Chapter 64
Squeak.
The bedroom door, which had been closed, slowly opened, and Mo Nan stood in the doorway holding a glass of milk: "Mom, let's just pretend. You're right, even if we can barely see now, we'll eventually go blind. If we miss this opportunity to renovate, we'll never have another chance."
Mo Nan's parents exchanged a glance, and Mo Nan's mother quickly stepped forward: "Why are you still up so late? I'll take the cup. Be careful not to drop it."
Mo Nan's father also stood up and opened his bag: "Nan Nan, this is your favorite pastry shop, have a taste."
Mo Nan's mother started nagging again: "It's so late, but I haven't washed up yet. Nan Nan, if you're hungry, eat something before brushing your teeth."
Mo Nan smiled and nodded: "Mm."
The atmosphere was harmonious, and no one mentioned the previous incident again, as if it had never happened.
While drawing, Yoda chatted with Shi Xing: "Now I've finally met people who don't like me." He then recounted Mo Nan's cold attitude towards the house renovation, and continued: "Before, everyone was eager to sign contracts when they saw me, which made me think I was very charming."
"Now we're back to reality. It would be too much if everyone wanted me to design for them."
Shi Xing smiled, seeing that Yoda was not at all affected by the other party's attitude, and continued working without stopping. He then changed the subject: "I'll be back tomorrow."
"Huh? So suddenly?" Yoda stopped writing, looked up, and was somewhat surprised.
“Yes, that’s perfect, we can rest for three days.” Shi Xing smiled happily as he looked at Yoda’s expression.
Yoda looked at his messy desk, somewhat conflicted: "I'm not ready yet. I've been busy with work these past few days. Let me see. You've finally come back, so I need to make time for you."
As she spoke, she went to check her schedule to see how she could make some room for change.
Shi Xing watched as Yoda appeared and disappeared from the camera's view, with only his voice coming in intermittently: "This drawing can wait. As for the site visit, I won't go for now, a few days later. Wait, I can do this today. Ahhh, I still have so much to do. Why did I schedule so much for myself?"
Shi Xing couldn't help but speak up: "You don't need to change your plans for me. I came back because I want to be with you. Going out together and going to work with you are the same to me. If I had to choose, I would prefer to go to work with you."
Yoda stopped his hurried steps: "Really?"
Shi Xing nodded solemnly: "It's true, absolutely true!"
Yoda was somewhat tempted, but still hesitated and said, "But, wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate? You've gone through all that trouble to come back from work, and now you want to keep me company while I work? Besides, other people go on dates to have fun, this isn't quite right, is it?"
Shi Xing feigned confusion: "You think it's okay, I think it's appropriate, is there anyone who disagrees?"
Yoda clapped his hands: "Then it's settled."
Having made arrangements with Shi Xing, Yoda felt energized again. Just as he hung up the phone and was about to continue working, an unexpected person arrived.
"Are you sure?" Yoda looked at Mo Nan's mother, somewhat puzzled. Yoda had initially thought there was something that needed to be changed in the design, but unexpectedly, Mo Nan's mother came to say that they had decided to forgo Tang Yun's help and pay for the renovations themselves.
"Yes, I'm sorry to have troubled you. Miss Tang, I've already said that I came here this time hoping to lower the standards a bit. There's no need to pretend to be so nice; just meet Mo Nan's needs." Mo Nan's mother said this with some embarrassment.
Mo Nan's condition was initially posted online by a friend, who wanted to see if there were any better treatment options, but few people paid attention. So when Tang Yun contacted her, she was somewhat skeptical.
Originally, the family hadn't planned on renovating; their only thought was for Mo Nan to recover. However, seeing no hope of recovery, Mo Nan's mother accepted Tang Yun's suggestion. At least, with the house renovated, Mo Nan would feel safer living there.
When they learned that Tang Yun needed to film Mo Nan, the whole family was somewhat resistant. Mo Nan's mother worried that if the video were released, people online would criticize her, which would be bad for her future.
But seeing how inconvenient Mo Nan's life was at home, she changed her mind. If she didn't quickly show weakness now and prepare a good living environment for her child, what would happen when they got old? Once the hype died down, no one would care about their situation anymore.
These past few days, although Mo Nan tried her best to appear willing to be filmed, her mother was intimately familiar with every expression and movement of her child, so how could she hide it from her? Watching Mo Nan awkwardly walk in front of the camera, demonstrating the inconveniences her vision problems caused her, was incredibly touching.
Mo Nan's mother no longer had the courage to let Mo Nan get used to her own future.
Even if things get worse in the future, the fact that the child has to show his problems in front of the camera is like tearing apart Mo Nan's last bit of self-protection.
With a bittersweet expression, Mo Nan's mother forced a smile and said, "Mo Nan is a very strong-willed child. I misunderstood before. I only thought about helping her accept reality and adapt to the eyes that could turn bad at any time, without thinking about protecting her self-esteem."
If she could take Mo Nan's place, Mo Nan's mother would gladly bear all the hurt, even if it meant losing her own sight, even if it meant reopening her own wounds to gain sympathy. But reality cannot be changed; the hurt is Mo Nan's own doing. As parents, all they can do is preserve their child's self-respect.
Yoda fell silent, recalling Mo Nan's resistance to her during their last meeting. Refusing to accept interior design suitable for the visually impaired was like refusing to accept one's own fate. She must be heartbroken too, simply wanting a dignified life, yet forced to confront the painful reality.
After much hesitation, Yoda couldn't help but say to Mo Nan's mother, "Actually, accepting help from others isn't so bad. Tang Yun and Ye Xin are both very good people; they genuinely want to help Mo Nan."
Mo Nan's mother said, "Yes, they are all good people. But, given Mo Nan's current state, there aren't many things I can do to make her happy. At least paying for it myself will ease her mind."
After Mo Nan's mother left, Yoda stared at his design drafts, lost in thought. Reducing the budget and redesigning would simply mean starting all over again, a drain on his energy. Now, with his increased experience, Yoda had already considered many ideas even before Mo Nan's mother spoke.
Cabinet materials can be downgraded, scrap bricks can be used for the backs of unseen areas, the most basic wall paint colors can be chosen, and ready-made furniture is cheaper than custom-made. There are many ways to save money, but Yoda didn't turn these ideas into motivation for design.
Yoda knew that Mo Nan couldn't see clearly anyway, so even using the cheapest renovation design was fine as long as the basic functions met the needs. Thinking about it that way, it was indeed the most cost-effective approach.
But Yoda looked at the original design renderings and hesitated to make the decision to delete them.
After thinking about it, I decided to send a message to Tang Yun to confirm it one last time.
Even as Shi Xing stood before her, Yoda couldn't help but check her phone. Tang Yun hadn't replied to her messages from yesterday, and her calls went unanswered.
"Don't look at your phone while eating." Shi Xing waved his hand, blocking Yoda's view.
Yoda looked up and realized his bowl was full of food. He hadn't even noticed, taking a bite and then pausing for ages.
She smiled apologetically at Shi Xing, put down her phone, and forced herself to stop paying attention. "I'm sorry. It's not easy for you to come back."
Shi Xing shook his head, picked up the now-cold food and put it in his own bowl, disagreeing with Yoda's statement: "You're doing a disservice to your stomach. It's not like you said that eating while watching TV harms your qi and blood."
Yoda laughed and nodded helplessly: "I even used this phrase to teach you a lesson, but I didn't expect that I couldn't even abide by it myself."
"Is there some problem? You seem quite restless," Shi Xing asked curiously.
Yoda said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to confirm with Tang Yun whether we should revise the design according to Mo Nan's mother's idea." Then she looked at Shi Xing and asked, "By the way, have you ever done interior design for visually impaired people?"
Shi Xing shook his head: "I've only done one accessible design that requires a wheelchair. Can you refer to it?"
Yoda sighed, "I saw that one, but it's still not quite the same. Your design focuses on wheelchair use. The simple and direct layout throughout the house is good; I also considered that in my design for Mo Nan's house."
As he spoke, Yoda had a new idea: "How about you come with me later to experience what it's like to be blind? I'll look for some inspiration."
Shi Xing agreed: "Okay, now let's eat in peace."
"Okay."
Upon arriving at Mo Nan's house, Yoda took out a silk scarf and tied it around his head to block part of his view, simulating Mo Nan's perspective.
Yoda could still make out a vague outline through the scarf, and boldly took a step forward. But as he moved, he realized that not being able to see clearly was actually more dangerous than not being able to see at all.
Small obstacles and sharp edges of furniture are subconsciously avoided when clearly visible, and Yoda may not even be aware of them. However, when visibility is poor, even if the overall view appears safe, Yoda will still bump into things while walking.
hiss.
Yoda pulled his foot back. His blurred vision affected his judgment of spatial distance, and when he sat down, his toes hit the sharp corner of the coffee table.
Although she had tried her best to tidy up the house because of Mo Nan's eyes, it was still inconvenient for her.
Mo Nan's mother watched as Yoda went from recklessly taking steps to cautiously feeling his way forward, and asked with some concern, "Are you alright? Mo Nan was like that at first too, but she didn't run into him as often after she got used to it."
Yoda took off the scarf and nodded in agreement: "Because you can't see clearly, what is a reasonable design for a normal person is actually unsafe when you can't see clearly."
"Replacing the coffee table in the living room with a floor-standing style can reduce bumps and knocks, and we can add handrails in the hallway. Also, we'll replace all the cabinet door handrails with invisible handrails for greater safety."
As Yoda spoke, he looked outside and said, "The road outside is too narrow; cars can't get in."
Mo Nan's mother said, "Yes. The road was quite wide at first, and everyone walked. It was considered a blessing if a family had a bicycle. Who would have thought that now the streets are full of cars?"
Yoda casually remarked, "Yes, these previously reserved passages no longer meet the current needs."
Mo Nan's mother: "However, it's actually quite convenient for us to live here now. We're surrounded by familiar neighbors, so we can just let them know if we need anything. The hospital is nearby, and there are all sorts of stalls right outside, making it easy to buy things."
As she spoke, Mo Nan's mother laughed and said, "It's a good thing that the car can't get in. That way, Mo Nan won't have to worry about wandering around the area by herself in the future."
Yoda nodded. What was inconvenient for him was actually advantageous for Mo Nan.
Having observed the interior of the house sufficiently, Yoda and Shixing bid farewell and left.
Stepping outside, Yoda pulled out a silk scarf and blindfolded herself again. "What are you doing?"
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