She shook him off gently but firmly.
"Who are they?" she asked, her voice low and calm. "What happened to my mother?"
"What?" Long Yifan frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I never asked my mother to make any secret dish," Gu Jin said slowly. Her tone didn't change, but something behind her eyes had sharpened. "Not yesterday. Not ever."
She turned toward the door, her steps staggering.
"I need to go," she said. "If they've been replaced or tampered with, then maybe... maybe my real parents are in danger."
Long Yifan caught up and placed himself between her and the door. "Gu Jin, wait. You're sick. Feverish. You're probably confused—"
"I'm not confused," she said clearly, looking up into his eyes.
"I know my parents. My real mother would never lie like that. She doesn't even cook. That dish—whatever it is—was a trap. I don't know who those people were, but they weren't my parents."
Long Yifan stared at her for a long moment.
Then, to her surprise, he smiled.
