Gu Jihu and Gu Jishi grabbed Long Yifan’s arms and started dragging him out.
"Hey!" Long Yifan tried to resist, but the brothers were strong.
At the same time, Jichun pulled Gu Jin toward the bed and quickly shut the door behind them.
"Just ignore people like him," Gu Jichun said proudly, pulling the blanket over Gu Jin.
Gu Jin’s lips twitched. People like him? That was her fiancé! Did Jichun even realize what she was saying?
But she did not bother correcting her. She was too tired. The source of this content ɪs N0velFire.ɴet
Seeing Gu Jin lie down obediently, Jichun’s heart filled with joy. She reached out and pinched Gu Jin’s cheek. "You are so cute when you listen."
Gu Jin sighed helplessly.
That night passed quietly.
The next morning, sunlight spilled into the room. Gu Jin woke slowly, her body feeling lighter than before.
She stretched a little and was about to get up when something startled her.
Her body felt... different.
She sat up quickly and checked her mana space. Her eyes widened.
"What..." she whispered.
Her cultivation had soared. All her elements had reached Heaven Rank.
Just then, Gu Jichun rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Sister, you woke up already?"
Gu Jin turned toward her in shock. "Jichun, how come my cultivation suddenly jumped to Heaven Rank?"
For the past few days, Gu Jin has been mostly in bed and hardly checked her cultivation, thinking it must be stagnant. But now that she checked it... she realized that she had reached Heaven Rank in all her elements.
Jichun blinked, then smiled lazily. "Oh, that. It was Long Yifan."
Gu Jin’s heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
"He said you would be upset if you woke up and felt like you had fallen behind," Jichun explained. "So he made a special artifact that helped your body gather mana even while you were sleeping. And when your body needed treasures to break through, he gave them to you."
Gu Jin frowned. "But how? To reach Heaven Rank, one needs many rare treasures. How could I consume them in a coma?"
Gu Jichun stretched her arms. "He gave them to you through IV drips. Different medicines, different treasures, all melted into liquid. Every time your body was ready, he gave what was needed. He kept watching over you."
Gu Jin froze. Her mind pictured Long Yifan carefully monitoring her, giving her treasures at the exact moment she needed them.
Her chest tightened, her heartbeat fast.
Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "I see. At least this way, I will not feel like I lag behind."
Gu Jichun tilted her head, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. The principal visited again yesterday."
Gu Jin looked at her in confusion. "The principal? Why?"
"He said you should attend the university soon," Gu Jichun replied with a grin.
"Why the rush?" Gu Jin asked.
Gu Jichun chuckled. "Because of the upcoming Alchemy Competition."
Gu Jin’s brows knitted. "It has not happened yet?"
"No," Gu Jichun shook her head. "It was delayed because of outside factors. But now it is about to begin. That is why the principal is nervous. He wants you to attend, and he is placing all his hopes on you."
Gu Jin paused, her lips pressed together tightly. Finally, she said, "If that is the case, then I will make sure to attend the Alchemy Competition."
Gu Jichun’s eyes lit up instantly. She sat straighter on the bed and clapped her hands.
"That is what you should do! Sister, you must show them all your brilliance. You cannot let anyone look down on you."
Gu Jin gave her a small smile. "I will."
After a few days, Gu Jin finally joined the University. The campus was filled with students rushing to and from lectures.
The moment Gu Jin appeared, everyone started to gasp and point at her direction, "Is she Gu Jin?"
"Let me see! Oh! She is indeed Gu Jin!"
"My god! She has finally returned!"
"She must have returned for the alchemy competition!"
Gu Jin ignored the commotion and buried herself in books and notes.
She read late into the night, sometimes forgetting to eat, sometimes forgetting to sleep.
Her foundation in cultivation and her intelligence helped her greatly. Within just one week, she managed to cover all the material of the first year.
The teachers who watched her were shocked. Many students took months to understand some concepts, but Gu Jin learned them in a single reading.
Soon, it was time for the Alchemy Competition, and Gu Jin easily passed all the rounds. Even after a year, many had hardly made any progress.
Just after winning the Alchemy Competition, Gu Jin noticed something.
She knew the eyes of many people were on her, but she paid them no mind.
However, there was something that kept bothering her.
Everywhere she went, she felt it. A strange gaze follows her. Watching her every move.
At first, she thought it was just her imagination. But the feeling grew stronger day by day. When she walked in the streets, when she studied in the library, even when she sat at the dining hall, she felt it.
Sometimes her skin prickled. Sometimes her heartbeat quickened.
Finally, it became too much.
One evening, when Long Yifan came to pick her up after her lectures, Gu Jin turned to him seriously.
"Yifan," she said, her voice low.
He glanced at her. "What is it?"
"I keep feeling... as if someone is watching me."
Long Yifan’s footsteps slowed. His face turned grim. "Watching you? Since when?"
Gu Jin thought carefully. "Since I woke up, I think. It was faint at first, but now it is stronger. Almost every day."
He narrowed his eyes. "Have you offended anyone before your coma? Someone who might want to harm you?"
Gu Jin frowned. "The only one I remember is Gu Aihan. And... maybe some alchemists from previous alchemy competitions. But no one else."
Long Yifan nodded slowly. "I see. Leave this matter to me. I will look into it."
Gu Jin gave a small nod. "Alright. Thank you."
That evening, they reached the Gu family mansion. The day passed quietly. Nothing unusual happened.
But the next morning, when Gu Jin woke up, something was very different.
The mansion was strangely silent. The usual sound of servants moving about was gone. The air was heavy, filled with gloom.
Gu Jin frowned. "What is going on? Did someone die?" she muttered to herself.
She descended the stairs. Her family members were gathered in the living room. Their faces were pale and tense.
"Good morning," Gu Jin greeted, forcing a smile. "Why does everyone look so gloomy?"
The moment they saw her, their pupils shrank.
Mr. Gu stood up quickly. "Jin, you must not leave the house today."
Mrs. Gu nodded nervously. "Yes, you should stay home. It will be safer."
Gu Jichun clapped her hands suddenly. "Actually, I think this is the perfect time for a vacation! We should all go abroad. A change of scenery will be good!"
But her smile looked forced. Her fingers trembled slightly.
Gu Jihu and Gu Jishi also looked stiff, their jaws tight.
Gu Jin narrowed her eyes. "What is going on? Why are you all acting strange?"
No one answered. Instead, Jihu and Jishi glanced at their parents as if asking them to speak.
Gu Jin then turned toward Long Yifan. He was scrolling through his phone calmly, pretending nothing was wrong. But his knuckles were white, gripping the device too tightly.
Her gaze moved to Jasmine, who was sitting nearby. The moment Jasmine noticed Gu Jin looking, she whistled and stood up quickly.
"I am thirsty. I will go to the kitchen." Without another word, she slipped away.
Gu Jin’s lips twitched. "What on earth is this? Are they planning some kind of surprise for me?" she muttered under her breath.
But then she thought of something. She pulled out her phone and tried to use the internet.
Her eyebrows rose. "Strange..."
She turned back to the family and said coldly, "I am going to the University."
She stepped toward the door. But instantly, her family members moved to block her path.
"You cannot leave," they said together.
Gu Jin froze, staring at them. "So you are really hiding something. Tell me the truth. What happened?"
Mr. Gu sighed heavily. He walked toward her and gently pulled her to sit on the sofa. "Jin, calm down. Do not think too much."
"Father," Gu Jin said firmly, "tell me."
He took a deep breath, then asked slowly, "Jin... do you have a necromancy element?"
Gu Jin’s heart skipped a beat. Her breath caught in her throat.
She stared at him. "What did you say?"
Mr. Gu looked at her expression and immediately understood. His face turned pale. He exhaled shakily.
"It is true then..." he whispered.
Gu Jin’s fingers tightened on her dress. "Why are you asking me this?"
Mr. Gu’s voice was heavy. "Because your secret has been exposed. Everyone knows you have a necromancy element."