Su Yunjin saw Gu Ye's message and couldn't help but feel disdainful. "It's not like we don’t have food at home. Why can’t you just eat here?"
After replying, she put down her phone and turned to Jiang Mo to vent. "You know, Gu Ye is the same age as you, but he’s nowhere near as mature. I wonder if any girl would even like someone with his personality."
"Madam, you’re overthinking it. I’m sure plenty of girls like him," Jiang Mo replied. After all, the world was a practical place—looks and financial status mattered.
As the old saying went, he was practically a diamond bachelor, even if he wasn’t quite old enough yet.
"But I’ve never heard of him dating anyone," Su Yunjin mused. She used to worry about her son getting into early relationships, but now she realized that concern was unnecessary.
Both her sons were completely uninterested in romance.
"You and Gu Ye were classmates—have you ever seen him with a girlfriend? Maybe he’s hiding it from me."
Jiang Mo took a small sip of the soup that had just been served and shook her head. "Back in school, the second young master was quite the topic of discussion, but I never saw him with a girlfriend. Though I did hear he had a crush on someone."
Su Yunjin perked up with interest. "Oh? So this kid’s actually pure-hearted, playing the secret admirer game? What’s the story with that girl? Did she not like him back?"
"I’m not really sure about the details."
"Well, at least he’s capable of developing feelings. Otherwise, I’d start to worry. At his age, full of youthful energy and all..."
Jiang Mo looked puzzled. "Madam, what exactly are you worried about?"
Su Yunjin lowered her voice. "You see so many couples online these days—two young, handsome guys together. And there’s no shortage of them."
With that, Jiang Mo instantly understood.
---
At the Gu residence.
Gu Ye, who had nearly been suspected of a certain orientation after receiving Su Yunjin’s dismissive glare, obediently settled for a home-cooked meal.
"Just the three of us eating again today?" Gu Baotian sat at the head of the table, glancing at his two grandsons to his left.
Gu Ye spoke up, "Grandpa, you know how Dad and big bro are—always working late or entertaining clients. Mom’s eating out tonight."
"Are they really that busy?" Gu Baotian muttered, a little doubtful. Had he been like that back when he was still in charge?
"Absolutely," Gu Ye said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the two. They might seem successful on the surface, but they probably didn’t have half the freedom he did.
Gu Xuan, busy devouring his food, chimed in, "Grandpa, when I grow up, I’ll help out at the company so Dad and big bro won’t have to work so hard."
Gu Baotian’s face crinkled into a smile. "That’s my good grandson! So thoughtful at such a young age."
"Show-off. Acting all capable," Gu Ye teased. "If you grow up without squandering the family fortune, that’ll be contribution enough."
"Of course I’ll be good at business!" Gu Xuan huffed, stuffing a piece of braised pork into his mouth.
Gu Ye shot him a look. "Oh? What business have you done?"
"I—well, you’ll see later," Gu Xuan retorted, nearly blurting out his side hustle of selling items on a secondhand platform.
But remembering that most of his inventory came from swindling his second brother, he wisely shut his mouth.
He had initially doubted whether Gu Ye’s name would carry any weight, but surprisingly, orders had started coming in. Tonight, he’d have to ask Jiang Mo to help him pack and ship the items.
"Don’t crush his ambitions," Gu Baotian chuckled. "Seems to me he’s already sharper than you."
"Grandpa, don’t go stirring trouble between me and second brother," Gu Xuan whined, tugging at Gu Ye’s sleeve and whispering, "I was just saying that to make Grandpa happy. When I grow up, I’m gonna be a little freeloader. You’ll take care of me, right?"
Gu Ye snorted. "You think whispering makes it any quieter? This family doesn’t support dead weight."
---
After dinner, Gu Baotian took the dog out for a walk.
Gu Ye played a few rounds of games and realized it was almost nine. How long did it take to eat a meal? They still weren’t back.
Gu Xuan hadn’t gone to his room either, curled up on the sofa playing some mobile game.
"Come on, Lucky. Let’s go for a walk," Gu Ye said, noticing that Grandpa had only taken the older dog, Brownie, out earlier. He clipped a leash on Lucky and headed out.
"Hey, kid, wanna join me?"
Gu Xuan, engrossed in his game, rolled over. "Nah."
The moment Lucky stepped outside, it was like his internal radar activated. He had his own route, and Gu Ye simply followed wherever the dog led.
Before long, they were heading toward Moonbridge Lake—clearly a familiar path.
As they got closer, Gu Ye thought he heard his grandfather’s voice in the distance.
Sure enough, when he closed the gap, there was Gu Baotian—along with two elderly women.
Four dogs milled about nearby, all out for their evening strolls.
"Grandpa," Gu Ye greeted, then nodded politely at the others. "Good evening, grandmas."
Gu Baotian looked surprised. "What brings you here?"
Gu Ye lifted the dog leash in his hand and explained, "I was walking Fugui. It kept pulling this way."
"I saw it sleeping when I left, so I didn’t take it with me. Alright, I’ll take over now. You can go back," Gu Baotian said as he took the leash from him.
Gu Ye: "......" I never said I wouldn’t walk the dog. Why does it feel like I’m being dismissed?
This was Zhong Xiaoqin’s first time seeing the younger generation of the Gu family. She studied him carefully and found him somewhat familiar. "Old Gu, your grandson is quite the handsome young man," she praised.
"Of course, look who he takes after," Gu Baotian replied.
As the elders chatted, Gu Ye realized that whether as a child or an adult, his role was always to stand awkwardly on the sidelines like a human prop.
"You look like a celebrity," Zhong Xiaoqin said, as if recalling something. "I think I’ve seen you in a drama before."
Gu Ye smiled. "Yes, Grandma. I’ve acted in a few TV series. Maybe you’ve caught a glimpse of one."
Zhong Xiaoqin looked pleased with herself. "See, my memory’s still sharp. One of my younger relatives is also a celebrity—Kong Xue’er. Do you know her?"
"I do. We’ve worked together before," Gu Ye replied, thinking the world was surprisingly small.
"Really? What a coincidence."
"Both from Jiangcheng, huh? Xiao Ye, in your entertainment circle, make sure to look out for her," Gu Baotian chimed in, already assigning tasks.
Gu Ye nodded awkwardly. "Fellow locals should help each other out."
After a few more exchanges, Gu Ye glanced at his now-empty hands and quietly retreated home. He looked back at Gu Baotian, still deep in conversation, and felt something was off—but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
By the time he got home, Jiang Mo and Su Yunjin had already returned.
Su Yunjin was resting in the living room when she saw Gu Ye walk in. "Where’d you go?" she asked.
"I was walking the dog," Gu Ye replied, then glanced around. "Mom, where’s Jiang Mo?"
"Why is everyone looking for her today?" Su Yunjin said, puzzled. "As soon as she got back, Xiao Xuan dragged her upstairs."
Upstairs, Gu Xuan was proudly showcasing his business acumen. He pulled up his phone screen. "Look, these are all the things I’ve sold."
Jiang Mo nodded approvingly. "Not bad. Selling unused stuff online is pretty resourceful."
"Of course. Those ads I keep seeing aren’t for nothing," Gu Xuan said, scratching his head. Then, in a hushed tone, he added, "Jiang Mo, between you and me, none of this is mine. I got it all from Second Brother."
"Does he know?"
"Yeah, he gave them to me," Gu Xuan admitted. "But he doesn’t know I’m selling them online."
"Think you could help me ship these out?"
Jiang Mo examined the items on the table—all branded. She checked their prices online and found Gu Xuan’s listings reasonable.
Since Gu Ye had given them away, there shouldn’t be an issue.
"Sure, no problem. I’ll send them out tomorrow," she agreed.
This reminded her of the unused clothes in Gu Ye’s room downstairs. She’d have to schedule a time with the vintage store owner to drop them off soon.
Just as they finished packing the items, Gu Ye pushed the door open.
"What are you two sneaking around for?"
"Uh, nothing! Jiang Mo was just helping me study," Gu Xuan said offhandedly.
Gu Ye gave him a deadpan look. "Do you think I’m blind or stupid?"
"Where are the textbooks? And since when do you love studying so much that you’d drag someone upstairs to tutor you?"
Gu Xuan was stunned. Since when did Second Brother become so sharp?
Jiang Mo glanced at him. "I was just helping Xiao Xuan sort his things. Did you need something?"
Gu Ye rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, could you iron the clothes I’m wearing tomorrow?"
"Sure, I’ll be there in a bit."
"I’ll wait in my room then," Gu Ye said before turning to leave.
Jiang Mo didn’t pay it much mind. After finishing the shipping labels, she headed to Gu Ye’s room.
He wasn’t there, but the sound of running water came from the bathroom—he was showering. To avoid awkwardness, she stepped back out.
Twenty minutes later, assuming he was done, she went upstairs again.
"Which outfit are you wearing tomorrow?" she asked, then froze at the sight before her.
Gu Ye stood there in a loosely tied robe, either too big or carelessly fastened, exposing a generous expanse of his chest—completely unaware.
His hair was still damp as he replied, "The purple one."
Eyes averted.
Jiang Mo forced her gaze away. That glimpse had been… distractingly pale.
"Got it," she said, retrieving the outfit and expertly ironing it.
Meanwhile, Gu Ye lingered nearby, fiddling with his watch, then examining accessories—anything to occupy himself.
Had Jiang Mo looked up, she might’ve noticed the tips of his ears burning red.
"The clothes are ironed and hung here. You should rest now—I'll head downstairs first," Jiang Mo said, finishing her tasks before quickly making her exit.
Once she was gone, Gu Ye wrapped himself in his bathrobe, resolved to throw caution to the wind. The advice he found online clearly wasn’t working.
Fluttering his eyelashes hadn’t even earned him a glance.
