Jiang Mo accompanied Gu Xuan to play video games, and the latter seemed thoroughly satisfied.
"Jiang Mo, can you take me to play video games again next time?"
"Of course, no problem," Jiang Mo agreed readily.
Gu Xuan was overjoyed. "Jiang Mo, you're the best! Unlike my eldest and second brothers—I wish Mom had given me a sister like you."
Jiang Mo teased, "What’s wrong? Are your brothers not good to you?"
"My eldest brother has a face like ice, and my second brother is way too full of himself," Gu Xuan grumbled, shaking his head. "They’re both always busy, and even when they’re home, they barely pay attention to me."
It wasn’t like Gu Xuan hadn’t tried to get close to them, but he always ended up ignored.
Hmph. Kids had no rights—his status at home was practically at rock bottom.
Jiang Mo had to admit, the assessment wasn’t entirely off the mark.
"Your brothers are both really smart. Genetically speaking, you should be too," Jiang Mo shifted the topic smoothly, steering it toward academics. "So how did you end up at the bottom of the class in your midterms? Slacking off in class?"
That afternoon, Jiang Mo had stared at Gu Xuan’s report card in disbelief, flipping it over several times just to confirm it was really his.
No wonder the homeroom teacher hadn’t announced the rankings and just told her to take it home.
Gu Xuan huffed. "Even the best batch of melons has a bad one. Products have defect rates too. If it weren’t for me, how could my brothers’ brilliance stand out?"
Honestly, having such outstanding brothers was a curse—it just made him look worse by comparison.
Jiang Mo paused. Somehow, that almost made sense.
Wait, no—she was getting sidetracked.
"Well, let’s work hard so they don’t look down on you," Jiang Mo encouraged. "We don’t have to aim for the top, but at least get to the middle ranks. Then you can get into a decent university."
Gu Xuan countered, "And then what?"
Jiang Mo answered without thinking, "Get a good job."
"A good job is just for making money, but my family’s already loaded," Gu Xuan shrugged. "When I grow up, I can just lie around and spend. My brothers earn, I spend—now that’s the life."
"I’ll happily be the family’s little freeloader."
Jiang Mo: "......" She had no rebuttal. In fact, she was kind of jealous.
Scratching her head, she suddenly had an idea.
Putting on a serious tone, Jiang Mo said, "But if you’re always last in class rankings, won’t that embarrass the Gu family? What would people say about the great Gu Xuan then?"
That hit a nerve.
At school, Gu Xuan had a rival in his class—a top student who always outshone him academically.
Every time grades came up, the guy rubbed it in his face.
He pretended not to care, but deep down, it stung.
"But textbooks make my head spin," Gu Xuan sighed. His family had hired tutors before.
"Maybe the teaching methods just didn’t suit you?" Jiang Mo suggested. "How about I tutor you? We won’t aim for first place—just steady progress."
"And there’ll be rewards for improvement."
Gu Xuan pouted. "Fine. But if I don’t improve, you can’t blame me."
Jiang Mo nodded, relieved she’d finally convinced the young master to give studying a shot.
The house had spare toiletries, and since Gu Xuan had stayed over before, he still had pajamas and clothes there—perfect for the occasion.
Once home, Jiang Mo hurried Gu Xuan off to wash up.
Afterward, he dragged out a board game and pestered Jiang Mo into playing for half an hour before she finally shooed him to bed.
Li Wan'er watched from the sidelines, marveling at how exhausting it was to deal with kids these days—they were sharp and required serious strategizing.
The next day was Saturday. By the time Gu Xuan woke up, the driver was already waiting downstairs. Jiang Mo took him back to the Gu residence.
Wang Xia had Chef Li prepare freshly made wontons for the two, and they ate at the small round table.
"Xuan, what did Jiang Mo feed you yesterday?" Wang Xia asked, half-suspicious it was junk food.
Gu Xuan replied, "Cantonese cuisine."
Wang Xia nodded in approval—that was acceptable.
Jiang Mo nibbled on a wonton. "Wang Xia, you really don’t trust me, do you?"
"You’ve got a track record," Wang Xia retorted. She’d recently heard from Su Yunjin that Jiang Mo had taken the young master to a street stall.
Some stalls cut corners on hygiene and overloaded their food with seasoning, which could easily upset sensitive stomachs.
Jiang Mo lowered her head. "Yeah, yeah, I’ve already been lectured."
As they chatted, Su Yunjin joined them. Seeing how much they were enjoying the wontons, she called out, "Wang Xia, tell the kitchen to make me a bowl too."
She glanced at Gu Xuan. "Brat, had fun skipping home yesterday?"
Gu Xuan’s eyes darted mischievously. "Heh, way more fun than here."
Breakfast was a lively affair, with Su Yunjin pulling up a chair to join them.
Gu Xuan wolfed down his food and bolted, tossing over his shoulder, "Call me when you’re ready."
"What, you two have plans?" Su Yunjin teased.
"He wanted another batch of those pancake molds I made last time. Since I’m free today, we’re doing it together," Jiang Mo explained, handing Su Yunjin Gu Xuan’s report card and relaying the teacher’s comments.
"Anyway, I’ve promised to tutor him from now on."
Su Yunjin took a bite of wonton. "That kid’s grades give me a headache. I’m glad you’re stepping in. If his scores improve, there’ll be rewards."
Someone keeping an eye on her youngest’s studies? Su Yunjin was thrilled.
If Gu Xuan improved, Jiang Mo would reward him—and Su Yunjin would reward Jiang Mo.
Talk about a rewards chain.
After breakfast, Jiang Mo did some chores before calling Gu Xuan downstairs. The two got to work in the kitchen, diving into today’s "kids’ activity."
Since they were experimenting with new molds, progress was slow.
Gu Xuan, apron-clad, insisted on trying his hand at it. After a morning of effort, they finally baked a few freshly shaped pancakes.
"Whoa, I actually made these!" Gu Xuan beamed, grabbing one shaped like a dog and dashing off to show his friends.
Jiang Mo was left to clean up, mentally tallying the pancake orders she had to fulfill soon. A slight pressure settled in.
After washing the tools and tidying up, she watered the plants in the backyard. Just as she finished, Li Daming returned.
"Dad, you’re back?"
"Just grabbing some things. The old master’s returning to the city—I’m heading to Taohua Town to pick him up," Li Daming replied before turning to Wang Xia. "Get his room ready."
"Got it," Wang Xia nodded. "Jiang Mo, help me tidy up later."
"What time will you be back?" Wang Xia asked.
"Probably around four or five," Li Daming said uncertainly. "I’ll call ahead."
That afternoon, Wang Xia and Jiang Mo cleaned and prepared the room.
Years ago, Gu Baotian’s room had been moved from upstairs to the ground floor for convenience, facing the small garden directly.
"The old man comes back to the city every now and then, no fixed schedule," Wang Xia explained while tidying up the bed.
Li Daming was quick to pick him up. By a little past four in the afternoon, the car had already pulled into the courtyard.
"Grandpa Gu!" Jiang Mo called out as she rushed outside to greet him.
"Jiang Mo, perfect timing. Come help me get these two dogs inside," Gu Baotian said as he stepped out of the car. The big yellow dog jumped down after him, but the timid one, Fuer, hesitated at the car door, peering outside.
"Alright," Jiang Mo went over and carried Fuer down, but the yellow dog stayed close to Gu Baotian, refusing to budge, so she let it be.
After settling the dogs, she noticed Li Daming unloading things from the trunk one trip after another. Jiang Mo moved closer and asked, "Dad, what’s all this?"
Li Daming shrugged. "No idea. The old man says they’re good stuff he brought from the countryside."
After resting for a bit, Gu Baotian went out for a stroll. It wasn’t until dinner that everyone learned why he’d come back this time.
Gu Guofeng and Gu Xun also arrived right at dinnertime.
At the table, Gu Baotian announced, "I’m taking the whole family to climb Mount Tai."
Gu Guofeng was the first to object. "Dad, how old are you? Climbing Mount Tai? If you want to travel, let’s pick something more comfortable."
"How old am I? You think this old man can’t handle it? I can run and jump just fine," Gu Baotian shot back at his son. "You, on the other hand—look at that belly of yours. You might not even be as fit as me."
Gu Guofeng rubbed his temples, exasperated. The older people got, the more stubborn they became.
His son wasn’t rebellious, but now he had to worry about the old man acting up instead.
"That’s not what I meant. Climbing is strenuous. I’m just suggesting we pick something easier, like a beach vacation," Gu Guofeng said.
"Yeah, Dad," Su Yunjin chimed in. "How about somewhere closer, like the Maldives?"
Gu Baotian took a sip of wine. "Fine, don’t come. I’ll go by myself."
"Grandpa, why do you suddenly want to climb Mount Tai?" Gu Xun asked, finding the old man’s behavior odd—though it wasn’t the first time he’d pulled something unexpected.
"Because I feel like it. No need for all this fuss. Are you coming or not?" Gu Baotian stared him down.
Before Gu Xun could answer, Gu Baotian waved him off. "Never mind, I already know you don’t have time."
Then he glanced at Gu Xuan, who had buried his face in his bowl, silently pleading to be left out.
Su Yunjin knew there was no stopping the old man, so she gave up and asked Jiang Mo to fetch her a new set of chopsticks after dropping hers on the table.
Jiang Mo had been outside walking the dogs and missed most of the conversation. She handed Su Yunjin the chopsticks, only to be stopped by Gu Baotian.
"Jiang Mo, how about you come with Grandpa on this trip?"
A trip?
Was the vacation perk coming this soon?
Her parents had often traveled with the Gu family before, tagging along to many international destinations.
It was one of the unspoken benefits.
Unlike Jiang Mo, who had never even left the country.
"I don’t have a visa yet," Jiang Mo said sheepishly.
"No problem, no visa needed," Gu Baotian quickly reassured her, sensing her interest. "Grandpa will cover everything—food, lodging, transportation."
Ah, right. If they couldn’t stop the old man, at least Jiang Mo could keep an eye on him.
Su Yunjin nodded. "If you want to go with Grandpa, just enjoy yourself and help look after him."
Jiang Mo hesitated for exactly three seconds before agreeing. "Sure, I can do that."
"Great!" Gu Baotian slapped the table. "We leave tomorrow."
Finally, he’d roped someone in.
Jiang Mo felt a little dazed. She hadn’t expected the vacation perk to come her way so soon.
After dinner, Gu Xun didn’t return to his penthouse but stayed at the family home.
He asked Jiang Mo, "Do you know where Grandpa’s planning to go?"
Jiang Mo blinked. "Where? Isn’t it the beach?"
Gu Xun shook his head. "He’s climbing Mount Tai."
Jiang Mo: "..."
She’d never climbed Mount Tai, but she’d heard enough about its reputation. She wanted to cry.
As a fragile young person, she’d much rather lounge by the sea than hike a mountain.
Wasn’t a tropical island the usual vacation choice?
Her face cycled through a series of expressions, and Gu Xun spoke up. "If you don’t want to go, I can talk to Grandpa."
"It’s not that I don’t want to… I’m just worried I won’t have the stamina," Jiang Mo admitted. For all she knew, Grandpa Gu might outclimb her. She could end up holding him back.
"Besides, I already promised him."
Gu Xun advised, "If it gets tough, just take the cable car. Don’t push yourself."
The next morning, hiking gear was delivered to the house.
Before they left, Su Yunjin slipped Jiang Mo a red envelope. "Thanks for keeping Grandpa company."
Wang Xia added, "Take good care of the old man."
They took the high-speed train, and Jiang Mo experienced a business-class seat for the first time.
The price was steep, but the comfort was worth it.
At the station, a staff member from their five-star hotel picked them up in a luxury van. Their luggage was handled separately, leaving Jiang Mo with nothing to worry about.
Gu Baotian said, "No rush. Let’s explore the city today, eat some local food, and start the climb tomorrow morning."
"I’ll follow your lead, Grandpa," Jiang Mo said as the hotel staff led her to an incredibly lavish room.
After rolling around on the bed and resting for a bit, Gu Baotian called to say it was time to hunt for food.
They dined at a local specialty restaurant in a private room, savoring the dishes.
"Young people shouldn’t just focus on work. See the world while you can. Stay active while you’re young—good health means a long life," Gu Baotian shared his wisdom. "Live long, and you’ll have more time to enjoy things. Die early, and you’ll miss out on everything."
Jiang Mo blinked. "Grandpa, we young folks would love to travel more, but if we don’t work, we can’t afford to."
"Ah, right. Forgot about that," Gu Baotian chuckled, scratching his head.
"Grandpa, why did you really want to climb Mount Tai?" Jiang Mo whispered.
Gu Baotian finally confessed, "I made a bet with someone. Whoever backs out of climbing Mount Tai has to gift the other an antique from an auction. I saw on Douyin—three men in their eighties made it to the top."
"But why keep it a secret from the family?"
"What if I fail? It’d be embarrassing," Gu Baotian said. Then he promised, "Next time, Grandpa will take you to an island resort. But this time—we conquer Mount Tai."
