Huo Nanyin's apartment had a three-bedroom layout—two bedrooms and a study. Jiang Mo carried her suitcase into the guest room, unpacked her belongings, and noticed Huo Nanyin leaning on a crutch as she entered the study.
The study wasn’t large, but one wall was lined with a bookshelf crammed full of books. A quick glance revealed they were mostly specialized mathematics texts. The desk, however, was quite spacious, cluttered with a laptop and a few books.
"Nanyin, are you working?" Jiang Mo asked. "I heard you work at a university, but I wasn’t sure what you do there."
Huo Nanyin turned on her computer. "I’m a lecturer. I have some free time now, so I’m preparing lesson plans."
Jiang Mo nodded. "I won’t disturb you, then. Go ahead and work."
After stepping out, Jiang Mo found the apartment already spotless, with no need for cleaning, so she decided to head out to buy some groceries—fruits, meat, eggs, and milk. She also planned to ask her mom what foods could help with recovery and replenishment.
By the time she returned with the ingredients, a quick peek into the study showed Huo Nanyin still deeply engrossed in her work. Jiang Mo quietly slipped into the kitchen to start preparing lunch.
When Huo Nanyin finally finished and checked the time, nearly two hours had passed—it was almost lunchtime. She stepped out to find Jiang Mo already bustling in the kitchen.
Hearing movement, Jiang Mo turned around. "Lunch is almost ready. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just made three dishes."
Huo Nanyin squeezed into the kitchen, looking slightly embarrassed. "I’m not picky. Whatever you make is fine. Sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all! Cooking a few dishes is easy. Don’t be so polite," Jiang Mo teased. "Since I’m here, you should let me be useful—otherwise, I’ll feel like a freeloader."
"Just relax in the living room. Lunch will be ready soon."
"No rush, take your time," Huo Nanyin said, stepping back to avoid getting in the way.
Practice makes perfect, and cooking was no exception. Jiang Mo worked with increasing efficiency, effortlessly finishing the three dishes. Only the soup took a bit longer.
Mealtime was always the best for conversation. After observing Huo Nanyin over the past few days, Jiang Mo found her easy to talk to, so she naturally struck up a chat.
"Nanyin, where are you from?"
"Yunnan," Huo Nanyin replied softly. "Do I have an accent when I speak?"
"Not at all! I wouldn’ve guessed," Jiang Mo shook her head. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Three. I’m the middle child—an older sister and a younger brother," Huo Nanyin said matter-of-factly. "I was raised by my grandparents."
"But Yunnan has so many beautiful places—great scenery, food, and fun. You should visit sometime."
Jiang Mo agreed. "Yunnan’s landscapes are stunning. And the people there are legendary online."
Huo Nanyin looked puzzled.
"People say, 'Geniuses come from Yunnan, tough folks from Guizhou, and singers from Guangxi,'" Jiang Mo explained. "Yunnan folks dominate the internet—it’s like they were born for it."
"Your province’s 'Domestic Explosion Crew' is super viral lately. Their livestreams get tons of views."
She pulled out her phone, opened a short-video app, and played a clip.
Huo Nanyin watched the video, recognizing the familiar music and the five performers moving in perfect sync. She chuckled. "They do mimic it well."
Jiang Mo nodded. The first time she’d seen it, she’d been glued to the screen for ten minutes straight.
"Yunnan people seem so talented at singing and dancing. Not like me—when I dance, I realize my whole body is stiff."
"I’m not good at it either," Huo Nanyin admitted.
Jiang Mo took a bite of food. "No big deal if you can’t dance. We might lack coordination, but we’ve got brains. Nanyin, which university did you study at abroad?"
Huo Nanyin answered slowly, "MIT. Mathematics."
No wonder her shelves were packed with advanced textbooks—she was the real deal.
"What about you? What did you study?" Huo Nanyin asked in return.
"Law at A University," Jiang Mo joked. "I’m an embarrassment to my alma mater."
Huo Nanyin reassured her, "Law is a great field. It’s not about your ability—the job market is just tough right now."
"True. One day, I’ll reclaim everything I’ve lost," Jiang Mo quipped. "But honestly, my current job is pretty cushy."
After lunch, Huo Nanyin said, "I don’t have plans for the afternoon. You can nap or go out if you’d like."
Jiang Mo asked, "What about you? Are you going to work or doing something else?"
"I’ll just take a nap."
Jiang Mo cleaned up the kitchen, then with nothing else to do and no desire to sleep, she sprawled on the bed playing a simulation game.
A message from Gu Ye popped up—a photo of a table full of takeout boxes.
"You’re just eating now?" It was almost 2 PM.
"This isn’t mine. It’s for the crew," Gu Ye replied with a pitiful emoji, followed by another photo of a sad-looking "white people meal."
"Why are you eating that when there’s good food right there?"
"You think I want to?" Gu Ye grumbled. "After staying home for a while, plus recent feasts, I’ve put on weight. Sister Huang told me to cut back."
Jiang Mo sent a "message recalled" sticker. "Pretend I never said that."
Celebrities had to maintain their looks—it was part of the job.
Gu Ye: "...Shouldn’t you be comforting me? Like, 'You don’t look fat' or something?"
"Nope. What if you end up looking bloated on camera?"
Gu Ye chewed his bland meal. "So what’ve you been up to lately?"
Jiang Mo rolled over on the bed. "I’m not at your place. I’m on a business trip."
"A business trip? Another vacation?"
"This time it’s real work," Jiang Mo insisted.
Gu Ye: "I don’t get it. Since when does your job require travel? Where to?"
"Not far. Still in Jiangcheng."
"I’m heading back in a few days. Will you be back by then?"
Jiang Mo hesitated. "Not sure yet. We’ll see."
The thing was, Young Master Gu and Huo Nanyin’s relationship was complicated, and she hadn’t figured it out yet. If she said too much, Gu Ye might blab.
Gu Ye frowned. The secrecy made it feel like she was hiding something shady.
First one, now another—everyone speaking in riddles.
Just as she finished chatting with Gu Ye, a message from Gu Xun arrived: "Come to the office at 4 PM."
Jiang Mo’s worker instincts kicked in. "Got it!"
