After finishing his meal, Gu Ye instantly felt recharged and pulled out his phone to tap away.
Jiang Mo was quite pleased that her cooking had been appreciated.
A notification popped up on her phone—a transfer from Gu Ye.
A four-digit amount.
Something’s off. This feels suspicious.
"What’s going on? Why are you sending me money?"
Gu Ye flipped his phone onto the table: "Overtime pay. Weren’t you supposed to be off today?"
"Wow, you’re actually being decent for once. Glad you’ve got a conscience," Jiang Mo swiftly accepted the money, flashing a sycophantic smile. "Next time you need me, just say the word."
If the pay’s good, working overtime isn’t a dealbreaker.
"Like I’m usually some kind of monster," Gu Ye grumbled. "I never knew you were so money-hungry before."
"It’s not the same! Back then, I was just asking for handouts and had no idea how hard it is to earn money. After getting beaten down by society, I finally understand how tough it is to make a living. You’re a celebrity—you wouldn’t get the struggles of us ordinary folks."
Plenty of people graduate, get jobs, and end up downgrading their lifestyles.
Food, daily necessities—everything’s worse than when they were students.
Gu Ye huffed, "Like I don’t know? You think my money comes easy?"
Jiang Mo resisted the urge to retort and carried the empty plates to the kitchen to wash.
Gu Ye hovered around the kitchen, touching this and that, aimless as a headless fly.
"Need any help?"
"Nope, nope. Go play games in the living room."
Yeah, he was kind of in the way.
After cleaning up, it was almost six, and Jiang Mo decided to ride her e-scooter home.
"You could stay and hang out a bit longer?"
"Then tell me some showbiz gossip?"
Gu Ye: "There’s not much gossip, really."
Jiang Mo strapped on her helmet. "I’m heading home."
No gossip? No reason to stick around.
"...Fine, what kind of gossip do you want? Some stuff I’m not too clear about either."
So much for "no gossip"—sounded like he knew plenty.
With a little digging, Jiang Mo unearthed a lot.
Turns out, the entertainment industry is full of scheming and backstabbing.
Plenty of two-faced people, all just selling carefully crafted images.
"What about Zhou Wansen? What’s he like? Any gossip there?"
"Zhou Wansen? We’ve crossed paths a few times. He’s a solid guy, really brotherly," Gu Ye said. "He even helped me out once."
Jiang Mo perked up. "How’d he help you?"
"At an event, my outfit got stained, and time was tight. He lent me his spare clothes."
"Ohhh. So, is he really six feet tall? Is he as good-looking as his photos?" Jiang Mo asked, suddenly bashful.
"Height’s legit—same as me," Gu Ye said, munching on sliced cantaloupe. "As for looks? Obviously not as handsome as me."
"Why the sudden interest in him?" Gu Ye caught on. "Wait, do you have a crush on him?"
"Yeah, so what?" Jiang Mo sniffed.
Zhou Wansen graduated from Beijing Film Academy and had played plenty of supporting roles before landing a breakout role in a campus drama. He’d been hot for a while, but his career stalled when follow-up projects didn’t materialize.
Now she was employed, and her idol was still stuck in obscurity.
Gu Ye was baffled. "What do you even like about him?"
Jiang Mo: "He’s got skills, he’s good-looking, and he’s got no scandals."
She’d been a fan for two years.
"Then what am I?" Gu Ye spread his hands. Maybe he shouldn’t have praised the guy.
Jiang Mo rolled her eyes. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, got it?"
"You? You’ve still got a long way to go."
...
When Gu Xun stepped into the living room, he was met with two loud voices chatting animatedly.
"Big bro, you’re back!"
"Mr. Gu, welcome back!"
Gu Xun nodded, noticing how Jiang Mo—who’d been laughing uncontrollably moments ago—immediately straightened up and stood awkwardly upon seeing him.
"I’ll leave you to it. I’m heading upstairs."
As Gu Xun ascended, Gu Ye teased, "You seem kinda tense around my brother."
Sure, his brother was a bit stern, but it wasn’t that bad.
"Of course it’s different! You and I are classmates. Mr. Gu is the boss." Jiang Mo checked her phone—she really couldn’t stay any longer.
If she left now, she could still grab a late-night snack. No way she’d waste her day off.
"Oh, and if you run into Zhou Wansen, get me an autograph, okay?"
Connections sure made things easier.
She sped off on her e-scooter, completely missing Gu Ye’s muttered reply.
These days, things go viral online for no reason at all.
The next morning, while scrolling through Douyin in the bathroom, Jiang Mo realized the video she’d casually uploaded of Liu Guochuan making a "Labubu" doll had blown up overnight.
Holy cow—more likes and views than her food videos.
She sent the link to Liu Guochuan: "Grandpa Liu, the video I took of you yesterday went viral! Tons of netizens are praising your craftsmanship."
After sending the message, she checked the time and rushed to get ready. Another day, another close call to avoid being late.
As soon as she arrived at the Gu residence, a golden tabby cat rolled at her feet, meowing pitifully for food.
"Alright, alright, I’ll feed you right away." Jiang Mo scooped up the cat, then paused. "Wait, you feel heavier. You guys need more exercise."
Online, she’d seen plenty of cats whose owners overfed them just to make them look cute—but it wasn’t healthy.
"You always take forever feeding them," Wang Xia remarked, knowing her daughter was just using it as an excuse to cuddle the cats.
"Take this file to Mr. Gu’s office," Wang Xia handed her a folder.
Jiang Mo washed her hands and took it. "Got it. On my way."
This time, she knew the drill.
No one mistook her for a delivery person.
"Miss, I’m here to deliver documents to Mr. Gu. Could you swipe your card for the elevator?"
The receptionist recognized Jiang Mo and promptly granted access.
On the 50th floor, she headed to the secretariat. Zhuge Shen wasn’t there, but another female secretary was. "Hi, I’m here to deliver documents to Mr. Gu. Is he in his office?"
Gu Xun had three secretaries—Zhuge Shen as the chief, plus two others.
"Mr. Gu and Secretary Zhuge are in a meeting. You can wait in the lounge, and I’ll call you when they’re done."
As the secretary stood to escort her, Jiang Mo waved her off. "I know where the lounge is. I’ll head there myself."
So many meetings!
Jiang Mo sighed and entered the lounge—only to find someone already inside.
The woman was on the phone, her back turned as she faced the window.
Judging by her outfit and silhouette, she was stunning.
Jiang Mo quietly pulled out her phone and started scrolling.
When Zhang Ruoduo ended her call and turned around, she noticed the young woman grinning at her phone.
The moment the call ended, Jiang Mo looked up—and froze.
That face… so familiar. Like a celebrity.
Wait—no, she is a celebrity!
"Zhang Ruoduo!"
