Cat Noir looked at Ladybug, who seemed to be on fire, and his survival instinct instantly kicked in. Afraid of becoming a casualty of his partner's wrath, he reflexively spoke rapidly, spilling all the information like beans from a bamboo tube: "Over there! In a janitor's closet, left at the end of the corridor!"
He pointed in the direction of the stairwell, almost drawing a map. "I heard Young Master Adrien say that Jaden is alone, so it's safe! Absolutely safe!"
Before he finished speaking, a red blur had already flashed past his eyes.
Upon getting the exact location, Ladybug didn't hesitate for a moment, not even bothering to say "Got it."
She directly swung her yo-yo, wrapping it around a ceiling beam, and her body, like an arrow released from a bow, swung towards the stairwell.
That urgency and decisiveness left Cat Noir dumbfounded.
He stood in place, scratching his fluffy blonde hair, a puzzled look on his face: "Strange... she was quite normal before, but as soon as she heard Jaden's name, she... why is she like a different person?"
After a moment of thought, he shook his head, completely unable to comprehend his partner's complex and fickle maiden's heart.
His gaze shifted to the other side, seeing the Bodyguard, who had just returned to normal, pick up his phone as if to make a call. A premonition of ill omen surged in his heart—this call was probably to his father, and once his father knew "he" was in danger, the consequences would be unimaginable.
To avoid further complications, Cat Noir's figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the corridor. He needed to detransform and deal with the aftermath of the commotion as "Adrien."
A moment later, Adrien emerged from another corridor corner, tidying his slightly disheveled clothes, with a perfectly natural look of post-chaos shock on his face.
Seeing Young Master Adrien safe and sound, the Bodyguard's face uncharacteristically showed a sigh of relief, and he immediately put down the phone he was about to dial.
But almost simultaneously, the phone screen lit up, and the caller ID was none other than "Gabriel."
The Bodyguard immediately answered the call, his body unconsciously standing at attention: "Sir."
From the other end of the line came Gabriel's emotionless yet authoritative voice: "Is it over?"
"Yes, sir, Ladybug and Cat Noir have resolved the problem."
"What about Young Master Adrien? How is he?"
"Young Master Adrien is safe and sound, sir."
"Tell him to come back immediately."
Gabriel's command was simple and direct, brooks no argument. "Whatever 'agreement' you still have there, immediately, right now, send him home."
"Yes, sir."
The call ended, the Bodyguard put down his phone, and his previously relaxed face became serious again.
He walked up to Adrien and said in an unchallengeable tone: "Young Master Adrien, the master called. We should go back."
"But... my friends..." Adrien looked troubled, his gaze towards the direction where Jaden and Nino had hidden earlier.
"At least, can I go see my friends first, to confirm they are all safe?"
He looked at the Bodyguard with his sincere emerald eyes, and faced with this reasonable request, the Bodyguard's heart wavered. After a moment of silence, he nodded.
The two then quickly hurried to the sixth floor.
At this moment, in the small janitor's closet on the sixth floor, the air temperature seemed to have risen by several degrees.
The space was already narrow, largely occupied by various cleaning tools, and the presence of Jaden, Aurore, and Mireille made it exceptionally crowded.
Every subtle movement of their bodies almost resulted in contact with him, and an ambiguous aura, like a vine, wantonly grew in the darkness, entwining every beating heart.
Aurore and Mireille, faces flushed, pressed tightly against Jaden's sides.
During the brief silence just now, the two girls exchanged a glance and reached a bold consensus, seeing the same desire and determination in each other's eyes—
Opportunities are fleeting. In this chaotic moment full of uncertainty, emotional outbursts were especially natural. If they waited until everything settled down, the feelings hidden deep in their hearts might not be spoken for who knows how long.
If not now, when?
"Jaden..."
Mireille mustered her courage, tilted her head up, her voice trembling slightly in the small space.
"Thank you... for protecting us."
Aurore was even more direct. She closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and gently pressed her soft, faintly fragrant lips against Jaden's cheek.
At that instant, Jaden felt himself wrapped in two distinctly different yet equally sweet auras—on one side was Aurore's warm and bold embrace, like sunshine, and on the other was Mireille's gentle and shy closeness, like a breeze.
He was a bit dazed, only able to accept it all, a hint of helplessness rising in his heart, but more than that, an inexpressible sense of satisfaction from being completely trusted and relied upon.
He could clearly feel the rapid heartbeats of the two girls due to nervousness and excitement, as well as the captivating warmth of their youthful bodies. Just as he was about to respond to this ardent and sincere emotion... "Bang!" The door, which Adrien had closed from the outside, was violently pulled open from the outside with brute force.
Bright corridor lights instantly flooded in, causing the three people in the room to instinctively squint their eyes.
At the doorway, Ladybug's iconic red and black figure stood silently, like an angel of judgment descended to the mortal world.
Time seemed to be paused. The three people in the room maintained their intimate posture, looking bewilderedly at the doorway;
Ladybug at the doorway was also completely bewildered—what was going on?
The scene she had envisioned was Jaden curled up alone in a dark corner, trembling with fear, or suffering from injuries due to facing danger alone, waiting for rescue.
She had rushed over with anxiety, worry, and a strong desire to protect, at the fastest speed, even resorting to the crude method of violently breaking down the door. But what she saw was a scene that could make her heart stop:
The young man she dreamed of day and night, safe and sound, stood there, but on his left and right sides were two other girls "hanging" on him like the most intimate lovers—
It was none other than the "rumored girlfriends" of Jaden, the Weather Girl Aurore and Mireille, who had been hotly discussed in the news media recently!
One boldly nestled in his arms, the other shyly leaned her head on his shoulder. The three of them, in this small, dim, enclosed space, were so intimately posed that she couldn't breathe.
How could this be?
His brain completely crashed. Endless feelings of grievance and heartbreak. Was she too timid?
A week ago, after dancing with Jaden, she even wanted to continue their romantic "journey to the Love forever more" in her dreams, wanting to extend the beauty of reality, but when she woke up, nothing had happened.
In the following days, campus life returned to normal. She reverted to the shy and clumsy Marinette, unable to even speak a complete sentence to Jaden, only able to watch from afar, burying her overflowing emotions deep in her heart.
And just now, when she heard from Cat Noir that Jaden was in danger, her heart almost jumped out of her throat. She worried that he was scared, that he was hurt, so she rushed over at the fastest speed, only to see this scene that made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar—
It turned out he didn't need her protection at all. It turned out he already had others by his side. It turned out those news reports weren't entirely groundless.
A sense of loss, like cold seawater, completely engulfed her.
Aurore and Mireille in the room, after their initial shock, recognized the Parisian superhero. They somewhat flusteredly released Jaden.
With a blush from being "caught," they greeted her politely and friendly: "Hello, Ladybug."
Just then, a passing staff member saw the commotion and shouted to Aurore and Mireille: "Aurore! Mireille! The filming is about to restart, come over quickly!"
"Ah, okay!"
The two responded as if granted a great pardon, then reluctantly glanced at Jaden before quickly leaving this strangely atmospheric "shura field."
At the other end of the corridor, Young Master Adrien and the Bodyguard found the storage room he had locked, "rescuing" a bewildered Nino.
As they walked over, they happened to witness this scene, which could be called a "famous moment."
"Wow..." Nino couldn't help but let out a low sigh.
Young Master Adrien's gaze swept back and forth between the pale Ladybug and the helpless Jaden, always feeling that Ladybug's red bodysuit looked a bit "green" at this moment.
"Um... I think we might not be suitable to stay here any longer."
He said, knowing his place.
"Right, right," Nino nodded frantically beside him, but still asked Young Master Adrien in a low voice, worried: "Then... what about Jaden?"
Young Master Adrien leaned into his ear and whispered a piece of gossip only the two of them could hear: "Don't worry, I heard... Ladybug, she likes Jaden."
"Ah?" Nino's eyes instantly widened.
"So, this is something between the two of them. We outsiders shouldn't interfere."
After Young Master Adrien finished speaking, he pulled Nino without question, and under the Bodyguard's escort, they quickly left the scene. In the long corridor, only Jaden and Ladybug remained, and the air seemed to solidify.
Ladybug gazed steadily at Jaden, her masked eyes brimming with complex and hard-to-discern emotions—sadness, disappointment, jealousy, and a hint of a deep, bottomless possessiveness that even she hadn't noticed.
Finally, all emotions transformed into a cold silence. She said nothing, only slowly turned around, as if to leave, to bury this silent accusation and heartbreak forever.
But just as she turned, Jaden's heart felt a sudden, sharp pain without warning!
It was a tearing pain, as if from the depths of his soul. Countless chaotic and bloody images flashed through his mind like broken glass—
He didn't know what this was, but he couldn't let her go, at least not in this state. He had to do something to soothe her!
Almost as soon as this thought flashed, Jaden's body moved before his brain.
He took a swift step forward and grabbed Ladybug's wrist from behind.
Ladybug's body stiffened. Just as she was about to struggle free, she was pulled back by an irresistible force—she crashed into a warm and solid embrace.
Then, in Ladybug's wide, shocked eyes, Jaden's face rapidly enlarged in her vision.
He kissed her, without the slightest hesitation or doubt, as firm as a prince making an eternal promise to a princess, with an undeniable tenderness and dominance. His lips precisely covered her soft lips, slightly parted in surprise.
Ladybug's eyes instantly widened to their extreme, her brain crashing completely for the second time.
She was originally just sad and wronged, only wanting to escape, but she never expected that Jaden would respond to her silence in such a decisive, direct, and irresistible way.
At that moment, all the grievances, heartbreak, and jealousy seemed to be shattered by this sudden kiss, melting away like ice and snow meeting the warm sun.
She was like a lost little butterfly finally finding its companion, gently nestling and dancing in the garden named "Heart's Desire."
A never-before-felt tingling sensation, like a faint electric current running through her entire body in spring, instantly drained all strength from Ladybug, leaving her barely able to stand, supported by Jaden.
Her mind was blank, filled only with that reassuring, unique scent of his, transmitted in the most direct way, like the first ray of morning sun, gently enveloping her heart.
Her heart, cold from jealousy, was completely melted at this moment.
She clumsily, tentatively, responded. Their breaths mingled in this sudden yet seemingly destined encounter.
Slowly, they intertwined, like two winding streams, overcoming numerous obstacles, finally converging and flowing into the ocean named "love," creating circle after circle of sweet ripples.
Their lips parted, with a hint of an ambiguous, almost imperceptible, wet sound.
They separated, but did not pull away.
Jaden's hands still gently held Ladybug's slender waist, and Ladybug's hands, at some point, unconsciously gripped the lapel of his shirt.
Their foreheads touched, their rapid breaths intertwined, clearly audible in the narrow and silent corridor.
Ladybug's masked eyes were now swirling with a storm of emotions.
Shock, confusion, shyness, infatuation... countless emotions, like a kaleidoscope, spun and collided in her deep blue pupils, finally transforming into a complex and moist radiance that even she herself could not decipher.
He... he kissed her... just like that... suddenly... without question...
His cheeks felt burning hot, the heat almost melting the mask on his face.
She wanted to say something, to ask something, for example, "Why did you do that?"
"What do you take me for?"
"And what was going on with those two girls just now?"
Jaden looked into her eyes, so close, full of confusion and helplessness, and the inexplicable sting in his heart slowly subsided.
He knew that kiss was impulsive, but it was also absolutely necessary.
He also wanted to say something, to explain, to comfort, to tell her that everything was not as she imagined.
The two of them opened their mouths almost simultaneously, wanting to break the heart-pounding silence.
However, at that very moment—
"Beep beep... beep beep..."
The ladybug earrings on Ladybug's ears flashed and chirped. This was an alarm that the miraculous's power was about to run out.
This sound, like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, instantly woke them from that subtle and complex atmosphere.
"I... I have to go!"
Ladybug, like a startled fawn, suddenly pushed Jaden away and took two big steps back.
Her voice carried an undisguised panic; her hero identity became the perfect excuse for her to escape this emotional storm.
She dared not look into Jaden's eyes again, almost fleeing in disarray, her figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Jaden reached out, seemingly wanting to grasp something, but in the end, he only caught cold air.
He stood rooted, looking in the direction she disappeared, and gently touched his lips, where a trace of her sweet, soft, and slightly cool touch seemed to linger.
On the rooftops of Paris, a red figure leaped swiftly. Marinette's heart beat even faster and more chaotically than when she had first arrived.
She found an empty alley, and after confirming the surroundings were safe, she quickly de-transformed.
The red light faded, and she returned to being an ordinary girl in pink pants and a gray jacket.
Tikki flew out of her earring, her small face filled with worry.
Marinette subconsciously pulled a spare macaron from her small shoulder bag and offered it to her.
"Marinette..."
Tikki took the macaron but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, she looked at her owner with her big, wise eyes.
"Just now... after the kiss, was there a moment when you wanted to reveal your true identity to him?"
Marinette's body stiffened, her secret exposed. That kiss had truly impacted her too much.
At that moment, she really had an urge to take off her mask and let him see the real her beneath the mask.
"Do you know how dangerous that would be!"
Tikki's voice became serious.
"Once Hawk Moth knows your identity, he will use everyone around you to threaten you!
Jaden, your parents, all your friends, will be put in extreme danger! It's a good thing your miraculous rang, otherwise..."
"I know... I know..."
Marinette leaned against the wall dejectedly, covering her burning face with her hand.
She gently touched her lips with her fingers, then quickly pulled them back as if shocked, as if she could still feel that intoxicating touch.
"But... Tikki..." she murmured, "He kissed me..."
"Yes,"
Tikki reminded her in an objective tone while munching on the macaron.
"But before that, he was also with two other girls, and they seemed very intimate.
Marinette, have you ever considered that he... might actually be their boyfriend?"
"Absolutely not!"
Marinette retorted almost immediately. Her mind became clearer than ever at this moment, like a detective analyzing a case.
"I have several pieces of evidence!"
She held up a finger, her eyes gleaming with confidence. "First, Aurore and Mireille's appearance was just a coincidence!
Think about it, when the Akumatized Person appeared, they happened to be at the TV station. To avoid danger, hiding in that utility room is perfectly logical!"
"Second,"
She held up a second finger.
"Cat Noir said that Adrien hid Jaden.
So, it's very likely that after Adrien pushed Jaden in, Jaden only then discovered someone was already inside.
To avoid making noise and being discovered by the Akumatized Person, he pulled those two equally frightened girls in with him to comfort them!"
"As for that intimate gesture you mentioned..."
Marinette's cheeks flushed slightly, but her tone remained firm.
"Tikki, think about how small that utility room is!
Three people squeezed inside, to avoid making noise, some physical contact was unavoidable! This can be entirely explained by 'cramped space'!"
Tikki tilted her small head, listening to Marinette's logical and well-reasoned analysis, and couldn't help but nod.
"Hmm... it seems that makes sense."
"Of course it does!"
Marinette's face bloomed into a smile again, as if the gloom in her heart had been dispelled by her own hand.
She rationalized all the "evidence" unfavorable to her into a series of coincidences.
"Alright, are you done eating? We should go back now."
She said, preparing to transform again. But this time, her destination was no longer Jaden's side, but her own home.
Jaden left the TV station alone. Walking on the streets of Paris in the evening, the night wind ruffled his hair, bringing a touch of coolness.
In his mind, he was still replaying everything that had just happened.
That kiss, those eyes wide with shock, and... that sudden fragment of memory.
He frowned, trying to recall those fragmented images, wanting to see what they were exactly.
But the fragments of memory were like quicksand between his fingers; the harder he tried to grasp them, the faster they slipped away.
In the end, only a vague but strong feeling remained—if he had let Ladybug leave in that state, she would be very dangerous, and dangerous to others as well.
"What the heck... this kind of third-rate novel plot device..."
He couldn't help but inwardly complain.
This feeling of things going wrong at a crucial moment and not being able to recall important information was truly terrible.
He sighed, took out his phone, and decided to call those two "deserters" first.
He dialed Nino first.
"Hello? Jaden? Are you alright?"
Nino's voice sounded robust, clearly having recovered from the earlier scare.
"I'm fine. You, on the other hand, ran faster than anyone just now," Jaden teased.
"Hey! Buddy, don't wrong me!"
Nino immediately protested loudly.
"In that situation, right? Ladybug and you face to face, that atmosphere... tsk tsk, how could I dare stay there and be a third wheel!"
Jaden smiled helplessly: "Alright, alright, no more joking. It's good that you're fine."
"Of course I'm fine!"
"That's good."
After hanging up with Nino, he called Adrien. On the other end, Adrien's answer was much the same,
also using his and Ladybug's relationship as an excuse for "not daring to disturb them," and saying he had an emergency and had been called home by his father.
Jaden hung up the phone and shook his head.
It seemed that his relationship with Ladybug had become a kind of default "fact" in the eyes of his friends.
Returning home, he pushed open the door, and an inviting aroma of bread wafted towards him.
On the living room table, Duusu was curled up on a soft cushion, sleeping soundly, with some breadcrumbs still clinging to her small mouth.
Jaden smiled and tiptoed into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
When Duusu was awakened by the aroma of food, she was greeted with a sumptuous dinner.
One person and one Kwami, under the warm lamplight, enjoyed their peaceful time.
Two more weeks passed. This day was François Dupont's "Parent's Career Day."
The classroom was much livelier than usual, with some students' parents invited to share their career stories with the children.
Of course, some parents were unable to attend due to busy work or other reasons.
Marinette's father, Tom, the tall and enthusiastic baker, stood at the podium, sharing his daily life as a baker in his loud and infectious voice.
He spoke of the joy of creating new flavors and the challenges of dealing with picky customers.
To give the students a more intuitive experience, he also brought a large basket of freshly baked croissants for Marinette to distribute to her classmates.
Chloé's father, Mayor Bourgeois, also came to the event. Dressed in a sharp suit, he spoke of the responsibilities of a mayor, his words full of a politician's demeanor.
Sabrina's father, Chief Roger, shared some interesting stories about maintaining urban public safety.
In the corridor outside the classroom, Adrien had just finished his call with his father. His face showed a hint of undeniable disappointment.
"He's not coming again, is he?" Plagg, the Kwami, poked her small head out of his shirt pocket, comforting him.
"Yeah," Adrien responded softly, "He's always like this."
"Don't be sad, Adrien," Plagg comforted him.
Adrien took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, pushed open the door, and walked into the classroom, sitting next to Nino in the first row.
Marinette was holding the basket, handing out bread to her classmates one by one.
When she reached Adrien and Nino, she smiled and handed them two fragrant croissants.
Then, she turned to the second row.
Chloé was showing off a velvet jewelry box, inside which lay a dazzling, jewel-encrusted golden bracelet.
"Wow! Chloé, it's so beautiful!" Sabrina, next to her, exclaimed exaggeratedly.
She carefully took out the bracelet, its brilliant sparkle almost blinding. She couldn't help but want to try it on her wrist.
"Look, don't touch!" Chloé snatched the bracelet back, carefully placing it back in the box, her face full of arrogance.
Just then, she saw Marinette walking over with the bread basket.
Chloé's lips immediately curled into a scornful sneer. She said to Sabrina in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for everyone around to hear: "Hmph, some people probably can't afford jewelry like this their whole lives. They can only deal with cheap flour."
These malicious and humiliating words instantly froze the air.
However, today Marinette did not choose to swallow her anger as usual.
Perhaps that sudden kiss gave her courage, or perhaps her hero identity made her inner self stronger.
She merely glanced at Chloé indifferently, then did something that surprised everyone.
She directly bypassed Chloé and Sabrina's seats and handed the croissants in her hand to Kim and Max in the row behind them.
"These are yours."
Then, she turned around, carrying the half-empty basket, and walked straight back to her seat, as if Chloé and Sabrina didn't exist at all.
Chloé's face instantly turned beet red. She hadn't expected that the usually timid Marinette would dare to humiliate her in public today!
"You...!" She was too angry to speak.
"She's just jealous!" Chloé could only grit her teeth and say to Sabrina, to mask her embarrassment and anger.
And this small scene was fully observed by Jaden, who was sitting not far away.
He looked at Marinette's straight, no longer timid back, and a smile of approval appeared on his lips.