The Mighty Mage-Chapter 665: Explanation

Gu Jihu had been dreading this moment. He could feel every pair of eyes at the table fixed on him, waiting.

His palms were slick with sweat, his throat dry. He knew that if he didn't explain himself properly, he might not leave this dinner in one piece.

And worse, he might not get to see his wife for the next nine months.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak. "It wasn't… what you all think. Jasmine and I... we didn't plan for things to happen this way. We reconciled slowly, and… over time, feelings came back. In the end, she conceived."

His words fell into the room like a thunderclap.

Silence followed, heavy, suffocating silence.

Even the Gu family, known for their influence and boldness, didn't dare speak first.

They all glanced at Long Yifan, gauging his expression. He was quiet, too quiet, his jaw clenched, his knuckles white as he gripped the table.

Gu Jihu silently waited for the verdict.

Because if he imagined someone doing this to his own sister, Gu Jin, he would have torn that man apart.

Now, that same situation was sitting right in front of him, and the victim was his brother-in-law.

Finally, Long Yifan spoke, his voice calm but trembling with rage. "Where is my sister?"

Gu Jihu was lost in his thought and didn't answer.

Gu Jin, who had been watching him with worried eyes, turned toward her brother. She gave him a helpless look before asking softly, "Jihu, where is Jasmine?"

"She's in my room," Gu Jihu replied quickly.

The moment he said that, Long Yifan's hand twitched, ready to slam the table.

But Gu Jin placed her hand on his arm, gently but firmly. Her touch stopped him like a spell.

"Yifan," she said quietly, "calm down."

Long Yifan looked at her, his eyes softening with helplessness. He turned back to her, voice breaking.

"This is too much bullying, Jin. They didn't even arrange a proper marriage. How can they let this happen to my sister?"

Gu Jihu lifted his head immediately. "The marriage is already set," he said quickly.

That didn't help.

Long Yifan stood up abruptly. He stepped toward Gu Jihu, eyes blazing, and without a word, punched him square across the face.

The impact echoed through the room.

Gu Jihu didn't move, didn't even try to defend himself. His head turned with the force of the blow, blood touching the corner of his lip. He knew he deserved it.

Setting up a marriage in secret, getting his fiancée pregnant before even telling her brother... it was something even he couldn't justify.

Long Yifan's breathing was heavy. His fists trembled. He wanted to hit him again, harder this time. But before he could, a soft, trembling voice stopped him.

"Jihu…"

Everyone turned.

There, at the bottom of the stairs, stood Jasmine, one hand clutching her bag, the other supporting her round belly. She looked pale but radiant, her hair tied up loosely, eyes gentle as always.

Long Yifan froze. His anger melted away instantly.

"Jasmine…" he breathed, stepping toward her without thinking.

Gu Jihu also rushed to her side, his panic showing.

"Why are you downstairs? You shouldn't be walking so much. You could've called me, I would've brought you."

Long Yifan shot him a glare, but Gu Jihu ignored it.

At this moment, his only concern was Jasmine. Without hesitation, he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

Jasmine didn't complain. She just smiled faintly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"Still so overprotective," she teased softly.

Her calm tone eased some of the tension in the room. Even Long Yifan, though still angry, found his expression softening slightly.

He couldn't deny how tenderly Gu Jihu held his sister.

As Gu Jihu carried Jasmine to the table, he asked gently, "Do you want to eat something?"

Gu Jin's eyes were drawn to Jasmine's belly, round and unmistakably showing.

A wave of emotion passed over her face, part disbelief, part wonder. Despite being angry at her brother's impulsiveness, she couldn't help feeling excited.

She leaned forward with a curious, childlike gleam. "Can I… touch it?"

Jasmine chuckled, her cheeks glowing. "Of course."

Gu Jin reached out carefully, placing her hand softly over the bump. The warmth beneath her fingers made her heart flutter. Slowly, she bent closer, trying to listen.

Everyone watched quietly until Gu Jihu cleared his throat. "Jin, be careful," he said gently. "Don't put too much pressure on the stomach. It's not good for her or the baby."

Gu Jin blinked, startled. She quickly pulled her hand back.

Long Yifan raised an eyebrow at Jihu, as if silently saying, 'You dare lecture my wife now?'

Gu Jichun, sitting nearby, muttered under her breath, "Oh, look at him, already setting priorities. Can't even let Jin listen a few seconds longer."

But before the teasing could escalate, Gu Jin shook her head. "No, he's right," she said seriously. "Sometimes even small pressure can hurt the baby. It's better to be careful."

Gu Jihu gave Gu Jichun a smug little look, proud to have won one argument at least. She pouted, whispering something about getting back at him later.

Meanwhile, Long Yifan moved closer to Jasmine and knelt down in front of her. "How are you feeling now?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine," she said with a small smile. "You don't have to worry so much."

He stared at her for a long moment. There was something in her eyes, calm, knowing, almost ancient. He hesitated, then asked quietly, "Did you… remember anything?"

Her lips parted slightly, but she didn't answer.

Her silence said enough.

Long Yifan sighed, his heart tightening. "Then why?" he whispered. "Why would you agree to be with him after everything that happened?"

Before Jasmine could speak, Gu Jihu interrupted, looking awkward but concerned. "Jasmine, are you craving anything? I can bring you something sour."

Her face lit up. "Yes! Something sour would be nice."

Relieved to have something to do, Gu Jihu glanced at the table. Seeing no sour dishes, he quickly said, "I'll go get some."

He turned to leave, but Jasmine caught his wrist gently. "Wait."

Everyone looked at her.

She took a slow breath, her hand resting protectively over her belly. "Before you go," she said softly, "there's something I need to tell everyone. Especially you, Yifan."

Long Yifan frowned, his worry returning. "What is it?"

Jasmine looked around at all of them, her eyes calm but filled with emotion. "It's about me and Jihu," she said. "About how this really began."

The room went still.

She continued, her voice steady. "In the past, before all of this... before we lost our memories and our lives changed... In the Celestial Realm, Jihu and I… were already in love. We just couldn't tell anyone. We were going to announce it soon, but then everything fell apart."

Her words shocked everyone, even Gu Jin.

Jasmine's gaze softened as she looked at Jihu.

"On the day Gu Jin was punished and banished, and Long Yifan proposed to leave with her... I, too, decided to leave. Gu Jihu was angry when I left. I told him I couldn't abandon my brother, that I had a duty to protect him. And even then, Jihu followed me; he gave up so much to be by my side. He lost more than anyone knows."

She looked down at her belly and smiled faintly. "And now… fate brought us back together again. Maybe this time, we were meant to finish what we couldn't before."

Long Yifan sat back, silent. His emotions were tangled between anger, pain, and reluctant understanding.

Gu Jin's eyes glistened. "You both… went through so much," she whispered.

Jasmine nodded softly. "We did. But it's not just pain. We've found peace, too. This child… is proof of that."

The air in the room grew heavy with unspoken emotions. Even Gu Jichun, who often joked at tense moments, remained quiet.

Gu Jihu moved closer, kneeling beside Jasmine. "You didn't have to explain everything," he murmured. "You could've let them hate me."

She smiled at him. "You've taken enough blame for me already."

He looked away, his voice rough. "You think I mind that?"

She reached out, brushing her fingers against his cheek. "No. But I don't want you to carry it alone anymore."

Across the table, Long Yifan exhaled slowly. His anger had drained, replaced by something heavier, weary acceptance. He stood, walked toward the couple, and stopped in front of them.

For a long time, he said nothing. Then, with a deep sigh, he muttered, "I still think you're a bastard, Jihu."

Gu Jihu's lips curved weakly. "I'll take that."

"But," Long Yifan continued, "I can't deny that you care for her. That much, I can see."

A faint smile tugged at Jasmine's lips. Gu Jin, unable to stop herself, clapped her hands once.

"Then it's settled. No more punching, okay?"

Everyone laughed softly.

For the first time that evening, the tension lifted.