Love, Gun, Cupid

Jasmine still had to give her statement, so Hehuan accompanied Lin Jiade back to the car first. She originally had some words of advice for him, but seeing the young man's condition, she couldn't bear it.

“I know it hurts your pride to not be able to help,” she comforted you. “Take it slow, everything will be alright for you and Jasmine.”

Meanwhile, on the rooftop not far away, Brother Drinking Water sat up in bed, the pain from Jasmine's claw piercing his chest still lingering.

He smiled wryly and said, "Hand-to-hand combat is really not my thing. The old man and the overtime worker can easily suppress that red dragon offspring."

The elderly man and the middle-aged office worker who were called out looked up. The girl with cat-ear headphones was munching on an apple, and the woman with foreign features was yawning. They showed no signs of panic about betraying their comrades or becoming traitors.

"How is the situation?" the old man asked.

"The rumors are true. The target is so weak that she can no longer use dragon magic." Drinking Water Bro took a sip of water and continued, "Also, that guy named Lin Jiade is very important to her... he's an overtime worker."

The middle-aged office worker, looking miserable, raised his head.

"If the target doesn't give up on her help after this weekend, find an opportunity to get Lin Jiade. Hmm... the methods are a bit despicable. Do you have any moral burden?" Drinking Water Bro instructed.

"Is he an adult?" the person working overtime asked.

"Yes, the records show he is 19 years old."

“Then there’s no problem,” the overtime worker’s voice also revealed his frustration. “This is the life he chose, so he should pay the price for his choice.”

Paris advanced, and the readers made the right choice again, so here's an extra chapter.

Also, I recommend my senior's new book, *This Princess Is Better Left Unmarried*, which tells the story of Wright Baldwin—no, Wright von Ys—in his N-part weddings in another world. Of course, my senior's harem philosophy is all about offense, quality, and quantity; definitely worth reading.

Chapter 51 Choice

Jasmine returned to the car shortly afterward, her expression somber, radiating an aura that made her unapproachable.

In social situations, Lin Jiade excels at adding the finishing touches. If the conversation is pleasant, he can make it even more pleasant; but if the atmosphere is awkward or cold, then he becomes like a statue on Easter Island.

Right now, he was like a statue; he didn't say a single word to Jasmine until Kapok drove them back to their neighborhood.

This was unbearable for him, so after getting off the bus, he took Jasmine's hand. Her hand was cold and stiff, and her furrowed brows reflected the suffering in her heart.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, no one had returned to work or school. On the empty road, only two people holding hands stood out, their shadows stretched long and slanted by the setting sun.

It wasn't until they got into the elevator that Jasmine came to her senses, looked at Lin Jiade, and then followed the lines of his arm down to see their hands clasped together.

Looking at the blurry shadow on the elevator wall, Lin Jiade said softly, "When I was afraid, you reached out to warm me; when you are afraid, I reach out to warm you. We support each other, and life can go on."

"Is it because you like it?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes, I think so. Although I don't know what 'like' means, seeing you like this makes me a little sad. What happened today?"

Jasmine shook her head: "You know my life now, but you don't know me now. Being with me will bring you a lot of trouble, and today's events tell me that trouble has already arrived."

"But I don't feel the same way about other women, even if it's troublesome..."

"Don't use such frivolous language to describe the future!"

Jasmine interrupted Lin Jiade, her voice sharp with anger: "If you get involved in my trouble, you could risk your life. Those bastards never stop doing whatever they want!"

Is it worth it? Is it worth it?! For something like me, you didn't consider anything, knew nothing, and impulsively jumped into trouble that could cost you your life...

Please, before you worry about other people's problems, can you think about your own problems first?

The elevator's arrival announcement interrupted Jasmine's words. Jasmine stepped out, leaning on her cane. She turned to look at the young man, her voice hoarse and her face full of exhaustion.

She said, "You were the first to learn about my life, so you have a special impression of me. But I know I'm not the last. People like you have a natural attraction for those with dark hearts."

At that time, more girls with better figures, cheerful personalities, and elegant demeanor will enter your life and be willing to let you know about their lives.

They can bring you more joy, both physically and mentally, and being with any of them... even the lying Cupid, you won't get into any trouble.

"And with me, all I can share with you is your pain."

Jasmine grabbed Lin Jiade's hand, pushed him into the elevator on the other side, pressed the down button, and waved goodbye to him: "Even if it's just for yourself, please think carefully about whether a troublesome, alien woman like me is worth the risk you take to love."

The elevator doors closed, separating Lin Jiade and Jasmine. Jasmine pushed him back from romance to reality, from warmth to indifference.

Lin Jiade's heart pounded. Jasmine had rejected him, but her expression was even more sorrowful than his. Seeing the glistening tears in her eyes, Lin Jiade felt a tearing pain in his chest.

The young man felt sorry for Jasmine, but also hated his own shallowness. At least before Jasmine's angry outburst, he did indeed hold the shallow idea that "if I like her, I should face troubles with her."

He had no concrete ideas about what the trouble was, how to deal with it, or the future…never. His affection for Jasmine was mostly superficial—a lust for her appearance and tail, sympathy for her, and a lingering feeling from the past.

While this kind of feeling can't be described as falling in love with every woman he meets, there's no doubt that if other beautiful women of different races appeared in front of him, after spending ten days or so together, his feelings for Jasmine might be copied and pasted onto them.

The elevator reached the seventh floor, and a cool breeze rushed in, restoring Lin Jiade's numb mind to its ability to think. At the moment Jasmine rejected him, he realized his feelings for her had deepened, to the point where he couldn't live without her.

However, at an ironic juncture, he realized it—he loved her.

Lin Jiade suddenly felt very tired. When he got home, he staggered open the bedroom door, threw himself on the bed, and sprawled out in a starfish position.

Soon after, the door opened again, and the familiar fragrance told Lin Jiade that his love mentor had arrived, but he didn't have the energy to greet her.

Du Juan went around to the head of the bed, lay on the pillow and looked at Lin Jiade. A strand of her loose hair fell in front of Lin Jiade, and the dampness and the fragrance of shower gel entered his nostrils, making his nose itch.

"Sigh." He sighed.

Heartbroken?

"It feels about the same."

Du Juan sat near the head of the bed, and Lin Jiade's eyes immediately fell on the outline of her thighs, encased in her nightgown. He would usually feel guilty, but his gaze would quickly travel upwards and downwards, greedily savoring Du Juan's invisible allure.

But today, even Du Juan's alluring beauty, though concealed, couldn't move him.

Her voice rang out above him: "Let me guess, you came back early today because something came up at the club and you were called away. You were sent back after you finished dealing with it?"

"Ah."

"What happened today has given you a better understanding of Jasmine, so you directly expressed your willingness to help Jasmine, but you didn't come up with any solutions that could convince her or give her hope."

"Correct."

"Jasmine seems like an easy-to-deceive romantic, but she's a pragmatist at heart. As she gets to know you better, she'll weigh the pros and cons and refuse your help, probably by saying something harsh to make you think more about yourself."

"You planted a listening device on me?"

Du Juan sneered, "You two are a barbarian who believes in the power of brute force, and an honest and straightforward fool. Your psychology is too easy to grasp."

If I were your enemy, I'd probably be laughing my head off; this money is practically free.

"Don't discourage me at a time like this." Lin Jiade waved his hand weakly. "The idealized version of myself has been ruthlessly torn apart by reality, which is already painful enough for me."

"Okay, okay, I guess Jasmine's reason for rejecting you wasn't because of feelings. You're the best person to her in her life, and she's not completely heartless."

Lin Jiade's voice was filled with bitterness: "She said that being with me would only bring me pain, and then she told me to think carefully about whether someone like her, from another race, was worth the risk I would take to love her."

Those troubles are already upon us, and they pose a life-threatening threat to me.

“If Jasmine were a little more despicable, she could have easily used your infatuation with her to manipulate my stance, but she didn’t even consider that. She was just trying to push you out of trouble. Her character is reliable.”

Du Juan held up one finger: "Jasmine made a decision; she chose to push you out of the trouble and bear the suffering alone. So what is your choice?"

Chapter Fifty-Two: Transformation

“Call the police… Police resources are very strained right now for non-routine incidents. They might not take my word seriously, but can’t we at least give it a try?” Lin Jiade said.

"Good idea. Call the police and say that you and Jasmine are being threatened. Then the police will wipe out a group of vicious criminals, and you and Jasmine will live happily ever after, exercising for sixteen hours every day."

Why didn't Jasmine think of that?

“…Why?” Lin Jiade frowned. “I was so confused by Jasmine that I didn’t realize it until now: Why was Jasmine so certain about certain things, and then pushed me away?”

Du Juan shrugged: "How would I know?"

"Didn't you say you knew everything?"

Du Juan looked completely innocent: "Have those people who say they like female dolphins really had any close contact with them?"

Lin Jiade retorted stubbornly, "Maybe he's saving up to buy a female dolphin. Maybe he has grand ambitions and is determined to make people think of him whenever they mention a female dolphin. Maybe he's going to create a new school of dolphin-style ...

Du Juan shrugged: "Who knows? If someone is threatening Jasmine and you in turn, rather than directly threatening you through conversation, then it would be more appropriate for Jasmine to call the police."

As for why she didn't make that choice, she might simply be a fool who didn't consider that option; she might have had her own difficulties and couldn't choose; she might have been under a spell and ignored the choice; her trust in the empire might have been sitting on a ticking time bomb, and she might have resented the choice; her mental illness might have been exploited by the enemy, making it impossible for her to choose...

If you want an explanation, I can make up several reasons for you on the spot... But what's the point if you don't agree with it?

You and I are both outsiders, so we have to listen to what Jasmine has to say and what she thinks before you decide whether to use your 15cm extendable baton to correct her mistake or something else.

But Lin Jiade, I want to ask you, if Jasmine's situation is really as troublesome as she says, what would you choose?

Lin Jiade loudly proclaimed his true feelings: "I just want to have her! Even though she has so many troubles, I still want to have her and possess everything about her!"

I even have a dark thought now: if Jasmine insists on pushing me away, I'll use the pistol you gave me to cast a spell on her and achieve our love through submission!

As for her affairs, let's get in the car first and talk about them then!

Boiling desire distorted Lin Jiade's energy. To Du Juan, the aroma emanating from Lin Jiade at this moment upgraded from a baguette that had been sitting out for a week to a soft, creamy bread, awakening her desire to eat.

However, Lin Jiade is not food, and Du Juan is clear about this.

As she herself said, she was Vautrin, and Lingard was Rastignac. Rastignac was destined to rise higher than Vautrin; this was her expectation of him, and also her prophecy.

Therefore, she added fuel to the fire: "Good desires, have you finally stripped off the cloak of morality and faced the beast within your heart?"

Don't be ashamed of your ugliness, don't feel inferior about your animalistic nature. Love, often, is chaotic and wild, ignorant yet confident.

The pistol Cupid had given Lin Jiade slid out of his pocket and into his hand. Du Juan cupped Lin Jiade's hands in hers and guided him to open the cylinder mechanism, where four bullets were loaded into the six empty slots.

"Didn't you say that every 15 points of affinity can be exchanged for a bullet? Does that mean my affinity with Jasmine has been upgraded?" Lin Jiade asked.

"Yes, after you admitted your possessiveness towards Jasmine, which you'd rather die than let go of, your compatibility score increased. Lin Jiade, you're on the right track."

Lin Jiade glanced at the revolver, then at Du Juan, who gave him an encouraging smile. This indulgence and pampering accelerated the growth of dangerous thoughts in his mind.

Du Juan's fingers moved across Lin Jiade's chest, five chains connecting her fingertips to Lin Jiade's heart, with runes of the contract flowing across the chains.

Her index finger plucked the chain, and Lin Jiade's heart pounded. He could not resist the cuckoo's control, just as he could not resist the cuckoo's words.

At this moment, all he could see was her.

"Even if you ask Jasmine now why she didn't call the police, would Jasmine communicate with you normally? I think it's unlikely. So in order to save her and understand her, you must use external objects and small tricks to forcibly create a communication channel between you and her."

Du Juan made a shooting gesture, her mouth opening and closing, and the onomatopoeic sound "Bang!" hit Lin Jiade's ear with a burst of air, as if she were speaking right next to his ear, bringing a slight dizziness and itchiness.

“A bullet can make a lot of things simple. We all like to make things simple, right?” Du Juan said.

She brandished her weapon in front of Lin Jiade, the silver muzzle gleaming with a pleasing light. Loading bullets, finding the target, shooting the heart—such simple three steps could solve the trouble Lin Jiade was facing. How could he not be tempted?

In that instant, Lin Jiade felt that it wasn't he who was gripping the revolver, but rather the revolver that was binding his hand; his life was connected to it, and when the barrel gleamed, he felt his heart was shining as well.

Thus, Lin Jiade and the revolver were ignited by the same desire, their wish to fire overlapping.