Jasmine smirked. "I don’t care about rumors. Not that I remember any of it. But..."
Her gaze dropped to his D-Rank Sentinel badge.
"If you meet him, tell him not to show his face in front of me. He caused unnecessary complications, and I would have slapped him harder."
The man gulped.
For a moment, Jasmine’s presence felt completely different. Her cold stare carried the quiet threat of someone who knew exactly how much damage she could do, and suddenly, he wasn’t sure whether her warning was meant only for the person who wrote the post.
He nodded quickly and left the sofa.
Jasmine sighed heavily and leaned back.
The more she learned about Jasmine’s old life, the more interesting it became. It was full of drama, almost the complete opposite of her G-69 life.
But now, it seemed the old Jasmine hadn’t been nearly as bad as the rumors made her out to be.
This is why people need to eat tasty food instead of bland food. At least then their lives will be full because of good food, not starvation over a crisp, baseless rumor.
Not long after, Jasmine noticed a Sentinel and a Guide sitting on another sofa nearby. They seemed to have just finished binding their contract.
She’d already asked the blue-haired Sentinel before, only to end up disappointed.
Jasmine returned her attention to her sentinel hunting as the compatibility sync continued loading on the screen.
"Isn’t she Jasmine, the troublemaker?" the female Guide whispered, apparently trying to make sure Jasmine couldn’t hear her.
Unfortunately, Jasmine’s ears worked outside her command.
"Sshh... lower your voice. Before you came, she asked me to sync our compatibility."
"What? Is she crazy?"
"Well, I did it anyway."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Ssshhh... I was curious. You heard the rumor that she has S-Rank mental purification, right? But how can she have more than eighty-five percent compatibility with an S-Rank Sentinel and only thirty percent with me? Isn’t that insane?"
"Well, nothing good comes from getting involved with her. We lost one of the best Guides we’ve ever had because of her."
"Sssshhh!"
Jasmine continued studying the compatibility list on her radar as if the conversation had nothing to do with her.
She was already tired of hearing the same rumors. They were starting to feel like flies at a dining table—annoying, persistent, and impossible to enjoy a meal around.
Should I slap her too?
Before Jasmine could decide, the male Sentinel spoke again.
"Enough. Stop talking badly about her. She’s under the higher-ups’ supervision. She has plenty of sugar daddies to deal with. By the way, how did our compatibility go up two percent since last season? We were stuck at sixty-five percent for two months until the season ended."
Jasmine’s ear twitched.
"Heh. Turns out that fruit really works."
"What? You ate it? Yikes."
"Heh. It’s not that bad. It’s—"
The female Guide stopped when she noticed Jasmine staring straight at them.
Jasmine stood from her sofa and walked toward the pair.
The female Guide swallowed nervously as Jasmine approached. This was nothing like the shy, stuttering Jasmine she’d seen before. The longer Jasmine’s cold gaze stayed on her, the more she regretted talking about her in the first place.
"Uhm... hi, Jasmine. I didn’t know it was you. How are you?" the female Guide asked, forcing a polite smile.
Jasmine stopped in front of them, her expression cold and unreadable.
The two exchanged a nervous glance, silently wondering whether they should leave.
Then Jasmine asked politely, "What kind of fruit are you talking about?"
The female Guide visibly relaxed, though she was still quite taken aback by Jasmine’s polite tone.
"Ah... that? I don’t know the name. I got it from my cousin."
"So it can increase your compatibility after you eat it?"
"Ah... about that..." The female Guide hesitated. "Yeah, apparently it can. Why? Do you want some? I can ask my cousin where to get it."
Jasmine smiled faintly.
"Sure. Thanks."
The female Guide and male Sentinel stared at her blankly.
After exchanging BeepAir numbers, Jasmine turned around and walked away, a relieved smile spreading across her face.
Maybe there was a chance she could increase her compatibility with Oleander after all. Then she wouldn’t have to waste time searching for someone with more than ninety percent compatibility.
With newfound motivation, Jasmine headed toward the cafeteria.
Her stomach was already growling.
Based on her research, the cafeteria in the dorm only served meals during lunchtime, giving residents a chance to eat something other than their bland ration meals. Jasmine was curious about what the cafeteria had to offer since it was the only place in the dorm with enough spices to make the food actually taste good, even if it was only once a day.
Jasmine’s eyes lit up the moment she turned down the corridor and spotted the neon Cafeteria sign glowing against the titanium wall. She quickened her pace and stopped in front of the entrance.
The moment she stepped through the gate, Jasmine stopped.
The line was divided into two sections by a long metal barrier that came up to her waist. The right side was marked Floors 26–39, while the left said Floors 1–25.
From her research, Jasmine knew the floor numbers indicated where each resident’s dorm room was located. What stunned her was the obvious contrast between the two sides. The right side was noticeably more spacious and almost empty, while the left was crowded with people waiting in line.
Apparently, even equality has a floor plan.
Jasmine stepped into the right-side line.
She had barely taken two steps when someone clicked their tongue.
"Of course. The Mayor’s daughter gets the good line too."
Jasmine turned.
A female Guide who had just finished her meal and was on her way out stopped to throw the sarcastic remark at her.
Jasmine looked at the sign above her head.
Floors 26–39.
Then she looked back at the woman.
"My room is on the twenty-eighth floor."