"Kid, family shouldn't speak like strangers. Rewarding your sister doesn’t mean you’re left out—she gets a new car, but you’ve got your electric scooter," Li Daming said to his son. "And don’t forget, your sister helped tutor you all through school. You wouldn’t have gotten into college without her."
Jiang Mo chimed in, "Exactly! Plus, Dad already rewarded you with that trip, didn’t he?"
Li Daming rubbed his head. "Right, I almost forgot about that. That definitely counts as a reward."
Caught between his father and sister, Li Zheng had no chance to argue. Defeated, he muttered, "I must’ve been adopted."
Jiang Mo ignored her brother’s grumbling. Her mind was already racing with excitement about the car her dad had promised. "Dad, what’s the budget for the car?"
Li Daming munched on some chilled edamame. "Well, I’ll have to discuss that with your mom first."
"Please don’t tell me it’s a Wuling Hongguang. Even that’s got four wheels," Li Zheng cut in.
"And you don’t even have a Wuling Hongguang to drive," Jiang Mo teased, sticking her tongue out at him.
Li Daming waved a hand. "No way. My daughter deserves better than that."
"Dad’s the best. Being Li Daming’s daughter is the best," Jiang Mo grinned.
Li Zheng watched his sister’s shameless flattery and quickly added, "Dad, being your son is pretty great too."
Li Daming pointed at him. "Oh yeah? Then go check with the server and see when our food’s coming."
Buying a car was a big deal. After the satisfying meal, Li Daming called Wang Xia to discuss purchasing a car for their daughter. He’d brought it up casually at dinner but hadn’t actually consulted her yet.
"Have you noticed how much our daughter’s been riding that scooter lately? She’s even gotten a tan," he said, playing the sympathy card to win her over.
"Anyway, she’s got her license and drives well now. I think it’s time we got her a car."
Wang Xia didn’t object. "If you want to buy one, go ahead. Just take her to pick something she likes."
"Got it. I’ll make sure it’s a good choice," Li Daming said, hesitating. "So… what’s the budget?"
Wang Xia gave him a number, and Li Daming had his answer.
Li Zheng grumbled about favoritism but still tagged along when they went car shopping the next day, even skipping his usual lazy morning.
After browsing for a while, Li Daming asked, "Sweetheart, any cars catch your eye?"
Jiang Mo hesitated. She didn’t know much about cars. "Dad, what do you think?"
Li Daming pondered. "How about a BMW?"
Before Jiang Mo could respond, Li Zheng groaned. "Daughter gets a BMW, son gets a scooter. Perfect. Just perfect."
"Dad, isn’t a BMW a bit expensive?" Jiang Mo asked.
"Not really. Dealerships are competitive these days, and prices have dropped."
In the end, Li Daming made the call. "We’ll take the BMW. And no financing—full payment."
The siblings exchanged a glance. They’d never pried into the family’s finances, but this was a clear sign they were doing well.
Once the car was settled, Li Daming called Wang Xia with the news.
Gu Ye happened to be nearby when Wang Xia hung up. "Aunt Wang, your family got a new car?"
"Yep, for Jiang Mo," Wang Xia said. "It’ll be more convenient for her."
"Definitely. If I’d known she was car shopping, I could’ve helped her pick," Gu Ye said, twirling his keys. "Anyway, I’ve got plans tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner."
Unlike before, this time he actually had plans.
He met up with Tan Yangming and Liu Jia at their usual arcade hangout, where they booked a private room and dove straight into gaming.
After hours of play, they headed out for food, settling on a nearby hot pot place.
Gu Ye swept his hair back with a casual flick, earning a scoff from Tan Yangming. "Look at you, showing off without even trying."
"Can’t help the natural charm," Gu Ye shot back. "No girlfriend duty today? You moved fast with that relationship."
Tan Yangming shrugged. "When the right person comes along, you can’t fight it."
Gu Ye smirked. "So, did you chase her, or did she chase you?"
"He shamelessly pursued her," Liu Jia interjected. "This guy had a whole strategy—showing up wherever she was, texting her nonstop. The effort was almost embarrassing."
"And not only did he win her over, he even charmed her family."
Tan Yangming dunked meat into the broth. "You don’t get it. If you like someone, you’ve got to act fast. There were other guys after her—I couldn’t afford to slack."
"If you want something, go for it. If someone else gets there first, you’ll regret it forever."
The words struck Gu Ye as familiar. His grandfather had said something similar not long ago.
"But how do you know if she likes you back? What if confessing ruins the friendship?"
"Easy. Pay attention to her reactions—blushing, shyness, how she responds to casual touch. Test the waters step by step," Tan Yangming advised. "For a guy with your looks, you’re surprisingly clueless about dating."
Gu Ye thought back. He’d tried showing off his abs and even sent a post-shower pic, but her reactions had been… underwhelming.
Were those internet tricks just not her style?
Liu Jia noticed Gu Ye’s thoughtful expression. "Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush?"
No point hiding it now. "Yeah. There’s someone I like."
Tan Yangming and Liu Jia leaned in. "Who? A celebrity or something?"
"Nah, just a regular girl," Gu Ye admitted, scratching his head.
"Nice. So, what’s the progress?" Tan Yangming pressed.
Gu Ye downed his drink. "Haven’t confessed yet."
Liu Jia blinked. "Dude, with your face and status, what’s there to fear?"
"That’s shallow. Not everyone’s into my type," Gu Ye muttered. He didn’t want to confess unless he was at least 90% sure of her feelings—and right now, he had no clue.
Still, Tan Yangming’s advice gave him some ideas.
Tan Yangming nodded. "Love makes people insecure. It’s normal. Just go for it—rejection’s not the end of the world."
"Speaking of which… got a picture of this mystery girl?"
"No way." Gu Ye shut it down. He wasn’t risking these two messing things up.
No matter how much they prodded, Gu Ye refused to say more.
Tan Yangming clapped him on the shoulder. "If you need advice, come to me. Don’t trust those garbage tips online."
Liu Jia groaned. "Great. If you two start dating, I’ll be the last single one standing. We were supposed to stay single together!"
Gu Ye smirked. "I never agreed to that."
After the rowdy dinner, Gu Ye walked home, lost in thought. Maybe he’d been too subtle. Maybe Jiang Mo just hadn’t noticed his feelings.
Should we get a little wilder next time?
