Sleepless Nights (Thanks to tOAst, the top-tier big boss, for the elite verification)

Around 4 AM.

The world was enveloped in tranquility, utterly silent.

Inside the bedroom, the darkness was as thick as ink.

Two people lay on opposite sides of the large bed.

Yet, only one steady, even breath could be heard.

Gu Ximan tossed and turned lightly, careful not to disturb the sleeping Gu Luo beside her.

Her eyelids felt heavy, waves of drowsiness washing over her, but every time she drifted into a light slumber, she would jolt awake again.

A peaceful sleep was simply out of reach.

All because the person she loved most was lying right next to her—so close, yet worlds apart.

"Thump."

"Thump."

Gu Ximan's heart raced wildly, its pounding like rapid war drums in the quiet room, reverberating in her ears.

She longed to cling to Gu Luo like an affectionate octopus, to feel his warmth and listen to his heartbeat.

But she couldn’t.

She was instinctively shy.

Because her conscience wasn’t clear.

Her feelings were no longer pure and simple.

This was a girl’s burning affection and deep adoration for a boy, emotions weighing heavily on her heart.

Forget embracing him—even falling asleep peacefully had become a luxury.

Unlike a certain blockhead, who was comfortably snoring away without a care.

How infuriating. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

How could he sleep so soundly with the most beautiful girl in Guangya lying right beside him?!

At this thought, Gu Ximan clenched her small fists and puffed out her cheeks—a habit she unconsciously slipped into whenever Gu Luo was near.

This expression, one of subtle pouting and sulking, was reserved for him alone.

No, no, no. Why should I be the only one losing sleep over this?

The more she dwelled on it, the more unfair it felt, and a mischievous idea sprouted in her mind—should she scoot over and tease Gu Luo a little?

Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do.

The main goal was to mess with him, not just to get closer!

Once her mind was made up, Gu Ximan moved cautiously, like a stealthy kitten, inching closer to the handsome boy beside her.

Every small shift was followed by a pause, her eyes nervously scanning for any reaction from Gu Luo.

When she finally reached the perfect spot, she propped herself up slightly, using the faint moonlight streaming through the window to study his unfairly beautiful sleeping face.

Her gaze grew hazy, and for a moment, she hesitated to ruin such a perfect scene.

But then, unbidden thoughts surfaced—Lu Xuexue, who had a crush on Gu Luo; Luo Shuning, who had gone on dates with him; the countless admirers at school.

All of them wanted to take Gu Luo away.

Take away the Gu Luo who belonged to her.

No.

Absolutely not.

This thought spiraled wildly in her mind, filling her with panic and sorrow, as if a spoon had scooped out a piece of her heart.

At the same time, her heartbeat only grew faster.

Taking a quiet breath, Gu Ximan made her final decision—one she had already resolved upon before posting their photos in the fan group.

She inhaled again, steadying the surge of emotions, then slowly leaned down.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment, the world narrowing to just the two of them.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

...

She had no idea how much time passed before she carefully lifted her head, then fanned her flushed cheeks with her hands, trying to cool herself down.

Her heart was pounding even harder now.

Her body felt drained of strength, her arms barely under control.

But her heart swelled with joy.

Gu Luo’s first kiss—it was hers now.

Yet, as the seconds ticked by, that joy gradually faded, replaced by endless uncertainty.

Had she… gone too far?

She had promised herself not to make things difficult for Gu Luo.

But she couldn’t resist…

Gu Ximan buried her burning face in her hands and slowly retreated to the far side of the bed.

Once flat on her back again, she buried her face into the pillow.

Her emotions were a tangled mess—conflicted, sorrowful, happy, relieved—each one flickering through her heart like a revolving lantern.

And then the cycle repeated.

Conflict.

Sorrow.

...

Under the relentless torment of these emotions, Gu Ximan’s consciousness gradually blurred, and she finally fell into a deep sleep.

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

Time slipped by unnoticed, and the first light of dawn crept in.

Sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a glow on half of Gu Luo’s face.

"Mmm…"

Gu Luo, whose internal clock was always precise, slowly opened his eyes and stared blankly at the white ceiling for a moment.

He licked his slightly dry lips, the sensations from his dream feeling eerily real.

Yes, he had dreamed of the little demon again.

Dreamed of holding her close, of kissing her.

But that was inevitable—after all, she was the only one he had ever done those things with.

Stretching lazily, Gu Luo wriggled like some bizarre creature before suddenly freezing mid-motion.

His gaze drifted to Gu Ximan, still asleep on the other side of the bed.

She remained flat on her back, her soft flesh slightly squished by her sleeping posture.

"How is sleeping like that not uncomfortable?"

Every time he saw Gu Ximan’s strange sleeping position, he couldn’t help but comment.

There was still some time before she needed to wake up—the silly girl could sleep for a few more minutes.

Time to get up.

First, the bathroom, then washing up, followed by making breakfast and lunch for his four younger sisters.

With that in mind, he quietly slipped out of bed, put on his slippers, and headed for the door.

Ten minutes to take care of business, five minutes to freshen up.

Humming a cheerful tune, Gu Luo descended the stairs feeling refreshed.

Just then, a crisp voice greeted him.

"Morning, brother."

Following the sound, Gu Luo turned to the slender figure on the sofa and asked in surprise, "Shuling? You’re up this early?"

"I’m planning to go for a run later. Losing to you yesterday was quite a blow," Luo Shuling said, clutching her chest dramatically, pretending to be deeply wounded.

Gu Luo couldn’t help but laugh. "Shuling, I’m a guy. Biologically, I’m just built stronger than girls."

"I’m not just any girl," Luo Shuling retorted, standing up with a grin.

"Bro, don’t bother making breakfast for me and Ximan today. As for our school bags, Shuning can carry them."

"Huh? Are you taking Ximan out for a run too?"

"Yep! Running is always better with company," Luo Shuling said, bouncing toward the stairs. She narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"Ximan’s eaten so many of my snacks—it’s time she repaid the favor."

"Fair enough. Dragging that little pig out for some exercise is a good idea. Just be careful, you two." Gu Luo chuckled.

After all, what goes around comes around.

"Got it!"

Luo Shuling playfully saluted before scampering upstairs.

About ten minutes later, she came back down, dragging a half-dead Gu Ximan behind her.

"Shuling... let me sleep a little longer..."

"Just ten more minutes, I'll do anything..."

Gu Ximan's cold tea-brown hair was disheveled, her delicate face drooping as she blinked sleepily, her expression on the verge of tears, her voice full of pleading.

Hearing the commotion, Gu Luo, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen with a chuckle.

"Stupid big bro! Hel—"

Gu Ximan's eyes lit up as if she'd found a lifeline, but before she could finish, Gu Luo raised his phone and snapped a photo of her with a "click." Then, with a wave, he strolled back into the kitchen, leaving behind a teasing remark—

"Now you look even sillier."

"......"

Gu Ximan immediately puffed up her cheeks.

All traces of drowsiness vanished.

She clenched her fists.

Hard.

"Come on, Ximan, Shu He and Shuning will bring our bags and lunch."

Just as Gu Ximan was about to storm into the kitchen and unleash a barrage of "Ximan punches" on Gu Luo, Luo Shuling pulled her straight out of the house.

"Ding."

"Elevator descending."

"First floor."

Once outside, Gu Ximan immediately put on a pitiful face and asked,

"Shuling... can we run a little less...?"

Hearing this, Luo Shuling ruffled her cold tea-brown hair and smiled. "We're not running, silly. Your health isn't great to begin with."

"Huh? Then why did you say we were going for a morning jog?"

Gu Ximan was utterly confused.

"The jog was just an excuse. I actually wanted to take you to my favorite breakfast spot."

"You could've just said that... you scared me."

"Wanted to tease you a bit, haha." Luo Shuling didn’t explain further, just laughed it off before taking Gu Ximan’s delicate, soft hand and leading her down the street.

"Ximan’s hands are so soft."

"Ximan smells so nice."

"Ximan has such a great figure."

"Ximan’s hair color is so pretty."

"......"

Luo Shuling showered Gu Ximan with compliments the entire way.

"Shuling... you're making me blush..." Gu Ximan’s cheeks tinged pink as she spoke shyly.

"Just telling the truth. Ximan is seriously adorable."

After another five minutes of walking, Luo Shuling stopped in front of a small noodle shop.

Staring at the sign, Gu Ximan hesitated. "Shuling... are we really having noodles for breakfast?"

She rarely ate noodles, and never this early in the morning.

It felt strange—like eating rice first thing in the day.

"Yep. You’ll understand in a bit."

Luo Shuling gave a mysterious smile and tugged Gu Ximan inside.

As soon as they entered, she called out, "Grandpa, three bowls of beef noodles!"

Wait... how many?!

Gu Ximan’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly tugged Luo Shuling’s sleeve. "Shuling, there’s only two of us..."

"Oh... right, sorry."

Luo Shuling corrected herself, "Grandpa, four bowls of beef noodles!"

???

Gu Ximan’s brain short-circuited, her face a canvas of confusion.

The noodle shop had only one customer—a stern-looking, bald old man who seemed the quiet type.

He gave a slight nod before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Shuling... I don’t really like noodles... two bowls is too much..." Gu Ximan whispered urgently after they sat down.

"Relax, three of them are mine."

???

Gu Ximan’s mind blanked again.

Three bowls?

She’s eating three alone?

"Shuling... are you serious?"

"Of course! I used to eat this much all the time."

"That’s... impressive..."

Gu Ximan couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, utterly awed by her appetite.

Soon, the bald owner returned with a tray carrying four steaming bowls.

The rich aroma hit them instantly.

"Wow."

Gu Ximan sniffed, her eyes sparkling.

Her usual resistance to noodles melted under the assault of that delicious smell.

"It’s amazing." Luo Shuling handed her a pair of chopsticks, then added,

"Eat up. After this, I need to talk to you about something."

"Huh? What is it?"

Gu Ximan’s hand paused mid-air as she took the chopsticks.

Luo Shuling turned slightly, her smile fading into something more serious. Softly, she said,

"About... how kindness can be a sin..."

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

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