"If you can't find anyone else to go with, I can join you," Su Yunjin offered, giving Jiang Mo an easy out.
Jiang Mo took the opportunity. "None of my friends have time, so shall we leave at four in the afternoon?" Two hours to the stadium would be more than enough.
"Sure. I need to pick out what to wear today," Su Yunjin said cheerfully after finishing her coffee, heading upstairs to choose an outfit.
By four in the afternoon, the two set off for the stadium. By the time they reached the parking lot across from the venue, it was already 5:20.
The scene was bustling, the atmosphere electric.
Su Yunjin marveled at the crowd. "Wow, so many people!"
Stalls selling merchandise—posters, keychains, and other memorabilia—lined the entrance. They wandered around, taking in the sights.
Jiang Mo stayed close to Su Yunjin. "Ma’am, do you like any of these little things? Want to buy something?"
Su Yunjin shook her head. "No, let’s just head inside early."
"Alright," Jiang Mo said, messaging the person selling the secondhand tickets on WeChat.
"Satisfaction Guaranteed" replied: "Wait at the entrance. I’ll be right there."
Two minutes later, a stout middle-aged man approached, eyeing Jiang Mo. "Pineapple Head, right?"
Matching the code phrase, Jiang Mo nodded. "Give me the tickets I bought. We’re going in."
"I’ll take you in. Follow me," the man said, walking ahead without waiting.
Su Yunjin asked what was going on.
"When I bought the tickets, the platform was sold out, so I got them from someone on Xianyu. They said they were staff for the concert and could get us in," Jiang Mo explained. "Let’s follow and see."
Leading Su Yunjin through the crowd, Jiang Mo followed the man along the stadium’s perimeter fence.
The farther they walked, the thinner the crowd became.
Jiang Mo grew uneasy. "Big bro, where exactly are we going?"
"Just follow me. We’re almost there."
At a turn, the man stopped. "Here we are."
He pulled out a ladder hidden under some bushes, propping it against the wall. "Climb up. There’s another ladder inside, and someone will help you down."
Su Yunjin stood frozen, utterly stunned.
Jiang Mo was equally flabbergasted, forcing an awkward smile. "Big bro… this doesn’t seem right. This can’t be the way."
The man steadied the ladder. "What’s wrong? A path’s a path. Climbing the wall still gets you in, doesn’t it?"
Just then, another dark-skinned man arrived with a couple in tow.
He greeted the stout man. "If your guests aren’t going in yet, let mine go first."
Without hesitation, the couple climbed the ladder and disappeared over the wall.
This was… slightly insane.
The man checked his watch impatiently. "Are you two going in or not? The sooner you enter, the better seats you’ll grab."
Grab seats? Weren’t seats supposed to be assigned?
Oh no… they’d been scammed.
Su Yunjin watched silently as Jiang Mo’s face burned with embarrassment. "You said you were concert staff!"
She’d assumed they were being taken through a backdoor entrance.
"Sure I am! I assemble equipment for the concert. That counts as staff, doesn’t it?"
Jiang Mo: …I want to die.
Su Yunjin, never having seen anything like this, only snapped out of her daze after the couple vanished over the wall.
This… this is how people do it now?
Young people… truly impressive.
She nudged Jiang Mo, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Wouldn’t we get kicked out for this?"
Jiang Mo scratched her head. "Probably… if we don’t get caught."
But she couldn’t risk taking Su Yunjin over a wall. If her mom found out, she’d be in for a beating.
Though intrigued, Su Yunjin firmly declined the climbing proposal.
She made a quick call, spoke for two minutes, then hung up.
"Refund the money. We’ll get in on our own."
Leading Jiang Mo back toward the main entrance, Su Yunjin reassured her. "Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault—the guy lied."
At the gate, a woman with a staff badge was waiting.
Spotting Su Yunjin, she hurried over. "Mrs. Gu, please follow me this way."
They were seated in a prime viewing area. "This spot has better sightlines than the floor seats."
"Thanks."
Su Yunjin pulled Jiang Mo down beside her. "Don’t dwell on what happened earlier. I actually found it kind of fun."
The girl had meant well, and she knew that.
Since Jiang Mo had come into their lives, Su Yunjin felt like she’d been exposed to all sorts of new experiences.
It was refreshing.
Seeing Su Yunjin relaxed, Jiang Mo finally exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness Su Yunjin had connections to get tickets—otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to salvage the situation.
The concert was electric. Jiang Mo threw herself into it, singing and cheering the whole time, pulling Su Yunjin into the excitement.
By the end, they were both drenched in sweat.
But it was undeniably exhilarating. Su Yunjin felt years younger.
"Ma’am, sit like this… yes, perfect…"
"Lean a bit to the left… the lighting’s great at this angle…"
Between songs, Jiang Mo snapped photos of Su Yunjin.
"These turned out amazing," she said, sending the edited pictures over.
Su Yunjin’s eyes lit up. "Jiang Mo, you’re really good at this!"
It reminded her of her family’s men—whenever they took group photos, their "straight guy photography skills" were… something else.
"Heh, I used to take photos for my roommates in college. Got plenty of practice," Jiang Mo replied. "Want me to take a few more?"
"Sure, let’s do it."
After the concert, Su Yunjin picked her favorite shots and posted them to her Moments.
Caption: "My young friend invited me to Zhang Qizhe’s concert. Great vibes, lovely photos, and some… unique experiences. A wonderful day."
Jiang Mo instantly double-tapped with a heart.
As long as Su Yunjin was happy, mission accomplished… never mind the detours.
Gu Ye commented: "Mom, you’re glowing! Stunning."
Gu Xun saw the post much later and left a like.
The "young friend" was unmistakably Jiang Mo. Since she’d joined the household, everything felt livelier, more vibrant.
After the concert, a light drizzle began in Jiangcheng.
Qingming Festival was approaching.
Su Yunjin stocked up on supplies. "When Gu Ye gets back, Jiang Mo, you two should head to the countryside a few days early to tidy up. We’ll join you later."
