Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Tasting Session

“Knock, knock, knock.” Not long after Yu Huatian left, a knocking came from outside the door.

“Who is it?”

“Young Master Zhu, it’s me,” came Guo Furong’s rough voice from outside.

“Miss Guo? Is there something you need?”

“Nothing much. Chef Li made some new dishes and prepared extra, so I brought some for you to try.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu instinctively sensed danger approaching. New dishes? Probably some kind of poison in disguise.

“I... truly apologize, I’m not hungry right now. Sorry to disappoint your kindness.”

Having just finished speaking with Yu Huatian, Zhu Yu had momentarily forgotten to maintain his usual formality and slipped into using “I” in the imperial sense. Fortunately, he quickly corrected himself.

As for whether Guo Furong would notice the slip, Zhu Yu wasn’t worried. With her temperament, she wouldn’t bother distinguishing between the formal and genuine “I.” Even if she did notice, she’d likely attribute it to an accent.

What Zhu Yu didn’t know was that, under normal circumstances, Guo Furong was exactly as he imagined. But now was different—he would never have guessed that his previous self had actually met Guo Furong before.

Since having that strange dream, Guo Furong had been unusually cautious around Zhu Yu, abandoning her usual demeanor.

Holding the dishes outside, Guo Furong undoubtedly heard the distinction between the formal and genuine “I.” Yet strangely, her heart was calmer than when she had been wildly speculating earlier—though “calmer” was relative.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady her wildly beating heart, Guo Furong forced a calm tone and said, “Oh, I understand. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be off then.” With that, she carried the new dishes downstairs.

In the backyard, the inn’s guests gathered around a plate of something called a dish, though no one really knew what it was, all wearing worried expressions.

“Zhantang, you’re skilled in martial arts, you try it first,” Tong Xiangyu nudged Bai Zhantang with her arm.

“Why me? What does being good at martial arts have to do with tasting food? You’re the shopkeeper—why don’t you try it?” Bai Zhantang shot back without a shred of courtesy.

Seeing Bai Zhantang’s refusal, Tong Xiangyu said no more and turned her gaze to the scholar Lü sitting opposite.

Her look startled Lü so much that his hair stood on end. Clearing his throat nervously, he stammered, “Ah, well, Confucius once said…”

“What Confucius? Does Confucius know that I, Li Big Mouth, made this new dish? What are you all implying? This is the first time the shopkeeper paid the monthly wage early, inspiring me! And you all don’t even give me face?” Li Big Mouth frowned, irritated that no one had touched his creation after staring at it for so long.

Li Big Mouth’s words made everyone realize who the real culprit was. Their eyes blazed with anger as they slowly and resolutely shifted their gaze to Tong Xiangyu.

Unable to withstand the pressure, Tong Xiangyu lowered her head deeply.

“I’m back,” Guo Furong’s voice came from the inn’s back door. Unlike before, her tone was steady and unwavering.

Anyone who had spent time with Guo Furong would immediately notice the change.

Unfortunately, everyone’s attention was fully captured by Li Big Mouth’s new dish, oblivious to the oddity.

Tong Xiangyu, spotting Guo Furong’s slow approach, saw her as a savior and rushed over.

“Little Guo, my dear girl, you’re finally back. How did it go? Did Young Master Zhu try the new dish? What did he say? Any bad reactions? Is he alright?”

Before she spoke, Guo Furong’s expression darkened, and the fear lurking beneath her calm surface exploded.

“You know every time Li Big Mouth makes a new dish, there’s a problem, yet you still want me to deliver it? We’re not even close with Young Master Zhu. What if something happens after he eats it?”

Surprised by Guo Furong’s intense reaction, Tong Xiangyu retorted instinctively, “What could go wrong? We didn’t poison it. At worst, Young Master Zhu just spends a few extra days in the restroom.”

“What else could happen? Don’t you know who Young Master Zhu is...” Guo Furong’s agitation almost made her reveal Zhu Yu’s identity, but her reason quickly reasserted itself, and she stopped mid-sentence.

Her sudden silence frightened the others.

“Little Guo, don’t scare me. What’s wrong with Young Master Zhu? Should I bring Xiao Liu and Wushuang over?” Bai Zhantang’s heart skipped a beat seeing Guo Furong so unsettled.

Seeing their terrified expressions, Guo Furong realized she had overreacted and quickly explained.

“It’s nothing. I didn’t let Young Master Zhu eat it. Mainly, I was worried because of his special status—if something went wrong, our inn would be doomed.”

“Hey, what are you saying? What’s wrong with my dish? Is it inedible? I bet you’ve eaten more than your share. Guo Furong, I won’t forget this,” Li Big Mouth said, his indignation flaring once the misunderstanding was cleared.

Tong Xiangyu chimed in, “Little Guo, I know you’re thinking about the inn’s well-being, but why turn down a free meal?”

“Free?” Guo Furong only knew that if Zhu Yu hadn’t refused, everyone at the Tongfu Inn would be in deep trouble.

Seeing Guo Furong’s shocked look, Tong Xiangyu smiled with satisfaction and said slowly, “Little Guo, Young Master Zhu is rich, right? Not only rich, but his family might hold immense power, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“Now, imagine you just arrived somewhere, staying at an inn, and the inn’s people treat you like family, offering new and good things first. How would you feel?”

“How would I feel? This inn is a shady place with hidden schemes,” Guo Furong answered without hesitation.

Hearing this, Tong Xiangyu playfully smacked her and said, “That’s if you knew the inn wasn’t shady.”

“If it’s not shady, then the inn’s people aren’t so bad.”

“Exactly. In such a case, the service is good. Would you leave a tip?”

“I guess I would,” Guo Furong said uncertainly.

“Guess? You’d definitely tip. And that’s not even the main point. Think about it—if Young Master Zhu really got sick from the food, what kind of famous doctors wouldn’t he have access to? Those precious medicines would be fed to him non-stop.

“So if he did have a problem, wouldn’t he get better immediately?

“But if it were us who got sick, it’d be different. Where would I get the money to find doctors or buy those rare medicines? We’d have to tough it out ourselves.

“Think about how much money that saves! And even if some small issue did arise, we meant well. Do you think Young Master Zhu would blame us?

“At worst, we break even; at best, we make a killing!”

Tong Xiangyu proudly voiced her true thoughts.

“Tong Xiangyu, after knowing you so long, I’m just realizing how ruthless you really are,” Guo Furong said, staring at her in disbelief.