Gu Luo patiently posed for photos with Lu Xuexue, his gaze always gentle.
Seeing that she had taken enough pictures, he cut straight to the point and asked:
"Xuexue, have you and Little Man had some kind of disagreement lately?"
At these words, Lu Xuexue's heart skipped a beat. It took her several seconds to stammer out a reply: "N-no... not at all..."
What lay between her and Man Man wasn't exactly a disagreement—it was a far more complicated emotional issue.
Extremely complicated.
So complicated that neither of them could pierce through that thin layer of unspoken tension.
Seeing Lu Xuexue's evasive eyes and the blatant "I'm lying" written all over her face, Gu Luo found her rather adorable.
He adjusted his hold on her slightly and continued softly:
"I'm your older brother. If there's any trouble between you two, you can tell me. I’ll help mediate."
"......"
Lu Xuexue glanced up at the very 'culprit' behind this entire situation, but after barely a second of eye contact, she quickly lowered her head again, utterly unsure of where to even begin.
Maybe... confess to Gu Luo right now?
The moment this thought surfaced, her heart began racing uncontrollably, faster and faster, as if it might burst out of her chest.
Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
Honestly, considering their current position—held in a princess carry—this seemed like the perfect moment for a confession.
But the next instant, another thought doused her burning enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.
What would happen when Man Man returned?
How would she face her?
Most importantly... would Gu Luo even accept her feelings?
And if he rejected her... would they still be able to stay friends?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, leaving her thoughts a tangled mess.
What should she do?!
What should she do?!
What should she do?!
Just confess! Just confess!
"Gu Luo... actually, I..." Lu Xuexue forced the words out with great difficulty, but she couldn’t bring herself to continue.
Her mind went completely blank.
It felt like her body wasn’t even her own anymore.
Seeing her like this, Gu Luo couldn’t help but sigh softly.
"I know."
"Ah... Ah?!" Lu Xuexue was stunned. Had Gu Luo already seen through her feelings?
At this realization, her entire body burned with embarrassment, and she nearly bolted on the spot.
Gu Luo continued calmly, his voice steady as ever:
"I know you two probably don’t want to share private matters between best friends with others. But as your brother, I really don’t want to see any rift between you."
Pausing, he added seriously:
"Let me apologize on Man Man’s behalf. That girl’s been spoiled by me since she was little—she’s too proud to admit when she’s wrong, but deep down, she’s really kind. A good kid."
"So... could you do me a favor and give Man Man a way to save face? If you just give that silly girl an out, she’ll take it without hesitation."
Hearing these words—spoken with such brotherly concern—Lu Xuexue felt both relieved and deeply pained.
Gu Luo truly, truly adored Man Man, in every possible way.
And that was exactly why she had fallen for him in the first place.
After a moment to collect herself, Lu Xuexue took a small breath and nodded.
"Gu Luo, don’t worry. I promise I’ll handle things properly with Man Man."
"Good. And as thanks, I’ll help you overcome your shyness around guys." Gu Luo inwardly sighed in relief, glad that his efforts had finally paid off.
Though it had taken a lot of work to mediate between the two girls...
For Gu Ximan, it was all worth it.
And so, the two chatted back and forth, their conversation never straying far from "Man Man," laughing and enjoying themselves.
Lu Xuexue gradually relaxed, her earlier tension melting away as she lost herself in the conversation, a sweet smile occasionally gracing her lips.
But at that very moment...
Below the stage.
At the edge of the crowd.
Gu Ximan, who had just rushed back from the restroom, stood frozen, staring blankly at the two on stage—laughing, talking, so intimate with each other.
One was the older brother she had relied on and adored since childhood.
The other was her closest, most inseparable best friend.
They looked...
So perfect together.
But.
Her heart.
It hurt.
So much.
She wanted to cry.
......
......
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
