Gu Jin understood at once. Lady Ling wanted her to accept.

Gu Jin looked at Long Yifan again. His eyes were steady, full of trust. Slowly, she nodded.

"Yes," she said softly.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Confetti fell from the ceiling as Long Yifan smiled brightly and slipped the ring onto her finger.

The moment the ring touched her skin, both of them felt something strange.

A flash of white light appeared around them. For a second, everything blurred. A sharp dizziness hit them both at once.

Gu Jin swayed slightly, and Long Yifan quickly caught her. He held her in his arms, pretending it was a romantic gesture.

Everyone clapped and cheered loudly, not realizing something strange was happening.

Gu Jin's head spun, but she forced a calm smile. She leaned against Long Yifan and let him guide her off the stage.

Lady Ling smiled faintly, covering her mouth as if touched by the scene. Then she turned and left quietly.

Once she was gone, Gu Jin and Long Yifan quickly disappeared into a nearby store. It belonged to the Gu family, so no one questioned them.

"Clear the store," Gu Jin ordered softly.

Within five minutes, the entire staff left. Gu Jin led Long Yifan into a private dressing room.

The moment the door closed, both of them collapsed to the floor.

"I feel… so weak," Long Yifan said quietly.

Gu Jin nodded slowly. "Something entered our bodies. I can feel it."

They both tried to resist the dizziness, but it was too much. Their eyes slowly closed, and they drifted into a deep sleep.

Inside their dreams, strange images flashed...symbols of light, chains of red and gold, and a shadowy figure watching them.

Hours later, when they finally woke up, both looked pale.

Gu Jichun was waiting outside. The moment she saw them wake up, she rushed forward. "What happened? Why do you both look like that?"

Gu Jin didn't answer. She just stared at Long Yifan with wide eyes.

"Are you really Long Yifan?" she asked softly.

Long Yifan looked at her with intensity and nodded. "Of course I am."

Gu Jin's lips trembled. Then, to everyone's shock, tears filled her eyes. For the first time in years, she cried.

Gu Jichun gasped. "Jin… are you crying?"

Gu Jin didn't reply. She just walked forward and hugged Long Yifan tightly.

Long Yifan wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"I thought I lost you," she whispered.

Long Yifan smiled faintly and said softly, "You can never lose me."

Gu Jichun stood nearby, completely confused. "Wait, what happened? What did you both see?"

Gu Jin wiped her tears and gave a small smile. "It was just a dream."

"A dream?" Gu Jichun repeated, looking doubtful.

"Yes," Long Yifan said calmly. "Just a bad dream."

Gu Jichun looked at both of them with suspicion but didn't push further.

She sighed. "Fine. But we should go home now. Everyone is waiting for you. If we stay too long, they might start thinking something weird."

Gu Jin paused, then nodded. "You're right."

Long Yifan blushed slightly but said with a teasing smile, "Maybe it's better if they misunderstand."

Gu Jin's cheeks turned a little red, and she glared at him lightly. "Stop joking."

Gu Jichun blinked at the two of them and thought to herself, "How can one dream change her this much?" But she decided to stay quiet.

Together, they left the store. When they reached home, the Gu family rushed toward them.

"Are you both okay?" Mrs. Gu asked worriedly.

Gu Jin nodded with a gentle smile. "I'm fine, Mother."

Mrs. Gu sighed in relief and patted her daughter's hand.

Then Gu Jin suddenly hugged her tightly. "I missed you," she whispered.

Mrs. Gu froze in surprise. She hadn't heard those words from her daughter in years. Slowly, her eyes softened, and she hugged Gu Jin back.

Mrs. Gu didn't understand why there was so much emotion in her daughter's hug.

She thought maybe after those strange dreams, Gu Jin simply felt as if she was seeing her mother after a long time.

What Mrs. Gu didn't realize was that for Gu Jin, this really felt like meeting her again after many lifetimes of separation.

Gu Jin hugged her mother tightly for a few seconds longer before pulling back.

Mrs. Gu smiled warmly. "I prepared a big feast for you. You must be tired after everything that happened today."

Gu Jin nodded quietly. "Thank you, Mother. I'll eat well."

Mrs. Gu chuckled and patted her daughter's hand.

"Good. You lost too much energy because of that public proposal and everything else. Come, everyone is waiting."

As they began walking back toward the store entrance, Gu Jin paused.

She turned to look behind her, where Long Yifan was standing. Their eyes met for a moment. Then, without a word, Gu Jin reached out her hand toward him.

Long Yifan hesitated, but seeing her calm, trusting expression, he walked forward and took her hand. Their fingers intertwined naturally, as if they had done this many times before.

They started walking side by side, their hands still joined.

The Gu family, who had been watching from near the entrance, froze in shock. None of them had expected to see this.

For years, Gu Jin had always been cold and distant, never letting anyone touch her so easily. Even though she and Long Yifan had been close, she always kept some space between them.

But now, the way she looked at him, the way she allowed him to hold her hand...it felt different.

Gu Jichun whispered to Gu Jihu, "Did you see that? She's really holding his hand."

Gu Jihu nodded slowly, his mouth slightly open. "I did. It's… unbelievable."

Even Mr. and Mrs. Gu exchanged glances. Their daughter had always been like an untouchable mountain, yet now she was walking beside Long Yifan as if he was her entire world.

For a moment, the entire family was silent, just watching them.

Then Gu Jihu noticed something. He pointed ahead. "Look, Lady Ling is outside."

Hearing that, Gu Jin stopped walking and turned toward the direction her brother pointed.

Lady Ling stood near the store entrance, dressed in her usual flowing white robes. Her hair shimmered slightly in the light breeze.

Long Yifan's smile faded a little. He gave Gu Jin's hand a light squeeze before letting go.

Gu Jin sighed softly but didn't argue. She turned to him and said quietly, "I'll meet you in my room later."

Long Yifan nodded, a small gleam of affection in his eyes. "All right," he said softly. Then, before walking away, he gently brushed his fingers against her ear.

Gu Jin's cheeks turned faintly pink.

The family watched in surprise. None of them had seen their daughter act this way before.

The way she reacted, the softness in her expression...it was as if she was no longer the same person.

Mrs. Gu cleared her throat and said awkwardly, "Lets go, everyone. Let's not keep dinner waiting."

Soon they arrived at the Gu Mansion.

Gu Jin followed her family, but before she entered the mansion, she turned and gave Long Yifan one last look. Their eyes met again, full of silent understanding.

Later, after the feast, when everyone was resting, Gu Jin went to her room. Long Yifan had already gone to his own.

They both lay in their beds, staring at the ceiling, their minds still replaying the strange dream they had shared earlier.

When midnight arrived, the mansion was silent. The moonlight poured through the window, silver and cold.

Long Yifan got up quietly. He didn't make a sound as he walked through the hall and reached Gu Jin's room. The door was unlocked. He entered softly, closing it behind him.

Gu Jin was lying on her side, her eyes open. She turned her head the moment he entered.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked in a low voice.

Long Yifan smiled faintly. "Not after what we saw."

He walked toward her and, without a word, sat beside her bed. Then, after a moment of silence, he leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

Gu Jin didn't push him away. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm and whispered, "For a moment, I thought you wouldn't come back."

Long Yifan chuckled softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I've followed you through countless worlds, countless lifetimes. Why would I stop now?"

Gu Jin's eyes softened. "I didn't realize until now… how deeply our bond runs."

She looked away, her voice trembling slightly. "I saw it all, Yifan. Everything. Our past lives."

Long Yifan nodded slowly. "So did I."

They fell silent for a moment, both lost in their thoughts. The images from their dreams returned...bright skies, divine palaces, glowing auras.

Gu Jin finally spoke. "In our first life, I was the Goddess of Justice. And you…"

Long Yifan smiled faintly. "The God of Elements. I remember."

Her eyes shimmered with emotion. "We were so happy then. For a hundred years, we ruled side by side, protecting the divine city. I thought nothing could ever separate us."

He nodded. "Until that day."