The next morning, Chen Mo woke up to find Xiao Yu already gone. After freshening up, he walked into the living room, following the mouthwatering scent drifting from the kitchen.
Just as he was about to go check, Xiao Yu emerged from the kitchen, carefully carrying a casserole and placing it on the table with practiced grace.
"Perfect timing. Breakfast is ready. I made bird's nest porridge," she said with a smile.
As she lifted the lid, the rich aroma filled the room, making Chen Mo's stomach growl in anticipation.
"My little fish is becoming quite the chef," he joked, licking his lips.
"Enough with the flattery," Xiao Yu said as she handed him a bowl. "You need to eat more. Your body may be recovered, but you're still not behaving." Her cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled their late-night "exercise."
"I'm mentally stressed, not physically. Exercise helps relieve pressure," Chen Mo said with a perfectly straight face.
"Bad egg." She shot him a glare and nudged him playfully.
As they ate, Xiao Yu suddenly paused, a question on her mind. "The colorful pattern on our wedding rings yesterday… is it really inspired by mermaid scales?"
"I said it was. Do you believe me?"
"I do."
"Silly girl. Your husband has never actually seen a real mermaid. You believe me that easily?"
"If I didn't believe you, I wouldn't have fallen for you."
"But I wasn't lying. The inspiration was from a mermaid," Chen Mo said, looking directly into her eyes. "From my mermaid—you."
Xiao Yu's heart melted at his words.
"The delicate lines in the design are modeled after your hair. Every time I help blow-dry your hair, I get a front-row seat to its flow. I used that as inspiration—matched it with subtle color variations, and had Mo Nu run tens of thousands of permutations using our superconducting computing system to find the perfect combination. Simple as it looks, the pattern is the result of genius." Chen Mo grinned proudly. "Quick, praise me."
"You're really asking for compliments?" Xiao Yu laughed, eyes twinkling. "Well… it really is beautiful. I love it."
"Glad to hear it," Chen Mo said warmly. "After breakfast, let's head to the villa at Xianglutan."
"Okay."
After breakfast, the two set off.
The Xianglutan Beach villa had been completed six months ago. A sprawling 56-acre property nestled between the mountains and the sea, it boasted a pristine environment and a perfect balance of seclusion and accessibility. In feng shui terms, it was a true treasure of land.
Chen Mo had long realized that living in a standard villa district was not ideal. Given his status, he needed a home that offered both privacy and security. The Xianglutan property had been custom-built with those considerations in mind.
Still, despite its grandeur, they had never moved in. The villa, while beautiful, had always felt too large and empty—lacking the cozy warmth they cherished in their current home.
Twenty minutes later, their convoy pulled up in front of the estate.
This was Chen Mo's first time seeing the finished building in person. Though he'd approved the designs with Mo Nu's help, the actual structure left him stunned.
The architecture fused retro elegance with futuristic technology, blending seemingly opposing styles into a harmonious whole.
Security was tight. All personnel had been vetted by Wang Hai and his team. The estate was fully smart-managed—with intelligent surveillance, security droids, and a responsive AI system maintaining 24/7 oversight.
"Not bad," Chen Mo said, admiring the lush lawn, the distant sea, and the soft beach beyond. "Feels like a proper seaside mansion."
"It was built completely to your specifications," Xiao Yu said, walking beside him. "Eight bedrooms, six kitchens, eighteen bathrooms, a banquet hall, a private library, a beach, and a garden. The entire lighting and climate control system is fully automated."
Xiao Yu had visited the property a few times to handle furnishings and finishing touches. Though Chen Mo hadn't set foot inside until now, he was familiar with the layout.
As they stepped through the gates, Mo Nu's holographic form appeared beside them—still in her elegant ancient-style dress, complete with big expressive eyes.
"Welcome home, Master, Sister Xiao Yu," she greeted cheerfully.
The house was luxuriously furnished but without any garish extravagance. The interior leaned into understated elegance, balancing a vintage aesthetic with futuristic flair.
Intelligent butlers, robots, and holographic displays were integrated throughout the estate. Even the walls served as ambient displays. Classic Chinese landscape paintings adorned the space via customizable digital screens, and a simple command could change the entire home's theme.
Each room featured embedded holographic projectors, allowing the environment to transform at will. Users could pre-select themes via mobile or voice command, and the smart butler would handle the rest.
In the center of the main building was a massive 1.5-meter-deep swimming pool, seamlessly connected to the outdoor balcony. It included four showers and two dressing rooms.
The underground garage was stocked with several vehicles—not for show, but utility. Customized for security and function, the garage held RVs, sports cars, and luxury business sedans, all equipped with advanced autonomous driving systems.
"You picked out all the furniture and décor?" Chen Mo asked, curiously.
"You were too busy at the time," Xiao Yu replied. "So I just bought what I liked. Do you… like it?"
"If you like it, then I like it. And my wife has exquisite taste. Everything looks perfect." Chen Mo smiled.
"Sweet talker." Xiao Yu's heart was full. The house had been designed by Chen Mo, but the decorations and furnishing were all her effort. Together, this place truly felt like theirs.
"After the wedding, we'll move in."
"Mm. This will be our home," Xiao Yu said softly.
"Home…" Chen Mo echoed. "Wherever you are, that's home."
"You're getting good at this," she laughed. "Trying to out-romance me?"
"Come on, give your husband a kiss."
"Mo Nu's watching!" Xiao Yu blushed, suddenly shy.
"Oh, don't mind me," Mo Nu interjected in a serious tone, blinking innocently. "You two continue being lovey-dovey. I'm just an AI, but if you plan to have babies, I do have holographic recording capability—high-resolution, too. Want to see the playback?"
"…You see what you've done?" Xiao Yu glared at Chen Mo, cheeks bright red.
"She's your creation!" she scolded, smacking his arm as Chen Mo laughed helplessly.
"Let's go check out the library," Chen Mo said, taking her hand.
The library was a standalone structure not far from the main building, connected via an underground tunnel. It was modeled after the Science and Technology Library in Chen Mo's mind.
Naturally, it couldn't replicate the endless rows of shelves or mysterious depth of the real thing, but it borrowed heavily from its design: the bookshelves stood 10 meters high, with clean lines and classic detailing.
At the center of the library sat a massive red wooden table, and on it lay a large crimson-bound book.
This was a "book-type" holographic computer—a replica of the one in the real Science Library. Through it, visitors could search the entire library and project books into midair via hologram. Once selected, a mechanical arm would retrieve the physical copy from the shelf.
The library's collection included philosophy, world history, chemistry, mathematics, and classic literature. No ancient manuscripts or rare original pieces—just a broad, high-quality selection of human knowledge.
The ceiling featured an arched dome—a holographic projection of a star-filled galaxy that shifted slowly overhead, evoking the boundless nature of knowledge and the universe.
This was the most intricately designed space in the entire mansion. Chen Mo had gone through over a hundred iterations, and it took up nearly one-third of the property's layout.
After exploring every corner of the mansion and soaking in the environment, the couple finally left.
Though the news of Chen Mo's marriage was still trending, he had made no further public comments after his initial confirmation, choosing instead to let the buzz fade naturally.
In the days that followed, Chen Mo and Xiao Yu took a short trip, visiting nearby tourist cities and enjoying a mini-vacation. Soon after, they returned to their hometown—wedding plans now in full swing.
As the bride and groom, their presence was essential.