Gu Xuan: "I suck? I'm literally the best in my class at this game!"
He glanced at his phone again—the level he'd been struggling with for so long was now unlocked.
No way, how could this be?
All that effort he put in—what was it for?
The little guy's heart shattered.
Stung by this, Gu Xuan furiously dove back into the game.
Even when dinner was served, his eyes remained glued to his phone.
Seeing him like this, Su Yunjin issued an ultimatum: "Dinner’s ready. If you keep playing, I’m confiscating your phone."
"Coming, coming right away!" Under Su Yunjin’s stern gaze, Gu Xuan reluctantly put his phone away.
The Gu family of six, plus Jiang Mo’s family of three, made for a lively dinner.
"You three shouldn’t eat separately. Join us at the table," Gu Baotian insisted.
Wang Xia politely declined, "Old Master, the kitchen has a table. It’s more convenient for us to eat there."
Gu Baotian knew many wealthy families had strict rules about not dining with staff, and that domestic workers had their own professional boundaries. But he didn’t care—they’d known each other for twenty years. "The kitchen’s too cramped. Just eat with us these next few days."
"Wang Mom, listen to the old master," Gu Xun chimed in, overhearing the conversation.
With no further room for refusal, Wang Xia and her family joined them at the table once the dishes were served.
Jiang Mo actually preferred eating just with her own family.
Dining with the boss? She worried it’d give her indigestion.
But she was overthinking it—her digestive system held up just fine.
The Gu men were usually busy, so family dinners like this were rare.
In high spirits, Gu Baotian drank a few glasses, and Gu Guofeng and Li Daming joined him.
After dinner, Jiang Mo helped Wang Xia clean up.
Gu Xuan hovered nearby, sneaking glances at her.
Jiang Mo had noticed his antics but played along, pretending not to see.
Finally, Gu Xuan couldn’t resist. Eyes wide, he asked, "Sis, wanna play a game?"
"Busy right now. Not interested," Jiang Mo replied, suppressing a smile.
"Oh." Gu Xuan scratched his head. "What about after you’re done?"
He was stuck on another level. If Jiang Mo could clear it for him, he’d be the first in his class to beat the game.
Jiang Mo shook her head. "Still not really feeling it."
"Come on, sis! This game’s so fun—how can you not wanna play?" Gu Xuan wheedled.
He couldn’t fathom anyone not liking games.
Seeing she’d teased him enough, Jiang Mo relented. "Hand me your phone. Let me guess—stuck on another level?"
Gu Xuan passed it over and watched, awestruck, as she breezed through the next few stages.
"Sis, you’re amazing!" he gushed, utterly impressed.
"There’s a trick to it. You gotta do it like this…" Jiang Mo shared her gaming wisdom.
Gu Xun came downstairs to find the two heads huddled together, whispering.
She really got along with everyone.
"Gu Xuan, stop bothering her. Go wash up and sleep. Early morning tomorrow."
Gu Xuan wanted to keep playing, but Gu Xun’s expression left no room for argument. Reluctantly, he trudged upstairs.
"Hey, I’ll get you a gift tomorrow," Jiang Mo called after him, noticing his disappointment.
Once Gu Xuan was gone, Jiang Mo turned to Gu Xun, who stood there in pajamas, hair dripping. Her eyes asked, Anything else, boss?
"Where’s the hairdryer? I can’t find it."
Jiang Mo finally noticed the wet strands. "It’s in the cabinet. Let me check."
Upstairs, she discovered Gu Ye had swiped it for his room.
Gu Ye lay sprawled on his bed, face masked, his room slightly messy after a few days of use.
As Wang Xia would say: a pigsty.
Jiang Mo retrieved the hairdryer and delivered it to Gu Xun’s room—a model of neatness in comparison.
The next morning, Jiang Mo was up early. Wang Xia and Li Daming were even earlier.
After breakfast, the family would visit the ancestral graves, a drive away.
Wang Xia prepared breakfast—dough proofed overnight, fillings prepped for steamed buns.
Multiple fillings catered to everyone’s tastes, plus congee and eggs. Li Daming assisted.
Jiang Mo pinched off some dough and set to work on her own project.
Comparing her creation to the phone image, it looked close. Now to bake it.
The countryside home had an old-style stove. Jiang Mo lit the fire, waited for the pan to heat, and placed the dough inside.
Wang Xia, busy with her own tasks, muttered, "No idea what this girl’s up to now."
Gu Baotian, the earliest riser, returned from his walk as Gu Guofeng and his wife got up.
Gu Xun followed, then Gu Ye and Gu Xun, who didn’t emerge until past eight.
At breakfast, Su Yunjin praised, "My favorite beef buns! No one makes them like Wang Mom. I’d be lost without you."
Wang Xia beamed. "Made them just for you. Have as many as you like."
Jiang Mo nibbled a bun and pulled Gu Xuan into the kitchen.
"Remember that gift I promised?"
Gu Xuan glanced around. "Where is it, sis?"
"In the pan."
Jiang Mo lifted the lid and pulled out her creation.
"An AK47!" Gu Xuan recognized it instantly, thrilled.
The AK47 was a prop gun from PUBG.
Seeing how much Gu Xuan loved games, Jiang Mo had recalled a trending "arms dealer" online—a civil engineering grad who inherited his family’s bakery and made viral game-themed flatbreads.
She’d thought, Why not? With materials on hand, she could whip up a couple for Gu Xuan.
"There’s another one in there. What’s that?" Gu Xuan spotted the second item.
"A grenade. Both are edible flatbreads."
Gu Xuan had received plenty of expensive gifts, but nothing like this. He was overjoyed.
"Sis, take a picture! Quick!"
He had to show his friends—a flatbread AK47? Genius.
After snapping the photo, Gu Xuan rushed to the living room to show off.
Su Yunjin laughed. "Only your sis Jiang Mo would go to such lengths for you."
Gu Ye eyed it. "Where’s ours?"
This is for amusing little kids," Jiang Mo said with an embarrassed smile.
After finishing their meal, everyone gathered the prepared items and set off in a grand procession for the ancestral worship ceremony.
Li Daming arrived driving a borrowed three-wheeled motorcycle, screeching to a halt at the front gate. The vehicle already had stools placed inside.
"Everyone, hop on quickly!"
Jiang Mo froze for a moment, nudging Wang Xia beside her with her elbow. "Uh, are we really taking this three-wheeler?"
Wang Xia nodded. "Yes. The Gu family’s ancestral graves are up in the mountains. The roads there are narrow and rough—this is the most practical way."
Well, in the countryside, three-wheelers were the go-to for both passengers and cargo.
Even the wealthy had to ride them when visiting.
Gu Guofeng helped Gu Baotian onto the vehicle.
Su Yunjin sighed and resignedly climbed aboard, thinking to herself, At least no one I know will see me like this.
The other brothers boarded with practiced ease, and Jiang Mo scrambled up after them.
The seasoned driver, Li Daming, navigated the mountain roads steadily with his full load of passengers.
At the foot of the mountain, the three-wheeler could go no further.
The group switched to walking, trekking deeper into the hills.
A light rain a couple of days prior had left some parts of the wild paths muddy and slightly treacherous, inevitably dirtying their shoes.
Jiang Mo trailed behind, carrying some of the offerings and grave-sweeping supplies.
"Let me take those," a pair of fair, slender hands reached over and relieved her of the items.
"Th-thank you," Jiang Mo said to Gu Xun.
He glanced at her. "Holding up alright?"
She nodded. "I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me."
Gu Ye, who had paused ahead, leaned against a tree trunk and called back to the two lagging behind, "Seriously, why hasn’t Grandpa or Dad moved the ancestral graves somewhere more accessible? Every time we come, we have to hike up this mountain."
Good point. Given the Gu family’s current wealth, relocating the graves should be a breeze.
Gu Xun replied calmly, "Grandpa says this land has good feng shui—it’s prosperous for the family’s fortunes."
Gu Guofeng had suggested moving them before, but Gu Baotian refused.
"Does this place really have good feng shui? I don’t see it," Gu Ye muttered, scanning the surroundings.
Now that her hands were free, Jiang Mo picked up a stick from the woods to use as a walking aid, making the climb easier.
The mountain wasn’t particularly high, nor was it completely wild—villagers had worn paths into it over time.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to hike long before reaching their destination.
Though the graves were in the mountains, Jiang Mo noticed that the Gu family wasn’t the only one with ancestors buried here.
However, the Gu family’s wealth was evident in how well-maintained their ancestral plot was compared to others.
Gu Baotian led the family in kneeling before the graves, presenting offerings, and clearing weeds around the site.
"Since we’re already here, we might as well gather some wild bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and greens from the mountain. These things taste fantastic," Gu Baotian suggested after the ceremony.
City folks nowadays loved returning to nature—ordinary dishes were too mundane, and wild ingredients were both a delicacy and expensive.
Gu Guofeng agreed. "Sure, let’s gather some to take back."
Gu Xuan, still a child, found the idea of foraging exciting and eagerly bounced around, ready to pick.
Jiang Mo was also intrigued, transforming into a mushroom-hunting girl as she scoured the hillside, though she couldn’t identify many of the wild greens.
She did, however, spot plenty of fresh bamboo shoots just poking out of the soil. She snapped off about ten of them, thinking they could be eaten now or taken back to the city.
Su Yunjin gathered a handful of mushrooms but wasn’t sure if they were edible. Since Jiang Mo was nearby, she held them out for inspection.
Jiang Mo wasn’t certain either. "Maybe we should put them in the basket first and ask Grandpa Gu later."
"Alright," Su Yunjin agreed, adding the mushrooms and some unidentified greens to their haul.
Wang Xia had also collected a fair amount elsewhere.
The two young masters, however, weren’t as enthusiastic about foraging and only half-heartedly participated.
Gu Baotian, on the other hand, gathered quite a bounty—even catching a wild rabbit.
When the group reconvened, they carried their full harvest back home.
But on the return trip, a minor mishap occurred.
A certain big celebrity was jolted right off the vehicle.
Who told him to stand dramatically in the wind like he was on a parade float? When they hit a pothole, he lost his balance and tumbled straight into a mud puddle.
Jiang Mo noticed and tried to reach out, but it was too late.
Back at the house, the mother dog, Huang, and her pup, Fugui, wagged their tails eagerly at the gate to greet everyone.
They affectionately nuzzled up to everyone—except Gu Ye.
At the sight of him, both dogs backed away on all eight legs (collectively).
The moment they got home, Gu Ye bolted upstairs to wash up, looking utterly disheveled.
Suppressing a laugh, Jiang Mo unloaded their foraged goods and began sorting them in the yard. She held up the mushrooms to Gu Baotian. "Grandpa, are these safe to eat?"
She’d heard some mushrooms were delicious but could also be poisonous.
"Let me see," Gu Baotian inspected them. Most were common varieties, though a few looked slightly unfamiliar—similar to edible ones but not identical. He wasn’t an expert, but he couldn’t admit that in front of the youngsters. With a confident wave, he declared, "No problem! These are all safe."
Reassured, Jiang Mo set the mushrooms aside and cleaned the bamboo shoots and wild greens.
For dinner, Wang Xia cooked their mountain haul into dishes—stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork and a wild mushroom soup.
Jiang Mo took a bite and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Oh wow, this is amazing!"
She helped herself to another bowl of the mushroom soup. The umami flavor was incredible—no wonder people from Yunnan loved it so much.
She passed a bowl to Gu Ye. "Try it. It’s really good."
Gu Ye had been sulking all evening, mortified by his earlier tumble. What kind of driving was Chef Li doing anyway? How could he let me get thrown off in front of everyone?
Li Daming, currently chatting and drinking with Gu Baotian, felt Gu Ye’s glare and stiffened.
I already apologized—don’t start with me again.
Who told you to stand there like you’re in a convertible? Of course you got tossed around.
Unaware of their silent exchange, Jiang Mo happily ate her meal and even went for seconds.
After dinner, she packed the leftovers for Huang and Fugui.
Though strays, the dogs were well-behaved and never entered the house, sticking to the yard.
"Eat up," Jiang Mo cooed, crouching to watch them dig in.
Huang buried her snout in the food but suddenly lifted her head and said, "The meal’s great today, but I’m a bit thirsty. Could you fetch some water?"
"Oh, you want water?" Jiang Mo, not registering the oddity, went to the kitchen to fill their bowl.
Then little Fugui pawed at her leg and piped up, "I want yummy milk! Auntie, can I have milk?"
"You want milk? What else would you like, Fugui…?"
Gu Xun stood behind Jiang Mo, watching her murmur to the dogs.
"What are you doing?"
"I’m chatting with Fugui. He says he wants milk and to go play at the amusement park…"
Gu Xun knew that Fugui was the family's little puppy. He frowned—chatting with a dog? And now the dog wanted to go to the amusement park?
Jiang Mo stood up to fetch some milk.
When she turned around, she saw Gu Xun standing there—except he was riding a towering black bull. Her eyes widened in shock. "Whoa, where did you steal that bull from? Hurry up and return it!"
