"......So among us, there's only one single aristocrat, meaning the rest of us three are just single dogs," Tan Yangming declared after glancing around, confirming his status.
"Well, even among single dogs, there are good-looking ones and ugly ones. At least Jiang Mo is pretty. The two of us don’t deserve to sit at the same table as her," Liu Jia added, delivering the brutal truth.
Tan Yangming: Ouch, bro.
Tan Yangming was tall but a little dark-skinned, while Liu Jia was slightly shorter but fair-complexioned. The two often hung out together, earning them the nickname "The Black and White Duo" from their classmates.
Gu Ye seized the moment to tease them, "Here, you two old dogs, have some fruit."
At the same time, he handed Jiang Mo a piece of mango on a toothpick, "Here, your favorite."
"Thanks, but I can help myself," Jiang Mo said, casually accepting it.
"Oh, so you only serve the pretty one and ignore us, huh?" Tan Yangming grumbled. "Bro, that’s some blatant favoritism."
"You’ve got hands, don’t you? Jiang Mo’s sitting farther from the coffee table than you two," Gu Ye shot back.
As Jiang Mo nibbled on the fruit, she asked about their recent lives, "So, what have you two been up to lately?"
Tan Yangming replied, "I just quit my job a month ago. My dad said the family can’t afford to support me working anymore, so he told me to come home and be a full-time son."
"......‘Can’t afford to support you working’—that’s a new one," Jiang Mo remarked, wondering if this was some trendy online joke she hadn’t heard of.
Gu Ye, who knew the details, explained, "He was making three thousand a month, but his parents had to subsidize him another two. So they told him to quit—said they used to pay for his education, now they’re paying for his job. Turns out, not working costs them less."
Liu Jia chimed in, "I’m only slightly better off than Xiao Ming—my job keeps me from starving, but it’s not exactly a great life."
"The economic boom skipped us, but when things go wrong, it’s all our fault. What can you do in a society like this?"
"Of course, you, the single aristocrat, wouldn’t understand."
Gu Ye: "......Yeah, no argument there."
Though the four were classmates, apart from Gu Ye, the other three came from ordinary families.
Jiang Mo thought to herself, Life really shapes people. Look at these young adults—their perspectives have leveled up after entering the workforce.
"Don’t worry, as the old saying goes, ‘Heaven has endowed us with talents that must be put to use.’ Your time to shine just hasn’t come yet," Jiang Mo reassured them.
Gu Ye nodded, "Exactly. Hang in there. When my brother gets back in a couple of days, I’ll ask if his company’s hiring. Maybe there’s a spot for you."
Tan Yangming set down his snack, wiped his hands with a tissue, and vaulted over the coffee table to throw himself at Gu Ye. "Bro, my one and only connection! You really care about your boys."
"Ugh, get off me," Gu Ye complained, shoving him away. "You’re heavy."
"Heh, I’ve been eating a lot while resting at home," Tan Yangming admitted, standing back up. "Sorry for the show, everyone."
Liu Jia shook his head, "Look at you. Just remember us when you make it big."
Jiang Mo grabbed a box of chips from the table, watching the chaos unfold.
Gu Ye straightened his clothes. "Since you’re here, let me show you around."
They started with the garden outside the first floor and worked their way in. When they reached the cat room, Liu Jia shed tears of envy. "Look at this—even the cats live better than me."
"Tell me about it," Jiang Mo agreed, being a certified cat servant herself.
Curious about the newcomers, two cats sauntered over to rub against them.
"So plump!" Tan Yangming marveled—just before the golden tabby leaped up and swiped at him.
Tan Yangming recoiled, "Whoa, this kitty’s got attitude!"
Jiang Mo scooped up the tabby and gave it a soothing stroke. "Serves you right for calling it fat."
Golden tabby turns into a big orange menace, she thought, amused.
Tan Yangming slung an arm around Gu Ye’s neck. "Hey man, does your family take in human-shaped cats who’ve been around for 200-plus months?"
"Nope," Gu Ye said, peeling off his arm and heading out. "Let’s check out the basement."
The basement was essentially an entertainment zone—mini home theater, karaoke room, billiards, mahjong parlor, gym, wine cellar—the works.
The two visitors were stunned. "I could spend an entire day down here."
When they reached the second floor and saw Gu Ye’s bedroom, Liu Jia’s eyes widened. "Holy crap, that bed is huge. Your room’s bigger than my living room."
"Stop exaggerating," Gu Ye said, rolling his eyes.
"No, he’s right," Jiang Mo chimed in, wandering around. "You’ve clearly never been to an average person’s home."
"Well, I never had a reason to. Is your place like this?" Gu Ye rubbed his nose. "How about I visit your place sometime?"
Jiang Mo, not noticing his expression, replied offhandedly, "Mine’s tiny. Nothing interesting there."
Why is everyone suddenly so eager to come over?
Tan Yangming stepped into Gu Ye’s walk-in closet, eyeing the three walls of designer clothes and the display cases of watches and accessories. "So this is the simple, unadorned life of a young master, huh?"
I’d kill to experience this for a month.
"Alright, enough flattery. Wrap it up," Gu Ye said, leading them through the rest of his room and activity areas before returning downstairs.
Jiang Mo went ahead to the kitchen to check on Chef Li’s lunch preparations.
"Another twenty minutes, and we’ll be ready to eat," Chef Li said, busy at work.
Jiang Mo nodded. "Got it. I’ll go set the table."
Back in the living room, the dining table was already set. "Go ahead and wash up. Lunch is almost ready."
With the adults absent, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.
At the mention of food, the two guests didn’t even pretend to decline—they plopped right into their seats.
Jiang Mo brought out the dishes Chef Li had prepared: five main courses and a soup.
When she turned to leave, Gu Ye reached out and caught her arm. "My parents aren’t home, and Grandpa’s eating out with friends. It’s just us old classmates—stay and eat. No need to stand on ceremony."
Jiang Mo stumbled slightly from his pull. "You guys go ahead."
Tan Yangming joined in, "Come on, sit with us. If I can shamelessly mooch, so can you."
"Just treat it like a class reunion," Gu Ye insisted. Seeing her hesitate, he dashed off to find Aunt Wang.
A minute later, he returned victorious. "Aunt Wang said it’s fine. Join us."
If I can’t convince you, I’ll just go over your head.
With her mom’s approval, Jiang Mo gave in and took a seat.
As they ate, the conversation naturally drifted to their high school days—old classmates, funny memories, and the usual nostalgia.
Tan Yangming: "Remember how our high school class monitor got married during the New Year? I attended the wedding. Seems like he’s the first in our class to tie the knot."
"Yeah, and didn’t you joke back then that he was 'marrying too young'?" Liu Jia replied, munching on sweet and sour ribs.
Tan Yangming chuckled. "Well, when you meet the right person, marrying early isn’t so bad. He’s always posting sweet couple pics on social media now." He then turned his gaze toward Gu Ye across the table.
"Hey, you’re in the entertainment industry—surrounded by beauties. Just between us, have you been secretly dating anyone?"
Gu Ye rolled his eyes. "I already said it—I’m focusing on my career right now. No time for romance."
Tan Yangming smirked. "Since when do career and love have to be mutually exclusive?"
"......If you’re not into dating girls, do you maybe prefer guys?" Liu Jia blurted out, his imagination running wild.
Jiang Mo nearly choked on her food. "If he liked guys, wouldn’t you be in danger?"
Liu Jia, with his bizarre logic, shrugged. "Nah, I’m not handsome enough. Even if he swung that way, he wouldn’t look twice at me."
Jiang Mo lowered her head, suppressing a grin. "But what if his taste is... unconventional?"
Gu Ye had heard enough. If these two kept running their mouths, his reputation would be ruined.
"You’re here to visit me, not to give me a headache."
"I can vouch for this," Tan Yangming cut in. "Gu Ye likes girls. Back in high school, he even tried sending a love letter to someone—though it never got delivered."
Jiang Mo’s eyes lit up at this. Even if it was old gossip, it was better than nothing.
"Who did he have a crush on in high school? Do I know her?"
Gu Ye exhaled deeply, regretting ever inviting these two over. They were airing out all his secrets. Still, he tried to salvage the situation.
"Ha. He’s making that up."
"Making it up? My eyes don’t lie," Tan Yangming teased, relentless. "Don’t let his cool act fool you—he was a total softie in high school, pining away in secret."
Gu Ye, the so-called "softie," forced a smile. "You’ve got the wrong guy. Wasn’t me."
"I remember a lot of girls had crushes on him back then," Jiang Mo mused. Gu Ye’s type was definitely popular among the girls in school.
Tan Yangming grinned. "Exactly! Our man Gu Ye was practically a legend in high school. Speaking of which, Jiang Mo, didn’t you ever have a thing for him?"
At this, Gu Ye glanced at Jiang Mo, a hint of nervousness in his expression.
Jiang Mo set down her chopsticks. "Okay, fine, I admit Gu Ye was a big deal back then. But I was too busy locking my heart away and focusing on studying."
"What about now?" Gu Ye asked softly.
"Huh? What did you say? I didn’t catch that." Jiang Mo leaned closer. "Repeat it?"
Gu Ye shook his head, suddenly thirsty. He took two large gulps of juice. "Never mind."
Jiang Mo turned back to Tan Yangming. "You’ve been dangling this mystery long enough. Who was the girl Gu Ye had a crush on in high school?"
