Love, Gun, Cupid

Cuckoo sat on Gladiolus's bed, who used witchcraft to project the scene outside the bathroom onto the wall. Gladiolus asked, "Is Reed Warbler your sister or your tool?"

"What's the difference between the two?" Du Juan asked rhetorically.

“…Yes, I can’t expect you to have normal feelings,” Jianlan said. “Then, what is the reason for clinging to Lin Jiade’s past?”

Du Juan sneered, "Come on. You talk as if you don't care. Every time you're intimate with him and you use your chest fat to suffocate him, your probing of him never stops."

Jianlan retorted, "I did it for his own good! In the Mirror Realm, when Lin Jiade shattered the life-saving technique, his body became chaotic due to knowledge beyond his comprehension. The power dormant within him... harmonized him, preventing him from being torn apart by uncontrollable knowledge."

To understand its origins, its mechanisms, its triggering conditions, and whether it will harm my boyfriend, of course I need to find out... I'm different from you; I'm doing this for him, while you're only doing it for yourself.

"For him? Humph, you're really good at pretending to be so understanding."

Du Juan didn't dwell too much on Jianlan's offense: "On the surface, Lin Jiade's change stemmed from my meeting with him in September this year, but before that, he had been changed twice: one of them was definitely by Mu Mian, who projected the swordsman's desire for the sword and the sword's desire for the swordsman onto Lin Jiade."

She turned Lin Jiade's life into that horrific state, but that's not what drew us in. I think from the very beginning, when I saw Lin Jiade on the verge of death and decided to help him, that force that came before me and Kapok played a decisive role.

"Are you saying that your third-place ranking is inevitable?" Jianlan asked.

"Third... Ah, I am now in a dominant position. If I wanted, I could wipe out all your influence and turn Lin Jiade into just another Reed Warbler."

I simply cannot tolerate someone maintaining secrecy and independence on my turf, so I'm determined to find out about Lin Jiade's past. Now that you've investigated, you should know that his memories offer us no information.

"Could it be that what he dictated was different?"

"That's a counter-spell against prying into memories. Whether his memories themselves have been affected remains to be seen."

"A counterspell that can stop the Celestial Observer..."

"Are you curious?" Du Juan tilted her head to look at Jianlan. "The people of the Celestial Realm are almost equivalent to the gods in human mythology, but the Celestial Realm is not always invincible. Long ago, the Celestial Realm had a worthy opponent."

"and then?"

"If you want to commit suicide, I can grant your wish: while the Celestial Realm destroyed that opponent, in order to prevent them from rising from the ashes and to prevent them from bewitching races like humans and using their resources to recover their strength, the most powerful beings in the Celestial Realm united and bestowed divine decrees upon all valid information about that race."

The moment I utter any useful information, the oracle will automatically activate, appearing at any point less than 120 degrees and beginning its relentless pursuit until all traces of you are destroyed. If you manage to deliver a message while being pursued by the oracle, please tell me what that oracle looks like.

Sword Orchid stared at Azalea: "I don't need you to reveal any great enemy. I just want to ask one thing: why, after you revealed useful information, did the Oracle only hunt me down instead of hunting you down as well?"

Du Juan smiled and said, "That's a long time ago. I think you're more interested in Lin Jiade's story."

Cupid was right; Gladiolus had been distracted while listening to Lin Jiade's story. Perhaps wanting to explain everything clearly at once, or perhaps Lin Jiade's expressive ability was lacking, he started recalling things from when he was 4 years old, mostly his emotional feelings, and the rest about his connection with football.

This wasn't what the warbler wanted to hear, nor was this what the jasmine wanted to eavesdrop on, but given the rare opportunity, they patiently continued listening.

“See? I told you that hiding and eavesdropping was a good idea,” Du Juan said. “Lin Jiade was talking so much nonsense in order to ease his tension and pain. He started by talking about things that made him feel relaxed and confronted his psychological shadow.”

He himself was comfortable, but his two listeners had to struggle to clear away his stored-up, sticky thoughts.

On the screen, Wei Ying's patience reached its limit: "Stop, stop. I understand now, your interest in football stems first from football-themed animated films, and then from watching football matches on the big screen in the nearby square."

As luck would have it, your elementary school had spots available for a program to train soccer players, so you applied. Throughout your elementary school years, you played for the school team. Several youth training institutions in the area extended invitations to you, but the annual tuition of 12,000 dinars was prohibitive.

Lin Jiade nodded: "That's right."

"Was it economic hardship that destroyed your dream of pursuing a professional career?" Wei Ying asked.

"No, they are understanding of my family's financial situation and allow me to train with them (I pay for my own food, drinks and equipment). If I play in matches with them, I can also get bonuses... The reason I don't have a formal salary is because the law stipulates that players under the age of 18 cannot sign labor contracts with the team."

And so I drifted through three more years, wavering between choices. As I grew older, my parents had different ideas, and my coach urged me to give it my all… They were like two enormous forces pulling me apart, leaving me torn.

Chapter 47 Lin Jiade's Memories (3)

"There are two important stages in a football player's career: the first stage is around the age of 14, when the player's body begins to grow. If he is willing to put in the effort and use scientific training methods to master solid basic skills, he can show people what kind of person he will be in the future in almost a year."

I was 14 years old then, and if I missed that window of opportunity, football would truly just be a hobby for me. It was a frustrating summer; I was still a child, yet I had to contemplate the direction of my life.

The youth academy I frequent goes to play in the summer, but they didn't take me this time. Their intention was to put pressure on me: join or leave. I wanted to join, but my family wanted me to leave, and we argued several times in a week.

I ran out with a soccer ball, kicking it carelessly in a deserted spot. There, I met a very interesting woman. She had medium-length hair, a reddish-brown color that I couldn't tell if it was natural or dyed, and her bright green eyes reminded me of gemstones.

She looked a bit older than me, like a high school student, sitting there eating fast food—what her family called junk food, and what the youth coach warned her to avoid as much as possible, alongside cigarettes, alcohol, and cola.

Lin Jiade laughed as he thought of this: "At first glance, I didn't think she was a good person. Her hair color was different from the locals, her clothes were dirty, and she ate junk food and drank cola. She looked like a delinquent girl who was involved in the underworld."

Most importantly, she was wearing a short skirt that showed off her long, white legs. Who dresses like that?

At the time, my understanding of "delinquent girls" was that they were people who might call in thugs to beat someone up for some reason. I was usually terrified of these kinds of people and would stay as far away from them as possible. But after arguing with my parents, I was in a bad mood, so I wasn't afraid of delinquent girls at all, and I played soccer in the deserted community gym.

She glanced at me twice at first, then started spacing out, while I continued playing soccer. It wasn't until I got home that a sense of dread crept into my mind—what if I'd angered her and gotten beaten up?

But I couldn't stand the atmosphere at home, so I simply took my schoolbag and went out after lunch. I did my homework at the chess and card table during the hottest part of the day, and then went to play soccer when it cooled down a bit.

When did we start talking? Probably three days after our first meeting. I think she was sleeping here, because I found her hair on the bench.

I suddenly felt sorry for her, and realized we were in the same boat, though I was a little better off than her. So I used my allowance to buy her some water and bread, and handed them to her. She looked at me in surprise.

My memory is a bit hazy because I remember her watching me intently from behind for a while while I was doing my homework, pointing out my mistakes. That's how we started talking. My memories of that period are rather confused; the events definitely happened, but I might have mixed up the order of events.

"You and that homeless girl, huh?" Wei Ying asked.

"No, my first crush and first love were both Jasmine, that's for sure. I didn't have much of a crush on that girl back then, and neither did she... I guess not, because most of the time, she was the one listening to me and watching me do things."

I don't know her name, where she came from, or where she went. I remember her occasionally helping me with my homework, kicking the ball back after I'd missed; her legs were slender yet incredibly strong.

I remember her peaceful sleeping face as she reclined on the bench in the lingering heat of the evening. When the wind blew, the shadows of the leaves swayed on her face. Her clothes were dirty, but her face remained clean.

I remember she asked me to go out at night, and in the darkness without streetlights, she held my hand to prevent me from falling. She always washed her hands thoroughly before we were together, so the coolness of the tap water and the warmth of her palms traveled to my wrists;

I remember she took me to see fireflies, to find the cicadas, and to a 24-hour convenience store to pick up the undamaged fast food that the store owners gave away to the homeless.

My parents' and coach's teachings made me resist, but then she shoved a half-eaten hamburger into my mouth, and ah, I suddenly realized. Humans can't resist fast food.

I only ate that one hamburger because I wanted to play soccer, and I couldn't break the rules. The woman was silent then, as she was taking me back. She asked me if I wanted to take another path.

I guess she wanted to take me on a nomadic journey. At the time, I thought her lifestyle was pretty cool, and coupled with my rebelliousness towards my parents, I actually started to seriously consider her proposal. Her attitude towards me improved, and she became more talkative.

We shared the entire summer, the city, and those tiny, unnoticed little secrets. In my memory, she gradually became cleaner, somehow acquiring new clothes, and transformed into a very beautiful person…

I have my doubts about that, because apart from me, no one else seemed to notice her. If she were truly beautiful, she should have attracted a lot of attention. Perhaps it's just my distorted memory that's repeatedly romanticizing her.

Summer will come to an end, and so will relationships. After a summer of arguments and cold wars, my parents gave in, even though they didn't think I was on the right track. When I rushed to my older sister like a victorious general to tell her that my football dream could continue, her reaction was quite calm... even a little cold.

Then, she disappeared from my life without a word. I didn't even have time to feel regret, because the subsequent car accident made me say goodbye to my dreams as well.

Lin Jiade's voice trembled slightly. He turned his head away, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and continued, "I... I woke up in the hospital. My meniscus was removed in a car accident. Unless it's for charity, no youth academy would accept a 14-year-old who has already had his left meniscus removed."

Falling and soaring were the double helix of my summer when I was 14. I thought my life would rise higher, and it did give me that fantasy. Then I fell.

I'm an ordinary person, or even one of the more miserable ones. For a whole year, I stayed away from football, and even away from sports in general. I watched my classmates play while wearing protective gear, looking very relaxed, but every moment of relaxation caused me pain.

My life should be vibrant and bustling, standing out from the crowd, basking in the applause of the spotlight. But my real life is still and silent, lost among the masses, cheering for others from outside the spotlight.

I accepted my ordinary reality.

After receiving my second vaccination, I felt nauseous and had a headache. I'll post the extra update about the European Cup tomorrow.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Extracting the Essence

"When those memories were still vivid, I asked myself many times, 'Is being ordinary wrong?'"

Being ordinary isn't wrong, it's just that no one is content with being ordinary. Everyone talks about equality, and their theories are full of equality, but what they really want is to be more equal to others.

But it's okay. Reality wears down people's minds. Now, I'm 19, my body is full of energy, but my spirit is already weary. After my dream was destroyed, I can't find a new one. I just take it one step at a time, not thinking about anything, because thinking is useless.

Lin Jiade was somewhat incoherent. He took a deep breath and spent a while suppressing his emotions before saying, "I feel very distressed, but I can't say it. People are destined to be unable to understand each other. My distress is just what others see as mere whining."

Therefore, I am very grateful to Ms. Du Juan. It was she who changed my life with passion. Change can be painful, but if you want to transcend the ordinary, drastic change is essential.

Thus, I gained a more powerful physique, learned the secrets of the other side of the world, and became acquainted with the prototypes of the gods in human mythology. Unimaginable races such as the red dragon and the lich entered my life, and I met unimaginable friends such as the kapok and the mimosa.

Moreover, my left leg, which used to be a burden, now functions smoothly. In place of the meniscus, my energy has reduced friction in the joint, preventing me from becoming a cripple by the age of forty.

However, some things have not changed, namely that I still have no dreams, I act for azaleas, I act for jasmine and gladiolus, and now I act for kapok.

To complete my graduation thesis and to fulfill Cupid's mission, Miss Dujuan guided me to make contact with non-humans. I shattered my worldview, then rebuilt it through torment, achieving Miss Dujuan's version of a win-win situation.

Jasmine said she wanted to enjoy the realities of married life, so I intensified my physical training and learned some magic tricks. Jasmine wanted to have a lot of children, so I frantically pressed the calculator, calculating the cost of living based on the standard of a football team.

Gladiolus longs to regain her wholeness, to be an independent self. Fine, I'll fight for her, risking my life. If she wants children in the future, I'll either have to undergo expensive IVF or learn magic to impregnate the dead.

Senior Kapok wanted to escape the shadow of her family, so I helped her build a team, even though my methods were somewhat unscrupulous. I was consistently helping her, even though I really wanted to ask about the stretch marks on her stomach, she seemed hurt. So I didn't ask.

Lin Jiade took a deep breath: "Now you understand what kind of person I am, right? I crave change yet fear change, accept change yet don't want to change further. I'm the kind of person who can only achieve something if others put in a lot of effort to push me forward."

If you yearn to cultivate your hero, your prince charming, sorry, you might end up with a sex-obsessed hero who only wants to sleep with beautiful women, or a man who is driven solely by women.

Contentment with modest wealth and a yearning for peace have become an incurable part of my being. This is my personal limitation, and you may need five or ten years to correct me and turn me back into a fighter.

But is it worth it? You are a beautiful and free little bird, yet you are forced to stay here for five or ten years, unable to fly.

"..."

Wei Ying remained silent, and Lin Jiade's tone became relaxed: "Anyway, thank you. I've been holding these words in for a long time, and I finally have the chance to say them. Ah, I feel much more relaxed now."

Miss Reed Warbler, I'd love to keep you in my garden, but I respect you. In you, I see a reflection of my 14-year-old self—that confident, competitive, and infuriatingly arrogant image. These days, I've sometimes annoyed you and upset you, partly because seeing that dazzling, unreasonable version of myself from the past has brought me anger and shame.

Lin Jiade was truly sincere; his long speech revolved entirely around the three words "not worth it," hoping that Weiying would leave in disappointment, thus avoiding the continued ambiguity and increasing danger, which would only create awkward situations for him everywhere.

However, he forgot one thing, something that the cuckoo had already explained in September: for two races on different planets to communicate, understanding each other's customs and habits is essential. He said a lot, but the reed warbler's key point was—

Lin Jiade had become accustomed to being changed by all sorts of people more powerful than him, and he would generally accept the outcome as long as it was in his favor. Moreover, he couldn't find any purpose in life, so he could only serve others and fill his life by following their guidance.

Like adding kindling to a fire, the reed warbler's eyes grew even brighter. For the celestial inhabitants, who were generally possessive of control, someone like Lin Jiade was the perfect material to fulfill their desire for control.

Despite Lin Jiade's self-deprecation, Wei Ying felt that Lin Jiade was valuable: Kapok hoped that he would become a swordsman and a sword, so the two of them were each other's reflections; Cuckoo hoped that he would conquer territory on the battlefield of love, so he has now formed a de facto harem; Gladiolus hoped that he would play the role of husband and son, and both of these roles satisfied Gladiolus.

Only Jasmine, for various reasons, is still diligently cultivating. In general, when people project their desires onto Lin Jiade, he always manages to become the person they expect... Isn't that perfect material for casting spells?

Since Lin Jiade has already been changed so many times, what harm is there in her changing him again? Lin Jiade belongs to her sister, so she should be able to get even greater pleasure from using him.

The reed warbler stood up. The celestial beings' unrestrained pleasures were like a terrifying horror movie to humans. As the reed warbler approached, Lin Jiade felt his legs tremble. Instinct told him to run, to run as far away as possible, but fear made him unable to move.

At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and in the white mist, Jasmine appeared before them as a newborn. She heard everything but pretended to be calm, and said to Lin Jiade, "Find me the hair dryer."

"Okay, put on some clothes first, so you don't catch a cold."

Lin Jiade glanced gratefully at Jasmine, the invisible intimidation he had felt vanished, and he stood up and pushed Jasmine back into the bathroom. Wei Ying had been watching him from behind, her gaze undisguised, even when Jasmine looked at her.

Lin Jiade went to find a hairdryer, and Wei Ying followed behind him. She reached into his pocket, took out the celestial weapon she had lent him, infused it with her own energy—which was also part of her body—and put it back.

“I won’t let you escape,” the reed warbler said in a cheerful voice. “Since I was born, everything has always gone my way and I have gotten what I wanted, and you are no exception.”

Chapter Forty-Nine: Celestial Agents

"Miss Dujuan, control your sister!"

Lin Jiade delivered the same line with much more force than before, prompting Du Juan to helplessly shrug and say, "She's my sister."