"Delivering soup? That should be easy."
She used to mock romance novels where nine out of ten CEOs had stomach problems—now she was living it.
Wang Xia carefully packed the freshly cooked meals and herbal soup in the kitchen, giving instructions as she worked. "This soup has medicinal herbs to nourish the body. Make sure Young Master Gu finishes it."
"Young Master Gu prefers light flavors—no spice, no scallions, no cilantro, and nothing with strong odors. Remember that, or you’ll mess up later."
Jiang Mo clicked her tongue. "If he doesn’t eat this or that, how does he even enjoy food?"
"Not everyone’s a bottomless pit like you," Wang Xia retorted, handing the packed food to Jiang Mo. "Go early. Don’t be late."
Jiang Mo placed the containers in the rear basket of her e-bike, strapped on her helmet, and revved up.
Delivery rider, Xiao Mo, reporting for duty!
Following the fastest route on her navigation app, she zoomed through the streets until she reached the Gu Corporation building. She steered toward the underground parking lot, only to be stopped by a security guard.
"Hey, delivery person! No e-bikes allowed inside. Leave the food in the delivery locker at the east corner."
Jiang Mo slammed the brakes. "Bro, I’m not a delivery rider. I’m Young Master Gu’s housekeeper, here to bring him lunch."
"Housekeeper?" The guard eyed her skeptically. "Housekeepers ride e-bikes?"
Weren’t rich families supposed to have fleets of cars, even grocery-run vehicles for staff?
"Yep! I only handle two wheels—four’s not my thing." Seeing his doubt, Jiang Mo pulled up a photo of herself in a housekeeper’s uniform from yesterday. Convinced, the guard finally let her through.
She parked near a charging station, plugging in her e-bike to avoid running out of juice on the way back.
Once her trusty steed was settled, she grabbed the food and headed upstairs.
It was Jiang Mo’s first time inside the Gu Corporation building. From the basement, she reached the lobby only to realize elevators required keycard access.
Stuck outside the elevator bay, she turned to the receptionist for help.
The impeccably dressed receptionist eyed her. "You’re saying you’re the Gu family’s housekeeper, here to deliver soup to Young Master Gu?"
"Exactly! Could you call his secretary to escort me up?" Jiang Mo set the insulated container on the marble counter—it wasn’t exactly light.
The receptionist blinked at the unusually young housekeeper. "Alright, let me verify first. Wait here."
Jiang Mo nodded.
Moments later, Zhuge Shen descended and scanned the lobby. "Where’s the housekeeper?"
Before the receptionist could answer, Jiang Mo waved. "Here! Right here!"
"You… are Young Master Gu’s housekeeper?" Zhuge Shen studied her bright, earnest gaze.
"Yep, just started. Thanks for coming down." She hoisted the container. "I’m Jiang Mo—call me Xiao Mo. And you are…?"
Zhuge Shen reached for the container, but she darted ahead, already waiting at the elevator for him to swipe his card.
"Zhuge Shen, Young Master Gu’s secretary." He stepped inside. "Usually, it’s Auntie Wang who delivers meals."
Jiang Mo grinned. "Heh, Auntie Wang’s my mom."
Ah. That explained why the Gu household had hired someone so young.
As the elevator ascended, their reflections glinted on the polished metal panels.
Jiang Mo’s curiosity bubbled over. "First time meeting someone with the surname Zhuge! Secretary Zhuge, were you, like, super smart as a kid?"
"Between us—are you related to Zhuge Liang?"
Being presumed intelligent was the fate of anyone named Zhuge. He was used to it. "No relation. Just an ordinary guy."
Jiang Mo snorted. "Modest much? If you were ordinary, would you be Young Master Gu’s secretary at Gu Corporation? Takes serious skills for that."
"Where are you from, Secretary Zhuge?"
"Rongcheng."
"Rongcheng?! The food there is amazing!" She recalled the spicy rabbit dish she’d devoured on a trip.
"True. Great cuisine."
"And the scenery’s gorgeous too—"
This housekeeper was way too chatty. The elevator dinged, and Zhuge Shen ushered her out. "Young Master Gu’s still in a meeting. Wait in the lounge."
"Got it! Go ahead, Secretary Zhuge." She beamed as he left.
Housekeepers and secretaries were practically a CEO’s right-hand men. Networking was key.
Zhuge Shen returned to the conference room, slipping into the seat beside Gu Xun. He’d excused himself earlier after the lobby’s call.
Gu Xun shot him a glance but kept listening to the quarterly reports.
By the time the meeting wrapped up, it was 12:10 PM.
Gu Xun strode out first, his long legs eating up the distance. Zhuge Shen matched his pace—both nearly six feet tall, sharp in suits, radiating a "businessman-with-edge" vibe.
They turned heads just walking through the office.
"Your little housekeeper brought soup. She’s waiting in the lounge."
Soup?
Gu Xun remembered—Su Yunjin had called that morning. Knowing his stomach was acting up again, she’d dug up some tonic recipe.
"Join me for lunch," Gu Xun offered.
"Pass. My stomach’s fine," Zhuge Shen joked. "Your household staff’s hereditary now? Nepotism’s reached the domestic help. That kid’s energetic, though."
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo paced the lounge, alternating between window-gazing and testing chair comfort.
12:15 PM. No updates.
Did Young Master Gu’s meeting end or not?
Bosses dragging out meetings was like teachers holding class overtime—agonizing.
Just as she considered snooping around, Zhuge Shen reappeared. "Meeting’s over. Head to his office."
Finally!
She grabbed the food and marched off.
Young Master Gu, your chicken soup has arrived!
Stepping into Gu Xun’s office, her first thought: Damn, that desk is huge.
No sign of him, so she unpacked the meal and soup onto the coffee table, rearranging dishes for optimal presentation.
Gu Xun entered to find a slender, ponytailed girl muttering to herself by his sofa.
"Who are you? What are you doing?"
Jiang Mo spun around, avoiding direct eye contact. "Young Master Gu, I’m Jiang Mo, the new housekeeper. Madam sent me with your lunch."
"I haven’t seen you at home." Gu Xun approached, eyeing the spread.
"I started yesterday."
He’d been staying at his city apartment lately and hadn’t been informed about the new hire.
"Hm." Gu Xun sat and began eating.
Jiang Mo stood to the side, waiting to clean up. With no phone to distract her, her gaze wandered—until it landed on Gu Xun.
It must be said that Gu Xun inherited Su Yunjin’s best traits—fair skin, smooth facial contours, perfectly proportioned features with high but not prominent cheekbones, thick eyebrows, and large eyes that gave him an effortlessly refined appearance.
Jiang Mo had seen him when they were younger and could only sigh in admiration—he’d been handsome since childhood.
How could the heavens be so unfair? Not only did he come from a prestigious family, but he was also blessed with such striking looks.
Oh, and she’d heard he was incredibly sharp-minded too.
Now she was even more envious!
Perhaps her gaze was a little too intense.
Gu Xun suddenly looked up, his eyes locking onto her.
Jiang Mo immediately lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes.
Gu Xun studied the dimples on her cheeks and her petite frame, as if pondering for a moment. Recalling Zhuge Shen’s earlier mention of the "second-generation housekeeper," he asked uncertainly, "You said your name is Jiang Mo? Wang Xia’s daughter?"
Jiang Mo nodded, her dimples deepening. "Yes, Young Master Gu. You have an excellent memory."
"Why aren’t you working?" Gu Xun asked.
Not working?
But I am working right now.
Jiang Mo blinked in confusion.
Gu Xun rephrased his question. "What I mean is, why haven’t you found a job at a major company?"
How out of touch could he be?
Jiang Mo replied, "I can’t get in. Big companies don’t want me."
She looked at him hopefully—could it be…?
Seemingly caught off guard by her answer, Gu Xun paused before responding indifferently, "Then you should try harder."
"Also, tell the chef the soup today was a bit too salty."
Jiang Mo nodded. "Got it, I’ll let them know."
"You can come back to clean up after I finish eating. Have Zhuge Shen take you to the company cafeteria."
See? Her presence was probably ruining his appetite.
She felt a little awkward herself.
Might as well ease the tension with some food.
The Gu Corporation building had its own cafeteria, occupying an entire floor with over a dozen food stalls offering a wide variety of dishes.
Not wanting to trouble Zhuge Shen, Jiang Mo randomly approached an employee for directions and headed straight for the food.
She ordered a large bowl of spicy stir-fry, reasonably priced and fragrant enough to make her mouth water.
As she ate, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the gossip from the nearby tables.
After all, office workers loved sharing company rumors and juicy tidbits.
Sure enough, a group of women chattered animatedly, jumping from discussions about Nanjing’s "Red Lord" to complaints about their eccentric bosses—before finally landing on the big boss himself.
"Word is, Young Master Gu is dating the actress Zhang Ruoduo."
"Seriously? How do you know?"
"Zhang Ruoduo came to the company looking for him last time. Everyone saw it."
"Don’t you think Young Master Gu and Zhuge Shen have serious chemistry too…?"
"I also heard Young Master Gu isn’t exactly… capable in certain areas."
Jiang Mo happily munched away, thoroughly entertained by the gossip.
Unable to resist, she chimed in, "That can’t be right. Young Master Gu looks pretty fit to me."
The group turned to glance at her, likely assuming she was a new intern.
With the wisdom of experience, one of them said,
"Sweetie, you don’t understand. Some people are all looks and no substance—just a pretty facade."
……
After finishing his meal, Zhuge Shen was about to return his tray when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Wasn’t that the Gu family’s little housekeeper? Laughing and chatting away, blending right in with the crowd.
