It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

However, Li Cheng stipulated that the payment would be based on the number of pieces produced, excluding defective products; the money would be paid for each piece produced, and settlements would be made weekly. As a result, everyone's enthusiasm for work was exceptionally high, and they even discussed what they would do with their earnings while working.

"I never expected that I would actually get paid."

"It feels like I earn much more than farming, and I don't have to pay land rent. I wish I could keep doing this."

"Don't be silly. If you don't pay rent, do you think the lord will let you live here? He'll definitely kick you out. You'd better just farm the land honestly."

"Aren't we working for the lord right now? Why are you kicking me out?"

"Stop arguing, you might as well use that energy to hit two more pounds."

"..."

Among the workers, Dior stood out; he keenly noticed the flaws in the process.

That is, the prepared coal briquettes are piled up in heaps, making it difficult to count them precisely. The person in charge of the final inspection usually just glances at them and approves them. The money is mainly calculated based on the team leader's report.

After working alongside everyone for a week in a seemingly professional manner, and carefully observing the reporting and payment process, Dior approached Jojo, who had become the group leader: "Jojo, from now on, when you register, report more information to me, and I'll share half of the extra money I earn with you."

Jojo was clearly unhappy: "Dio, this is immoral and very disrespectful to the lord."

Dio's eyes flickered: "It's alright, Jojo, I've observed their inspection methods, they won't even notice the difference. You just need to give a slightly higher number..."

Jojo flatly refused, saying, "You don't need to say anything more, Dior. I will not agree to it. Making money this way goes against my morals."

"Damn it, this stubborn guy!"

Dio gritted his teeth and walked away angrily.

Not only did Qiao Qiao refuse Dior's request, but she also reported the loophole to Li Cheng, who came to inspect the area, the very next day. Although she didn't reveal her name, Li Cheng immediately guessed it was Dior.

"I understand. You did a great job. I'll make some changes later."

After praising Qiao Qiao a couple of times and sending him away, Li Cheng turned his attention to how to solve the problem: "My management is indeed a bit lax, but I can't believe I came up with a way to exploit the loophole so quickly... Dio is a real genius at doing bad things, it's a bit of a shame to make him play with coal."

Just as he was stroking his chin, pondering how to solve the problem, Annie ran towards him.

She said, "Li Cheng, I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

Li Cheng asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"

“I’m going to Lincoln. I’ve pretty much figured out the area by now. I’m going to continue my acting career,” Anne said cheerfully. “I’m planning to rent a room in the city. You can come over to my place when you’re free.”

Li Cheng was still a little worried about leaving Annie alone in the city. Although Mr. Stoller seemed to be planning to create a new account and start over, this was still the main account he had nurtured for so long. If anything happened to her, he would definitely be heartbroken.

So Li Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I'll go with you the day after tomorrow. Things are almost settled here in the territory, and I can also go and meet with Chairman Smith."

Chapter 169 Time to Get Up

evening.

At the dinner table, Anne informed the others that she was going to Lincoln. They had all lived together for so long, and it was a little regrettable, but fortunately, the two places weren't too far apart, so seeing each other wouldn't be difficult.

If only I had a cell phone... Li Cheng always misses electronic devices whenever he encounters situations like this.

However, while electronic devices are great, some experiences cannot be exchanged for human interaction, so we can only sacrifice electronic devices in comparison.

.......

After finishing his meal and taking a shower, Newton, wearing pajamas that were rather thin for the weather, excitedly ran to Li Cheng's room and knocked on the door with his fist.

dong dong dong...

"They're here, they're here."

When Li Cheng opened the door and saw Newton, his pupils contracted slightly: "Today too?"

Newton nodded matter-of-factly: "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sleep."

Li Cheng frowned: "How about we call it a day?"

Newton glared at him: "No! No! You promised!"

Seeing that Newton refused to back down, Li Cheng sighed, turned around and walked to the bedside, spreading out the folded quilt, leaving only an opening for someone to crawl into.

“Come on,” Li Cheng said.

"Hmm~"

Newton gave a satisfied hum, walked to the bedside, kicked off his slippers, and then crawled into the bed with his freshly washed body.

After comfortably burying her entire body in the quilt, with only her small golden head sticking out, she spoke expectantly:

"You can speak now."

—Newton is here to hear today's story.

The reason she came to Li Cheng's room was that Newton thought listening to stories was a bit childish, so she didn't want to listen in the hall, thinking that it would be disrespectful to the maid—although she herself was never very respectable.

But the weather in January was rather cold, and since he had just taken a bath, Newton would always spread out Li Cheng's quilt, lie down inside, and comfortably follow the updates.

Li Cheng moved a stool and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the dead fish with his eyes, and said slowly.

"Today's item is SCP-054, the Water Sprite, Item #: SCP-054, Object Class: Safe..."

"Judging from its appearance, it is a female humanoid figure composed entirely of water, with an average capacity of 90 liters..."

Compared to the miserable online writers who rack their brains every day to write their own stories, Li Cheng only needs to read the information about sp*p in his head once, which takes about half an hour.

Although it's much easier than writing it yourself, it's still quite troublesome to have to speak for thirty minutes every day, just like working overtime—especially since you have to endure the cold.

Li Cheng had originally considered telling other stories, but he was already so interested in just the story of S*P Newton, so he decided to wait until he had something else to tell.

......

Thirty minutes later.

Li Cheng, estimating that it was about time, stopped speaking and said, "That's all for today..."

Newton greedily urged, "More, more."

Li Cheng was reluctant: "It's cold sitting here without moving. If you want to listen, go to the fireplace in the living room; it's warm there."

No matter who you are, if you sit still for half an hour in mid-January, you'll start to shiver.

Newton thought about it and felt that it made sense, but she was still somewhat reluctant to leave today because she was not quite done with her thoughts.

So she shifted to the side a little, making some room: "Then you come to the bed too."

"Oh, that works too."

Seeing this, Li Cheng took off his coat and trousers, leaving only the two pieces underneath, and buried himself in the blanket.

Compared to the cold room, the warmth of the girl in the blankets made him breathe a sigh of relief: "Much warmer."

Newton shrank back slightly, his face turning a little red.

The two have lived under the same roof and spent so much time together, having had a lot of physical contact, including kissing and hugging more than once, but this is the first time they've ever shared a bed.

Even though it was just an extra layer of blankets covering the two of them, with even a little distance between them, it shouldn't have been as intimate as the kind of hugging in the summer. But the feeling it gave was completely different.

"project......"

After Li Cheng and the others warmed up, they looked at the ceiling and continued to talk about the archives, but Newton was absorbed in his own thoughts and didn't listen at all.

During this time, Li Cheng was tinkering with the coal stove. Although Newton appeared indifferent, she was actually watching everything closely. She was quite happy to see her territory gradually prospering, though she acted rather nonchalant.

It feels like things are going well if things can continue like this...

------

The next day.

"Mmm..."

Newton slowly opened his eyes and found that Li Cheng was right in front of him. Their faces were less than three centimeters apart, and they could even feel the heat of each other's breath on their faces.

......?

Newton was still a little groggy when she opened her eyes, struggling to comprehend her current situation. As her consciousness gradually cleared, she realized that she had apparently fallen asleep in Li Cheng's bed the night before. Not only that, but she had even been used as a pillow to sleep with all night.

Although it's quite comfortable, my feet, which are usually a bit cold when I wake up in the morning, are warm now because of the heat source.

But it won't work, it just won't work! I can't quite put my finger on why, but sleeping together at night is definitely not an option!

Although I've already slept for a night, I can still hurry back to my room while no one notices.

Newton gently pried the hands off his body and quietly climbed out of bed.

The cold air made her shiver, and she quickly hugged her arms.

I got out of bed quickly and lightly, put on my shoes quickly and lightly, opened the door quickly and lightly, and then closed it gently.

As soon as she closed the door, Newton saw Anne and Susie walking past the door together, and she immediately became nervous.

"Wow, Newton, you're up so early today."

However, when Annie saw Newton come out of Li Cheng's room in just his pajamas and slippers that morning, she didn't react much. Instead, she was very surprised that Newton had gotten up so early.

I woke up early today.

"Oh, then hurry up and put on some clothes, don't catch a cold."

As he watched the two leave, Newton breathed a sigh of relief, but he also secretly complained about why Li Cheng hadn't carried her back to her room later.

A couple of days ago, Newton also accidentally fell asleep. After all, listening to stories in a warm bed is really enjoyable, and it's easy to drift off without realizing it. Whenever this happened, Li Cheng would act as her porter, carrying her, along with her slippers from the floor, back to her room and tucking her in with a blanket.

But last night was different. Li Cheng was already in his warm bed and too lazy to get up to be a mover, so he simply used the little Newton as a pillow and slept comfortably all night.

Since the two are already very close, sleeping in each other's arms for a night doesn't seem like a big deal.

Or perhaps they've gotten a little too intimate. Even if they sleep together all night, it's hard for anything to happen. They need a catalyst to really break through that barrier—and the previous attempts have all been thwarted by various unexpected events.

Back in his room, after changing out of the clothes he had worn during the day, Newton washed up and then rushed back to Li Cheng's room in a few quick steps.

This time, however, her movements were not as gentle and careful as before. Instead, she boldly pushed open the door, put her hands on her hips, and shouted loudly:

"Get up, you idiot."

Chapter 170 The Thief

"Your Highness, it's time to get up."

Veronica opened her eyes when she heard the maid's soft call. Her usually calm brown eyes were now filled with confusion and a barely perceptible hint of helplessness.

My head hurts so much...

Veronica felt a little better after rubbing her throbbing temples.