Traveling with the lady of the house is always a treat, and Jiang Mo got to enjoy the perks of first-class treatment. Eating, drinking, and then taking a nap—she woke up just as the plane landed at the airport.
After disembarking, Jiang Mo received a message from Gu Ye: "Jiang Mo, this isn’t fair. You guys went on a tropical getaway without me." It was bad enough that he wasn’t home, but now that he was on vacation, they’d blatantly left him behind.
Jiang Mo chuckled and replied, "Well, you’ve already been to the Maldives, haven’t you? Staying home to rest isn’t so bad. Besides, you’ve got that show to film in a couple of days—saves you the back-and-forth travel."
Gu Ye, lounging at home and scrolling through his phone, grumbled, "Nice try. Sounds like you’re just making excuses for ditching me."
"I’ll bring you back some souvenirs!" Jiang Mo sent the message and quickly hurried off to collect her luggage.
At dinner that evening, Gu Baotian, who had just returned from a trip to a neighboring city with Liu Guochuan, noticed the absence of Su Yunjin at the table and assumed she was out handling some business. But when Li Daming stepped in to serve the dishes instead, he sensed something was off.
"Hold on, why is it all men at home today? Where are the ladies?"
"Grandpa, Grandpa, I know!" Gu Xuan raised his hand eagerly. "Mom took Auntie Wang and Sister Jiang Mo on an international vacation."
"Where did they go?" Gu Baotian sighed in regret. "If I’d known they were leaving today, I’d have come back earlier to join them." He then glanced at Gu Ye, who was quietly eating. "Wait a minute, Gu Ye, why didn’t you go with them?"
With a teasing grin, he added, "Heh, guess your mom didn’t want you tagging along, huh?"
Gu Ye: "..."
"Grandpa, could you not be so childish?"
Mentioning the topic made him shoot a resentful look at Gu Guofeng. "Ask my dad about that."
Gu Guofeng immediately deflected. "Why ask me? You overslept because you stayed up late and missed the flight."
"If you hadn’t argued with Mom, she wouldn’t have left me behind," Gu Ye retorted. He’d done some digging and found out his parents had quarreled that morning.
No way would his mom, who usually prioritized him second only to herself, leave without even saying a word. Clearly, he’d been collateral damage in their fight.
Gu Baotian and Gu Xuan turned their heads in unison, curiosity burning in their eyes.
"Why did you two argue?" Gu Baotian asked.
"We didn’t argue. It was just a small misunderstanding—a few exchanged words," Gu Guofeng said with a frown. Why did such a trivial matter have to become family gossip?
Gu Xuan stuffed a piece of beef brisket into his mouth. "Dad, when girls are upset, you have to sweet-talk them. How did you manage to make Mom so mad she left the country?"
Gu Guofeng shot him a look. "Kid, focus on your food. What do you know?"
Gu Xuan wanted to argue—he knew plenty! One of his classmates had made a girl angry and won her back with snacks. But under his father’s stern gaze, he shrank back into his seat.
Fine. He’d have more say when he grew up.
"Gu Xuan’s right," Gu Baotian chimed in. "Sort out your issues and make it up to her. And just so you know, if anything happens between you and Yunjin, I’m siding with her."
"You’d better give her a fair share of the assets too."
Gu Ye scrolled through his social media and saw Jiang Mo’s post of the airport arrival. "I’m with Mom too."
"Me too! Me too!" Gu Xuan piped up.
Gu Guofeng felt a pang of frustration. Seriously? Was he really that terrible? Weren’t they all part of the Gu family?
Feeling aggrieved, he spotted Li Daming passing by the side hall and called out, "Li Daming, come here for a sec."
Li Daming, confused, approached. "Mr. Gu, what do you need?"
"Hypothetically speaking—if it came down to me or my wife, who would you pick?"
"Huh?" Li Daming was baffled. Oh no, was this really happening?
But his wife and daughter were both with the lady of the house. If he sided with Mr. Gu, would he even be allowed back home?
Hesitation was defeat.
His delayed answer spoke volumes.
Gu Baotian, amused by his son’s fluctuating expression, waved it off. "Don’t mind him, Li Daming. He’s just joking. Go about your business."
Li Daming left as bewildered as he’d arrived.
Gu Guofeng was crushed. "Dad, am I really that much of a failure?"
Gu Baotian scanned his grandsons and pointed at Gu Xuan. "You explain it to your dad."
Gu Xuan lowered his head. "Well… when I get home, I always look for Mom first."
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo was blissfully unaware of her father’s existential crisis.
She was too busy soaking in the island’s sunset charm.
With a three-hour time difference from home, their journey from the airport to the Merad Hotel via seaplane had been seamless.
Jiang Mo marveled at everything, snapping photos left and right. The scenery was so stunning that even a casual shot turned out picture-perfect.
Their overwater villa offered an unobstructed view of the sea, making her feel instantly at ease.
"Mrs. Su, the ocean here is breathtaking," Jiang Mo sighed, clicking away with her phone.
"It is lovely," Su Yunjin agreed, seemingly unaffected by the earlier argument. "Let’s just relax and enjoy the next few days."
"We’re so lucky to be staying at such a luxurious hotel and seeing these sights, all thanks to you, Mrs. Su," Wang Xia said as she unpacked their luggage.
Su Yunjin reclined on a beach chair. "It’s not that expensive. Having you both here keeps me company."
"Not that expensive?" Jiang Mo eyed the villa. A stay like this would cost her a year’s salary.
"I may not be good at much, but I’m a decent photographer. Leave it to me," Jiang Mo volunteered as the group’s unofficial cameraman.
With money being no object, their itinerary was packed with premium experiences.
Su Yunjin chartered a luxury yacht, taking Jiang Mo and Wang Xia out to spot dolphins.
Their luck held—before long, a pod of dolphins appeared, playfully leaping through the waves not too far from the boat.
"Black-and-white creatures are just adorable. They hit you right in the feels," Jiang Mo gushed.
"If we’re lucky, we might even see a whale shark in these waters," Su Yunjin said with a smile. Kids found everything fascinating.
"Really?" Jiang Mo clasped her hands in hope, eager to see if sharks were truly as massive as they seemed.
Alas, luck wasn’t on their side this time—only dolphins made an appearance. Still, it was a memorable sight.
Back at the hotel, Su Yunjin asked, "Want to try scuba diving? The hotel can arrange a professional instructor."
Jiang Mo shook her head like a rattle-drum. "No thanks. The underwater restaurant is enough for me to admire marine life."
She couldn’t swim and had a touch of thalassophobia. After reading one too many horror stories online, she’d decided deep diving wasn’t worth the risk.
Compared to that, the overwater spa was more her speed.
Listening to the waves while getting a massage? Pure bliss.
Scrolling through her phone, she checked the likes and comments on the photos she’d posted an hour earlier.
The comment section was a battlefield of bitter envy from overworked employees: some were grinding away at their jobs, while others were luxuriating on vacation.
Li Daming even sent a message, "Tsk tsk, you two ladies are living the high life—fine dining, fancy trips, pure class. Meanwhile, I’m stuck holding down the fort at home."
"You’ve been gone for two days now. When are you planning to come back? The turnips and cabbages at home miss you."
Jiang Mo cringed at her dad’s dramatics.
"Not sure yet. Mom and I are just following Madam’s lead. We barely managed to tag along on this trip, so we’re making the most of it. Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back a souvenir."
Li Daming replied, "No need to trouble yourself, sweetheart. These days, 80% of foreign goods are probably made in China anyway."
"Just give me a heads-up before you return so I can pick you up from the airport."
After chatting with Li Daming, Pei Ting also sent a message: "Judging by the photos, you’re in the Maldives?"
"Sharp eye, Senior," Jiang Mo replied with a spinning emoji. "Don’t worry, I’ll be back in Jiangcheng before Teacher Yuan’s birthday."
Pei Ting: "Good. The scenery there is beautiful—enjoy yourself."
After a spa session, Jiang Mo felt completely refreshed, both physically and mentally. But no sooner had Li Daming urged them to come home than Gu Ye popped up.
"Jiang Mo, having fun on your trip? When are you two planning to come back?"
Truth be told, with the lady of the house away—and taking the most capable help with her—daily life at home had become noticeably more chaotic.
