Gu Ye was instantly stunned, his pupils trembling violently. "They told you that Kong Xue'er is my girlfriend?"
"Well, from what I heard, that was the general idea," Gu Xuan scratched his head.
Gu Ye, agitated, raised his voice in frustration. "When did I ever say she was my girlfriend?!"
Gu Xuan glanced at his flushed face and loud tone, muttering, "Well... it wasn’t me who said it." Sensing the tension, he quickly slipped away—originally, he had hoped to get something good out of this.
Gu Ye hurried downstairs and found Su Yunjin petting a cat. "Ms. Su, I formally declare that Kong Xue'er is not my girlfriend, and I don’t like her."
It finally dawned on him why Su Yunjin had been overly enthusiastic that afternoon—this was the reason.
Su Yunjin and the golden British Shorthair in her arms turned their heads in perfect sync, both staring at him. The old man had been right.
"Oh, I see. I thought you liked her. No need to get so worked up."
"How could I not be worked up?" Gu Ye sighed. "If I don’t clarify, who knows how far this rumor will spread by tomorrow."
"Are you implying I’m some loudmouth who’d go around spreading gossip?" Su Yunjin shot back. "You’re the one who brought a girl home alone without explaining. Anyone would misunderstand."
Gu Ye surrendered. "Fine, fine, my fault for not making it clear. Now you know the truth."
He then glanced around, spotting Wang Xia coming out of the storage room. He quickly approached, scratching his neck. "Auntie Wang, I’d like some coffee."
"It’s late. Coffee will keep you awake. How about some warm milk instead?" Wang Xia suggested.
"Sure, anything’s fine," Gu Ye followed her into the kitchen. "Auntie Wang, Kong Xue'er, who visited this afternoon, isn’t my girlfriend. Don’t get the wrong idea."
"Oh, so it really is just friendship?" Wang Xia mused. "Your mother and I thought you had feelings for her."
"Absolutely not," Gu Ye paced around. "By the way, where’s Jiang Xiaomo?"
Wang Xia replied, "She went home."
Jiang Mo arrived home, carrying bubble tea in one hand and braised snacks in the other. She flopped onto the sofa, thrilled at the thought of having the next day off.
One word summed it up: bliss!
After showering, she settled in to enjoy her food when a message from Gu Ye popped up—two outfits, asking which one looked better.
Jiang Mo took a sip of her tea, utterly content. "Either works. You’re a natural clothes hanger—you’d look good even in a potato sack."
"Really? I’ll think about it some more."
Back at the Gu family estate, Gu Ye wandered around his room in pajamas, typing and deleting messages before finally sending a long one:
"Kong Xue'er and I are just friends—nothing more. I don’t like her, so don’t misunderstand." After a pause, he added, "I just don’t want rumors spreading and affecting reputations."
Jiang Mo, munching on duck neck, glanced at the notification and replied dismissively, "Got it. You’re in the entertainment industry—I understand."
Gu Ye stared at the single reply, waiting for more. At least he’d explained himself. Surely she wouldn’t misinterpret things now?
Jiang Mo stayed up late and woke close to eleven, rubbing her bleary eyes as she checked her phone and ordered takeout.
After eating, she lounged lazily on the sofa until her phone rang. Expecting a telemarketer, she was surprised to see "Young Master Gu" on the caller ID.
She hastily swallowed her chips and cleared her throat. "Young Master Gu, what can I do for you?"
A brief silence followed before his voice came through. "I need your help buying some things for a girl. Also... do you know how to handle menstrual cramps?"
After hanging up, Jiang Mo leapt from the sofa. Oh-ho! Something’s up with Young Master Gu!
Her gossip-loving heart spurred her into action. She grabbed her keys, bought pads and painkillers, and rushed to Gu Xun’s place.
Smoothly entering the Haitang Bay residence, she carried the items inside.
No one was in the living room, so she called out, "Young Master Gu, I’ve got the stuff!"
Gu Xun emerged from the bedroom. "Thanks for coming."
After calling Jiang Mo, he realized he could’ve just ordered a delivery, so he’d already gotten some emergency supplies.
"Young Master Gu, who’s not feeling well? Is it serious?" Jiang Mo asked.
"She’s in the bedroom. See if you can help—maybe make something to ease the discomfort."
Jiang Mo followed him into the master bedroom, where a young woman lay curled up on the large black bed. She leaned in softly. "I brought painkillers. Would you like some?"
The woman turned her head, revealing a delicate, gentle face.
Huo Nanyin, hearing an unfamiliar voice, opened her eyes and managed a weak smile. "No need. It’s just my usual condition. Resting is enough."
"Alright. Let me know if you need anything." Jiang Mo’s sharp eyes noticed the woman was wearing men’s pajamas.
Hmm... interesting.
But who exactly was she?
"Do all women experience this during their periods?" Gu Xun asked, puzzled.
Jiang Mo shook her head. "Not necessarily. It varies—some feel fine, others can’t even get out of bed."
Gu Xun glanced toward the bedroom. "What can be done? She wasn’t like this before."
"Most just endure it. If it’s bad, painkillers help," Jiang Mo suggested. "For chronic cases, traditional Chinese medicine might work."
"Young Master Gu, what’s your friend’s name?"
Gu Xun hesitated. "Huo Nanyin. A university classmate."
Jiang Mo’s eyes sparkled. The name sounded straight out of a novel—perfect for a female lead.
With her extensive novel-reading experience, "Gu" paired with "Huo" was classic protagonist material. Unlike her own parents’ names, which screamed "side character."
Though Huo Nanyin declined the medicine, Jiang Mo still placed water and pills on the nightstand.
"Ms. Huo, I’ve left these here just in case. If you need anything else, just say the word."
She also introduced herself. "I’m Jiang Mo, a helper at the Gu household."
Huo Nanyin smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Once outside, Jiang Mo decided to stay for dinner—partly to assist, mostly to gather firsthand gossip about Young Master Gu.
Even among classmates, there were distinctions. The contrast between Huo Nanyin and Zhang Ruoduo was proof.
As if her thoughts had summoned her, the doorbell rang just as Jiang Mo finished ordering ingredients.
Assuming it was her delivery, she checked the intercom—only to see Zhang Ruoduo’s face on the screen.
"Gu Xun, let me in~"
Jiang Mo hesitated. "Ms... Ms. Zhang?"
Hearing the voice, Zhang Ruoduo quickly reacted, "Xiaomo, could you help me open the door? I'm carrying some things in my hands."
After unlocking the door, Jiang Mo slid over to the study entrance and announced, "Um, Young Master Gu, Miss Zhang is here. I let her in."
"Did you have plans with Miss Zhang today?"
"We didn’t," Gu Xun frowned, clearly caught off guard by the situation. "Alright, I see."
"I’m sorry, Young Master Gu. I only realized after pressing the intercom," Jiang Mo apologized swiftly. Given the circumstances, pretending no one was home wasn’t an option.
What now? There’s someone lying in the bedroom, and another is about to come upstairs.
What if the two end up fighting?
"It’s fine. Go about your business," Gu Xun replied calmly.
Jiang Mo stepped out of the study just as the doorbell rang. She opened the door.
Zhang Ruoduo stood there in stiletto heels, holding two boxes of Yangshan peaches. "Here, lend me a hand. These two boxes are a bit heavy."
Jiang Mo hurriedly took the peaches and handed her a pair of slippers. "Miss Zhang, please have a seat in the living room."
"Gu Xun’s in the study again, isn’t he?" Zhang Ruoduo walked in with an air of familiarity.
"Ah, yes," Jiang Mo hesitated, unsure whether she should stop her.
Fortunately, hearing the commotion, Gu Xun emerged from the study.
"I brought you two boxes of the peaches I ordered. They’re quite famous, and the yield is limited," Zhang Ruoduo explained her visit. "Since you were home, I thought I’d drop by. I hope you don’t mind the unannounced visit."
Jiang Mo handed Zhang Ruoduo a glass of water and nearly smirked at the words. "Dropping by"? This was quite the detour.
Zhang Ruoduo’s pursuit of Young Master Gu was nothing short of relentless.
"Thanks," Gu Xun said. "I appreciate you going out of your way to deliver these."
"It’s no trouble at all," Zhang Ruoduo replied, tucking her hair behind her ear with a smile. "I mailed two boxes to Zhuge Shen as well. If you like them, I can order more later."
Gu Xun declined, "No need. We’d just end up wasting them."
"You could have Jiang Mo take some to the family estate for your parents to try. It’s not that much," Zhang Ruoduo suggested before shifting the topic to work. "I saw the final cut of the promotional video for Gu Corporation’s product. It turned out really well."
"And I should thank you, my old classmate, for the opportunity."
For the promotional shoot, the marketing department had ultimately decided to hire Zhang Ruoduo and Gu Ye as spokesmodels, producing two sets of commercials for the campaign.
The way she phrased it made it sound like Young Master Gu had pulled strings for her. Jiang Mo couldn’t help but wonder—was there really favoritism at play?
Good grief, connections really do rule the world.
As if reading Jiang Mo’s thoughts, Gu Xun clarified, "This wasn’t because of me. It had nothing to do with me. You passed the marketing department’s background check and earned the opportunity on your own merits."
"Regardless, I still owe you my thanks~"
Just then, the bedroom door, left slightly ajar, emitted a sound—like a cup hitting the floor.
Zhang Ruoduo’s sharp ears caught it. "Do you have another guest inside?"
