The Mighty Mage-Chapter 544: Cameras

Madam Xia was quiet now, her face unreadable.

Then she turned to the General.

"I want Xia Wei back," she said sharply.

"Yes, she made a mistake. But we raised her for 22 years! She’s still our daughter in some way. She got tempted, but this time... this time, she’ll listen to us. She’ll change."

But Gu Jin stepped forward, her voice clear.

"If she returns to this mansion," she said slowly, "then I won’t stay."

For a moment, no one said anything. The room was quiet and heavy with tension.

Then, Xia Lan leaned closer to Gu Jin and whispered gently, "You’re being too serious... We’ve been with Xia Wei for a long time. We... we can’t just let her go like that."

Xia Fei nodded. "If she really harmed you, we promise to stop her. We won’t let her hurt you again."

Gu Jin gave a small chuckle. It wasn’t a happy one.

"It’s not about being hurt," she said calmly. "It’s about something else."

She looked at the three of them. "The moment she returns, I’ll no longer have a place in this mansion. That’s the truth."

The sisters blinked. Madam Xia frowned.

They all thought Gu Jin was exaggerating.

But Gu Jin smiled and said, "Let’s make a bet. I’ll stay silent, and we’ll see what happens."

The sisters looked at each other, curious now.

"What kind of bet?" Xia Lan asked.

Gu Jin’s voice was steady.

"You say you love your sister. Truly love her. Right?"

The two girls didn’t answer right away.

Then Gu Jin continued,

"If you want her to return, then fine. Let her come back. But there’s one condition."

The sisters and Madam Xia looked at her.

"Install cameras," Gu Jin said clearly.

"In all rooms. Every corner. No blind spots. And don’t let Xia Wei know about it."

There was a moment of silence again. The request was strange, and they didn’t know what to say.

Even Madam Xia looked uncomfortable.

Still, after a long pause, Xia Fei nodded. "Alright... we’ll do it."

Xia Lan sighed. "If that will make you feel safe... then okay."

Madam Xia still didn’t like the idea. She thought Gu Jin was being too cautious. But after thinking about Gu Jin’s past and all she had suffered, she stayed quiet and said nothing more.

Gu Jin then turned to the General.

"You should bring Xia Wei back," she said calmly.

The General looked surprised. "That’s not right to you."

Gu Jin smiled softly.

"It’s better this way. If she doesn’t return now, she’ll return later. And then it will be worse. At least now, everything will be out in the open."

The General was quiet for a while.

Then he nodded. He felt proud of Gu Jin’s calmness and strength.

She reminded him of himself when he was younger, firm, sharp, and unshaken.

After that, Gu Jin turned to the others and warned,

"Don’t speak a word about the cameras. Not even a whisper."

The two sisters nodded, their expressions serious.

They pulled out their phones and started calling people. Using their contacts, they arranged for hidden cameras to be installed quickly.

Within an hour, the entire mansion was under quiet surveillance.

Gu Jin sat on the soft couch and sipped her tea. Her movements were calm, her eyes clear.

Xia Lan sat beside her, trying to be friendly. "Gu Jin... what’s your favorite food?"

Gu Jin paused, then looked at them. Then she calmly continued to look at the phone.

Xia Fei sighed. "We weren’t the ones who swapped you at birth. You shouldn’t be angry with us."

Gu Jin smiled faintly. "Then tell me... in all these years, not once did you doubt your sister?"

The sisters said nothing.

Gu Jin asked again, "Were there no DNA tests done between you all?"

The sisters lowered their heads. They had done DNA tests before.

But each time, Xia Wei had somehow managed to hide the truth. And they hadn’t paid close attention. They had trusted her blindly.

Now they realized that their own carelessness had caused pain to their real sister.

"We’ll make it up to you," Xia Fei whispered.

Gu Jin shook her head. Her voice was light, but her words were sharp.

"If that was true, then you wouldn’t have asked to bring the fake daughter back."

The sisters couldn’t answer. They sat in silence, realizing that Gu Jin wasn’t someone to be tricked.

Even without cultivation, her mind was sharper than most. In her eyes, they now saw a strong resemblance to their father.

Just then, the doors burst open.

Xia Wei ran inside, tears in her eyes.

She rushed to Xia Lan and Xia Fei and hugged them tightly.

"I missed you so much," she cried. "I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hide the truth! I just... I was scared. I thought you wouldn’t love me anymore."

She sniffled and added, "If I could go back in time, I’d tell the truth right away. I swear."

Gu Jin gave a soft laugh. Her eyes sparkled with irony.

The sisters felt awkward. Their lips twitched.

They looked at Xia Wei, once their pure, kind sister.

Now, they weren’t so sure. From Gu Jin’s chuckle, they understood, this girl wasn’t as innocent as she pretended to be.

If given the chance, would Xia Wei really tell the truth?

Probably not.

Still, they didn’t say anything harsh. They patted her back gently and told her to sit down.

Once Xia Wei sat, her eyes met Gu Jin’s.

She looked down, then started crying again.

"I’m really sorry," she said softly.

"I feel so guilty. I didn’t mean to cause a misunderstanding. I swear, I wasn’t the one who sent those officers after you."

Gu Jin looked at her, her smile calm.

Gu Jin’s silence made Xia Wei furious inside. But on the outside, she kept smiling.

She turned to Xia Lan and Xia Fei with a cheerful tone. "I’ll make pudding for you both! Just like the ones you used to like!"

The two sisters nodded, but their expressions were a little complicated. They weren’t sure what to think.

Then Xia Wei turned to Gu Jin and asked sweetly, "What about you, Gu Jin? What do you want to eat? I can make anything! I’m a great cook."

Gu Jin let out a soft chuckle and replied, "That’s not possible."

Xia Wei blinked. "Why not?"

Gu Jin smiled and said, "Because I don’t even know what I like. My adoptive parents always gave me whatever they thought was good. They never asked what I wanted."

That was a lie, but it worked.

The sisters and Xia Wei all fell silent, not knowing how to respond.

After a moment, Xia Wei forced a bright smile and stood up.

"Then I’ll make pudding for you too! Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it."

Just as Xia Wei was about to enter the kitchen, she suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Gu Jin.

"You should come and help me," she said sweetly, but her voice had a strange tone. "I mean, you must have a lot of experience with this kind of work, right?"

She smiled like it was just a small joke.

But Gu Jin’s eyes sharpened.

"Are you mocking me?" she asked, her voice calm but cold. "Because I worked hard all my life while you lived in luxury here?"

Xia Wei’s smile faded instantly. Her face turned pale, and she bit her lip.

"N-No, you misunderstood," she said softly, looking at the floor. "If you don’t want to help, that’s fine... I won’t ask again."

Gu Jin smiled, her eyes never leaving Xia Wei’s face.

"No, I’ll help," she said lightly. "I’m very curious. I want to see this ’special recipe’ you’re so proud of."

Xia Wei nodded and turned toward the kitchen. But as she walked away, a strange smile appeared on her lips. It wasn’t warm or kind. It was sly and dark.

She was planning something.

Gu Jin watched her walk and smirked to herself.

It’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with a green-tea bitch, she thought.

Then, she turned to Xia Lan and Xia Fei and said, "You should keep an eye on the cameras now. I think we’re about to see something very interesting."

The two sisters blinked, confused, but nodded.

Xia Wei had already stepped into the kitchen by then, so she didn’t hear a word.

Gu Jin followed her.

Inside the kitchen, Xia Wei turned around with a big smile.

"Alright," she said brightly. "Let’s make the pudding! Come on, don’t just stand there."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "You were the one who said you’d make it. Why should I do it now?"

Xia Wei smiled and said,

"You’re right. You never asked to help. But here in this mansion, you’re like a slave. You don’t have any magic, any skills... you’re nothing.

Me? I have strong culinary skills, and I can cook very well. I’ll win your sisters’ hearts with my cooking—and then I’ll make sure you’re gone."

Gu Jin only chuckled. "Go ahead and try," she said softly.

Xia Wei’s smile faded.