Gu Ye, having flaunted his perfect physique and made sure everyone noticed, returned to his room.
"Bro Gu Ye, you’ve got such a great figure. I never would’ve guessed—how long have you been working out?" Li Zheng marveled.
Gu Ye replied casually, "Not too long, maybe a year or two."
Still, it showed he’d put in some effort.
Li Zheng glanced at Gu Ye’s toned body, then down at his own, and made a silent vow: from now on, he’d hit the gym too and transform into a muscular hunk.
Their hiking destination was Shenxian Ridge, a relatively easy outdoor trail—not too long, not too steep.
The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, the group set out.
Once on the bus, Gu Xuan eagerly invited Li Zheng to sit with him. "Bro Li Zheng, now that you’re here, I’m finally not the lonely little nobody anymore."
"Come on, don’t make it sound so tragic. Doesn’t Bro Gu Ye look out for you?" Li Zheng settled into the seat beside him, placing his backpack on his lap.
Gu Xuan pouted. "My second brother? He barely pays me any attention. Look ahead."
Following Gu Xuan’s pointed finger, Li Zheng saw Jiang Mo and Gu Ye boarding the bus.
Gu Ye carried Jiang Mo’s canvas bag and said, "Take the window seat. You didn’t eat much at breakfast, so I brought you some fruit and snacks."
Jiang Mo was practically herded into her seat. "Stop fussing, I’m not hungry."
"Then eat when you are," Gu Ye insisted. "I’ll leave everything here on the tray."
Watching them up close, Li Zheng couldn’t help but feel like his sister Jiang Mo was the young mistress, while Gu Ye played the role of her devoted attendant.
"Has it been like this the whole time?"
Gu Xuan nodded. "Yeah. My brother barely spends time with me. He only acknowledges me when he’s free. You have no idea how lonely I’ve been."
Li Zheng sympathized. "That does sound rough. Don’t worry, I’ll hang out with you."
The night before, as she lay in bed, Jiang Mo had replayed the past few days in her mind. Gu Ye had been… unusually attentive. Maybe even excessively so.
Was she overthinking it?
Still, she didn’t like how it made her feel—like something was slipping out of her control, stirring a faint unease. She’d never experienced emotions being swayed by someone else like this before.
Leaning her head against the window, she frowned slightly, lost in thought—until a large hand pressed against her forehead.
"No fever. Are you feeling unwell?" Gu Ye asked, concern lacing his voice.
"I’m fine," Jiang Mo denied, her reply absentminded.
Sensing her low spirits, Gu Ye didn’t press further. "Alright, get some rest then."
He turned and texted Li Zheng: "Did you upset your sister?"
Li Zheng was indignant. "Me? No way."
Gu Ye: "Then why does she seem off today?"
"How should I know? Don’t even try to figure out a girl’s mood," Li Zheng said. "Isn’t there that saying online? Girls have those days every month when they’re just not happy."
The point of this trip was to have fun, after all.
By the time they reached Shenxian Ridge, Jiang Mo had shaken off her inexplicable mood and reverted to her usual lively self, sprinting toward the mountaintop with a bright smile—though she made a point of subtly avoiding Gu Ye.
Gu Ye noticed immediately. Without preamble, he asked, "Jiang Mo, did I do something to upset you?"
Jiang Mo shook her head. "No."
"Then why are you avoiding me? You bolt after two words." Seizing a moment when they were alone, Gu Ye cut straight to the point.
"I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been busy chatting with the others," Jiang Mo mumbled, rubbing her nose and avoiding his gaze.
