"Are they asleep?"
Wang Xiao, reclining against a chair woven from bamboo strands on the balcony, posed the question casually, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers.
Beside him, Mary sat in a similarly crafted chair, her gaze empty and distant, her expression indifferent.
Cradled in her arms, his twin daughters, now a year old, slumbered peacefully.
"It appears so," Mary responded quietly, her voice tinged with mechanical detachment as she glanced down at the sleeping children.
"Good job, you're officially hired," Wang Xiao declared, his lips curving into an evil grin as he let out a dry chuckle.
Mary raised her head, her blank stare fixed on him, unsure how to react to his comment.
"Why did you choose to relocate here? It's so isolated, hardly ideal for raising children," she inquired, her tone remaining neutral yet laced with curiosity.