Enjoying the snow, brewing tea, and playing music.
The days at the Langley Residence were peaceful and harmonious.
Flora Loughton was a person who loved life, living each day with elegance and sincerity. She treated others gently, with ticulous care and silent attention, never making Nora Scott feel uncomfortable.
In a daze, Nora often felt she had been living with Flora for a long ti, but upon closer thought, it was only a day or two.
"Nora, there’s a play showing this weekend, and a friend gave a few tickets. Do you want to co along?"
That day, Nora had just finished a video eting with the 1101 engineering team when she heard Flora’s voice.
She turned around to see Flora entering with tea and snacks.
"Sure."
"Pedro said you used to watch plays to learn acting?"
"Yes."
"Just watching makes it hard to learn. You have to practice as well." Flora smiled as she sat down next to Nora, "I know a few drama teachers, I can introduce you later. You can chat with them and maybe even snag so minor roles to practice."
Flora only ntioned "minor roles."
If they wanted Nora to play the lead, the Langley Residence had the ans to make it happen anyti. However, Flora had a basic sense of propriety, knowing Nora’s abilities and not wanting to overpromise, even though she cared a lot for her.
Nora was still young, and in theater, age isn’t an obstacle; she could develop at her own pace.
"Sure."
Nora’s eyes sparkled.
Drama!
Veteran artists of the performing arts!
Previously she could only watch them from the audience, now she could not only get to know them, but also have a chance to perform on stage if she perford well... it was delightful.
Seeing that Nora had no aversion to "minor roles" and was actually quite happy, Flora breathed a sigh of relief internally, thinking that she had not misjudged her. After all, as a top star, Nora becoming a minor role might seem like a downgrade, which might be hard for so to accept.
*
Flora and Nora planned to watch the play on Saturday, so Nora and Pedro Langley returned to Cloudwater Haven on Friday.
It had been a while since they last saw Marcus Shaw and Oliver Scott.
However.
The two stood at the doorway, looking at each other.
"Should we go to your place or mine?" Nora asked, pointing at the two doors, feeling it was a big dilemma.
Since they were officially together, there didn’t seem to be a need to live separately.
But they actually had quite a few choices.
"Let’s flip a coin," Pedro quickly decided, "wherever it lands, we stay. It doesn’t matter."
This wise decision earned him an eyeroll from Nora.
"Let’s return to our own hos."
Nora turned and headed towards her own place.
Pedro grabbed her hand naturally and backed down, "Then I’ll move in with you."
"..."
As if I’d agree just because you said so!
However, Nora preferred her ho’s decor, as she had designed every part of it. Pedro’s place obviously wasn’t carefully curated, so Nora didn’t want to stay there, and thus Pedro moved in.
Pedro often rested there anyway, his clothes, shoes, and other essentials already took up one-fifth of Nora’s closet space, so moving in was easy and was all sorted within an hour.
"Sis, brother-in-law."
Marcus and Oliver returned from outside, and seeing two extra people in the living room almost gave them a fright.
"Back?"
Nora, with a finger biscuit in her mouth, broke it off instinctively when she noticed Marcus’s look.
Upon reflection, she felt sothing amiss: Damn, was she actually scared of Marcus?
So, she leisurely nibbled on the biscuit.
Nora sneaking snacks was a common sight for Marcus, as his snack box was never fully stocked.
"Sis, happy newly-wedded life." Oliver said as he ca in carrying shopping bags, "Dad asked when you’re coming ho for a dinner with the in-laws?"
Nora replied, "The day after tomorrow."
On the day they registered their marriage, they had gone to the Langley Residence and hadn’t called Ernesto Scott. The next day, Ernesto called eagerly, asking when they would return and suggested a al with the in-laws.
Nora and Pedro discussed and decided on the day after the next.
Sunday noon, both families dined at Virtue Retreat, and in the evening, she and Pedro would visit the Scott family, staying for a few days to ensure everything was fair.
On another note—
The ti Nora had spent with Ernesto Woods was rather short. Now, being married, she’d probably have fewer chances in the future.
Throughout the year, how Ernesto viewed her, she observed thoroughly. Those past incidents seed to fade away as Antonio Easton left.
"Then I’ll head ho the day after tomorrow." Oliver said, turning to ask Marcus, "What about you?"
Marcus frowned.
Their family gathering didn’t seem to concern him.
However, just as he was about to decline, Nora naturally took over, "Join us."
Marcus Shaw glanced at her.
"Yeah, together."
Oliver Scott realized and put an arm around Marcus Shaw’s shoulder, smiling with delight.
Marcus Shaw lowered his eyes, said "Oh" softly, pushed his hand away, and carried the ingredients into the kitchen.
"Wait," Nora Scott called out to him, "Little senior sister is coming over tonight, make a couple more dishes."
Marcus Shaw paused for a mont and said, "Got it."
Oliver Scott put the snacks and drinks on the table and asked curiously, "Is Miss Morton coming over this late?"
"Yeah."
Fátima said that Joshua Nogueira sent a wedding gift to Nora Scott and Pedro Langley.
After returning to Fenton City, Nora went back to the Langley Residence to get their marriage certificate and hadn’t had ti to et with Fátima. Just after telling Fátima to co to Cloudwater Haven, Fátima said she’d co over and bring the wedding gift along.
Nora certainly had no objections.
"I’ll get the ga ready," Oliver imdiately said.
"You’re playing with her?" Nora was taken aback.
"No," Oliver waved his hand, "I’ll watch my brother play with her."
"..."
That was reasonable.
*
Fátima braved the wind and snow to deliver the gift, clearly pregnant, yet she wore quite little. Unlike Nora, who wrapped herself in a military coat and still felt freezing, Fátima was full of spirit, casually brushing snow off her shoulder upon entering.
"..."
Just looking at her made Nora feel cold.
So she asked, "Aren’t you cold?"
Fátima took the hot tea Oliver handed her, took a sip, and then inexplicably asked back, "At this temperature?"
Nora: "..."
Forget it, you military types live rougher lives than I do.
"Here." Fátima handed over the wedding gift, casually saying, "It’s probably another set of blueprints."
"Huh?"
Nora, who didn’t really care about gifts, heard that and was a bit puzzled.
Blueprints?
Fátima explained, "For your chanism City project."
"Where did brother-in-law get this?"
Nora took it, opened the file, and sure enough, it was all blueprints.
And quite familiar too.
"It was a confidential mission, I wasn’t involved, so I didn’t ask much," Fátima sat down nearby, "Got them by accident, heard a story, thought it related to your chanism City, so I sent it over."
"What story?" Pedro added.
That was sothing Fátima could tell, and she briefly shared it with them.
But stories tend to be similar.
The blueprints were unexpectedly obtained during a mission and initially seed useless. Joshua Nogueira asked about their origin: the blueprints belonged to an elderly man who had passed away—he guarded them closely during his life. Younger folks thought they were treasures, but when they opened them after his passing, they were just a ss of blueprints and thus discarded them.
Luckily, a young man in the village, despite not understanding them, couldn’t bear to see them thrown away because he had a good relationship with the old man, so he picked them up.
Subsequently, they ended up in the hands of soone involved in the mission.
It turns out, Joshua Nogueira did a little digging and found out the old man had been an architect who disappeared for a few years, coinciding with the launch of the Loulanel project— the tilines matched up.
"Sir Easton was really sothing, setting pieces all over the place without fearing sothing might go wrong," Fátima said with a laugh while sipping tea at the end.
A single set of blueprints turned into a treasure map, divided into parts, sending people on a chase.
It sure made things hard for their generation.
"This project is huge," Nora felt overwheld just thinking about the chanism City blueprints, "How did Easton’s mind work?"
"Take your ti," Fátima was easygoing, "Chances are the next generation will grow up before all the blueprints are gathered."
Nora: "..."
Too true.
She needed to properly train young Andrew Hughes.
"But," Fátima paused and continued, "The chanism City project has caught the attention of the authorities. The information is top secret, and without specific clearance, it can’t be accessed. However, those who know about it are supportive of you guys. If anyone intends to exploit the chanism City blueprints for wrongdoing..."
She paused, took a sip of tea, and then casually added, "As long as you don’t break any laws or commit cris, feel free to act as you see fit, without worrying."
This was official permission granted.
At this point.
Marcus Shaw ca out carrying the dishes, interrupting their conversation, "Ti to eat."
Once he spoke, everyone naturally stopped what they were doing and gathered around the dining table.
Food is the most important thing.
The rest of it can be discussed later.
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