Gu Jin didn’t say anything. She just listened quietly.
"That’s why," Long Yifan continued,
"I’m planning something bigger. I want to change the whole political system of Country J. I want honest people in power, people who will offer you a fair contract. Once you sign that official agreement, no one can touch you."
He looked her in the eyes.
"The agreement will be protected by the Magic Council. And since it’s a deal between two countries, the international Magic Council will get involved. That means, even if Country J tries to hurt you, both China and the world will protect you."
Gu Jin’s brows furrowed. "But... even the Magic Council can’t watch me every second."
Long Yifan shook his head.
"That’s true. But the international Magic Council has stronger rules. Once your name is on the agreement, they will make sure you’re protected, wherever you go. Especially in Country J and China."
Gu Jin was silent for a moment, then gave a slow nod. She understood now. It wasn’t just about revenge or anger. Long Yifan was building a wall of protection around her.
"Won’t you suffer some consequences for doing all this?" she asked softly.
Long Yifan looked at her for a moment, then smiled.
"Maybe," he said. "But don’t worry. I can handle it."
He didn’t say the rest out loud, but Gu Jin understood. He was doing all this for her, even if it meant risking himself. A strange feeling rose in her chest, warm and tight.
But that warm feeling instantly vanished when Long Yifan suddenly said with a smug grin, "After everything I’ve done... don’t you think I deserve a reward?"
Gu Jin’s face turned cold. "No."
Long Yifan pouted dramatically. "Not even a small one?"
She stood up to walk away, but he quickly stepped closer, crouching near her chair and leaning toward her.
"If I don’t get a reward," he whispered with a teasing smile, "then I’ll follow you to the Void Gate and jump in with you. Then I’ll die... and my ghost will haunt you forever."
Gu Jin gritted her teeth. "Then die. I won’t stop you."
Long Yifan chuckled. "If I die, you’ll be cursed too. You forget... you’re a Gu, and I’m a Long. We’re connected, remember?"
Her hands tightened into fists. She took a deep breath and slowly turned toward him.
"Fine," she muttered. "What do you want?"
Long Yifan’s face lit up instantly, like a kid who had just gotten candy.
"A kiss," he said brightly.
Gu Jin stared at him in disbelief. "What?"
"One kiss!" he said again, shamelessly smiling. "Just one! On the cheek is okay too!"
Gu Jin’s face turned red in both anger and embarrassment. She raised her hand like she was going to hit him.
Long Yifan quickly raised his hands in defense, laughing. "Fine, fine! I’ll wait! But you owe me one!"
Gu Jin rolled her eyes and walked away, muttering under her breath.
The next morning, just as the sun was rising, Gu Jin sat on the couch drinking tea when a knock came at the door.
She stood up and opened it.
Feng Lian was there, holding a new contract in his hands. His face looked nervous but also a little hopeful.
Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "Another one?"
Feng Lian nodded and handed it to her without a word.
Gu Jin took it and sat down, flipping through the pages.
As she read, her eyes slowly widened in surprise.
The new contract said that Country J would pay her two trillion dollars as the reward if she retrieved the key.
It also clearly stated that Gu Jin would be officially credited for the success, and only she would be allowed to enter the temple after the first five people.
There were many more benefits too, free access to important libraries, high-level pill ingredients, and even diplomatic immunity during her stay in Country J.
Long Yifan leaned over to peek at the contract and frowned. "They actually agreed to this?"
He looked like he was about to say more, but Gu Jin held up her hand and calmly said, "I accept this."
Feng Lian let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
All the ministers had learned their lesson. After the public exposure and political disaster they faced, none of them dared to make a fake or unfair contract again.
This time, they had created the best agreement possible, clear, honest, and without hidden traps.
Gu Jin picked up a pen and signed the last page.
Feng Lian quietly watched her, his heart feeling strange. As he looked at the girl in front of him, he couldn’t explain it, but he had this strong feeling that she was going to succeed.
Maybe it was her calm eyes. Maybe it was the way she stayed so composed even when others were panicking. Or maybe it was how fast and sharp her mind was, always finding a way out.
Whatever it was, Feng Lian trusted her.
When she finished signing, he stood up and gave her a polite nod. "I’ll be waiting for your return."
Gu Jin nodded once. "I won’t fail."
After Feng Lian left, Long Yifan turned to her.
"Why didn’t you ask for more?" he asked. "You could’ve gotten better terms. They owe you that much."
Gu Jin looked at him calmly.
"Didn’t you say you helped the honest ministers take power? If I push too hard now, those ministers will suffer. And that means you will suffer too. I don’t want to owe you too much."
Long Yifan blinked, surprised. Then a soft smile appeared on his lips.
"It doesn’t matter if you owe me," he said gently. "Because I already owe you far more."
Gu Jin’s face stayed calm, but there was something unreadable in her eyes.
"You don’t owe me enough to go against a whole country," she said.
Then she stood up and walked back to her room, leaving Long Yifan alone in the room.
He watched her go, the smile fading from his face. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
Every time he tried to get close, it felt like she built a wall between them. No matter what he said or did, that wall only got higher. It was like... the moment she felt any emotion, she locked it away.
Still, he didn’t give up.
Long Yifan took a deep breath and nodded to himself. "It’s okay. I’ll keep going. One day... that wall will fall."
Suddenly, he thought about the Gu family.
He picked up his phone and dialed.
After a few rings, the call connected.
Mrs. Gu’s gentle voice came through. "Yifan? Why are you calling so early?"
"I just wanted to say," Long Yifan said calmly, "please try to talk with Gu Jin more. She needs to feel... connected."
Mrs. Gu chuckled softly. "Don’t worry. Right now, her father is actually talking with her."
Long Yifan’s eyes relaxed, and he smiled with relief.
"Alright then," he said. "That’s good to hear."
There was a small pause on the call before Mrs. Gu’s voice came through again.
She spoke gently, "Yifan, I truly want to thank you."
Long Yifan smiled lightly. "There’s no need for that."
But Mrs. Gu continued, her tone steady,
"No, I mean it. If you hadn’t told us to stay close to Gu Jin... if you hadn’t explained how important it is to make her feel connected, to remind her that it’s okay to feel emotions and even cry... maybe we would’ve lost her a long time ago."
Hearing that, Long Yifan shook his head, his voice calm,
"It’s not just me. It’s because the Gu family cooperated. Slowly, Gu Jin is starting to feel again. She’s changing... little by little."
Mrs. Gu gave a small laugh, though it sounded emotional.
"Still, if she gets completely better one day, I promise I won’t oppose anything between you two. In fact," she said with a chuckle, "I’ll even help you get married before you turn thirty."
Long Yifan’s eyes lit up like fireworks. "Auntie, out of all the Gu family members, after Gu Jin, you’re the smartest!"
Mrs. Gu laughed out loud. "You really know how to flatter people, don’t you?"
"I’m not lying," Long Yifan said playfully. "You can even ask Gu Jin if you don’t believe me."
She laughed again. "You sure know how to please others."
Long Yifan chuckled to himself. With a mother-in-law like her, I don’t need to worry about anything else.
But then, another idea popped into his mind.
Gu Ji Chun... Gu Jin’s eldest sister...
Long Yifan suddenly felt clever.
’If I give her some rare treasures and sweets, maybe she’ll support me too! With the mother-in-law and the sister-in-law on my side, Gu Jin won’t stand a chance!’
The more he thought about it, the happier he became, and he couldn’t stop smiling.
But just then, Mrs. Gu’s voice broke through his thoughts. "Alright, I’ll go talk to Gu Jin now. Her father will speak with you."
Long Yifan immediately sat up straighter. "Wait, wait, Auntie, there’s no need..."