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.
............
............
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
