The Mighty Mage

She blinked and lightly slapped her own cheek. "Was I… expecting him to?" she muttered to herself. Shaking her head, she climbed into bed and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, when Gu Jin woke up and stepped outside her room, she paused at the doorway.

A strange scene greeted her.

Mimi, the ghost beast, was standing in front of the couch with narrowed eyes, glaring fiercely at Long Yifan.

Long Yifan, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed. He was lying back on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, eating grapes like he was some lazy prince.

But Gu Jin's eyes didn't stay on his face for long.

His shirt was open at the top, just enough for her to see part of his chest. The curve of his muscles peeked through, and even his strong pec were clearly visible beneath the loose white sleeves.

Gu Jin's throat suddenly felt dry.

'Why is it so hot in here?' she thought, trying not to look. But her eyes betrayed her and wandered back to the open buttons again.

She quickly shook her head and patted herself on the cheek. "I'm not some thirsty beggar," she muttered under her breath. "I'm fine. I'm completely normal. This is nothing. Totally nothing…"

She repeated this like a spell until she felt calm, then walked up to the two of them and asked, "What's going on?"

Seeing her approach, Mimi quickly stood between her and Long Yifan.

"You shouldn't look!" Mimi said, serious as ever.

Gu Jin was just about to ask what that was all about when Long Yifan laughed lightly.

He stood up and walked toward her, holding a plate of fruit in one hand. The way he moved made his shirt open even more, showing off his smooth skin and toned chest.

"Hungry?" he asked with a smile. "I can make you breakfast. Anything you want."

The way he said it sounded simple… but there was something in his tone. A hidden teasing. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Gu Jin's eyes betrayed her again and glanced where they shouldn't.

Long Yifan noticed.

He was thrilled.

His heart jumped a little in joy, but on the outside, he stayed calm.

"Whatever you want to eat... I will make it or bring it to you," he said smoothly.

His words had a subtle meaning, but Gu Jin ignored it.

She rolled her eyes. "Just make something edible."

Long Yifan chuckled. "Yes, yes. As you wish, my Queen of Cold Eyes."

As he walked to the kitchen, Gu Jin glared at his back.

But when he wasn't looking, she mumbled to herself, "…It's really not fair to look that good in the morning."

Long Yifan quickly served breakfast and pulled out a chair for Gu Jin. He waited with a polite smile until she sat down at the table.

The moment she looked at the breakfast plate, she paused.

Eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and even some lightly seasoned meat were arranged perfectly on her plate like it came from a five-star hotel.

Everything looked neat, colorful, and… suspiciously romantic.

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes.

'So that's why he was acting like a lazy prince on the couch. He was trying to seduce me?!'

Her jaw tightened slightly as she looked at Long Yifan, who was now sitting across from her, acting completely innocent while chewing on a grape.

She took a deep breath to calm her rising anger and picked up her spoon. 'Whatever. At least the food looks good.'

And thankfully, it was. The breakfast was warm, perfectly cooked, and tasted even better than it looked. Slowly, the frustration in her chest eased, replaced by the comfort of a full stomach.

Once she was done, she stood up, wiped her mouth, and said, "I'm planning to go find Feng Lian. I need to talk to him."

But before she could even take a step, Long Yifan raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "There's no need. He's already here."

Gu Jin paused. "…What?"

Long Yifan sipped some tea and replied casually.

"Feng Lian's been outside our hotel room since eight this morning. I didn't let him in because you were sleeping. I only mentioned it now after you finished eating."

Gu Jin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… made him wait outside this whole time?"

Long Yifan simply smiled. "Your sleep is more important."

She rolled her eyes and stomped toward the door. When she opened it, there he was... Feng Lian, sitting cross-legged outside the room, eyes closed in deep cultivation.

He looked a bit dusty and tired, like he had been sitting there for a long time.

Gu Jin cleared her throat, and Feng Lian's eyes popped open. When he saw her, his tired face lit up with a smile.

"Ah, Miss Gu! You're awake. How was your trip?" he asked politely.

"It was fine," she said with a nod. "Come inside."

Feng Lian was just about to accept when his eyes shifted slightly to Long Yifan, who was standing just behind her with his arms crossed and a dark expression.

Feng Lian froze. He suddenly remembered something and said quickly, "Actually, no need. I can just talk from here."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself."

Feng Lian was speechless. Wasn't she going to ask him to come inside and ask why he wasn't entering at all? Once she had done so, he would have complained to her about a certain young man who was standing beside her.

.................

Few hours prior.

Feng Lian had arrived at the hotel door at 8:00 AM sharp. He knocked politely.

The door opened, and Long Yifan stood there, shirt still messy from sleep, but eyes alert.

"What do you want?" Long asked coldly. "Who are you?"

Feng Lian blinked, taken aback. "I'm Officer Feng. I've come to deliver a mission to Miss Gu Jin."

Long Yifan's eyes narrowed. "She's asleep. You can't come in."

Feng Lian frowned. "That's fine. I'll just wait inside until she wakes up."

Long Yifan rolled his eyes. "No. Her sleep is sacred. With me around, no one disturbs her."

Feng Lian stared. "You could at least wake her up. This is official business!"

"Nope." Long leaned against the doorframe. "Also, you're a man. I'm not letting any unknown man inside while she's asleep."

And with that, he closed the door.

Feng Lian stood outside in shock, not knowing if he wanted to laugh or punch someone. After a minute of standing there speechless, he gave up and sat down to cultivate instead.

....................

Present

Feng Lian looked at Gu Jin with pleading eyes. Surely she won't make me stay out here now… right?

Gu Jin sighed. She could tell just from his face that this man had already been through enough.

She smiled lightly. "I'm just messing with you. Come in."

Feng Lian let out a silent breath of relief and stepped inside.

He sat down on the sofa, but when he glanced at Long Yifan, his eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything, but the message in his glare was loud and clear: We're not done here.

Long Yifan met his gaze and tilted his head slightly with a smug grin. His expression screamed confidence and challenge, like he was already winning a battle no one else could see.

Their silent staring match filled the room with invisible sparks.

Gu Jin stood to the side, watching the two of them.

She sighed and muttered under her breath, "Why do I feel like I just adopted two fighting roosters?"

Gu Jin coughed softly, breaking the tense silence in the room. Feng Lian turned his eyes toward her, quickly dropping the glare he had been giving Long Yifan.

"So," Gu Jin asked, "what are you doing here?"

Feng Lian straightened his posture.

"I've gotten all the signatures from the higher-ups. The agreement is ready. I came here to give it to you. You can read it and sign it if everything looks fine."

Gu Jin nodded and took the thick folder from him. She flipped through the pages slowly.

At first, everything looked normal. It listed the mission, the location, and even a mention of the Void Gate and the temple keys.

But then she stopped.

Her eyes locked on a strange clause buried deep in the middle of the agreement.

It said:

"Once Party B (Gu Jin) acquires the keys, her mission will be considered complete. No credits will be guaranteed. The final reward will be decided by the authorities. If Party B refuses, she may not cause a scene or demand compensation."

Her face darkened.

So… they planned from the start to take the key from me and give me nothing in return.

She glanced at another page. There it was again. A statement that if the country couldn't pay the full reward, they could delay it or use the EMI option instead.

Gu Jin's lips curled into a small, cold smile.

She turned her head and looked at Feng Lian.

'What a scheming man.'