It wasn’t until evening that Gu Baotian remembered his grandson.
Staring at the barrage of confused emojis in the chat, he sent a voice message: "When are you coming back?"
"Soon, just two more days, Grandpa. Did you miss me?" Gu Ye replied instantly, then pressed further, "By the way, what did you mean by what you said this afternoon?"
He had spent the entire afternoon puzzling over those words but still couldn’t decipher their meaning.
"We’ll talk when you’re back," Gu Baotian dismissed him, grabbing the leashes for Fugui and the other dog, ready for their evening walk.
Fugui, the only pup in the litter and raised in a well-off household, had grown enormous in just a few months.
Instead of his younger grandson, it was the elder one, Gu Xun, who showed up first.
"Well, look who’s here! The busy man himself. Thought you’d forgotten you even had a family," Gu Baotian teased as soon as he saw Gu Xun.
No one could deny Gu Baotian had a knack for sarcasm.
Ignoring the jab, Gu Xun glanced at the leashes in his grandfather’s hands. "Grandpa, it’s past eight. You’re still taking them out now?"
"Clearly, you’ve never owned a dog. It’s scorching during the day—are you trying to roast me or the dogs?" Gu Baotian retorted. "Have you eaten? If not, ask Aunt Wang to fix you something."
Gu Xun: "I’ve eaten. Just don’t stay out too late." With that, he headed upstairs.
Jiang Mo handed Gu Baotian the dogs’ water bottle and waste bags. After he left, she glanced upstairs. It had been a while since she’d stumbled upon that juicy romantic gossip about Young Master Gu at his place.
She couldn’t help but wonder how his tangled love affair was progressing.
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Young Master Gu summon her.
Jiang Mo scurried upstairs and knocked on his open door. "Young Master Gu, did you need something?"
"A friend of mine got hurt in a biking accident. I need someone to take care of her, but I couldn’t find anyone suitable on short notice—so I thought of you," Gu Xun said, eyeing her. "Would you be willing to help for a couple of days?"
Though phrased as a question, it wasn’t really a request she could refuse.
Just a short work trip, then.
"Young Master Gu, is your friend a man or a woman?" She needed to clarify.
Gu Xun replied, "A woman."
A woman? Jiang Mo’s eyes darted mischievously. Could it be an ex?
After a pause, she said, "I don’t have a problem with it. I’ll just inform Madam Su first."
Su Yunjin, mid-face mask, ripped it off upon hearing Jiang Mo’s news. "Gu Xun asked you to take care of someone? A woman?"
"Yes, Madam," Jiang Mo nodded.
Su Yunjin brightened, pacing excitedly. "Gu Xun hardly has any female friends. I’ve never seen him go out of his way for a girl like this."
She nearly marched out to interrogate him but stopped herself. "Go ahead, but keep your ears open. Gather details and report back to me."
The matriarch of a wealthy family sure knew how to read between the lines.
Jiang Mo sighed inwardly. So much for a simple trip—now she was doubling as a spy.
When Wang Xia heard her daughter was being borrowed for the job, she fretted. "Who knows if Young Master Gu’s friend is easy to deal with? Be careful out there. Call me if anything’s too much to handle."
Young Master Gu wasted no time. The next morning after breakfast, Jiang Mo was already loading her suitcase into his car.
Gu Baotian watched the car speed off, baffled. "Why’s Gu Xun taking Jiang Mo to work?"
"Oh, she’s just accompanying him on a business trip. She’ll be back soon," Su Yunjin explained smoothly.
Jiang Mo’s suitcase held only her clothes and personal items. Since Gu Xun didn’t elaborate, she didn’t ask.
She’d find out soon enough.
As the car merged into traffic, Gu Xun glanced at her. "Thanks for doing this. I’ll send you a bonus later."
"No trouble at all, Young Master Gu," Jiang Mo fawned. "It’s an honor you trust me with this. I’ll take good care of your friend."
"Originally, I wanted Aunt Wang to help," Gu Xun admitted bluntly, "but I knew my mother wouldn’t allow it. The household would’ve been in chaos."
Jiang Mo: "…" So she was just the backup plan?
Well, in wealthy-family dramas, Aunt Wang was always the go-to. Other maids rarely got screen time.
Perhaps sensing his misstep, Gu Xun backpedaled. "You’re both around the same age. It’ll be easier for you two to connect."
"The friend who got hurt is Huo Nanyin."
"Oh, Miss Huo!" Jiang Mo feigned surprise, though she’d guessed as much. The suspense was killing her.
The car pulled into a residential complex—nothing fancy, just an average apartment building like her own.
Following Gu Xun upstairs, she waited as he knocked. A woman’s voice called from inside, "Who is it?"
"It’s me. Gu Xun."
"What are you doing here?" Huo Nanyin, her right foot wrapped in bandages, hobbled to the door on crutches. "And you brought Jiang Mo too?"
"Miss Huo," Jiang Mo greeted cheerfully. "What happened to your foot?"
Huo Nanyin stepped aside to let them in, then shuffled back to the living room. "It’s kind of embarrassing, really. I fell off my bike and twisted my ankle."
"Let me get you both some water."
"Just sit down—I’ll handle it," Jiang Mo insisted, helping Huo Nanyin back to the couch as Gu Xun moved aside.
Huo Nanyin didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Gu Xun. "Don’t you have work today?"
She immediately regretted the obvious question.
"Your foot needs rest. I brought Jiang Mo to help for a few days," Gu Xun stated plainly. "She can also drive you to the university."
"That’s unnecessary, but thank you. I can manage," Huo Nanyin said, glancing at her foot. "The doctor said it’s not serious—just a month of recovery with some caution at first."
Gu Xun raised a brow. "If it’s ‘not serious,’ why the crutches? No need to tough it out."
Jiang Mo returned with water just in time to hear the exchange. So Young Master Gu hadn’t even cleared this with her first? Now she was being rejected on delivery.
Huo Nanyin pressed her lips together. "Jiang Mo has her own responsibilities. There’s no need to trouble her over this."
"No trouble at all!" Jiang Mo chimed in, desperate to defuse the tension.
"I have work to attend to. I’ll head out now," Gu Xun said, straightening his jacket. "Jiang Mo, message me if anything comes up."
Jiang Mo nodded. If only Young Master Gu could soften his tone when showing concern.
Huo Nanyin sighed, eyeing Jiang Mo and the pink suitcase in the living room. "The guest room’s next to the study. You can stay there, but just for a couple of days, okay?"
"Thank you for taking me in, Nanyin," Jiang Mo thought to herself, relieved to have finally secured a place to stay.
Huo Nanyin smiled. "It's not me taking you in—you're here to help me, and I know that."
