CHAPTER 587: CHAPTER 587: HEADACHE

"Three months," he whispered into the darkness. "Three months to show you I’m the man you thought I was."

He smiled to himself, a smile that held both determination and joy.

He would chase her for three months. Or three years. Or even three hundred years if he had to.

Because this time, he wasn’t going to let her slip away.

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

This morning, after waking up, Gu Jin looked at her surroundings and decided to go on her next journey. After all, after winning the Alchemy Competition, she had been given a special one-week leave from the principal.

Since she had so much time, she thought it was the perfect chance to try for the thunder seed. Her thunder element had been stuck at the primary rank for a long time.

Once downstairs, she informed the Gu family of her decision. But unlike before, when they always allowed her to go wherever she wanted, this time they looked hesitant.

Mr. Gu looked at Gu Jin seriously.

"Jin," he said, "if you want to leave, at least stay with us for a week first. You hardly ever spend time by our side. Can’t you rest with us for a little while before going again?"

Gu Jin froze. Those words struck something deep inside her heart.

For a long time, she had always believed she was alone. Even in the last three years, she had wandered from place to place, never really calling anywhere home.

She had friends, yes, but no place that truly waited for her. Even when she had a house under her name, it never felt like home, because no one there cared if she was away or if she returned.

But now... suddenly there were people who actually wanted her to stay. A family who wanted to spend time with her.

For just a moment, something inside her cracked. It was a strange warmth she had never felt before. But before she could even understand it, it vanished.

Her head suddenly throbbed with a sharp pain.

She stumbled slightly, clutching her forehead.

"Jin!" Mrs. Gu cried, rushing to her side.

Gu Jin tried to wave her off, but the pain only grew worse. It was the first time since her transmigration to this world that she felt such a strong headache. Moments later, she collapsed into Mrs. Gu’s arms, burning with fever.

That night, her condition only worsened.

For three days straight, Gu Jin burned with a high fever. The Gu family panicked. They used every connection they had, calling in the best doctors from every city they could reach.

But one by one, the doctors gave the same reply.

"There is nothing physically wrong with her body," one of them said carefully. "Her illness is mental. Something inside her mind is weighing her down."

The more the Gu family heard, the more worried they became.

Mrs. Gu sat by her daughter’s side all day and night, carefully feeding her medicine and wiping her sweat. On the third night, after making sure Gu Jin had finally fallen asleep, she left the room.

Outside, in the hallway, tears streamed down her face. She slowly walked into the living room where the rest of the family was gathered.

Mr. Gu was pacing back and forth anxiously. As soon as he saw her tears, he walked over and hugged her tightly.

"Don’t cry," he whispered, though his own voice was trembling.

Mrs. Gu pressed her face into his chest and choked out,

"After so many years, we finally found our real daughter. And now she has become so weak. If only we had seen the truth earlier... if only we had protected her before, maybe she wouldn’t have suffered so much."

She sobbed softly, and the others lowered their heads in guilt.

Long Yifan, who had been sitting silently in the corner, clenched his fists. His eyes were full of pain.

"I will take care of her," he muttered.

The whole family turned to look at him. He stood up without hesitation. "I will stay by her side. No matter what."

No one stopped him. They had all seen his dedication to Gu Jin before, and over time, they had come to accept his presence.

Long Yifan walked down the hallway and pushed open Gu Jin’s bedroom door.

Inside, the room was dim, lit only by a soft lamp. Gu Jin lay on the bed, her face pale and weak. Her lips were dry, and her skin glistened with sweat. For the first time in a long time, the strong and unshakable Gu Jin looked fragile, as if she might break at the lightest touch.

Long Yifan’s chest tightened. His heart ached just looking at her.

He walked slowly to her bedside and gently took her hand. Her skin was warm, almost burning, but he held on tightly.

Bending down, he whispered, "Jin, I won’t go anywhere. I will stay by your side forever."

Her eyelids fluttered slightly. For a moment, the frown on her face eased, as if she could hear him even in her fever.

Encouraged, Long Yifan continued speaking.

"If I could go back in time, I would never have waited. I would have made you mine from the very beginning. I would have introduced you proudly to the Long family and told the whole world that you are my bride."

His voice shook a little, but he pressed on.

"In the future, we will be together. After our engagement, I will give you the grandest proposal anyone has ever seen. I will do it on the international stage, in front of the world. Everyone will know that Gu Jin is the woman I will love for my entire life."

He squeezed her hand gently.

"And after that... after marriage... we can participate in the Mighty Mage Competition together. You and me. We’ll fight side by side, and together, we’ll rise to the very peak. We will wear the title of the greatest mages in the world. And when we stand there, at the top, I will be proud not only as a mage, but as your husband."

His voice softened as he added,

"And when that day comes... we will have children. You don’t have to worry about the pain, Jin. I’ve already found a way. There is an artifact that can transfer all the pain of pregnancy to me. You won’t have to suffer at all. I will bear it for you."

His lips curved into a small, tender smile.

"I even thought of their names. If our names are joined, yours and mine, we could call our first child Gu Yin... or Long Yin. A child that belongs to both of us."

For a while, the only sound in the room was the faint crackle of the lamp and the soft breathing of the girl on the bed.

Long Yifan brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and whispered, "So please, Jin... get well. Open your eyes. I am waiting for you. I will always wait for you."

Her pale lips moved slightly, though no sound came out. Her hand twitched faintly in his grasp, as if she was responding to his words in her sleep.

Long Yifan’s eyes softened even more. He sat down beside her, refusing to let go of her hand.

"I promised to protect you," he whispered. "And I will. Forever."

The night felt long and heavy, but the Gu family refused to leave Gu Jin alone. They took turns sitting by her bed, speaking to her as if she could hear every word.

The next morning, the three siblings came together. Gu Jichun, Gu Jihu, and Gu Jishi pushed open the bedroom door and stepped inside quietly. The room was still dim, filled with the faint smell of medicine.

Gu Jin lay on the bed, her skin pale, her lips dry. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.

The three of them exchanged glances before walking closer.

"Little sister," Gu Jichun whispered, sitting down beside her, "you look so tired. It hurts us to see you like this." She reached out carefully and touched her sister’s hand. "But we are here now. You are not alone."

Gu Jihu sat on the other side, trying to smile even though his eyes were red.

"Do you know what happened yesterday? I went to the market, and the shopkeeper gave me the wrong change. I didn’t even notice until I walked out. Jishi laughed at me the whole way home."

Gu Jishi let out a short chuckle.

"You really should pay attention, Jihu. But Jin, you should have seen his face. He looked so confused, like he had just solved a riddle wrong. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt."

The three siblings chuckled softly together, but their eyes always returned to their little sister lying quietly in bed.

Gu Jichun leaned closer and whispered, "Even if the whole world leaves you behind, we won’t. We will stay with you. Always."

Her hand tightened around Gu Jin’s. Her voice shook, but she forced a smile.