The Mighty Mage

Gu Jin clenched her fists again, ready to swing.

Long Yifan quickly raised both hands and shouted, "If you hit me again, I'll play this in front of your family!"

That stopped her cold.

She froze in place.

Her teeth clenched so tightly they almost cracked. "You wouldn't…"

"I would," he said with a cheeky smile. "So… what are you going to do?"

Gu Jin took a deep breath. "Fine. What do you want?"

Long Yifan smiled like the devil himself. "Nothing big. Just one thing…"

He leaned in.

"A kiss. On the lips."

Gu Jin stared at him, stunned.

"You're seriously turning worse by the day!" she shouted.

Long Yifan waved his phone and chuckled, "So many complaints but still no action. How disappointing. Guess your parents will love to hear your provocative words."

Gu Jin gritted her teeth and stared at him for a while before muttering, "Fine."

She walked up to him and leaned toward him, but Long Yifan was one step ahead; he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her onto the bed.

Gu Jin gasped as she lost balance and fell onto the bed, right into Long Yifan's arms.

Before she could argue again, Long Yifan gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes were serious now, no teasing, no smirking.

"I'm not forcing you," he said softly. "If you really don't want to… I'll stop."

Gu Jin blinked, surprised by the sudden change in him.

She stared into his eyes for a long moment. Her heart thumped hard in her chest.

"You will not post the audio?"

"I won't force you." Long Yifan said softly. Then he stared into her eyes and continued, "Gu Jin, if you feel disgusted, turn your head away."

However, Gu Jin and she continued to stare at him, which was enough to make Long Yifan smirk.

He leaned forward. His lips brushed her lightly, just for a second.

It was soft. Quick. Like a whisper.

Gu Jin didn't push, and Long Yifan captured her jelly-like lips. At first, he nibbled on her lower lips, before moving to her upper lips, and as if that wasn't enough, his one hand entered her t-shirt, causing her to gasp, giving Long Yifan the chance to thrust his tongue in her mouth.

Gu Jin froze the moment she felt his hand move. Her heart was already racing, but now it pounded even louder, like a drum in her ears.

"Long Yifan!" she snapped, pulling back quickly and pushing him away.

He blinked, confused at first, then sat up as she stood beside the bed, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"That," she said firmly, "was not part of the deal."

Long Yifan rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile. "Okay, maybe I got a little carried away."

"A little?" she said, glaring at him.

He raised his hands. "Alright, alright. I went too far. I admit it."

Gu Jin took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Her cheeks were red, and she didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment, or both.

Long Yifan stood slowly and looked at her, more serious this time.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I really am. I just… I like you. I guess I wanted more than I should have."

Gu Jin looked at him for a long moment. "If you are truly apologetic, delete the audio."

All the guilt from Long Yifan's face vanished, and a standard, jerk-like smile appeared on his face, "No way."

Gu Jin glared at Long Yifan, her face full of anger.

"You really are a blackmailer!" she snapped. "From now on, I'm not talking to you anymore. Not one word!"

Long Yifan just chuckled and shrugged. "That's fine. I can just play the audio anytime I want. You'll talk then."

Gu Jin gritted her teeth. "Just wait. Once I delete that audio, you'll regret this."

"That's a problem for future me," Long Yifan said with a smirk. "No need to stress now."

Gu Jin rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You've already gotten your revenge, and you've made the teleportation array. Just get inside the space and stay there."

But Long Yifan shook his head. "I want to spend a little more time with you."

Gu Jin snorted. "I don't. You can leave now, and I'll be very happy."

Long Yifan leaned against the wall and smiled lazily. "One day, I'll make you as clingy as I am."

"Hah. Even if I fall in love, I'm not the clingy type," Gu Jin said.

Hearing this, Long Yifan paused. Deep inside, he knew she was probably right. Gu Jin didn't rely on anyone. She was strong, cold, and distant. But oh, how he wished to see her being clingy just once. Just for him.

While he was daydreaming about that, there was a sudden knock at the door.

Gu Jin and Long Yifan shared a quick glance.

Without a word, Long Yifan disappeared into the space.

Gu Jin was stunned. "Wait… did he just enter on your own?"

She blinked but shook her head. She'd ask him about it later.

Opening the door, she saw Xia Wei standing outside.

Gu Jin's face turned cold. She was about to shut the door, but Xia Wei quickly placed her hand on it.

"Wait! I have something important to say," Xia Wei said.

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes but didn't move. "Say it here. You don't need to come in."

Xia Wei looked a bit embarrassed. "Can't I at least come inside? It's private."

"You don't deserve to," Gu Jin said bluntly.

Xia Wei's face turned pale with anger, but she took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Let's not fight. I really came to help you."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "Help me? With what?"

Without waiting for permission, Xia Wei pushed the door and walked in. She closed it behind her.

Gu Jin crossed her arms but said nothing. Instead, she slipped her hand behind her back, pulled out her phone, and quietly turned on the recording function.

Let's see what this green tea girl really had to say.

Xia Wei started talking, her voice soft and full of fake sympathy.

"You're really pitiful, Lian Rou. I've never seen someone suffer so much. Your real parents didn't even trust you. Instead, they believed some random guy."

She gave Gu Jin a sad look. "At least my mom loved me. She swapped us at birth just so I could live a good life. Meanwhile, your parents kept trying to find mistakes in you."

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Xia Wei gave a small shrug. "I used to just dislike you, but today… I actually feel sorry for you. The Xia family treated you so coldly."

Gu Jin tilted her head. "So, what is it you want?"

Xia Wei smiled gently, like she was offering good advice.

"If I were you, I would've married that Chen Wen guy. At least he seems to care more than your so-called family."

Gu Jin nodded slowly. "Hmm. That does make a little sense."

Xia Wei's eyes lit up. She thought her plan was working.

"If you think so too, I can secretly arrange a meeting between you and Chen Wen," she offered sweetly.

Gu Jin paused. "But if I do that… won't the Xia family think I'm going against them?"

Xia Wei smiled wider inside. She's falling for it, she thought.

"Don't worry," she said quickly. "I'll support you. I'll protect you from them. They can't punish you if I help."

Gu Jin stared at her for a moment and then asked coldly, "Why would you help me? You've been scheming against me for days."

Xia Wei put on a guilty face. "I know… I was blinded. I only wanted to be loved by the Xia family. But now… I see it clearly. They're fake. They don't deserve someone like me or even you."

Gu Jin's lips curved into a small, sarcastic smile. "Really now?"

Xia Wei sat down on the chair like she owned the place, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I'm telling you, Lian Rou," she said with a soft smile, "parents like them… they're not worth your time. You should just ignore them. If you want, I can help you. A lot."

Gu Jin stayed quiet for a moment, pretending to think seriously.

Then she looked up and said calmly, "If you're really that sincere, then fine. Let's do what you said."

Xia Wei's eyes lit up like fireworks. She couldn't hide her joy and even reached out to tap Gu Jin's forearm.

"I knew it! You really know what's best for you!" she said cheerfully.

"Don't worry. As long as you marry Chen Wen, I'll take care of everything. The Xia family won't be a problem. I'll talk to them myself."

She smiled sweetly and added,

"And money? You won't have to worry about it. I'll give you a part of my monthly income, just like a dividend. That way, you can live comfortably even after marriage."

Xia Wei sat back with a proud look on her face, thinking she had already won.