Shuning, Shuhe.

At the same time.

Luo Shuning lay flat on the soft bed, the room silent except for her faint breathing and the occasional muffled thud of her legs kicking the sheets.

"Brother is spoiling Little Man way too much. It's a bit excessive."

She stared at the photos on her phone, trying to smile, but this time, the corners of her lips barely lifted before drooping helplessly again.

An indescribable, peculiar feeling spread through her heart.

For some reason... she felt a tiny, tiny, tiny bit irritated.

Just a smidge.

But it was something she’d never experienced before.

Luo Shuning kept scrolling through the photos on her phone, her chest feeling strangely tight.

She couldn’t help but murmur softly, "Am I jealous... or... am I angry...?"

The two in the photos looked far too intimate.

If it were just the usual arm-linking, it wouldn’t be a big deal—it’d even look heartwarming.

But now, not only were they flaunting their closeness in every photo, they were even going to sleep together tonight...

So frustrating.

Luo Shuning set her phone aside and buried her entire face deep into the blankets, her fair, slender legs kicking the bed even more rapidly.

She couldn’t help but wonder—if she and Gu Luozhen got together in two months, should she subtly bring this up?

But how would she even say it?

Ugh... Would he think she’s being too petty?

And if she did say something... it’d definitely affect her relationship with Little Man...

At this thought, Luo Shuning suddenly rolled onto her back, staring blankly at the white ceiling, her gaze complicated.

"Why do you have to be so kind to everyone...?"

"Even though that’s exactly what I love about you..."

Yes.

Her heart was in turmoil.

Like a small boat lost in a vast, endless sea.

She wanted—so, so badly—to claim Gu Luo for herself.

Ahead, there was the pressure from her family. Behind her, Shu He was catching up.

And then there were those hidden threats lurking in the shadows, like reefs beneath the ocean’s surface, waiting to deliver a fatal blow to her fragile love boat.

Luo Shuning had always been confident, ever since she was little. When this relationship began, she’d been just as self-assured. But as time passed and circumstances evolved, she suddenly found herself wavering.

She couldn’t stop overthinking.

The old her would never have been like this.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the neighboring room, as if she could see through the walls and witness what was happening inside. She whispered softly to herself,

"Shu He... What are you thinking right now?"

Meanwhile, in the next room.

"Big sister must be feeling jealous right now."

Luo Shuhe lay curled up on the bed, her silky black hair cascading like satin over her shoulders and pillow.

Staring at the photos on her phone, she couldn’t help but sigh.

"Sis... With the kind of person you are deep down, in the end, you’re the one who’ll get hurt."

"As for me..."

At this, she curled up even tighter, her face completely hidden behind her hair, concealing whatever expression she wore.

Her lips trembled slightly, but no sound escaped.

Clearly, those last words were meant only for herself.

As she scrolled back and forth between the two photos, Luo Shuhe wondered if she should go over and join the fun tonight—take a little piece for herself.

After all, one person sleeping together, two people sleeping together—why not three?

But just as the thought crossed her mind, Gu Ximan’s words echoed in her head—

"Shu He-jie, biting straws is a bad habit. You should fix that."

...Never mind.

She could let her little sister have this one.

She’s pitiful enough as it is.

She probably still hasn’t realized there’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing by her side.

Too naive.

With that thought, Luo Shuhe spoke up.

"Little Bai, turn off the lights."

"Understood."

The next second, the room plunged into darkness.

No more thinking. Time to sleep.

Closing her eyes, drowsiness gradually washed over her.

Before long, she drifted into dreams.

............

Her vision was blurry.

Everything around her seemed veiled in a hazy, dreamlike mist.

Luo Shuhe saw a little girl in the mirror—so small she barely reached the table.

The tiny figure felt both familiar and foreign.

Her perspective kept shifting—one moment, she was seeing through the girl’s eyes, as if she were her. The next, she was an outsider, silently observing.

Though she was conscious, it was faint—like the last flicker of a candle in the wind.

"Shu He! Shu He!"

Suddenly, a bright, cheerful voice called out from the distance.

Luo Shuhe instinctively turned and saw an identical little girl skipping toward her, her face brimming with a triumphant smile.

Coldly, she spoke.

"What do you want?"

............

............