Pure Like

"Whatever the outcome, I won’t give up on this relationship."

"Big sister said it with such sincerity back then, and I never doubted her feelings for him."

On the rooftop, a gentle breeze brushed past two girls with different hairstyles but identical faces.

Their soft strands of hair danced lightly in the air.

Luo Shuhe gazed calmly at the distant skyscrapers and mountains, mimicking Luo Shuning’s earlier words.

Luo Shuling stood beside her, listening quietly, arms outstretched as she closed her eyes and savored the caress of the wind.

After a long moment of indulgence, she stretched lazily and asked,

"So, Shuhe, you definitely won’t expose Shuning, right?"

"If you already know, why bother asking?"

Luo Shuhe’s reply mingled with the wind, like a feather carried away by the breeze.

Hearing the indifferent response, Luo Shuling simply giggled. "Oh, come on, as your little sister, I just want to talk to you more. Don’t be so cold, okay~~~"

Luo Shuhe took a step forward, slowly extending her hand to feel the wind’s flow, her tone still flat. "Until you drop that crazy idea of yours, this is the attitude you’ll get from me."

"Shuhe, you’re putting romance before sisterhood."

"So what? I’m just greedy for his looks."

"Alright, alright, 666, no need to sugarcoat it."

"......"

The two sisters bantered back and forth for a while before Luo Shuling suddenly grew serious. "Shuhe, what if I told you I could get Mom to agree to us both being with him?"

At those words, Luo Shuhe’s breath hitched imperceptibly, but she quickly steadied herself and replied dismissively,

"You’re dreaming."

"I said if. If Mom agreed, you’d say yes, wouldn’t you?" Luo Shuling reached out as if to smooth the faint crease between Luo Shuhe’s brows but paused mid-air, opting instead to gently ruffle her hair.

"After all, you’re willing to share with Shuning."

The rooftop fell silent, save for the distant hum of air conditioners and the honking of cars below.

Luo Shuhe stared at the clouds dyed crimson by the sunset before finally shaking her head. "There’s no if."

"Shuhe, answer me directly. If Mom agreed, would you?"

"I said, there’s no if."

"And I said, answer me directly. If Mom agreed, would you?"

"......"

Seeing Luo Shuling’s relentless questioning, Luo Shuhe’s expression grew complicated, her lashes casting deeper shadows under her eyes. She shook her head again, softly.

"I don’t know. Maybe yes, maybe no."

"But I do know one thing—Shuning definitely wouldn’t."

After a pause, she added, "After all, among the three of us, Shuning’s the only normal one."

"And that’s exactly why she’s the most pitiful, isn’t it?" Luo Shuling chuckled, her laughter laced with something ineffable. "Because she’s the most normal, she ended up the most miserable."

"In that house, only the abnormal kids could grow up normally. The normal ones were pushed until they weren’t normal anymore."

Her gaze pierced through the sunset, landing on some distant unknown. "Dad’s coming to the charity banquet in Caizhou this time."

At the word "Dad," Luo Shuhe’s pupils constricted sharply. "Does Mom know?"

"No. If she did, she’d never let Shuning attend."

"Then..." Luo Shuhe started to speak but caught herself. "Wait, how do you know?"

"If I want to know, I know." Luo Shuling grinned, her tone as breezy as ever.

The most casual delivery for the most domineering words.

"You..."

Luo Shuhe massaged her temples, deciding not to press further. She had her suspicions about Luo Shuling’s secrets.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

Shuning could not see Dad again.

With that thought, Luo Shuhe’s voice turned firm.

"Then Shuning can’t go."

"Why not?" Luo Shuling tilted her head.

"Huh?"

"Are you insane? Haven’t you seen enough of what he’s done to her?" Luo Shuhe stared at her sister in disbelief, the wind whipping her skirt like flickering flames.

"Is running away forever the right answer?" Luo Shuling met her gaze, enunciating each word. "I’ve said it before—no destruction, no rebirth."

"Do you want Shuning to live in his shadow for the rest of her life?"

Luo Shuhe fell silent.

After a long pause, she muttered, "Nonsense."

"What needs facing will be faced; what needs solving will be solved." Luo Shuling sighed, shaking her head.

"Honestly, Shuhe, if you’d just been upfront with Gu Luo from the start, I’m sure you’d be the one with him now."

"I never interfered in your relationship back then."

"But now Shuning loves him, you love him—it’s like choosing between two halves of the same heart."

"I don’t want to see either of you hurt."

"If there’s a choice, why not go for the happy ending?"

Luo Shuhe went completely still.

It was true.

If she’d laid everything out clearly from the beginning, Gu Luo would’ve chosen her.

Without a doubt.

If their roles had been reversed, Gu Luo and Shuning would never have gotten together behind her back.

But.

Who could’ve predicted this?

Luo Shuhe never wanted to trap him with something he’d already forgotten.

Then, she recalled Gu Luo’s words to her last night, and a blissful smile crept onto her face as she reminisced:

"Shuhe, I love you."

"Always, always, always loved you."

"I really, really love you."

"From the bottom of my heart."

"I love how you always protect me."

"I love your icy demeanor."

"I love your smile."

"I love your little devil side."

"That was his confession to me."

"Pure, unconditional love."

"So, I have no regrets."

Luo Shuling watched as Luo Shuhe—usually an ice queen—transformed into a radiant, love-struck princess. For once, she was at a loss for words.

This was the first time she’d ever been speechless.

And in that moment, she finally understood Luo Shuhe’s truest feelings.

Love really was complicated.

With that thought, Luo Shuling turned and walked toward the stairwell, leaving only a whisper carried away by the wind:

"Shuhe, I’ve always wanted you to be happy."

............

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