Unfortunately, no one responded to him. After a while, the sound of a car driving away came from downstairs.
Su Yunjin came out of her room to check and saw the light in Gu Ye's room was on, but he wasn’t there, while Gu Xuan was sprawled casually on the bed.
"Why aren’t you sleeping in your own room? What are you doing in your brother’s room? Where’s Gu Ye?"
Gu Xuan shrugged. "Dunno. He just drove off."
Su Yunjin muttered, "He just got back, and now he’s gone again?"
Gu Ye sped down the road, his hair still damp and sticking to his forehead, but he didn’t care.
Only one thought filled his mind: to find Jiang Xiaomo.
Familiar with the route, he arrived at the residential complex, parked his car, and knocked on the door from memory.
Inside, Jiang Xiaomo was eating barbecue with Li Zheng. The meal was Li Zheng’s treat—a celebration for his sister’s new job.
"You’re heading to university in a couple of days. Need me or Dad to take you?"
"Nah, I’ll just take the bus. I’ll buy whatever I need there—no need to trouble anyone," Li Zheng said, biting into a piece of beef. "Once I settle in, I’ll invite you over for a visit."
"Pfft, like I need your invitation. If I wanna go, I’ll just go," Jiang Mo retorted, clapping her hands before darting into her room and returning with a gift box. "Here, your graduation present."
Li Zheng’s eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"Open it and see for yourself."
Li Zheng set down his skewer and eagerly tore off the wrapping. When he saw what was inside, his eyes widened. "Sis, you got me a camera? These aren’t cheap! I can really have this?"
"Quit the chatter. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back," Jiang Mo teased, reaching out as if to reclaim the gift.
"No, no! I want it!" Li Zheng hugged the camera to his chest. "Thanks, sis. You’re the best."
Jiang Mo smiled. "Then you better treat me well after you graduate. I’ll be counting on you for the good life."
Li Zheng grinned. "You can count on—"
Before he could finish, rapid knocking interrupted them.
"Who’s back? Did Dad forget his keys?" As the younger brother, Li Zheng dutifully got up to answer the door.
Peeking through the peephole, he tilted his head in confusion, glanced back at Jiang Mo still eating inside, then opened the door.
The two locked eyes. Li Zheng gave Gu Ye a once-over—he looked a bit disheveled.
"Bro Ye, what brings you here? Something up?"
Gu Ye spoke bluntly. "I’m here for your sister."
"Oh, uh, she’s inside. Come in."
Jiang Mo peeked toward the doorway, chopsticks still in hand, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"
Gu Ye’s voice was rough as he stared at her. "You quit working at my place? Why didn’t you tell me? Everyone else knew—I was the only one left in the dark."
Jiang Mo swallowed her food. "I got a new job, so I left your place… It’s not a big deal. I figured you’d find out when you got back."
"You left just because of the new job? Not for any other reason?"
"Yeah, I got hired as an assistant at a law firm."
Gu Ye exhaled almost imperceptibly. He had thought… At least it wasn’t that.
Noticing his wet hair, Jiang Mo fetched a fresh towel and handed it to him. "Dry your hair."
Only then did Gu Ye realize his hair was still damp. He took the towel and mechanically rubbed his head.
Jiang Mo ignored him and returned to the table to keep eating.
Li Zheng glanced between them, then slunk back to his seat.
Gu Ye sat on the sofa, silent, just drying his hair.
After a while, he spoke up. "Hey, Li Zheng, can you run downstairs and grab some coconut juice for me?"
"Sure, no problem. I’ll be right back," Li Zheng said, wiping his mouth as he stood.
Only after stepping into the elevator did it dawn on him—late at night, a guy and girl alone together… Was he being deliberately sent away? Were they about to do something?
Jiang Mo chewed her food, eyeing Gu Ye as he sat beside her. The atmosphere felt off.
What’s with the serious face, kid?
"Jiang Xiaomo, I have something to say to you."
"Uh… go ahead."
Gu Ye wasn’t his usual playful self. His tone was solemn. "I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Jiang Mo nearly choked on her juice, hastily grabbing a napkin.
"Are you joking?"
"I’m dead serious," Gu Ye said, softening the mood. "Actually, I wanted to confess during the vacation, but Li Zheng and Gu Xuan interrupted."
"After we got back, I planned to set up a nice scene before telling you. But when I found out you’d left today, I was afraid we’d go back to being strangers again."
Jiang Mo stayed silent after hearing him out.
