Gu Ye returned to his room, still replaying the day’s events in his mind. He felt he had performed well today, managing to grow closer to Jiang Mo’s family—definite progress.
But before he could take further action, work called him away again. Lugging his suitcase, he reluctantly stepped out the door and paused to say, "Jiang Mo, I left something for you in my room. Remember to take it when you go upstairs later."
Puzzled, Jiang Mo went upstairs and found a large cardboard box in his room. Opening it, she discovered it was filled with all kinds of snacks.
"Why did you buy so many snacks? I won’t be able to finish them all!"
On his way to the airport, Gu Ye received her message. "These snacks are specially for you—something to nibble on when you’re free. There’s also a gift on the table. Open it and see."
Jiang Mo glanced at the table and unwrapped the beautifully packaged box. Inside was a small car charm, but what made it special was the tiny golden gourd pendant attached to it, engraved with the words "Safe Travels."
Gu Ye: "Congratulations on your new car. This is a little gift for you."
"You’re well-informed! Thanks for the gift. I’ll treat you to a meal when you’re back," Jiang Mo replied. Though it was just a charm, the little gourd pendant wasn’t cheap.
Gu Ye grinned, his lips curling up. "You said you’d treat me to a meal—I’m holding you to that."
Jiang Mo carried the snacks downstairs to her room, where Wang Xia spotted her. "Did you buy all these snacks again?"
After setting them down, Jiang Mo dusted off her hands. "No, I didn’t."
July arrived, and the temperature in Jiangcheng soared. Despite the sweltering heat outside, Jiang Mo kept busy at home, helping Gu Baotian organize the contents of his autobiography.
Liu Guochuan’s autobiography was already finished and in talks with publishers. With a little extra financial push, the publishing process would move lightning-fast.
Meanwhile, Gu Baotian hadn’t written a single word. Only now, hearing about Liu Guochuan’s progress, did he start to panic.
"That old man, how’d he move so quickly?" Gu Baotian muttered.
Jiang Mo tried to defend Liu Guochuan. "Grandpa Gu, Grandpa Liu has been working on his for a long time. You’re the one who’s been dragging your feet."
And weren’t you busy with your love life before?
Gu Baotian waved a hand dismissively. "No big deal. What matters is quality. Let him publish first."
Well, people always had their excuses.
Jiang Mo spent several days hunched over her laptop, finally organizing a portion of the autobiography. She even squeezed in time to earn two certificates related to household management.
When the evening cooled down, Jiang Mo took Fuguier out for a walk and met Li Wan'er at the hexagonal pavilion. Li Wan'er had even brought skewers for a barbecue, and the two friends happily munched away.
Between bites, Jiang Mo studied Li Wan'er. "Wan'er, I think you’ve gotten a little rounder."
"Not your imagination—I’ve gained weight," Li Wan'er admitted. "The food’s good, and I’ve been secretly indulging myself. Bound to happen."
"Oh, and in a couple of days, I’m going on vacation with the kid’s mom. I’ll bring you back a gift!"
Jiang Mo teased, "Ooh, nice! A paid vacation sounds amazing."
"Honestly, I’ve finally got a few coins saved up now—not so broke anymore," Li Wan'er sighed. "If I were still doing our old line of work, I’d probably starve."
"Our old profession takes years before you start making decent money." Mentioning this, Jiang Mo brought up her recent visit to their alma mater with Pei Ting. "According to Senior Pei, Youhe’s performance is tanking. That trash is finally getting his comeuppance."
"Justice served! Well done!" Li Wan'er knew all about Jiang Mo’s ordeal during her internship at Youhe Law Firm. "May Youhe go bankrupt!"
Then she switched to gossiping about Pei Ting. "You and Senior Pei seem pretty close. Is there something going on between you two?"
"What could possibly be going on? Senior Pei just wants to give me a leg up," Jiang Mo said. "There’s a professional exchange event tomorrow with some big names in the field. We can attend lectures and freeload some food. Wanna come?"
"Sure! I’m off tomorrow anyway," Li Wan'er agreed, unaware that Pei Ting had invited Jiang Mo.
After polishing off the barbecue, Jiang Mo walked Fuguier home.
She sent Pei Ting a message: "Senior Pei, a classmate of mine wants to come with me to the exchange event tomorrow. Is that okay? If it’s inconvenient, no worries."
By the time Jiang Mo finished showering, Pei Ting had replied: "No problem at all. Come together."
Jiang Mo blow-dried her hair halfway and let the rest air-dry while watching a lawyer’s livestream on Douyin, where people connected for legal consultations.
Since the audio was on speaker, Wang Xia overheard everything and wondered if the girl was thinking of returning to her old profession.
The exchange event was scheduled for the entire day, with a buffet lunch at the hotel.
Jiang Mo and Li Wan'er arrived at the venue entrance and spotted Pei Ting mingling with others.
Li Wan'er linked arms with Jiang Mo. "Everyone’s dressed in suits, looking all elite. Don’t we stick out like sore thumbs?"
"It’s fine. We’re just here to observe. No one pays attention to small fry," Jiang Mo reassured her. She waited until Pei Ting finished his conversation before calling out, "Senior Pei, we’re here!"
Pei Ting strode over. "Glad you made it. Your seats are ready—come on in."
Inside, the venue was much larger than expected, with at least four to five hundred people filling the space from back to front.
Jiang Mo had assumed it would be a small industry gathering.
Following Pei Ting, they were led to seats labeled with name cards. "They’re a bit toward the back."
"No problem. The view’s better from here, and the stage screen is huge anyway. We’re just here to listen—thanks for arranging this, Senior," Jiang Mo said gratefully.
Just then, someone else greeted Pei Ting, and Jiang Mo quickly added, "Senior, don’t let us keep you."
Pei Ting nodded. "Alright. Let’s catch up during lunch."
Once he left, Li Wan'er pinched Jiang Mo’s arm and smirked. "So that’s why. Senior Pei invited you, huh? You should’ve said so earlier. I wouldn’t have tagged along and ruined your moment."
Jiang Mo flipped through the printed event booklet on the table. "You and your teasing. You know Senior Pei too."
"He’s the law school’s heartthrob. Sure, I know him, but does he know me? You’re different," Li Wan'er leaned in and whispered. "The way you two interact—it’s not just casual."
