The next day.
Early morning, golden sunlight streamed through the window, spilling into the room.
Gu Luo slowly opened his eyes, instinctively raising a hand to press against his throbbing forehead as he stared blankly at the chandelier above.
His mind was a haze, and for a moment, he couldn’t quite recall what had happened the night before.
Fragments of memory flickered like shattered glass—vague sensations of a bumpy car ride... or perhaps a dream that didn’t belong to this season.
A pity, really, that in the dream, his body had been completely immobilized. Couldn’t move, couldn’t get up—simply couldn’t.
Groping for his phone on the pillow, he tapped the screen—9:47 AM, Monday.
Turning his head, he saw Gu Ximan sleeping soundly beside him, her soft, cool tea-brown hair scattered across his arm, a faint smile lingering on her lips as she occasionally murmured something in her sleep.
Seems she’d skipped school today, staying home to take care of him.
Otherwise, Shu Ning would’ve surely come to wake them up.
Rubbing his temples, Gu Luo felt as though something important had slipped into the recesses of his memory.
What was it...?
Wait—
Late at night.
Liquid courage from the alcohol.
Restless hands.
A single grasp, light yet firm, as if holding the entire world.
Right—Lu Xuexue!
Just then, the bedroom door creaked open softly.
Lu Xuexue tiptoed in, her slender frame outlined by the morning light, her pink pajamas dotted with cute rabbit prints, her long hair cascading loosely over her shoulders.
Noticing Gu Luo was awake, her face instantly flushed, and she ducked her head, fingers nervously twisting a lock of hair by her ear.
At that sight, Gu Luo’s heart lurched—every blurred memory now sharpened with terrifying clarity.
An awkward tension thickened the air like a tangible force.
The room was so quiet their breathing was audible, the silence broken only by the occasional chirp of birds outside.
After standing frozen for a moment, Lu Xuexue covered her burning cheeks with one hand, then walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and—just like last night—brought it to Gu Luo’s lips, her voice barely a whisper:
"G-Gu... Gu-ge, drink some water."
"...I can manage." Gu Luo, thoroughly embarrassed, gently shifted the still-sleeping Gu Ximan—now curled up like a little pig—off his left arm before accepting the glass.
As he sat up, he could feel Lu Xuexue’s gaze darting away, only to steal glances back at him. When their eyes met, she flinched like she’d been shocked, her fingers anxiously twirling her hair into tiny curls.
After finishing the water, Gu Luo set the empty glass on the table, hesitated, then murmured, "Xuexue, let’s talk in the living room."
If Gu Ximan found out about last night’s... indiscretions, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Mm..." Lu Xuexue nodded, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
They made their way downstairs one after the other, settling on the sofa with several feet of distance between them.
"Xuexue, about last night... I’m really sorry. I..." Gu Luo had meant to say "I didn’t mean to," but that felt too shameless, so he amended,
"I owe you an apology... You skipped school to take care of me, and yet I... Whatever you want to do about it, I’ll accept. This is entirely my fault..."
Hearing this, Lu Xuexue, her face still red, waved her hands hastily. "N-no... it’s fine... Gu-ge, don’t overthink it..."
"It’s my fault for... for sleeping on your arm like that... I’m sorry..."
"Don’t worry about it. You’re like a sister to me too—Ximan’s always using my arm as a pillow." Gu Luo didn’t dare probe why Lu Xuexue had done it, steering the conversation firmly toward sibling affection.
Some things were better left unexamined.
Yet, instead of easing, Lu Xuexue’s blush deepened.
Suddenly, she remembered the red marks on Gu Ximan’s skin.
And last night...
Gu-ge... was just as much of a siscon...
Though puzzled by her reaction, Gu Luo couldn’t let the girl shoulder the blame. "Xuexue, this is on me. I own up to it. Whatever you want, just name it—I’ll do my best to make it up to you."
"Gu-ge... you’re so kind..." Biting her lower lip, Lu Xuexue felt a warmth in her chest. After a pause, she ventured shyly,
"I... I really like baking sweets... Could you... taste them for me from now on...?"
Her words trailed off as she peeked at him, then immediately looked down again, the tips of her ears burning crimson.
............
............
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?"
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...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
