It was unclear what they had been chatting about, but the laughter was unstoppable.
He seemed to recall that this was the girl's first time at the company.
Extroverts are truly terrifying.
Zhuge Shen returned from the cafeteria to the upstairs office. Gu Xun, seeing him come back alone, asked, "Where's Jiang Mo?"
"Oh, her? Still eating in the cafeteria," Zhuge Shen poured himself a glass of water. "That little nanny of yours has surprisingly good social skills. She was chatting away happily with everyone there."
Though Zhuge Shen was Gu Xun's secretary, he was also his classmate and had been personally invited to join the company by Gu Xun. Their dynamic wasn't as rigid as typical superior-subordinate relationships.
He had also visited the Gu residence quite often and was naturally familiar with Aunt Wang and her husband, the Gu family's chauffeur.
"That girl doesn’t look much like either of them. Honestly, she’s quite pretty and has a sweet way with words."
Earlier, she had been calling him "Secretary Zhuge" with such enthusiasm.
Gu Xun’s mind drifted back to Jiang Mo’s appearance in the office earlier—a fair, oval face no larger than a palm, with faint dimples and a little canine tooth peeking out when she smiled, radiating youthful vibrancy.
She looked different from what he remembered.
A few years ago, when he’d last seen her, she still had some baby fat, her face rounder than it was now. That’s why, at first glance, she had only seemed vaguely familiar.
"You’ve said so much—do you have a thing for her?"
Zhuge Shen shook his head. "I don’t dip my pen in company ink. Can’t I just compliment someone? If praising someone means I’m interested, then I must have a thing for you too."
"Whether you have a thing for me or not, I can’t say," Gu Xun replied seriously. "But I don’t swing that way."
……
In the cafeteria, Jiang Mo was thoroughly enjoying the gossip.
But all good things must come to an end.
When the stylish career women finished lunch and headed upstairs for their midday break, she was almost reluctant to part ways.
Checking the time, she figured Young Master Gu had probably finished his meal too—time to return and clean up.
When she got back to the office, it was empty, with only leftovers remaining.
Half of what she’d brought was still untouched.
Tsk tsk, seems like he’s got something on his mind, eating so little.
Humming a tune, Jiang Mo started tidying up.
The hidden door on the right side of the office opened, and Gu Xun stepped out, wearing a pair of cotton slippers.
Looks like he’d been napping in the adjoining room—wonder why he came out.
Had she woken him up?
Gu Xun walked over to his desk, picked up a gift box, and handed it to her. "A vendor sent this. I don’t have any use for it—you take it."
"Oh, okay," Jiang Mo accepted it with a small smile. The box was exquisitely packaged, though she had no idea what was inside.
"Young Master Gu, if there’s nothing else, how about we exchange WeChat? That way, if you need anything, I can rush right over."
With practiced ease, she opened her WeChat QR code. "Would you like to scan me, or should I scan you?"
Gu Xun stared at the QR code thrust in front of him but didn’t answer. Instead, he silently pulled out his phone and scanned it.
Then his brows furrowed at her username.
"Reborn: An 80-Year-Old Perverted Cockroach Flirts with a 60-Year-Old Puppy."
……
Jiang Mo noticed he’d scanned it, but the friend request wasn’t coming through. Standing on tiptoe, she peeked at his screen.
That username.
Oh no.
She’d set it as a joke during her abstract phase.
Her reputation was about to be ruined.
Thinking fast, she blurted, "Oh, that’s just the title of a novel I’ve been reading on Rotten Tomatoes. I changed it on a whim."
Gu Xun didn’t comment, though his expression was… indescribable.
The moment the friend request went through, Jiang Mo grabbed her things and bolted.
At the elevator, she ran into Zhuge Shen heading downstairs.
"Secretary Zhuge, no midday nap?"
"I have business in the west district."
Jiang Mo sighed. "Busy, always busy. But busy is good, I suppose."
Remembering the gossip, she gave him a sidelong glance.
Hmm… not bad in the looks and physique department.
Zhuge Shen stepped aside to let her exit first. "You’re heading back to Long Island, right? I’m going that way—need a ride?"
"No thanks, I’ve got my own ride," Jiang Mo pointed to a green electric scooter in the corner. "Where in the west district are you going? Want me to give you a lift? In Zebra Town, scooters are the fastest way around."
"No, that’s alright," Zhuge Shen pressed his car key, and the headlights of a Mercedes G-Class beside the scooter flashed.
Wow. Being a secretary must pay well.
Helmet secured, Jiang Mo zoomed off on her scooter.
Back at the Gu residence, Aunt Wang saw her carrying the gift box and assumed she’d splurged again. "What did you buy this time?"
"It’s not mine—Young Master Gu gave it to me. Said a vendor sent it." Jiang Mo opened the box to reveal beautifully packaged chocolates.
Judging by the brand, they were probably expensive.
Not one to hoard, Jiang Mo shared them with the two cleaning ladies working at the house.
She even slipped a few extra to Chef Li in the kitchen.
"Just a couple for me to taste is enough," Chef Li said sheepishly.
"No worries, there’s plenty. Take them," Jiang Mo stuffed more into his pocket. "Actually, Uncle Li, my mom says your cooking is top-notch—better than five-star hotel chefs. I was wondering if I could tag along and learn a few dishes from you. What do you think?"
"You want to learn cooking? Of course!" Chef Li beamed at her words. "Not many young folks these days are interested in cooking, always ordering takeout."
"Yeah, exactly! Because we don’t know how."
Definitely not because of laziness.
She was serious about learning.
Being a nanny required skills.
A versatile nanny with multiple talents was always in higher demand.
Who knew when it might come in handy?
Cooking was just one of those skills.
She even planned to get certified later—maybe as a nutritionist, infant care specialist, maternal care provider, or elderly caregiver.
If things didn’t work out at the Gu household, having these qualifications would make it easier to find work elsewhere.
As the saying goes, job-hopping is the path to a raise.
With multiple certifications, she could negotiate a higher salary.
Chef Li had assumed she wasn’t serious, but when it was time to prep dinner ingredients, Jiang Mo came bounding in.
"You’re really here to learn? I thought you were joking."
"Of course I’m serious!" Jiang Mo tied on an apron and donned a chef’s hat. "Just give me any task."
Though Jiang Mo hadn’t done much kitchen work growing up, she knew the basics.
Chef Li guided her through ingredient prep, sharing handy kitchen tips along the way.
Surprisingly, she picked up quite a bit.
She also learned about the Gu family’s dietary preferences from Chef Li.
Aunt Wang popped in occasionally. "Oh dear, aren’t you just getting in Chef Li’s way?"
"Not at all—Jiang Mo’s been a great help," Chef Li assured her.
"As long as she’s not bothering you."
Aunt Wang had worked for the Gu family for years, but her own cooking skills were mediocre. She’d rarely cooked for her own children.
Jiang Mo genuinely couldn’t cook much—boiling instant noodles or dumplings was about it.
Seeing her daughter eager to learn, she encouraged her. "Then pay close attention to Chef Li. Just master a few home-style dishes—that’ll be enough."
Jiang Mo circled around Chef Li, only then realizing that cooking held so many intricacies.
Chef Li even recommended a few popular cooking bloggers for her to follow and learn from.
Without hesitation, Jiang Mo immediately hit the follow button on each of them.
