Li's mother sized up Xu Gui, her expression quite suspicious, clearly skeptical of her claim of being a "master."
It wasn't surprising; Xu Gui's appearance didn't quite match the title of "master."
As a celebrity, albeit one virtually unknown, Xu Gui had regular features, fair and rosy skin, and stood there like a delicate, pink-and-white flower, completely different from the stereotypical image of a master.
"Mom, Miss Xu really is a master! Her fortune-telling is incredibly accurate!" Mr. Li explained confidently to his mother. "You wouldn't believe it, she told me as soon as she saw me that our whole family was poisoned. She even told me about you putting pesticide in the rice jar..."
To convince his mother, Mr. Li recounted how he met Xu Gui.
He didn't notice that when he talked about how accurate Xu Gui's fortune-telling was, his mother's expression seemed to become somewhat uneasy, and her gaze began to dart left and right.
It was an expression of guilt.
After Mr. Li finished speaking, his mother seemed to believe him and said, "Is that so..."
She looked at Xu Gui and said, "I'm sorry, Master, I misunderstood you. I just didn't expect you to be so well-preserved! You look like a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties. I can't even tell your actual age."
Mr. Li was also curious: "Master, how old are you actually?"
The mother and son huddled together, their expressions of curiosity almost identical.
Even the other two members of the Li family couldn't help but lean over and scrutinize Xu Gui's face.
Xu Gui, suddenly stared at by four pairs of inquisitive eyes: "..."
Livestream:
[Hahaha, judging from the reactions of Mr. Li and his family, they don't think Xu Gui is already in her seventies or eighties, and that she looks so young just because she takes good care of herself, do they?]
[These four faces, these expressions are exactly the same. It can only be said that they are a family.]
[Hilarious! Before clicking in, I didn't expect this livestream to be so funny. Why do Mr. Li and his family think that Xu Gui looks young because she takes good care of herself? Can't she just be young?] [
At first, I thought the Li family's idea was outrageous, but thinking about it, they're a family that's clearly poisoned but believes they're possessed, so it's not surprising they have this suspicion.]
[I'd like to see how Xu Gui answers!]
*
The scene returns to outside the Li family's kitchen.
Facing the Li family's curious gazes, Xu Gui thought for a moment and asked, "...Do you want the truth or a lie?"
Infected by her serious attitude, the Li family's expressions couldn't help but become serious as well.
"The truth is?" Mr. Li asked first.
Xu Gui said seriously, "The truth is that I'm already 321 years old this year!"
"..." Mr. Li was silent for two seconds, then asked again, "And the lie?"
"The lie," Xu Gui said casually, "The lie is that I'm 23 this year!"
Mr. Li suddenly laughed, he said, "Master, you're really humorous... I guess you're at most in your forties, but you're really well-preserved, you look like a 17 or 18-year-old girl!"
The person filming their conversation thought: "..." This conversation of yours just doesn't sound right. "What? Around forty years old? Mr. Li, are you sure that's a compliment?"
Xu Gui's livestream chat was already filled with laughter—so what a load of nonsense their conversation was!
Everyone found Mr. Li's words genuinely hilarious, and they considered Xu Gui's remarks to be jokes.
Xu Gui: "...But I'm telling the truth."
Turtles are naturally long-lived creatures, and the Xuan Turtle clan's lifespan is even longer. "Xu Gui" truly lived to be 321 years old, making her older than any living human.
However, among the Xuan Turtle clan, 300 years old is still considered a baby; she's still a young person.
...
The Li family still didn't know Xu Gui's exact age, because they didn't believe she was only 23, but they certainly didn't believe she was 321.
"...She should be around forty."
"Maybe in her fifties?"
They exchanged glances.
Mr. Li and his wife, He Yun, went to deal with the rice in the rice jar.
Li's mother always did the cooking at home, so they hadn't noticed the pesticide in the rice container. Now, upon opening it, they smelled a subtle odor.
"...Mom, how did you manage to put the pesticide in there?" Mr. Li asked, puzzled.
Li's mother's gaze flickered for a moment before she said, "It was just an accident. I usually keep the pesticide on top of the refrigerator, but that day I accidentally bumped into the refrigerator, and it fell in...and just happened to land in the rice container."
Li's mother enjoyed growing roses, and roses are like medicine bottles, requiring frequent spraying. So she had bought a lot of pesticides and, to prevent accidental contact by family members, she kept them on top of the refrigerator.
"That day, it was just bad luck..." Li's mother said, her expression stiffening.
"Is that so..." Mr. Li, composed, believed her explanation and said, "But next time, if something like this happens again, don't be stingy with the rice. How much is this rice worth? If we get food poisoning, all that money will be wasted."
Mrs. Li lowered her eyes, seemingly smiling, and said, "I understand, I won't do it again next time."
Just then, Xu Gui, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke up: "But, you clearly cooked this rice for everyone on purpose..."
Mrs. Li suddenly raised her head, looking at Xu Gui in disbelief, while Xu Gui, as if expecting it, looked at her calmly.
Mrs. Li suddenly realized that since entering the house, this person seemed to have been watching her with that kind of gaze, a gaze that seemed to see through everything.
*
[What does Xu Gui mean by that? What does it mean to cook rice for everyone on purpose? Does it mean this wasn't an accident? Wow, I've stumbled upon a juicy story?!]
[Goodness, has this gone from a comedy channel to a society governed by law?] [ I knew it! There's always a surprise when you're stuck in this live stream!
] [I told you before that this auntie was suspicious!! You guys even called me a conspiracy theorist! Where are all the people who called me before? Come out here!!]
[That shouldn't be the case, Mr. Li's family seems to have a good atmosphere, why would the auntie drug everyone?]
[Urgent, very urgent, why isn't Xu Gui saying anything?]
*
In the kitchen, because of Xu Gui's words, the atmosphere inside and outside the kitchen became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Mr. Li looked at Xu Gui blankly, seemingly not quite understanding what she had just said.
"Master, what did you just say?" Mr. Li asked, glancing first at his expressionless old mother, then at Xu Gui, and said, "...Are you joking with us? But this joke isn't funny at all."
Xu Gui tilted her head, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
The others thought to themselves: ...That's precisely why it's so scary—because you don't look like you're joking!
"...Aijuan." Mr. Li looked at Mrs. Li in disbelief, his voice urgent as he pressed, "Master, is what you said true? Did you really intentionally cook rice that had been sprayed with pesticides for us? Did you want to poison us?"
Mr. Li replied, "That's not right. My mother ate that rice too. If she really wanted to poison us, why would she eat that rice? Wouldn't that be harming herself?"
He looked at Xu Gui, seeking confirmation, "Master, are you sure you didn't miscalculate? Why don't you calculate it again? My mother wouldn't do such a thing; there's no reason for it."
"There is a reason," Xu Gui said, but she didn't reveal what it was. Instead, she quietly looked at Mrs. Li, who had remained silent from the beginning.
Seeing her action, the others couldn't help but look at Mrs. Li as well.
Looking closely, you'd notice that Li's mother was usually a very gentle and cheerful person. Her face gave off a peaceful feeling, with noticeable laugh lines at the corners of her eyes—the kind of lines only people who laugh often have.
But now, she wasn't smiling.
Mr. Li looked at her anxiously and said, "Mom, please speak! The master must have been wrong. You didn't do it on purpose, right?"
Li's mother sighed, looked at Xu Gui, and smiled gently, "Master, you truly are a master. You've predicted everything... Before, Xiao An said he found a master, and I thought he'd been scammed. Now it seems I was judging by appearances!"
She didn't directly answer Mr. Li's question, but her attitude and words clearly conveyed her meaning.
The cameraman looked at the others and saw that the Li father and son were deathly pale, and Mr. Li's wife, He Yun, had a completely blank face. Clearly, the fact that Li's mother had intentionally poisoned them had dealt a heavy blow to everyone in the family.
"Why?" Mr. Li asked, voicing everyone's question, his voice filled with anguish, "Why did you do this?"
Yes, why?
This is a question that everyone in the live stream wants to know.
From the moment Xu Gui and his group stepped into the Li family home, everyone witnessed the family's relationships and atmosphere. It was clear to everyone that this family had a good relationship; the parents were loving, and the children were filial. By all accounts, they were a harmonious and happy family.
So, what could possibly make Li's mother want to poison them all?
Everyone looked at Li's mother, wanting to know the answer, and then they saw her suddenly laugh, but the laugh was more like a grimace.
Mr. Li couldn't help but call out, "Mom..."
But unexpectedly, upon hearing his "Mom," Li's mother reacted extremely strongly. She angrily retorted, "Don't call me Mom! I'm not your mother!" She glared at Mr. Li venomously, saying emotionally, "I'm not your mother, and you're not my son either!"