After finishing his evening cricket match, Liu Guochuan waggled his eyebrows and turned his attention to the younger generation. "My grandson—you really don’t like him? Not even a second thought?"
Jiang Mo shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Brother Liu is a great guy, but we’re just friends."
"Ah, another 'nice guy' rejection," Liu Guochuan chuckled, leaning closer. "Xiao Mo, we’re pretty close, aren’t we?"
Jiang Mo nodded, unsure where this was going.
Liu Guochuan lowered his voice conspiratorially. "The Gu family has three sons. Two are grown up now, both handsome young men. Do you… fancy one of them?"
"Be honest with your Uncle Liu. I won’t tell a soul."
Jiang Mo swallowed a bite of ice cream. "Uncle Liu, stop teasing me."
Seeing her unfazed expression, Liu Guochuan squinted. "Huh. Maybe I guessed wrong."
"Uncle Liu, whenever you have time, take a look at the polished manuscript draft. Let me know if there are any issues," Jiang Mo said, finishing her ice cream and preparing to make a quick exit. "As for the video editor, I’ll have someone lined up in the next couple of days and get back to you."
Liu Guochuan tried to stop her. "Stay a little longer! Have dinner with us." He hadn’t given up on playing matchmaker just yet.
But Jiang Mo was already slipping away, quick as a breeze.
By the time she returned to the Gu residence, she scrolled through her social media feed before switching to her contacts and sending a message:
"Hey, Xiao Hang, how’s the job hunt going? I’ve got some work here if you’re interested."
The "Xiao Hang" she referred to was none other than the waiter she and Su Yunjin had met at the club that one time.
Zhou Hang was lying in his cramped rental apartment, wallowing in melancholy as he mindlessly scrolled through videos online. When Jiang Mo’s message popped up, he bolted upright like a carp leaping out of water.
His hair a disheveled mess, Zhou Hang typed back: "What kind of job?"
Jiang Mo replied: "Video editor. You’ve done that before, right?"
Zhou Hang: "I’ll take it!"
If he didn’t find work soon, he’d be sleeping on the streets. And in this season, even the sidewalks of Jiangcheng were too hot to sleep on.
After coordinating a time with Liu Guochuan, Jiang Mo informed Zhou Hang: "Your interview’s at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Dress sharp." She then sent him the address.
Zhou Hang had been about to ask about the company and salary, but when he saw the location—a well-known villa district in Jiangcheng—he quietly shut his mouth.
He scrambled out of bed to revise his resume and print out his diploma. Determined to make a good impression, he arrived absurdly early, standing at the villa gates by 8:30 a.m.
Jiang Mo got the notification and rode her e-scooter to the security booth to register before picking him up.
"Why so early?" she asked, handing him a helmet.
Zhou Hang put it on and smiled sheepishly. "Didn’t want to risk traffic making me late. Bad first impression, you know?"
On the way to the Liu residence, Jiang Mo briefed him. "Uncle Liu is a good guy. This gig’s way more relaxed than a corporate job. Do well, and you might even score some unexpected perks."
Zhou Hang caught her drift. "Got it."
Curious, Jiang Mo asked, "Why’d you quit the club job? Last time I asked, you dodged the question."
"Kind of embarrassing," Zhou Hang admitted with a wry grin. "A lady asked if I’d be her boyfriend. So I bolted. Besides, that job was just a temporary thing anyway."
That made sense to Jiang Mo.
After exchanging a few more details, they arrived at the Liu residence, where Liu Guochuan was doing his morning exercises in the yard.
"Ah, Xiao Mo’s friend! No need to be nervous. Come, have a seat," Liu Guochuan said, hands clasped behind his back as he led them inside. "Let’s chat casually."
Not nervous? Impossible.
But Zhou Hang was prepared. He pulled out his resume and diploma copies.
Liu Guochuan skimmed them. "Oh? A graduate from a top-tier university."
"Yeah. I loved filming, so after graduation, I interned as an editor. But the company went under," Zhou Hang explained, offering to shoot some test footage and edit a sample video for Liu Guochuan.
It was only after the company collapsed that he’d ended up at the club.
"Alright, my studio’s in the backyard. Let’s get some clips."
After filming plenty of material—and watching Liu Guochuan craft a small gadget—Zhou Hang said, "Editing’ll take a bit. How about I send the finished video to Sister Mo this afternoon, and she’ll forward it to you?"
Liu Guochuan nodded. "No rush. Take your time."
As they moved on to discussing pay and benefits, Jiang Mo quietly stepped back. Once the deal was settled, she escorted Zhou Hang out.
Zhou Hang couldn’t hide his excitement. The pay and perks were leagues better than his old editing gig, which had felt like slave labor in comparison.
Good jobs really do come through connections, huh?
"Sis, you’ve got serious pull," Zhou Hang marveled. Who knew rubbing shoulders with the wealthy could land him such a sweet deal?
"Credit goes to you for knowing how to sell yourself," Jiang Mo said with a laugh. "You never mentioned you graduated from B University before."
Zhou Hang scratched his head. "Didn’t want to embarrass myself—or my alma mater."
Jiang Mo parked her e-scooter outside the Gu family’s courtyard. "Wait here. I’ll grab something inside, then drop you off on my way to the supermarket."
Inside, Gu Ye and Li Zheng were gaming in the living room. Seeing Jiang Mo return briefly before heading out again, Gu Ye called out, "Where you off to?"
Jiang Mo: "Supermarket run."
"I’ll drive you," Gu Ye said, standing up to follow.
"No need."
They stepped outside one after the other—only to spot Zhou Hang waiting by the gate.
Gu Ye frowned, eyeing the stranger. "And this is…?"
Jiang Mo explained, "My friend Zhou Hang. Uncle Liu needed a videographer, so I helped connect them."
Zhou Hang offered a polite smile. This guy… kind of looked like a celebrity.
"Alright, go back inside," Jiang Mo said, revving her scooter and ignoring Gu Ye as she motioned for Zhou Hang to hop on.
They rode to the bus stop, where Jiang Mo pulled over. "Send me the edited video. I’m pretty sure you’ve got the job."
Zhou Hang returned the helmet. "Thanks, Sis Mo. Let me treat you to a meal sometime."
"No need, it’s nothing," Jiang Mo said, then paused. "Wait, how old are you?"
When Zhou Hang revealed his birth year and month, Jiang Mo grinned. "Oh, I’m two months younger than you."
Zhou Hang felt a little silly. She was younger, yet so much more capable and put-together than him.
Meanwhile, Gu Ye stood at the gate, watching their figures disappear into the distance. His phone buzzed relentlessly—Li Zheng spamming messages:
"Bro Ye, what are you doing? Move already! If you don’t, we’re losing this round!"
