Bai Hui felt a surge of irritation rise in her chest when she heard Jiang Mo's innocent, airy retort.
"Who do you think you're looking down on? I wouldn’t even glance twice at your clothes and bags," Bai Hui said, ostentatiously holding up her Hermès bag. "See this? Your entire outfit isn’t worth half of this bag."
"Oh," Jiang Mo glanced at it. "Is Hermès the pinnacle of your taste?"
What did that mean? Bai Hui froze for a second before realizing the other woman was mocking her in a roundabout way.
"Of course not! My family owns plenty of custom-made pieces!"
This girl looked delicate and easy to push around, but her words were downright infuriating. Bai Hui had tried to flaunt her status, only to end up humiliated and fuming.
Jiang Mo smirked, watching the other woman scramble to defend herself. It was obvious—Bai Hui was no real heiress.
No true socialite would stoop to such cheap displays of wealth.
"Is that so? Well, I certainly can’t tell," Jiang Mo drawled, elongating her words.
But to Bai Hui, that smile, that tone—it all reeked of skepticism and disdain.
She rolled her eyes. "Hmph, of course you wouldn’t recognize class. You clearly have none."
"You still haven’t said which family you’re from. Did you sneak in from some etiquette school for wannabe socialites?"
Jiang Mo was tired of this. She pointed in a direction. "Over there. I came with those three old gentlemen."
Bai Hui followed her gesture and recognized one of them—Liu Guochuan.
She’d heard her in-laws mention him before, saying he was close friends with Zhong Xiaoqin. She’d even seen him at the Zhong family’s gatherings in the past.
But this young, pretty thing tagging along with an old man? Bai Hui scoffed. "Pfft, so that’s it. No wonder you wouldn’t say who you are—your status is downright embarrassing."
What was so shameful about being a housekeeper?
Jiang Mo knew exactly what Bai Hui was implying, but before she could retort, a sweet voice interrupted.
"Bai Hui, what are you doing here? Auntie’s been looking everywhere for you."
Kong Xue'er was still a few meters away, but her voice carried clearly.
At the sight of her, Bai Hui’s sharp edges softened. She forced a smile. "Oh, nothing. Just chatting with someone."
"Chatting? About what? I’m curious." Kong Xue'er stepped closer, recognizing Jiang Mo. "Hey, we meet again."
Jiang Mo gave a slight nod, surprised to see her here—and that she remembered her.
"Grandma Zhong is my great-aunt," Kong Xue'er explained. "Did you come with Grandpa Gu?"
She’d spotted Gu Ye’s grandfather earlier.
"Yes, I accompanied him to celebrate Grandma Zhong’s birthday," Jiang Mo said, not expecting Kong Xue'er to be related to her.
Bai Hui’s eyes darted between them. "Xue'er, you know her?"
"Yeah, she’s—" Kong Xue'er paused. Gu Ye hadn’t specified Jiang Mo’s identity earlier, but since she came with Grandpa Gu, she must be family?
"She’s from the Gu family."
The Gu family? Which Gu family? Bai Hui’s mind raced, her earlier confidence wavering.
"But she’s not—" Bai Hui started, then bit her tongue.
Kong Xue'er sighed, recognizing Bai Hui’s usual antics. "Auntie’s waiting. Aren’t you going?"
"Oh! I totally forgot. You two chat—I’ll head over now." Before leaving, she patted Jiang Mo’s arm in a show of forced camaraderie.
Jiang Mo watched, unimpressed, as Bai Hui performed her flawless about-face.
Once she was gone, Kong Xue'er asked, "She didn’t give you too much trouble, did she?"
"Who is she?" Jiang Mo didn’t hold back. "Her social skills could use work."
Kong Xue'er took a delicate bite of a mini cake. "She’s my aunt’s granddaughter-in-law. Well, ‘aunt’ is a stretch—they’re from my great-uncle’s side. We only see them during holidays or events."
Jiang Mo understood. So Bai Hui was the wife of Zhong Xiaoqin’s husband’s younger brother’s grandson.
No wonder she called Zhong Xiaoqin "Grandma"—though it was more of a distant, honorary title.
Kong Xue'er smirked. "Calling her socially inept is generous. That mouth of hers has caused plenty of drama."
She glanced around. "Hey, why didn’t Gu Ye come with you?"
"He’s away for work," Jiang Mo explained.
Kong Xue'er nodded. Probably jetting off to another city.
In their line of work, schedules were erratic, locations ever-changing.
"Actually, I never asked—Miss Jiang, are you related to the Gu family?"
"No," Jiang Mo shook her head. "I’m their housekeeper."
Kong Xue'er blinked. "Oh! You mean, like, a personal assistant?"
Well, that wasn’t entirely wrong. Jiang Mo nodded.
"How’s the job? Manageable?"
This was the first time someone had shown interest in her profession.
"It’s fine. Not too hard."
No dealing with difficult people, a relaxed environment, friendly coworkers.
"Ever thought about switching jobs?" Kong Xue'er leaned in. "I need a personal assistant."
Hers had quit three months ago, and none of the replacements had clicked.
Jiang Mo seemed like a good fit—pleasant, capable, and already accustomed to high-society life.
Jiang Mo politely declined. "Thanks, but I’m happy where I am."
Kong Xue'er tempted her. "With me, you’d travel the country, meet celebrities, hear all the industry gossip."
Jiang Mo grinned. "Well, Gu Ye’s a celebrity too."
Right. If she wanted gossip, she could just stick with Gu Ye. And any good assistant would keep the best opportunities for themselves.
"Ah, forgot about that," Kong Xue'er laughed, waving it off.
She circled back to Gu Ye. "Didn’t realize his family was so well-off. When we worked together, he never mentioned it. Pretty low-key."
Being invited to Zhong Xiaoqin’s birthday bash wasn’t for just anyone.
Jiang Mo smiled. "Miss Kong, your family’s no slouch either. Yet you work so hard."
"Please, we’re nowhere near the Gu family’s level," Kong Xue'er said, checking her phone. "Ah, I’ve got something to handle. Catch up later?"
Once she left, Jiang Mo was finally alone.
Nearby, the three old men were still deep in conversation. Jiang Mo quietly turned her attention to the food.
At lunch, she was seated with them.
Having indulged in too many delicious mini cakes earlier, her appetite was lacking.
"Kid, something on your mind? You’re barely eating," Gu Baotian noted with concern.
Liu Guochuan chimed in, "Or was the food not to your liking?"
"Neither. The dishes were all delicious," Jiang Mo replied with an embarrassed smile. "It’s just... I had too many desserts before the meal."
Gu Baotian laughed. "Ah, that explains it! I was wondering why you weren’t eating much. Given your usual appetite, this was unexpected."
Jiang Mo couldn’t help but feel like she was being painted as some kind of glutton.
After the luncheon, Gu Baotian and two others gathered a group for a card game.
Jiang Mo went upstairs to the suite and, noticing that the crowd around Zhong Xiaoqin had thinned, quietly approached her.
"Grandma Zhong."
"Come sit with me, Xiao Mo," Zhong Xiaoqin gestured to the leather sofa beside her. "How was the food? Did it suit your taste?"
Jiang Mo patted her stomach and gave a thumbs-up. "Absolutely amazing. I’ll probably gain two pounds when I get back."
"Grandma Zhong, I only found out today about what happened between you and Grandpa Gu," Jiang Mo scratched her head, wanting to explain.
Zhong Xiaoqin saw her hesitation and patted her hand reassuringly. "Oh, it’s nothing serious. There’s an old saying—'no discord, no concord.' Isn’t that just like us?"
"Don’t worry about us old folks. We’ll handle things ourselves."
Relieved by Zhong Xiaoqin’s words, Jiang Mo let go of her concerns.
As the two chatted, someone approached. Jiang Mo recognized Bai Hui, and the middle-aged woman walking ahead of her was likely Bai Hui’s mother-in-law.
Strangely, the Hermès bag that should have been Bai Hui’s was slung over her mother-in-law’s arm, while Bai Hui carried nothing.
Could it be that the bag never belonged to Bai Hui in the first place?
Though Zhong Xiaoqin wasn’t fond of them, she maintained her composure as a host.
"Auntie, your birthday banquet is splendid. It’s always better to host on home turf," Bai Hui’s mother-in-law tried to cozy up, but Zhong Xiaoqin’s seat was already taken by Jiang Mo.
"It’s alright. The important thing is that everyone enjoys themselves," Zhong Xiaoqin replied politely.
"Um, Auntie, about that matter I mentioned last time..."
Hearing the conversation veer toward private affairs, Jiang Mo stood up to excuse herself.
Bai Hui’s mother-in-law shot her a glare, and Bai Hui, without getting a word in, hastily followed Jiang Mo out.
"Hey, wait up!" Bai Hui called after her. "Since we’ve already crossed paths, why not be friends? I admit I was a bit harsh before, but you’re not that petty, right?"
Ugh. The hypocrisy. Master of guilt-tripping.
But Jiang Mo wasn’t having it. "Actually, I am that petty."
Who wants to be friends with you?
Bai Hui froze, clearly not expecting Jiang Mo to reject the olive branch. "You—you think I actually want to be friends? I was just being polite, and now you’re acting all high and mighty."
Jiang Mo blinked. "So what?"
Leaving Bai Hui red-faced and fuming, Jiang Mo walked away.
Stepping into the garden, Jiang Mo took in the fresh air. Gu Ye texted her, asking if the party was fun.
"The estate is huge and gorgeous, and the food was great."
Gu Ye probed further, "What’s Grandpa up to? Make any new friends?"
Jiang Mo answered honestly, "Grandpa Gu’s playing mahjong. Oh, and guess what? I ran into Kong Xue’er—she’s Grandma Zhong’s relative."
Gu Ye didn’t seem surprised. After a brief chat, he signed off, "Alright, I’ve got work to do."
The weather was perfect—sunny and breezy. Jiang Mo settled into a secluded garden chair and snapped a few photos.
Then, she heard a familiar voice.
Kong Xue’er, having just learned from a friend about her boyfriend’s infidelity, had stormed to the back garden. Making sure no one was around, she dialed his number and unleashed her fury the moment he picked up.
"You absolute scumbag! You’re cheating on me?"
"...And you’re saying it’s just rumors? I have photos, you shameless jerk!"
"At least real players are charming. You? You’re just a pathetic loser!"
......
Kong Xue’er’s tirade left Jiang Mo stunned. The contrast from her usual sweet image was staggering.
No trace of the bubbly idol remained.
Jiang Mo had never seen any gossip about her dating anyone.
Guess everyone keeps their love life under wraps. Love really is a heartbreaker.
"If you can’t hear me clearly, I’ll carve it on your tombstone!" Kong Xue’er snarled. "Filthy cheater!"
"Oh, now you’re worried about your career? Should’ve thought about that before jumping into bed with some influencer!"
The guy must’ve been thoroughly roasted—the call abruptly ended.
Jiang Mo figured he must be in the entertainment industry too.
Hanging up, Kong Xue’er felt a fleeting satisfaction, but the pain lingered.
A year together. She’d thought she had good judgment, that he was a decent guy.
Turns out, he was a master of time management—dating her while secretly seeing some online celebrity.
Kong Xue’er sobbed uncontrollably.
Jiang Mo hesitated. Should she leave or stay?
Would Kong Xue’er think she’d been eavesdropping?
After a moment, she stepped out from the corner and gently tapped Kong Xue’er’s shoulder, offering a tissue. "Here, wipe your face?"
Kong Xue’er hiccuped, tears streaking her makeup, and took the tissue without thinking.
"Just so you know, I wasn’t spying. I just didn’t have a chance to leave earlier," Jiang Mo explained.
Kong Xue’er dabbed at her eyes. "Wh-where did you come from? I didn’t see you before."
Jiang Mo pointed. "Over there."
"So... you heard everything? About me getting cheated on?"
Jiang Mo scratched her head. "Yeah..."
Kong Xue’er’s misery deepened. Not only was she betrayed, but her meltdown had been witnessed.
She was a star. An actress. How could she face anyone after this?
If this got out, that scumbag and his sidepiece would have a field day.
How do you comfort someone after a breakup? Think, think!
Ah—Jiang Mo remembered something.
"Don’t sweat it. Men are like subway trains. Miss one, and another arrives in five minutes—bigger and roomier."
Kong Xue’er paused mid-sniffle. "Do you even have a boyfriend? Ever been in love?"
An eight-hour fling didn’t count.
So, no.
Jiang Mo shook her head. "Who has time for love? All that ‘happily ever after’ nonsense? Work two shifts, and you’ll forget all about it."
