Jiang Mo patted her chest reassuringly, "Don't worry, Mrs. Su, I’ll keep an eye on Grandpa Gu."
By the time Wang Xia rushed out, Jiang Mo had already zoomed off on her electric scooter with Gu Baotian, leaving only their retreating figures in the distance.
"I have a feeling the old man won’t be clamoring to go back this time—he’ll probably stay a while longer," Su Yunjin couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wang Xia chimed in, "Mrs. Su, lunch is ready. I’ll remind Jiang Mo later to tone it down a bit and not exhaust the old man."
Su Yunjin waved it off, "It’s fine, Wang Ma. Let the girl do as she pleases. Keeping Grandpa Gu entertained is good—he seems quite happy."
Meanwhile, the two on the scooter had already arrived at the Liu residence.
Liu Guochuan had given instructions to the housekeeper as soon as he returned, and the kitchen was now bustling with activity.
"Ah, Brother Gu, you’re too formal! Just a casual meal, and you brought gifts?" Liu Guochuan welcomed them inside.
Gu Baotian waved his hand modestly, "Just a small token—nothing valuable. Hope you don’t mind."
With new guests in tow, Liu Guochuan gave them a grand tour of the house.
Jiang Mo excitedly explained to Gu Baotian, "Grandpa Gu, Grandpa Liu has his own woodworking workshop. His craftsmanship is amazing, and he even has a decent following online!"
"Really?" Gu Baotian wasn’t surprised by the woodworking skills, but the online fame impressed him.
Liu Guochuan puffed out his chest, feigning humility with a casual wave. "Oh, Jiang Mo’s exaggerating. It’s not that many—just over 200,000 followers."
"Over 200,000? That’s incredible, Brother Liu!" Gu Baotian gave a thumbs-up.
"Ah, just the kindness of the crowd," Liu Guochuan coughed lightly. "Let’s head to the workshop—I’ve been working on some new pieces lately."
Lately, Liu Guochuan had been brimming with creative energy, asking Jiang Mo about current online trends and what young people enjoyed.
After a moment’s thought, Jiang Mo suggested some popular in-game items and characters.
Gu Baotian was lost, so Jiang Mo patiently explained, "Things like these have hype—they attract more viewers online."
"You youngsters really know how to have fun," Gu Baotian mused, vaguely understanding but eyeing Liu Guochuan’s follower count with envy.
As they wrapped up the workshop tour, Pan Weidong arrived.
Jiang Mo greeted him warmly, "Grandpa Pan, why didn’t Grandma Zhong come along?"
"Your Grandma Zhong’s birthday is coming up," Liu Guochuan explained. "She’s out trying on her custom-made outfit."
Pan Weidong clicked his tongue. "Women, young or old—birthdays and holidays are such a hassle. Get the gift wrong, and we’re in trouble."
He then turned to Gu Baotian, extending a hand. "Pan Weidong, Year of the Dragon. Call me Xiao Pan."
"Gu Baotian. I’m two years older—most folks call me Lao Gu," Gu Baotian replied. "We’ve actually met before."
This wasn’t just small talk—Pan Weidong and Gu Baotian had genuinely crossed paths.
"Where was it? I can’t recall," Pan Weidong frowned. In their circles, running into each other wasn’t unusual.
Gu Baotian leaned in conspiratorially. "The casino. If I remember right, you lost quite a bit that night. My memory’s sharp on this one."
Pan Weidong: "..."
Jiang Mo: "..."
"Wait, Grandpa Gu, when people reminisce about their first meetings, it's always in some high-class setting. How come yours was in a casino? That doesn’t seem right."
"Grandpa Gu has quite the sense of humor," Jiang Mo said, pulling Gu Baotian to sit down. "Here, have some tea."
She then poured tea for Pan Weidong. "Grandpa Pan, you should try some too. This tea is really good."
"Alright, let me taste it," Pan Weidong quickly seized the opportunity to steer the conversation away from the casino topic. He felt a bit guilty—this was definitely something his family couldn’t find out about.
Fortunately, Liu Guochuan swiftly eased the awkwardness. "Come on, everyone, let’s move to the dining table. We can chat while we eat."
The three of them gathered, and sure enough, Jiang Mo found herself about to hear another round of their legendary entrepreneurial tales.
The stories were vivid and full of twists and turns.
As she listened, she also had to remind them to go easy on the alcohol.
"Don’t worry, we know our limits," Gu Baotian said after downing a glass, finally seizing the chance to reminisce about the glory days.
Liu Guochuan and Pan Weidong followed suit, spinning tales so wild that Jiang Mo couldn’t tell if they were true or made up.
Jiang Mo casually remarked, "Grandpa Liu, your legendary lives could probably be compiled into a book and published."
"You’re absolutely right," Liu Guochuan paused, then his eyes lit up. "That’s actually a great idea. Maybe we should consider it."
"Hold on, who’d even read your book?" Pan Weidong teased. "You’re not some literary giant, and our bathrooms aren’t running out of toilet paper."
Jiang Mo couldn’t help but laugh, reminded of a skit she’d seen on a Spring Festival Gala.
Stop dawdling and hurry up with that book. The village’s east-end toilet is almost out of paper.
Liu Guochuan replied leisurely, "What’s wrong with keeping it as a personal memento? Pass it down as a spiritual legacy for future generations. You might scoff now, but don’t come copying me later."
"I think it’s a great idea. We can keep it for ourselves, let the kids read it, or even gift it to friends," Gu Baotian agreed.
And just like that, the three of them were deep in discussion again.
Jiang Mo scratched her head. She’d only said it offhandedly.
Would their books end up in the companies run by their families? She knew some bosses loved publishing books.
As the three chatted animatedly, Jiang Mo could only retreat into the background, quietly focusing on her meal.
She’d recently weighed herself and noticed she’d gained a little, but her complexion had never looked better.
Life in the wealthy family was treating her well.
Thankfully, Gu Baotian truly knew his limits—he didn’t overdrink.
After the meal, the three old friends lingered, affectionately calling each other "old brother" and "younger brother" before reluctantly saying their goodbyes.
"Grandpa Gu, are you doing alright?" Jiang Mo asked, turning to look at Gu Baotian in the back seat.
Gu Baotian, still in the car, was busy chatting with Liu Guochuan and Pan Weidong.
"Of course I’m fine, I’m great—" He managed to reply before diving back into conversation.
Jiang Mo sighed. They’d promised to head home right away, but here they were, standing at the doorstep and chatting for another ten minutes.
"Alright, it’s settled. We’ll meet up again soon…" Gu Baotian finally decided to call it a night, his throat dry from all the talking.
Taking the cue, Jiang Mo reminded him, "Hold on tight," and drove him home at a leisurely pace.
……
Back in the living room, Gu Ye had been pacing up and down since returning.
Su Yunjin watched him wander around. "Aren’t you tired after just getting back? What are you looking for?"
"Where’s Grandpa? I haven’t seen him," Gu Ye asked, scratching his head.
"Your grandpa went to have dinner at someone else's house with Jiang Mo and hasn’t come back yet," Su Yunjin explained. "You sure are concerned about your grandpa."
Gu Ye leaned back on the sofa. "Haven’t seen him in a while."
He pulled out his phone, using the reflective screen to check himself—not bad, his hair was still in place.
Su Yunjin elegantly ate some fruit slices while eyeing her son. "You look a bit thinner to me. Make sure to eat well now that you’re back. How long are you staying this time?"
"Just two or three days. I’m not thinner—I’ve been working out," Gu Ye replied, glancing at the time. It was already past two in the afternoon.
How long does it take to eat a meal? Why aren’t they back yet?
"Last time Jiang Mo visited you in Hangzhou, she said you were doing farm work for a show," Su Yunjin chuckled behind her hand. "Since when do you know how to do farm labor?"
Gu Ye crossed his arms. "You’re underestimating your son. I can do plenty of things you’ve never seen."
Su Yunjin teased, "All you’re good at is talking big."
As the two bantered, noises came from outside the courtyard. Gu Ye sprang up and rushed to the door.
"Grandpa! I’m back!" he shouted, then glanced at Jiang Mo.
Gu Baotian scoffed. "No need to yell—my ears aren’t deaf!"
"You’re back, so what? Should I roll out a red carpet for you?"
Jiang Mo pressed her lips together, suppressing a laugh as she walked past Gu Ye and followed Gu Baotian into the living room.
Gu Ye grimaced. "I missed you, and this is how you treat me? That hurts."
He sidled up to Jiang Mo. "Where’d you go for dinner? Did you drink?"
"We went to Grandpa Liu’s place. Grandpa Gu was in a good mood, so he had a little. I kept an eye on him—he didn’t overdo it," Jiang Mo said, studying him. "When did you get back? And you changed your hairstyle again?"
"Just got back," Gu Ye ruffled his hair. "A master stylist did it."
"Oh," Jiang Mo nodded. "Grandpa Gu, I’ll make you some sobering soup. It’ll help you feel better."
Gu Ye waited for her to say more, but she dismissed him with just one word.
Didn’t she notice he looked different this time?
Gu Baotian sat in the living room for a couple of minutes before heading to his room to rest. Meanwhile, Jiang Mo went to the kitchen to prepare ingredients for the sobering soup.
Gu Ye wandered over. Jiang Mo joked, "What, here to steal my cooking secrets? Or are you hungry?"
"With your amateur skills? If I wanted to learn, I wouldn’t ask you," Gu Ye muttered awkwardly. "After you’re done, come upstairs and help me unpack."
Jiang Mo kept chopping without looking up. "Sure, I’ll come up when I’m finished."
So much for being shy, old classmate.
Last time she helped him unpack, she was all flustered.
With the ingredients ready, Wang Xia stood nearby, instructing her on how to make the soup.
As she taught, she playfully poked Jiang Mo’s forehead. "You, always dragging the old man around to have fun."
"Mom, I think you’ve got it backward. It’s not me—Grandpa knows how to enjoy himself just fine," Jiang Mo stuck out her tongue.
"Here, take this soup to Grandpa," Wang Xia said, placing the bowl on a tray.
After Gu Baotian finished the soup, Jiang Mo washed her hands and went upstairs to unpack the second young master’s luggage.
The suitcase was left by the walk-in closet door. Jiang Mo opened it, tossing the clothes into the laundry basket to be washed later while organizing the smaller items.
Gu Ye stood at the doorway of the walk-in closet, having changed his clothes at some point without anyone noticing.
Jiang Mo teased him, "Second Young Master, you can go do something else instead of supervising me. Don’t worry, I’ll get everything done perfectly for you."
Gu Ye didn’t respond. Instead, as if steeling himself for something, he walked toward Jiang Mo and, without warning, started lifting dumbbells.
Jiang Mo stared in bewilderment, wondering what on earth had gotten into him this time.
After a few reps, Gu Ye asked, "See it?"
Jiang Mo was baffled. "See… see what?"
"My abs," Gu Ye declared. "Didn’t I say last time that I’d show you my eight-pack when I got back?"
Jiang Mo: "…"
"Impressive, right? If you want to touch them, I might let you," Gu Ye added, coughing awkwardly, his words slightly stumbling.
Online, girls would scream at the sight of a guy’s abs, and plenty of them were dying to touch them.
Jiang Mo’s expression was complicated. She walked over, pulled his shirt down to cover his waist, and said flatly, "It’s chilly. Don’t catch a cold."
"We can browse stuff online, but let’s not copy everything. A man should have some dignity."
Then, cringing internally, she grabbed the laundry basket and hurried out.
Good lord, what kind of nonsense had this guy been learning online?
Jiang Mo left, leaving Gu Ye standing there, utterly bewildered.
This wasn’t how he’d imagined it going.
He turned to the full-length mirror in the closet, examining the abs he’d worked so hard for.
Aren’t these abs appealing?
Seriously, ladies of the internet, you weren’t supposed to react like this.
In the laundry room, tossing clothes into the washer, Jiang Mo sighed. She wondered if Gu Ye’s fans knew their idol was this vain and full of himself.
After loading the machine, she went back to change his bedsheets.
Awkward? Not at all.
Now properly humbled, Gu Ye stayed quiet for a moment before speaking up. "I’ll do it."
"Do you even know how?" Jiang Mo asked skeptically.
Gu Ye: "…Maybe you should handle it."
Jiang Mo rolled her eyes. "Good thing you’re not on one of those long-term reality shows. If people saw how helpless you are, you’d lose fans."
Why did she make him sound so useless?
Gu Ye pouted and made a quick exit, heading downstairs to take Dahuang and Fugui for a walk.
Gu Xuan came home from school early and, spotting Gu Ye, sprinted over excitedly. "Second Brother, you’re back! And looking even more handsome!"
"At least someone here appreciates me. All my doting on you wasn’t wasted!" Gu Ye nearly teared up.
His little brother truly understood him.
"Second Brother, Second Brother, can you get me some photos and autographs?" Gu Xuan tossed his backpack onto the couch. "I want to give them to the girls in my class."
"You’re too young to be chasing celebrities. Focus on your studies," Gu Ye refused.
He rubbed his nose. Did he really have such childish fans?
That didn’t seem like a good thing.
Were they all just into his face?
"How stingy," Gu Xuan grumbled.
Gu Ye retorted, "Didn’t I already give you like twenty signed photos before?"
I sold them.
It’s because they sold so well that I’m asking for more.
But Gu Xuan didn’t dare say that—his brother would beat him up.
Back when the school held a fundraiser, he’d tested the waters and sold them for five yuan each.
All the money had been donated during the event.
Gu Xuan lay on the sofa, "The previous ones are all gone. Forget it, Second Brother. If you don’t want to give it, I won’t take it."
"Next time I come back, I’ll bring you one," Gu Ye shook his head, then turned to send a message to his agent, Huang Ling.
"Huang Jie, have you arranged that acting training class for me yet?"
He was determined to improve his acting skills, to shake off his family’s judgments and prove himself to everyone.
