No (Thanks to tOAst's top-tier big bro for the expert certification)

"Xuexue, you seem especially happy today."

Just as they were about to enter the school building, Gu Ximan suddenly said to Lu Xuexue beside her.

At these words, Lu Xuexue's cheeks instantly flushed pink, her small hands tightly clutching a box of homemade pastries she had carefully prepared that morning.

Of course she was happy—last night, the artistic photos she had sent had earned her a whole lot of praise from Brother Gu.

More importantly, she had also learned that Brother Gu particularly loved the "absolute territory" between a girl's thigh-high socks and her short skirt.

Lu Xuexue felt like she had suddenly grasped the key to unlocking Brother Gu's heart. Now, when taking artistic photos in the future, she had a clear direction.

"So... you sent those photos to that senior, huh?" Gu Ximan's eyes sparkled with unmistakable gossipy curiosity as she eagerly pressed for details.

She still wasn’t entirely sure whether that senior was Situ Wenyao or not.

But she couldn’t just ask outright.

After all, the person she liked was someone she couldn’t bring herself to confess—there was no way to exchange secrets like this.

All she could say was that this little tsundere had already fallen into a state of "blind spot bias," her line of thinking completely off-track from the very beginning.

"Mhm, and I have to thank you for that, Manman." Lu Xuexue's face grew even redder as she nodded softly, her voice sweet and full of gratitude.

"Heh, of course! With my photography skills, how could it go wrong?"

Seeing her best friend so happy, Gu Ximan immediately perked up, puffing out her chest with confidence as she proudly declared, "Don’t worry, Xuexue! From now on, all your artistic photos are in my hands—I’ll make sure you look absolutely stunning!"

After a pause, though, she couldn’t resist her curiosity. Glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was listening, she lowered her voice and asked,

"Xuexue, is that senior you like Situ Wenyao? Back when you made us share the same cup of milk tea, were you still playing hard-to-get?"

"Uh..."

At this question, Lu Xuexue froze, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.

She was torn—on one hand, she wanted to be honest with her best friend, but on the other, she worried it might lead to unexpected complications.

After all, her best friend was a full-blown brother-con.

Maybe it was better to wait...

Once she and Brother Gu were officially together, she’d tell Manman everything right away!

Thinking this, Lu Xuexue carefully chose her words and slowly replied, "Manman, all I can say is... that senior doesn’t have the surname Situ..."

"Ah... so I really guessed wrong?"

Hearing this answer, Gu Xuexue instantly deflated like a balloon, her excitement completely deflating.

Could it be that buff-looking sports committee member?

But no matter how much she racked her brain, something still felt off.

Who could it be...?

It couldn’t possibly be her stupid older brother, right?

Hahaha... no way...

If it were him, Xuexue would definitely have told her...

Wait... would she?

No.

Something wasn’t right.

Gu Ximan’s thoughts suddenly halted as a creeping sense of unease settled in her chest.

No way...

But come to think of it, Xuexue made sweets for that stupid older brother of hers every single day...

Yikes...

Brimming with suspicion, Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue walked side by side into the classroom and took their seats next to each other.

After some friendly negotiations with their classmates, the two were now desk mates.

"Morning, Xiaoman! Morning, Xuexue!"

"Morning, Xiaoman! Morning, Xuexue!"

Two girls sitting in front of them turned around with cheerful greetings.

"Morning!" Lu Xuexue waved sweetly, her face bright with a smile.

"Morning."

Gu Ximan, however, responded distractedly, her mind still preoccupied with whether Lu Xuexue’s crush was actually her stupid older brother.

If it was... what was she supposed to do?

Support them wholeheartedly?

Or oppose it outright?

But what reason could she even use to oppose it?

They were the closest of best friends—they had even promised to fully support each other’s love lives.

Looking at it that way, the only obvious path seemed to be support.

But if that happened... she’d feel so weird about it.

What to do... what should she do...?

Just then, the girl in front of her noticed Gu Ximan’s odd expression and asked with concern,

"Xiaoman, what’s wrong? You look a little off."

The other girl chimed in, "Yeah, did something happen?"

Hearing this, Gu Ximan snapped out of her thoughts and quickly waved her hands with a laugh.

"No, no, don’t worry. I’m fine. Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night—just feeling a little out of it."

At the same time, she made up her mind to test Lu Xuexue’s feelings toward Gu Luo. With a playful grin, she said,

"Actually, I’m sleeping with my brother tonight, and I’m a little worried he might snore."

The moment these words left her mouth, the two fangirls in front of her exploded like fireworks, their faces lighting up with excitement as they leaned forward eagerly.

"Xiaoman, you’re sleeping with Gu Shen tonight?!"

"Wow! Is this the privilege of being a little sister?! I’m so jealous I could die!"

Their voices weren’t exactly quiet, and soon, the eyes of the entire class were on them.

The boys’ gazes were full of envy and resentment.

The girls’ were no different.

One side envied Gu Luo for being so close to Gu Ximan, while the other envied Gu Ximan for having such a brother.

But since they both shared the surname Gu—unlike the Luo sisters, they were actual siblings—everyone could reluctantly accept it.

Noticing the mix of envy and awe on the girls’ faces, Gu Ximan’s vanity skyrocketed. She lifted her chin slightly, pretending to be nonchalant as she casually remarked,

"It’s no big deal. When we were kids, I used to kick him in my sleep all the time."

As she spoke, her eyes subtly darted toward Lu Xuexue like a radar, trying to gauge her reaction.

But strangely, Lu Xuexue’s face showed none of the envy or jealousy the other girls displayed.

Instead, there was only a quiet, heartfelt happiness—as if she was genuinely glad to see someone she cherished finding joy.

This reaction was all wrong... Had she guessed incorrectly again?

Then who was that senior?

Ugh...

Gu Ximan’s brain was overheating.

Should she just ask directly?

But no matter how Lu Xuexue answered, it would only make things awkward between them.

Headache.

Just then, one of the fangirls in front eagerly asked,

"Xiaoman, does Gu Shen have a really good body?"

"I heard he has abs and pecs!" the other fangirl quickly added.

"Yeah, yeah, he does." Vanity once again got the better of Gu Ximan, and she put on an air of indifference as she bragged,

"My brother works out every day. It’s nothing special, but I’m planning to sleep on his abs tonight—they’re like a natural massage bed."

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

The two fangirls grew even more excited, their cheeks flushing pink.

"Xiaoman, you’re seriously too..."

The two were just about to say something when an abrupt voice suddenly cut them off.

"Quiet!"

The speaker was none other than the class monitor.

He set down his book and raised his head slightly, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Gu Ximan—the stunningly beautiful girl who had captured his heart at first sight.

With a hint of irritation in his voice, he said,

"Ximan, you and Gu Luo are both grown-ups now. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you two to still be sleeping together?"

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