Chapter 109

The next day, when Mu Mian arrived at the office, she found several boxes piled on her desk.

"Chen Xue, who put these things on my desk?" she asked.

"I think it was Captain Fang. He brought them over early this morning," Chen Xue came over and glanced at the boxes, shaking her head. "Geez, he really doesn't know how to give gifts. He didn't even wrap them."

Mu Mian picked one up and looked closely. She realized they were several Lego sets, all SpongeBob SquarePants themed: Patrick Star and his rock house, Squidward and his clarinet, the Krusty Krab and Mr. Krabs...

Mu Mian finally understood what had been missing. The photo from yesterday was missing SpongeBob's friends.

Just like Mu Mian now, who was no longer the lonely Mu Mian she used to be. Besides her sister, she now had Fang Rui and many other friends.

Mu Mian corrected Chen Xue, "Fang Rui is very good at giving gifts."

After Su Momo's disappearance case was closed, they had another quiet period.

Before the Spring Festival, Zhang's leg had finally recovered. Although the wound still hurt, he could basically walk now.

In the past, Mu Mian didn't celebrate the Spring Festival because it was just her and her sister at home, and they didn't need to wait for anyone to reunite. But the Spring Festival atmosphere in China was very strong, so Shen Xiyin decided to bring their aunt Shen Min back from the nursing home to celebrate together.

Mu Mian went to wait for Shen Xiyin at the psychology clinic where she worked, and then they would go pick up their aunt together.

The receptionist recognized Mu Mian and told her to wait in the lounge area.

"Chen, I've tidied up the sand tray room. Can I leave work early today? It's my roommate's birthday and we have a dinner party," Mu Mian heard Bai Jing say as she came out of the sand tray room.

"You're Xiyin's assistant, you should ask her directly about these things."

"Dr. Shen will definitely agree."

"Then it's fine."

Feeling Mu Mian's gaze, Bai Jing looked at her. "Mu Mian, what a coincidence. Are you here to see your sister?"

Mu Mian found it strange that Bai Jing was her sister's assistant. Wasn't she a social worker in the community?

Just then, Shen Xiyin finished her work and came to find Mu Mian. When Bai Jing saw Shen Xiyin, she immediately went up and linked arms with her, saying coyly, "Dr. Shen, are you really not coming to Qiao Wan's birthday party? She really wants you to attend."

Shen Xiyin calmly withdrew her arm. "I'm sorry, I don't have time."

"Alright, but you must come to my birthday party next time, okay?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

Bai Jing left the clinic with her bag.

Seeing Mu Mian staring at Bai Jing's back, Shen Xiyin asked, "Mian, do you know Bai Jing?"

"I do." Mu Mian thought for a moment and decided to warn her sister. "She's a dangerous person. Sister, you need to be careful around her."

"Most of the people I deal with at work are dangerous individuals. It's nothing unusual. Her dysfunctional family background has made her personality somewhat twisted and dark, but if someone is willing to guide her with care, she can become a normal person."

Shen Xiyin had also noticed that Bai Jing's personality had flaws. She might have paranoid personality disorder, but Shen Xiyin was willing to give her a chance. The purpose of psychological therapy was to help those with defects to grow.

Shen Xiyin drove Mu Mian to the high-end nursing home.

"Mian, you go talk to Aunt first. I'll go meet with her attending physician to understand her condition and see if we can bring her home for a while."

Mu Mian nodded, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Okay."

Shen Min was still sunbathing on the lawn. She held a book in her hand but wasn't reading it. Her gaze was empty, but not like that of a dementia patient. She looked more like a sage, quietly contemplating something.

"Aunt."

"You're blocking my sunlight." Feeling the sunlight being blocked, Shen Min's gaze fell on Mu Mian, and she smiled. "Mu Mian, have you found my Momo?"

Mu Mian was surprised that her aunt remembered her. But her aunt had forgotten that Momo was already dead.

"I'm sorry, Aunt. I haven't found Momo yet."

"Momo is a police officer with strong counter-surveillance abilities. It's normal that you can't find her. Spring Festival is coming, and my Momo will definitely come to see me." Shen Min said to a nearby caregiver, "Nurse, can you help me get my photo album? I seem to have forgotten what Momo looks like. I need to refresh my memory."

"Sure."

Shen Min asked Mu Mian to sit down beside her. They sunbathed together for a while. Just when Mu Mian thought Shen Min wasn't going to speak, she handed the book in her hand to Mu Mian. "This is for you."

The book was titled "Flowers for Algernon."

Mu Mian accepted the book. "Thank you for the gift. I've already read this book. It's a soft science fiction novel. I think the premise is quite unrealistic. There's no surgery that can increase intelligence yet."

The novel described a brain surgery that could increase intelligence. Algernon was a white lab mouse that received the surgery and became as intelligent as a human. The male protagonist, Charlie Gordon, also underwent the surgery, gradually transforming from intellectually disabled to a genius. But this brought various troubles. He discovered how ugly and unbearable the real world was... He gained wisdom but also experienced various negative emotions.

When Charlie's intelligence peaked and began to decline, the experiment failed, and he eventually returned to his intellectually disabled state...

Shen Min said to herself, "I can't let Momo become smart."

"Why can't she become smart?"

"Because she will die."

Mu Mian was confused. She thought her aunt might be having an episode again.

After saying this, Shen Min closed her eyes and continued sunbathing. Her expression was peaceful, as if she was quietly waiting for her Momo to come see her. Sёarᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Shen Xiyin watched Shen Min and Mu Mian from a distance. She didn't dare to approach, fearing that if she did, her aunt would remember the cruel reality. Perhaps, letting her aunt live in a fantasy was a good thing.

In the end, they didn't bring Shen Min home. Her attending physician didn't agree to let her leave the nursing home, worried that she might lose control of her behavior and do something destructive.

On New Year's Eve, Mu Mian thought the dinner would be like before, just her and her sister. But then the doorbell rang.

Shen Xiyin was cutting vegetables and said to Mu Mian, "Mian, can you get the door?"

Mu Mian opened the door to find Lin Sen standing there, holding a large bouquet of roses in one hand and a gift box in the other.

Mu Mian was stunned. Why was Consultant Lin at their house on New Year's Eve instead of staying at his own home?

Lin Sen handed Mu Mian a gift box. "Mu Mian, this is for you."

Mu Mian was delighted to receive the gift. She hugged it, smiling brightly. "Thank you, brother-in-law."

"You're welcome."

Lin Sen saw Shen Xiyin in the kitchen and followed her in.

"Xiyin, do you need any help?"

"I think I do. You know I'm not very good at cooking," Shen Xiyin glanced at Mu Mian, who was playing with her phone, and lowered her voice, "Mian only cares about the shape of the food, not the taste. So my cooking skills haven't improved much over the years."

"Then let me cook."

"Alright, but I still need to cut the vegetables. Mian has strict requirements for the shape of various ingredients."

"Okay."

Mu Mian was updating the latest gossip in the group chat.

Mu Mian: Shocked.jpg Do you know where Consultant Lin is right now?

Chen Xue: At your house! Let's skip this topic. Wang, didn't you say you were going to send red envelopes? Hurry up.

Wang: Oh, the network is bad. I can't send the red envelopes.

Mu Mian: Aren't you all surprised?

Zhang: Wang, how come your network isn't lagging when you're grabbing red envelopes? Come on, send the red envelopes!

Mu Mian private messaged Fang Rui: Fang Rui, why aren't they interested in gossip anymore?

Fang Rui: Maybe because they all have partners now...

Mu Mian: You don't have a partner. Why aren't you curious about why Consultant Lin is spending New Year's at my house?

Fang Rui: After Lin Sen's parents divorced, neither of them wanted him. He used to spend New Year's alone, occasionally coming to my house. Now that he has a girlfriend, he's definitely spending New Year's at her place.

Lin Sen came out with dishes and saw Mu Mian looking at him sympathetically.

"Mu Mian, what's wrong?"

"Brother-in-law, you should come to our house for New Year's from now on." Mu Mian thought for a moment, felt that this logic wasn't rigorous, and added, "Or I'll go to your and my sister's new home for New Year's."

"Okay."

Mu Mian thoroughly enjoyed this New Year's Eve dinner. The presentation of the dishes perfectly matched her aesthetic taste, and the flavors were much better than usual. Mu Mian found it strange – how could the taste change so dramatically with the same ingredients and cooking methods?

If one could ignore the fact that Mr. Lin and her sister were constantly communicating through mind-reading, isolating her, this meal would have been perfect.

Mu Mian thought that her sister's friend might be wrong. Even if her sister had a new family, there would surely be a place for her in it.

After their thirty-fifth exchange of meaningful glances without speaking, Mu Mian silently complained that it would be nice if this new family were a bit livelier.

Mu Mian turned on the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Not long after, Mu Mian unplugged the TV.

Good heavens, it was so noisy.

The Spring Festival Gala... was just too awful to watch!