I really like your sand sculpture group friends

"Do you like it?" Mo Xiangwen asked in return.

Su Mengli met his gaze with a gentle smile: "At least, I don't dislike it."

“That’s not important anymore,” Mo Xiangwen said, trying to end the conversation.

“I think it’s quite important,” Su Mengli insisted.

Mo Xiangwen didn't pay attention to her meaning for a moment, but he had something more important to say at this time.

He took a deep breath and offered his idea: "Okay, let's get to the important thing. Next, let's redistribute our main tasks equally, what do you think?"

Su Mengli tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled, but she quickly understood what he meant.

"How do you mean to divide it equally? You don't mean you're planning to give me half of your copywriting work, and then you take over all the operational planning I'm doing right now, do you?"

“Yes.” Mo Xiangwen nodded.

Su Mengli looked at him, then suddenly shook her head gently, a relieved, faint smile blooming on her face.

"No, I'd rather not. If I'm in charge of so much copywriting, I'm afraid there will be mistakes, and the players will be yelling at me. That would be too much pressure..."

"So..." she paused, then continued, "I'll just stay the way I am now. It's fine as it is now."

This completely unexpected answer left Mo Xiangwen utterly stunned.

What's going on? This isn't quite what he planned.

A brief silence flowed between the two, but the heaviness they felt when they first left home was gone.

Mo Xiangwen looked at Su Mengli sitting opposite him. The soft light outlined her profile. She was gently tracing the side of her cup with her fingertips, lost in thought.

He suddenly realized that if he didn't say some things now, he might never find a better time.

"Mengli," he called softly, his voice lower than usual.

It may fail, it may lead to regret.

But since Mengli had already guessed it, and that's why she said those things today...

Now there is no way out.

Su Mengli looked up at the sound and met his gaze.

His gaze was earnest, carrying a complexity she rarely saw, which made her heart flutter slightly.

"There's something I've been thinking about for a long time, and I feel I should tell you." Mo Xiangwen took a deep breath and said slowly, "When we play games together, you are gentle, considerate, and always so thoughtful. Many times, just seeing you makes me feel at ease."

He paused for a moment, his gaze unwavering, and said clearly and slowly, "Su Mengli, I like you."

Even though he knew that saying the second half of the sentence would greatly reduce the chances of success, he hesitated for only a moment before resolutely saying it.

"I like you, and I like everyone else."

The air seemed to freeze after those words were spoken.

The noise from the late-night food stalls and the distant traffic seemed to be blocked out at this moment.

Su Mengli's grip on the cup tightened almost imperceptibly as she silently looked at him, whose face was full of seriousness.

She didn't show much surprise, after all, she had already heard an unconventional confession that morning, but a complex emotion still flickered in her eyes, which always held a gentle smile.

There seemed to be a flutter of emotion, tenderness, and sadness, but more than anything, there was a struggle tinged with apology.

She didn't immediately avoid his gaze, but quietly looked back at him, a gentle smile slowly curving her lips, a hint of sadness in her smile.

“Xiang Wen,” her voice was still gentle, like a night breeze brushing against his heart, “thank you for telling me all this. Hearing you say this makes me… both happy and sad.”

She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, as if she were choosing the most appropriate words, unwilling to hurt him, yet also needing to express her feelings.

“Me too…” She looked up again, her gaze clear and honest, her voice soft but each word distinct, “I do have feelings for you. I feel very relaxed and happy when I’m with you.”

Hearing this, Mo Xiangwen sighed inwardly.

Perhaps he knew from the beginning that this would be the ending.

Su Mengli took a soft breath and continued, her tone suggesting reluctance yet a need to speak: "But, I'm so sorry..."

Chapter 257 Travel Plan

"We're back."

Mo Xiangwen pushed open the studio door, and before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from upstairs.

Bai Shishi ran down the stairs as fast as she could, and rushed straight into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing her cheek against his chest: "Xiang Wen! You're back!"

She then raised her small face, looked at Su Mengli beside her, and smiled sweetly, "Welcome back, Sister Mengli."

Mo Xiangwen put down his suitcase, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her his usual smile: "Yeah, you're back."

Bai Shishi keenly sensed that his mood seemed somewhat low, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

She didn't know what had happened, but instinctively hugged him tighter and rubbed her soft cheek against his chest, hoping to make him feel better.

Mo Xiangwen felt a warmth in his heart as he sensed her affection, and gently stroked her smooth, long white hair.

The group went upstairs. Mo Xiangwen opened his suitcase and took out several souvenirs he had brought back from the factory.

"These are the first batch of peripheral samples that came out. I brought them back to show you."

He distributed acrylic standees and keychains with little fox girl patterns, as well as several soft plush toys, to Mengyao, Nuoya, and Shishi.

"Wow! So cute!" Bai Shishi's eyes lit up instantly, and she held the fluffy little fox girl doll in her arms, unable to put it down.

Su Mengyao also picked up a standee and examined it carefully, clicking her tongue in admiration: "The workmanship is quite exquisite!"

Even the usually aloof Yan Nuoya had a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of liking in her eyes as her fingertips brushed against the smooth pattern on the keychain.

Mo Xiangwen smiled and said, "Isn't it cute? I brought back five portions this time, so everyone can have one. Take one each."

Su Mengli stood a little distance away, her face bearing her usual gentle smile. Seeing everyone's delighted expressions, she said softly, "You all go ahead and watch. I'm a little tired, I'm going back to my room to rest."

Su Mengyao looked at her sister in astonishment: "Sister, don't you want to see? This little fox girl is so cute!" She held up the fluffy doll in her hand and shook it.

"I saw it at the factory. You guys have fun." Su Mengli smiled, her smile still gentle, but it seemed a little fainter than usual. She didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards her room.

As Su Mengyao watched her sister's retreating figure, she felt that something was amiss.

She hesitated for a moment, then shoved the doll into Bai Shishi's arms, saying, "Hold this for me." She then quickly followed after her.

Su Mengli had just pushed open her bedroom door when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw her younger sister, somewhat surprised: "Mengyao? What's wrong?"

"Sis, are you alright?" Su Mengyao squeezed into the room, closed the door, and carefully examined her sister's face. "You seem to have been listless ever since you got back. Are you too tired? Or... did something unpleasant happen when you went out with Xiang Wen?" She hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively.

Avoiding her sister's questioning gaze, Su Mengli turned and walked to the desk, putting down her bag.

With her back to Mengyao, her voice remained calm and unwavering, revealing little emotion: "What could have happened? I just went to the factory to take a look, and everything went smoothly. I'm probably a little tired from all the traveling, but I'll be fine after a rest."

Su Mengyao leaned against the door, looking at her sister's slightly thin back, her brows furrowed.

She knew her sister well; the calmer she appeared, the more likely she was hiding something.

But her older sister clearly didn't want to say more, and she didn't press further, so she just mumbled, "Oh... alright then, you get some rest. If Xiang Wen dares to bully you, you have to tell me!"

Su Mengli turned around, her face now displaying her usual gentle smile, and gently tapped her sister's forehead: "What are you thinking about? Go play with your new merchandise."

"Okay!" Su Mengyao replied, but the doubt in her heart had not completely disappeared. She glanced at her sister, and finally turned and left the room.

The door closed gently.

Su Mengli stood there, the forced smile on her face slowly fading into a barely audible sigh.

She raised her hand and gently pressed her temples, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

The smile on Su Mengyao's face behind the door also disappeared. She looked at the ceiling and sighed softly.

-----------------

Yan Nuoya's gaze shifted from Su Mengli's slightly hurried back to Mo Xiangwen's face.

Although he was smiling, there was a clear hint of reluctance and loneliness hidden beneath that smile.

A slight thought crossed her mind, and she immediately had a guess.

She walked quietly to Mo Xiangwen's side, and while Shishi and Mengyao, who had just returned, were still excitedly discussing their surroundings, she quietly reached out and gently tugged at his finger.

Mo Xiangwen looked down at her.

Yan Nuoya raised her clear purple eyes, without saying a word, but conveyed a clear meaning with her eyes.

Failed?

Even though she didn't say anything, Mo Xiangwen understood everything from her knowing gaze.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging the outcome.

That evening, Mo Xiangwen returned to his room after taking a shower. Not long after, the door was gently pushed open.

Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi walked in one after the other.

Yan Nuoya walked up to him, asked nothing, but simply reached out and gently touched his still slightly damp hair, then pinched his cheek with her fingertips.

She looked up at him, gave him a slight smile, tiptoed, leaned forward slightly, and her warm breath tickled his ear.

"come on."

Mo Xiangwen paused for a moment, as if the lingering gloom in his heart had been blown away a little. He said in a low voice, "Yes, I will."

Bai Shishi immediately snuggled up to him, nestled into his arms, rubbed her head against his neck, and said softly, "Xiang Wen, it's okay, Shishi will always be on your side."

In the following days, nothing seemed to have changed in the studio. He and Su Mengli tacitly avoided mentioning his confession again.

Everyone sat around the computer discussing the progress, chatted while watching anime in the lounge, and shared interesting stories from school at the dining table.

As usual, Su Mengli participated in discussions and handled work, always with a gentle and appropriate smile on her face.

Some subtle changes have quietly occurred.

The thing he least wanted to face still happened.

When Mo Xiangwen and Su Mengli inevitably need to communicate, there will occasionally be an unnatural pause in the air.

Su Mengli would sometimes subconsciously avoid looking directly at him, and Mo Xiangwen was also more subtly silent in front of her than usual.

One evening after dinner, everyone was joking around. Su Mengyao was talking enthusiastically when she noticed that her sister was just smiling faintly, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused.

While Xiang Wen on the other side was also chatting and laughing with everyone, she always felt that he wasn't very enthusiastic.

She blinked, her feeling that "there's definitely something wrong with these two" growing stronger.

Two days later, Su Mengyao finally couldn't hold back any longer and came over when Mo Xiangwen was alone on the balcony getting some fresh air.

"Hey," she gently poked his waist, her voice low, and asked bluntly, "Did you... fail to confess your feelings to my sister?"

Looking at the distant river view, Mo Xiangwen didn't hide anything and frankly admitted, "Yes."

Su Mengyao gave a "I knew it" look, then said somewhat angrily, "You're giving up already? Doesn't that mean I lost? You can't even handle this little setback, yet you want to build a harem?"

Mo Xiangwen turned to look at her helplessly: "Miss Mengyao, in your eyes, do I seem like someone who gives up so easily?"

Su Mengyao looked him up and down suspiciously, then snorted, "I think he looks quite like him."

“I just,” Mo Xiangwen sighed, “need some time to think about what to do next.”

"Do you know why my sister won't agree to your request?" Su Mengyao pressed.

“Hmm,” Mo Xiangwen pondered for a moment and slowly said, “The main reason is probably the same as what you were worried about back then. If there are other reasons, then I don’t have any clue at the moment.”

Su Mengyao crossed her arms, a confident expression on her face: "There is one person who knows."

Mo Xiangwen asked instinctively, "Who?"

As soon as he said it, he realized what he had said and his gaze fixed on Su Mengyao.

“Yes, that’s right!” Su Mengyao raised her delicate chin and smiled, “No one knows my sister better than me. And it’s precisely because I know her so well that I’m so angry!”

Mo Xiangwen was somewhat puzzled: "Why are you angry?"

"Never mind that!" Su Mengyao waved her hand, took a step closer, and stared intently at him. "I'm just asking you, do you want my help?"

Mo Xiangwen's eyes lit up slightly, and he answered without hesitation, "Of course I want to!"

“Alright,” Su Mengyao held up three fingers and waved them in front of him, “then you have to agree to three conditions. Don’t worry, it won’t put you in a difficult position.”

Mo Xiangwen waved his hand and said very readily, "If that's the case, as long as you can help, let alone three, even thirty or three hundred, I'll agree."

Su Mengyao withdrew her hand with satisfaction, a sly smile on her face: "Then, the first thing... do you remember what I mentioned before, that I wasn't familiar with the snowy hot spring scene in the game?"