Chapter 81: Gu Zhi

Witnessing this scene, Gou Ye felt genuine admiration. It reminded him of his own writing process; when inspiration strikes, he becomes oblivious to everything else, focusing all his energy on the page, waiting for that flash of brilliance to give birth to the work.

Only then did Gu Hui turn around, looking at Gu Shen with a gentle smile. Her voice was soft and delicate as she spoke, “Eighth brother, you’re here. Fifth sister was painting just now. I’ve been working on this piece for three days, so I made you two wait.”

Gu Hui’s temperament was much gentler compared to Gu Yue and Gu Man. She was the epitome of a refined lady; while not strikingly beautiful, the aura she exuded from years immersed in books and art was unmatched by others.

Gu Shen laughed heartily, approaching and bowing respectfully before glancing at the landscape painting on her desk. “Fifth sister, your skill grows ever more exquisite. If you showed this painting outside, I tell you, you’d become famous instantly—at the very least, a master artist of our dynasty.”

Hearing his words, Gu Hui covered her face, laughing softly, “Go on, you always tease your fifth sister. Tell me, you wouldn’t come here for nothing, so what brings you today?”

Gu Shen chuckled, sat by the desk, introduced Gou Ye to Gu Hui, and explained the purpose of their visit. At that moment, Gu Hui’s brow furrowed slightly. Gou Ye stepped forward, “Miss Gu, I apologize for disturbing you with this visit. Please accept this modest gift as a token of respect.”

Gu Hui shook her head, gently refusing, but as Gou Ye opened the box and carefully unfurled the painting, she could not suppress a cry of astonishment, “The Hidden Fisherman at Pine Lake!”

“Miss Gu, you have a keen eye. You’re clearly an expert. Yes, it is indeed ‘The Hidden Fisherman at Pine Lake,’ an authentic masterpiece by Li Tang of the previous dynasty,” Gou Ye replied. Gu Hui’s delighted expression shifted suddenly to one of concern. “Master Gou, you should put this painting away. I cannot accept it—it’s far too precious. Neither of you truly understand its worth. This painting alone could easily be worth a thousand pieces of gold.”

Gou Ye knew the painting was valuable, but never imagined it could be worth such a fortune. He clicked his tongue, thinking to himself that Wanxiang had been far too generous: such a priceless work, so casually given, knowing it was meant as a gift. Gou Ye felt indebted, but the deed was done and there was no turning back.

“Miss Gu, you exaggerate. I acquired this painting without spending much, and I’ve never truly understood art. As the saying goes, a fine horse deserves a good saddle; a famous painting belongs in the hands of a worthy artist to reveal its value. I feel at ease entrusting it to you.”

Such masterpieces are rare in this world, and though Gu Hui wished to refuse Gou Ye, she could not resist the allure of the painting. She sighed softly, setting aside her pride. “How about this, Master Gou? The painting is too valuable for me to accept. If you truly wish for me to have it, leave it here for a month, let me appreciate it in detail, and then return to collect it. As for what Eighth brother has requested, I’ll help with it then.”

Gou Ye considered this and found it a perfect solution—he could retrieve the painting later and even return it to Wanxiang. He readily agreed to Gu Hui’s proposal. Once ‘The Hidden Fisherman at Pine Lake’ was handed to Gu Hui, she paid them no further heed, lost in admiration at her desk. The two men, sensing her absorption, quietly withdrew from the courtyard, their business concluded.

The next—and final—person was Gu Shen’s eldest brother. He was more conventional, residing in his house, but despite knocking at his door for a long time, no answer came. A servant reported that he had gone out early in the morning, apparently taking a fishing rod. Gu Shen immediately understood where his brother was, and hastily took Gou Ye to hire a carriage.

After a lengthy ride, the carriage stopped by a small stream. There, a man dressed in plain white, wearing a bamboo hat, sat calmly at the water’s edge, holding a wooden fishing rod.

Gu Shen stepped out and called, “Big brother!”

The man in white turned. Though his hat partly obscured his face, his striking, heroic features were still apparent. Despite his lack of martial ferocity, Gou Ye felt he resembled a young Duke Jing. Was this Gu Zhi, the eldest brother Gu Shen had mentioned?

“Eighth brother, why are you here? Can’t you change your impatient ways? The fish I was about to catch have all been scared off by your shouting,” Gu Zhi said in a deep voice, not even glancing at Gu Shen, his focus fixed on the water. He continued, “The gentleman with you must be Master Gou. Have him come over.”

Gu Shen was startled—he hadn’t introduced Gou Ye yet, so how did his brother know who accompanied him? He waved Gou Ye over. When Gou Ye approached, Gu Zhi never raised his head, still intent on fishing, and spoke in a low voice, “Master Gou, do you know how to fish?”

“I used to fish often as a child in the village, but my skill leaves much to be desired,” Gou Ye replied sheepishly.

“Fine. Sit and keep me company,” Gu Zhi said.

Neither Gu Shen nor Gou Ye knew what Gu Zhi was up to. Gu Shen was about to object, but Gou Ye stopped him and sat beside Gu Zhi, quietly watching the lake.

The autumn wind blew. Gu Shen, unable to bear the cold, wanted to take Gou Ye back to the carriage, but Gou Ye remained seated, unwilling to leave. Gu Shen shivered and returned to the carriage alone. Gou Ye, sitting beside Gu Zhi, trembled from the chill, yet was amazed that Gu Zhi seemed entirely unaffected, sitting motionless and composed.

The day’s conditions were poor; after a long time, Gu Zhi had not caught a single fish. Gou Ye began to doubt whether Gu Zhi even knew how to fish, or if there were any fish in the stream at all. Gu Zhi said nothing, and Gou Ye dared not disturb him, only curling up to warm himself, rubbing his shoulders to ease the cold.

As evening fell, Gu Shen, who had napped in the carriage, opened his eyes to see the two still sitting there. Unable to hold back, he approached Gu Zhi and whispered, “Brother, it’s getting late, shouldn’t we head back to the manor?”

“Wait. If you’re cold, you can leave first. Master Gou as well,” Gu Zhi replied coldly.

Gu Shen glanced helplessly at the pair, shivered as another gust swept over, and returned to the carriage. At that moment, Gou Ye, unsure if the cold had muddled his senses, noticed the fishing rod twitch and quietly remarked, “The rod moved!”