The Mighty Mage
Chapter 321: A Different Ending-1

Chapter 321: Chapter 321: A Different Ending-1

Eh?

Gu Jin froze, her chopsticks mid-air as she stared at Sheng Yan in shock.

The words hung in the air, seeming almost surreal amidst the cacophony of chatter around the campfire.

She blinked rapidly, wondering if she’d misheard.

"W-What?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sheng Yan’s smile widened, her striking blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" she repeated, her tone as casual as if she were asking to borrow a book.

Gu Jin felt her face heat up, the blush creeping across her cheeks like wildfire.

The attention they were drawing didn’t help—Yan Mei, sitting a few feet away, raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the scene unfolding.

Even Yu Jin, who had been deep in conversation with the others, seemed to glance in their direction momentarily before resuming his stoic silence.

"I... why would you...?" Gu Jin’s mind raced, trying to grasp Sheng Yan’s intention. Was this some sort of prank? A test?

Sheng Yan chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the flustered reaction.

"Relax. It’s nothing serious. Because of your idea, we all were able to leave the island without much harm. I was just curious as to how you came up with such a great idea."

"It was nothing." Gu Jin waved her hand. How to describe...Sheng Yan gave...a very different vibe to her.

Was it malicious? Absolutely not!

Was it friendly? Maybe.

Was it sexual? Yes...uh! What was she thinking?

Gu Jin shook her head, trying to get rid of the dirty thoughts in her mind. She admired how powerful Sheng Yan was, but that was it. There was no need to think too much, right?

"It was nothing." Gu Jin replied as she waved her hand.

Sheng Yan shook her head,

"No. Whether it was yesterday or today your performance was impressive."

"Pardon?" Gu Jin was confused by the sudden wave of praise.

"You were impressive today, and I wanted to thank you personally."

Gu Jin frowned.

Impressive? She didn’t feel impressive.

Her contributions to the fight had been minimal at best—binding a few limbs here and there with her vines while everyone else had showcased their exceptional abilities.

Compared to Sheng Yan’s elegant control over her water element or Yan Mei’s chaotic yet devastating attacks, Gu Jin felt painfully average.

"I don’t think I did anything that special," Gu Jin muttered, her gaze dropping to the half-eaten food in her hands.

"Nonsense," Sheng Yan replied, her tone warm but firm.

"You stayed calm, followed instructions, and used your abilities effectively. Without your vines holding those arthropods back, we would’ve been overwhelmed much faster. Sometimes, small contributions make all the difference."

Gu Jin looked up, meeting Sheng Yan’s earnest gaze.

There was no trace of mockery or insincerity—just genuine appreciation.

However, she felt as if Sheng Yan’s motive was not as simple as it seems.

She nodded slowly. "Thank you."

Sheng Yan’s smile softened. "You’re welcome. And don’t worry, I won’t actually kiss you unless you want me to."

She winked playfully before standing up, leaving Gu Jin flustered and unsure how to respond.

Yan Mei suddenly scooched over and asked Gu Jin in a secretive manner,

"Hey, are you and Sheng Yan..."

"I didn’t know her before this conversation." Gu Jin clarrifes.

Gu Jin’s head snapped toward her, eyes wide.

"What? No! I didn’t even know her before this conversation!" she said, her voice rising slightly in alarm.

Yan Mei chuckled, a soft, knowing sound.

"Relax. I know it wasn’t your fault. Sheng Yan is... unique. She has a habit of flirting with women—probably because she isn’t allowed to flirt with men."

Gu Jin blinked, her confusion deepening.

"Not allowed? What do you mean?"

Yan Mei’s smirk faded into a more serious expression.

She glanced briefly at Sheng Yan, who was now chatting animatedly with a group of students, and then in Yu Jin’s direction.

Lowering her voice further, she explained, "Sheng Yan belongs to the Holy Palace."

"The Holy Palace?" Gu Jin repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"It’s an elite organization," Yan Mei continued, her tone laced with a hint of disdain.

"They take in daughters from wealthy, influential families and groom them to become powerful mages.

But it’s not just about cultivating their abilities. They’re also paired with equally influential sons from similar backgrounds—arranged partnerships meant to create what they call ’mighty mage couples.’"

Gu Jin frowned, her chopsticks forgotten in her hand.

"That sounds... controlling. So they’re forced into these partnerships?"

Yan Mei shrugged.

"Pretty much. Sheng Yan’s been paired with Yu Jin since they were kids. The Holy Palace has been nurturing their relationship for years, treating them like some grand experiment.

It’s all about politics and power, really. The stronger the couple, the more influence the Palace gains.

And it just happens that Sheng Yin and Yu Jin are one of the most influential couples in the capital."

Gu Jin’s gaze flickered toward Sheng Yan again, trying to reconcile this new information with the confident, playful woman who had just openly flirted with her.

"And Sheng Yan... she just goes along with it?"

Yan Mei tilted her head thoughtfully.

"It’s hard to say. She’s good at hiding her true feelings. But let’s be real—how much choice do people like her really have?

She might play around with harmless flirting here and there, but she knows where the line is."

There was a pause before Yan Mei’s sharp eyes shifted back to Gu Jin.

"That’s why I’m warning you: don’t get too close to her—or to Yu Jin, for that matter. The Holy Palace doesn’t take kindly to outsiders interfering in their plans."

Gu Jin nodded slowly, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentment at the absurdity of it all.

The idea that someone’s life could be dictated so thoroughly by an organization, right down to who they could love, seemed utterly ridiculous to her.

However, she soon forgot about the matter. She thought it was the end of the matter but when she saw Yu Jin’s resentful gaze on herself, Gu Jin’s hair stood.

Why was he staring in her direction as if she had snatched his girlfriend?

If he has so many problems why doesn’t he go and confront his girlfriend?

Stopping a few paces away, Yu Jin’s cold gaze locked onto hers.

His voice was low and steady, but laced with warning. "Stay away from Sheng Yan."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"I don’t have any ’ideas’ about Sheng Yan, so you can relax," she replied, her tone equally steady.

"And for the record, I don’t take kindly to threats. If you want to flex your intimidating side, find someone else."

Yu Jin’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and his sharp features were unreadable.

For a moment, it seemed as if he might say more, but instead, he simply stared at her. His silence was as unnerving as it was infuriating.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Gu Jin with a mixture of relief and irritation.

Shaking her head, she muttered, "What a piece of work."

The rest of the evening passed without incident, though Gu Jin couldn’t help but notice Sheng Yan’s laughter ringing out a little too brightly as if she were deliberately ignoring the tension.

Exhausted from the day’s events, Gu Jin finally retreated to her tent and fell asleep almost immediately.

When Gu Jin opened her eyes, she was submerged in water.

The shock hit her first, the icy cold pressing against her skin.

Panic seized her chest as she realized she wasn’t in her tent anymore—she was underwater, surrounded by endless, dark blue depths.

Bubbles escaped her lips as she gasped, trying to orient herself.

The bus! The memory slammed into her mind. She was dreaming of that day—the day their bus had drowned in the water.

Kicking her legs, she propelled herself toward the surface.

She broke through into the open air, gasping for breath, and looked around frantically.

Chaos surrounded her—shouts, splashing, and the panicked faces of her peers struggling to escape the sinking bus.

Gu Jin’s heart pounded as she scanned the scene.

She remembered this moment vividly. Long Yifan.

The name surged to the forefront of her mind.

In reality, she’d swum back for him, risking her life to pull him from the wreckage. But this time, something stopped her.

No, she thought. Not this time.

For a brief moment, guilt tugged at her conscience. Long Yifan’s face flashed in her mind.

But thinking how he sided with Gu Aihan instead of her, she decided to ignore him.

She turned and began swimming toward the shore.

Let him be with her!

Suddenly, a shadow moved beneath her, dark and ominous.

Before she could react, a black tendril shot out of the water, wrapping around her ankle like a vice.

Gu Jin screamed, thrashing against its grip, but the tendril only tightened, pulling her downward with terrifying force.

"No!" she yelled, bubbles erupting from her mouth as she was dragged back into the depths.

She clawed at the water, struggling against the pull, but it was as if the sea itself had come alive to claim her.

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