Zhuge Shen casually asked the question, never expecting to actually get an answer.
"Shouldn't people in the entertainment industry be more careful about their privacy?"
This kid is way too honest.
As soon as Gu Ye spoke up, the others turned to look at him—except for Jiang Mo, who didn’t seem particularly interested.
After all, during a previous gathering with classmates at the Gu family home, everyone had already spilled the beans.
At this age, it’s not like they’re naive little boys anymore. Having a crush or someone they like is completely normal.
"Who is it? It’s not some actress in the industry, is it? Do I know her?" Zhang Ruoduo was extremely curious.
Gu Ye denied it. "No, she’s not in the entertainment world. She’s an outsider."
Zhuge Shen chimed in, "Liking someone isn’t enough. You should make a move and turn her into your girlfriend while you can. Outstanding girls have plenty of suitors. If someone else snatches her up, don’t come crying into your pillow later."
"I think the timing isn’t quite right yet. It shouldn’t be a problem," Gu Ye said before turning to Jiang Mo. "What do you think?"
Jiang Mo was too absorbed in enjoying her own cooking, savoring each bite. Hearing her name, she mumbled with her mouth full, "How would I know? I don’t have any experience in this."
Gu Ye let out a disappointed "Oh," then suddenly realized—wait, wasn’t he supposed to be digging for gossip about his older brother’s love life? How did the topic shift to him?
If you want the scoop, you’ve got to take the initiative.
"Big bro, when did you start dating? How come I didn’t know?"
"What, do I need to report my love life to you now?" Gu Xun replied with an older brother’s authoritative tone.
Gu Ye, ever adaptable, quickly backtracked. "No, what I meant was, isn’t dating supposed to be good news? Shouldn’t you tell me and then treat me to a meal?"
In college, whenever a roommate started dating, this was the standard procedure—a free meal was non-negotiable. A chance to eat and meet the new partner.
The group: "......"
Jiang Mo nearly choked on her food. "Is this really how you fish for information?"
Even Zhuge Shen couldn’t hold back a laugh. "Gu Ye, you… you’re something else."
"Just focus on eating and stop asking questions," Jiang Mo muttered, lowering her head.
Gu Ye obediently shut up.
But he wasn’t the only one hungry for gossip.
Zhang Ruoduo, who always ate lightly at dinner to watch her figure, smiled and said, "Gu Xun was always so aloof in school. A lot of classmates said he was hard to approach. Back in high school, so many girls gave him love letters, but he broke plenty of hearts."
"Who would’ve thought even an iron tree could bloom? Did you pursue him, or did he chase after you?"
Huo Nanyin glanced at Gu Xun. "I was the one who pursued him."
Zhang Ruoduo’s eyes widened. "Wow, I never would’ve guessed! Nanyin, you seem so gentle and reserved—not the type to make bold moves. Chasing a guy takes courage."
"Yeah, well… I guess I was young and fearless back then," Huo Nanyin said softly.
Looking back now, she wondered how she ever had the nerve to chase Gu Xun. Maybe he only agreed to give it a try because she was so persistent.
If it were now, she’d never have the courage.
Gu Xun scoffed. "Hmph. They say it right—what you can’t have is always the best. Once it’s in your hands, you stop treasuring it."
Zhuge Shen picked up on the bitterness in Gu Xun’s tone. Was this lingering affection, or just resentment?
Huo Nanyin had no response to Gu Xun’s words and could only fall silent.
"Hey, who says that? If you gave me a million bucks, I’d cherish it like my life. I’d even sleep with it under my pillow," Zhuge Shen interjected, ensuring the mood didn’t turn awkward.
Jiang Mo nodded in agreement—she couldn’t help but relate.
Then she nudged Gu Ye with her elbow. "Take notes."
Gu Ye, who had just picked up a piece of shrimp, nearly dropped it from the jolt. "Notes on what?"
"On how to talk! Look at how you fish for info, then look at how they do it," Jiang Mo sighed. "No wonder they say conversation is an art."
"My conversational skills aren’t that bad… Okay, fine, maybe they’re a notch below yours," Gu Ye conceded. "But your cooking is really good."
Jiang Mo smirked. "Of course. You think I learned from just anyone?"
The entire meal was a battlefield of words. Though she wasn’t at the center of the storm, based on her years of reading CEO romance novels, Jiang Mo could tell—
Young Master Gu and these two women flanking him… their future entanglements wouldn’t be simple.
Would it turn into one of those "she runs, he chases, she can’t escape" scenarios?
After dinner, Huo Nanyin was the first to leave. True to his word, Gu Xun saw her out.
Then he instructed Zhuge Shen, "You take Zhang Ruoduo home."
"Got it, boss," Zhuge Shen said, turning to Zhang Ruoduo. "Shall we?"
With the four of them gone, the apartment fell into complete silence.
Jiang Mo slipped on gloves and started cleaning up. Seeing this, Gu Ye grabbed a pair and joined in.
"You don’t have to help. Just head home," Jiang Mo said as she tossed leftovers into a trash bag.
Gu Ye carried plates to the kitchen sink. "It’s fine. I ate a lot—doing some work will help me digest."
"Speaking of which, why did you suddenly drop by tonight?"
"Just bored. Thought I’d hang out with my brother, but I ended up stumbling onto some juicy gossip instead."
Jiang Mo summed up the situation. "From what I can tell, Young Master Gu might want a second chance. Maybe they’ll rekindle things."
"No way. My brother’s way too proud. If a girl dumped him, he’d never go crawling back," Gu Ye said, then perked up. "But I did notice something—Ruoduo-jie seems interested in him too. Did you catch that?"
Jiang Mo snorted. "Tell me something I don’t know."
Gu Ye shrugged. "There’s a Dream of the Red Chamber play at the Grand Theater in a couple of days. I’ve got tickets—wanna come?"
"Dream of the Red Chamber? Let me check my schedule," Jiang Mo said, not committing right away.
The kitchen cleanup went quickly. The dining and living areas were handled by the robot vacuum. By the time everything was done, it was already late.
After sending Gu Xun a message, Jiang Mo prepared to leave.
Gu Ye followed her downstairs. "Ride with me. I’ll drive you back."
"Can’t. I brought my scooter."
"Does your scooter even have any battery left?"
When Jiang Mo started the scooter and saw the dwindling charge, she shot him a glare. "You jinxed it."
"How is this my fault? Scooters running out of juice happens all the time," Gu Ye grinned. "Come on."
Jiang Mo only then noticed he’d switched cars—this time, a low-key SUV.
After inputting the address, Gu Ye glanced at the distance and quietly memorized the neighborhood name.
When they arrived, Jiang Mo hopped out and waved. "Alright, I’m here. Drive safe, and take it slow."
"Want me to walk you up?" Gu Ye asked.
"No need. This is my turf—I know it like the back of my hand."
Gu Ye nodded. "Alright then. Get some rest early."
Only after watching Jiang Mo enter the gates of the residential complex did I drive away.
After returning home and finishing her shower, Jiang Mo noticed that Zhang Qingqing had been spamming the group chat on WeChat.
Zhang Qingqing: "Girls, I'm free! They kept making me work overtime, even calling me on my days off. Am I some kind of indispensable person? Can the company really not function without me?"
Zhang Qingqing: "I quit! Whoever wants this damn job can have it. I’ve never seen anyone starve just because they didn’t work. If I kept going, I’d be the one dropping dead first."
...
It was clear that Zhang Qingqing was in an emotional state.
Just look at what this job has done—turned a perfectly fine person into this mess.
Jiang Mo replied, "Calm down, sis. For the sake of your health, it’s not worth it. If this job isn’t working out, just find another one. Ruining your body isn’t a fair trade."
"Ugh, I’ve been holding it in for so long. I wasn’t even happy with this job, but I was afraid of what my family would say," Zhang Qingqing lamented. "My parents keep pointing out that I have the highest education in the family but the lowest salary."
Ouch. That stung.
Jiang Mo scratched her head. "If nothing else, you could always go home, take a break, and do some side gigs. Being a full-time daughter for a while isn’t the worst idea."
Zhang Qingqing sighed. "Yeah, I guess that’s the only option for now."
As Jiang Mo comforted Zhang Qingqing, a somewhat unfamiliar profile picture sent a link in the chat, followed by a message: "Law firm voting poll—please help cast your vote."
