Clever Vine

The warm yellow light cast gentle halos on the café windows.

Gu Luo stared at Gu Ximan’s delicate face, so close to his, her cheeks slightly flushed, and felt the softness of her lips against his. His mind went blank.

His heartbeat inexplicably quickened.

Wait, was it really necessary to go this far just to prove a spur-of-the-moment lie to those two clingy guys?

He didn’t even know where to put his hands now.

If he pushed Gu Ximan away outright, it would embarrass her, and their lie would be exposed instantly.

But if he didn’t, what kind of scene would it be for the two of them to kiss in public?

Most importantly, Xuexue was watching right beside them.

Getting intimate with someone else right in front of his partner—wasn’t that just making Xuexue the pitiful victim?

Gu Luo remained passive for three or four seconds, his thoughts a chaotic mess. Seeing that Gu Ximan showed no sign of pulling away, he secretly pinched her thigh.

Feeling the pressure on her leg, Gu Ximan finally—albeit reluctantly—pulled back, her face now rosy. She lifted her chin slightly and shot a challenging look at the two guys across the table.

“Well? Convinced now?”

“We sisters just happen to like sharing the same boyfriend. What’s it to you?”

“......”

The taller guy’s mouth fell open, his expression indescribably complicated.

Seriously, bro? You’re for real?

Is this even right?

Just because you’re handsome and charming, you think you can do whatever you want?

Openly dating two girlfriends, both of them one-in-a-million beauties?

No shame at all.

Damn it, you’re the worst.

Devs, when are you gonna nerf this guy?

Meanwhile, the skinnier guy kept his head down, his eyes blankly fixed on his phone as if everything around him no longer existed. He had transcended the mortal realm, floating beyond the concerns of this world.

If there was any embarrassment to be had, his buddy could shoulder it alone.

“Still not convinced, huh?”

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Gu Ximan wasn’t about to forget her best friend. She immediately slid off Gu Luo’s lap and back onto the couch, turning to Lu Xuexue.

“Xuexue, your turn. Let’s make them admit defeat.”

“I… I…”

Xuexue’s petite face turned even redder, her expression torn.

Deep down, she longed to kiss Gu Luo passionately, just like Gu Ximan had. But the thought of doing something so bold in front of strangers made her shrink with shyness.

For her, mustering the courage to kiss his cheek was already pushing her limits.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling immensely grateful to Manman.

“Ahem…”

Gu Luo was genuinely afraid Xuexue would follow Gu Ximan’s lead and climb onto his lap for a kiss. Quickly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, maintaining a calm smile as he said,

“Alright, let’s keep it low-key in public.”

Feeling the warmth of Gu Luo pressed against her, Xuexue felt an electric current surge from her shoulder down her entire body.

She covered her burning face with one hand, her slender legs—clad in white stockings—pressing tightly together as she stammered shyly,

“Mmm… I’ll… I’ll listen to Brother Gu.”

Her heart was practically bursting with joy.

Even though she didn’t get to taste Brother Gu’s lips, he hugged her like she was his girlfriend!

This was enough, enough, enough!

Contentment is happiness, contentment is happiness.

As long as she kept following Manman’s lead, there would be plenty more chances like this in the future.

And also…

Manman had really grown up.

She never would’ve thought to use those two clingy guys as an excuse to take advantage of Brother Gu.

This bold move was absolutely brilliant.

From now on, she’d chant it daily—Long live Manman!

From now on, she’d chant it daily—Xuexue, you’re so lame!

Gu Ximan watched her best friend’s blissfully shy expression and mentally sighed in exasperation.

You had your chance, and you blew it.

If Xuexue had just moved faster and hopped onto that jerk Gu Luo’s lap, she could’ve tasted his lips too.

That soft-hearted, doting brother would never embarrass his little sister in front of others.

Once you figured that out, handling Gu Luo was a piece of cake.

She wasn’t the same clueless Manman from before. Ever since that dream about their happy life together, she’d matured overnight.

Enlightenment had struck in an instant.

Sometimes, it really was just a single thought that changed everything.

With that in mind, Gu Ximan naturally pulled Gu Luo’s other arm around her shoulders, snuggling into his embrace like a lazy kitten. She turned back to the two squirming pests and said,

“So? Isn’t our boyfriend just the handsomest?”

“......”

The taller guy could only watch helplessly as the trio cuddled, flirted, and shamelessly flaunted their affection. What else could he say?

Damn… my nose is itching…

Still, he forced himself to maintain a polite, humble expression and raised his black coffee in a toast to Gu Luo.

“Bro, you’ve got some serious luck. Your girlfriend’s right—I doubt there’s anyone in Caizhou, or even the entire entertainment industry, who can match your looks.”

What else could he do? The only way to save face was to hype the other guy up.

That way, it wasn’t that he had failed—it was just that the opponent was too OP to compete with.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Gu Luo actually felt a little awkward at the praise.

To be fair, he didn’t dislike this taller guy.

Sure, he’d been relentlessly hitting on Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue, but at least he hadn’t crossed any lines and had stayed polite the whole time.

Might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but at least he kept up appearances.

“Nah, don’t be modest. My eyes don’t lie—if I say you’re the most handsome guy in Caizhou, then you are.”

The taller guy was sharp. He knew the only way to salvage his dignity was to keep showering Gu Luo with compliments.

That way, he could tell himself—Losing to the “Most Handsome in Caizhou” isn’t embarrassing.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, keeping things civil.

“Well, bro, we should probably—” The taller guy tried to make his escape but was interrupted yet again.

“Sorry for the misunderstanding earlier. This coffee is really good—since you two are such connoisseurs, don’t let it go to waste.”

A clever girl like Manman wasn’t about to waste this golden opportunity to play the girlfriend role.

After finally getting a taste of it, she wasn’t letting these two wingmen leave so easily.

They came all this way—did they really think they could just walk away? Not a chance!

“Uh… yeah, it’s great.” The taller guy stared at his barely touched black coffee, his face darkening as discomfort prickled through him.

He glanced at his still-AFK teammate and forced a grin. “Cheers.”

If the jungler’s gonna keep farming, we’re going down together.

The skinnier guy: “......”

And so, the two officially donned their clown masks.

All they could do was watch helplessly as the girls they’d been hitting on earlier shamelessly flirted with the same guy right in front of them.

And so it went.

Under the warm golden glow of the café, Gu Ximan scooped up a generous bite of tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder using a silver spoon, her fingers lightly swaying the handle. The sugar-coated dessert shimmered enticingly under the light.

"Ah~ Open wide~"

She deliberately dangled the treat right in front of Gu Luo's nose, playfully pulling it back just as he was about to take a bite.

This teasing went back and forth several times until Xuexue couldn't resist gently nudging her arm, prompting Gu Ximan to giggle and finally feed it into Gu Luo's mouth.

Not to be outdone, Lu Xuexue cradled a delicate bone china cup filled with caramel macchiato, stirring the foam with a straw before scooping up a dollop of velvety cream laced with caramel sauce. "Be careful, Brother Gu, it's hot~"

Her fingertips held the end of the straw, only letting go once Gu Luo had taken a sip. Spotting a fleck of foam at the corner of his lips, she shyly wiped it away with her pinky, her earlobes flushing a faint pink.

Her heart swelled with sweetness.

But the indulgence didn’t stop there.

On the table, a strawberry cream cake sat adorned with glistening red berries. Gu Ximan plucked one, took a bite, and then held the remaining half up to Gu Luo’s lips.

"The rest is yours~"

She mischievously angled the half-eaten strawberry toward him, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"....."

Gu Luo took the bite, feeling like something had been off from the very beginning.

But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Ah well, since he was already here.

With these two clingy girls sticking around, he had no choice but to keep up the act of playing their shared boyfriend.

Not that he was complaining—being doted on by two beautiful girls was its own kind of bliss.

Seeing this, Lu Xuexue promptly scooped up a generous spoonful of strawberry jam-laced cream and, mimicking Gu Ximan, fed it to Gu Luo.

But she accidentally smudged some on his chin, flusteredly wiping it off with a napkin as warmth surged through her fingertips.

Amid their affectionate display, the aroma of desserts and rich coffee swirled in the air.

Gu Ximan ended the feast by playfully dotting Gu Luo’s nose with cocoa-dusted fingers, while Lu Xuexue fed him the last sip of her macchiato before secretly licking the lingering foam from the rim of the cup—only to blush furiously when Gu Ximan caught her, hiding her crimson face in her hands.

Outside, the deepening night painted the sweet scene in a hazy, warm glow.

The world was beautiful.

Well... except for the two spectators at the next table.

The taller of the two boys forced down the last bitter sip of his black coffee, mustering a smile more painful than tears as he addressed Gu Luo and the girls:

"The black coffee here is truly exquisite. We’ll be taking our leave now."

Damn it. He’d dug his own grave—now he had to lie in it.

Never again would he go out picking up girls with this useless wingman.

Noticing their retreat, Gu Ximan quickly called out, "Don’t go! Have another cup—my treat!"

She was just getting into the role of doting girlfriend.

"No, no, we shouldn’t drink too much at night," the taller boy insisted, already standing and striding toward the counter without so much as a glance at his hapless companion.

Clearly, he couldn’t bear another second.

The slimmer boy cast one last longing look at the petite, white-stockinged girl nestled against another man before following suit.

Lu Xuexue watched their lonely departure with genuine reluctance.

Without their wingmen, how could she and Ximan keep up the charade of being girlfriends?

But just then—

Gu Ximan’s playful voice cut through the air.

"Hey, Gu Luo, you did great just now. This lovely lady is very pleased and has decided to reward you."

"How about this? Tonight, you get to experience the joy of having both arms full."

"Xuexue, you’re okay with that, right?"

"Y-yes!"

Lu Xuexue’s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly, her big, dewy eyes blinking rapidly.

—Ximan was a genius!

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