Chapter 441: That’s an Immortal Encounter

“Excuse me, you two.”

Hearing a gentle male voice behind them, Gao Hu and his wife turned around.

When they saw it was the same Mr. Gu from earlier, they both instinctively put on polite smiles.

Gao Hu cupped his hands and said, “Mr. Gu, is there something you need?”

Gu Ning’an returned the gesture with a smile. “Brother Gao, I drank the tea you offered, so I came to express my thanks.”

“It’s nothing, just a bowl of tea. You’re too polite, sir,” Gao Hu said casually, waving his hand dismissively.

At that, Gu Ning’an smiled, then flipped his hand to produce a golden kumquat, placing it on the table. “Brother Gao, it wouldn’t be right to receive without giving. This kumquat has a nice flavor—you should try it.”

“Whoa!” Gao Hu stared at the kumquat, which was the size of an egg, and exclaimed, “How’d this fruit get so big?!”

Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Grown at home. Maybe a bit bigger than the ones you usually see in the market.”

“Thanks!” Gao Hu tucked away the kumquat, laughing as he cupped his fists again.

“No need to be so formal.” With a final smile, Gu Ning’an returned to his seat.

Back on Gao Hu’s side, he took out the kumquat and waved it in front of his wife like a trophy. “See, dear? We even got something in return.”

“Hmph, stop showing off,” his wife muttered, leaning in closer and whispering so only he could hear. “You better put that away and don’t go gobbling it down. You can’t just eat whatever a stranger gives you.”

Gao Hu nodded with a grin. “Aye, my dear. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you used to roam the martial world.”

She rolled her eyes. “Get lost, would you! Can’t even take you seriously.”

Meanwhile, the young boy who had just finished refilling all the customers’ tea slumped down at the front counter, pulling out a storybook to read…

Just as he was lost in its fantastical world, a sudden cough jolted him back to reality.

Almost by reflex, the boy flung the book under the counter, then looked up sheepishly at the three people before him. He scratched his head with an awkward grin. “Uh, Grandpa, Mom, Dad… hehe… why’re you back from the market so early?”

“Wu You! I told you to watch the tea house properly—is this how you do it?” The speaker was Wu Lan, now in her middle years.

As a mother, Wu Lan no longer had any trace of youthful naivety. Every movement she made exuded the aura of a strict, no-nonsense parent.

Knowing better than to talk back, Wu You quickly adopted a humble, “I’ll listen and learn” expression, nodding while mumbling “yes, yes.”

Not far away, Gu Ning’an, seated near the door, had gone unnoticed by the Wu family. He’d been wanting to ask the boy’s name—and now he had it.

Wu You—to live without worries. Not a bad name.

With that thought, Gu Ning’an looked over at the middle-aged man standing beside Wu Lan.

The man looked sturdy and bore a resemblance to the old shopkeeper in his younger days. If the Wu family acknowledged him, he must be a decent man.

Still… the boy’s surname was Wu. Did he take after his mother, or was his father also surnamed Wu?

Knowing the old man’s character, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d taken in a live-in son-in-law…

Amused, Gu Ning’an couldn’t resist doing a quick calculation with his fingers. He soon learned the man wasn’t a live-in son-in-law—he was born a Wu. That small twist of fate made him marvel at how strange and wonderful destiny could be.

Looking again at Old Wu, who was already over seventy, the man still looked rather sturdy. His back was straight, though his face was far more wrinkled than before…

After about the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Wu Lan was still lecturing her son when the honest-looking middle-aged man tactfully interjected, “Kid, go serve the customers first. Your mother and I will teach you a proper lesson tonight.”

Hearing that, Wu You quickly grabbed the copper kettle by the table, said, “Right away, I’ll go refill the customers’ tea!” and headed straight for Gu Ning’an, who was nearest the counter.

But the moment the Wu family’s gaze fell on Gu Ning’an—

Both Wu Lan and the old shopkeeper froze, then rushed over one after the other!

Feeling the gust of wind behind him, Wu You instinctively thought his mother was going to smack him.

He shrank his neck, bracing for impact—only to find his mother and grandfather had bypassed him entirely, flanking Mr. Gu from both sides.

“Mr. Gu! When did you arrive?”

“Uncle Gu, it’s been so long!”

Seeing this, Gu Ning’an gave a nod. “It has indeed been a while.”

The scene hit Wu You like a thunderclap!

It was one thing for Grandpa to call this young man “Mister.” That was just a respectful title.

But his own mom—who was in her forties!—just called that guy “Uncle”? And that guy didn’t look older than twenty!

How was that even possible?

Thinking he must be dreaming, Wu You pinched his thigh hard.

“Ow!!”

“Not a dream!”

Still wincing from the pain, Wu You was about to ask what was going on when his dad yanked him back to the counter. “Quiet. Sit still.”

It was the first time he’d ever seen his father look so serious. Despite the flood of questions inside him, Wu You had no choice but to swallow them.

After a few moments of small talk, the Wu family invited Gu Ning’an into the back room. As they passed the counter, Wu Lan hastily introduced her husband and son.

Her husband, Wu Hai, a bricklayer.

Her son, Wu You…

Watching his grandpa and mom escort the handsome scholar to the inner room, laughing all the way and completely ignoring him and his dad, Wu You’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

“Dad! You should go in too!”

Wu Hai flipped through the ledger and replied calmly, “They’re reminiscing. What would I go barging in for?”

Wu You quickly asked, “That guy—is he really Mr. Gu? The ‘immortal’ Grandpa and Mom keep talking about?”

Wu Hai thought for a moment. “Most likely. When have you ever seen your grandpa look like that?”

“Dad!”

Wu You lowered his voice, his face full of excitement. “Dad, if that’s really Mr. Gu, he’s one of the immortals from legend! Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to take a look?”

“Of course I’m curious.”

Wu Hai spoke slowly. “But curiosity is one thing. Barging in and annoying someone is another. If I did that, your mother would kill me.”

Wu You’s face fell in disappointment. “But that’s an immortal encounter…”

“I told you to stop reading those storybooks.”

As he spoke, Wu Hai picked up the coverless storybook from the floor, flipped through a couple of pages, and laughed. “Look here—this story says a little kid saved an old man. Then the old man flew down from the clouds, touched the kid’s head, and boom—he lived forever…”

“Now tell me—how could something like an immortal encounter be so easy to get?”

Seeing the disappointment in his son’s eyes, Wu Hai added, “Anyway, don’t try anything weird. Or your mom and your grandpa will beat you together. And I won’t step in.”

“Tch… Like you even could step in,” Wu You muttered under his breath.

“Heh…” Wu Hai rolled up his sleeves, revealing two solid, muscular arms. “Say that again, and I’ll join in next time!”

Wu You: ……