The entire room went silent.
Mrs. Gu blinked, then turned her head slowly toward Gu Jichun.
Gu Jin stared at her sister with a blank expression.
Then both mother and daughter burst into laughter.
Gu Jin shook her head firmly. "No, that is not the case."
Gu Jichun patted her chest with relief. "Thank goodness. Otherwise, Long Yifan might have been killed tonight!"
Long Yifan, standing behind Gu Jin, coughed awkwardly.
"Why do I feel like I am always the one facing death in your imagination?"
Gu Jichun chuckled and said,
"Only if you die, Long Yifan, can I finally spend more ti with my sister. You’re always taking her away."
Long Yifan rolled his eyes dramatically.
"If I ever die, I’ll co back as a ghost and haunt you. I’ll stick to Gu Jin forever so that you’ll never get a single mont alone with her."
Gu Jichun’s eyes widened in shock. She pointed at him with a trembling hand. "You! You’re the worst kind of person I’ve ever t!"
Long Yifan laughed and said lightly, "Funny, I feel the sa energy from you."
Gu Jichun gritted her teeth and stomped her foot. "You’re impossible!"
She was about to argue again when Mr. Gu, who had been quietly watching them, finally sighed and said,
"Alright, both of you, that’s enough. Let’s talk about the real reason we were called here tonight."
The teasing air faded a little. Everyone turned to Gu Jin and Long Yifan.
Gu Jin sat straighter in her chair. She looked around at her parents and siblings before finally saying softly,
"Lady Ling has proposed that Long Yifan and I beco a Mighty Mage couple."
The words dropped into the room like heavy stones. For a mont, no one spoke.
Mrs. Gu’s lips parted slightly. Gu Jichun blinked. Gu Jihu and Gu Jishi stared at her with wide eyes. Even Mr. Gu leaned back, quiet and serious.
Gu Jin waited for soone to say sothing, but the silence stretched.
Normally, such news would have brought cheers. Becoming a Mighty Mage couple was a huge honor.
It ant more power, more status, and access to the best resources in the mage world. It ant the Gu family would rise higher than ever before.
Yet, no one smiled.
Long Yifan noticed it too. His expression softened. "You don’t seem happy," he said quietly.
Mrs. Gu sighed.
"It’s not that we are unhappy, Yifan. It’s just..." She looked at her daughter.
"Every ti we think we’ll get to spend more ti with you, you seem to fly further away. First the academy, then the missions, now this. You’re always busy, always sowhere we cannot reach."
Her voice trembled near the end. Gu Jin lowered her eyes. She hadn’t expected those words to sting so much.
Gu Jichun forced a smile.
"It’s not that we don’t want you to beco stronger, Sister. It’s just that... every ti you achieve sothing amazing, you also beco a little more distant."
Gu Jihu nodded. "It’s true. You always send us gifts, rare pills, and artifacts but... I’d rather have you co ho sotis than receive another treasure."
The room turned quiet again.
Gu Jin’s fingers trembled slightly. She pressed them together and took a deep breath.
"I understand," she said softly. "But I can’t stop now. You know why I’m doing all this. I’m trying to build sothing that will protect our family forever."
Mr. Gu smiled faintly.
"We know. And we’re proud of you, Jin. You’ve already done more for us than we could have ever asked. But pride and happiness are not always the sa thing."
Gu Jin looked at her father. For a mont, her calm eyes wavered. Then she smiled a little and said,
"Then how about this? I’ll send you sothing that can help you live longer. Elixirs that can extend your lifespan. That way, even if I’m busy, we can still spend more ti together later."
Her family exchanged glances. Mrs. Gu shook her head gently.
"Sweetheart, it’s not about living longer. It’s about spending the ti we already have together. You can live thousands of years, but what’s the use if you spend them alone?"
Gu Jin’s heart tightened. The words hit deep. For a mont, she couldn’t speak.
She rembered her past life, the one filled with loss, betrayal, and endless loneliness.
She rembered what it felt like to wake up and have no one left to care for her. The mory was sharp, cold, and heavy.
But now, things were different. She had her family. They cared for her. They worried for her. That simple truth filled her chest with warmth.
She smiled faintly and whispered,
"I promise I’ll find a way. I’ll figure out a thod that lets visit often. I don’t want to lose the ti I have with you either."
Mrs. Gu’s eyes softened. Mr. Gu nodded.
Gu Jichun leaned forward and hugged her sister tightly. "You better," she said, half-teasing. "Or I’ll drag you back ho myself."
Gu Jin laughed quietly. "You can try."
One by one, the others joined the conversation. Mrs. Gu reminded her to eat well. Mr. Gu told her to be careful in the field.
Gu Jihu warned her not to overwork herself. Jichun kept interrupting with jokes, making everyone laugh.
Gu Jishi reminded her that he was her backer.
Soon, the serious air faded completely. The room was filled with warmth and laughter. Gu Jin’s heart felt light for the first ti in days.
The night passed like that, full of chatter and smiles. Even Long Yifan seed relaxed. Watching Gu Jin laugh with her family made him smile quietly too.
The next morning, the air was crisp and cool. Gu Jin and Long Yifan stood by the main door of the Gu mansion, ready to leave.
Their one-month vacation was finally over, and today marked the start of their duty again.
Gu Jin turned to her parents. "Take care of yourselves," she said softly. "I’ll visit when I can."
Mrs. Gu smiled. "We’ll be waiting."
They waved goodbye and stepped outside together.
But the mont they did, both of them froze.
The entire street was crowded with people. Dozens... no, hundreds... of reporters had gathered in front of the mansion. Caras flashed, microphones pointed toward them, and voices shouted all at once.
"Miss Gu Jin! Is it true that you beca a Mighty Mage through connections?"
"Mr. Long Yifan! Did Lady Ling favor you two unfairly?"
"How can you skip the entire mage exam and still be promoted?"
"Are you using the backdoor system to gain power?"
The flood of questions ca nonstop. The noise was deafening.
Long Yifan’s face darkened. "What is this nonsense?" he muttered.
Gu Jin’s brow furrowed. She could feel the irritation building in her chest. Without saying a word, she took out her phone and quickly opened the news feed.
Her eyes scanned the top headlines, and her expression hardened.
The trending news everywhere claid that she and Long Yifan had beco Mighty Mages through Lady Ling’s favoritism.
People were accusing them of using backdoor connections. So even claid that Avery and Colin had been punished unfairly because of their influence.
The comnt sections were full of mockery and anger.
"This is corruption at its finest. I never realized that soone could stoop so low!"
"They skipped the tests completely! Like wtf? Even the pri minister’s son and daughter couldn’t do so!’"
"No wonder they were so close to Lady Ling! They must have sweet-talked!"
"Using power to climb faster. Typical!"
Gu Jin stared at the screen for a long mont, then turned it off. She exhaled slowly and raised her head.
The reporters were still shouting questions. Their faces were eager and full of curiosity.
Gu Jin’s voice was calm but cold as she said, "I’ll answer your questions. But only if everyone calms down."
The sudden firmness in her tone made the reporters pause. The air around her shifted slightly, colder, heavier. One by one, the voices grew quiet.
When the silence finally settled, Gu Jin looked at them with her usual calm eyes.
"First of all," she said, "I don’t understand how our becoming Mighty Mages turned into a story about using a backdoor."
One reporter imdiately raised his hand and said,
"It’s obvious. You impressed Lady Ling with your sweet words. You must have used your relationship with her to skip the trials."
Gu Jin chuckled softly. "If it’s really that simple," she said, "then why don’t you all try? Go sweet-talk Lady Ling and see if she makes you a Mighty Mage."
The crowd froze. The man who asked the question turned red. He lowered his head, embarrassed.
She continued, "Lady Ling doesn’t give power for flattery. She gives it to those who earn it."
Another reporter spoke up. "Then how did you beco a Mighty Mage couple so young? What makes you special?"
Gu Jin smiled faintly. "You already know the answer," she said. "You just refuse to believe it."
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