Under Liu Guochuan's arrangements, Jiang Mo ultimately ended up taking Liu Chen's car back to the Long Island villa.
Liu Chen, too, felt somewhat helpless, noticing Jiang Mo's awkwardness.
"Don’t feel pressured. Just think of me as an older brother, like how you address me," Liu Chen joked as they got into the car. "I’m not particularly interested in women."
Jiang Mo sat in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt, when a certain radar in her mind suddenly went off.
She tilted her head, studying him. Not interested in women?
The obvious alternative was that he preferred men—though such cases weren’t unheard of.
"Got it, understood," Jiang Mo nodded, feeling everything now made sense.
"I know you’re worried Grandfather Liu might not accept it. It’s hard to explain these things to them. Even though they’re somewhat open to new ideas, traditional values are hard to shake off overnight."
Liu Chen was baffled by her words.
Did she misunderstand something?
Halfway through the drive, it suddenly dawned on him what might have gone wrong.
"About what I said earlier… did you misinterpret it?" Liu Chen ventured cautiously, suspecting she had misread his orientation.
Jiang Mo blinked, unsure how to respond. Sitting in silence would’ve been awkward—like treating him as just a driver—so she kept the conversation going.
"What do you mean by ‘misinterpret’?" Jiang Mo stifled a yawn.
Liu Chen cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "When I said I’m not interested in women, I meant I’m focused on my career right now. Not for any other reason."
Jiang Mo flushed with embarrassment. "...Sorry, that was shallow of me."
Liu Chen suppressed a chuckle. "It’s fine. Young people tend to have… active imaginations. I get it."
He lightened the mood, adding, "Good thing I clarified, or my reputation would’ve taken a hit."
"Not at all, your image is intact," Jiang Mo said sheepishly.
Liu Chen’s car led the way as the two vehicles entered the Long Island villa area one after the other. Jiang Mo got out first, waiting for the business van behind them.
When Gu Baotian stepped out, Jiang Mo quickly went to support him, greeting Liu Guochuan and Pan Weidong. "Grandfather Liu, Grandpa Pan, I’ll take Gu Grandpa home now."
She then waved at Liu Chen. "Brother Liu, thanks for driving me back today. We’re heading home now—see you later."
Gu Baotian waved her off. "Don’t worry, I can walk. Didn’t drink too much."
As they reached the front door, the two dogs, Dahuang and Fugui, came bounding over, circling them excitedly.
Wang Xia checked on Gu Baotian, relieved to see the old man playing with the dogs.
"Reporting to Mama Wang—I kept an eye on him. He didn’t overdrink," Jiang Mo announced.
Wang Xia chided her, tapping her forehead. "You and your cheekiness. It’s late—why don’t you stay here tonight and share my room?"
Jiang Mo nodded and dashed off to change and freshen up.
After her shower, Wang Xia returned to the room. "Your brother’s school lets out tomorrow afternoon for the May holiday. Pick him up and take care of things—I’ll give you some money for your expenses."
"What about you, Mom?" Jiang Mo asked, lying on the bed.
"Depends on Madam’s plans. If the family goes abroad for the holiday, I’ll come home to be with you."
Wang Xia explained that if the Gu family went on vacation, she’d get time off too. Otherwise, she’d still need to be around, though taking a day or two off wouldn’t be an issue.
"If they go abroad, won’t you join them?"
Wang Xia shook her head. "I’ve traveled overseas enough. My English is nonexistent, and flights tire me out. Next time, it’s your turn—you young folks handle it better."
Jiang Mo bolted upright. "Should I get my passport ready, then?"
Wang Xia laughed. "If you want to, go ahead. Having it ready won’t hurt."
Jiang Mo decided to apply for her passport after the holiday.
The next day, Jiang Mo rested at home before heading out around 2 PM on her electric scooter to Yali High School.
The school gates were packed with parents picking up their kids, and traffic was congested a kilometer away.
Jiang Mo weaved through smoothly on her scooter, congratulating herself on her foresight.
Parking near the school’s side entrance, the aroma of grilled sausages wafted over.
"How much for the starch sausages?" Jiang Mo asked the vendor.
"Three yuan for one, five for two."
Jiang Mo scanned the payment code. "Two, please."
No telling how long the wait would be—snacking would pass the time.
By 3:30 PM, students began streaming out.
Jiang Mo had already texted Li Zheng to meet at their usual spot.
"Sis!" A familiar voice called from a distance. Jiang Mo looked up to see her little brother, flanked by his usual two friends.
Jiang Mo grinned. "Over here!"
As they approached, the two boys greeted her cheerfully. "Hi, sis!"
"Here—grilled sausages and jianbing for each of you," Jiang Mo handed over the snacks.
The boys accepted eagerly, showering her with praise. "Thanks, sis! You’re as kind as you are pretty."
Li Zheng scowled. "You two—who got you these treats, huh? Call me ‘Godfather’ right now."
"Uh, obviously your gorgeous sister," one boy retorted between bites. "How come you didn’t inherit any of her looks?"
Li Zheng fake-kicked at him, but the boy dodged effortlessly.
"Clearly, you flunked biology. If I looked like her, things’d be messed up. Now scram—take your food and get lost."
After some more banter, the two friends wandered off, munching on their jianbing.
Jiang Mo had met them often and knew they were close. She eyed Li Zheng’s light load—just a backpack. "That’s all you’re taking?"
Nearby, girls struggled with bulky bags.
"Just a few days at home—a change of clothes is enough," Li Zheng said, fishing out a sausage. "Sis, are we eating in or out tonight?"
"Are Mom and Dad off work?"
"Not sure," Jiang Mo started the scooter. "We’ll eat out."
Li Zheng snapped his fingers. "Perfect. No point cooking if they’re not home."
Checking the time, Jiang Mo found it too awkward to go home first.
Not wanting the hassle of heading back out, she drove straight to the mall.
"Sis, let me carry your bag," Li Zheng offered, transforming into her dutiful porter. "What are you shopping for?"
"Ah, he doesn’t have financial freedom right now, so maybe he can just tag along and see if there’s anything good to pick up."
"Let’s check out some clothes and shoes," Jiang Mo said, though she didn’t have anything specific in mind. She was just killing time until it was time to grab a meal.
Li Zheng, who stood a head and a half taller than Jiang Mo, followed beside her. "Hey sis, I kinda want to buy a pair of sneakers. Is that okay?"
Jiang Mo turned to look at her little brother, thinking how well-fed kids these days were, with all the proper nutrition, making them grow so tall.
Meeting his eager gaze, she nodded. "Sure, let’s go check out some shoes."
The mall had plenty of sportswear brands, so the two headed to a familiar chain store. Li Zheng excitedly tried on shoes while Jiang Mo did the same.
Coincidentally, the store was running a promotion with discounts for spending over a certain amount.
Li Zheng tried on a pair of black running shoes, checking himself out in the mirror. The shoes looked great, but since they were a new release, the price felt a bit steep.
He hesitated, torn over the decision.
Seeing his indecision, Jiang Mo waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry, if you like them, we’ll get them. Today’s shopping spree is on me."
"I’ll take these women’s shoes too—might as well hit the discount threshold."
Li Zheng gave her a thumbs-up. "Damn, sis, you’re suddenly so generous. I almost don’t recognize you. Did you get a raise or something?"
"Like I was some cheapskate before," Jiang Mo clicked her tongue, shooting him a look.
Li Zheng muttered under his breath, "Well, you weren’t stingy, but you weren’t exactly lavish either."
"That’s because I didn’t have money back then," Jiang Mo lectured her little brother. "And listen to you—of course I’m working to earn money. Did you think I was just volunteering?"
Li Zheng: "No, I mean… is the salary pretty good?"
Jiang Mo blinked, playing coy. "Take a guess."
"Hmm… ten thousand?" Li Zheng hesitated before throwing out the number. Honestly, if he could land a job with that salary after graduation, he’d be satisfied.
Living at home with no rent to pay, ten grand would cover all his expenses.
"Don’t go prying into salaries—that’s industry classified info," Jiang Mo said, pulling out her phone to pay.
Li Zheng: "……Didn’t you just tell me to guess?"
After teasing her brother, Jiang Mo finally relented. "The salary’s… decent. But in our line of work, the real perks are the hidden benefits. Anyway, it’s pointless explaining now. You’ll understand once you graduate and start working."
"Speaking of which, how are your mock exam scores? You’ve got just over a month left before the college entrance exams. Feeling confident?"
"Not bad. I think if I perform normally, I can at least secure a spot in a decent university," Li Zheng said with some confidence, though he doubted he’d match his sister’s academic achievements.
Jiang Mo nodded. That was good enough.
The two wandered around a bit longer, grabbing two cups of lemonade before heading up to the mall’s fifth floor for dinner around five.
"Sis, what are we eating today? Should I check for deals first?" Li Zheng pulled out his phone to browse a group-buying app.
Jiang Mo grinned. "Come on, today’s my treat—I’m taking you out for a feast."
Li Zheng pouted. "You always say that, but half the time ‘feast’ just means street food."
"This time it’s the real deal," Jiang Mo insisted. "Just follow me."
Skeptical but obedient, Li Zheng trailed after her until they stopped in front of a seafood buffet on the fifth floor. "Sis… we’re eating here today?"
"Yep, let’s go," Jiang Mo said without looking back, telling the host, "Table for two."
Li Zheng quickly checked the app and nearly choked when he saw the per-person price was over 400 yuan. "Sis! Sis! We’re eating this fancy today? What, are we giving up on life after this?"
