Wang Xia stared at the fishing rod while pinching Li Daming's ear. "Old Li, you’ve really outdone yourself. How could you just accept such an expensive fishing rod like this?"
"Tell me the truth—did you recently get obsessed with fishing videos and deliberately hint about it in front of Little Ye?"
Li Daming felt utterly wronged. "I really didn’t! The moment I walked in today, this fishing rod just came at me!"
Wang Xia frowned, suspicious that Li Daming might be taking advantage of his position as the Gu family’s driver and her own connections to pull some shady moves behind the scenes.
With a mouth like his, it was no wonder the kid felt too embarrassed to refuse.
"If you really didn’t, then why would Little Ye suddenly give you such an expensive gift? He doesn’t even fish—this was clearly bought on purpose."
"How should I know?" Li Daming patted his wife’s hand, signaling her to let go. Their child was watching, and he had his dignity to maintain.
Glancing at the items in the corner, he added, "Then why don’t you mention the health supplements he gave you? Those weren’t cheap either."
Wang Xia shot him a glare. "That’s because Little Ye is filial—he bought them for Madam and just happened to give me a set too."
Li Daming protectively held the fishing rod, wanting to argue, but after assessing the situation, he swallowed his words.
Jiang Mo, watching from the side, rested her chin on her hand in thought. "Giving Mom something is normal, but giving Dad a gift is a bit odd."
"What’s so odd about it? Little Ye and I have always gotten along just fine," Li Daming retorted. Though he might not have his wife’s standing in front of Madam, he was still a long-time employee of the Gu family.
"Hmph," Wang Xia scoffed. "Stop bragging."
"Who’s bragging? Men’s business isn’t something you women would understand," Li Daming said. "I say we stop overthinking it. Maybe Little Ye was just in a good mood and felt like giving gifts."
That wouldn’t be unusual. Over the years, both he and Wang Xia had received plenty of casual gifts from Old Master Gu, the master, and Madam.
Wang Xia didn’t press further, though she muttered, "Even if you have fishing gear, what’s the use? You’re busy working all day—when would you even have time to fish?"
Jiang Mo grinned. "Mom, you’re out of the loop. You can go night fishing."
"This kid talks too much," Li Daming grumbled, though inwardly he was pleased his daughter had voiced his thoughts.
"If you dare go night fishing, I’ll confiscate your gear," Wang Xia scolded. "Fishing at night? How are you supposed to work the next day?"
Li Daming quickly conceded. "I won’t go night fishing. I’ll wait for my days off."
The key to gift-giving was knowing the recipient’s preferences. When Gu Ye handed over the fishing rod and saw the undisguised delight on Li Daming’s face, he knew he’d chosen well.
Secretly satisfied, he remained unaware of the little family drama his gift had sparked.
Li Daming was utterly devoted to the fishing rod. The next day, taking advantage of Gu Guofeng not needing the car, he unwrapped it in the yard and examined it meticulously.
Gu Guofeng paused at the doorway. "Old Li, you’ve really splurged on yourself this time. High-end gear, huh?"
"Not at all—this is all thanks to the young master. Second Young Master Gu gave it to me," Li Daming said, tidying up the equipment. "Sir, are you heading out? I’ll get the car ready right away."
"No need. I’m not going to the office today. I have a flight to Hangzhou at 4:30 PM."
After giving his instructions, Gu Guofeng walked into the living room and remarked to Su Yunjin, "Our son’s learning the ways of the world. Who’d have thought he’d even think to give Old Li a gift?"
"Indeed. He even bought me some health supplements," Su Yunjin said, admiring her freshly done nails.
Gu Guofeng raised an eyebrow. "When did he buy those? Did I get anything?"
Su Yunjin chuckled. "Seems our son forgot you this time. I’ll remind him next time."
"That little ingrate," Gu Guofeng grumbled.
Just then, the "little ingrate" in question, Gu Ye, came downstairs and immediately headed to the yard, joining Li Daming.
The two chatted and laughed as they inspected the fishing gear.
Gu Guofeng watched with a hint of jealousy. "That kid’s awfully close with Old Li."
Jiang Mo, who happened to share the same thought, stood by the kitchen’s side door, which connected to the front and back yards. After finishing her chores, she made herself an iced lemon water and peered out the window at her father and Gu Ye.
Tilting her head, she wondered when the two had grown so close.
Wang Xia nudged her. "Go tell your dad to stop fiddling with that thing. Standing out in the yard like that—he might not mind the heat, but he shouldn’t let Little Ye roast out there too."
Gu Ye was crouched on the ground when a shadow suddenly fell over him. He looked up to see Jiang Mo holding a parasol over him.
Jiang Mo glanced down at the figure under the umbrella. From this angle, his sharp jawline was even more pronounced.
Her gaze trailed from his eyes to his lips, then to his Adam’s apple.
Snapping out of it, she turned to Li Daming. "Dad, Mom says to stop and come inside. It’s too hot out here."
Li Daming, too excited to care about the sun, was even tempted to cast a line right then. "It’s fine. I’ll just finish up here. You take Little Ye inside first."
When Gu Ye stood, Jiang Mo realized her arm wasn’t high enough to keep the parasol over him. She had to stretch it straight up.
Noticing this, Gu Ye naturally took the parasol from her. "Then, Uncle Li, Jiang Mo and I will head in first. Don’t stay out too long."
The two walked back to the house under the shade of the parasol.
"Thanks for that," Jiang Mo said. "But why did you give my dad such an expensive fishing rod?"
"Fishing’s better with good equipment," Gu Ye replied, folding the parasol. "I’ve recently taken an interest in it too. Since Uncle Li enjoys it, I bought an extra set so we can go together sometime."
Jiang Mo smirked. "If you want real competition, you should challenge Grandpa Gu or Grandfather Liu. My dad’s still a beginner."
Gu Ye shrugged. "Perfect. I’m a beginner too—neither of us will judge the other."
Their conversation faintly reached the living room, where Gu Guofeng narrowed his eyes. "Isn’t Old Li’s daughter around the same age as our Little Ye?"
"Yes, they were born the same year," Su Yunjin confirmed. "Why do you ask?"
Gu Guofeng tapped his fingers on the sofa. "Look at how eager that boy is around her."
Though he left the thought unfinished, Su Yunjin understood immediately.
Glancing at the pair by the door, she said, "Jiang Mo and Little Ye were high school classmates. They’ve always been close. If anything were going to happen between them, it would’ve happened by now."
With her years of experience in reading people, she was confident she’d notice if there were any sparks at home.
"Really? Maybe I’m overthinking it," Gu Guofeng conceded. "Still, since Little Ye isn’t seeing anyone, he’s staying here. If he starts dating, he’ll probably move out like his older brother."
"Who knows if he’s dating or not? He’s grown now—he doesn’t tell us everything."
Noticing Gu Ye approaching, Su Yunjin dropped the topic. Gu Ye glanced around. "What were you two talking about? I thought I heard my name."
