The next day.
At noon, the house was left with only Gu Ximan and Luo Shuhe.
"Ximan, I have something to take care of outside, so I won’t be joining you for lunch," Luo Shuhe said as she straightened her skirt, addressing Gu Ximan, who was sprawled on the sofa.
"Mm, bye," Gu Ximan replied weakly, waving her hand.
Luo Shuhe gave her a thoughtful glance, shook her head, and then headed for the door.
As she walked, she sent a message to a contact labeled 【Peak Dad】:
【Luo Shuhe: Dad, I heard Mom has meetings all day today, so I’ll come keep you company for lunch.】
At that moment, the entire house fell into silence, leaving Gu Ximan alone.
She stared anxiously at the time on her phone, her mind racing over how she would bring up the topic with Lu Xuexue later.
Would they still be able to stay as close as before after she laid everything out?
Ugh.
So frustrating.
It’s all because of that jerk of an older brother who can’t keep his hands to himself.
Well, if that’s the case, better to rip the bandage off quickly.
With that thought, Gu Ximan immediately sat up, slipped on her slippers, and rushed to her room to change.
............
An hour later.
Inside Lu Xuexue’s room.
Sunlight filtered through the pale pink curtains, casting a soft glow.
The two best friends sat on opposite sides of the bed, staring at each other in silence.
After what felt like an eternity, Gu Ximan suddenly took a deep breath and cut straight to the chase:
"Xuexue, is that senior you like… my annoying older brother?"
Her voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet room, it hit like a thunderclap.
Even though Lu Xuexue had braced herself, the zero-warning question still caught her off guard.
Her face flushed instantly, and her hands fidgeted nervously in her hair. After a long pause, she finally stammered:
"Um... I... I like Gu Luo..."
Just as expected.
Even though she already knew the truth, Gu Ximan’s heart still felt like it had been struck hard, a sharp pain shooting through her.
Clenching her teeth, she took the plunge and declared:
"Xuexue, the person I like is also Gu Luo."
The moment those words left her mouth, Lu Xuexue’s jaw dropped in shock, her mind going completely blank.
What?
What did she just hear?
Who likes who?!
After a long pause, she managed to suppress her disbelief and asked in a trembling voice:
"Ximan... what did you just say?"
"I—SAID—I—LIKE—GU—LUO." Gu Ximan enunciated each word with all her strength, her voice firm.
Then, she dropped another bombshell—"And, Gu Luo and I aren’t related by blood."
At this point, Lu Xuexue’s brain completely short-circuited.
Too much information.
Her CPU couldn’t process it.
How was she supposed to compete with that?
She knew better than anyone how deep the bond between Gu Luo and Gu Ximan was.
If Gu Ximan confessed, Gu Luo would agree no matter what.
Just then, Gu Ximan clenched her fists and spoke solemnly:
"I know you’ve already confessed to Gu Luo, Xuexue. You’re probably already together."
"But."
"I don’t want to give up, so tonight, I’m going to tell Gu Luo how I feel."
Lu Xuexue was utterly stunned, her mind reeling from the barrage of ‘bombshells.’
Wait.
Who confessed to who?
Who’s together with who?
Ximan is going to confess to Gu Luo tonight?
This... it’s only been a day, right?
Why does it feel like a whole year has passed?
"Xuexue, I’m sorry."
Gu Ximan stepped off the bed and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
"I really am sorry. I’m the one who broke our promise."
"So, even if you want to cut ties with me, I won’t argue."
"But you’ll always be my best friend."
Lu Xuexue stared blankly at the scene, her brain working overtime as she stammered:
"Ximan... is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"
"I... I never confessed to Gu Luo..."
"You... me... what’s even going on?"
Huh?
Huh?
HUH?!
Gu Ximan’s face froze in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief as she asked in a shaky voice:
"Then... what about yesterday, when he carried you in a princess hold...?"
"Weren’t you confessing then?"
"...No?" Lu Xuexue looked like she wanted to cry. She had considered it, but she never actually said anything.
This was outright slander.
"Ah... then... what were you two talking about...? You looked so close and happy..." By now, Gu Ximan’s face was burning red, the flush spreading to her ears and neck.
"We... we were talking about you, Ximan... Gu Luo kept going on about how well-behaved and adorable you were when you were little..."
Gu Ximan stood frozen in place.
One second.
Two seconds.
Ten seconds.
Suddenly—
"AAAAAAAAAAAH—!"
A high-pitched shriek erupted from Gu Ximan before she covered her face, now red enough to drip blood, her entire body resembling a boiled shrimp.
............
............