang Mengya.

Looking at her youngest daughter, she shook her head helplessly. The child was growing up, and it wasn't good to lecture her too much. So she changed her approach, saying in a slightly teasing tone, "All you think about is playing all day. You don't even practice your drawing skills properly. Be careful that when school starts, you don't fall behind in the game projects, and Mo Xiangwen might 'optimize' you out!"

"Oh, Mom! Xiang Wencai isn't that kind of person!" Su Mengyao waved her hand dismissively. "You underestimate him too much!"

"Really?" Jiang Mengya nodded thoughtfully, then gave a meaningful smile. "He trusts you so much and entrusts you with important work. If you can't draw it or don't draw it well, wouldn't it be very embarrassing?"

"Uh..." Su Mengyao's smile froze instantly.

It seems... that makes sense?

She glanced at her older sister next to her without thinking.

My sister seems to practice digital drawing every two or three days... and when was the last time I opened my drawing software? I think it was... last week?

Father Su Yuntao also put down the financial magazine in his hand, attracted by the conversation, and joined in the chat.

He and Jiang Mengya had met Mo Xiangwen twice before, and even the other two members of the studio, Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi, had met him once when they visited their daughter at the studio.

He was still very impressed by the young man who not only kept up with his economic discussions but also had equally impressive fishing skills, and even managed to recruit his two daughters to work on a gaming project.

"Speaking of which, have Xiang Wen and the others already gone back to his hometown?" Su Yuntao asked casually, as if recalling something. "I heard you mention that his hometown is in the countryside in the south? Did your project pause this winter break, or did you each have some holiday tasks?"

“Yes, they went back a few days ago.” Su Mengli took over and explained with a smile, “Xiang Wen said that the project will not officially start until after the winter vacation. This period is mainly for everyone to relax or do some preliminary knowledge preparation and practice. So it is currently considered a vacation.”

Su Mengyao whispered, "It's just researching, researching."

"No wonder Yao Yao is so bored," Su Yuntao laughed. "So she has nothing to do."

“It’s not just that she’s bored,” Su Mengli said to her parents without giving her sister any face. “It’s because she saw Xiang Wen, Nuoya and Shishi having a lot of fun in the countryside right now, and her mind wandered over there and she couldn’t settle down.”

Su Yuntao remembered the names of the other two girls in his daughter's studio and asked with a hint of surprise, "Oh? Those two girls... Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi, they went to his hometown too? Why?"

Su Mengli also showed a perfectly appropriate hint of doubt on her face, and gently shook her head: "We're not quite sure about this either. Maybe there's some special reason? Xiang Wen didn't go into details, and we didn't ask too many questions."

Chapter 196 Before New Year's Eve

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before Lunar New Year's Eve, every household in the village had already started setting off firecrackers, and the atmosphere of the New Year suddenly became stronger.

Mo Chenfeng and Zhou Xiuqin traveled a long way from the city back to their hometown.

Some time ago, he felt that the car was useless to leave in the countryside, so he drove it back to his parents and then took a ride-sharing service back home.

When the car came to a stop at the gate of the courtyard, Mo Xiangwen was chatting with Bai Shishi and Yan Nuoya while washing vegetables in the yard.

Considering that it would take his parents a while to return to their hometown from the city, and that they would always need to buy groceries, he decided to go to the market and buy some in advance.

Leaving aside New Year's Eve, at least today's plans are in place.

Seeing his parents get out of the car, he quickly went to greet them.

"Dad, Mom, you're back."

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie." Bai Shishi and Yan Nuoya also stopped what they were doing and greeted them politely.

Zhou Xiuqin's face showed the fatigue of the journey, but even more so the joy of returning home.

She smiled and looked at the two girls, especially noticing the vegetable leaves still on their hands. Her tone became even more friendly: "Oh, good, good. You two children, helping out with the work? Go and rest. Xiang Wen, you too, how could you let the guests do the work?"

“Auntie, we wanted to help ourselves,” Yan Nuoya explained softly.

"Yeah, yeah, it's actually quite fun," Bai Shishi nodded in agreement.

Mo Xiangwen smiled and agreed, without offering any further explanation.

Defending yourself will only get you scolded, so it's better not to defend yourself.

He helped carry Mo Chenfeng and Zhou Xiuqin's luggage to their room on the first floor, secretly relieved that his parents lived downstairs.

His room was on the second floor, so at least for the time being, he didn't have to worry about the fact that he was sharing a room with two girls being exposed, and he also temporarily avoided the crisis of being dragged into the room by his mother for questioning.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the house immediately entered the busy rhythm typical of the Chinese New Year.

Zhou Xiuqin washed her hands and went straight into the kitchen to check the New Year's goods and plan the New Year's Eve dinner for tomorrow.

Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi naturally followed them inside.

"Auntie, is there anything we can help you with?" Yan Nuoya asked.

Zhou Xiuqin initially wanted to decline, but seeing the sincerity in the two girls' eyes, she thought it would be good to arrange for them to do something easier, which would also prevent the two girls from feeling uneasy.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiuqin smiled and nodded in agreement: "Then please help me take out the shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms from that bag and soak them, and also pick this basket of greens."

She glanced around, seemingly sensing something was missing. After a moment's thought, she suddenly realized what it was, and then shouted, "Xiang Wen! Come here and take out those pieces of cured meat I brought and rinse them!"

Upon hearing the sound, Mo Xiangwen rummaged through the bag, picked up the several strips of glistening cured pork, and went into the kitchen, saying, "Coming, coming! Mom, actually my cooking skills have improved a lot now, I can cook a few dishes, how about I make these cured pork..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Nuoya naturally took the heavy pieces of cured meat from his hands, turned around and walked towards the sink to wash them.

"Go away!" Zhou Xiuqin didn't even look up, continuing with her work, her tone filled with unquestionable disdain. "Stop bragging and causing trouble here. It's good enough that you can even clean the cured meat. Don't get in the way, go help your dad with the big cleaning. There's plenty of dust in every corner upstairs and downstairs; that's where you belong."

"Alright! I'm off right now!" With that, Mo Xiangwen quickly scurried off to find his father.

Watching his disappearing figure, Zhou Xiuqin deftly processed the fish in her hands while muttering to the two girls beside her, "My son seems quite smart, but he's actually completely clueless."

"All you can do is make scrambled eggs with tomatoes. And your cooking skills are improving. It would be good enough if you didn't burn the food."

“You don’t know, when he was in junior high school, he would get a fever at home by himself, but he wouldn’t say a word or even call us to tell us.”

"When we got back, good heavens, he was curled up in bed. We asked if he'd eaten, and he said he had, then ran to the convenience store and bought two packs of instant noodles to tide him over. I was so angry..."

Yan Nuoya paused slightly as she picked vegetables, then looked up.

Sure enough, there's no such thing as being sick and not being able to order takeout.

Bai Shishi retorted softly, "Auntie, Xiao Yi... Brother Xiang Wen's cooking is actually quite good."

Zhou Xiuqin assumed the young girl was just being polite or was simply misled by her son's occasional brilliance, and shook her head with a smile: "Him? He's the kind of person who can eat the same tomato and egg stir-fry for over a month without changing it. What kind of person would he be who likes to study cooking?"

"His skill level is only good enough to fool himself, don't expect him to cook any fancy meals for you. It's a pity for you two kids to suffer, living with him in this rural area where you can't even eat well."

“I’m not upset, Auntie, it’s very nice here,” Yan Nuoya said softly, but her tone was very serious.

“Yes, yes, Brother Xiang Wen has taken such good care of us.” Bai Shishi nodded and argued softly.

Zhou Xiuqin was somewhat bewildered. How could she not understand her own child?

However, she didn't need to argue with the two little girls, so she smiled and nodded, and didn't continue the discussion.

Meanwhile, Mo Xiangwen found his father, Mo Chenfeng, cleaning an empty room on the third floor.

"Dad, Mom kicked me out and told me to come and help you out."

Mo Chenfeng was sweeping the floor when he heard this and turned around to look at him: "What? Did your mother kick you out because you were in the way in the kitchen?"

"How could that be!" Mo Xiangwen also went to the side to grab a broom and started sweeping. As he swept, he said, "I genuinely wanted to help, but Mom just wouldn't believe me. She said I would only make things worse. They clearly said my braised chicken and beggar's chicken were delicious."

"Beggar's Chicken?" Mo Chenfeng raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested. "Where did you learn that?"

"I saw it online before, and I just tried it a couple of days ago. It worked quite well," Mo Xiangwen replied casually.

During a break from his busy schedule, Mo Chenfeng casually asked, "What's going on with those two girls? Shishi looks quite young, and Nuoya doesn't talk much either."