Wang Xia felt a pang of guilt. She had been so busy with household duties that she hadn’t been able to give proper attention to the siblings’ daily lives and studies. Fortunately, heaven had blessed her with two well-behaved children who rarely complained, understanding how occupied she was.
"At least I’m better than your dad," Wang Xia said, dragging Li Daming into the conversation. "I know which schools you and your brother attend, while he couldn’t even get that right."
"Before you go to school this afternoon, stop by home first. Change into something neat and tidy," Wang Xia instructed. "We’re the face of the Gu family—we can’t let them down."
Jiang Mo glanced down at her outfit. There was nothing wrong with her style, was there?
That afternoon, before heading to school, Jiang Mo returned home. Li Wan'er was surprised to see her back so early.
"Going to a parent-teacher meeting? Our job scope sure is expanding," Li Wan'er remarked.
"In our line of work as nannies, if you want to climb high and go far, you’ve got to be a jack-of-all-trades. With enough practice, you can pretty much become an all-rounder," Jiang Mo said, rummaging through her wardrobe. Most of her clothes were in shades of black, white, and gray, all in similar styles.
Seeing her struggle, Li Wan'er leaned in and immediately spotted a stunning purple halter-neck gown hanging inside.
"This purple gown is so ethereal and gorgeous! Wear this—it looks expensive at first glance."
"This gown?" Jiang Mo scratched her neck. "You’ve got sharp eyes. This was a gift from the madam when I accompanied her to a banquet. I’ve only worn it once."
"How much was it?" Li Wan'er shook Jiang Mo’s arm, curious.
"Over twenty thousand."
"Wow, my girl’s been living the high life without me knowing! I knew anything from a wealthy madam wouldn’t come cheap," Li Wan'er insisted. "A dress this expensive deserves to be worn more than once."
Jiang Mo hesitated. "So… I should wear it?"
Li Wan'er nodded vigorously. "Absolutely! Pair it with some petite heels."
After Jiang Mo changed, Li Wan'er snapped a few photos. "Perfect. You’ll definitely make a statement at this parent-teacher meeting—give that kid some serious face."
"But ditch that rickety electric scooter of yours. Take a cab instead. No outfit or makeup can save you from looking down-and-out on a scooter."
Jiang Mo, who had been planning to ride her scooter, relented. "Fine, I’ll listen to you."
Timing it just right, Jiang Mo hailed a Didi and arrived at Yali Elementary School’s gates. After signing in at the entrance, she smoothly entered the campus.
Yali Elementary was the top-ranked key school in the district. With its strong faculty, ample funding, and well-maintained grounds, the environment was impressive.
Class 5-3 was located on the fourth floor, near the end of the hallway. As Jiang Mo approached the classroom, she could already hear the lively chatter inside.
Peeking in, she saw some parents already seated, while children whose parents hadn’t arrived yet were roughhousing at their desks.
Uncertain of Gu Xuan’s seat, Jiang Mo lingered at the doorway, her appearance drawing stares from both parents and kids.
"Dressed like she’s headed to a gala," one mother at the front remarked, clicking her tongue.
"Yeah," another adult chimed in. "Is she some kind of influencer?"
As Jiang Mo scanned the room, Gu Xuan finally noticed her and rushed over. "Sister Mo! You’re here for the parent-teacher meeting? Wow, you look amazing today!"
Gu Xuan’s wide grin was infectious, and Jiang Mo couldn’t help but smile back.
"Yep. Your mom’s busy, so she asked me to come instead," Jiang Mo said, smiling. "Where’s your seat?"
"Here, here!" Gu Xuan led her to his desk—second from the back, with the very last row occupied by a single, isolated seat.
Based on past experience… this seating arrangement didn’t bode well.
The moment Jiang Mo sat down, a bespectacled boy in front twisted around and leaned over his desk. "Boss Gu, is this your sister? She’s way prettier and gentler than mine."
"Yep! Hehe," Gu Xuan bragged, leaning against the desk in the aisle. "Remember that AK47 model I brought last time? She made it."
"She made it?" The bespectacled boy’s eyes widened. "Respect, respect! So you’re the arms-dealer sister!"
From the last row, the lone occupant of the "luxury single seat" strained forward, practically crawling onto his desk. "Sis, can you make other stuff too?"
These kids were something else—unabashedly bold.
Jiang Mo chuckled, adjusting herself in the cramped elementary school seat. "Haven’t tried other models yet."
"My sister doesn’t just make AK47s—she’s also a pro gamer! She helped me beat that last level," Gu Xuan boasted.
The bespectacled boy slumped in his chair like a deflated fish. "Lucky you, Boss. My sister only fights with me and treats me like her servant."
"Same here," another boy in the aisle chimed in. "Last time I asked my brother to cook me a pancake, he told me to get lost."
Jiang Mo quickly realized Gu Xuan’s entire vicinity was a boys-only zone. The chatter from this corner was… enthusiastic, to say the least.
Definitely a red flag.
"Boss, can your sister make us some other stuff?" the lone-seat boy asked eagerly.
"Of course!" Gu Xuan agreed without hesitation, turning to Jiang Mo. "It’s a piece of cake for you, right?"
This kid really knew how to butter her up.
Just then, the homeroom teacher entered and surveyed the room. "Quiet down, everyone. Students, head to the playground for now. After the meeting, you’ll leave with your parents."
As the kids scampered out, the classroom fell silent.
Jiang Mo exhaled in relief. Surrounded by a pack of chatty boys, her ears had taken quite the beating.
In the newfound peace, she inspected Gu Xuan’s stationery and desk, discovering an assortment of quirky little gadgets—some she’d never seen before, but all oddly fascinating.
By 4 PM, all parents were seated, and the teacher began the meeting. She covered the class’s overall academic performance and curriculum progress, singling out top students for praise, followed by speeches from exemplary parents.
The teacher then emphasized the importance of parental involvement in children’s lives and studies, urging parents to pay closer attention to their kids’ emotional and physical well-being.
Jiang Mo listened quietly until the teacher finally wrapped up, calling out a few students’ names for private discussions with their parents.
Grabbing her bag, Jiang Mo prepared to leave.
"Gu Xuan’s guardian, please stay behind," the teacher called out just as she was about to exit.
"Okay, teacher," Jiang Mo sat back down, feeling slightly nervous about what the teacher might say.
After quickly finishing her conversation with the other two parents, the homeroom teacher walked straight to Jiang Mo. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Jiang Mo stood up. "Is there something wrong, teacher?"
The teacher replied, "It's nothing serious. Here's Gu Xuan's report card—please take a look. Also, Gu Xuan is quite the lively child. Of course, being outgoing isn’t a bad thing, but it would be great if he could tone it down a bit in class. He’s practically the ringleader among his peers—they all follow his lead."
Though the teacher phrased it diplomatically, Jiang Mo immediately understood. She nodded. "Got it. I’ll make sure his parents talk to him about it."
After chatting with the teacher for a few more minutes, Jiang Mo headed to the playground to find Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan was surrounded by several boys, all holding snacks.
"Gunpowder Sis is here!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Where’s Gunpowder Sis?"
Under the eager gazes of the boys, Jiang Mo walked over, awkwardly waving. "Xuan, let’s go home."
"Why did you come out later than the others?" Gu Xuan asked.
Jiang Mo explained, "Your teacher kept me for a private chat."
Gu Xuan nodded. "Oh. She didn’t complain about me, did she?"
"We’ll talk about it at home."
As they were about to leave, one of the boys tugged at Gu Xuan’s sleeve. "Don’t forget what you promised me earlier."
Gu Xuan patted the boy’s shoulder confidently. "Don’t worry, bro’s got it memorized."
Jiang Mo: "..."
At the school gate, the driver arrived to pick Gu Xuan up, but the boy tugged at Jiang Mo’s bag. "I don’t want to go home. I want to stay at your place today. It’s not like I haven’t stayed over before."
Jiang Mo was puzzled. "You really want to come to my place? There’s nothing fun there."
"It’s fun. Way more fun than my house," Gu Xuan insisted.
Jiang Mo sighed. "I can’t decide that. Call your mom—if she agrees, then it’s fine."
"Okay, give me your phone." Gu Xuan called Su Yunjin, then turned back with a grin. "She said yes."
Jiang Mo took the phone and confirmed with Su Yunjin before letting the driver take them both home.
In the car, Gu Xuan was in high spirits. Curious, Jiang Mo asked, "You’re pretty popular at school, huh? I heard kids calling you ‘Boss Gu.’ How’d you get so many friends?"
"With the power of money," Gu Xuan said proudly. "All my little bros were bought over with cash."
Jiang Mo: "...I stand corrected."
At this, Gu Xuan suddenly remembered something. He scooted closer to Jiang Mo, blinking eagerly. "Sis Mo, I got us a bunch of orders."
Jiang Mo was confused. "Huh? What orders?"
"Uh… the ‘gunpowder’ pancake orders," Gu Xuan said, his confidence wavering. "Last time, I shared them with everyone, and they loved it. Now they want more, and I told them you’re amazing, so I promised them."
Hmm…
These aren’t our orders—they’re mostly your orders, right?
"It shouldn’t cost much. If you need money, I can help," Gu Xuan added quickly, worried she might refuse.
Well, what could she do now?
Just indulge him.
Jiang Mo sighed. "It’s not about the money, but it’ll take time. What exactly do they want this time, and how many?"
Gu Xuan was prepared. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "I had them write it all down. Here."
Jiang Mo unfolded the wrinkled note and saw things like "Nike Shark," "Dog Gun," "Italian Cannon"...
What on earth are these kids watching these days?
"I don’t really know what some of these are. I’ll have to look them up later."
"No problem, I know them all! You can ask me!" Seeing Jiang Mo agree, Gu Xuan instantly appointed himself as her consultant.
Meanwhile, Li Wan'er was waiting at home, planning to go out for a feast with Jiang Mo after she got back from school. Instead, she saw Jiang Mo walk in with a little boy in tow.
She shot Jiang Mo a look—Who’s this?
"Gu Xuan," Jiang Mo said, pulling out the boy’s old slippers from the shoe rack.
She introduced him to Li Wan'er. "This is my friend, Li Wan'er. You can call her Sis Wan'er."
"Sis Wan'er," Gu Xuan greeted before flopping onto the couch like he owned the place.
"Hey there," Li Wan'er said, then sidled up to Jiang Mo, who was drinking water. "Why’d you bring the little master home?"
"Not just home—he’s staying the night."
Li Wan'er was baffled. "Staying over? Why? Isn’t a mansion with servants way more comfortable?"
Jiang Mo thought for a second. "Maybe for kids, other people’s houses just feel more exciting."
"I was gonna suggest we grab barbecue tonight, but now…?"
Jiang Mo considered it. "You’ve never tried my cooking, right?"
Li Wan'er caught on. "So you’re cooking dinner at home? Sure, that works…"
They turned to Gu Xuan for his opinion. The boy spoke up, "I checked the fridge—there’s no food. Why don’t we just eat out? My treat."
Yeah, yeah, we get it—you’re loaded.
Now we know how you earned the title "Boss Gu."
"Eating out is fine, but we’re having Cantonese, and I’m paying," Jiang Mo declared.
The other two had no objections and happily agreed.
At the mall, Jiang Mo checked reviews and picked a decent Cantonese restaurant. The three of them left satisfied.
"Sis Mo, can I get a milk tea?" Gu Xuan asked.
Jiang Mo refused. "No way, it’s too late. Drinking milk tea at night isn’t good—we don’t do that."
Li Wan'er, who had been about to suggest grabbing a milk tea to "seal the meal," swallowed her words.
Gu Xuan sighed. "Fine. Should’ve bought it before dinner."
"But we can go play some arcade games later—just not for too long," Jiang Mo offered. Many malls had arcades these days.
"Deal!" Gu Xuan’s mood instantly brightened.
A child’s happiness is wonderfully simple.
