Gu Luo's emotions were complicated at this moment, yet there was also an indescribable sense of relief.
He had finally confessed the feelings he had long buried in his heart for Luo Shuhe.
Liking someone was liking someone—even if they couldn’t be together.
"Shuhe, I’m sorry."
Feeling the softness of the little demon in his arms, Gu Luo whispered, "But... in the end, no matter what, I can only choose Shu Ning... I know this makes me a jerk, but from now on, I’ll make it up to you as your brother..."
"Once we get the approval from Dad, Aunt, Little Man, and Shuling, Shu Ning and I will officially be together. By then... we can only be siblings..."
Hearing this, Luo Shuhe slowly raised her head, her expression bitter as she asked,
"Then, baby, when that time comes... can I be your secret lover?"
"Huh?" Gu Luo stiffened instantly, staring at Luo Shuhe in disbelief.
"Shuhe, what did you just say?"
"I said, baby, when that time comes, can I be your secret lover?" Luo Shuhe repeated, then lowered her head, her voice trembling with sorrow.
"Baby, didn’t you just say you’ve fantasized many times about being with both me and my sister? Even though my sister would never agree... I’m willing."
"As long as I can be with you, I don’t need any status..."
"Wait... hold on."
Gu Luo quickly released his arms from around Luo Shuhe, swallowing hard. "Shuhe, this isn’t something to joke about."
"I’m not joking. Doesn’t baby want to have both of us?" Luo Shuhe reached out, gripping the hem of Gu Luo’s clothes tightly, her voice fragile.
"Really, as long as I can be with you, I don’t care about status."
"Even if we have to hide it for the rest of our lives... I’m willing."
"I... I really can’t live without you..."
"Wait... I..." Gu Luo’s mind went blank, his thoughts tangled like a mess of threads. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
To be honest, it was incredibly tempting.
What man wouldn’t want to have both of a pair of twin sisters?
Especially when he genuinely liked them both.
But.
This was just too scummy.
It wouldn’t be fair to either Luo Shuning or Luo Shuhe.
And even if they did go through with it, secrets never stayed buried forever—sooner or later, Shuning would notice something was off.
If the truth came out, the damage would be devastating for everyone.
What twisted Gu Luo’s heart even more was that he never expected the once-proud, aloof little demon would humble herself to this extent, willing to be a nameless secret lover just to stay with him.
Thinking back to how Luo Shuhe had tried so hard to mimic Shuning’s gentleness during their first date, his chest tightened as if gripped by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.
Luo Shuhe had been discreetly studying Gu Luo’s expression the whole time. Seeing that the moment was right, she quickly forced a lighthearted smile and said,
"Just kidding, baby. Don’t worry, I’d never put you in such a tough spot."
"Just forget what I said, okay? Really, don’t mind me."
"I respect your choice."
Yet, seeing the strained smile on Luo Shuhe’s face, Gu Luo’s guilt only deepened.
It was obvious she had spoken her true feelings under the guise of a joke, then backtracked to spare him the discomfort.
She was clearly in pain, yet pretending to be strong.
After a long silence, his voice came out heavy with remorse.
"Shuhe... if there’s anything you want to do or anywhere you want to go during this time, I’ll try my best to accompany you..."
"There’s not much else I can do... I’m sorry..."
"Baby, don’t apologize." Luo Shuhe turned her head away, feigning a choked-up tone. "I’m really happy you’re indulging me like this."
But the corners of her lips nearly curled up in triumph.
Just as expected—she had to play the same game as her sister.
The best way to handle a soft-hearted, indecisive jerk like Gu Luo was to retreat in order to advance.
The more she conceded, the guiltier he’d feel, and the more he’d want to make it up to her.
Luo Shuhe couldn’t help but mentally review the strategy of this round.
Her sister had played an open hand, using Luo Shuhe’s own advances to amplify Gu Luo’s guilt—an absolute masterstroke of strategy.
Whether Luo Shuhe attacked or not, her sister would benefit either way.
Attack, and her sister reaped the rewards of his guilt. Don’t attack, and her sister remained unchallenged.
So, Luo Shuhe had chosen to counter by doing the opposite.
For the past month, she had deliberately toned down her usual aggression, all to set the stage for today.
If she had changed her personality and behavior too abruptly, Gu Luo would’ve grown suspicious.
So, over the past month, she gradually reduced her pursuit of him, while occasionally letting her little demon side peek through, making herself seem conflicted and complex.
Only then would Gu Luo truly believe her concessions were genuine changes made for the sake of their relationship.
The real reason, of course, was simply to prevent her sister from reaping all the benefits.
This was also about exploiting information asymmetry.
Her sister had been using it to harvest Gu Luo’s guilt—so she decided to fight fire with fire and make the scumbag feel guilty too.
A wishy-washy jerk like him couldn’t stand seeing a girl he liked suffer like this, especially with the added emotional weight of her being his "little sister."
The fact that Gu Luo had once stopped her from imitating Shuning’s gentleness, bluntly stating he preferred her original cold demeanor, was proof enough.
With her mental review complete, Luo Shuhe was inwardly delighted—but on the surface, she maintained her pitiful, fragile act. This time, she didn’t even cling to his arm, merely keeping her head down while lightly tugging at his sleeve.
Anyone who saw her would feel their heart ache.
And just like that, she had Gu Luo wrapped around her finger.
After wrestling with his conscience, he slowly took Luo Shuhe’s small hand in his.
"Let’s go get lunch... I’m getting hungry from all this walking..."
Gu Luo changed the subject, suggesting it almost helplessly.
He knew this was wrong, but... he just couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with a sister like her.
Some things were like that—seemingly offering a choice, yet leaving you with no real choice at all.
Emotions were just that complicated.
"I’ll listen to whatever baby says. Wherever baby wants to go, I’ll go."
Luo Shuhe was as docile as a little lamb, letting Gu Luo lead her by the hand.
"Then let’s just pick somewhere nearby."
"Mhm, whatever baby wants."
As they walked, Gu Luo glanced at the well-behaved Luo Shuhe beside him. To say he didn’t like her would be lying to himself.
This extreme contrast gave him the thrill of having tamed an ice queen into an obedient wife.
Unlike during their first date, when she had forced herself to imitate Shuning’s gentleness, the changes in the little demon over the past month were genuine.
She had truly, from the heart, softened her aggressive approach—not as an act.
And that only made him feel even guiltier.
It also made him want to make it up to her even more during this time.
After wandering for a while, they finally settled on Niu Po Big Prawns at Luo Shuhe’s suggestion.
The restaurant was packed, customers streaming in and out, and the food arrived quickly.
After the dishes were served, Gu Luo picked up a piece of shrimp, placed it on his plate, put on gloves, and carefully peeled off the shell before placing the tender shrimp meat into Luo Shuhe’s bowl.
"Thank you, baby."
Luo Shuhe’s eyes curved into crescents, her happiness evident.
She thought to herself that playing hard to get was definitely the right move.
Not only did it make this soft-hearted little playboy take the initiative to hold her hand, but it also got him to peel shrimp for her.
"I’ll always peel shrimp for you from now on," Gu Luo said, then quickly added, "As your older brother."
His meaning was clear—he would always treat her well, but only within the bounds of a brother’s care for his younger sister.
"Mm, okay."
Luo Shuhe decided to take her strategy to the extreme, nodding obediently. "As long as I can stay by your side, even if it’s just as your little sister, I’ll be happy."
Hearing this, Gu Luo felt a mix of emotions but also breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, Luo Shuhe continued,
"Just like Little Man, staying by your side forever as your little sister."
"...Ah, right, I haven’t told you yet." Gu Luo let out a small sigh.
"Little Man already has someone she likes."
He recalled that night when Little Man had said she would always follow him, and he couldn’t help but shake his head with a bitter smile. "Shuhe, you’ll meet someone you like too, someday."
Luo Shuhe tilted her head slightly, her expression a little complicated.
"Little Man probably fell for a blockhead."
"Huh? How do you know? Did Little Man tell you privately?"
"...Just a guess."
Luo Shuhe placed the shrimp meat into her mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed before continuing,
"Don’t worry, baby. I’m not as silly as Little Man."
‘Don’t worry, silly baby. I won’t be as dumb as the two of you.’
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