Pei Ting nodded: "High school classmates, no wonder you seem so close."
"Did he come to see you about something this morning?"
"No, he drank with my dad last night and got drunk, so he stayed over," Jiang Mo replied.
Pei Ting didn’t press further. He was almost certain now—the second son of the Gu family, the celebrity Gu Ye.
Though he didn’t often watch TV shows or variety programs, he occasionally came across advertisements and promotions.
Pei Ting checked the time. "Have you eaten breakfast yet? Should we grab something first?"
"I woke up early and already ate," Jiang Mo thought to herself—it was already past 10 a.m., and soon it’d be time for lunch.
Originally, she had planned to invite him to a concert in the evening, followed by dinner.
But Pei Ting suggested trying out an indoor sports center instead.
"Alright. There’s water next to your seat if you get thirsty."
"I see it," Jiang Mo said, then asked, "Senior, has your law firm been busy lately?"
She had noticed he’d been swamped with work recently.
"Two cases just wrapped up, and the rest are manageable," Pei Ting replied, his slender fingers gripping the steering wheel as he slowed for a turn. "A few days ago, Teacher Yuan mentioned he’d like me to give a lecture to the seniors after the semester starts."
"You should go! You’re one of A University’s outstanding graduates, a distinguished alumnus," Jiang Mo said enthusiastically. "Not everyone gets that kind of opportunity."
Pei Ting glanced at her. "Am I that impressive in your eyes?"
"Of course! Your résumé alone is enough to outshine everyone," Jiang Mo exaggerated with a playful expression.
Pei Ting chuckled. "You’re inflating my ego so much, I might start floating."
"If it were me, I’d be strutting around like a peacock."
Jiang Mo giggled, and the two chatted and laughed all the way to the sports center.
The venue was spacious, featuring activities like rock climbing and zip-lining.
Jiang Mo was quite interested in rock climbing. After the instructor’s briefing, she suited up in the gear.
Pei Ting seemed like a regular—he was on familiar terms with the coach.
"If you get scared up there, you can stop and come down anytime."
Jiang Mo was eager to try. "Got it."
She went first, her movements awkward and unsteady at first. Pei Ting followed close behind, offering guidance every step of the way.
As she gradually got the hang of it, she climbed while remarking, "This is actually pretty fun—and a good workout too."
Pei Ting agreed. "It is. If you like it, we can come more often."
The atmosphere at the venue was warm and relaxed.
Meanwhile, someone in the Gu household was restless.
After returning home, Gu Ye quickly showered, finally feeling refreshed.
Then he pestered Zhuge Shen for information. "Shen, any updates?"
When there was no immediate reply—likely because the other man was busy—he took matters into his own hands and searched online. He did find some information, though not much.
Gu Baotian noticed his grandson’s agitation and sidled over. "What’s the matter? Trouble in paradise?"
"Nothing. What trouble could I possibly have?" Gu Ye kept his eyes glued to his phone.
Gu Baotian plopped down beside him. "You youngsters—such nice weather outside, and you’d rather stay cooped up at home like a shut-in. Even an old man like me has more of a social life."
"Yeah, I’m no match for you. You’re the expert—even got caught up in a late-life romance with the other party’s kids coming after you," Gu Ye said dryly.
Gu Baotian wasn’t having it. "Exactly. Admit it—you’re no match for your grandpa. I’ve got a partner. Do you?"
"When I like someone, I go after them. Do you even dare? You young folks talk big, but in the end, you’re all bark and no bite."
The old man certainly knew how to twist the knife.
Gu Ye was left speechless.
Seeing his grandson flounder, Gu Baotian grinned. "Strike while the iron’s hot. If you don’t seize the opportunity, someone else will—and you’ll regret it."
Wasn’t that exactly the situation he was facing now?
Did his grandfather know something?
No way—he hadn’t been that obvious, had he?
Gu Ye tensed, his voice stiff. "Grandpa, it sounds like you’re hinting at something."
"Hmph. At least you’re not completely clueless."
Gu Ye: "..."
Gu Baotian decided to lay it all out. "You like Xiao Mo, don’t you?"
Gu Ye nearly leaped off the couch, glancing around to make sure no one else was within earshot.
"Grandpa, keep your voice down… How did you know?"
"How? With my eyes, of course," Gu Baotian scoffed. "Did you really think you could hide it? I’ve dropped hints so many times, but you were too blind and deaf to notice."
Now that he mentioned it, Gu Ye did recall a few instances.
So his grandfather had known all along.
Gu Ye scratched his head sheepishly. "I didn’t realize you were so sharp."
"I haven’t confessed to her. If she rejects me, we might not even stay friends."
He added, "I wanted to prepare more first."
"Keep preparing, and by the time you’re ready, she might already belong to someone else," Gu Baotian said sagely. "A girl like her—you’re not the only one who’s interested."
"When you like someone, you’ve got to fight for them. Play dirty if you have to."
Gu Ye was already stewing over the appearance of a rival. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he saw no point in hiding it.
"Jiang Mo’s been spending a lot of time with a senior lately. My gut tells me he likes her."
"I know. The law student—Pei something. Handsome fellow, tall and refined."
Gu Ye blinked. "How do you know?"
Gu Baotian leaned back smugly. "I ran into them when I was out eating with Xiao Mo."
He gave his grandson a once-over. "Your competition isn’t half bad. If you go up against him, it’s anyone’s game."
"I’m plenty outstanding too," Gu Ye muttered defensively.
"Didn’t say you weren’t. Just telling you to act fast. Look at you—weekend’s here, and you didn’t even ask Xiao Mo out."
Gu Ye scratched his head. He couldn’t exactly admit that the senior had beaten him to it.
"Grandpa, don’t let the rest of the family know about this, especially Aunt Wang and Uncle Li."
"I don’t want them putting pressure on Jiang Mo."
From his grandfather’s reaction, it seemed he approved. But the others’ attitudes were still uncertain.
"Fine, I’ll keep it to myself for now," Gu Baotian agreed. "I like Xiao Mo too. Go ahead and chase her—I don’t foresee any major objections from our side."
Gu Ye was about to say more when Wang Xia came out with homemade iced drinks, handing one to each of them.
"Xiao Ye, your uncle was out of line last night. Don’t go drinking with him again."
Irresponsible, getting a young man drunk like that.
"It’s fine, Aunt Wang. My alcohol tolerance is just low. I wanted to drink—it’s not Uncle Li’s fault," Gu Ye reassured her. He still needed to stay on their good side.
