As soon as he said it, not only was Yan Nuoya taken aback, but Su Mengli and Su Mengyao also turned to him with eyes wide in surprise.
He hadn’t mentioned inviting Yan Nuoya to either of them beforehand.
It wasn’t that he thought it unnecessary to give them a heads-up—after all, even close relationships needed mutual respect to last.
No, the decision to invite her into the fold had only just crystallized for him.
Naturally, there hadn’t been time to loop in Su Mengli and Su Mengyao.
The studio fell silent in an instant, the air growing thick with tension.
Everyone’s gazes shifted from him to Yan Nuoya, their breaths unconsciously held as they waited quietly for her response.
Yan Nuoya stared at him in silence, her bright purple eyes shimmering with some hidden emotion.
Her voice rang out clear and deliberate, each word measured: “…All right. I’d be delighted.”
Those few short words felt like they had traversed an eternity.
Though it was he who had extended the invitation, Su Mengyao reacted faster and more visibly to Yan Nuoya’s acceptance than he did.
Su Mengyao’s eyes lit up, a bright smile breaking across her face. She started to rise, eager to grab Yan Nuoya’s arm in excitement, only for the quick-as-a-flash Su Mengli to press her back down onto the sofa.
Yan Nuoya, her attention fixed on her wrist, didn’t even notice what had happened.
Su Mengli shot her sister a meaningful glance before settling back on the sofa with a gentle smile. “Welcome. I’m thrilled at the thought of working together with Nuoya.”
Reminded by her sister, Su Mengyao realized her impulse had been a bit forward.
She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry about that. But it’s just so great that Nuoya’s joining us.”
Mo Xiangwen wasn’t surprised in the least. He’d anticipated these reactions from Yan Nuoya back when he was still debating whether to invite her.
For him, the real agony hadn’t been those few seconds waiting for her reply—it had been steeling himself to make the invitation in the first place.
Mo Xiangwen quietly released her wrist and began to clap. “A warm welcome to Classmate Yan Nuoya for joining Aurora Night Studio and helping us grow big and strong.”
Yan Nuoya gently rubbed her wrist where he’d held it, casting a helpless glance at him for his odd turn of phrase.
Su Mengyao and Su Mengli played along perfectly, smiling as they joined in the applause.
“But,” Mo Xiangwen pivoted suddenly, “before we celebrate, there’s one more thing we need to do.”
Su Mengli caught on immediately and shook her head with a light laugh. “Actually, two things.”
“Oh, right—I almost forgot about ordering food.” Mo Xiangwen smacked his forehead. “My brain’s shot. Once we’re done assembling, I’ll go out and grab it with you.”
“Mm.” Su Mengli nodded slightly.
Yan Nuoya glanced at him curiously, wondering what the other matter could be.
“Come on, Classmate Yan—time to contribute to the studio.” Mo Xiangwen led the bewildered Yan Nuoya to the table.
Only then did he notice that the various components on the table had been neatly sorted by type.
Clearly, while he’d been away, Su Mengli and the others had not only rested but also unpacked the parts from their shipping boxes and organized them.
Out of caution, though, the original product packaging had been kept intact.
Mo Xiangwen winked at her with a grin. “Four PC towers. Let’s get to work.”
“…So, did you only invite me to join the studio so I’d help you build these computers?”
Caught off guard like this, Yan Nuoya felt a twinge of resentment bubbling up inside her.
“Ahem.” Mo Xiangwen rubbed his hands together, flashing an awkward smile. “If I apologize, will you forgive me, Classmate Yan?”
Yan Nuoya blinked back at him, returning a faint smile of her own.
“Nope.”
“So, do you two need any help?” Su Mengli had appeared silently behind them, her face lit with a smile as she asked. “Otherwise, who knows how long it’ll take?”
Mo Xiangwen thought for a moment and nodded. “Sure.”
“What can I do to help?” Su Mengli asked.
“Pass me parts. If you want to learn, I’m happy to teach.” Mo Xiangwen smiled at her and flicked his eyes toward the others. “If Mengyao wants in too, we’ve got two of us.”
Yan Nuoya, catching his meaning at once, shot him a subtle glance but said nothing, tacitly approving the plan.
“Huh, me?” Su Mengyao, who had just wandered over, pointed at herself in confusion.
Su Mengli paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face, then nodded. “All right, then. I’ll assist Xiangwen and learn along the way.”
“Mengyao, you help Nuoya, okay?” Su Mengli added, giving her sister a discreet poke to encourage agreement.
Su Mengyao nodded slightly and turned to Yan Nuoya. “Shall we give it our all together?”
Yan Nuoya pressed her lips together and nodded. “Mm. Let’s do our best.”
Su Mengli said with utmost seriousness, “Then please take good care of me, Master Xiangwen.”
“…Don’t mess around, Senior Sister Mengli.” Mo Xiangwen shot her an exasperated look. “Let’s all pitch in, finish up quick, grab the food, and kick off the victory feast.”
With time pressing, the four of them dove right into the work.
On Mo Xiangwen and Su Mengli’s side, he took the components she handed him one by one, installing them while explaining the process.
PC assembly wasn’t hard in itself—the trick was paying close attention and learning as you went.
Su Mengli, of course, had no such issue.
By the second tower, she was doing the hands-on work herself while he supervised and guided.
Even so, Su Mengli was sharp enough that she barely needed his input. She handled the entire build effortlessly on her own.
Her movements flowed smooth as silk, making Mo Xiangwen wonder if she’d done this before.
“Have you learned this before, Mengli?” he asked curiously. “Or did you build the computer at home yourself?”
“Hm? No.” Su Mengli shook her head lightly, her hands never faltering. She tightened the final screw on the side panel and hit the power button.
“This is my first time. I didn’t realize learning from Master Xiangwen would feel so straightforward.”
Mo Xiangwen gave her a deadpan look, convinced she was just messing with him by calling her “Senior Sister.”
Since Su Mengli was handling it so well, he had no worries there. He turned his attention to Yan Nuoya and Su Mengyao’s duo.
Their approach differed—they were building while teaching simultaneously.
Yan Nuoya still seemed a touch stiff, but the pair made no mistakes, progressing smoothly through the installation and instruction.
He watched them for a good while before finally relaxing.
When he glanced back at Su Mengli, she had already installed the OS, and the screen now showed the drivers loading.
Mo Xiangwen lowered his voice and murmured beside her, “Let’s go. They’ll be a while yet. We can grab the stuff first.”
