"But if she had soone powerful to back her up then why was she even begging to join the Gu Family anyway?" Gu Jichun muttered.
"Maybe because only staying with the Gu family can be useful to them..." Gu Jin answered, her eyes narrowed in contemplation.
Gu Jihu nodded, agreeing with Gu Jin. Gu Jichun gritted her teeth,
"So the reason why she was so desperate to co back to the Gu family, was to harm it?"
Why would an outsider want their people in the Gu Family? The reason was pretty simple: To harm them...
Gu Jin lightly paced the area as if she was trying to find sothing but her mind was filled with different questions.
With the involvent of a new variable...it can only an that, the swap was intentional. But if it was intentional, why didn’t they kill the real Gu Jin right away?
What was even more alarming was...why the original owner ended up in an orphanage in the first place.
Nothing was making sense.
Gu Jin turned to Gu Jihu, who stared straight into her eyes and said, "I will investigate the swapping right away."
As expected of her brother. Gu Jin praised Gu Jihu in her heart. Maybe her admiration was too visible because the next second Gu Jichun who was silent, raised her hand and said,
"I will join into the investigation too."
Gu Jin couldn’t help but smile. Her smile seed to have lted away the tense atmosphere, causing the remaining two siblings to smile unconsciously too.
Gu Jichun was montarily dazed by Gu Jin’s beauty.
She extended her hand and tried to pinch Gu Jin’s cheeks, but a hand held her hand midway and a chilly voice sounded in her ears,
"Keep your paws away from her."
Gu Jichun looked at Gu Jihu’s pale bony hand, her expression turned dark. She showed a fake smile,
"Why?"
Gu Jihu’s expression turned even colder as he tightened his grip on Gu Jichun’s hand. "Because I said so," he replied sharply, his tone leaving no room for argunt.
Gu Jichun rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Oh, co on, Jihu. I’m not going to hurt her. Can’t I ss around a little?"
"No," Jihu said firmly, releasing her hand. "Focus on the investigation instead of wasting ti."
Gu Jin chuckled softly, stepping between the two. "Alright, you two, stop bickering. We have bigger things to deal with."
Jichun huffed but didn’t argue further. Instead, she crossed her arms and turned to Gu Jin.
"Fine. So, what’s the plan? How do we even begin investigating sothing like this?"
"Track down anything unusual about Aihan’s movents before she showed up here. Who she t, where she went. Anything that could lead us to her ally."
Jihu nodded, already thinking ahead. "I’ll handle that."
Just then Gu Jihu’s phone rang. When he saw the caller’s id, he imdiately picked it up,
"Yes, mom? Ah? Where are we? Near the basent area...The two of them are fine...no! Truly...they are fine! Hello? Mom? No need to co! No..."
Gu Jihu could only helplessly look at his phone. His mom hung up the call even without listening to his words properly.
Mrs. Gu arrived at the scene like a whirlwind, her face pale with worry as she took in the sight of the debris around the area where the basent used to be.
Behind her, Mr. Gu followed with a much calr deanor, though his sharp eyes scanned the wreckage, clearly unimpressed.
"Jihu! Jin! Jichun!" Mrs. Gu called out, her voice trembling with fear.
When her eyes landed on her three children, standing amidst the destruction, she rushed forward.
Gu Jin and Gu Jichun barely had ti to react before Mrs. Gu grabbed them both into a tight embrace.
"Are you hurt? Are you okay? What happened here?!" Her hands moved quickly, checking them for injuries, her anxious eyes darting from one face to another.
"We’re fine, Mom," Gu Jin said softly, though she felt a lump in her throat seeing her mother so worried.
Jichun, for once, didn’t complain about being fussed over.
"Really, Mom. We’re not hurt," she added, though her voice was quieter than usual.
Mrs. Gu’s eyes filled with tears, and she placed a hand over her chest as if steadying her heart.
"You scared ! Look at this ss! Were you fighting? Do I have to tell you not to spar so recklessly?" Her voice rose as her emotions overwheld her.
Gu Jin opened her mouth to explain, but Jihu cut in quickly, his face carefully neutral. "Mom, it’s not what you think—"
"Don’t even try to make excuses!" Mrs. Gu interrupted, her worry turning into frustration.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? What if one of you got seriously hurt? Jihu, you’re the eldest! You should know better than to let things get out of hand like this!"
Jihu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
He didn’t argue, knowing that trying to explain the truth would only make things worse.
Besides, he didn’t want to make their mother worry even more.
Mr. Gu stepped forward, his stern gaze fixed on Jihu.
"We’ll discuss this later," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argunt.
"et in the study."
"Yes, Father," Jihu replied, bowing his head slightly.
Mrs. Gu sniffed, wiping away her tears as she grabbed Jichun and Jin by their wrists.
"Co with . You both need to wash up. Look at you—dust and dirt everywhere! What am I going to do with you three?"
Gu Jin and Jichun exchanged a glance.
Dust? What dust? They were clean from head to toe!
But obediently followed their mother into the mansion.
Behind them, Jihu stayed back, shooting a quick look at his siblings as if to silently say, You both are so lucky!
Inside the mansion, Mrs. Gu didn’t stop fussing as she led them to their rooms.
"Take a proper bath and change into clean clothes. I’ll make lunch for you both. Don’t think you’re getting away without a good scolding afterward!"
Her voice was stern, but there was an unmistakable warmth in her tone that made Gu Jin’s chest ache.
It reminded her so much of her previous life, of the mother she had lost long ago.
Gu Jin quickly washed up, the warm water soothing her tense muscles.
When she finished and stepped out of the bathroom, she found Mrs. Gu waiting for her with a set of fresh clothes.
"Hurry up and co to the dining room," Mrs. Gu said, her tone softer now. "Lunch will be ready soon."
By the ti Gu Jin and Jichun reached the dining room, the delicious aroma of ho-cooked food filled the air.
Mrs. Gu had prepared a spread of their favorite dishes—steaming bowls of rice, fragrant curries, stir-fried vegetables, and a platter of golden-brown dumplings.
"Sit down," Mrs. Gu said, waving them over.
"And don’t even think about leaving until you’ve eaten every bite."
As they sat at the table, Mrs. Gu began serving them, her scolding continuing all the while.
"You’re all so reckless! Do you think I enjoy worrying about you like this? Why were you sparing so seriously in the first place?"
Jichun tried to look apologetic but ended up grinning instead.
"Sorry, Mom. Your food always makes everything better, though."
Mrs. Gu shot her a mock glare.
"Don’t try to butter up, young lady. You’re still not off the hook."
Gu Jin, anwhile, took her first bite of the food and froze.
The taste was so familiar—rich, comforting, and full of love. It was just like the als her mother used to make in her past life.
Her chest tightened and for a mont, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. But she quickly suppressed her emotions and returned to her cold deanor.
"It’s delicious," she said quietly.
Mrs. Gu paused mid-scold, her expression softening. "Well, at least you have good taste," she said with a small smile.
As Gu Jin and Gu Jichun were finishing their al, Gu Jihu finally walked into the dining room. His hair was slightly ssy, and he looked tired, but his sharp eyes still carried a hint of mischief.
"Mom," he sighed dramatically, leaning against the doorway. "Did you forget about your only son? Did you make anything for , or am I just an afterthought?"
Mrs. Gu didn’t even glance his way. She continued tidying up the table, wiping an already spotless spot with unnecessary vigor.
Gu Jihu frowned, walking closer to her. "Mom? Did you really forget about ?"
Mrs. Gu still didn’t respond, her lips pressed tightly together as she ignored him.
Gu Jihu sighed loudly, leaning forward to rest his chin on her shoulder.
"Mom, co on. I’m starving here," he said, wrapping his arms around her in a loose hug. "Do you want your precious son to faint from hunger?"
Mrs. Gu’s stern expression cracked slightly, and she finally let out a soft laugh.
"Alright, alright. Stop being so dramatic!"
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