Since it couldn't be hidden any longer, Su Yunjin decided to come clean. "How could your father and I rest easy with you entering the entertainment industry? It’s not an easy world for ordinary people to navigate."
"Luckily, our family has some assets and connections, so we’ve been supporting you behind the scenes, just in case you ever hit a rough patch and needed to come back."
Gu Ye was stunned. "So... you know Sister Huang, my agent?"
"Of course. We’ve even had several meals together," Su Yunjin replied nonchalantly.
So that explained it. No wonder his career had been so smooth—his family’s big shots had been secretly backing him all along.
Gu Ye mumbled, "Why didn’t you tell me?"
Gu Guofeng snorted. "We were afraid you’d resent it. Remember how you insisted we stay out of your work?"
"Dad, come on, do I really seem that ungrateful?" Gu Ye defended himself. "I only wanted to prove myself because you both seemed against me joining the industry."
Now he understood—whether in the entertainment world or any other field, having resources made all the difference. He had suspected his family might be helping him and even asked Huang Ling, but she had denied it.
Gu Baotian felt cheated. "If I’d known you two were investing, I wouldn’t have dipped into my retirement savings. You could’ve at least given me a heads-up."
"Hey, Gu Ye, how about Grandpa takes his investment back? It’s not easy for me to earn money, you know."
Gu Ye: "..."
After breakfast, Gu Ye tentatively texted Gu Xun: "Bro, we don’t keep secrets from each other, right? Tell me—have you been investing in me behind my back?"
Gu Xun replied almost instantly: "You’re overthinking it. Grandpa and Mom and Dad already did."
So his older brother had known all along.
Jiang Mo arrived for work right on time and was immediately spotted by Gu Ye—or more accurately, ambushed by him.
"How was that play you went to see?"
"It was great," Jiang Mo said, feeding the cat, cleaning the litter box, and then vacuuming the sofa with a handheld cleaner.
Gu Ye followed her from the cat room to the living room. "Aunt Wang mentioned you went with a senior from school. Which one? Wasn’t the last guy some scummy senior who tricked you?"
Jiang Mo: "This one’s from my major. He’s a good guy, nothing like that trash."
"I’m just saying, be careful when making friends," Gu Ye said, rubbing his nose. "If you like plays, I can go with you next time. There’s also a big art exhibition coming up, featuring works by famous masters..."
As Jiang Mo worked, she listened to Gu Ye’s endless chatter before finally brushing him off. "Don’t you have anything better to do?"
"Uh, of course I do. Tons of friends are asking me out," Gu Ye lied, stretching exaggeratedly while his phone remained silent.
He slunk upstairs and sent a message: "Hey, wanna game?"
When Jiang Mo went upstairs to clean, she found Gu Ye still in his casual clothes, sprawled on a recliner and scrolling through his phone.
So much for being busy.
Gu Ye was frustrated. Li Zheng was probably still asleep and hadn’t replied. He texted his high school buddy Tan Yangming: "You free to hang out?"
Tan Yangming: "Sorry, man. Gotta spend the day with my girlfriend."
Gu Ye was shocked. "Since when did you get a girlfriend?"
"Heh, just started dating last week," Tan Yangming replied. "Rain check—I’ll treat you next time."
"Fine, go enjoy yourself," Gu Ye grumbled before messaging Liu Jia, another friend, who was also unavailable.
When Jiang Mo entered his room, Gu Ye scratched his head. "My place is clean. No need to tidy up."
"Alright, then I’ll just disinfect your bed to kill dust mites and bacteria," Jiang Mo said, lifting her tools.
Gu Ye, who had been lounging, suddenly bolted upright and dove onto the bed, blocking her from lifting the pillows and blankets.
Jiang Mo frowned. "What are you doing?"
Gu Ye sprawled out dramatically. "Just... suddenly tired. Gonna take a nap. No need to disinfect the bed."
"It’ll only take two minutes," Jiang Mo insisted, holding up the cleaner.
Gu Ye forced a smile. "Really, it’s fine."
Something was off. Jiang Mo narrowed her eyes—there must be something hidden under there. "Fine."
Once she left, Gu Ye exhaled in relief and reached under his pillow, pulling out what he’d stashed there.
But then footsteps returned—Jiang Mo had doubled back. "Just grabbing a tool."
Gu Ye hastily shoved the item back under the pillow. Only after confirming she was gone for good did he retrieve the photo—a picture of him and Jiang Mo from an outing.
Close call.
After finishing her tasks, Jiang Mo checked her messages and saw one from Jin Yingying:
"The temp housekeeper you recommended did a great job. Here’s a thank-you red packet from her."
Jiang Mo had helped Jin Yingying find a replacement housekeeper when she was in a pinch. Since she and her mom worked in the villa, they knew plenty of experienced workers.
Jin Yingying then casually asked about Wang Xia: "How’s your mom doing at the Gu household? If she ever wants to switch jobs, there are plenty of opportunities out here, and the pay is negotiable."
Jiang Mo replied, "She’s happy where she is." Sounded like a recruitment attempt.
"What about you? Want to give it a try here? You could bring your mom along. Salary won’t be an issue."
The offer was blunt. Jiang Mo politely declined. "Thank you, Mrs. Jin, but I’m quite content where I am."
Later, she told Wang Xia about the conversation. "Mom, does Mrs. Jin know you?"
"When did you add her? Why didn’t you mention it?" Wang Xia asked. "She used to be close with Madam, but their relationship cooled over time."
Jiang Mo was curious. "What happened? It feels like she really wants you out of the Gu household."
Wang Xia sighed dramatically. "What can I say? Your mom’s just that charming. Back in the day, two women even fought over me."
