These siblings look so alike.

Gu Ximan chirped her words cheerfully, her small hands playfully clasped behind her back as she bounced out of the room.

After gently closing the door, the sweet smile that had been plastered on her face faded slightly.

‘Brother, I like you’ and ‘Brother, I love you so much!’ might seem similar on the surface, but their true meanings were worlds apart.

The emotions they carried were like an unfathomable, insurmountable chasm.

Though they were part of a blended family with no blood relation, the label of ‘little sister’ was tightly bound to her by the threads of fate—inescapable and absolute.

A sister was, after all, just a sister.

In Gu Luo’s eyes, she was nothing more than a tsundere, jealous little fool of a sister.

Gu Ximan leaned her back lightly against Gu Luo’s bedroom door, her emotions tangled in a complicated mess.

She regretted it—why hadn’t she mustered the courage to voice the truest feelings in her heart?

But even if time rewound and everything started over, the outcome would likely remain unchanged.

Some words simply couldn’t be spoken.

Gu Luo treated her so well, giving selflessly without reservation—how could she drag him into such a dilemma?

This was fine.

As long as she could stay by his side, that was enough.

After sorting through her thoughts for the moment, Gu Ximan lazily stretched, arching her back in a languid motion.

In that instant, her alluring curves were on full display, radiating the unique charm of a youthful girl.

“Stupid big brother… I’ve clearly grown up already…”

Pouting slightly, she muttered under her breath before fishing her phone out of her pocket to check the time.

Since she had tossed and turned all night, agonizing over her book report, she had woken up a full half-hour earlier than usual.

Maybe she should go back to sleep?

That sounded nice—nothing beat the cozy comfort of a second round of sleep.

But just then, her stomach let out a soft, untimely growl of protest.

Instinctively, Gu Ximan thought of barging back into Gu Luo’s room to wake him up for breakfast.

Yet after taking just one step, she froze.

The thought of her stupid big brother having to work hard to make breakfast and lunch for everyone later made her heart twinge with reluctance.

Forget it—she’d let him sleep a little longer.

Hmph, she really was the sweetest little sister in the world, always so considerate of her brother.

Amused by her own thoughts, Gu Ximan’s steps lightened as she headed straight for the fridge, determined to find something to tide her over.

She pulled open the fridge door, her bright eyes quickly scanning its contents.

Most of what greeted her were ingredients for cooking.

After some effort, she spotted a few snacks like biscuits—but none were flavors she liked.

Gu Ximan patted her stomach, deciding she wasn’t starving after all, and settled for grabbing a yogurt cup.

Honestly, she was a little surprised they even had this brand here.

But then again, Caizhou wasn’t too far from Caixin County, so it made sense they could find it.

After peeling off the lid, she stuck out her tongue and licked it several times.

Her eyes narrowed in sheer bliss as a blissful smile spread across her face.

The true joy and meaning of eating yogurt lay precisely in this—licking the lid.

A yogurt without lid-licking was a yogurt without a soul.

But in that instant, Gu Ximan suddenly remembered something. Her licking froze mid-motion, and her fair cheeks gradually flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

Stupid big brother… how could he have done something like that earlier…

That wasn’t even a yogurt lid! So infuriating.

And the worst part? He had even spat it out with a disgusted look!

Aaaaah!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

At the thought of that utterly detestable someone, Gu Ximan puffed up her cheeks, her small fists clenching unconsciously.

How could her stupid big brother spit it out like it was gross? It was so fragrant!

Right now, she was itching to go back and fight him again.

But remembering how easily he could pin her down, leaving her helpless, she quickly dismissed the idea.

Fine, fine—she’d let him off the hook this time.

Just this once. No next time.

As Gu Ximan mentally defeated Gu Luo with her ‘moral victory,’ she was about to close the fridge door when she happened to glance up.

In that split second, her eyes met a pair of clear, autumn-water-like ones.

“Ah—!”

With a startled shriek, she jumped back, nearly dropping the yogurt in her hand.

“Little sister, why are you as jumpy as your brother?” Luo Shuhe casually stuck a straw into her yogurt and took a small sip.

“Shuhe-jie… you… why don’t you make any noise when you walk?”

Gu Ximan clutched her pounding chest, still shaken. “You could scare someone to death like that!”

“Truly siblings.” Luo Shuhe bit the straw, shaking her head slightly in a quiet remark.

Exactly like Gu Luo’s reaction last night—as if cut from the same cloth.

She reached out, gently smoothing Gu Ximan’s slightly disheveled cool tea-brown hair before saying softly,

“I’ve been standing here for a while. You kept switching between looking happy and blushing shyly, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Ahem…”

Hearing this, Gu Ximan coughed lightly, her already pink cheeks flushing even deeper.

Her gaze darted away as she stammered,

“I… I was just thinking about something…”

“About your brother, right?” Luo Shuhe cast a faint glance at the simple-minded, adorable fool of a sister.

Her thoughts were practically written all over her face—clear as day, with zero subtlety.

Truly the most innocent and naive child in the entire family.

“I—I wasn’t! Don’t talk nonsense…”

Caught off guard, Gu Ximan’s face burned even redder, her ears turning scarlet as she stumbled over her denial.

But her body was being painfully honest.

“How strange. Isn’t little sister a full-blown brother-con? Always clinging to him at school—why so shy all of a sudden?” Luo Shuhe tilted her head slightly, still biting the straw as she studied her calmly.

“I… It’s not…”

Gu Ximan opened her mouth to explain, but when her eyes accidentally landed on the yogurt lid, a certain memory flashed in her mind, and the words died in her throat.

Stupid big brother! Stupid big brother! Stupid big brother!

Freaking pervert, foot fetishist!

Making her embarrass herself in front of Shuhe-jie.

After mentally venting her frustration at a certain someone, Gu Ximan forcibly suppressed her flustered anger and looked up at Luo Shuhe, changing the subject.

“Shuhe-jie, biting straws is a bad habit. You should stop.”

At those words, Luo Shuhe’s chewing paused briefly, her usually calm eyes flickering with a momentary daze.

But soon, she returned to her usual expressionless state, slowly releasing the straw she had been biting between her lips.

Her thoughts remained unreadable.

As she stared at the flattened yogurt straw, Gu Ximan suddenly recalled a video she had once stumbled upon online.

The video claimed that studies showed girls who liked biting straws tended to be...

She wasn’t sure whether there was any truth to it.

If the video was to be believed, she could hardly imagine what the usually aloof and icy "big sister" Luo Shuhe might be like in private.

The sheer contrast was almost amusing.

At this thought, Gu Ximan’s curiosity flared up, and she couldn’t resist asking, "Shuhe-jie, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Gu Ximan leaned in slightly, glanced at the staircase, then cautiously ventured,

"Shuhe-jie... do you have a guy you like?"

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