Little Angel

Gu Luo stood frozen in place, watching Gu Ximan's retreating figure until she disappeared into the apartment building. His gaze lingered, unable to pull away.

An indescribable bitterness churned in his chest.

Perhaps it was possessiveness. Or perhaps it was the reluctance of a father-figure who had doted on her since childhood, unwilling to let the girl he'd cherished so dearly fall so easily into another boy's arms.

So, who was the guy Ximan liked?

How far had things gone between them?

Was he in the same class?

Or was it just some online fling—the most common trap for young people these days?

But online relationships were unreliable. Who knew what kind of shady character lurked behind the screen?

Please, not some delinquent with dyed hair.

If it was someone from Guangya High, then maybe… just maybe… he could tolerate it a little.

The more Gu Luo thought about it, the heavier his heart grew. A nameless fire burned in his chest, so intense he almost wished he could track the guy down right now and twist his head off.

Or invite him over and "treat" him to some kitchen knives—just for fun.

Most importantly, no boy in this world could resist Ximan’s charm.

Which meant… their relationship might have already progressed to…

The thought alone—

Pain.

Even more pain.

"I’m just being selfish…" Gu Luo sighed under his breath.

If he himself was torn between two girls, what right did he have to feel jealous over Ximan?

Actually… maybe this was for the best.

At least by the time his promised date with his little angel, Luo Shuning, rolled around, Ximan would have her attention elsewhere and wouldn’t be too heartbroken.

But first, that brat had to pass his inspection.

Lu Xuexue, as Ximan’s closest friend, definitely knew who the guy was.

With that in mind, Gu Luo decided he’d have a serious talk with Lu Xuexue tonight.

No matter what, he needed to get to the bottom of this.

Come to think of it, could the tension between those two girls be related to Ximan’s crush?

It made sense. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be fighting over something trivial.

Gu Luo’s thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.

Wait—what if both girls liked the same guy?

If that were the case, everything would suddenly make sense.

Damn it…

Who the hell was this guy?

How could he be so charming that he’d snagged the two most beautiful, most sought-after girls in the freshman class at once?

Stealing both his little sisters in one go?

His fists clenched.

Hard.

Knuckles white.

......

After unlocking the door with his fingerprint, Gu Luo dragged his exhausted body into the living room.

"Brother, you're back."

Luo Shuning stood up from the couch and walked over, taking the bags from his hands.

On the other side of the sofa, Luo Shuhe remained glued to the TV, though her peripheral vision never left the two of them.

Seeing his little angel so attentive warmed Gu Luo’s heart. He forced a weak smile.

"These are some small gifts for you."

"Thank you, brother." Luo Shuning beamed, then tilted her head curiously.

"Brother… did you make Ximan angry? She rushed straight to her room when she got back and didn’t respond when I talked to her."

Gu Luo’s heart twisted, but he kept his expression neutral. "Yeah… just a small disagreement. Nothing serious."

"That’s good."

After setting the bags down, Luo Shuning smiled. "Brother, my cooking has improved a lot! Lunch today was delicious."

She glanced at Luo Shuhe.

"Right, Shuhe?"

Luo Shuhe finally tore her eyes from the TV, answering flatly, "Yeah. Sister’s cooking really leaves you speechless."

"Would’ve been even better if she hadn’t mistaken soy sauce for vinegar."

"Unless, of course, it was intentional."

Her tone was devoid of emotion.

Luo Shuning chuckled. "Salty and sour taste equally good. It was an experiment—and I ate plenty of it myself, didn’t I?"

"Maybe sister was planning a mutual destruction."

"Shuhe’s misunderstanding me again."

"Maybe. Feel free to keep experimenting. I’ll play along."

"Mhm."

The sisters exchanged words lightly, but beneath the casual banter, the tension was palpable. Gu Luo felt his scalp prickle.

Both soy sauce and vinegar were clearly labeled. There was no way his meticulous little angel would mix them up by accident.

Had things escalated to the point where even meals were a battlefield?

The atmosphere at home was getting more and more… delicate.

"Uh… Shuning, Shuhe, how about fried rice for dinner?"

Gu Luo quickly changed the subject before things got heated.

"Sounds great! Brother’s fried rice is the best. I’ll help you cook." Luo Shuning’s smile brightened, then she added, as if remembering something:

"Oh, brother, there’s a charity banquet next month. The day after tomorrow, after school, I’ll take you to the mall where we bought my lingerie to get a custom suit."

"We promised, remember?"

She emphasized "lingerie" and "promised," clearly aiming the words at Luo Shuhe.

Gu Luo’s vision darkened.

This was it. The bomb was about to drop.

Just as he scrambled for a way to defuse the situation, Luo Shuhe let out a soft laugh.

"No need to trouble sister. I already took brother to Granny Liu’s to have a suit tailored."

"Ah, now that you mention it, I’ve been busy lately. But since sister reminded me, I’ll take brother to try on the half-finished piece the day after tomorrow."

Silence.

The living room froze.

Gu Luo’s mind went blank.

How was he supposed to explain this?

Game over.

Absolutely game over.

What would he tell his little angel?

The truth?

Then all his lies would unravel.

Misfortune never comes alone. Why was today so cursed?

Luo Shuning’s expression stiffened. She stared at Luo Shuhe in disbelief, then slowly turned to Gu Luo, her gaze flickering between them with unreadable emotions.

So Shuhe had already made her move.

And she’d beaten her to it—tailoring brother’s first-ever suit.

But that was just like Shuhe.

Since they’d already laid their cards on the table—and since she knew Shuhe had forcibly kissed Gu Luo multiple times in private—Luo Shuning wasn’t too shaken.

Compared to those intimate acts, this was nothing.

But.

Just how much was brother still hiding from her?

A sour taste filled her mouth, like biting into an unripe fruit.

But she quickly steeled herself.

This was all Shuhe’s doing. Brother was too kind—he was the victim!

This was all Shuhe’s doing. Brother was too kind—he was the victim!

This was all Shuhe’s doing. Brother was too kind—he was the victim!

......

She repeated it in her mind like a mantra.

She had to surpass Shuhe again.

"Shuning... I..."

Gu Luo wanted to say something but struggled to find the right words.

"It's alright, brother. I have something to attend to—I’ll head back to my room for now."

Luo Shuning forced a faint smile before turning and walking upstairs.

Seeing this, Gu Luo instinctively reached out to stop her, but his hand froze mid-air.

What could a scumbag like him even say?

At that moment, Luo Shuhe rose from the couch and slowly approached him, her tone cool and detached.

"I’ll help you cook."

Gu Luo was in no state to cook.

His voice was heavy with conflict as he asked, "Shuhe... why did you have to say those things...?"

"Are you blaming me now?"

Luo Shuhe’s expression instantly turned icy. She countered,

"If I hadn’t spoken up, what were you planning to do? Keep lying? Lies always come to light eventually."

"But..." Gu Luo faltered.

He had no rebuttal.

"If you’re going to be a playboy, you’d better be ready for the fallout. Did you think you could just string everyone along forever? That’s not how the world works." Luo Shuhe then stood on her tiptoes, leaning close to whisper into his ear,

"My offer still stands. Kneel down and propose to me, and I’ll give you everything—even your wildest fantasies."

With that, she too turned and headed upstairs, leaving Gu Luo alone in the living room, utterly bewildered.

Chaos.

Pure chaos.

He hadn’t even resolved the issue with Xiaoman, and now Shuning was upset.

Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue; Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe.

Both pairs had secrets they were keeping from him.

One problem at a time.

He couldn’t avoid reality forever.

Gu Luo exhaled deeply, then forced his stiff legs to carry him up to the second floor.

Steeling himself, he knocked on Luo Shuning’s door, ready to come clean.

"Come in."

Her voice was as gentle as ever, soothing like always.

Gu Luo took one last steadying breath before pushing the door open.

Inside, Luo Shuning sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

"...Shuning, what are you up to?"

He treaded carefully, bracing for whatever questions might come.

But instead—

Luo Shuning waved her phone screen at him, displaying a knitting tutorial. She smiled softly.

"Caizhou will get cold in a month or two. I thought I’d knit you a scarf."

"If I can’t be the one to give you your first suit, at least let me make your first scarf."

Her tender words left Gu Luo speechless.

He’d imagined a thousand possible outcomes—but never this.

An angel. She truly was an angel.

The guilt inside him swelled even more.

After a long pause, he finally managed to ask,

"Shuning... don’t you want to ask me anything?"

"No need." She shook her head gently, her smile unwavering.

"Do you remember what I told you that day in the lingerie shop?"

The memory flashed through his mind—

["Brother, you must be exhausted, always caught between the four of us, right?"]

["You often sacrifice your own feelings just to keep us happy, don’t you?"]

["Brother, I understand."]

"Brother, I understand."

This was the fourth time he’d heard those words.

Luo Shuning stood up, tilting her head slightly as she opened her arms.

"I trust you."

"And I trust us."

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

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