Love, Gun, Cupid

"Senior Kapok, you're going to cause my social death sooner or later," he whispered.

“You promised to be my sparring partner,” Mu Mian said. “I’ve already checked the schedule with Jasmine and we’ll make sure our tutoring sessions don’t overlap.”

Jasmine, is this how you treat your boyfriend?!

Lin Jiade readily agreed to requests, but when it came to fulfilling his promises, he relied entirely on his own morality. Fortunately, his morality was quite strong, so he pretended to respond to Kapok warmly.

"You... are an M?" Mu Mian asked hesitantly.

I'm just trying to save face! Do you only feel happy if I put on a face like a teacher who deserves to be beaten up outside the school gate?

Lin Jiade wiped his face, his fake smile fading to reveal a genuine expression of fear. Mu Mian said, "Don't worry, I won't do that to you while you're digesting the potion."

"Then if I don't become a wooden stake..."

“Hehuan is too soft-hearted; I need a supervisor,” Mumian said softly. “After experiencing a humiliation, I believe I was complacent.”

According to Tuna, Kapok had the upper hand in both strength and equipment, so being defeated by Tuna was indeed a disgrace for Kapok.

"If Senior Kapok is going to train, please take me with you. I've been feeling that my willpower is lacking lately. Thinking back to Monday, if only I could be a little stronger..."

Kapok nodded. The bodysuit-clad weirdo's training method was still the simple method of increasing basic training, persevering when approaching his physical limits, and constantly enduring the pain to temper his will.

So, under the setting sun, the two fools ran lap after lap around the school playground. People kept joining them, and people kept disappearing from their sight, until Lin Jiade remembered his assignment for his major course. His mind went blank, and his will collapsed instantly.

This training continued until the 19th, when, on a pleasant Friday afternoon, Kapok temporarily let Lin Jiade off the hook. The young man wasn't sure if his willpower had improved, but his legs certainly felt stronger.

While Jasmine and Azalea weren't paying attention to him, he carefully removed the patellar strap from his left knee, having always taken extra care of this area based on his previous experience.

That night, Lin Jiade fell asleep with the happiness of confirming his relationship with Jasmine, and the exhaustion of the week. He thought he could continue his tiring but peaceful daily routine, but the voice echoing in his head pulled him from that routine into a daydream—

"The error has fallen into the mirror from outside; will you be the bird that corrects the error, or the worm that creates it?"

I owe 30 chapters, have already paid 2, and still owe 28.

Chapter 5: The Good Cat (Bonus Chapter)

Lin Jiade believed he had a dream, the contents of which he had forgotten, but the words of the bird and the worm were etched in his memory. Whenever he chewed them, the cold sensation made his head ache.

The young man's first thought was that he was having trouble sleeping or had residual inflammation in his body, so he found his vitamin C chewable tablets and prepared to take them after meals.

As soon as he opened the bedroom door, Jasmine was standing there. Hearing the noise, she turned around, obediently putting her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly, and looking at him with cat-like eyes, seemingly close yet distant.

Her hair swayed around her neck, a folded silk scarf transformed into a blooming flower at her chest, and her skirt swayed at her calves. The pink and white dress wove together a lovely fantasy.

Lin Jiade was stunned for a moment, processing the impact of Jasmine's adorable appearance, and said helplessly, "Miss Dujuan, I know it's you."

"Jasmine" smiled slightly. Just then, the person in question opened the front door and returned from a walk, dressed in an ugly tracksuit.

The reason Lin Jiade was able to distinguish between the two was that Jasmine's taste in clothing was so good that even with Lin Jiade's "Xi Shi filter" (a reference to a famous beauty in ancient China), he couldn't bring himself to compliment her.

Jasmine's gaze turned cold upon seeing yet another "self." Needless to say, the two had another argument, which was why Dujuan was teasing him like this.

“Lin Jiade, the well-behaved good cat,” Du Juan pointed to herself, then to Jasmine, “and the aloof bad cat, which do you prefer?”

Lin Jiade swallowed hard and replied, "I like jasmine."

He dared not offend anyone in this house, and Du Juan knew this. She just wanted to be wicked and, without angering Lin Jiade (she was quite confident about this), see the young man show an embarrassed expression.

“Lin Jiade, you prefer that kind of outfit, don’t you?” Jasmine asked.

Lin Jiade bluntly stated: "Yes, when we play football together, I want you to dress like my brother, but in real life, I like you to look beautiful."

“I’ll give it a try…” Jasmine clenched her fist. “I don’t want to lose to the imposter.”

Sometimes, Lin Jiade even suspected that the reason Jasmine was so eager to move into his house was not because she loved him so much that she couldn't bear to be apart from him, but because she wanted to compete with Du Juan.

Lin Jiade was getting a little arrogant. He occasionally had unrealistic fantasies about having two "Jasmines" on his left and right, but those were just laughable dreams. He was already very happy to have Jasmines.

Standing before him (187cm), Jasmine (147cm), who was 40cm shorter, looked so petite. He leaned down, and Jasmine looked up at the shadow that enveloped her. Their eyes met, and the unspoken understanding between lovers made them share the same thought.

Jasmine opened her arms, ready to touch Lin Jiade, when Du Juan snapped her fingers. Jasmine realized her cheek had brushed against something soft. She looked up, saw Du Juan's face, and took two steps back in disgust, saying, "What are you doing?"

“That’s enough of your lovey-dovey time,” Du Juan said, pointing to the time. “You two are going on a date, aren’t you going to hurry up and wash up?”

Lin Jiade was swapped to Du Juan's original position. Since he and Jasmine became a couple, Du Juan, whose energy had recovered a small portion, was able to use more spells.

He lowered his arm and went to wash up without a second thought. The next day would be his and Jasmine's time together, so a little extra time wouldn't make a difference.

To get from the living room to the bathroom, Lin Jiade needed to turn right. As he turned the corner, he flinched, leaned back, and saw a semi-transparent figure float into his field of vision.

She was a sleepwalking woman, tranquility draped over her sky-blue robe, a tombstone crown pressing down on her decaying gray hair, and confusion defined her appearance.

She met his gaze for a moment, her violet eyes reflecting Lin Jiade's image like a mirror. Then, barefoot, she walked across the floor, silently disappearing behind another door.

Don't scare me! What, is it ghostly?!

Lin Jiade clutched his chest, feeling his heart pounding. He had a negative resistance to horror themes, so he was bound to be critically hit.

He looked around cautiously, but there was nothing in front of him. It was as if he had just been hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Du Juan (who had already returned to her disguised form) and Jasmine. They were both in the living room.

"Did you see anything?" he asked.

The two shook their heads together.

"Did you sense anything unusual?"

The two nodded in unison. Jasmine pointed upwards, and Lin Jiade touched his messy hair. Du Juan pointed downwards, and Lin Jiade looked down at his own very energetic appearance.

"Oh, that doesn't count."

Lin Jiade rushed into the bathroom, wondering if he was hallucinating, or if he was just desperate for women. After all, if there really were demons and monsters, he wouldn't be the only one seeing them.

He convinced himself to quickly forget about it, because today's "big event" was his date with Jasmine, and the theme of the date was to take Jasmine to visit the university.

The young man didn't think Jasmine could get into Sanam Dongdo University. Moreover, now that Jasmine had made peace with her life and was able to look to the future, she no longer needed to force herself to look forward by taking the college entrance exam.

However, Jasmine and Lin Jiade's desire to attend the same university has now grown stronger. Seeing her lover taking action for her, Lin Jiade was overjoyed.

To encourage his girlfriend and to show her that his description of college life was true, he brought Jasmine to Sannam Dongdo University on Saturday morning (October 20).

On Saturday morning, there weren't many people at the university. The young men and women who went out to have fun were still asleep, and the students who had spent the night in their dormitories were still in bed. Only a few students walked out or into the school.

Standing at the school gate, which resembled a triumphal arch, Jasmine looked on with a hint of longing. She changed into the outfit she wore on her first real-life date with Lin Jiade and clung to him like a little bird.

It's not that she's clingy, but rather that she has difficulty walking and needs to support Lin Jiade to maintain her balance.

Tall versus petite, sturdy versus delicate, rugged versus refined, spirited versus frail, tanned skin versus pale skin…

Their contrasting pairing attracted the attention of passersby. Lin Jiade was initially shy, but the touch of jasmine on his left arm gave him courage. He straightened his back and raised his head, forcing others to lower their heads, thus demonstrating the golden rule that "as long as I am not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed."

Lin Jiade spent the whole morning showing Jasmine around the area where his university life had taken place. Jasmine didn't say anything, but there was a hint of longing in her eyes.

The awkward thing is that, judging from Jasmine's grades, if she insisted on applying to this university, she would have a higher chance of getting in if she chose liberal arts. Therefore, what Lin Jiade showed Jasmine around could not become Jasmine's future.

I owe 31 chapters in total, have paid 3, and still owe 28.

Chapter Six: Worms I

“We’ll have lunch at the liberal arts campus first, and then in the afternoon, an acquaintance will show us around there,” he said.

"Is it a mimosa tree?" Jasmine asked.

"Oh, yes."

Lin Jiade was afraid that Jasmine would overthink things, wondering where she got the idea that he and Hehuan might develop a romantic relationship.

Jasmine didn't speak, but she gripped Lin Jiade's sleeve tightly, as if Lin Jiade would abandon her if he saw Hehuan. Her eyes flickered with unease and tension, like a puppy worried about being abandoned by its owner, making her seem pitiful.

This shows that Jasmine cares about me a lot. Lin Jiade thought to himself with a smug smile, this kind of jealousy that doesn't cross the line is really delicious.

On another campus, when the two saw Hehuan waving to them, Jasmine glanced at Hehuan's chest with jealousy, while Hehuan looked at Jasmine's height with mixed feelings.

"It's so big, it's so nice," Jasmine muttered.

"So small, so cute," Hehuan whispered.

The mimosa and the jasmine are each other's ideal images, and they are destined to never reach the beauty in each other's hearts... It has to be said that this is a gentle irony from life.

Lin Jiade wanted to laugh but dared not, fearing it would invite double the hatred. So, after getting food for Jasmine, he sat next to her and listened as Hehuan, sitting opposite him, said, "The music department has some events going on recently. I'll be at school. You can come over and check it out if you have time."

"Oh, I hope that won't interfere with your work?" Lin Jiade replied.

"It won't cause any trouble, or rather, it's not bad if it does." Hehuan smiled. "Our department's program is all about supporting the moon, the brightest moon. My star doesn't quite get along with the moon. Other stars have their reasons, but I don't."

"Hmph, if I weren't a magic researcher, I'd be the one in the spotlight."

Hehuan looked somewhat displeased, which was directly reflected in her chest heaving more frequently than usual. Lin Jiade was a seasoned football fan; he could comment on the game, but he wasn't good at reading comprehension. He thought for a moment and decided not to offer any opinion, at least not to make things worse.

So he changed the subject and said, "If Jasmine enrolls, could she join our club?"

Hehuan replied, "She has to join, and she even has a title—an intermediate-level magic researcher. In a serious setting hosted by an old fogey, you, as an apprentice, would have to pay her respects."

"How many levels are there in professional titles?" Lin Jiade asked.

"Apprentice level, beginner level, intermediate level, advanced level, expert level, and master level."

For those with professional titles below intermediate level, even just by signing in and clocking in every day, they can accumulate enough days to reach this position.

To obtain a senior professional title, one must be proficient in a second-level spell, pass a political vetting process, and have performed several missions for the Empire.

In addition to the requirements for senior professional titles, the Special Grade level adds factors such as years of service, a recommender system, and internal competition.

Master level is a title that can only be obtained by those who possess first-class magic.

Within the Special Statistics Bureau, each professional title level is further subdivided to create an Imperial Red and Black List. However, we ordinary citizens don't know the specific data used in this ranking mechanism.

"What are your and Senior Kapok's professional titles?"

"Both Kapok and I are at the intermediate level, but this is where I'll be in my career, while Kapok... if it weren't for that unexpected failure at the beginning of this month, she would have been promoted to the advanced level—the pinnacle of professional titles for ordinary people."

Hehuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Speaking of Kapok, my good friend seems to be training hard at the martial arts classroom. Should we bring Kapok some gifts as a token of our appreciation?"

Lin Jiade shuddered, almost collapsing in his chair. He was deeply moved, but then refused, saying, "When Jasmine and I visit this afternoon, we'll definitely walk around the martial arts classroom!"

"Kapok has been so good to you, you shouldn't react like this."

"But when Kapok-senpai gets serious, she's terrifying! I think I'm pretty ambitious, but Kapok-senpai's desire to become stronger makes me feel like she's a monster."

Hehuan smiled. The more her good friend acted like this, the more it meant the other person liked Lin Jiade. However, there was no need to provoke Lin Jiade's girlfriend, Jasmine, here.

She looked at Jasmine and said, "If you want to get into our school, you'd better work hard."

Jasmine nodded: "Based on my current rehabilitation progress, I should be able to return to school in November. Although there are online classes and Lin Jiade's tutoring, the learning atmosphere at school is much better."

“If you encounter any problems, call Lin Jiade or me. Your identity is sensitive, and your behavior is more likely to be amplified, such as being suspected of having violent tendencies or antisocial personality disorder.”

Jasmine tilted her head incredulously: "What kind of logic is it that the perpetrator is worried that the victim will commit a crime?"