Jiang Mo and Pei Ting were unaware of the gossip behind their backs. The two had timed their outing perfectly to attend a concert, and afterward, Pei Ting escorted her home.
"Did you get tired after a whole day out?" Pei Ting asked as they reached the neighborhood gate.
Jiang Mo stepped out of the passenger seat. "Not at all. If anything, you must be more exhausted—you left earlier than me, will get home later, and did all the driving."
Holding her small bag, she stood beside the car while Pei Ting retrieved a plush toy from the backseat. "I actually had a lot of fun experiencing new things with you today. Make sure to rest early once you’re home."
"You too. Drive safely," Jiang Mo waved before heading inside, hugging the plush toy.
After her evening shower, Jiang Mo took a photo of the toy, added some concert snapshots, arranged them into a nine-grid collage, and posted it on her social media.
While lounging on the sofa scrolling through her feed, she was surprised to see Pei Ting had also posted.
He rarely shared anything—she could hardly remember the last time she’d seen an update from him.
Hmm, and upon closer look, some of his photos seemed identical to hers.
A message from Pei Ting popped up: "Your pictures turned out great. Mind if I borrowed a few for my post?"
"Not at all, feel free," Jiang Mo replied. Then she added, "Did you make it home yet?"
Pei Ting: "Yeah, just got back. Finished making a late-night snack for Xiao Li."
Jiang Mo: "Cooking for your sister? You must be quite the chef."
"You’ve got it wrong—Xiao Li isn’t my sister. She’s a stray cat I adopted," Pei Ting clarified, attaching a photo of the cat.
"Still, my cooking isn’t bad. If you’re free sometime, you should come over to pet the cat and try my food."
The photo showed an adorable tabby.
"I never took you for a cat person," Jiang Mo teased.
Pei Ting laughed. "Had no choice—this little one latched onto me. Luckily, she’s well-behaved."
Jiang Mo grinned. "Seems like this cat knows how to pick her humans…"
Meanwhile, Gu Ye had also seen Jiang Mo’s post and smirked. Her day had been packed with activities.
Later, a salesperson from the BMW 4S store called Jiang Mo to inform her that her ordered car had arrived and was ready for pickup.
Excited, Jiang Mo called Li Daming, and the father-daughter duo headed out.
"Finally, no more braving wind and rain—we’ve got a new car!" Jiang Mo rubbed her hands together, already imagining the farther adventures and food trips she could take.
Li Daming whispered conspiratorially, "Honestly, if it weren’t for your mom insisting we wait, we’d have bought you one back in college."
"Ugh, Dad, you’re the best!" Jiang Mo pretended to wipe away tears before joking, "Most people prioritize buying property first. Back when everyone was snapping up houses, why didn’t you guys invest?"
Their family had been living in the same home since her elementary school days.
Li Daming scratched his head. "Well, you kids were still young, and we didn’t need more space. Having you all under one roof was perfect—no worries about food or clothes. Now that your brother’s heading out of town, the house will feel emptier."
He paused. "Wait, do you want to move out?"
"No, no, just curious," Jiang Mo shook her head. "Living at home is great—no rent to pay!"
At the dealership, the pickup process was a celebratory affair, complete with flowers and confetti.
Li Daming handled everything—inspecting the car and finalizing paperwork—while Jiang Mo simply posed for photos with the bouquet and her new car.
Such a happy occasion called for celebration, so Li Daming took her to a lakeside restaurant.
The ambiance was exquisite, but a glance at the menu revealed equally impressive prices.
One meal here could cover two decent home appliances.
Jiang Mo leaned in. "Dad, have you struck gold recently? Share the secret."
Li Daming chuckled. "Your old man just drives and dabbles in stocks—where would sudden wealth come from? I’ve seen Chairman Gu eat here a couple of times. He said the food’s delicious and visually appealing—figured you youngsters like pretty meals."
"Since your brother’s traveling, it’s just us today. Don’t tell him, or he’ll throw a fit."
Jiang Mo nodded, eyeing the menu. "Dad, since you and Mom covered the car, this meal’s on me. But… let’s not go overboard, okay?"
"Ha! If my daughter insists on treating, I won’t refuse."
After the meal, Li Daming asked for her thoughts. "So, what do you think of the place? Not bad, right?"
Jiang Mo set down her chopsticks, resting her chin on her hand. "It’s delicious—great for occasional treats. But my wallet wouldn’t survive regular visits."
They left in high spirits, Jiang Mo driving her new car ahead while Li Daming followed in his older vehicle.
Back in the neighborhood, Li Daming chatted amiably with the gatekeeper, offering him a cigarette.
As the adults talked, Jiang Mo idly scrolled through her phone—until a snippet of conversation caught her attention.
Gatekeeper: "Old Li, someone was asking earlier if there are any three-bedroom units for rent here. Didn’t you mention your tenants moved out recently?"
Li Daming: "Yeah, one became vacant last month. It’s been cleaned and fully furnished—ready for move-in."
Gatekeeper: "Got it. Next time I see that person, I’ll pass along your contact."
Jiang Mo’s head snapped up.
Rental property? They owned other homes in this complex?
Li Daming continued, "By the way, I’ve got some new tea at home—I’ll bring you some later."
Gatekeeper: "You’re too kind."
Once they wrapped up, Jiang Mo stuffed her phone into her bag. "Dad! Dad! We have other apartments here? Why didn’t you ever mention it?"
Li Daming hesitated. "Well… prices were low when we bought, and we had spare cash, so we picked up a couple more. They’ve been rented out all these years."
"I thought it was weird you and Mom didn’t invest in property. Turns out you just kept it quiet!" Jiang Mo pressed, "How many do we own here?"
"Not many—just two besides our current place."
After checking current market prices and rental rates for the area, Jiang Mo gasped. "Dad, you and Mom are seriously low-key rich!"
"You didn’t even tell me? What, no trust between father and daughter?"
"Your mom said you kids were too young to know," Li Daming defended.
Jiang Mo rolled her eyes. "Were you afraid we’d turn into spoiled brats or something?" She sighed dramatically. "Dad, I take it back—you’re way richer than me. I shouldn’t have insisted on paying earlier."
