Mo Xiangwen sat there stunned for a long moment. He was just about to come up with an excuse to refuse when realization suddenly dawned on him. He nodded slowly.
“Sure,” he said with a light chuckle. “My teacher did say we should watch out for our safety. I’m a little worried about Classmate Yan heading in and out of school all by herself every day.”
Yan Nuoya froze in surprise too. Given his personality, shouldn’t he have brushed it off with some excuse?
She had even prepared several comebacks in case he tried to dodge, but his quick agreement left all her lines unused.
She pursed her lips and gave him a small, shallow smile with a nod.
She had no idea why he had agreed so readily, but her goal was achieved, and she didn’t care much about the details.
One person, however, was even happier.
“Huh? Are you both moving out?” Su Mengyao’s eyes lit up in an instant, her voice bubbling with excitement she couldn’t hide. “Does that mean we can commute to school together every day?”
“And not just at the studio—we could hang out and play games together at home in the evenings too.”
“No more worrying about it getting too late and being inconvenient for everyone.”
Nothing had been decided yet, but Su Mengyao was already lost in her fantasies, her smile spreading uncontrollably across her face.
Mo Xiangwen watched her unabashed excitement and chuckled, though after a moment’s thought, he shook his head, shattering her daydream. “That’s… hard to say. Nuoya and I still need to go look for a suitable rental. We’re not sure if we’ll find one, and even if we do, it might not be close to where you two live.”
“I already told you to just come stay with us,” Su Mengyao said with a pout, waving it off as if it were no big deal. “My sister and I can even waive the rent for you.”
“But didn’t you say you only have one room?” Mo Xiangwen shook his head. “We can’t share a room—that’s different from crashing at the studio.”
“No problem. Actually, the study…” Su Mengyao began, but her arm was gently patted by Su Mengli sitting beside her.
She turned to her sister with a puzzled look.
Su Mengli leaned in close to her ear and whispered something quickly.
Realization flashed across Su Mengyao’s face, followed by a reluctant nod as she accepted her sister’s advice—for now. She muttered under her breath, “The study is so big, though…”
Mo Xiangwen didn’t dwell on it. Honestly, rent-free, he could crash on the living room couch without complaint.
When he had been slaving away at his old corporate job, the conditions had been even harsher, and he hadn’t uttered a peep.
That said, there was no good reason for him to move into Su Mengli and her sister’s home with Yan Nuoya just to sleep on a couch.
After thinking it over, Mo Xiangwen said, “Perfect. Nuoya and I have no classes tomorrow, so we’ll go check out some rentals. Oh, right—do you two have classes tomorrow, Mengli?”
“We have classes both morning and afternoon, but they’re mostly in the morning. The afternoon ones end pretty early,” Su Mengli replied without needing to think.
“That lines up perfectly,” Mo Xiangwen said with a smile. “You two know the area around school better, Mengli and Mengyao. Could you help book a restaurant? All-you-can-eat BBQ, Haidilao, or whatever you think works. Coordinate with Shishi on it. Nuoya and I will look at places, swing by to pick up Shishi, and head over to meet you.”
He paused, then quickly added, “Of course, this is the studio’s celebration banquet. I’ll cover the bill.”
“Huh? Celebration banquet time at last?” Bai Shishi looked up in delight.
“It’s only been a few days…” Mo Xiangwen chuckled. “So eager, Shishi?”
“Hehe, I heard from Sister Mengyao about you three eating at Haidilao together at school.” Bai Shishi smiled shyly, her cheeks tinting pink. “Ever since she mentioned it, I’ve been looking forward to… having a meal with everyone like that.”
“What do you want to eat, Shishi?” Su Mengyao asked eagerly.
“Me?” Bai Shishi furrowed her delicate brows and counted seriously on her fingers. “Hmm… I’d kinda like to try the Haidilao you all had, since I haven’t yet… but that grilled fish at XXX sounds amazing too…” Her face was etched with happy indecision.
Mo Xiangwen had been about to remind her about her health issues, but seeing how thrilled she was, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He decided to discreetly ask the counselor later and let Su Mengli and the others know to keep an eye on her.
Celebrating was great, but Bai Shishi’s health came first.
The best outcome would be one that accommodated her condition while still letting her have fun.
Su Mengyao immediately dashed over and squeezed in beside Mo Xiangwen and Bai Shishi, excitedly launching into a discussion with her.
Mo Xiangwen stood up and patted the empty spot on the sofa. “Mengyao, take this seat. I need to chat with Mengli about something.”
Su Mengyao shot him a curious glance, clearly wondering what it was about, but she obediently sat down and quickly dove back into her heated discussion with Bai Shishi.
Mo Xiangwen moved to Su Mengyao’s old spot and sat down. As he did, he caught sight of several single-player game windows open on her computer screen.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed Su Mengyao took their unspoken studio rule—”game first, work when you feel like it”—very much to heart.
But he hadn’t come over to snoop on her desktop.
“Mengli,” Mo Xiangwen said softly, turning to Su Mengli beside him. “Mind if I ask something? It’s about your father.”
Su Mengli had braced herself when she heard he wanted to talk, but she still flashed a flicker of clear surprise at how directly he brought up her father.
Seeing her expression snapped Mo Xiangwen back to reality, and he hurriedly explained. “It’s about that thing we mentioned earlier—the earnings going toward charity.”
“Aren’t we handing that off to Elder Li?” Su Mengli asked, puzzled. “What does it have to do with my father?”
“Elder Li’s idea was…” Mo Xiangwen chose his words carefully, “to have your father handle it from the start. But since he sees that you and I get along well, he suggested I ask your opinion directly.”
“…”
Su Mengli fell silent for a few seconds, processing it, then nodded lightly. “In that case, Father has indeed been involved in that kind of work for a while, and he’s put a lot of effort into it.”
“Oh? You know about it, Mengli?”
“Yes,” Su Mengli nodded, her tone even. “Father often talks to Mengyao and me about his charity projects. Mengyao isn’t too interested, though, so it’s usually just me listening and helping organize some materials.”
“I see. Care to tell me more?”
“Nothing inconvenient about it—it’s not a secret,” Su Mengli said with a light laugh. “Especially since it’s you asking.”
Mo Xiangwen’s heart gave an inexplicable little jump at her words. He tamped down the odd feeling and cleared his throat, steering back to the topic. “So… why did Elder Li think of your father for this?”
Su Mengli pondered for a moment, then laid it out clearly. “This is just my guess, but there are probably two main reasons. First, as I mentioned, Father has invested a lot in charity work. He has the experience, connections, and reliability—Elder Li trusts him.”
She paused, then added with some hesitation, “Second, it might have to do with our family. Ripple Stream Shopping Plaza is ours.”
Mo Xiangwen nodded on instinct, then jolted as it hit him. He stared in shock. “Wait… what did you say?”
Su Mengli seemed oblivious to his frozen expression and continued calmly. “Ripple Stream Shopping Plaza has everything—stationery, books, furniture, clothes, food…”
“Most of the shops are brand tenants, not directly run by us, but as the owners, Father should be well-acquainted with all the brand managers.”
“So if we go through him to bulk-buy supplies for mountain villages or orphanages, we could get huge discounts. Same budget means more and better stuff.”
Holy crap—what had Mengli just casually dropped?
That Ripple Stream Shopping Plaza he’d visited twice was theirs?
No wonder… no wonder these two always seemed so nonchalant about money.
They weren’t extravagant in their spending, but that deep-seated ease, that attitude of “fun matters more than cash”… Now he got where their confidence came from.
He had known they were well-off, but he never imagined they were loaded like this.
No wonder they showed no interest in the studio’s paltry “wages.” To them, that bit of money probably didn’t even cover a month’s pocket change. Having fun and creating games they truly loved mattered far more.
No wonder, then, that in his previous life Su Mengli had so boldly invited him to come work for her. Now it all made sense.
If only he’d actually taken her up on it back then and slacked off at her studio. It would have spared him years of drifting from place to place, wearing down his body without saving a dime.
Mo Xiangwen gave a wry inward chuckle. Of course, it was nothing more than that—just a bit of self-mockery. He wouldn’t truly entertain the idea.
Su Mengli had been watching his reaction closely all the while. Now, seeing the complicated look in his eyes and his silence, her heart tightened ever so slightly.
She blinked, forcing her smile to look relaxed and natural. “We didn’t mean to hide it from everyone, but now that it’s out… this little thing won’t make things awkward between us, will it? It won’t drive a wedge, right?”
Though Su Mengli kept her expression light on the surface, anxiety still gnawed at her inside.
She’d known Mo Xiangwen, Yan Nuoya, and Bai Shishi online for a long time, building a foundation of trust. But what had finally pushed her to come clean was this very situation.
Fox Tour Chang’an might be just a small game, but by the end of the week, its ad revenue alone would total millions—maybe even tens of millions.
Her sister Su Mengyao had never cared much about this sort of thing. She wasn’t sensitive to it and probably had no real grasp of how fast and wide the game’s reach had spread.
Su Mengyao could afford to dislike it, to ignore it.
But Su Mengli was different. If her sister wouldn’t learn, then she had to—whether she liked it or not.
She’d picked up plenty from her father about business dealings, enough to spot the potential at a glance.
Truth be told, even if Mo Xiangwen backed out of the donation at the last minute, she could understand.
This was a huge sum, even for their family.
They’d known each other for so long, and she was well aware his family wasn’t well-off.
Yet he’d agreed to donate without a second thought, showing no sign of hesitation or regret.
If he could part with such a large amount so readily, then after all their time together, she was willing to place even more faith in his character.
And this charity collaboration was the perfect chance to open up.
With that in mind, she even felt a twinge of gratitude toward Elder Li.
Without this opportunity, she wasn’t sure when she’d find another moment to naturally share the truth with everyone.
Putting it off too long would only make it seem like she’d been deliberately hiding it.
Mo Xiangwen, of course, had no idea about her tangled thoughts. If he did, he’d probably exclaim that she thought too highly of him.
After all, he wouldn’t be so calm if he didn’t have confidence in earning it all back in the future—several times over.
Indifference to money only came when you were already set for life.
At that moment, realization dawned on Mo Xiangwen.
So that’s what she was worried about.
He instantly understood the source of Su Mengli’s earlier unease.
Anyone suddenly learning a friend came from such a background would naturally have their mindset shift.
The kinder ones might feel a sense of distance, even inferiority. As for those with ulterior motives… well, that went without saying.
“What are you talking about?” Mo Xiangwen straightened his expression, putting on a stern face for effect before breaking into a mischievous grin. In a tone that was half-joking, half-serious, he said, “Distance? Estrangement? Nah, all I’d say is ‘rich babe, I’m starving—feed me!'”
His exaggerated, goofy delivery successfully cut through the subtle tension in the air.
Su Mengli’s taut nerves finally eased. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing with a “pfft,” her eyes crinkling in delight as all her earlier worries vanished.
“Fine by me—I’ll keep you,” Su Mengli shot back with a laugh, her voice laced with playfulness and teasing. “Just let me know whenever you get tired of striving, tired of making games.”
“Nah, forget it.” Mo Xiangwen shook his head vigorously, waving his hands. “I was just kidding. Don’t take it seriously.”
“You’re incorrigible…” She shot him a mock glare, but her smile spread from her eyes.
Once the laughter died down, she remembered to add, “Oh, right—earlier, I casually asked my dad about Elder Li. Turns out Elder Li used to teach at the business school, and my dad was one of his students. That explains why Elder Li thought to reach out to him.”
“I see.” Mo Xiangwen nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, why don’t we leave this whole matter in your hands? You can handle the coordination with your father and all that.”
“Huh?” Su Mengli blinked in surprise. “Me, in full charge? The amount is pretty substantial, though…”
“No worries.” Mo Xiangwen chuckled lightly. “You’ve put so much faith in me—why can’t I return the favor?”
Su Mengli pressed her lips together, musing for a moment. “I’ll talk it over with my dad when I get back.”
“And if—hypothetically speaking,” Su Mengli said, her expression turning earnest, “my father does take this on, I’ll compile every detailed procurement list, every receipt and voucher, plus proof of delivery for every location and recipient. I’ll bring it all to you for review.”
“Once you’re free, we can even go check things out on-site together.”
“What? That’d be way too much hassle! It’s really not necessary…” Mo Xiangwen blurted out.
“You!” Su Mengli laughed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at him hard. “This is the result of everyone’s hard work. Of course we have to take it seriously.”
