Love, Gun, Cupid

"Something strange?"

Teacher Yang took out a blue bead: "Does this count?"

“That’s it,” Gladiolus said.

Its existence made Lin Jiade's rescue of Teacher Yang more necessary. He and Jianlan were bound by fate, and the trouble caused by the Lich Lady's soul fragments was his trouble. He had to do his best to clean up the mess.

So he mustered a strong desire to return home and reached out to Teacher Yang, saying, "Grab my hand, I'll take you home."

Teacher Yang grasped Lin Jiade's hand; that hand was rough yet warm, making her feel safe and secure—a feeling she had never experienced even in her most peaceful dream.

“Lin Jiade… is a real man,” she said.

The young man misunderstood her meaning: "How could someone with my appearance be mistaken for a woman?"

That's not what I meant.

Before the female PhD student could offer any further explanation, her vision blurred, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself in an unfamiliar living room. She saw Lin Jiade embracing a young-looking girl, and a pang of sadness welled up inside her.

"Can you help me clean up this mess?" Lin Jiade asked Du Juan.

Du Juan knew what Lin Jiade meant by "cleaning up the mess," and she gave an OK sign.

At that moment, Ms. Yang had a bunch of questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't get a chance to ask them. Du Juan grabbed her, her pink hair turning into chains that wrapped around her, and she disappeared from the spot.

Lin Jiade recounted the outline of his adventure in the Mirror World to Jasmine, naturally omitting the part that had tempted him. Jasmine didn't react much, returning to her studies and practice questions. Lin Jiade glanced at Jianlan, then lowered his head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"what happened?"

"I have some unpleasant associations with you, madam."

Gladiolus replied, "I guess I'm over thirty, so from that perspective, I don't think I should react too much."

That outfit suits me well, but unfortunately, our relationship isn't close enough for me to wear it for you.

Jianlan paused, then joked, "However, once you've gathered all the fragments of my soul, and if I can keep my promise then, I'll wear it for you... just for you alone."

I owe 64 chapters in total, have paid 13, and still owe 51.

Chapter Thirty-One: Tenderness

The lich lady's promise made Lin Jiade's mind wander. She wasn't the type to seduce others by wearing embarrassing clothes, but that's precisely why he fantasized about her wearing seductive clothes and doing seductive things, preferably with a cold or even disgusted expression.

He would be even more excited, not because of the contempt, but because he could make a closed black rose bloom for him.

Men are naturally inclined to conquer everything, and transforming someone is a form of conquest. That's why so many men enjoy having chaste and virtuous women undress for them and having buses chain them up.

Lin Jiade was lost in thought, and Jianlan silently stayed by his side until Dujuan returned. Jianlan then gave up her spot and "sat" in the corner.

Du Juan glanced at her and said, "Alright, she'll completely forget about this. I checked her memory, and for now, it can be considered that she was innocently dragged into this."

By the way, I submitted your report to the Empire. Protecting civilians from magical incidents and receiving extra reward points afterward according to confidentiality regulations is a good thing.

However, it doesn't give as much as a kill mission.

Lin Jiade wouldn't complain about the small amount; he'd give whatever he could. Du Juan pulled a box from her wing and tossed it to Lin Jiade. Lin Jiade opened it, and the soul fragment held by Teacher Xiao Yang automatically burrowed into his chest, while Jian Lan lowered her head, her body trembling slightly.

"Miss?"

Lin Jiade went over to check on her, but to his surprise, she suddenly raised her head, revealing a dazed look on her face, and opened her arms to try to embrace the young man.

She couldn't possibly hold on to it. Only after the phantom of her arm passed through Lin Jiade did she come to her senses, quickly retreated, tidied her appearance, and said, "Oh, right, it's just a memory."

Lin Jiade was captivated by Jianlan's expression. The moment she smiled at him, her smile was so gentle that he thought she was alive.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"They are happy memories. I spent my time at home doing mundane things, mundane but joyful. I would prepare delicious food and drinks, full of anticipation, and when the doorbell rang, I would excitedly greet the person outside..."

Gladiolus shook her head, her tone becoming somber: "Waiting has lost its meaning."

Lin Jiade encouraged her: "It's too early to give up now. If your soul is fully restored and your body is reshaped, you can return to your home, and your family will accept you back."

If you give up, then you really won't see them again.

"Thank you for your comfort. In this memory fragment, I still only have myself in it. I haven't remembered anyone else yet."

Jianlan smiled and said, "But there is a good young man who is working hard for me and is worried about me, so it is enough for me to think about you for now."

Despite knowing that Gladiolus meant something else, Lin Jiade still had some misplaced expectations.

The phantoms displayed by the mirror creature flooded his mind, and he felt a little thirsty and his heart was racing, so he turned his head and said, "Ah, I'll go tutor Jasmine, and I hope you can speed things up the rewriting of the magic as well."

Not everyone who possesses a fragment of a soul can hand it over as easily as Teacher Yang.

After he fled the living room, Du Juan looked at Jian Lan, who said, "I don't know the specifics of the relationship between the three of you, but just as I won't interfere with Jasmine, I won't interfere with you either."

"No, no, no, I'm not jealous of you, and I'm not thinking anything of it. It's just that your compatibility with Lin Jiade has increased again, which is good for me," Du Juan said.

"I think the problem with the 'marriage compatibility' value is because Lin Jiade is my destiny box. Sometimes, he misunderstands the mutual attraction between the destiny box and the lich as infatuation."

"Aren't you going to misunderstand?"

Gladiolus replied, “Yes, I don’t misunderstand. As the older one, I can’t make the mistakes that young people make. If we both make mistakes, it will develop into a dangerous relationship.”

There are all sorts of problems here, and he's too young to handle them, so we can't develop that kind of relationship.

But Gladiolus, the compatibility between you depends on your mutual feelings. Azalea thought to herself, "Can you really tell the difference? Even if you can, can you resist the temptation to unite with the Fate Box?"

Gladiolus and Lin Jiade both chose to endure, and this endurance caused them pain, which became the cuckoo's source of pleasure.

She stuck out her tongue, greedily savoring the energy gathering within, and muttered to herself, "Looks like we don't need to add any new candidates for now."

In the Jasmine Guest Room, just a door away, Lin Jiade let out a weary sigh. From the moment Teacher Yang was captured until she was sent home and lost her memories, only two hours had passed on the clock on the wall, but Lin Jiade felt more exhausted than after a whole day of professional classes.

In Jasmine's guest room, he held Jasmine's big tail, while Jasmine's paws carefully wrapped around his shoulders. She originally wanted to offer him a lap pillow, but her legs were still not very nimble, and Lin Jiade didn't want to prolong her rehabilitation plan.

As a compromise, Jasmine offered her own large tail. She knew that Lin Jiade had been craving her tail for a long time, and Lin Jiade indeed looked like he was being healed. He held her tail in his hands and stroked it from time to time, gently rubbing his cheek against the scales on her tail, and even sticking out his tongue to lick it.

When Jasmine saw Lin Jiade's smiling face, she initially felt satisfied, but later, she realized that Lin Jiade was excessively infatuated with her tail, as if he were saying that she was something that came with the tail.

She was a little angry, as if her own tail had stolen her boyfriend. She wished Lin Jiade would hold her in his arms and compliment her on other things.

But how could she say something like that? It would make her seem like the kind of idiot who gets jealous of her own tail for no reason.

She transformed back into human form, making it easier for her to hug Lin Jiade and also to distract him from her tail. Seeing Lin Jiade's wistful expression, she rested her forehead against his chest.

"You big idiot, pay more attention to your girlfriend," she said softly.

"Ah, Jasmine, that's not what I meant..."

“I’m not angry…maybe just a little bit,” Jasmine whispered. “Even though you’re weird, a womanizer, and have no emotional intelligence, you’re my hero.”

Thinking of this, all of Jasmine's jealousy and unhappiness were replaced by sweet love.

Lin Jiade tightened his arms around Jasmine, feeling her delicate yet fiery touch; her breath tickled his skin. Neither of them wanted to sleep, but the shared warmth made them fall asleep in each other's arms.

Shortly after, Jianlan entered through the door. She originally wanted to say something, but after seeing the happy expressions on the two children's faces as they fell asleep in each other's arms, she smiled slightly and used her energy to draw the blanket over them silently.

As she left, Jasmine opened her eyes and followed Jianlan's gaze until she was gone before closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Lin Jiade.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Demotion (Bonus Chapter)

Lin Jiade had a nightmare. He dreamt that he was dating and kissing Jasmine, and then when they returned to their love nest and were about to take things further, Jasmine under him turned into a cuckoo, while the real Jasmine stood at the door, casting a cold glance at him.

"I think I can..."

The young man suddenly opened his eyes. He opened his mouth to let in the cool air. The room temperature was only 20°C, but he was covered in sweat.

He tried to get up, but found an arm on his chest that made him feel stuffy... Clearly, Jasmine's arm was the source of his nightmare.

He turned his head to look at Jasmine. Jasmine's sleeping face was peaceful and serene, with a sweetness that he longed for.

Did I sleep with Jasmine yesterday?

As Lin Jiade lay back down, staring at Jasmine's face, he thought to himself. Soon after, Jasmine opened her eyes as if by telepathy, looking blank and not very bright. Lin Jiade smiled and poked her cheek.

“Watch out or I’ll bite you,” Jasmine said.

"That kind of 'biting' in the bathroom? It's okay, I'm young and can handle it... Ouch! Don't pinch me!"

Jasmine rolled her eyes at Lin Jiade and loosened her grip on his waist. Lin Jiade glanced at the time. "It's 7:30 in the morning. Want to sleep a little longer?"

"Um...don't you have classes this morning?"

Lin Jiade reached out and touched Jasmine's cheek: "I have a general education class, so I've decided to skip it. General education classes are nothing compared to you."

Jasmine slapped Lin Jiade's hand away and said, "No skipping class... What time are you leaving?"

"I can get up at nine for a ten o'clock in the morning."

"Then stay with me a little longer."

Jasmine reached out and turned Lin Jiade over so he was lying on his side. She snuggled into his arms, pulled one of his arms around her waist, and whispered, "It's a little cold, Lin Jiade."

Jasmine's normal body temperature is 39℃. Last night, the temperature suddenly dropped. Even Lin Jiade, who is relatively resistant to the cold, was preparing to wear a wool sweater, which made Jasmine even more uncomfortable.

Jasmine felt very cold, but Lin Jiade felt as if a little heater had snuggled into his arms. He gently stroked her back, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep again.

He felt that only a second had passed before he suddenly couldn't breathe. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and saw Jasmine riding on top of him, shaking his shoulders vigorously.

“It’s nine o’clock, wake up, you still have class,” she said.

"Ah... um, it's nine o'clock?!"

Lin Jiade was somewhat surprised: "I actually slept until nine o'clock before waking up, and you woke up before me?"

“Lin Jiade, if someone pointed a gun at you, you wouldn’t be able to sleep well either,” Jasmine replied calmly.

"I didn't bring any .45 caliber... then it's fine."

Lin Jiade was puzzled at first, but when Jasmine exerted a slight force in her waist and used her actions to pressure his House of Representatives, he understood.

At this point, what explanation was there? Lin Jiade promptly apologized: "I...I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. It's normal for a boy to be energetic. If you're lifeless, that's what will sadden me."

Jasmine got off Lin Jiade and nudged him, saying, "Get up! You urge me to work hard, how can you not set an example yourself?"

That was true. Lin Jiade got up to grab something to eat, and Jasmine said from behind him, "I asked Ms. Jianlan to make you breakfast since you get up at nine o'clock."

Lin Jiade felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He gave an OK sign and went to the living room. As he was washing up, he suddenly remembered: Jianlan was dead, her spirit connected to his life box. How could she make him breakfast?

This piqued his curiosity, so he quickly finished washing up and glanced curiously into the kitchen. He was instantly captivated. Jasmine nudged him playfully, but when she looked over, she too froze, speechless.

The light of dawn illuminated Gladiolus's translucent form as she manipulated tools with energy, filling the kitchen with the aroma of cooking.