Chapter 186: Suspicious Origin, Unspeakable Secret
Gu Shuo examined the fruit again and again before taking a bite. It was fragrant and sweet, with an exquisite flavor.
He dared say it was the most delicious fruit he had ever eaten, several times better than anything from Yu State.
The old man’s eyes flew open, and he slapped the back of his grandson’s head. "How could you just eat it? I couldn’t even bring myself to take a bite, you little brat!"
Gu Shuo defiantly took another bite. Crisp, sweet, fragrant, with just a hint of tartness. Peerless. It was absolutely peerless among fruits.
However...
"You brat! You’re still eating it! That was a gift for *me* from that little girl..."
"This fruit is not from the palace," Gu Shuo said abruptly.
The old man’s hand froze mid-air. "Not from the palace?"
"I oversee the Imperial Merchants. All the fruits, vegetables, brocades, and silks in the palace are delivered by my people, with funds allocated by the Imperial Household Department. We have no fruit as peerless as this."
"Are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
"I’m not. Based on this fruit’s quality and taste, it can’t be found in the Capital City. In fact, it can’t be found anywhere in all of Beili."
The Gu family had been in business for generations; there wasn’t a corner of the four nations they hadn’t visited. He knew the specialties of every city like the back of his hand, and he couldn’t recall any place that produced a fruit like this one.
Even the popular fruits from Yu State couldn’t compare. So where in Beili could something like this be grown?
Hearing this, the old man took the half-eaten fruit from Gu Shuo’s hand and took a bite. His expression immediately turned strange. It really *was* delicious.
He had eaten fruits from Yu State before. They were good, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the one in his hand.
"Then... where did that little girl get this?" The old man had also been a merchant for many years and was as sharp as they come. He could usually tell a fruit’s origin with a single bite.
He had just been so happy to receive the fruit that he hadn’t thought about anything else.
But now that he heard this, he took a closer look. The quality was indeed a cut above any ordinary fruit.
Gu Shuo remained silent. He recalled how casually she had produced the "Two Principles of Mutual Generation." Turmoil churned within him as a new suspicion began to surface.
After a moment of deep thought, the old man arrived at the same conclusion as Gu Shuo, and his face instantly changed.
"We can’t speak of this. We mustn’t. What fruit? This is just a normal apple." The old man’s expression was panicked.
"I understand," Gu Shuo said, nodding.
"Gu Shuo, you have to swear! Swear you will never speak of this to anyone," the old man insisted, grabbing hold of him.
"Grandfather, I won’t say a word."
"No! You have to swear. You must!" The old man trusted no one at this moment. The incident with the "Two Principles of Mutual Generation" had only just died down. If this fruit stirred up more trouble, that little girl would surely become a public target.
Gu Shuo hadn’t expected his grandfather to be so protective, and he felt a sense of relief. He raised his hand, holding up three fingers. "I, Gu Shuo, swear that if I ever speak of what happened today, may I die a horrible death. Grandfather, are you satisfied now?"
"See that you remember that oath," the old man said, finally releasing his grip.
Gu Shuo straightened his clothes. "Do you need me to see you home?"
"No. I’m going to a restaurant for a meal later, and tonight I’ll be staying at the General’s Residence."
"...Grandfather, please, try to stay out of trouble. Don’t just go to the General’s Residence whenever you feel like it. With Xiang Minghou’s foul temper, he’ll just throw you out again." Gu Shuo’s head throbbed. The memory of his grandfather being thrown out last time was still fresh in his mind.
"If he throws me out, so what? I’ll just go back again. All I want right now is to look after that girl. It’s nothing more than that—I just feel a fondness for her." The old man, who had been gleeful just a second before, suddenly sighed. "Alas, for some reason, that girl has been wary of me—of the Gu family—from the very first moment we met. It’s not like the Gu family has ever done anything to her."