socalfunplaces Chapter 1372 The Pleasant Time After Dinner
Chapter 1372 The Pleasant Time After Dinner
Meanwhile, unlike the chaotic scene on the second floor, the household chores still fell to Ningguang and Wanshitongyuan.
Shen He continued to focus on taking care of the baby, while Pai Meng stayed in the bedroom on the second floor to look after Ying, whose spirits had just recovered.
At this moment, Yuan Shang was bending over and carefully cleaning the corners of the living room and under the dining table, where there was all the filth that Cecilia had vomited after getting drunk.
Although there was a hint of reluctance on his face (after all, they weren't family), he didn't do a perfunctory job at all (since it was his own place), even wiping the cracks in the floor clean. (If it had fermented, the smell would have been unbearable, needless to say.)
At the kitchen sink, Ningguang, wearing an apron, was methodically washing the mountain of dishes.
The dirty bowls, the barbecue skewers from the evening, and the empty wine glasses that Cecilia had drunk from were piled up into a small mountain.
The water was gurgling as Ningguang washed the dishes, occasionally glancing up to tidy up the hair that was peeking out from under her headscarf.
Mavica, who was sitting on the sofa and couldn't sit still, felt a little guilty watching everyone else busy while she was just sitting idly by.
She quietly stood up, tiptoed, and sneaked into the kitchen. Her eyes fell on the pile of dirty dishes next to the sink. Without saying a word, she reached out and took out a few bowls and plates, smiling as she went to Ningguang's side to help.
"Miss Ningguang, let me wash these. You can't manage on your own."
Upon hearing this, Ningguang quickly turned around, still clutching the freshly washed plate in her hand, and waved her hand, saying, "No, no, Miss Mavica, don't trouble yourself, I'll do it."
"You're a guest, how can you expect a guest to wash the dishes? Put it down and go rest in the living room."
Mavica, however, showed no intention of putting down her dishes. She pointed to her lower abdomen, deliberately straightened her back, winked playfully at Ningguang, and said in a lighthearted tone:
"It's alright, it's alright. I ate and drank the most today, so I'll help wash the dishes and digest my food. Otherwise, eating too much will make me fat, and that won't look good."
As she spoke, she deliberately winked and teased in a humorous tone, "What? Miss Ningguang, are you worried that Mr. Shao Yun will beat you up if you don't finish all this work?"
She couldn't help but laugh out loud as soon as she finished speaking.
Ningguang, teased by Mavica, looked very uncomfortable and quickly waved her hand, gave an awkward smile, and explained:
"No, no, Miss Mavica, you must be joking. Mr. Shao Yun is very kind to me; he treats me very gently."
At least after she moved into this house...
Seeing Ningguang's shy expression, Mavica couldn't help but smile again. She gently pushed Ningguang aside, put the dishes in her hands into the sink, turned on the tap, and said while washing the dishes:
"That's settled then, don't be so polite. If you really feel bad about it, why don't you chat with me for a bit?"
Seeing Mavica's determined and unyielding expression, Ningguang knew she couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she could only smile helplessly, nod gently, and obediently agree.
“Alright, thank you for your help, Miss Mavica.”
As she spoke, she moved aside to give Mavica enough space.
The two stood side by side by the sink, the water gurgling as they slowly washed the dishes, chatting idly.
During their casual conversation, Ningguang learned a lot about the unique products of the various tribes in Nata from Mawika, as well as the locations and opening hours of the markets around each tribe—mostly practical business information.
Ningguang listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time to take notes.
Mavica, through Ningguang's narration, also learned a great deal about the beauty of Liyue.
The towering peaks of Jueyun Mountain, the brightly lit Liyue Harbor, the tranquil and secluded Wangshu Inn—all these unique local customs and traditions of Liyue filled Mavika with longing. She couldn't help but say that she must go to Liyue to see it for herself when she has time in the future.
Of course, this is all on the premise that you actually have the time...
The two got along very well as they talked, and the number of dishes in the sink gradually decreased.
As they chatted, Mavica's gaze fell on Ningguang's profile as she diligently washed the dishes. Remembering something she'd overheard, she hesitated for a moment before finally asking:
"By the way, Miss Ningguang, I have a question I'd like to ask you. Please don't mind."
Ningguang paused in her actions, turned to look at her, and smiled gently: "Miss Mavica, please speak, I don't mind."
"Why did you choose to stay here and be a 'maid' who takes care of household chores?" Mavica asked sincerely, without the slightest hint of offense.
“Mr. Shao Yun has already prepared a more ‘respectable’ job for you, one that won’t involve these trivial household chores and will be much easier than staying here.”
She was genuinely puzzled. Judging from Ningguang's demeanor and speech, why would she willingly stay here and do these tedious household chores?
Upon hearing this, Ningguang continued working. She picked up a clean cloth and gently wiped the clean dishes, then neatly arranged them on the dish rack next to her.
When talking about the past, her face remained expressionless, and her eyes were calm.
The past glories and turmoil have long since faded in the peaceful days. She said softly, "There's no other reason, I just feel safe here."
Seeing Ningguang's unwillingness to talk and her deliberately indifferent demeanor, Mavica understood what was going on. She knew she had touched on a past Ningguang didn't want to discuss, and gently comforted her:
"I know more about your situation, so I won't ask you anything that might make things difficult for you. All I can say is, let bygones be bygones, look forward, and things will definitely get better in the future."
Ningguang paused slightly as she wiped the dishes, then slowly turned her head to look at Mavica.
She gently shook her head, a strong yet gentle smile on her face, and said firmly, "There's no need to comfort me, Miss Mavica. I'm happy now, and that's enough."
……
On the other side, Ineff, the robot maid, is also helping.
Her right hand had somehow transformed into a small yet powerful vacuum cleaner, methodically cleaning up the clutter on the sofa and the snack crumbs scattered by Sitella.
"Cleaning in progress... Sofa area cleaned. Next step: clean the coffee table surface of debris and stains."
Ineff maintained a steady, mechanical voice as she moved, focusing intently on the cleaning task.
Just then, Shao Yun came down from the second floor and turned around to see Inef busy in the center of the living room.
Her right hand, which had turned into a vacuum cleaner, contrasted sharply with her delicate, lifelike face, making Shao Yun feel momentarily dazed and inexplicably disconnected.
He subconsciously touched his chin, and the image of cleaning the walls of Mondstadt with Noelle flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Noelle in Mondstadt was doing cleaning work using the most ordinary wooden mop... I never imagined that there would be such an advanced Nodcalai robot doll now, whose arms can turn directly into vacuum cleaners, how convenient!
Overwhelmed with emotion, Shao Yun couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"So this is a maid robot? As expected, technology changes lives; it's so much easier than taking care of people by hand!"
He had seen many novelties, but this was the first time he had observed such an all-around and lifelike robot maid up close.
Upon hearing Shao Yun's voice, Ineff immediately stopped cleaning. Her right hand slowly reverted to the shape of a human arm. She turned around, looking at Shao Yun expressionlessly, her eyes flashing slightly with electronic light, and mechanically and respectfully inquired:
"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Shao Yun? Do you need to adjust the cleaning schedule, or are there any other instructions?"
Shao Yun waved his hand, still staring at her arm, and muttered something casually, saying whatever came to mind:
"It's nothing, I'm just a little curious. I've seen robots before, just cold, metallic shells... but this is the first time I've seen one that looks so human, even the expressions are so lifelike."
As he spoke, he counted on his fingers, thought carefully for a moment, and then quickly added, "Emmm, no, it should be the third time."
Ineff blinked, puzzled, the blue light in her eyes flashing more frequently, as if she had received a new instruction.
"Mr. Shao Yun, are you interested in my structure? Would you like me to explain my body structure and functional principles to you? We are currently taking the necessary data to explain my body and are preparing to initiate the detailed explanation mode..."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun felt a chill run down his spine. Judging from Ineff's demeanor, once she started explaining, it would definitely be a long and endless lecture, full of mechanical principles that he couldn't understand.
He quickly waved his hand, interrupting her, and hurriedly refused, "No, no, no, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! You don't need to explain, you go about your business. I hate listening to this kind of long-winded stuff, it gives me a headache."
Upon hearing this, Ineff immediately stopped the data monitoring, nodded slightly, and mechanically replied, "Instruction received. Stop explanation mode. Continue cleaning task."
As soon as she finished speaking, her right hand switched back to vacuum cleaner mode, and she turned around to continue working. The living room returned to its previous quiet, with only the slight hum of the vacuum cleaner remaining.
……