I really like your sand sculpture group friends

"You must be tired after such a long drive, right? Why don't you go relax in the hot springs?" Mo Xiangwen put down his luggage and said considerately, "I'll go back to my room to unpack, and I'll soak after you're done."

Upon hearing this, Su Mengyao turned her head, a mischievous smile on her face, and teased, "Oh, so self-aware? I thought you'd take this opportunity to ask to hang out with us, but you're quite the gentleman."

Mo Xiangwen raised an eyebrow, looked at her, and chuckled, "Yes, once Miss Mengyao accepts my confession, I'll immediately take her to the hot springs again."

Su Mengyao's face flushed instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Pah! Dream on! You pervert! Shameless! Who wants to date someone like you!"

Bai Shishi, standing nearby, blushed as well. She stole a glance at Mo Xiangwen, then lowered her head and muttered in a barely audible voice, as if with anticipation, "Then... after everyone's asleep tonight, Xiangwen and I can sneak off for another soak..."

Yan Nuoya stood quietly in the corner. Upon hearing this, she simply blinked her clear purple eyes and slightly curled the corners of her lips upward, without joining the verbal argument.

Mo Xiangwen ruffled Bai Shishi's hair and said with feigned emotion, "Shishi is still the best."

After saying that, he didn't say anything more, turned around, grabbed his luggage, and went to another room, leaving the three people in the living room looking at each other in silence.

Bai Shishi blinked her big eyes, looking somewhat helplessly at Su Mengyao and Yan Nuoya, and asked softly, "So... shall the three of us go for a soak now?"

Su Mengyao looked at her sister's closed door, her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry and contemplation flashed in her eyes.

She suddenly made up her mind and said, "You two go first, I... I'll be right back."

Just as she turned to leave, Yan Nuoya gently tugged at her sleeve.

Su Mengyao turned around in confusion, only to see Yan Nuoya lean close to her ear and whisper a few words in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

As Su Mengyao listened, her expression gradually shifted from confusion to complexity. She glanced at Yan Nuoya's calm face, then at her sister's door, and finally nodded, replying softly, "I understand... I'll consider it."

Chapter 260 The Divine Studio (4K7 combined)

Su Mengyao gently pushed open her sister's door and found that Su Mengli was not resting as she had said, but was sitting alone on a chair by the window, holding a bottle of mineral water, gazing at the scenery outside the window in a daze, not even noticing her coming in at first.

"Sister, why aren't you resting?" Su Mengyao closed the door and walked to her side.

Su Mengli snapped out of her daze and looked at her sister with some surprise, forcing a gentle smile: "Why are you here? Wasn't this the hot spring trip you'd been looking forward to for so long? Why aren't you enjoying the hot springs with everyone else? What are you doing here looking for me?"

She tried to make her tone sound as relaxed as possible, but her smile revealed an undeniable weariness in Su Mengyao's eyes.

Su Mengyao didn't respond to her words, nor did she joke and play around as usual. Instead, she pulled up another chair, sat down opposite her sister, looked directly at her, and asked in an unusually serious tone: "Sister, do you think Xiang Wen is serious when he says he wants it all, wants to... have a harem?"

Caught off guard, Su Mengli was taken aback by the question, and her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the bottle.

She hadn't expected her sister to bring up the topic that had been bothering her all night so directly.

She lowered her eyes, avoiding her sister's gaze, hesitated for a moment, and then answered in a low voice, "I... I don't think he seems to be joking."

Upon hearing this, Su Mengyao suddenly burst out laughing: "That's really outrageous! How could someone say something like that so seriously in real life? When he confessed to me... when he confessed to me, he said he liked everyone. I was shocked and thought he had lost his mind."

Su Mengli smiled wryly, echoing her sister's words, "Yes, it's reality, not a game script he wrote. How could anyone actually have such an idea..."

This completely contradicts everything she knows about common sense and rules.

However, Su Mengyao's laughter stopped abruptly. She changed the subject, her tone becoming low: "Sister, actually, sometimes I quite dislike you."

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly exploding in Su Mengli's ears.

She suddenly raised her head, staring at her sister in disbelief, her lips slightly parted, but no sound came out.

Those eyes, usually so gentle and tender, were now filled with shock and sorrow. She almost doubted that she had misheard.

Is this really something that my sister, whom I've loved for over twenty years, would say?

Su Mengyao seemed oblivious to her sister's reaction and continued speaking calmly, as if stating a fact unrelated to herself: "Look, sister, we're twins. Even though you and I look exactly alike, for some reason, your temperament is clearly better than mine. You're more gentle and virtuous, and you make people feel more comfortable."

Su Mengli's heart felt like it was being squeezed. She spoke with difficulty, her voice somewhat dry: "Why... is it because of this? I think everyone has their own personality traits, and no one is inherently worse than another..."

She never imagined that her sister would care about this.

“It’s not just that.” Su Mengyao interrupted her and continued, “Look, your grades have always been a little better than mine. Whether it’s your parents or your former teachers and classmates, they all seem to like you a little more. They think you’re more sensible and reliable.”

Su Mengli fell silent.

She couldn't refute it; she had never thought about it carefully, let alone that it would make her sister feel this way.

Despite being twins, she couldn't even empathize with them.

“And another thing,” Su Mengyao’s voice lowered, with a hint of self-deprecation, “your personality is so much better than mine. From childhood to adulthood, no matter what toy or what delicious food it is, even if there is more than one serving, you always habitually give me your share or let me choose first.”

She looked up and stared directly at her sister. "Sister, tell me, why are you always like this?"

Su Mengli looked at her younger sister and answered softly, "Because... you are my younger sister."

Su Mengli laughed, but her smile was complicated: "Just because I'm your sister? To be honest, if it were me, I couldn't do what you did. So sometimes, I really admire you, but also... I really dislike what you're like."

"Is...is this wrong?" Su Mengli felt powerless. What she had always thought was care had become a burden in her sister's eyes.

Instead of answering the question, Su Mengyao abruptly steered the conversation back to the original point: "Sister, how much of your rejection of Xiang Wen is because of me?"

Su Mengli fell silent once again, her fingers unconsciously curling up.

This was her deepest concern, which she had never even mentioned to Mo Xiangwen.

Su Mengyao wouldn't allow her to escape, pressing her relentlessly: "You don't even dare to say this? He must have confessed to you more than once, right? Yet you didn't even tell him the real reason. I think that although Xiang Wen deserved what he said, it's also quite pitiful that he's been kept in the dark like this, isn't it?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Su Mengli lowered her head, her long hair falling down and obscuring her profile, making it impossible to see her expression.

Su Mengyao softened her voice, sounding a little coquettish, yet still stubbornly pressed on: "Tell me, sister, aren't I your most beloved younger sister? Now that your younger sister is asking you, you won't even tell me the truth?"

Under her sister's persistent questioning, Su Mengli's psychological defenses finally cracked.

She managed to squeeze out the words with great difficulty, almost from her throat: "About... a third."

A knowing glint flashed in Su Mengyao's eyes as she continued, "What about the rest? Don't tell me you don't like him. We've grown up with almost the same tastes and aesthetic preferences."

Su Mengli sighed, her voice weak: "This kind of thing... is too outrageous. It doesn't make any sense at all."

"Anything else?" Su Mengyao persisted.

Su Mengli had no choice but to bring up another practical concern: "My parents would absolutely never agree to this kind of thing."

Su Mengyao curled her lips, unconvinced: "So what if Mom and Dad don't agree? We're all adults now, and it was your decision. What can Mom and Dad do if they disagree? As for the others, if you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who will know what really happened?"

“How could you do this…” Su Mengli retorted subconsciously, as this was something her education and principles did not allow.

"Besides," Su Mengyao leaned closer and lowered her voice, "it's still uncertain whether Mom and Dad will agree! Don't think of them as too old-fashioned."

“I definitely won’t agree.” Su Mengli shook her head.

"We'll talk about the future later!" Su Mengyao waved her hand, her gaze fixed intently on her sister. "Sis, stop making excuses. I'm only asking you the most crucial question now—do you like him?"

Su Mengli remained silent for a long time, so long that Su Mengyao almost thought she wouldn't answer.

Finally, she sighed deeply, nodded, and said, "...I like it."

Even though I know he harbors such absurd thoughts, I have indeed become familiar with him over the years, and I feel relaxed and happy when I am with him, Shishi, and Nuoya.

Su Mengyao immediately pressed on, her tone teasing yet incredibly serious: "He's clearly a greedy scumbag?"

Su Mengli did not answer, but only sighed helplessly.

It was precisely because he was a womanizer that she didn't immediately agree.

If Xiang Wen had only confessed to her, if he had confessed to her much earlier...

Even if he only confessed first, hiding his feelings for Mengyao, Nuoya, and Shishi, she could try to fool herself...?

But he just said it so openly and frankly.

I like not only her, but everyone else too.

Seeing her like this, Su Mengyao suddenly stood up, walked forward, hugged her sister tightly, rested her chin on Su Mengli's shoulder, and said in a muffled voice.

"Sister, I don't need you to give in. I never have."

Su Mengli was struck by her sister's sudden hug and words, and her body stiffened slightly at first.

She finally snapped out of her daze of being disliked by her sister and returned to her intelligent self.

She also realized that what her sister meant by "dislike" was not true aversion, but rather heartache for her long-term concessions and self-sacrifice.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and hugged her sister back, whispering, "But... even if we don't consider you, there's still Shishi and Nuoya. Nuoya and he get along so well, and Shishi relies on him so much..."

Su Mengyao nodded in her sister's arms, her tone a mixture of resignation and resentment: "Yeah... I feel like we can't win at all. Especially with Shishi and Nuoya, they're so close now, it's like they're on the same side. So..."

She looked up into her sister's eyes, a sly smile spreading across her face: "So, my favorite sister, please help your little sister, okay? Let's do it together, alright?"

Seeing her younger sister's expression change instantly, Su Mengli couldn't help but gently poke her forehead and said helplessly, "You were just saying you hated me, and now you're saying you love me the most?"

Su Mengyao gave a cheeky "hehe" laugh and hugged her even tighter.

"Besides, how am I supposed to help you with something like this?" Su Mengli felt a bit lost.

“It’s very simple,” Su Mengyao’s voice carried a sense of resignation, as if she had given up entirely.

"It would be better to join this farce. Besides, we've worked so hard to build such a good relationship with Nuoya and Shishi, and I really don't want to ruin it... but,"

She paused, her tone becoming unusually firm: "I absolutely do not want to give up the person I love. I don't want to no matter what."

Hearing her sister's outrageous remarks, Su Mengli's lips moved slightly, but she ultimately only uttered one sentence: "This is utter nonsense..."

Although she herself did not want to give up.

"What's wrong with that?" Su Mengyao tried to persuade her further: "Look, it doesn't affect anyone else. We're all together, and aren't we just as happy as we are now? If it can always be like this in the future..."

Su Mengli looked at her younger sister as if she were seeing her for the first time: "You...when did you become like this?"

Su Mengyao thought for a moment and answered honestly, "It was the day you and Xiang Wen came back from your business trip that I noticed the strange atmosphere between you two, and that's when I started to think about it. Then last night, you didn't want to chat with me, so I was a little annoyed by your attitude as the older sister."

Su Mengli was taken aback, then felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, followed by a deep sense of helplessness.

She sighed and raised a very practical question: "But... what if, I mean, what if, we really do end up getting married? That's simply impossible."

When Su Mengyao heard her sister's question, her eyes lit up. She knew that her sister was softening her stance and starting to consider the possibility, instead of simply rejecting the idea.

She quickly said, "Well... before I came to see you, Noah whispered a few words to me. However, I think it would be clearer if she talked to you about it in person. She seems to have... some ideas."

She kept her sister in suspense for a moment, then shook her arm. "Sis, don't think so far ahead! We've been traveling all day and we're covered in dust. Let's go soak in a hot spring and take a shower. We'll rest after we're all warm and cozy, okay? We can talk about it slowly later."

Without saying another word, she pulled Su Mengli up and walked out of the room.

As they stepped into the warm spring water wrapped in towels, Bai Shishi and Yan Nuoya, who were already soaking in the water, were leaning against the smooth rocks by the pool. Bai Shishi squinted contentedly, like a cat being stroked, while Yan Nuoya quietly watched the rising steam, lost in thought.

"Sister Mengli, Mengyao, you're finally here!" Bai Shishi opened her eyes when she heard the noise, and waved to them happily, her little face flushed from the steam.

Yan Nuoya also turned her head, her purple eyes appearing exceptionally clear in the mist. She nodded slightly to Su Mengli as a greeting.

Su Mengli immersed her body in just the right amount of hot water, and the warm touch instantly enveloped her entire body, as if the fatigue of the past few days and the burden on her heart had been slightly dispelled.

She leaned against the edge of the pool and let out a soft sigh.

After a brief chat, the topic naturally steered by Su Mengyao back to that core issue.

“Noya,” Su Mengyao looked at the quiet girl opposite her and blinked, “Can you tell my sister what you just told me in more detail?”

Yan Nuoya turned her gaze to Su Mengli, her gaze calm and direct, as if she could see through people's hearts.

She was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, her voice exceptionally clear amidst the babbling water: "Mengli, sometimes I really think you're quite stupid."

Upon hearing this, Su Mengli couldn't help but chuckle.

What's wrong with me today? First, my sister told me she disliked me, and now my friend calls me stupid.

Yan Nuoya seemed oblivious to the helplessness on her face and continued, "You'll be bound by things like marriage and titles. If you like someone, you like them; if you want to be together, you should be together. Is that so difficult?"

Su Mengli leaned against the edge of the pool, the warm water flowing over her shoulders. She looked at Yan Nuoya and tried to explain, "Nuoya, I'm not just thinking about myself... I have to give my family an explanation. They can't possibly accept something so outrageous."

Yan Nuoya tilted her head, her silvery-white hair damp with moisture, clinging to her smooth cheeks.

"In that case, you can have it."

"What?" Su Mengli didn't react for a moment.

"The shackles you can't break free from." Yan Nuoya's tone was flat, as if she were talking about something very ordinary: "It's not important to me."

She paused, then continued, "The important thing is to be with him. If Mengli needs it to appease her family, if it makes you feel at ease and continue to be friends with us like this in the future... then it doesn't matter if you get this."

This was the first time she had ever spoken so much with anyone other than Mo Xiangwen in one go; it was almost equivalent to the amount of conversations she usually had with everyone in the studio in a day, except for Mo Xiangwen.

Bai Shishi, standing to the side, nodded vigorously. Her voice was soft and sweet, yet unusually firm: "Yes, all Shishi wants is to be with Xiang Wen! Nothing else matters!"

She thought about it for a moment, then seemed to realize there was something wrong with her statement, and added:

"Moreover, Shishi also wants to continue being with everyone."

Seeing her sister's stunned expression, Su Mengyao also spoke up, "Anyway, if you get it, it's the same as me getting it too. We look exactly alike, who can tell us apart?"