Taboo Mage - Chapter 102 - Eavesdropping

Great-grandfather Chi clearly knows our Gu Family and seems to have a good impression of us. If my careless words were to tarnish the Gu Family’s reputation, Grandfather might just burst out of his coffin to give me a beating.

Fortunately, Chi Rui is good with words. After chatting with the great-grandfather for a bit, he had the old man laughing heartily.

The grandfather and grandson talked for a while, and then Chi Rui steered the conversation toward me.

“Great-grandfather, this is Gu Qingshu, the sole heir of the Gu Family. You are aware of their unique skill in making the Yin-Yang life amulets. I invited him here not only to visit Shenyang but also to have him take a look at your eyes.”

Hearing Chi Rui’s words, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, barely suppressing my urge to curse.

Visiting Shenyang? I wish he would tell the great-grandfather who came all the way from Shenyang to my home, using both temptation and threats to force me here!

Perhaps my glare was too piercing, as Chi Rui turned to give me a warning look, signaling me to keep quiet. I pursed my lips and turned away, deciding to ignore his eye warnings.

“Is that so, young man? What do you think of Shenyang?” the great-grandfather asked with a smile after hearing Chi Rui’s seemingly proper explanation.

I cleared my throat, “It’s alright, got that Northeast China vibe, though I did have an unpleasant encounter on the way.”

“Chi Rui, did you take care of what Mr. Gu encountered on the way? Our guests invited by the Chi Family must not be neglected.”

Great-grandfather Chi seemed to change faces quickly; just a moment ago, he was all smiles with me, then turned to Chi Rui with a frostiness akin to December, making one shiver.

I witnessed the commanding presence expected of a patriarch and couldn’t help but admire great-grandfather Chi.

Chi Rui quickly reassured him that everything was taken care of and that as long as Jue Chi and I were in Shenyang, he’d ensure nothing else would happen to us.

I couldn’t help but chuckle internally; for crying out loud, just two hours ago I had been in a car accident, and this bastard Chi Rui dared to promise the world.

“That’s good. If you need anything, just let me know.”

I nodded and exchanged a few words with the old man. Chi Rui, circling back, steered the conversation again towards the old man’s eye issue, making me sigh.

Chi Rui is indeed a smart person, but when it comes to his own interests, he tends to be a bit rash. When it comes to his eyes, I believe no one cares more than great-grandfather Chi.

Yet, from the time I walked in until now, more than an hour had passed and great-grandfather Chi hadn’t mentioned it, leaving Chi Rui to chatter on and on by himself.

Sure enough, after Chi Rui spoke, great-grandfather Chi waved his hand. “There’s no rush for this matter. The young man just arrived a few days ago and must still be tired. Why not stay at my place for a few days, rest, and then discuss it?”

Chi Rui grasped great-grandfather Chi’s hand, intending to say something, but the woman standing nearby interrupted, “Young master, the great-grandfather needs to rest.”

With the woman speaking up, Chi Rui had no choice but to swallow his words, nod, and rise to leave first.

The woman escorted great-grandfather Chi away, and the middle-aged man approached us, saying softly, “Mr. Gu, Master Jue Chi, your rooms are ready.”

“Alright, thank you…”

“I’m Chi Zhong, I take care of the great-grandfather.”

“Thank you, Uncle Chi.”

After standing and nodding, I followed Chi Zhong back the way we came to the first courtyard. It was filled with rooms, clearly meant for hosting guests.

Compared to the great-grandfather’s courtyard, this one was more modern. Chi Zhong led Jue Chi and me to two adjacent rooms, handed us the keys, and then left.

I opened my door, quickly organized my things, and went next door to find Jue Chi.

The entire afternoon passed without seeing great-grandfather Chi or Chi Rui. Bored out of my mind, I dragged Jue Chi to take a walk around the village.

This is a typical northern village; post-dinner, almost every doorstep had people sitting outside, chatting in groups.

It was my first time getting up close and personal with a village in the northern region. Feeling curious, I took Jue Chi along for a stroll. The locals found us odd as well, turning their heads to steal glances while we passed by.

After wandering around for quite a while, I noticed it was getting late. I suggested to Jue Chi that we head back. Just as we passed by a big willow tree, I spotted two people standing by the gate of a nearby courtyard. One of them looked rather familiar.

“Hey, isn’t that Chi Rui? What’s he up to, sneaking around like that in the middle of the night?”

I stopped in my tracks and pulled Jue Chi behind a wall, not because I enjoyed eavesdropping, but because Chi Rui’s behavior was so suspicious. For the sake of our safety, I had to be cautious.

Jue Chi frowned. “Let’s just go back.”

“Hold on, there’s no rush,” I replied.

Finally, thanks to the streetlight, I got a clearer look at the person standing next to Chi Rui-it was the same woman who had been with the great-grandfather earlier in the day.

They seemed pretty familiar with each other. I couldn’t help but let my imagination run wild: Isn’t this just like one of those TV dramas? The eldest grandson getting close to someone by Grandfather’s side, using charm to get what he wants, then heartlessly discarding them afterward…

Jerk!

“He spotted us. Are we leaving or not?” Jue Chi suddenly tugged at my sleeve and whispered.

Just as I was deep in thought, his words snapped me back to reality. I looked up and, sure enough, the woman had disappeared, and Chi Rui was walking toward us with a tense expression.

Being caught eavesdropping is quite embarrassing. I quickly turned around and said to Jue Chi with a grin, “Monk, weren’t you going to show me the moon? It’s pitch black, can’t see a thing. Let’s head back.”

I tugged at Jue Chi, urging him to walk away with me.

The footsteps behind us quickened, and sure enough, Chi Rui caught up and started walking alongside us.

“Did you see?”

“See what? We were looking at the moon, didn’t see a thing,” I immediately denied it.

Chi Rui chuckled. “Even if you did see, it doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t be meeting her here if I were afraid of others seeing.”

“Then why bother asking?” I huffed.

“So you did see…” Chi Rui paused, his voice suddenly dropping in tone.