After finishing their meal at Zhiweizhai, Jiang Mo and the other two drove straight to the Gu Corporation building.
Gu Baotian used facial recognition to take them up to the top floor via the private elevator.
As the founder of Gu Corporation, even though he had stepped down from his duties, his face was still highly recognizable, and he received many curious glances along the way.
Gu Guofeng was away at a meeting, so Gu Baotian entered his son's office and commandeered the desk.
"You two, sit on the sofa and relax for a bit," Gu Baotian instructed Gu Guofeng's secretary, who had followed them in. "Go call Gu Xun over."
The secretary obeyed and left.
This was Jiang Mo's first time in Gu Guofeng's office. Compared to Gu Xun's, aside from being slightly larger, there wasn't anything particularly special about it.
Before long, Gu Guofeng's secretary returned. "Old Mr. Gu, Young Master Gu Xun is in a meeting. He asked that you rest in the office and wait for him to finish before he comes over."
Gu Baotian waved his hand in acknowledgment.
"Good thing my brother is the one handling the company. Being a boss is tough—endless meetings and social engagements," Gu Ye remarked with a sigh. He could never handle that kind of workload.
"Exactly, you think being a boss is easy?" Gu Baotian chimed in. "Your father and brother have it relatively good now. Back in my day, conditions were much harder."
"Yes, yes, Grandpa. You worked hard. You’re the great hero of our Gu family’s empire," Gu Ye fawned, quickly pouring tea for Gu Baotian.
Though Gu Baotian claimed he was there to inspect the company, he had settled in comfortably the moment he arrived.
With his eldest grandson still occupied, he needed something to pass the time.
"How about the three of us play a round of Dou Dizhu?"
"Ah!" Jiang Mo was taken aback. "Play Dou Dizhu… in the office?"
That didn’t seem appropriate.
She had assumed Gu Baotian would summon department heads for meetings or listen to reports.
At the very least, she expected him to tour the various departments.
Instead, the old man had lounged back and proposed a card game.
People often said the younger generation was carefree, but in her opinion, Gu Baotian was just as unrestrained.
Gu Ye refused. "I won’t play with you. Every time I do, I just lose money."
"Do you think I care about your pocket money? We won’t play for cash," Gu Baotian said.
"If it’s just for fun, then sure."
With the grandfather and grandson already in agreement, Jiang Mo, despite her reservations, had no choice but to join in.
The secretary not only brought a deck of cards but also fruits and snacks—quite thoughtful.
"Won’t Young Master Gu Xun be upset if he comes back and sees us playing cards in his office?" Jiang Mo glanced at her hand and played a "three-of-a-kind with a single."
"Pass, can’t beat that," Gu Baotian said. "This building exists because of me. If he gets mad, I’ll fire him."
"Really?" Gu Ye chuckled. "Then my brother would be thrilled. He never really wanted to work here in the first place."
Gu Baotian: "...Forgot about that."
Jiang Mo stifled a laugh. Seeing that neither could counter her play, she finished her hand with a straight.
"You won again?" Gu Ye stared at her empty hands. "Should’ve played for money. I could’ve made a profit following your lead."
Gu Baotian snorted. "All you think about is swindling your grandpa’s savings."
Meanwhile, Gu Xun finished his meeting and stepped out of the conference room, Zhuge Shen by his side.
"Old Mr. Gu has arrived. He’s been in your office since 2:30."
Gu Xun checked his watch—it was now 4:00. An hour and a half had passed.
"What has he been doing in there?" Gu Xun asked.
Zhuge Shen adjusted his glasses. "According to the secretaries… he requested a deck of cards."
Old Mr. Gu was truly something. Claiming he was there to inspect the company, Zhuge Shen had even notified department heads in advance so they could prepare reports.
But it seemed the notice had been pointless.
Hearing about the cards, Gu Xun could already guess what his grandfather was up to.
Sure enough, when they opened the office door, the three were gathered around the sofa, deep in their game.
"Grandfather," Gu Xun greeted, rubbing his temples slightly at the sight.
"You’re back from your meeting?" Gu Baotian barely glanced up. "I’ve got a great hand. Let me finish this round."
Jiang Mo stood to greet them. "Young Master Gu Xun, Secretary Zhuge."
Seeing them made her want to drop her cards—like being caught by a teacher during class.
Gu Xun gave her a brief nod before taking a seat at his desk, waiting for the game to end.
Zhuge Shen smiled at her and approached Gu Baotian. "Good to see you, Old Mr. Gu."
"Ah, Zhuge Shen, I remember you," Gu Baotian said. "Gu Xun’s classmate."
"Yes, yes. Your memory is impressive, sir." After exchanging pleasantries, Zhuge Shen took a seat on the sofa.
Two minutes later, the game concluded.
Gu Baotian stood and first exchanged a few words with Zhuge Shen.
"When I first heard your name, I knew you were sharp. Handsome too. Must be tough being Gu Ye’s right-hand man."
"Not at all, not at all," Zhuge Shen replied.
With a generous salary, it wasn’t so bad.
Many people worked hard but still struggled to make ends meet.
Treating him like family, Gu Baotian asked, "So, do you have a girlfriend yet? Settled down?"
"Not yet. Right now, I’m focused on work," Zhuge Shen answered inwardly weeping—your precious grandson keeps me working late nights.
How is anyone supposed to date when there’s no time? Relationships require effort.
Gu Baotian nodded approvingly. "Good. Young people should strive hard while they’re able. Earn more while you can."
Then he turned to Gu Xun. "I came to inspect the company and see how you’re managing things."
"And what suggestions do you have for my work, Grandfather?" Gu Xun raised a brow.
"Everything looks good. You’re doing well," Gu Baotian concluded.
As the others talked, Jiang Mo quietly tidied up the card game, restoring the coffee table to its pristine state.
Listening to Gu Baotian’s feedback, she felt like he’d said a lot… yet nothing at all.
She didn’t know much about other third-generation heirs, but the Gu family’s descendants seemed quite diligent—Gu Xuan being the exception.
Now that he was here, Gu Baotian decided to get serious.
He had Gu Xun and Zhuge Shen accompany him on a tour of the company’s departments, leaving Jiang Mo and Gu Ye behind in the office.
Seizing the moment, Gu Ye asked, "That birthday banquet you and Grandpa are attending—when is it again?"
"This Saturday. Why?" Jiang Mo replied.
This Saturday… he’d already be at work.
Gu Ye shrugged. "No reason, just asking. When you go, don’t drink too much. And after the party, head straight home. Don’t get mixed up with shady people."
"Got it," Jiang Mo thought to herself. She was just a nobody who didn't know many people anyway, so she had planned to make a brief appearance, eat, and then leave.
"Oh, and keep an eye on Grandpa too. If anything happens, let him handle it for you," Gu Ye added.
Jiang Mo nodded. "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Grandpa Gu."
Gu Ye was about to say something else when a message popped up on his phone from Sister Huang on WeChat, informing him that the acting coach she had arranged for him was confirmed.
"Alright, got it. Thanks, Sister Huang," Gu Ye replied before casually dropping the news.
"You’re going to train with Liu Lin? She’s amazing! I love the dramas she’s been in," Jiang Mo said, slightly surprised.
A couple of days ago, Gu Ye had mentioned studying old TV shows to improve his acting, and she thought he was just making small talk. But now that he was learning from a respected mentor, it seemed he was serious about honing his craft.
"Of course, I wasn’t joking," Gu Ye said, standing up from the couch. "Jiang Mo, be honest—have you watched any of my dramas? What do you think of my acting?"
That question was… awkward.
Jiang Mo unconsciously touched her nose. "Well, I’ve seen a few."
Gu Ye pressed further. "Which ones?"
Which… dramas?
That was a good question. Her mind raced, but she couldn’t recall the titles right away.
"The one you did with Kong Xue’er," Jiang Mo finally said under Gu Ye’s expectant gaze, exhaling in relief afterward.
Gu Ye saw right through her. "You clearly don’t remember the title, which means you probably haven’t watched much."
Jiang Mo tried to explain. "Heh… well, it’s a bit distracting watching someone you know on screen."
Gu Ye sighed. "So, basically, my acting isn’t good enough to keep you immersed, huh?"
"Ah, don’t bother sugarcoating it. I admit my skills are still rough, but I’m working on it. Just wait—give me some time, and I’ll improve. I won’t claim I’ll become some master overnight, but I’m confident I can get at least 50% better than I am now."
Jiang Mo nodded, sensing his sincerity, and encouraged him. "I believe in you."
"But speaking of which, I never asked—why did you decide to become an actor in the first place?"
At this, Gu Ye hesitated. "Jobs were hard to come by, and Sister Huang happened to offer me this opportunity."
Jiang Mo blinked. "Huh… you actually needed a job? If I were you, I’d probably just laze around at home or start my own business."
"My parents wouldn’t let me. They said they weren’t afraid of me spending money—they were afraid of me starting a business because they were sure I’d bankrupt the family," Gu Ye said, exasperated. "I didn’t want them looking down on me, so I found something to do on my own."
As they chatted and snacked, an hour slipped by unnoticed, and Gu Baotian and Gu Xun still hadn’t returned.
Jiang Mo felt like she’d almost filled up on fruit and snacks.
Gu Ye checked his phone. "They should be back soon. Grandpa wouldn’t still be working overtime at the company, would he?"
Turns out, he was right. At 6:30 p.m., Gu Baotian and the others finally returned.
"Gu Ye, take Grandpa and Jiang Mo home. Drive carefully," Gu Xun instructed.
Gu Ye asked, "Bro, aren’t you coming home for dinner? It’s already past work hours."
Gu Xun shook his head. "No, I have a business dinner tonight."
That was normal. Gu Baotian added, "Make sure you eat something before drinking. Don’t overdo it."
Zhuge Shen chimed in, "Don’t worry, Old Master. I’ll keep an eye on Young Master Gu."
"Good, I appreciate it," Gu Baotian said. With the company inspection done, he led his two young companions home for dinner.
Back at the Gu residence, Su Yunjin learned that they had visited the company and that Gu Xun was tied up with work, unable to return with them. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her son.
"Aunt Wang, prepare some hangover soup for Xun to drink when he gets back tonight."
"Of course, Madam," Wang Xia acknowledged before heading to the kitchen to gather ingredients.
Having snacked all afternoon, Jiang Mo didn’t eat much at dinner.
After the meal, she helped clean up the dining and living areas before heading out to meet Li Wan’er.
They had agreed to meet at the hexagonal pavilion in the villa complex, and Jiang Mo took the opportunity to walk Da Huang and Fu Gui for some fresh air.
The dogs had been cooped up all day while everyone was out and then busy with dinner.
Jiang Mo arrived first at the pavilion, where Da Huang and Fu Gui sprawled on the ground, resting.
Five minutes later, a figure appeared in the distance—Li Wan’er jogging toward her.
Since Li Wan’er had started her new job, they’d mostly kept in touch via WeChat and hadn’t seen much of each other lately.
"Wow, are these your dogs or the Gu family’s? They look like Chinese village dogs," Li Wan’er remarked, eyeing the pair.
"Purebred village dogs. Grandpa Gu adopted them," Jiang Mo said, pulling Li Wan’er down to sit. "I haven’t had a chance to ask—how’s work at the Ling household? Are you settling in okay?"
"It’s going well. The workload isn’t heavy," Li Wan’er replied. "Maybe because I’m young, the middle-schooler and I don’t have much of a generation gap? Communication’s been smooth."
She had initially worried about handling a kid but was pleasantly surprised.
"I’ve kept all your advice in mind," Li Wan’er added. Whenever she ran into issues she wasn’t sure how to handle, she’d message Jiang Mo for help.
Even if Jiang Mo didn’t know the answer, her mother, Wang Xia, had plenty of experience to share.
Having someone to turn to was far better than fumbling through alone.
"That’s good," Jiang Mo said, relieved. She had referred her classmate to the job and wanted everything to go smoothly for her.
"Do you have plans for May Day? Going anywhere fun?"
The holiday was just a week away.
Da Huang stood up and trotted over to Jiang Mo, who patted his head. "Hmm, not sure yet. What about you? Any plans?"
Li Wan’er shook her head. "Haven’t decided either. Everywhere’s packed during the holidays. Maybe we can meet up if we’re free. My treat!"
"Oh? Treating me? Where’d you strike gold, boss?"
Li Wan’er grinned. "Just my paycheck from work. Since you hooked me up with this gig, it’s only right I return the favor. No refusing, okay?"
"Fine, fine. I won’t be polite then—looking forward to your treat, boss!" Jiang Mo laughed.
