"Did I say something wrong?" Jiang Mo pouted upon hearing Zhuge Shen's teasing remark.
A gorgeous woman without a boyfriend? Clearly, it’s because she doesn’t want one. Besides, Jiang Mo had seen her interviews—she emphasized focusing on her career.
The man sitting beside her didn’t respond, so she took the opportunity to agree, "Yeah, career comes first."
"Who says you can’t balance career and love? They don’t have to conflict. Right, Gu Xun?" Zhuge Shen nudged toward the man across from him.
Gu Xun glanced at him. "No idea. Never been in that situation. Unlike you—so experienced."
The way he said it made it sound like Zhuge Shen had dated half the city.
Jiang Mo’s curious gaze immediately snapped to Zhuge Shen.
He had only meant to nudge his old friend toward romance, but now the spotlight was on him.
Zhuge Shen quickly defended himself, "Hey, I’ve only had one relationship. Don’t make me sound like some playboy."
"Who knows? Maybe you’re secretly open to anything," Gu Xun fired back coldly.
This guy’s dangerous. Better not provoke him.
"Ahem, let’s eat, everyone. Can’t let Jiang Mo’s hard work go to waste," Zhuge Shen urged, changing the subject.
"Hope you all like my cooking," Jiang Mo said cheerfully as she ladled soup for everyone.
Zhang Ruoduo accepted the bowl. "You’re really good. I’ve never been much of a cook—maybe I should learn from you someday."
"Oh, it’s nothing."
The meal stretched over an hour of eating and chatting. Zhang Ruoduo, watching her figure, ate the least, while the other three matched each other bite for bite.
Afterward, Jiang Mo started clearing the table, tossing leftovers into the trash. Zhang Ruoduo helped by carrying dishes to the kitchen.
"Miss Zhang, you don’t have to—I’ve got it," Jiang Mo said, quickly taking the plate from her while wearing rubber gloves.
"It’s fine. Helps me walk off the meal," Zhang Ruoduo replied. Then, casually, "So, will you be staying at Gu Xun’s place from now on?"
Jiang Mo dumped the scraps into the bin and closed the lid. "For now, I’m still at the main house. But if Young Master Gu needs me here, I’ll come. Just following orders."
"I see," Zhang Ruoduo smiled. "Do you prefer working at the main house or here?"
Jiang Mo grinned, flashing bright teeth. "Wherever I’m needed!"
They chatted a while longer in the living room before it was time to leave.
Zhuge Shen and Zhang Ruoduo headed downstairs together. "Want us to drop you off?" he offered.
"Nah, I’ll grab a cab later," Jiang Mo declined, figuring she’d leave once Gu Xun had no further tasks for her.
Gu Xun, noticing her tidying up, said, "Leave it. You can head home now."
Boss says go? Time to bounce.
Jiang Mo scampered off to the bathroom before making her exit.
But after finishing up, she found the door wouldn’t budge.
She jiggled the handle. Nothing.
"Huh? It should turn like this…" She tried again, putting more muscle into it.
Still stuck.
Her phone was outside.
No big deal. I’ve got strength to spare.
She jumped, throwing her full weight onto the handle—crack. Something snapped.
……
Gu Xun, watching a game in the living room, glanced at Jiang Mo’s canvas bag on the sofa. Hadn’t she been in the bathroom a while?
Girls take longer, I guess.
Then came a muffled call: "Young Master Gu… can you hear me?"
"What’s wrong?" He walked over to the bathroom door.
"Uh… the door’s stuck," Jiang Mo admitted sheepishly from inside.
Gu Xun tested it from his side. Sure enough, it wouldn’t open. A quick call later, maintenance arrived with tools and freed her in minutes.
"Come on out," he said, eyeing her flushed face.
"Okay, but…" She hesitated. "There’s something I should report."
He raised a brow.
"I swear I didn’t mean to break it. Who knew it was this flimsy…"
Mortified, she slowly held up the snapped-off handle.
Gu Xun sighed. "…I’ll have it replaced tomorrow."
Jiang Mo bolted from the scene, grateful it was just the lock and not, say, a clogged toilet (that would’ve been mortifying).
Comforted by the thought, she slept soundly and rode her beloved scooter to the Gu estate the next morning.
At the villa, she spotted security guards searching around.
Braking to a stop, she called, "What’s up?"
By now, she was on friendly terms with the staff—everyone knew the young woman was the Gu family’s maid, daughter of their longtime housekeeper, Wang Xia.
Connections sure help.
"Helping Old Madam Zhong find her cat," one guard answered.
"Old Madam Zhong? Zhong Xiaoqin from the west side?"
"You know her?"
"Yeah, met her before," Jiang Mo nodded. "Send me the cat’s photo. I’ll keep an eye out too."
"Sure. It’s a tabby named Doudou."
Inside, Wang Xia asked, "How’d things go with Young Master Gu yesterday? No mess-ups?"
"All good," except for the handle.
"Good. I’ve decided to assign you more tasks—build your experience."
Jiang Mo side-eyed her. "Mom, are you just slacking off?"
"Such hurtful words," Wang Xia said, unfazed. "I’m giving you chances to shine in front of the bosses."
"You know what this is called?"
"What?"
Wang Xia pondered. "Like in those dramas—the transfer of power!"
Jiang Mo sweatdropped. "…That’s for inheriting thrones. We’re nowhere near that level."
Wang Xia waved it off. "Same idea."
"Fine, fine. Your call," Jiang Mo nodded like a pecking chick.
After dusting, mopping, and replacing the flowers, she strolled out munching an apple.
The villa’s lush greenery—trees, shrubs—made spotting a hidden cat tricky. A search of the nearby area turned up nothing.
Turning to the internet, Jiang Mo sought advice.
Netizens flooded her with methods:
"The Scissors Ritual."
"Ask a Stray to Relay the Message."
"The Upside-Down Food Bowl Trick."
All sounded oddly plausible.
Jiang Mo thought the "stray cat messaging method" might be worth a try—after all, animals have their own networks. She also knew there were a few strays lurking in the corners of Long Island. But this would require letting the cats sniff the scent of the missing one.
She called Zhong Xiaoqin.
"Granny Zhong, the security guard told me your cat went missing. Has it been found yet?"
"Not at all. No idea where that little rascal ran off to—it’s been gone since yesterday," Zhong Xiaoqin replied. "That cat’s been with me for years, always so well-behaved."
Jiang Mo reassured her, "Don’t worry too much. Cats don’t wander far—it’s probably hiding somewhere nearby. I have a method to try, but I’ll need one of its toys."
"Really? You have a way? That’s wonderful!" Zhong Xiaoqin’s voice perked up. "Wait right there, I’ll bring some toys over."
Zhong Xiaoqin arrived with a bag full of toys—a feather wand, a scratching board, and more.
"Will these do?"
"More than enough," Jiang Mo said. "Go rest at home for now. I’ll try my best and let you know if there’s any news."
Carrying the toys and packing some cat food and canned treats, Jiang Mo headed to the secluded corner where the strays gathered, ready to strike a deal.
The moment the stray cats spotted her—recognizing her as the one who fed them—they swarmed around, meowing eagerly.
"No pushing, there’s enough for everyone," Jiang Mo said, distributing the food.
She’d discovered this little stray hangout last month and had been dropping by with snacks ever since.
"Since you’re eating my food today, how about helping me with a small task?" Jiang Mo coaxed. "There’s a missing cat named DouDou—can you help find it? Here’s something it used. Take a sniff."
A big orange tabby curiously approached and sniffed, while the others remained focused on their meal.
Sighing, Jiang Mo held the items closer to each cat. "Come on, all of you, give it a whiff."
Well, she could only hope this internet hack actually worked.
That afternoon, after grocery shopping with Wang Xia, Jiang Mo had barely settled in when she heard meowing.
"What’s up, my two little eunuchs?" She pushed open the door to the cat room, assuming it was her own pets.
The Maine Coon lounging on the scratching board gave her a disdainful glance, while the golden British Shorthair snoozed away.
"Not you two, huh?" Closing the door, she followed the sound to the yard, where the big orange tabby sat waiting.
"Big Orange, what brings you here?"
The cat didn’t answer. Seeing her, it trotted off, effortlessly leaping onto the courtyard wall.
"What nimble moves, little warrior," Jiang Mo marveled, following it outside.
Big Orange led her on a winding path to the side gate—near the spot where she and Liu Guochuan often fished.
It stopped behind a stone bench, nestled against a shrub-lined fence.
Jiang Mo approached and, peering into the gap, spotted a tabby cat.
"DouDou?"
At the sound of its name, the tabby’s tail twitched, but it ignored her.
A quick check against the photo confirmed it—this was definitely the runaway!
And it had the nerve to play aloof!
Lifting the tabby, Jiang Mo discovered two half-eaten fish heads beneath it.
Hah. At least it hadn’t gone hungry during its escapade.
Cradling the tabby with Big Orange trailing behind, she returned to the villa.
After sending Zhong Xiaoqin a photo for confirmation, she waited for the reunion.
Zhong Xiaoqin arrived swiftly, cycling through worry, relief, and then scolding the tabby, who meowed apologetically and rubbed against her legs.
"I owe you big time. Who knows how long it would’ve taken to find this silly cat otherwise," Zhong Xiaoqin said, stroking the repentant feline.
Living alone while the younger family members worked, she’d grown deeply attached to her pets. This loss had shaken her.
"Just glad it’s back safe," Jiang Mo said, smiling.
"You young folks always have the cleverest ideas," Zhong Xiaoqin mused. Not long ago, Old Man Liu had tried poaching Jiang Mo. Now she was tempted herself—who wouldn’t want a capable, kind-hearted girl like her?
Maybe she should make an offer first… Her family could certainly afford it.
As she pondered, Su Yunjin pulled up in her car.
"What a rare visit, Granny Zhong! What brings you here today?" Su Yunjin greeted. "Don’t just stand in the yard—come inside!"
Having lived in the same villa community for years, they were familiar with each other’s families, some even connected through business.
Zhong Xiaoqin chuckled. "My cat went missing, and your Jiang Mo here helped find it. Came to pick it up and thank her."
"Did she? Glad she could be of help."
"Well, I’ve chatted long enough. Time to put this troublemaker under house arrest. I won’t keep you—let’s catch up another time."
After Zhong Xiaoqin left, Su Yunjin asked how Jiang Mo had pulled it off.
Jiang Mo explained the stray cat trick.
"That’s a thing? Cats can do that?" Su Yunjin had never heard of such a method.
Jiang Mo grinned. "Learned it online."
As a reward, she gave Big Orange two cans of food.
Later, Zhong Xiaoqin sent her a red envelope.
"Don’t you dare refuse. You took those old men’s gifts—why not mine? Turning me down means you look down on me."
"Hmph. Though my family’s assets might be a tad less than theirs." Her voice carried a playful haughtiness.
Jiang Mo was starting to realize—the wealthy loved throwing money at people at the slightest provocation.
Maybe it was their most straightforward way of showing affection?
Well… she wasn’t complaining.
Later, a message popped up:
"What are you up to?"
Ugh. Couldn’t people just get to the point?
Jiang Mo replied, "State your business or begone."
Gu Ye: "……I’m filming a one-day variety show the day after tomorrow. Zhou Wansen—that guy you like—is a guest. Wanna come watch?"
Jiang Mo: "?!"
Gu Ye: "Never mind if you’re not interested."
"Wait, wait! I didn’t say no!" Jiang Mo frantically typed back. "I’m just shocked—are you serious?"
Gu Ye: "I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it."
Jiang Mo: "You. Are. My. Hero!"
