Q: What should I do if my boss catches me slacking off at work?
A: Play it by ear, I guess.
Jiang Mo dodged past him and walked inside, keeping her cool. "Well, I saw an elderly man who didn’t know the way, so I went to give him directions."
Gu Ye scoffed. "Gave him directions? More like escorted him all the way home, huh? Did he even invite you in for a meal?"
Jiang Mo’s eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"You really think I’d believe that?" Gu Ye’s expression practically screamed unimpressed.
Oh, so he was just teasing her. For a second, she’d actually thought he had some kind of supernatural vision.
The house was quiet. Since Jiang Mo had to return to work, and elderly folks ate early, she’d hurried back after dinner—still before six.
"Stop looking around. No one’s back yet," Gu Ye said, noticing her glancing about.
The whole family was busy.
Busy—well, being busy wasn’t so bad.
Jiang Mo cleared her throat and turned to Gu Ye. "So, what did you need me for?"
Gu Ye shoved his hands in his pockets. "My agent’s birthday is coming up. I want to get her a gift, but I have no idea what girls like. Come with me to pick something out."
A gift, huh?
Perfect timing—she’d been meaning to get Su Yunjin something too. She nodded. "Sure."
Gu Ye snapped his fingers. "I’ll get the car."
He pulled up in an eye-catching, flashy blue sports car.
"What are you standing there for? Get in."
Tsk. So this was the owner of that garish ride in the garage.
After all this time, she’d finally met him.
Jiang Mo sent Wang Xia a quick text before settling into the passenger seat. "How old is your agent? Any hobbies?"
Gu Ye rested a hand on the steering wheel. "Let’s see… thirty. No clue what she likes—I don’t exactly have time to pay attention to that stuff."
Well, that was helpful.
Jiang Mo took matters into her own hands, pulling up Gu Ye’s agent’s social media on her phone. She found her account on a certain lifestyle app.
After scrolling through the posts, Jiang Mo suggested, "How about a designer bag?"
A bag could cure all woes—a luxury purse was always a safe bet. And if the agent didn’t like it, she could always resell it.
"A bag? Fine by me," Gu Ye agreed.
With the gift settled, the rest was easy.
They drove straight to the underground parking lot of a high-end shopping district.
As soon as Gu Ye killed the engine and moved to step out, Jiang Mo yanked him back.
"You’re just going out like that?"
"Uh, yeah?" The tug sent him flopping back into the driver’s seat.
Jiang Mo leaned in. "You—Gu Ye, A-list celebrity—do you want us to end up on tomorrow’s headlines?"
"Don’t you have sunglasses? A mask?"
Gu Ye smirked. "This place isn’t that crowded. Doubt we’ll get spotted. And even if we do, is being seen with me that embarrassing?"
"Yes. Mortifying," Jiang Mo shot back without hesitation, already rummaging through her bag for something to cover his face.
Gu Ye rolled his eyes as she fussed, then pulled a pair of shades from the car’s storage compartment. "Fine, fine. Stop digging. I’ll wear the sunglasses, happy?"
"Found it!" Jiang Mo cheered, holding up a disposable mask. "Thank goodness I had one in here."
In the end, one wore sunglasses, the other a mask as they stepped out.
Ever since becoming a live-in helper at the Gu household, Jiang Mo found herself visiting upscale places like this more often than she’d ever expected.
Walking beside Gu Ye, she asked, "What’s your budget for the bag?"
Gu Ye shrugged. "Whatever works."
Translation: money was no object.
"Boss is feeling generous!" Jiang Mo eyed the luxury boutiques lining the walkway. She only recognized a handful of the big names. "How about Chanel?"
The sales associate at Chanel sized up the pair as they approached—the man’s outfit screamed wealth, while the woman’s… was harder to place, especially with that canvas tote slung over her shoulder.
"Welcome. How may I assist you today?" the associate greeted with a polished smile.
"We’re just browsing bags," Jiang Mo said.
"Our latest collection is displayed here," the associate gestured.
"Thanks, we’ll look around first."
Jiang Mo pointed at one of the display pieces. "What do you think of this one?"
Gu Ye: "It’s alright."
"And this black one?"
"Also… alright."
Useless. She’d have to decide herself.
After circling the displays, weighing style against practicality, she settled on a classic black bag—versatile, and just under thirty grand.
Gu Ye nudged her. "Pick one for yourself too. Consider it payment for helping me out."
"No thanks. My tote’s perfect—durable and roomy." Jiang Mo patted the canvas bag. "Just go pay already."
"Last chance. No regrets later," Gu Ye teased, lowering his sunglasses.
Jiang Mo reacted fast, slapping the shades back over his eyes—a little too forcefully.
"Jiang Mo!" Gu Ye clutched his nose. Thank god it was natural, or he’d need reconstructive surgery.
"Oops. Got a bit carried away," Jiang Mo laughed awkwardly.
The sales associate’s sharp eyes widened. She’d thought the man looked familiar earlier but hadn’t dared stare. But when he’d briefly removed his sunglasses—
Gu Ye.
It was really him.
Shopping with a girl, no less—and their banter seemed awfully close.
Pity the girl’s face was hidden behind that mask.
"Tiny but mighty, huh?" Gu Ye rubbed his nose, then turned to the associate. "We’ll take this one."
Snapping out of her daze, the associate nodded. "Right this way for checkout."
After the purchase, she escorted them out, waiting until they were out of earshot before snapping a sneaky photo of their retreating figures and sending it to her group chat.
"OMG spill the tea—Gu Ye just came in with a girl! Had shades on, but my eagle eyes never lie."
"WHAT?! Gu Ye’s dating?! Called it—these celebs are all secretly taken."
"Welp… there goes my fantasy."
Meanwhile, on a gossip forum: "Two-syllable top male celeb CONFIRMED to have a girlfriend."
……
Clueless about the brewing scandal, the two left with their purchase.
As they wandered the mall, Jiang Mo spotted a massive billboard featuring Gu Ye as the face of a luxury watch brand.
She elbowed him.
"Your ad’s not even that flattering."
"Excuse me?" Gu Ye bristled.
Jiang Mo grinned. "The editing’s overdone. You look way better in person."
Gu Ye’s lips twitched upward. "Damn right. I’ll have a word with them about it."
Most stores here sold bags or jewelry—expensive, but Su Yunjin already had plenty of those.
Nothing caught Jiang Mo’s eye, so she figured a handmade gift might be the way to go.
Gu Ye checked the time. "It's about time. Are you hungry? I'm starving. Let's find a place for dinner."
There were restaurants on the top floor of the IFC Mall, with a nice ambiance—though, of course, the prices weren't exactly cheap.
