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."
