Jiang Mo thought there were still people watching behind them and wanted to break free, but couldn't manage to pull away, so she had to let him be.
The three of them went for lunch, after which Gu Ye took them to a ski club.
Gu Xuan already knew how to ski, so Gu Ye didn't pay him much mind, instead focusing on teaching Jiang Mo, the complete beginner, how to ski.
The afternoon was spent at the ski club.
After dinner, Gu Xuan clamored to go see the new apartment.
"Second Brother, I haven't been to your new place yet."
"What's there to see?" Gu Ye wanted to send this third wheel on his way quickly. "I'll call for the driver to come pick you up in a bit."
"No way, I already told Mom I'm staying at your place tonight," Gu Xuan put on an air of being dead set on going.
Then he added with a sly grin, "Second Brother, if you won't let me go, could it be you're hiding some secret over there?"
Jiang Mo watched the two of them and said to Gu Ye with a smile, "I think you should just let him come."
If he didn't go, he'd only make more of a fuss.
Gu Ye conceded defeat and had no choice but to bring his little brother along.
After entering the apartment, Jiang Mo changed her shoes, picked up Mimi, and gave the little furball a bunch of enthusiastic kisses, feeling like the little one had gained a bit more weight.
"Second Brother, so this is your place. You even have a cat," Gu Xuan said as he swaggered in, wandering around and touring the entire apartment.
Pointing at an empty room, he said, "There's a spare room here. Save one for me, so I can come stay when I'm on holiday."
Gu Ye had had enough. He grabbed the guy and hauled him into the bathroom.
He closed the door for a private talk.
"Don't even think about staying at my place. The house is plenty big, isn't that enough space for you?"
Gu Xuan shrugged and threw his hands up, backpedaling at lightning speed. "Look, I was just saying it offhand, Second Brother, don't be mad."
Then he leaned in closer and said with a cheeky grin, "I get it. You want to have some alone time with Sister Mo. I'm not a kid anymore, I understand these things."
Gu Ye: "...What on earth is going on in your head..."
Seizing the moment when his brother was off guard, Gu Xuan ducked under Gu Ye's arm, opened the bathroom door,
and shouted towards the living room, "Sister Mo, we can still play games together tonight!"
Jiang Mo was on the sofa petting the cat and replied, "Can't do it tonight, we'll play next time. I have to go home in the evening."
"Go home for what? Aren't you staying here?"
"Of course I'm going back to my own place to stay," Jiang Mo said, sweating a little internally. The way he asked made it sound like the two of them were already living together.
Gu Xuan shook his head. "Going back is such a hassle. It's not like there aren't rooms here. It's not like Second Brother is going to eat us or anything."
Gu Ye happened to hear this last part. Well, this kid was being somewhat useful for once.
"Little Xuan is right. Just stay here, don't go back."
After some back and forth, Jiang Mo ultimately stayed.
Then, a couple of days later, rumors about Gu Ye possibly having a girlfriend began circulating online.
The informant described it in vivid detail, even including a background photo.
Since there had been various false alarms and dating rumors before,
most people adopted a wait-and-see, gossip-enjoying attitude. Looking at the photo, nothing much was discernible anyway.
Only Huang Ling, who came across this piece of gossip, recognized it at a glance.
Well, it seems we can't keep him, she thought with regret. Such a promising talent with great potential.
Over on their end, the termination agreements and various collaborations had been mostly sorted out.
Apart from some partners catching wind and sensing the direction things were headed, the matter was still largely under wraps.
However, the time to say goodbye to everyone would inevitably come.
And so, on a quiet Monday morning, Gu Ye logged into his social media account and announced his decision to leave the entertainment industry.
