Jiang Mo and Li Zheng exchanged glances, then looked around to confirm that Gu Xuan was the only one there.
They pulled Gu Xuan up from the suitcase. "Did you come alone?"
Gu Xuan nodded. "Where did you guys go?"
"We went to the mall for dinner," Jiang Mo said, opening the door and dragging the suitcase inside—it was surprisingly light.
Good thing they hadn’t been fooling around outside today and came back early.
Otherwise, who knew how long this little guy would’ve been waiting at the door.
"I need to use the bathroom," Gu Xuan said, rushing inside and heading straight for the toilet.
Li Zheng set down the things in his hands in the living room and asked Jiang Mo, "Sis, why’s the little guy here? Is he staying with us for a few days?"
Li Zheng knew Gu Xuan too—he sometimes came over with Wang Xia to stay.
Jiang Mo shrugged, confused. "No idea. No one told me."
She pulled out her phone, but there were no missed calls or messages.
"Then… did this kid sneak out from home by himself?" Li Zheng guessed, resting his chin on his hand.
"No way, right?" Jiang Mo wasn’t so sure.
While the siblings were whispering, Gu Xuan finished washing his hands and came out of the bathroom.
Jiang Mo tidied up the living room and asked, "What time did you get here? Have you eaten dinner? Why didn’t you message me?"
"I wanted to, but I don’t have your number or socials. And no, I haven’t eaten."
Gu Xuan thought to himself—this time, he’d make sure to get her contact info.
"Here, I’ll wash some fruit for you to snack on first," Li Zheng said, grabbing some fruit and heading to the kitchen.
Hearing he hadn’t eaten, Jiang Mo scratched her head. "How about I make you some dumplings?"
Seeing him nod, she rummaged through the fridge, found some dumplings Wang Xia had made, and took them to the kitchen.
"Sis, call Mom and ask what’s going on," Li Zheng whispered while washing the fruit, careful not to be overheard. "I’m pretty sure this kid ran away from home."
"I already messaged Mom earlier—she hasn’t replied yet," Jiang Mo said, filling a pot with water. "How are you so sure he ran away?"
Li Zheng wasn’t afraid to share his own dark history. "Because I’ve done it before. I know the signs."
Jiang Mo was curious. "When did you ever run away? I don’t remember that."
Li Zheng: "......"
After washing the fruit, Li Zheng brought it out, and the two of them sat in the living room, eating and watching TV.
As Jiang Mo dropped the dumplings into boiling water, Wang Xia’s voice message came through.
"Huh? Xiao Xuan left? Came to our place?" She sounded doubtful, and there was the sound of a door opening in the background.
Another message followed. "Just checked—he really isn’t home. When did he sneak out?"
Jiang Mo clicked her tongue. "Mom, you didn’t even notice him dragging a suitcase out? Didn’t you realize someone was missing at dinner?"
Wang Xia explained, "I wasn’t home for dinner—I was out running errands for Madam."
"What’s with the suitcase? Keep an eye on him. I’ll let Madam know."
Jiang Mo set her phone aside, watching the dumplings float to the surface. She added a splash of cold water, waited for them to rise again, then scooped them out and called Gu Xuan over.
"Xiao Xuan, the dumplings are ready. Come eat."
Gu Xuan didn’t dawdle—he sat down and dug in. It was already 9 PM, so he must’ve been starving.
Jiang Mo poured him a glass of water and sat beside him.
"So… you brought a suitcase. Did you run away from home?"
At this, Gu Xuan’s face scrunched up in frustration. "Yeah. I’m not going back."
Jiang Mo widened her eyes. "What happened? Did you fight with someone?"
Gu Xuan stuffed another dumpling in his mouth, eyes darting around. Well, he and Jiang Mo were close—might as well tell her.
"I had a fight with my mom. She made me so mad."
"How could she scold me in front of someone I hate? Where’s my dignity? At least wait till we get home to lecture me..."
From Gu Xuan’s explanation, Jiang Mo pieced together what happened.
Earlier, Su Yunjin had taken Gu Xuan to a social event, where he’d clashed with a boy he disliked. Su Yunjin reprimanded him, and Gu Xuan got upset.
When they got home, he sulked in his room and refused to eat dinner.
Kids being kids, Su Yunjin figured he’d get over it and didn’t push him.
But instead, he packed some clothes into a suitcase and ran away.
"Then tonight, you’ll stay here and share a room with Xiao Zheng, okay?" Jiang Mo said, amused.
"Fine," Gu Xuan agreed. They’d shared a room before anyway.
Jiang Mo’s phone buzzed—Wang Xia said Madam knew Gu Xuan was here and was fine with him staying the night. If he didn’t want to go back tomorrow, he could stay longer.
Gu Xuan finished eating and kept glancing at his phone. Still no calls.
Seriously? He’d been gone for hours, and no one cared?
Didn’t anyone notice he was missing?
He’d even lingered in the yard before leaving, just to make sure someone saw him!
He pursed his lips and looked at Jiang Mo. "Sis, does my family know I’m here?"
"They do. I already told Madam. She said you can stay tonight, and we’ll see tomorrow. If you want to stay longer, that’s fine too."
Jiang Mo smiled, noticing his empty bowl. "Full? Want seconds?"
"No, I’m good," Gu Xuan muttered. Then, hesitantly, he asked, "Did they… say anything else?"
Jiang Mo shook her head slowly. "Nope. That’s it."
Gu Xuan felt his tiny heart grow cold.
He’d run away, and his family didn’t even care. No one begged him to come back. No apologies. What was the point of running away, then?
"Sis… do you think there’s a chance I’m not their real kid? That they found me in a dumpster or something?" he asked mournfully.
Jiang Mo laughed at his gloomy expression. "Doubt it. You look just like Madam. Plus, kids don’t just show up in trash cans in gated communities."
Gu Xuan sighed. "Then why doesn’t anyone care? They didn’t even come looking for me."
"Uh… maybe they don’t even know you ran away," Li Zheng chimed in. "If they don’t know, why would they look?"
A runaway adventure no one noticed, ending with a meek return.
He’d left thinking, I’ll disappear forever. Let them search in vain and live with regret for the rest of their lives.
The idea of running away from home to punish their parents is something many children entertain.
Gu Xuan felt that Li Zheng's words had struck a chord—it sounded like the truth.
Jiang Mo looked at her younger brother. "I don’t doubt it now. Hearing how experienced you sound, it seems you’ve actually done this before."
Though it might have been the same situation back then—his family never noticed, so it was brushed off as if nothing happened.
"Li Zheng, you’ve done this before?" Gu Xuan, suddenly intrigued, scooted closer to him. "What happened next?"
Li Zheng recalled the memory, rubbing his nose. "Then it got dark, I got hungry, had no money, and after holding out for a few hours, I just went back home."
Gu Xuan: "...That sounds kinda pathetic."
And just like that, Gu Xuan’s first attempt at running away ended in failure.
"These little tricks of yours don’t stand a chance against parents," Jiang Mo said as she cleared the dishes.
Li Zheng wanted a carbonated drink, and Gu Xuan chimed in, asking for one too. Glancing at Jiang Mo’s retreating figure in the kitchen, Li Zheng said, "Not a whole bottle. I’ll pour you a cup—just a little. If you drink too much, my sister will blame me."
"Fine, fine, a cup is fine," Gu Xuan relented. "Why are you so scared of Sister Jiang Mo?"
"Buddy, the way you say that—as if you aren’t scared of your two older brothers?" Li Zheng grabbed a paper cup and poured a small serving.
When their sister got angry, she wasn’t afraid to scold or even throw hands.
Gu Xuan thought for a moment. "Actually, I’m not scared of my second brother. It’s just my eldest brother I’m a little afraid of."
When the eldest brother went silent with a stern face, it was pretty intimidating. The second brother was much more easygoing.
"Your eldest brother is a CEO. He needs that kind of presence to keep a company in line," Li Zheng said before downing half the bottle of cola in one go.
Jiang Mo finished tidying the kitchen and came out to find the two deep in conversation. She glanced at the table—at least her little brother had some sense and didn’t let the other drink too much.
The topic had shifted to the eldest and second brothers. Gu Xuan asked, "Sister Jiang Mo, who’s more handsome—my eldest brother or my second brother? Who do you like more?"
These were her bosses, after all. Jiang Mo decided to play it safe. "They’re both handsome. I like them both."
"Ah, but don’t you think my eldest brother is too cold?" Gu Xuan pressed. "My second brother is way more fun. I like hanging out with him more."
Gu Ye: Excuse me? Since when am I the ‘funny’ one?
Jiang Mo replied, "Your eldest brother is a CEO. He has to carry himself like one—otherwise, how would he command respect? As for your second brother, well, he’s definitely witty and charming."
"Honestly, I’ve noticed Gu Ye—the second brother—is pretty popular," Li Zheng chimed in. "The stores near the school sell a lot of his merch, and it’s not cheap either."
Gu Xuan asked casually, "How much could a signed photo of my second brother sell for?"
"I don’t follow celebrities, so I’m not sure. Maybe a few hundred to a thousand?" Li Zheng glanced at Jiang Mo. "She’d know better."
"I don’t know either. Probably around what you said," Jiang Mo admitted. While she had her favorite actors and idols, she didn’t splurge on fandom merchandise.
The most important thing was living well. Only if she had extra to spare would she consider supporting them in small ways.
"That expensive?!" Gu Xuan was floored. The ones he’d sold at school before—he’d totally undersold them!
Some things, Jiang Mo mused, were just beyond her understanding—how could they fetch such high prices?
Li Zheng retreated to his room to play games, and Gu Xuan followed. Jiang Mo fixed her brother with a look. "Make sure Gu Xuan washes up. No games past 11:30. Got it?"
Under his sister’s sharp gaze, Li Zheng nodded. "Yeah, yeah. We’ll just play a couple rounds, then we’ll wash up."
Jiang Mo closed the door and went to freshen up. Afterward, she got a call from Wang Xia.
"Jiang Mo, since Gu Xuan and Li Zheng are on break, you’ll be looking after them. Madam said she’ll pick them up on the 5th. I’ll be accompanying her on a trip for the next couple of days."
"I’ll transfer some extra living expenses. Make sure you all eat well."
After hanging up, Jiang Mo stared at the amount on her screen. Was this what it meant to "hold the young master hostage" for leverage? With Gu Xuan here, her mother was suddenly generous.
She made up her mind—these next few days, they were eating out. At nice places.
Li Zheng wanted to stay up late, but with Gu Xuan around and his sister’s warning fresh in his mind, he obediently turned off the lights before midnight.
Gu Xuan, however, was reluctant. Watching the computer shut down, he climbed into bed with a pout.
At home, no one ever played games with him. Now that he finally had company, he didn’t want it to end so soon.
"Li Zheng, don’t you wanna play a little longer?"
Li Zheng flopped onto the freshly changed sheets. "Nah, kid. We’ll play more tomorrow. If we keep going, my sister won’t hit you—but she will hit me."
Gu Xuan lay down too. "Sister Jiang Mo seems so gentle. She’s probably just bluffing. She wouldn’t actually hit you."
Li Zheng sighed. "You don’t have a sister. You wouldn’t get it."
"I wish I had a sister. All Mom gave me were brothers," Gu Xuan rolled onto his side, facing Li Zheng. "Hey, Li Zheng, why don’t you come work at my house? We’d be like brothers—I’d have your back."
That way, he’d always have someone to game with.
"Me?" Li Zheng chuckled. "I’m still in school. After the college entrance exams, I’ve got university to think about."
"Oh, right." Gu Xuan smacked his forehead.
The next morning, Jiang Mo waited for the two to wake up before taking them out for Cantonese dim sum.
Dim sum offered a wide variety, suitable for all ages and tastes—perfect for a group with different preferences.
Not wanting to overthink it, Jiang Mo hailed a luxury car for the trip.
Gu Xuan watched her call the ride. "Sister Jiang Mo, do you not have a car? I’ve got cars—you can drive mine next time. I have a few."
"What kind?" Li Zheng, sitting in the back, perked up.
"A Pagani and a Bugatti. Birthday gifts from my family," Gu Xuan said.
Li Zheng whistled. "You’re this young and already own two supercars?"
Gu Xuan nodded. "My family said I can drive them when I’m older."
The disparity was staggering. Li Zheng wondered if his parents would even buy him a car after he got his license post-graduation.
Jiang Mo, in the passenger seat, checked the ETA to the restaurant. The driver, chatting casually, remarked, "Kids these days love spinning tall tales. Mine does the same—Pagani, Bugatti? Probably just parents humoring them."
