Love, Gun, Cupid

Du Juan didn't take it seriously. She took Lin Jiade's soccer ball and the textbooks she needed for the day and went to Shannan Dongdao University. Based on her previous reading of Lin Jiade's memories, she found the classroom smoothly.

The first interesting person she encountered was Teacher Yang. During the interaction where she was responsible for sending Teacher Yang back and erasing her memory, she noticed Teacher Yang's unnatural side. A flower of evil was brewing in Teacher Yang's life, but it had not yet matured.

Therefore, she only added a little something to Teacher Yang's memory as a foreshadowing of new events that would unfold after Teacher Yang's changes.

Good morning, Teacher Yang.

The other person was a little distracted at first, until "Lin Jiade" approached and his presence made her body stir. She hurriedly greeted him, covered her blushing face with her textbook, and ran away.

After testing and confirming that the foreshadowing did indeed exist within Teacher Yang's body, Du Juan smiled and walked into the classroom. No matter how much she disguised herself as Lin Jiade, she was ultimately a different individual from Lin Jiade.

Lin Jiade's friends found it a bit strange, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it, because Du Juan's behavior was impeccable. Only Old Mu glanced at Du Juan a few more times, and when Du Juan looked at him, he pretended not to care and looked away.

This person is quite interesting.

A strand of Du Juan's hair secretly extended and pierced into Lao Mu's back, injecting energy. Lao Mu's body trembled, and he covered his mouth, letting out a small scream. This was enough for Du Juan to determine the other party's identity.

Old Mu glanced at Du Juan, somewhat puzzled. He left the classroom under the pretext of going to the toilet, staggering slightly as the change in his posture affected his movements.

Besides, most of Lin Jiade's classmates were quite ordinary, which made Du Juan feel rather bored. After her professional classes, she patiently played a game of 22 people scrambling for a ball with these ordinary people for a while. She really didn't understand what was so fun about this game that could make Lin Jiade so obsessed.

So, upon seeing Hehuan—the person Dujuan was closely observing—she immediately sought an opportunity to leave the court. Because of the previous rumors, her good friends understood Lin Jiade's eagerness and egged him on behind his back.

When Lin Jiade came over, Hehuan was a little surprised, but more than that, she was happy. She smoothed her hair, looked herself up and down, and then looked up and smiled at her junior.

Lin Jiade might not notice such details, but Du Juan saw them clearly. It was Du Juan who had been pushing things along behind the scenes, making He Huan sexually interested in Lin Jiade.

As she had told Jasmine, this was a simulation game she had entered into on a whim. Jasmine was the economic order in Lin Jiade's family, and in order to counter Jasmine and make her contribute more money to Lin Jiade in the competition, Du Juan felt it was necessary to introduce a new "cash cow" that could financially feed Lin Jiade.

Hehuan was this "dairy cow," and Dujuan wanted her to compete with Jasmine, thus disrupting Jasmine's economic order. Thinking of this, she deliberately wiped her sweat, inadvertently displaying Lin Jiade's rather impressive physique.

As expected, Hehuan was attracted, and Dujuan took the opportunity to cast a confusing spell. Since Lin Jiade's true form was in the Mirror Realm, he would inevitably discover the problem when he talked to Hehuan about this matter in the future, so she eliminated this hidden danger in advance.

Dujuan arranged an ambiguous date for Hehuan. After today, Hehuan would only remember the ambiguity, not any concrete memories. The more Dujuan talked with Hehuan, the more she realized that Hehuan's parents had protected her too well, to the point that Hehuan was somewhat naive.

This suited Dujuan's taste even better. At the end of the date, Hehuan suddenly said, "Junior, I secretly divined your fate."

Du Juan didn't seem to care: "What?"

"Grayish gray blends with gold, gold is imbued with blood, sapphire blue shines, and crimson hues linger among them, yet suffer from thirst... These are prophecies about you, all related to colors. What revelation do you have?"

Du Juan's expression stiffened: "Senior, you said some very interesting things. Do you have anything else about prophecy?"

Hehuan's eyes darted around: "No, secretly divining other people's fates, even if it's with the intention of doing good, is ultimately wrong. To avoid you hating me, I think I should say it."

Clearly, Hehuan hadn't revealed everything. Dujuan recalled Lin Jiade's mention of Hehuan's "strategic investment" in him, and a different interpretation came to her mind: besides lusting after Lin Jiade's body, Hehuan must have extracted some information from the prophecy that made her so determined to invest in Lin Jiade.

When Lin Jiade comes back, I'll ask him. Du Juan thought, and while I'm at it, I'll also add fuel to the fire of his feelings.

From the moment Lin Jiade entered the Mirror Realm until he arrived at West Ham Hospital, the cuckoo, the only bird in Lin Jiade's garden that was mistaken for a flower, usurped her host's life, just as she had done in the past.

This time, the little bird didn't rush to leave. When the rightful owner returned, she restored his life, cleaned up his mess, and then flew lightly into his hospital room, chirping melodiously and sharing with him the nourishment full of desire.

Gray and gray blend together, gold is tinged with blood, sapphire blue shines brightly, and imperial pink lingers within, yet suffers from thirst... No.

After Lin Jiade was discharged from the hospital and attended the funeral of the fallen soldiers, on the way home, she held Lin Jiade's arm and thought: Gray and gray separated, orange drove blood, indigo lost its balance, and crimson occupied the middle, yet stood above all other colors—

This is the true destiny.

Gazing at the Sun Through the Fence – Lin Jiade (Bonus Chapter) (38→37)

Lin Jiade was taken to the hospital and, after receiving initial treatment, signed a confidentiality agreement, temporarily losing his Gladiolus. However, a member of the cleanup team, who called himself the "pay-to-win sow," told him that Gladiolus would return to his life, but she was also involved in the secrets of the Baker Street Squad and Korobochka, so the relevant departments were still questioning her.

Lin Jiade temporarily believed this verbal promise, along with the promise that all his medical and equipment costs would be covered by the Empire, and the remaining compensation would be transferred to his account in the Magic Registrar's Office in the form of points.

The most important compensation was that, immediately after his discharge from the hospital, he skipped the procedures, became a junior magic researcher, and was placed in the "priority promotion" category in his application for promotion to intermediate magic researcher.

Lin Jiade temporarily stopped thinking about how much benefit this would bring him. His energy depletion left him feeling dizzy and numb. The gold-digging sow wisely left him undisturbed, allowing Lin Jiade some peace and quiet.

According to the "pay-to-win" mother, he will be placed under house arrest here until the aftermath is resolved. Thus, his hospital room has become his prison cell.

He woke up in the afternoon, feeling groggy. He checked his phone and found that most of the functions were unavailable, so he gave up the idea of ​​calling to let his family know he was safe. He opened the curtains, and the silhouette of the alloy fence came into view. Beyond the fence, through the gaps in the buildings, the setting sun was sinking towards the horizon.

When he had nothing to do, he began to think, and the scenes of the battle began to replay. How he wished that the battle would end when he was driving the spider-shaped mech and wreaking havoc, so that he could return as a hero, and those who died would become the survivors he had saved, looking at him with reverence.

“Arctus is dead, the Sector 19 squad that was covering me is dead, the Sector 20 squad died right before my eyes, I didn’t see the Sector 15 squad, so they were all wiped out too… I’m too weak, it’s because I have no power.” Lin Jiade muttered to himself.

He grieved for his companion's death, sitting here in a melancholic blues, lost in emptiness. Only one thing made him reconsider: the name of the kapok tree and the sword-shaped silver markings on his stomach.

Along with this strange mark, Lin Jiade recalled more details. The sword he used to assassinate Korobochka was not the weapon with the rotating structure of the Kapok tree, but more like... the Kapok tree itself.

For some reason, Lin Jiade had an absurd thought: that the true form of the Kapok tree was a sword. However, since he could not meet the Kapok tree and find out the truth, his slight enthusiasm for investigation was quickly swallowed up by emptiness.

It wasn't until Jasmine visited him that Lin Jiade's sense of duty as a boyfriend and a man compelled him to forcefully come back to life. In Jasmine's embrace, Lin Jiade regained warmth. He still lingered with the grief of his fallen comrades, but he wouldn't wallow in it or let it control him.

After Jasmine left, he ordered a nutritious meal. The food here was terrible, and Lin Jiade didn't want her to suffer extra hardship with him.

"Deliver the nutritious meals to the wards," was the note Lin Jiade left for the hospital cafeteria. To his surprise, the caregiver delivering the meals was Du Juan. With reverence for Cupid, he ate his fill, drank his soup, and happily burped from his mouth.

“Rest here for a few days. While you were in the Mirror Realm, I took your form and attended classes for you for a few days. You also kept your promise to your friends about the gatherings and soccer games. They all felt that you kept your promise,” Du Juan said.

Lin Jiade paused for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you."

"I will also help you get the relevant compensation later, so you won't lose money. As for Jianlan, I saw her once. She is in good spirits and is undergoing an evaluation by the relevant authorities."

If everything goes well, she can return to your life once you're discharged from the hospital. As for Jasmine, I think she's already told you herself.

"Yes, thank you."

"Even if I handle all these things properly for you, can't you be happy? Smile, Lin Jiade."

With gratitude, Lin Jiade forced a smile. Du Juan mischievously pushed him down onto the bed, propped her hands on either side of his head, and said, "Do you remember our heart-to-heart talk a month ago? You promised me that you would rely on me in the darkness, and now, you need to rely on me."

“I’m not happy. I just lament the deaths of my comrades and hate my own weakness. I train every day to become stronger, but my progress is nothing compared to that of a master of sorcery,” he said.

"But you still killed her."

"It was those who bestowed power upon me who killed her. Without your divine decree, without the magical clash of Sword Orchid, without Senior Kapok's radiant weapon, I could have done nothing... um."

Du Juan leaned against Lin Jiade, cupped his cheeks in her hands and squeezed them to stop him from continuing. Then she said, "We help you not because we are charitable, but because we have feelings for you. You deserve our support."

Strength isn't solely determined by individual research and skill enhancement. To become stronger, you can also recruit valuable individuals into your ranks, leveraging collective power in battle to defeat formidable foes and forge your own legend.

Lin Jiade was somewhat confused: "The power of others is also considered my power?"

"When the power and strength of others are used for your own purposes, that becomes your power and strength. Think about it, what makes Jasmine, Gladiolus, and even me work for you?"

“…It’s about feelings,” Lin Jiade replied.

"You guessed right, it's feelings. Love is such a terrifying, irrational thing. Once a romantic relationship is established, the other person's power can be used for your own purposes. This is not about taking advantage of each other, but about taking risks for each other, and you yourself are making huge sacrifices for Jasmine and Gladiolus."

"It seems...that's how it is."

"After the battle with Korobochka, you became anxious. What if you encountered something like this again? How many more comrades would you have to sacrifice, and how much more suffering would you have to endure? You felt that the forces that were not meant for you would not always be on your side, and that was the main reason for your anxiety."

Du Juan nestled close to Lin Jiade and whispered in his ear, "Want to become stronger? That's great, but smart people know how to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. Lin Jiade, your strength is that you can build more stable romantic relationships, and those you win over will be happy to dedicate their strength to you."

If you're still not strong enough, then go find those strong women with whom you have a romantic connection, win them over, and bring them into your stable romantic relationship.

Only then can you become stronger. Only then will you have the ability to prevent the tragedy from happening again when something like Korobochka occurs.

Lin Jiade looked at Du Juan blankly. Du Juan smiled slightly, her palm holding his cheek, her lips close to his. Lin Jiade thought she was going to kiss him, so he closed his eyes and waited for a second, two seconds... but what he expected never came.

He opened his eyes and saw Du Juan looking at him with a mischievous gaze, asking, "What are you imagining?"

"It's nothing... um."

Du Juan approached rapidly, her breath hitting his face. Lin Jiade's lips tingled slightly. He felt as if Du Juan was kissing him, but it seemed to be just his imagination, because Du Juan had already stood up and waved goodbye to Lin Jiade.

Lin Jiade sighed as he saw her off. Miss Dujuan was always like this, so close yet so distant, leaving him thirsty, restless, yet unable to let go.

If I follow Miss Dujuan's method and continuously expand the number of my loved ones, making them dedicate themselves to me, it will make me increasingly powerful. Will there come a day when I am strong enough to rebel against Miss Dujuan and force her to submit?

Lin Jiade was startled by his own thought, but this time, he didn't rush to deny it. He had witnessed Korobochka's actions; she had taught him an important lesson, and the young man's moral compass continued to decline.

The young prisoner opened the curtains and looked at the moon hanging in the night sky—the sun's nocturnal self. In the future, after the cuckoo returned to the heavens, the distance between them would be farther than the distance between him and the sun.

Thus, his idea was solidified.

June 13, Euro 6 group stage match: England vs. Croatia.

Choose one of the three possibilities: England wins, Croatia wins, or the two draws. Add the two results to the reader vote, and the one with the most votes will be the reader prediction. If the result matches the prediction, there will be an extra chapter.

Epilogue: Dual Colors

On November 11th, the survivors who returned from the Mirror Realm were finally released from quarantine. Yuki found Lin Jiade, and Lin Jiade reunited with Mumian. The young man, who had shaken off his melancholy, had been wanting to talk to Mumian, but she seemed to be avoiding him, so he ultimately didn't ask.

The survivors went to the funeral together. After Yuki handed over Arcturus's belongings to the representative of Arcturus's clan, she returned and said, "While sorting through Arcturus's belongings, I found a will. According to the request in the will, I found Arcturus's boyfriend. He was dumped by that succubus mistress, moved away, and misses Arcturus a bit."

I didn't tell him that Arcturus was dead. I sincerely hoped that the scumbag would be tormented by regret, and waiting is the breeding ground for regret.

Do you think Arcturus would hate me if she knew about this? No, I wish she could hate me... you bastard!

Yuki's sadness rekindled Lin Jiade's melancholy. Even though they had only come together for mutual benefit and kept many secrets from each other, the young man had come to regard Arcturus as a companion. This was the first companion to die, and therefore he should grieve.

All the survivors were present. After greeting Cyrus and the others, Lin Jiade returned here and, along with Yuki and Mian, served as the pallbearers for Arcturus.

Naturally, the coffin-carrying is symbolic; the deceased has already been cremated in the city center of Fuxing, becoming a gray memorial in an urn, and then taken back by representatives of the Arcturus clan.

They promised to bury her on one of Arcturus's favorite hillsides, where she could see the lush green rice paddies and the blossoming flowers, and where the beauty of her homeland would forever be depicted for Arcturus.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Jiade saw Star Flying Fish, who beckoned to him. Lin Jiade went over and couldn't help but scold, "There should have been four pallbearers for Arcturus, but she was buried with a limp!"

“I can’t, this is a gathering of civilians,” said Star Flying Fish. “Besides, I did help out in some way. The people cleaning up the mess originally planned to use memory erasure on you in order to get compensation for you, Arcturus, and Yuki.”

Lin Jiade frowned: "Until the very end, we fought for the interests of the Empire. You shouldn't treat us like this."

“That makes sense, but just look at Korobochka and you’ll know what kind of people are at the top of our circle. That’s how supernatural powers are; the stronger they are, the more selfish they become, always doing things that cause headaches for those weaker than them.”

Starfish patted Lin Jiade on the shoulder: "Keep it up. I hope you won't end up like Korobochka."

"I won't, because I don't have any such ambitions. And then there's the matter of Gladiolus..."

“The Empire has recast Korobochka,” said the interstellar flying fish.

Lin Jiade's blood pressure spiked immediately: "What?! So many of our people died, so much blood was lost, and in the end..."

"Don't rush, it's not what you think, you'll be here soon... never mind, it's no fun talking about this."

After saying goodbye to the deceased, Lin Jiade bids farewell to the living. Yuki is devastated and tired of adventure. She decides to find a job and live a stable life... She succeeds, but a 996 job wears down her energy, and their contact gradually decreases.

It wasn't until one day, when Lin Jiade realized they hadn't been in contact for a long time, that he understood that Yuki had completely returned to a normal life.

Is this happiness or misfortune? Lin Jiade wanted to ask, but he didn't, because he didn't want to disturb Yuki's ordinary life.

Cyrus and his team recruited other survivors to return to their homeland and manage their land. They invited Lin Jiade to visit, but due to the long distance, Lin Jiade was unable to come.

As Lin Jiade left the cemetery, he saw Jasmine waiting there. Jasmine did nothing, but a warm feeling welled up in his chest. He took the initiative to hold her left hand, while his free right hand was suddenly embraced by Du Juan.