Huo Nanyin declined politely, "I already feel bad for troubling you. I shouldn’t intrude on your dinner with friends."
"It’s no trouble at all," Gu Xun quickly replied. "You know Zhuge Shen... and Zhang Ruoduo is our high school classmate."
"Exactly, we’re all familiar faces. Old Gu here is loaded—eating a few meals at his expense won’t hurt," Zhuge Shen chimed in, trying to persuade her.
Zhang Ruoduo’s curiosity had been gnawing at her, eager to uncover who the person in the bedroom was. Now, she finally learned the identity and matched the face to the name.
Huo Nanyin—Gu Xun’s ex-girlfriend, the one who supposedly dumped him and left for the U.S. to study.
As for her appearance, she was tall and slender, with delicate, understated features.
Zhang Ruoduo flashed her practiced, picture-perfect smile. "Yes, Miss Huo, please stay for dinner."
Huo Nanyin glanced at the three of them, their insistence making it hard to refuse. After a brief hesitation, she bit her lip and relented. "Well then, I’d be rude to decline."
Jiang Mo’s eyes darted between them, amused. Well, well, a scene straight out of a novel—finally, I get to experience it firsthand.
But as a minor character, she still had her role to play.
She returned to the kitchen, though her mind lingered in the living room.
One thing was certain—people improved with life experience. After recent practice, Jiang Mo’s efficiency in the kitchen had skyrocketed.
Young Master Gu might not cook, but his kitchen was spacious and stocked with top-notch tools.
"Can I help with anything?" Jiang Mo was startled by the voice behind her as she placed ingredients into the steamer. Turning around, she saw Huo Nanyin.
"No need, Miss Huo. The kitchen’s greasy—you should head back out," Jiang Mo shook her head. Guests shouldn’t have to lift a finger.
Huo Nanyin eyed the countertop. "You’re making so many dishes—how can you manage alone? I’ve got nothing to do anyway. Don’t worry, I cooked for myself while studying in the U.S. I’m decent at it."
"I’ve seen memes online about how terrible foreign food is, so everyone who goes abroad ends up mastering cooking," Jiang Mo remarked. "I guess your skills were forced into existence too?"
"That’s part of it. The food abroad really doesn’t compare to home, even with all the Chinese restaurants," Huo Nanyin leaned against the counter, chatting casually.
Jiang Mo pouted. "Guess I could never live abroad then. I can endure hardship, but my stomach can’t."
Huo Nanyin laughed at her words. "True. Honestly, there’s nothing that great about living overseas anyway."
She handed Jiang Mo a peeler.
"Are you from Jiangcheng? Planning to stay here long-term?"
"Sort of. My parents moved here for business when I was little. Now I work at a university."
Jiang Mo leaned in. "A University, by any chance?"
Huo Nanyin nodded. "Graduated from A University."
"Then you’re my senior!" Jiang Mo grinned. "I’m an A U alum too."
Huo Nanyin looked surprised. "What a small world."
Just then, Gu Xun walked in, giving Huo Nanyin a glance before asking Jiang Mo, "How much longer for dinner?"
Jiang Mo estimated. "About half an hour or so."
Huh, it’s not even that late. Is Young Master Gu starving already?
"Alright." Gu Xun pressed further, "What’s on the menu tonight?"
Since when does he care about this? Jiang Mo listed the dishes, but even after that, Gu Xun lingered.
Not only him—Zhuge Shen soon barged in too.
Seriously, is my kitchen suddenly the hottest spot? Thankfully, the space was large enough to accommodate the crowd. In a normal home, it’d be a tight squeeze.
Zhuge Shen propped his hands on the counter. "Little Mo, you’re working hard. Next time you’re at the office, I’ll treat you to bubble tea."
Then, addressing the other two, he teased, "No wonder none of you came back—thought a kitchen monster had kidnapped you. Had to come rescue you myself."
"With that mouth of yours, you’d make a great scriptwriter," Gu Xun shot him a look before turning to Huo Nanyin. "Let’s all head out."
Huo Nanyin obliged, following the two men out.
Jiang Mo’s wok nearly sparked from the heat. Dinner ended up taking forty minutes—ten longer than planned. Once everything was ready, the group settled at the table.
This time, Jiang Mo didn’t fuss when invited to join, naturally taking the seat at the far end.
Gu Xun sat at the head, flanked by Huo Nanyin and Zhang Ruoduo like his "left and right guardians."
Just as they were about to eat, Gu Xun checked his phone and sighed. "Add another set of tableware."
What, another guest?
Jiang Mo’s head spun, but she got up to fetch the extra utensils.
Ten minutes later, Gu Ye’s cheerful face appeared at the door, blinking at her. "Why’re you here?"
Great. As if this mess wasn’t chaotic enough, here comes another wildcard.
Oblivious to her expression, Gu Ye lifted the bag in his hand. "Brought you bubble tea."
Hearing Jiang Mo was cooking at his brother’s place, he’d rushed over for a free meal.
Jiang Mo took the drink with a sigh. "Whatever. Come in and eat."
Upon entering the dining room and seeing the full table, Gu Ye froze. "Wow, so many people. What a party."
"Little Ye’s here! Come sit," Zhuge Shen called.
"Brother, Shen-ge, Ruoduo-jie," Gu Ye greeted everyone before spotting an unfamiliar woman.
"Huo Nanyin," Gu Xun introduced. "This is my younger brother, Gu Ye."
"Hello," Huo Nanyin smiled politely. She’d seen photos of Gu Ye but was meeting him in person for the first time.
"So you’re Gu Xun’s brother! You should’ve said so earlier—keeping it a secret?" Zhang Ruoduo acted far more familiar, beckoning him. "Come sit here."
"Didn’t know you and my brother were friends either," Gu Ye replied, sliding into the empty seat beside Jiang Mo.
Once seated, he whispered to her, "What’s going on? You could’ve warned me."
Jiang Mo forced a smile, murmuring back, "You didn’t tell me you were coming. Figure it out yourself—it’s complicated."
Zhuge Shen launched into conversation. "If I recall, you studied in the U.S. for four or five years? How long since you returned?"
Huo Nanyin answered, "About six months."
"Planning to go back?"
"No. I found a job in Jiangcheng. My mother’s health isn’t great, so I want to stay close to family."
Zhuge Shen’s gaze swept the table. "So you and Gu Xun... you two haven’t been in touch all these years?"
"She changed her number and blocked me," Gu Xun said flatly.
Huo Nanyin’s grip on her chopsticks tightened. "I was busy abroad and lost contact with most friends back home."
Zhuge Shen pressed further. "Honestly, I never understood why you two broke up in the first place."
Breakup? My brother and this beauty?
Gu Ye, who’d been quietly devouring his food, perked up at the keyword. Like a raccoon stumbling upon a treasure trove, his excitement for gossip kicked into high gear.
Under the table, a knee bumped against Jiang Mo's thigh.
Jiang Mo turned her head and shot a sidelong glance, as if to say, "You're a little late to figure it out."
But neither of the two involved parties answered the question right away.
"Why do you care so much about other people's breakups?" Zhang Ruoduo took a sip of juice.
"Just asking," Zhuge Shen chuckled. "As a good friend, I’m just showing some concern."
Gu Xun replied with dry humor, "Concern? As long as you’re not here to laugh at me, I’ll count myself lucky."
Huo Nanyin ate her meal slowly, steering the conversation elsewhere. "What about you? Are you married now?"
Zhuge Shen sighed dramatically. "I’d love to settle down, but Gu Xun keeps piling work on me. Who’d want to date someone who’s always stuck at the office?"
Jiang Mo, hearing this, spoke up bravely. "That’s okay! You earn a lot. You handle the money, and your future wife can be the pretty one who spends it. I’m sure she’ll understand—given how much you make."
"I make a decent amount too," Gu Ye chimed in quietly.
Huo Nanyin stifled a laugh at the girl’s remark, then lowered her head when she noticed Gu Xun glancing her way.
"Ouch, little Mo, that hurts," Zhuge Shen clutched his chest in mock pain.
"I think she’s got a point," Gu Xun said. "Don’t blame me just because you can’t find a wife."
"Well, at least I’m not alone. With the three of us single, we can keep each other company," Zhuge Shen turned to Gu Ye. "You’re not seeing anyone either, right?"
Gu Ye’s gaze flickered to the side. "No, but there’s someone I like."
