CHAPTER 638: CHAPTER 638: VACATION?

The dinner table in the Gu Mansion was lively. The whole family sat together, the warm light of the chandelier making the room feel even more cheerful.

The plates were filled with colorful dishes, and the smell of Mrs. Gu’s cooking filled the air.

Mr. Gu raised his glass of juice and smiled. "It has been a long time since we all sat together like this. Tonight feels special."

Gu Jichun grinned and nodded. "Of course it is special. Jin is finally home."

Gu Jin, sitting beside her, gave a small smile. "I am not going anywhere right now. At least not until my exams are over."

The whole table laughed at her words. Even Gu Jihu and Gu Jishi looked happy.

Mrs. Gu clapped her hands lightly. "Alright, let us talk about something fun. Why don’t we plan a family vacation? It has been too long."

The table suddenly buzzed with excitement.

Gu Jichun leaned forward. "Yes! We should go somewhere with beaches. I want to see the ocean."

Gu Jishi shook his head quickly. "No, no, no. We should go hiking. I am tired of beaches. Let’s go to the mountains instead."

Mr. Gu cleared his throat. "Both places are fine. I would vote for some adventurous places. It will not only hone your skills but will also be exciting too. But let us hear what Jin thinks."

All eyes turned to Gu Jin. She blinked at the sudden attention and chuckled.

"I am not against either. But my exams are coming soon. Once they are over, we can go anywhere."

The room went silent for a moment and then exploded with joy.

"That’s good enough!" Mrs. Gu said happily. "We will wait for you, Jin."

Gu Jihu raised his glass of water. "Then it’s decided. As soon as Jin’s exams are over, we will go on a vacation."

Everyone smiled at each other, imagining the trip. For a moment, the heavy air that sometimes lingered in the Gu family completely disappeared.

Long Yifan glanced at Gu Jin from across the table. Their eyes met for a brief second.

Both of them understood that they could not stay for too long because of the duty that awaited them.

But neither of them said anything. They stayed silent, not wanting to ruin the mood.

Just as the laughter quieted down, Gu Jihu cleared his throat. His expression turned a little nervous.

"By the way..." he started.

Everyone turned to him curiously.

"I am planning to go on a date with Jasmine soon," he said.

The room went still for a heartbeat.

Then, as if on cue, all heads turned toward Gu Jihu. Gu Jin’s eyes widened in surprise while Long Yifan’s eyes narrowed, studying Gu Jihu carefully.

The rest of the family exchanged mischievous glances.

Some even smiled knowingly, as if they had been waiting for this announcement.

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow at them. "What?" she asked.

Gu Jihu’s face turned slightly red. "It’s just a date. I have not even gotten her to say yes yet. You all are overreacting."

Mrs. Gu giggled softly. "We are not overreacting. We are just happy for you."

Mr. Gu chuckled and said in a calm voice, "If you need money for your date, just tell me. I will give you some."

Gu Jihu rolled his eyes at his father. "Dad, even if I needed money, I would not borrow it from you."

And he wanted to laugh. Who was he? The one who owned more than 10 hospitals in each city. Would he lack money?

Well, because of the earlier investment made by Mr. Gu from the money lent by Gu Jin, he knew that his dad was way richer than him(Gu Jihu), but does he(Mr. Gu) need to show off now?

The family burst into laughter at his words. Mrs. Gu shook her head at Mr. Gu’s offer.

Mrs. Gu then turned toward Gu Jihu with a soft expression.

"That’s nice, Jihu. But next time, bring Jasmine home. We have not seen her in such a long time."

Gu Jin tilted her head and looked at her brother with interest.

"What exactly happened between you and Jasmine? I feel like I missed a lot."

Gu Jichun’s eyes lit up as if she had been waiting for this question. "A lot happened," she said quickly. "Give me some time and I will tell you everything."

Gu Jin leaned back in her chair and smiled slightly. "I am free after dinner. You can tell me then."

Everyone at the table laughed again. Mr. Gu shook his head in amusement.

"You really do know how to take your chances," he teased his daughter.

Gu Jichun just smiled and nodded. She was pleased with herself for catching the right moment to ask.

While everyone enjoyed the dinner and talked about little things, Long Yifan stayed mostly quiet.

He kept glancing at Gu Jin, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

He knew the time they could spend in the mansion was limited.

A month of vacation was not much. After that, they would have to leave again, and he was not sure when they could come back.

When dinner finally ended, the family started to leave one by one.

Gu Jin stood up and left with Gu Jichun, who was adamant about giving her the entire tea along with extra details she had noticed.

She walked upstairs with Gu Jichun, but halfway, she looked back and caught Long Yifan watching her.

She gave him a small smile before disappearing into her room.

Long Yifan sighed and leaned against the wall of the hallway.

Yet in his heart, he thought,

’Finally... an improvement. Now she doesn’t forget to give me a smile. Someday, she would drop a kiss too before leaving, and then...’

A voice came from behind him. "If I did not know better, I would think your wife was taken away from you."

He turned and saw Gu Jihu standing there with a teasing grin.

Long Yifan crossed his arms. "She was taken away," he replied seriously.

Gu Jihu laughed and shook his head. "You are not even her husband yet in legal terms. Maybe you should control your feelings."

Long Yifan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then why were you blushing when you talked about my sister earlier? You talked as if Jasmine were already yours. Are you sure about that?"

Gu Jihu smirked. "Not yet. But I will make it happen. I am serious about her."

Long Yifan let out a small chuckle. "Good to hear. I hope you are not playing around. If I find out you are, I will make you regret it."

Gu Jihu raised his hands in mock surrender. "I am serious. I really want to marry Jasmine. I have no reason to play games with her."

Long Yifan tilted his head and studied him. "I will test your sincerity. You are not even officially together yet."

Gu Jihu nodded without hesitation.

"Go ahead and test me. I pursued her for a whole year without letting her breathe. I made sure no one else could come between us. When I was tired from that, how can I be scared of your little tests?"

Long Yifan chuckled at his words. "That is a bold statement. I remember there were rumors that you used to dislike her."

Gu Jihu looked a little embarrassed.

"That was the old me. I do not know what possessed me back then. If I could go back in time, I would never reject her."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Long Yifan softened a little. "Good. At least you know what you want now."

"Wow, you sound like a cat ready to wave its claw." Gu Jihu taunted.

Long Yifan turned to leave but stopped and looked back at Gu Jihu.

"Just so you know, I can act like a cat when I am calm, but if anyone hurts the people I care about, I can become a dragon."

Gu Jihu smiled faintly. "I am not afraid of that. I know you just want to protect your family."

Long Yifan gave a small nod and walked away. Gu Jihu watched his back and murmured quietly to himself,

"I will win Jasmine’s heart. Just wait."

The night grew quiet as the two men went their separate ways.

Far away, in a white palace with tall silver pillars, Lady Ling sat on a soft bed.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders as she sat with her eyes closed, whispering to someone unseen.

"I have already invited Gu Jin and Long Yifan to become mighty mages," she said in a smooth, cold voice. "Soon they will be near you, and then you can do whatever he wants."

There was a pause, as if she was listening to someone answer her.

Her lips curved into a sly smile. "Their cultivation is still at the transcendental stage ten and the Saint stage one. They cannot stand against you. Logically, there should be no problem as long as you challenge them."

Her smile turned darker, her voice dropping into a low, almost venomous tone. "It is finally time for that girl to pay for what she has done."