Gu Baotian gave his grandson a meaningful look—see, even Jiang Mo has agreed.
Gu Ye had no choice. "Fine, I get it. With more people joining, I'll need to adjust the travel plans."
After settling the matter, Gu Baotian sauntered off leisurely.
Jiang Mo nudged Gu Ye with her elbow. "So, feeling the pressure? Need my help?"
"It's fine, trust me, I can handle it," Gu Ye replied. "You’re friends with the other two grandpas, right? I’ll create a group later—could you add them to it?"
"No problem!"
Gu Ye returned to his room and began revising their vacation arrangements.
Once everything was settled, he scheduled their departure for two days later. The journey wasn’t too long—they’d drive straight from the villa.
On the morning of their trip, just past seven, the Gu family’s courtyard was already bustling with activity.
Liu Guochuan and Pan Weidong arrived together, while Zhong Xiaoqin showed up ten minutes later.
Gu Baotian, already up, was walking his dog in the yard. The moment they met, the group launched into lively chatter right there.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo was still sound asleep, buried under her blankets, until she was shaken awake.
"Wake up! Aren’t you going on that trip with Gu Ye today? Grandpa Liu and the others are already in the yard," Wang Xia said, standing by her bed.
"Did I oversleep? My alarm didn’t go off," Jiang Mo mumbled, bolting upright and grabbing her phone. She exhaled in relief. "It’s still early."
"You should still get ready ahead of time—can’t keep people waiting. Once you’re up, go wake Gu Ye upstairs," Wang Xia instructed before heading out to prepare breakfast.
Jiang Mo scrambled out of bed, freshened up quickly, and stepped out, catching faint echoes of hearty laughter from the courtyard.
Tiptoeing upstairs, she knocked on Gu Ye’s door.
"Time to get up. The grandpas and grandma are already here."
Still groggy, Gu Ye stumbled back inside to check his phone. "We agreed on 9:30, didn’t we? It’s still early."
"They probably like having extra time. Hurry up and get ready—I’ll head down first."
After dragging Gu Ye out of bed, Jiang Mo went downstairs to greet everyone in the yard.
"Good morning, grandpas and grandma! Have you all eaten breakfast?"
She noticed how brightly and colorfully everyone was dressed, as if they were heading to a tropical island.
Zhong Xiaoqin smiled warmly. "We ate at home. At our age, we don’t sleep much, so we came a bit early."
"Early? The sun’s already high!" Liu Guochuan, sporting sunglasses, chimed in. "So when are we leaving?"
"Didn’t you see the time in the group chat? 9:30," Zhong Xiaoqin retorted. "What’s the rush?"
Liu Guochuan shot back, "Who’s rushing? I’m just asking!"
As the two bickered, Jiang Mo turned to the other side. "Grandpa Pan, you look so stylish today!"
"Really? Finally, someone with taste!" Pan Weidong adjusted his outfit proudly. "Just got this haircut, and the clothes are the latest trend."
"All that fashion’s gonna give you rheumatism," Liu Guochuan scoffed. "Dressing like a peacock at your age—what, planning a twilight romance?"
His remark managed to tease all three of them at once.
Pan Weidong fired back, "Sounds like jealousy to me. Take notes—might help you shake off that old-man stench."
Liu Guochuan immediately sidestepped. "Better keep my distance then. Your ‘fragrance’ is overwhelming."
Jiang Mo grinned at the scene, certain this trip would be anything but dull. These elders sure knew how to entertain.
Gu Baotian, hands clasped behind his back, frowned. "Where’s Gu Ye? Still lazing in bed?"
Jiang Mo explained, "He’s up—just freshening up upstairs."
"Grandpas and grandma, why don’t we all head inside for breakfast?"
Some protested they’d already eaten, but Gu Baotian waved it off. "Eat a little more!" His insistence eventually herded everyone to the table.
When Gu Ye came downstairs, he was met with boisterous chatter from the dining room.
"Good morning, grandpas and grandma."
The group looked up. Zhong Xiaoqin had met him before, but Liu Guochuan and Pan Weidong were seeing him for the first time.
"Wow, what a handsome young man!" Liu Guochuan praised. "Much better-looking than your grandpa in his youth."
"And so tall! Over six feet, right?" Pan Weidong added. "Towers over your grandpa."
Liu Guochuan nodded. "Seems sharper too."
"Hey, you two mocking me now?" Gu Baotian feigned offense. "Careful, or I’ll leave you behind on this trip."
Gu Ye chuckled, recognizing the classic elder-to-youngster flattery. "You’re too kind, grandpas."
Gu Baotian turned. "You and Jiang Mo hurry up and eat. If we finish early, we can hit the road sooner."
Not spotting Jiang Mo, Gu Ye headed to the kitchen, where he found her eating in the side room. Without hesitation, he grabbed her bowl and plate.
"Hey! Where are you taking my food?" Jiang Mo protested, mid-bite, as her breakfast was whisked away.
"To the dining room—we’re eating with everyone," Gu Ye declared, leaving no room for argument.
Jiang Mo trailed after him, reluctantly joining the group meal.
Midway through, she locked eyes with Gu Ye. "Oh no—we forgot to wake Little Xuan!"
