Under the Influence of Emotions, the Thoughts of All Parties

In the living room.

Gu Luo was lying on the sofa, staring absentmindedly at the uniquely designed chandelier on the ceiling.

He really couldn’t bring himself to cut off the ambiguous relationship with the little devil.

The reason was simple—a man’s universal weakness.

Everyone understood the principle of "cutting the Gordian knot," but there was an even higher priority—heroes could never resist the allure of beauty.

In this world, was there truly anyone who could resist the little devil’s deadly temptation?

Perhaps some sigma pure-love warriors could manage it.

But they were the minority.

Gu Luo considered himself just an ordinary guy—albeit a ridiculously handsome one—with lustful thoughts but no courage, torn between desire and hesitation, a typical yet complicated mess.

Instinctively, he wanted to maintain his relationship with the little devil until the very last moment.

This was undoubtedly greed.

But then the question arose—what if, after choosing the little angel, the little devil still came at him with zero-frame attacks every day?

Sigh.

Lately, he found himself constantly dwelling on this dilemma.

His heart was tangled like a knotted mess, impossible to sort out.

If only Luo Shuling were here right now.

Just having his little sunbeam around, radiating her healing light, would let him forget these troubles for a while.

Gu Luo instinctively thought this way.

But a glance at the time told him she was probably still fast asleep in her room.

Sigh.

I’m such a scumbag.

For now, no matter what, he absolutely couldn’t give up the little angel.

As for the little devil...

There would be time to figure it out later. One step at a time.

Minutes and seconds slipped away unnoticed.

After who knew how long, Gu Luo’s eyelids fluttered lightly before slowly opening.

Only then did he realize he had dozed off without noticing.

"Brother, you’re awake? Why’d you sleep on the sofa?"

A gentle voice sounded beside him. Gu Luo turned his head and saw Luo Shuning sitting nearby, her gaze tender as water, along with the blanket draped over him.

Rubbing his bleary eyes, his mind raced for a plausible excuse before he spoke up:

"I... came down for a snack and accidentally fell asleep..."

"I see..."

Luo Shuning nodded slightly, her small fists tightening imperceptibly, though her expression remained flawlessly gentle, betraying nothing.

Of course, she knew the real reason Gu Luo had slept on the sofa.

Because Luo Shuhe had been lying in his room earlier—a classic case of the cuckoo occupying the magpie’s nest.

Her emotions were complicated.

On one hand, Gu Luo had lied to her.

On the other, he really was avoiding Luo Shuhe.

It was a bittersweet feeling.

But there was nothing to be done now. The two of them had already agreed to compete fairly during this time.

Luo Shuning sighed inwardly. After all, she had always owed Luo Shuhe.

Her younger sister’s current cold personality was largely her own fault.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed her to use such extreme methods.

"Shuning, what time is it now?" Gu Luo asked.

"Not even eight yet. You can sleep a little longer."

"Nah, I’ll get up and prep lunch for you guys in advance." Gu Luo started to rise.

Hearing this, Luo Shuning reached out and lightly pressed him back down, a sweet smile blooming on her face:

"It’s fine. Brother and Ximan should just enjoy your outing today. Leave lunch to me, your star pupil—my cooking’s improved a lot, you know~"

As she spoke, she blinked her beautiful eyes, her long lashes fluttering adorably.

"So just rest a little longer, okay? Be good."

Her tone carried a hint of coquetry, making it hard to refuse.

Faced with such a sweet and gentle little angel, Gu Luo’s guilt only deepened. He instinctively averted his gaze, his voice slightly hoarse as he replied:

"Okay..."

He tightened the blanket around himself, mentally repeating:

I’m such a piece of trash.

I’m such a piece of trash.

I’m such a piece of trash.

Here I am, swearing to take responsibility for the little angel, yet still clinging to the little devil.

Luo Shuning noticed the conflicted look on his face and immediately understood he was drowning in guilt and self-reproach.

All she had to do was stay her usual self.

In the end, Shuhe would defeat herself.

Victory was assured.

She had won before. She could win now. And she would keep winning.

The two chatted idly on the sofa, each harboring unspoken thoughts.

Such was love—sometimes like poison, slowly leading one astray.

"Shuning, time to make breakfast." Gu Luo checked his phone and smiled at her.

"Let’s see what your star pupil can do."

"Roger that, Master~" Luo Shuning clasped her hands playfully, her demeanor both cute and spirited.

After folding the blanket, the two headed to the kitchen together.

But the moment they stepped inside, Luo Shuning suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Gu Luo.

"Shuning?"

Gu Luo froze momentarily.

Luo Shuning didn’t answer, quietly inhaling his scent—specifically, the lingering trace of Luo Shuhe’s distinctive fragrance.

Her goal was simple: to overwrite Shuhe’s scent with her own.

To that end, she had even spritzed on some perfume before coming out.

As they say—love is war.

Seeing this, Gu Luo didn’t overthink it and gently hugged her back.

He really wanted to kiss her.

But since they weren’t officially together yet, hugging was pretty much the limit under normal circumstances.

That night had been... a special case.

Luo Shuning kept sniffing discreetly until she was certain not a whiff of Shuhe’s scent remained before finally letting go.

Time flew, and soon it was noon.

Gu Luo and Gu Ximan stepped out of the apartment, the warm sunlight gently bathing them.

"Hey, stupid brother, don’t you have anything to say to me?"

Gu Ximan twirled in place, showcasing her outfit.

Today, she wore a T-shirt paired with denim shorts, highlighting her stunning figure to perfection.

Her pink sneakers, printed with panda designs, and the glimpse of fair skin made it impossible to look away.

She had also tied her cold tea-brown hair into a high ponytail.

With every movement, the ponytail swayed lightly, radiating youthful energy and vibrancy.

"I was just about to say—Ximan looks absolutely gorgeous today, so full of youthful charm," Gu Luo quickly chimed in with praise.

"Hmph."

Gu Ximan’s lips curled upward, her chin lifting proudly as she declared:

"Of course! This beauty was born flawless—no outfit can dull my shine."

Then, pausing, she added with visible delight:

"Oh, and this outfit was a gift from Sis Ling!

Sis Ling is the absolute best!"

Hearing this, Gu Luo nodded in understanding.

Ah, so it was from the little sunbeam.

No wonder Ximan had switched from cute to sporty-chic.

Not that it mattered—she looked amazing either way.

But then again, with Gu Ximan’s sky-high stats, even a potato sack wouldn’t hide her natural, radiant beauty.

At that moment, a soft voice suddenly sounded beside the two of them.

"Ximan... Brother Gu..."

Lu Xuexue had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and with just one glance at Gu Luo, her cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly.

Even though they were already quite familiar with each other, she still couldn't suppress her shyness.

"Good afternoon, Xuexue," Gu Luo greeted her with a smile and a wave.

"Xuexue!"

Gu Ximan's feelings were complicated. The two of them had agreed to meet at the intersection ahead, yet Xuexue hadn't even spared her this brief moment alone with her annoying big brother.

Does she like him that much?

That was what she thought inwardly, but on the surface, she still happily stepped forward and took Lu Xuexue's small hand.

Of course, this wasn't an act—this was how the two of them had always interacted.

But now, because of these subtle emotions, there was an added layer of awkwardness.

Besides, she couldn't let her annoying big brother notice anything amiss.

Seeing this, Gu Luo couldn't help but smile, feeling relieved.

It seemed the two girls had made up.

But since they were already out, he might as well help strengthen their bond.

Lu Xuexue was still dressed in her usual style today—her hair tied into two charming pigtails and a pure white dress that gave her a cute, girl-next-door vibe.

After admiring her for a few moments, Gu Luo suggested,

"Let's take a taxi to Donglai Plaza."

As he spoke, he opened a ride-hailing app on his phone.

Weekends were always crowded, and taking the subway or city train would be packed. A taxi was much more convenient.

The memory of his close encounter with the little devil on the city train was still fresh in Gu Luo's mind.

He couldn't possibly protect both girls by himself.

More importantly, getting too close to Lu Xuexue wouldn't be appropriate either.

"Brother Gu, I can have my family's driver take us," Lu Xuexue said softly.

In the past, when she went out with Gu Ximan, she rarely mentioned her family's driver—they usually took the train, bus, or subway together. But now, things were different. Ximan had become part of the Luo family.

So there was no need to overthink it.

Hah, so they're all little rich girls, huh?

Gu Luo mused inwardly before smiling and waving his hand.

"It's fine, let's just take a taxi. It's not far anyway."

About twenty minutes later,

The three of them stepped out of the ride-hailing car one after another.

"Is there anything you two want to eat or do?" Gu Luo asked with a smile.

"Let's just walk around first—" Gu Ximan began, but before she could finish, her attention was suddenly caught by a large screen in the plaza.

[Sweet Princess Carry] Event starts at 1 PM in the main hall of Donglai Plaza... Everyone is welcome to participate...

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