Mixed Feelings

Gu Luo didn’t dare to move a muscle.

Yet again, it was one of those zero-frame openings—utterly unpredictable, leaving him defenseless and overwhelmed.

He felt both resistant and, to some extent, helplessly drawn into it.

But then again, he was used to it by now.

As the saying goes, life is like an unstoppable journey. If you can’t resist, you might as well try to enjoy it.

However, this time, the little devil’s assault was noticeably fiercer than before.

Her passion surged like relentless tides, wave after wave crashing over him.

If Gu Luo hadn’t braced himself with both hands against a support, he might’ve been flat on his back by now.

It was enough to make a man’s head spin—both of them.

Several times, an impulse welled up inside him, urging him to just surrender to this fervor or even “flip the script and seize control” with a bold response.

But every time such thoughts crossed his mind, the gentle face of his little angel, Shu Ning, would instantly appear before his eyes.

In that moment, his heart would flood with overwhelming guilt.

Gu Luo knew very well that as long as he didn’t take the initiative, there was still a way out.

Otherwise, once he indulged in this rosy, intoxicating warmth, there’d be no escaping the little devil’s grasp.

Passive and active—though just one word apart, the difference was like a chasm, determining whether there was still room to retreat.

And so, time slipped away silently in this wordless tug-of-war. About ten minutes passed.

Finally, Luo Shuhe reluctantly sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. With a faint, knowing smile, she murmured,

“Seems like you’re having a hard time.”

Gu Luo opened his mouth awkwardly but ended up saying nothing.

Well, duh.

He was practically turning into the goddamn Ninja Turtle.

Listen, buddy, it’s not that I’m weak—I just can’t do it. If I actually responded, I’d be betraying my little angel.

So you’ll just have to keep waiting.

“Shuhe… aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?” Gu Luo took a deep breath, steadying the storm inside him. “What we have now is just… now. It can’t stay this vague forever.”

“Playboy.”

Luo Shuhe tossed the word back at him, her tone light.

Gu Luo sighed again. “Yeah, I am a playboy… But if things ever get serious, I won’t keep wavering like this.”

“So?”

“So…”

Gu Luo trailed off, his heart tangled like a mess of mixed flavors—bitter, sour, everything at once.

Silence settled between them, the room so quiet they could hear each other’s breathing.

After who knows how long, Luo Shuhe suddenly broke the stillness. “I have a gift for you.”

“A gift? What kind?” Gu Luo blinked in surprise.

“One that’s perfect for you.” She smirked mysteriously, clearly unfazed by his earlier “playboy” confession.

Her hand slid under the blanket, rummaged around for a bit, then pulled out something and stuffed it into his pocket without warning.

“What is this?”

Gu Luo froze again, instinctively reaching into his pocket.

But the moment his fingers brushed against it, realization struck like a bolt of lightning, leaving him completely numb.

“For when someone’s watching anime later. Mhm.”

“No, no no no.” Gu Luo’s instincts screamed refusal, but the little devil grabbed his hand before he could pull away.

“Don’t like it?”

Luo Shuhe tilted her head, waving her slender, perfectly manicured fingers with a teasing grin.

“Or is it… this?”

“I’m leaving. Goodbye!”

Gu Luo couldn’t take it anymore. He bolted up and fled like his life depended on it.

Fast.

This place was a pink hell.

One wrong step, and he’d plunge into an abyss with no return.

Billions of lives could be lost.

Just as he reached the door, Luo Shuhe’s voice drifted after him, lazy and amused:

“I like it when you call me ‘little devil.’”

“Because I am.”

“The contract’s already sealed. You can’t run.”

Gu Luo didn’t look back. He yanked the door open and stepped out, closing it softly behind him.

One smooth motion—hesitate for even a second, and that pink magic might drag him back in.

Standing in the dark hallway, he gulped down deep breaths of fresh air.

But his gaze inevitably drifted toward Luo Shuning’s room, his emotions a tangled mess.

Little angel… I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.

And the second the door clicked shut—

Luo Shuhe clutched her burning cheeks and flopped onto the bed.

Then proceeded to roll around uncontrollably a few times.

Finally, her eyes locked onto her sister’s bedroom through the wall.

—Sis, I’m going to win.

Meanwhile, at her desk, Luo Shuning—oblivious to the two pairs of eyes staring through the wall at her—was fully absorbed in her game, fingers flying across the keyboard as she barked orders into her headset:

“Push A long. I’ll solo B short.”

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