"Ahhh, Sister Mo, save me!" Gu Xuan squealed dramatically.
Gu Ye smacked the back of his head. "Stop yelling. Get back to your room—I’ll deal with you later."
Gu Xuan pouted defiantly. "I didn’t even do anything wrong! You’re just guilty because you got caught."
Gu Ye wished he could gag the kid—this little troublemaker was exhausting.
Despite his protests, Gu Xuan was dragged back to the room.
Jiang Mo, concerned, followed them.
"Sister Mo, look at my second brother! He’s so cruel, always bullying me behind your back," Gu Xuan whined, sitting on the edge of the bed with exaggerated tears.
"I never knew you were such a good actor," Gu Ye scoffed, torn between irritation and amusement.
Jiang Mo could tell the situation wasn’t serious—Gu Xuan would probably just get scolded.
"After you two talk, make sure to wash up and get some sleep," she said before turning to leave.
Gu Ye ordered the little rascal to stay put, then followed her out, closing the door behind him.
He scratched his head, searching for an excuse but coming up empty.
Finally, he decided to just come clean.
"That photo—I took it while you were sleeping. It’s not a bad one, though. I thought you looked nice, so I kept it."
Jiang Mo blinked, momentarily stunned, then nodded awkwardly. "Oh... it’s fine."
"Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my room now."
That was her reaction?
No demand to delete it? No scolding?
Gu Ye mumbled, "Alright, get some rest."
Jiang Mo hurried away, flustered, and collapsed onto her bed. What just happened? That wasn’t like him at all.
And why had she frozen up? She should’ve reprimanded him properly—instead, she’d practically fled.
"Ughhh!"
She screamed internally, rolling around in frustration.
Gu Ye, too, found Jiang Mo’s reaction strange. But before he could dwell on it, he spotted Gu Xuan sprawled lazily on the bed, reigniting his annoyance.
"Listen here, little troublemaker—no more sneaking my phone, got it?"
"Fine, fine," Gu Xuan muttered, insincerely apologizing at lightning speed. "I won’t touch it again."
Then, under his breath, he added, "It’s not like I don’t have my own phone. I only took it to show Sister Mo the photo."
"And stop hanging around Jiang Mo so much, spouting nonsense," Gu Ye warned.
Gu Xuan smirked. "Second brother, are you jealous that Sister Mo likes me more? You’re so petty."
Gu Ye gave up arguing. Bringing this kid along had been a mistake.
He just hoped Gu Xuan wouldn’t cause any more chaos.
Later, after washing up and lying down, Gu Ye absentmindedly played a game when a sudden realization struck him.
Tan Yangming’s voice crackled through the headset, yelling, "Dude, what’s the hold-up? Move already!"
Snapping out of it, Gu Ye said, "Old Tan, I’m done playing."
"Come on, man, just finish this round," Tan Yangming urged.
Though he rejoined the game, Gu Ye’s mind was elsewhere.
Had Jiang Mo’s reaction meant something? She hadn’t gotten mad—in fact, she’d acted flustered. Did that mean... she felt differently about him now?
Locking himself in the bathroom, he called Tan Yangming for advice.
"From what you’re saying, it sounds promising," Tan Yangming said excitedly. "Give me more details—describe everything!"
Gu Ye: "..."
Could he be any more obvious about his nosiness?
Tan Yangming was thrilled his usually clueless friend was finally pursuing someone. He desperately wanted to know who had captured Gu Ye’s interest.
But Gu Ye stayed tight-lipped. Tan Yangming guessed it might be someone from the entertainment industry.
"Stop speculating. Keep this to yourself. If things work out, I’ll treat everyone to a feast," Gu Ye said firmly.
Tan Yangming grinned. "Got it, lips sealed. And if you need backup, just say the word."
After their bathroom strategy session, Gu Ye emerged in high spirits, humming as he drifted off to sleep.
The next day’s plan was a trip to the canyon, famed for its ink-painting-like scenery.
Jiang Mo carried a backpack stocked with basic medical supplies for the elderly travelers.
"Let me take that," Gu Ye offered, noticing the bag looked heavy.
Jiang Mo shook her head. "It’s fine, not too heavy. I can manage."
Gu Baotian chimed in, "Jiang Mo, let him carry it. Boys should learn to help girls."
Before she could protest, Gu Ye had already slung the bag over his shoulder.
On the bus, Jiang Mo spotted an empty window seat next to Gu Xuan and quickly claimed it.
Gu Ye had been about to ask her to sit with him but swallowed the words.
Gu Xuan groaned, "Sister Mo, did you sleep well last night? I didn’t—hotel beds are the worst."
"It was okay," Jiang Mo replied, though she’d spent most of the night overthinking and barely slept.
