The Mighty Mage
Chapter 340: James

Chapter 340: Chapter 340: James

Gu Jichun’s eyes widened in surprise. She stared at Gu Jihu incredulously.

Her shock quickly turned into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Oh? So what are you planning, Second Brother?"

Gu Jihu leaned back against the desk, his sharp gaze fixed on Gu Jin’s unconscious form.

"Gu Aihan has played her games for too long. If she wants to dig a grave for Gu Jin, she’ll end up falling into it herself. Let her believe she’s winning. The bigger her confidence, the harder her fall."

Gu Jichun smirked, her earlier gloom replaced by a dangerous gleam.

"I like this side of you, Second Brother. Let me know when it’s my turn to step in."

Gu Jihu didn’t reply immediately.

His mind was racing with thoughts of how to expose Gu Aihan without risking Gu Jin’s safety.

The DNA test was the most obvious route, but if Gu Aihan had already manipulated one in the past, she would be ready for it again.

His phone buzzed, pulling him out of his thoughts.

After staring at the content of the documents, his expression darkened.

"Good...very good!" He muttered.

"Brother?" Gu Jichun was confused.

Gu Jihu stared in her direction with a complex look before looking away.

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

Meanwhile, Gu Aihan was in her dorm room, her confidence soaring. She had already scheduled a DNA test with one of her trusted connections at the hospital. If the results turned out as expected, Gu Jin’s position in the Gu family would crumble.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, a smug smile on her face. "Gu Jin, you don’t belong here. You never did."

As she spoke, her phone buzzed. It was a message from the black-hooded figure: "Everything is in place. Don’t fail on your end."

Aihan clenched her fists and whispered, "Don’t worry. I won’t."

But deep down, there was still a flicker of unease. The Gu family wasn’t stupid, especially Gu Jihu. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

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

The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Gu Jin stirred, her eyelids fluttering open.

She blinked a few times, her vision adjusting to the bright light.

Her gaze darted around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

This was not her dorm room. Her heart raced.

"Where... am I?" she whispered to herself, panic creeping into her voice.

At that moment, a soft voice broke the silence. "You’re awake."

Startled, Gu Jin turned her head towards the voice. Her eyes widened when she saw the man sitting a few feet away.

His face was gentle, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and worry. Something about him tugged at her heart, a sense of familiarity she couldn’t explain.

"Who... are you?" Gu Jin asked cautiously, her voice trembling slightly.

The man leaned forward, his expression softening even more. "Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Gu Jin blinked at him, her confusion growing.

"I... I’m fine, I think," she replied, though her head ached slightly, and her heart felt unsettled.

The man’s shoulders relaxed a little as if her words reassured him. "That’s good," he said.

But his eyes didn’t leave her face, and there was a strange emotion in them—something between sadness and longing.

Gu Jin couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen him before. As her gaze lingered on his face, her breath hitched. The gentle features, the kind eyes... it reminded her of someone from her past life. Someone she thought she’d never see again.

"James?" she murmured under her breath, barely loud enough to be heard.

The man’s body stiffened slightly, and his eyes widened in surprise. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice a little louder now.

Realizing what she had just done, Gu Jin froze. She shook her head quickly. "Nothing," she said, trying to cover up her slip. "I didn’t say anything."

But the man didn’t let it go. He leaned forward, his voice filled with a strange urgency. "Do you know someone named James?" he asked.

Gu Jin’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened, and she stared at him in shock. "How... how do you know that name?" she whispered.

The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back, his gaze never leaving hers. "Answer me first," he said softly.

"Do you know anyone by that name?"

Gu Jin hesitated.

Her mind raced as memories from her previous life flooded back—memories of her older half-brother, James, who had always protected her no matter what.

Could it be? Could this man really be...?

She swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Are... are you James?"

The moment the words left her lips, the man’s eyes softened, and a small, almost hesitant smile appeared on his face.

Without warning, he stood up and closed the distance between them. Before Gu Jin could react, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"It’s you," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "It really is you."

Gu Jin’s body stiffened in his embrace. She didn’t know what to do or how to respond.

"Let go," she said weakly, pushing against his chest.

The man pulled back immediately, though his hands lingered on her shoulders as if he was afraid she might disappear. His eyes were red, his emotions barely contained. "I’m sorry," he said softly. "I didn’t mean to startle you."

Gu Jin stared at him, her mind still struggling to make sense of everything. "Who... who are you?" she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper.

The man took a deep breath, his hands dropping to his sides. "My name is Gu Jihu," he said. "I’m your... second brother."

Gu Jin frowned, the name sounding familiar yet strange at the same time.

"Second brother?" she repeated.

"But... why do you look so much like..." Her voice trailed off as she realized she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

"James," Gu Jihu finished for her, his voice calm but his eyes filled with intensity.

"That’s because... in our previous life, I was him."

Gu Jin’s breath caught in her throat.

"I know it sounds crazy," Gu Jihu said quickly.

"But it’s true. I remember everything—our family, our life together, and how I..." He paused, his voice breaking slightly. "How I couldn’t protect you in the end."

"You are...James?" Gu Jin asked, her eyes slowly turning dazed.

"Yes." Gu Jihu nodded. In their previous life, he didn’t love Gu Jin at first and even hated her. But as time passed and he spent more time with her, he started to treat her as his little sister.

The only problem was...he couldn’t love her enough, pamper her enough, and had to leave early.

Gu Jin clung to Gu Jihu’s shirt, her fingers trembling slightly.

Her chest felt heavy, like a storm brewing inside her that couldn’t break free.

She wanted to cry—desperately—but no tears would come. It was as if something inside her was locked, holding back all the pain, all the emotions she didn’t know how to release.

Her breathing became shallow, and she pressed her face deeper into Gu Jihu’s chest, hoping to find some comfort in his warmth.

But even then, the ache in her heart wouldn’t ease.

Gu Jihu gently rested his hand on her back, rubbing it in slow, soothing circles.

"It’s okay," he said softly, his voice low and calm. "You can cry if you want to. There’s nothing wrong with letting it out."

But Gu Jin didn’t respond.

Her grip on his shirt tightened, her nails digging into the fabric.

She felt like she was breaking apart, yet nothing showed on the surface—no tears, no sobs, just silence.

Gu Jihu leaned back slightly, just enough to look at her face.

He frowned when he saw her blank expression. Her eyes were distant, unfocused as if she wasn’t really there.

"Gu Jin?" he called softly, his voice filled with concern.

She blinked once, slowly, but said nothing.

The storm inside her was deafening, but outwardly, she looked calm—too calm.

"Gu Jin," Gu Jihu repeated, his tone more urgent now.

He gently cupped her face, tilting it up so she would look at him.

"What’s wrong? Talk to me."

Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

She felt empty like she was trapped in a void where nothing could reach her—not even her own emotions.

"I... I can’t cry," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. "I feel like I should, but I can’t."

Gu Jihu’s heart ached at her words. He could see the pain in her eyes, even if she wasn’t shedding tears.

"It’s okay," he said gently. "You don’t have to force yourself. Just breathe, okay? I’m here."

Gu Jin nodded faintly, but her expression didn’t change.

She felt detached as if her emotions were buried so deep that she couldn’t access them.

She didn’t understand why she felt this way.

Shouldn’t she be relieved? Or sad? Or something?

But all she felt was... nothing.

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