The Mighty Mage-Chapter 554: Final Straw-1

She frowned for a moment, thinking deeply.

But then she shook her head.

’Maybe he’s just thinking too much.’

And with that, Gu Jin pushed away all the thoughts that had made her heart flutter.

She focused.

She still had a mission.

Xia Wei must be eliminated, once and for all.

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

Meanwhile, in another room across the Xia Mansion...

Xia Wei was sitting on her bed. Her phone was in her hand, and she was talking in a low, calm voice.

"Yes. Tomorrow night. Make sure everything is ready. There can’t be any mistakes."

A quiet voice answered from the other side.

"Understood."

She hung up the call.

The room was dark and silent.

Xia Wei leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

Her expression wasn’t cruel. It wasn’t angry.

It was... tired.

She whispered to herself, "I’m not doing this because I hate her. I’m not even jealous."

She closed her eyes slowly.

"I just... don’t want to disappear."

"If Lian Rou lives, then I’ll be nothing in this house. Just a mistake. A shadow. I can’t let that happen."

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

The next morning, Gu Jin woke up early. She went to the kitchen and carefully made all the food by herself—steamed buns, porridge, vegetables, and even a sweet red bean soup.

She had only one goal: to look useful.

After all, the real Lian Rou wasn’t great at many things, but she was known for her cooking. Gu Jin decided to use that skill to her advantage.

Soon, all the Xia family members started to enter the living room one by one. The smell of fresh food surprised them.

And there was Gu Jin—wearing a simple apron, holding a tray, and carefully serving the dishes.

Everyone stared at her, stunned.

Xia Lan quickly stepped forward. "Why are you doing this? You don’t need to cook."

Gu Jin smiled softly and said, "I made extra food today. It’s for everyone."

Xia Fei looked touched. "You really made all this?"

Gu Jin nodded. "I’m not that great, but I’ve learned a little. I used to help sometimes, so I picked up a few things."

Then she turned toward General Xia with a hesitant expression and asked with a smile,

"Father, are you thrilled?"

General Xia nodded and praised, "I am. Just from the aroma, I know that the food is delicious."

"Then, can you please get me a cultivation manual? The one that won’t affect me even if I start late?"

Everyone suddenly understood why Gu Jin had made breakfast. Maybe she wanted something but didn’t know how to ask for it and hence she done it in the way she used to do it.

General Xia looked at Gu Jin with mixed emotions. He suddenly said, "I’ll find a suitable cultivation manual for you. You should start your training too."

Gu Jin smiled again. "I’d be very grateful."

The general felt sad inside. ’This is my own daughter... and she’s working so hard just to be noticed.’

She didn’t even have a cultivation base yet. And here she was, cooking just to win their favor.

Xia Lan spoke up seriously. "You don’t have to make food again. This is not your job."

Gu Jin nodded calmly, but someone else in the room didn’t look happy.

Xia Wei.

She stared at Xia Lan like he was her worst enemy. Just yesterday, they allowed her to make desserts the day before yesterday, but today, they told Gu Jin to stop cooking altogether?

’Such unfair treatment...’

Gu Jin then turned to Xia Wei with a calm voice. "Do you know how to cook anything else, Xia Wei?"

Xia Wei was stunned but quickly smiled. "Other than desserts, I don’t really know how to make much."

Gu Jin tilted her head slightly. "From what I’ve seen, you don’t know how to make desserts either."

Everyone turned to look at her, confused at first, then they remembered how Xia Wei had ordered desserts from the dessert shop all along, and never truly made anything for them.

Xia Wei laughed awkwardly. "Why are you picking a fight so early in the morning?"

Gu Jin looked at her coldly. "I just want to know something. You stayed in my place... Did you enjoy everything I was supposed to have?"

Xia Wei said nothing.

Everyone in the room grew quiet.

Gu Jin slowly lowered her head. "I’m not feeling well. I’ll excuse myself."

She left the room before anyone could stop her.

Xia Wei stood still, confused. "I didn’t even say anything bad today. Why is she acting like this?"

She turned and gave a pitiful smile. "If Lian Rou is so uncomfortable with me being here, then maybe... I should just leave."

She expected someone to stop her, to tell her to stay.

But no one did.

She looked back.

The Xia family members were quiet, their expressions dark.

That’s when Xia Wei realized something was wrong.

Very wrong.

She stared at them, and finally saw it.

They were looking at her differently.

Their silence wasn’t because they were shocked—it was because they understood something.

They had figured it out.

They realized something important: the cultivation manual they had promised to Gu Jin had never been given. Even though she was their real daughter, she had to make food to get their attention.

Meanwhile, Xia Wei had enjoyed every luxury in the house without doing anything. And they had let her.

Now, the seed of doubt was planted in their hearts.

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

Back in her room, Gu Jin returned calmly. She had done her part. Now she just had to wait for Long Yifan to come back.

In the meantime, she began preparing her final move against Xia Wei.

’Xia Wei took action first,’ Gu Jin thought. ’Now it’s time to return the favor.’

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

That evening, the Xia family gathered in the living room to discuss the upcoming Acknowledgement Banquet.

The mood was calm—until suddenly, the doors burst open.

A man ran in, shouting loudly.

"I need to see Lian Rou! I won’t leave until I speak to her!"

Everyone jumped in surprise.

Guards ran to stop him. "Who let this crazy man inside?!"

The man didn’t care. He kept shouting.

"Where is Lian Rou?! She owes me this much!"

Xia Wei stood up angrily. "Who are you to say her name like that?!"

The man turned to her and glared.

"I’m her husband!"

Silence.

Complete silence.

Everyone stared at him in shock.

He stepped forward and added, "Yes. I’m her husband. The least she can do is face me!"

In this world, men were rare. Most women here didn’t even consider marriage with men seriously, especially not with incomplete ones.

They couldn’t even be called men...

General Xia stood up angrily, his eyes full of fire.

"What’s your name?" he demanded.

The man bowed slightly and said, "My name is Chen Wen. I’m here to take Lian Rou with me. She’s my wife."

Gasps filled the room.

Xia Lan stepped forward quickly. "Where’s the proof?" she asked sharply.

Chen Wen’s face stayed calm. "She lived with me for the past five years. Everyone in our town knew we were together. Now that she’s General Xia’s daughter, she thinks she can just leave me behind. She needs to take responsibility!"

The room went silent again.

Xia Fei looked confused. "What do you mean by responsibility?"

Chen Wen took a deep breath. "After her parents died, she told me she wanted to break off our relationship. I thought she was grieving. I gave her space. But I didn’t know she had already planned to disappear."

"I gave her everything—money, support, even gave up my job. I waited for her. And now she acts like she doesn’t even know me!"

He raised his voice, his face turning red with emotion.

"She used me! All these years, she used me!"

Xia Lan narrowed her eyes. "That’s a very serious accusation. Do you have any proof?"

Chen Wen didn’t hesitate. He took out a small packet from his coat.

Inside were photos, some of Lian Rou and Chen Wen eating together, some of him handing her money, some... too close to be denied.

Everyone in the room stared at the pictures in silence.

General Xia’s face was hard to read. He slowly turned to a servant and said, "Bring Lian Rou downstairs."

Nobody said a word, but their thoughts were loud.

Then Xia Wei stepped forward with a trembling voice.

"I told you..." she whispered. "I told you something wasn’t right."

Everyone turned to her.

"If this is true," she said, her voice louder now, "then that means Lian Rou knew everything. She planned it. She returned only when she was ready. Maybe even the kidnapping... maybe it was all part of her plan."

Xia Lan stared at her, her face dark. "What are you trying to say, Xia Wei?"

Xia Wei clenched her fists and fell to her knees.

"I didn’t want to say it like this. But if I don’t speak now, we’ll stay in the dark forever."