"Xuexue, let me tell you, when I say one, that stinky Gu Luo wouldn't dare say two."
Gu Ximan affectionately hooked her arm around Lu Xuexue's, pressing the elevator button with confidence. "Stick with me, and we can easily play in stinky Gu Luo's room till twelve... no, eleven."
At the last moment, she remembered they had school the next day and quickly corrected herself.
Well... eleven was plenty of fun anyway.
Since the two had already formed a budding romantic alliance, Gu Ximan generously invited Lu Xuexue to stay over at her place.
Of course, she didn’t forget to inform her family first.
But since Gu Luo hadn’t replied to her message, she had to ask Sister Ling instead.
Luo Shuling, ever the most easygoing, agreed without hesitation.
"Manman, you really are the little sister Gu Luo loves and spoils the most," Lu Xuexue said, her sparkling eyes crinkling into crescents, her heart brimming with uncontainable joy.
She never expected happiness to come so suddenly.
Just the thought of chatting and playing games with Brother Gu on the same bed at night made her heart feel drenched in honey—sweet and giddy.
Truly, as long as Manman agreed, everything would fall perfectly into place.
Lu Xuexue was now convinced that Gu Luo harbored the same feelings for Gu Ximan.
Otherwise, how else could those red marks on his chest be explained?
It was worth mentioning that she had also been diligently taking some "supplements" lately—not aiming for Gu Ximan’s stunning figure, but at least a third of it.
Otherwise, what if Brother Gu found her lacking?
At this thought, Lu Xuexue sighed inwardly, recalling a classic line from the card game Fight the Landlord—"Pair of Aces? Can't take that."
And so, chatting and laughing, the two soon arrived at the apartment.
"Stinky Gu Luo! Didn’t you see my message?!" Gu Ximan yelled inside while bending down to change her shoes, her voice laced with playful annoyance.
Yet, the apartment remained silent, with no response.
"Strange, where is he?"
Muttering to herself, she rummaged through the shoe cabinet and handed Lu Xuexue a fresh pair of slippers.
Once Lu Xuexue had changed, the two stepped into the living room—only to find Luo Shuning curled up on the sofa, eyes shut, phone pressed tightly to her forehead, clearly anxiously waiting for a reply.
"Sister Ning... what’s wrong?"
Seeing this, Gu Ximan hurried over and gently patted her shoulder.
"Ah—"
Luo Shuning snapped out of her daze, relaxing slightly when she saw who it was, forcing a weak smile. "It’s nothing..."
Then, quickly shifting the topic, she greeted Lu Xuexue behind Gu Ximan. "Xuexue, welcome to our home."
"Good evening, Senior Shuning," Lu Xuexue replied timidly, waving her small hand with a shy smile.
She knew full well that Luo Shuning and Gu Luo shared a special bond.
She still remembered that sweet photo of the two taken at Ruixue Xingcheng.
But times had changed—as long as she stuck with Manman, she wouldn’t lose.
"Sister Ning, where’s my brother? He didn’t reply to my message either."
Distracted by the exchange, Gu Ximan didn’t press about Luo Shuning’s odd behavior earlier and instead asked another question.
Hearing this, Luo Shuning opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to answer.
If she told the truth, this brother-obsessed little sister would surely shed tears.
After a pause, she forced a calm smile. "Big Brother went out to eat with Uncle. Maybe he had a few drinks, so he didn’t check his phone."
"What?! They went out to eat—without me?! How dare they hog all the good food?!" Gu Ximan puffed up her cheeks in outrage, then cursed indignantly:
"Stinky Gu Luo, I hope you get so drunk some bad woman has to carry you home!"
......
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