The hall was still ringing with Jasmine's final words when suddenly a sound broke the silence.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Everyone froze. The sound of clapping was neither loud nor soft, but it carried a weight that made the air freeze in place. All eyes turned toward the entrance.

From the shadows, a young man slowly walked in. His steps were steady, his face calm, but his eyes gleamed with amusement.

It was Gu Jihu.

The moment people saw him, the atmosphere became even heavier. No one expected him to appear here. Even Jasmine blinked in surprise, her lips parting slightly.

Gu Jihu looked straight at Mr. Long, then chuckled. "I have seen shameless people before," he said, his voice smooth but filled with mockery. "But never have I seen someone as shameless as you, Mr. Long."

The entire hall went silent. Everyone froze.

Wasn't this the exact same thing Jasmine had said before?

The subordinates glanced at each other nervously, their hands tightening at their sides. None of them dared to breathe too loudly.

Jasmine, still shocked, stared at Gu Jihu. She had not expected him to come here, much less speak up for her in such a bold way.

Gu Jihu walked forward, his figure straight and steady. Step by step, he reached Jasmine's side and stood beside her, his eyes never leaving Mr. Long.

He chuckled again. "Old man, let me tell you this. If you dare to even have an eye on my girlfriend, then I will make sure your already miserable life becomes even more miserable."

The words dropped like thunder in the silent hall.

Mr. Long's eyes widened. He stared at Gu Jihu as if he could not believe his ears. "You… you… what did you just say?" His voice trembled. "Girlfriend? How can you claim Jasmine to be your girlfriend?"

Jasmine too was stunned. Her eyes widened, and she looked at Gu Jihu in disbelief. "What are you saying?" she whispered, almost too softly for others to hear.

But Gu Jihu did not look at her. His eyes stayed on Mr. Long. He chuckled, calm as ever. "Why can't I claim it? You claimed to be her father, didn't you?"

The words hit like a blade.

Mr. Long's face turned red. He slammed his uninjured hand on the table and shouted, "I am her father! That is a fact no one can deny!"

Gu Jihu's lips curled into a smile. "And in the same way, I am indeed Jasmine's boyfriend. That is also a fact."

The subordinates looked stunned, not daring to say a word.

Jasmine bit her lip, her cheeks heating in embarrassment, though her eyes still burned with anger at her father.

Mr. Long's face twisted in fury. "If you dare call yourself her boyfriend, then show me some proof. A man who claims such a thing must give dowry. Otherwise, you are just spouting nonsense!"

The hall grew tense. All eyes turned toward Gu Jihu, waiting for his reaction.

But instead of being angry, Gu Jihu chuckled lightly. "Dowry? Fine. I am ready to give dowry."

Everyone gasped. Even Jasmine's eyes widened in shock. She turned to him sharply.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" she snapped. "I don't need anyone's dowry. And even if I did, I would only accept it from my acknowledged boyfriend, not someone making wild claims."

Her face was red with anger and embarrassment.

But Gu Jihu ignored her words. His gaze was still fixed on Mr. Long. His voice was calm, but every word was filled with weight.

"Listen carefully, old man. Every bit of dowry I have prepared will go to Jasmine and Jasmine alone. Not a single coin will fall into your hands."

Then, turning his head slightly toward Jasmine, his voice grew proud. "And the dowry I am ready to give is not small. Jasmine, for you, I am willing to give one trillion dollars."

The hall froze.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief. The subordinates' mouths fell open. Jasmine's eyes widened so much she almost forgot to breathe.

"One… trillion?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Her heart thudded wildly. Was he joking? One trillion dollars? That was almost the entire net worth of the Long family. The Gu family was powerful, but nowhere near that level. How could he have such money?

She turned to him in shock, her lips parting. "How… how can you have that much? You're lying…"

But Gu Jihu only chuckled. "You don't believe me, right? Then let me explain."

His tone was casual, but his words were heavy.

"My sister transferred me some money a while ago. I didn't waste it. I invested it wisely. Month after month, the profits grew, and slowly, interest built up. That is how I reached this point. Now, I own one trillion dollars. And I will give it all as dowry to you, Jasmine."

The hall went completely silent.

Jasmine stood frozen, her heart racing. She stared at him with wide eyes, her lips trembling. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or yell.

But before she could speak, another voice rang out.

It was Mr. Long's stepmother. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowed at Gu Jihu. Then she let out a chuckle, her lips curling into a sly smile.

"If that is true," she said softly, "then you can transfer the dowry right now. Do that, and we will stop bothering Jasmine altogether."

Her tone was greedy, her eyes gleaming with desire.

Jasmine snapped. Her face turned red with fury as she shouted, "You! You are not even related to me! Forget about dowry, you have no right to even speak about it!"

But the stepmother only chuckled again. "Not related? I am your stepmother. That title still counts. A stepmother is still a mother."

Her tone was shameless.

Jasmine's fists clenched. "You disgust me," she spat.

At that moment, Gu Jihu's calm voice rang out. He chuckled lightly. "Since you claim to be her mother, then you should have no problem with giving something away to help your daughter's marriage."

The stepmother blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gu Jihu looked at her with cold eyes. His words were steady. "You should give both your kidneys. I run a hospital. We need donors. If your kidneys match with some of our patients, we will accept them gladly. Then, and only then, will I give the dowry to you."

The stepmother's face turned pale. "What nonsense are you saying?" she screamed. "How dare you disrespect your elders like this?"

But Gu Jihu chuckled again. "Disrespect? I never planned to disrespect my elders. But you forced me to remind you of your place."

The hall grew deathly silent.

Everyone stared at Gu Jihu, stunned by his boldness. Even Jasmine was speechless. She had never seen anyone talk to her stepmother like that.

Finally, Gu Jihu turned to Jasmine. His voice softened. "Let's go. There is no point wasting time here."

Jasmine nodded slowly, her anger still boiling. Together, they began to walk toward the exit.

But then Gu Jihu suddenly stopped. He turned his head back, his eyes locking onto Mr. Long.

His voice was calm, but filled with threat. "Old man, listen carefully. From this moment on, if you or your wife dare to come near Jasmine again, I will not forgive you. Right now, you live in this fancy hotel, don't you? If you dare cross me, I will make sure that the hut you are living in is crushed and bankrupt within days. Remember my words."

Mr. Long was furious. His whole body was shaking as he pointed his finger at Gu Jihu's back, but he did not say a single word. His chest rose and fell like a storm was trapped inside him.

The stepmother's eyes narrowed as she glared at Jasmine's retreating figure. In her heart she muttered darkly, "Just wait, little bitch. Soon I will make sure you die."

But the moment she turned to face Mr. Long, her entire expression changed. The sharpness in her eyes was gone, replaced by a soft smile. She walked close to him and patted his arm gently.

"Husband," she said sweetly, "do not work yourself up so much. Anger is not good for your health. It will be better if we take revenge later, when the time is right."

Mr. Long's eyes were still bloodshot, but he nodded slowly. His entire face was still red from anger, yet the words seemed to sink in.

The stepmother smiled wider, her voice dripping with fake concern. "If we cannot control Jasmine, then why not control your son instead? Long Yifan has always been easy to control, has he not?"

At that moment, Mr. Long's eyes lit up. The idea struck him like lightning. He clenched his fist tightly and nodded. But suddenly, his face twisted in rage again.

"That bastard!" Mr. Long shouted. "He took away all of the Long family's properties. My hard work for decades was stolen by him. Once I get him under my control, I will punish him with a thousand whips. And I will make him kneel in front of the ancestral hall for one whole year. Only then will my hatred calm down."

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