Love is War

I'm going to die.

I'm going to die.

I'm going to die.

Inside the bathroom.

Gu Luo stared at the black gift in his hand, his palm burning as if ants were crawling under his skin, leaving him unbearably restless.

At this moment, his heart was like a volcano erupting—reason and desire twisted and clashed violently in the molten lava.

To say he didn’t have even a single improper thought would be a lie.

After all, leaving the little devil’s room had left him in an unbearable state.

Besides, this was the little devil’s intention.

She had agreed to it. She had even suggested it herself.

"Gulp."

Gu Luo swallowed hard, thinking—maybe he should just try it?

Just once.

No one would know. The little devil wouldn’t find out.

That way, he wouldn’t have to carry the burden of guilt.

Should he try it?

Should he?

The temptation coiled around him like a ghost, refusing to let go.

After struggling internally for what felt like an eternity, Gu Luo slowly walked to the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed his face with cold water. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh.

No.

He couldn’t cross that line.

He had to stick to his policy with the little devil—no initiative, no response.

Only then could he leave himself a way out.

Only then could he avoid falling completely into that pink abyss.

Yes, choosing the little devil would plunge him into endless pleasure.

But he couldn’t.

Some lines, once crossed, could never be uncrossed.

With that thought, Gu Luo forced himself to endure the torment. He poured some detergent near the washing machine and hand-washed the gift in his hand.

He hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly—first the little tsundere, and now the little devil.

Sigh.

This night was truly unbearable.

After washing and wringing it dry, Gu Luo walked downstairs with heavy steps, pushed open the balcony door, and stepped outside.

The night breeze brushed against him, cool and gentle, yet it couldn’t dispel the turmoil in his heart.

He hung the freshly washed gift on the clothesline and exhaled deeply once he was done.

This time, he had resisted temptation.

But what about next time?

The little devil’s advances were growing fiercer, more relentless with each attempt.

How much longer could he hold out?

Desire wasn’t so easily conquered.

Lost in thought, Gu Luo raised his head slightly and gazed at the full moon hanging high in the sky.

If only he could be with both the little angel and the little devil at the same time.

But that was impossible.

Just a foolish fantasy.

He had already considered this—no matter which path he took, it would lead to a dead end.

Forcing himself to choose between the two sisters would only result in one outcome—all three of them drowning in misery.

Even the so-called "winner."

Because at their core, the three of them were inseparable—like the palm and the back of the same hand.

No, in this twisted relationship, there was no such thing as a winner.

The more he thought about it, the more complicated his feelings became.

Just then, a soft voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Brother?"

Gu Luo instinctively turned around and was met with Luo Shuning’s gentle, delicate face.

Yet, beneath her usual warmth, there was a trace of exhaustion she couldn’t hide, making her appear slightly frail.

"Shu Ning, why aren’t you asleep yet?"

After speaking, Gu Luo steadied himself and walked toward her.

"I was going to have some milk. Do you want some too, brother?" Luo Shuning asked, unable to suppress a yawn.

"I’ll pass."

"Then why are you still awake?"

At her question, Gu Luo’s guilt deepened.

Why wasn’t he asleep?

Because he had just come back from the little devil’s room.

But that was a secret he could never reveal.

He could only awkwardly reply,

"The moon is especially beautiful tonight, so I came out to admire it."

"I see..."

Luo Shuning nodded slightly. She had originally planned to surprise Gu Luo, but she couldn’t hold back her excitement and blurted out with a smile:

"Brother, I have good news! We can play games together now!"

"I just ranked up—I’ve gotten really good!"

"Seriously, I’m super talented!"

As she spoke, her face lit up with pure joy.

Her eyes sparkled as if saying—Praise me, praise me!

Hearing her words and seeing the exhaustion she couldn’t hide, Gu Luo immediately understood why she was still awake so late.

The little angel had stayed up all night practicing—just so she could play games with him.

And what had he been doing?

Just a wall away, kissing the little devil.

Even hesitating in the bathroom about whether to use the gift she had given him.

The thought made his heart ache.

Guilt surged over him like a tidal wave, drowning him completely.

"Huh? Brother?"

"What’s wrong?"

Luo Shuning noticed Gu Luo spacing out and was about to wave her hand in front of his face when, in the next second, she was pulled into a tight embrace.

Gu Luo held her, his arms tightening around her.

At this moment, he finally understood why people who cheated would whisper "I love you" to their partners in the middle of the night.

Because deep down, they were drowning in remorse.

Luo Shuning froze for just a second before her lips curled into a smile. She wrapped her arms around him just as tightly.

See? Hard work really does pay off.

Brother must be moved because—

But then, her nose caught a faint, familiar scent.

This fragrance...

Why did Gu Luo smell like Shu He?

Why...?

Had they hugged earlier?

Why would they hug?

And... had they done anything else?

Countless questions swirled in her mind.

Her heart clenched painfully.

It hurt.

Only now did she realize—Shu He must have already made her move in secret.

And she was advancing quickly.

And Gu Luo was so gentle—just a little push, and he’d surrender without resistance.

Why... can’t you be this gentle only with me...?

Luo Shuning’s mind went blank. Even though she was in Gu Luo’s arms right now, she could barely feel his warmth.

After all, no matter what, one fact remained—Gu Luo and Shu He had been intimate tonight.

Yet, after a moment of silent suffering, Luo Shuning suddenly hugged him even tighter, pouring all her strength into it.

Love was war.

She wouldn’t lose to Shu He.

Never.

Gu Luo must have his reasons.

When it came to the person she loved, she would trust him unconditionally.

Feeling the shift in the girl in his arms, Gu Luo’s heart trembled. The desire the little devil had stoked in him all night erupted at this moment.

Without hesitation, he lowered his head and captured Luo Shuning’s lips in a kiss.

Luo Shuning’s eyes widened in shock, but slowly, she closed them and responded clumsily.

Before they knew it, they had moved to the nearby sofa.

Love, guilt, gratitude, desire, resentment, possessiveness—emotions tangled together like intricate threads, binding them tightly in their embrace.

All of this felt like a beautiful, dreamlike illusion.

Hand in hand, the two ran freely along this shore until they reached the end of the road.

Just one step forward, and they could cross to the other side—to behold breathtaking scenery they had never seen before.

Yet, by unspoken agreement, they both chose to stop right there.

There would be time for more.

This step alone had already been a giant leap.

They needed time to let it settle, to process it all.

Time passed, unmeasured.

Moonlight filtered through the balcony, draping the living room like a sheer veil before settling on a corner of the sofa.

Luo Shuning adjusted her slightly disheveled pajamas but left her tousled hair untouched, instead pressing her flushed cheek against Gu Luo’s firm shoulder. Clinging tightly to him, she murmured softly,

"When the day we promised comes, I’ll give myself to you completely—without holding anything back."

She didn’t say, "once we’ve confirmed our relationship." Instead, she spoke with absolute confidence, treating that promised day as the moment they would truly belong to each other.

"Shu Ning, no matter what happens, I’ll never leave you. Never."

"I’ll take responsibility for you."

Gu Luo held her just as tightly, sealing his vow.

Beyond the love swelling in his chest, guilt and heartache weighed on him.

Even now, his little angel was still thinking of him, still comforting him.

Before tonight, their intimacy had never gone beyond simple embraces—yet now, they had crossed such a monumental line.

And with that, Gu Luo felt something new for his little angel: duty.

A duty that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

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