Monday morning.
After finishing breakfast together in the cafeteria, Mo Xiangwen and Yan Nuoya headed straight back to the studio.
Neither of them mentioned anything about going for a run. They shared a tacit understanding on that front.
There was no special reason for it—they were simply feeling lazy.
Besides, they had professional classes that morning. Just the walk to class and back to the studio provided enough daily exercise.
The two of them were homebodies at heart, with no burning desire to work out.
They settled into their respective seats and began their work amid a relaxed silence.
Whenever the office held only him and Nuoya, the atmosphere was always like this. They occasionally exchanged a few words, but most of the time passed in companionable quiet.
Their rapport made even necessary communication minimal.
Of course, that was only when it was just the two of them.
If others were around—like Su Mengyao or Bai Shishi—any prolonged silence would have him wondering if something was wrong.
He was just thinking about Su Mengyao and Bai Shishi when he heard the door open. Turning his head, he saw the Su sisters, Mengli and Mengyao, walking in.
The four of them exchanged greetings. Mo Xiangwen’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a white figure trailing behind them.
“Shishi? I don’t think I got a message from you,” Mo Xiangwen said, puzzled.
“Ah, you caught me. I wanted to surprise Xiao Yi.”
A petite white-haired girl stepped out from behind Su Mengyao with a beaming smile, a small bag in hand.
It was Bai Shishi.
“Sister Mengyao started bombarding me with messages last night, asking if I was really coming to school today.”
Helplessness filled Shishi’s small face. Of course, she had hoped Xiao Yi would come pick her up, but with Mengyao being so proactive and persistent, she didn’t want to disappoint her.
“After all, it was agreed that I’d pick up Shishi,” Su Mengyao said confidently.
“That’s not quite what I meant.” Mo Xiangwen laughed wryly as he explained, “When Shishi messaged me, I was busy and couldn’t be reached, so I told her to contact you instead.”
“Not listening! Mengyao goes wherever she wants.” Su Mengyao covered her ears and shook her head vigorously. Her gaze happened to land on the gray suitcase by the sofa.
“Huh? A suitcase?” Su Mengyao blinked in surprise and turned to him with a puzzled look. “Why would there be a suitcase in the studio?”
“It’s mine,” Yan Nuoya explained softly.
Knowing Nuoya wasn’t one for long explanations, he jumped in. “There was a little issue, so Nuoya’s staying in the studio now.”
“Sleeping here by yourself? Doesn’t that feel kinda creepy?”
Su Mengyao shot Nuoya an admiring glance before hesitating and adding, “But if you don’t like the dorms, you could apply for off-campus living. No need to crash in the studio.”
Yan Nuoya paused for a moment, then shook her head. “I applied. It got denied.”
Su Mengli offered gentle comfort. “The school leaders are all old-timers—stubborn and set in their ways. It’s not easy to get approval.”
“If it really doesn’t work out, just sneak out and rent a place,” Su Mengyao suggested. “You could even move in with us. We have an extra room.”
Su Mengli had initially disapproved of her sister’s sneaky idea, but she smiled and nodded in agreement at the suggestion of Nuoya joining them.
Yan Nuoya was momentarily taken aback by the offer. She shook her head gently, a faint smile touching her face. “It’s fine. The studio’s environment is pretty good. Besides, Xiangwen’s here with me.”
“Eh??”
Su Mengyao and Bai Shishi’s eyes widened in unison as they exclaimed together.
“I was planning to stay here until around 11 p.m. anyway,” Mo Xiangwen explained. “Now I’m just sticking around a few extra hours. No real difference. Too lazy to commute back and forth.”
“These two sofas can be pushed together to make a bed,” Su Mengli said, glancing at him with concern. “So where do you sleep? On the floor? That can’t be good for your health.”
She could easily guess the situation. With only one bed and his personality—plus their relationship—he wouldn’t dream of letting them sleep on the floor while he took the sofa.
“It’s not that extreme.” Mo Xiangwen pointed to his swivel chair. “Grab a blanket, and the chair works fine for sleeping.”
“The chair’s too small,” Su Mengli objected, shaking her head. “Can you really get good rest like that?”
Shishi often dozed off on a similar chair at home without any discomfort, even after doing it many times. But hearing Mengli’s words now made her worry too, and she looked at him with concern.
Yan Nuoya pressed her lips together and glanced at him as well, saying nothing.
“Do I look rundown to you?” Mo Xiangwen said half-jokingly. “My sleep quality’s surprisingly good here—better than in the dorm, even. You don’t need to worry about me at all.”
Su Mengli studied his complexion. Just as he said, he looked energetic and alert, with no sign of fatigue.
“How about I move into the studio too? Then Mom wouldn’t have to pick me up every day,” Bai Shishi said, relieved. “Sleeping anywhere’s fine for me. I can use the chair like Xiao Yi.”
Her small face was full of earnestness, as if she were seriously weighing the idea.
“Shishi, you should head back and rest,” Mo Xiangwen said quickly, nipping the thought in the bud. “If you ended up sleeping poorly here, your teacher would show up at my door with a knife.”
Shishi knew the idea was impractical. She pursed her lips and let the topic drop.
“But for your midday nap, Shishi, you’ve got a blanket ready,” Mo Xiangwen said with a laugh. “If you don’t mind, it’s right there half-draped over the sofa armrest. Grab it and cover up—no worrying about the AC giving you a chill.”
Shishi’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
“Alright, enough standing around chatting,” Su Mengyao said as she headed to her seat. “My legs are getting sore.”
“Speaking of seats,” Mo Xiangwen said with a smile, “Shishi, go check yours out. The desk, chair, and computer arrived yesterday. Nuoya and I even set up the PC for you.”
“My spot?” Bai Shishi nodded happily and skipped lightly toward her desk.
As she passed his area, she didn’t forget to reach over and snag the blanket from his sofa.
“Then I’ll borrow Xiao Yi’s blanket for now!”
