Ten toenails painted with a layer of light red nail polish, the color delicate and tender.

Shen Mo walked over, cradled both her feet in his arms, and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Bai Youwei felt ticklish and tried to pull back, but Shen Mo held on firmly. She laughed and kicked her legs in protest, her foot landing on his chest — and then he pressed her into his embrace and kissed her for a long while.

…Every time they were close like this, she always felt her heart flutter.

Feeling loved, feeling needed — sweet and utterly at peace all at once.

Honestly, this was far more enjoyable than playing the game.

After the two of them had their fun, she was catching her breath against his chest when she glanced over and saw the severed hand and the rabbit crouching side by side on the table, watching them — who knows how long they’d been there.

Shen Mo noticed too, and asked in amusement, “Do they understand what they’re looking at?”

“Maybe… it’s because they can’t understand that they keep watching.”

Bai Youwei leaned against him, raised two soft fingers, and pressed them onto his shoulder — walking them like a little person all the way to his chest, circling and winding around, her voice going soft as cotton.

“If you think they’re in the way, I could… send them off to the dollhouse…”

She seemed to hint at something.

Shen Mo understood perfectly well. He caught her hand, lowered his head, and kissed it, the smile at the corners of his mouth tender and warm. “Quite bold of you — aren’t you nervous?”

Bai Youwei hooked her arms around his neck and looked up at him with bright, dewy eyes. “Ignorance is fearlessness~”

Those words stirred a fire in Shen Mo. Just as he was about to kiss her again, there came a knock at the door.

Both of them froze.

The soft, lingering romantic atmosphere dissipated entirely in an instant.

— Bang, bang, bang.

Shen Mo tucked Bai Youwei into the blankets and got up to answer the door.

Bai Youwei pursed her lips and looked at the severed hand and the rabbit on the table, murmuring, “If I’d known, I should’ve just dragged him to the dollhouse earlier…”

…

The visitor was Shen Fei, who had come on behalf of Shen Mo’s father to deliver a message:

“The headquarters is holding a New Year’s banquet in a few days and has invited our family. But Third Uncle feels that New Year should be spent with family to have any real meaning, so he doesn’t plan to attend. He asked me to come and ask whether you could turn down the banquet that day and come home for dinner.”

As Shen Fei spoke, he peeked into the room. “Third Uncle also said… you can bring your friends along.”

“Did he say anything else?” Shen Mo asked.

“No, that’s all…” Shen Fei pulled his gaze back, his tone hesitant. “Actually, this is also what my dad wants. He heard that this time in the labyrinth, you were on the brink of death and nearly didn’t make it out — everyone at home has been very worried. Who knows, someday we might not even get to see you one last time… And now the time for the battle game is coming up again soon, so they wanted you to come home for a visit.”

Shen Fei summoned his courage and said sincerely once more, “Brother, I think you should go back to visit more often.”

“Understood,” Shen Mo said mildly. “I’ll go back when the time comes.”

Shen Fei had delivered the message and had nothing else to say. Shen Mo had been standing in the doorway the whole time with no intention of inviting him in, so there was no reason to linger.

“Well then…” Shen Fei said awkwardly. “I’ll be going, Brother.”

“Mm.” Shen Mo nodded. “Head back.”

Shen Fei glanced one more time into the room, saw nothing at all, and left without a word.

After seeing Shen Fei off, Shen Mo returned inside and asked Bai Youwei, “The headquarters is hosting a banquet in a few days — do you want to go?”

Bai Youwei shook her head. “It’ll be nothing but singing and dancing — too noisy. Better to stay in our own room and sleep.”

Shen Mo said, “Then come back with me to my father’s place. We’ll bring Teacher Cheng and Xiao Xin along.”

Bai Youwei had already caught most of their conversation and asked him, “When paying a visit, what kind of gift is appropriate to bring?”

Shen Mo smiled. “It’s the thought that counts. Let’s prepare some food and drink — aren’t there still some bottles of wine in the dollhouse? We can bring a few along.”

“When giving gifts, you have to cater to the person’s tastes.” Bai Youwei asked seriously, “What does your father like?”

Shen Mo actually thought about it carefully, and concluded: “My dad likes your mom.”

Bai Youwei spread her hands. “That’s genuinely beyond my ability to provide.”

—