Volume 4: Only Sobriety, No Decadence

A week had already passed since Gu Luo's confession was rejected.

The Friday morning light arrived as scheduled.

Throughout this week, the atmosphere at home had been calm.

Unnervingly calm.

So calm it felt eerie, like a frozen lake's surface.

Sunlight streamed through the diamond-patterned window lattice, casting golden flecks onto the oak cabinets.

Though November had arrived, the wind in Caizhou still carried the lingering warmth of autumn, with temperatures in the teens and the faint scent of osmanthus drifting into the kitchen.

"Shuning, pass me the peeler."

Gu Luo's voice bounced off the tiles, startling the sparrows perched on the windowsill.

"I'll handle this."

"Alright."

Luo Shuning's fingers trembled slightly as she took the potato, the peeler gliding in smooth arcs over its green-and-yellow skin.

Gu Luo and Luo Shuning still wore matching aprons, busy preparing breakfast for the household.

He whisked eggs with a practiced flick of his wrist; she minced scallions into fine, even threads—their coordination as seamless as interlocking gears.

Yet the usual laughter and banter were absent.

Apart from necessary exchanges, not a single casual word passed between them.

From time to time, Luo Shuning would steal a glance at Gu Luo, only to quickly avert her eyes.

She had expected him to grow distant after that night—after all, she'd not only lost the gift he painstakingly prepared but also hurled cruel words at him.

Yet, to her surprise, the next day Gu Luo had greeted her as if nothing happened, his tone perfectly composed.

His words were the same as always, yet now laced with a newfound politeness.

Though his gentleness remained unchanged, an ocean seemed to stretch between them.

Moreover, Gu Luo seemed to have closed off his emotions entirely, carrying himself with detached calm every day.

Shu He, too, made no further moves.

As for Gu Ximan—after sobbing accusations over the phone that night—she had dragged her suitcase to Lu Xuexue's place the very next morning.

Only Luo Shuling remained cheerful and carefree, dividing her time between sleep and food.

Of course, these past two days, she'd been leaving early for school to handle matters related to the inter-school sports festival, coordinating with student councils from other institutions.

"Brother... is... is Ximan not coming home anymore?"

After wrestling with her thoughts, Luo Shuning finally spoke, though her words stumbled.

Guilt weighed heavily on her—Ximan's departure was entirely her fault.

At this, Gu Luo paused mid-whisk, a drop of egg white sliding from the chopsticks into the bowl, forming a white halo around the golden yolk.

After a brief silence, he replied, "I'll bring her back tonight."

Then, turning to Shuning, he added softly, "This isn’t... really your fault. It’s mostly because of me."

"After school, I’ll resolve this."

"...And over these five days, I’ve thought through a lot of things."

Hearing this, Luo Shuning opened her mouth, but it took a long moment before she managed to force out, "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have toyed with your—"

Before she could finish, Gu Luo raised a hand to stop her.

"Shuning, you didn’t toy with my feelings. To put it in a roundabout way—I know that you know that I know what you were thinking. Though I’m not entirely sure what happened in between, I understand perfectly well what kind of person you are."

"You were emotionally unstable back then, and it was your first experience with love. It’s natural to act irrationally under those circumstances."

"But your approach was extreme."

"Of course, understanding doesn’t mean I wasn’t angry or hurt."

"And even if wounds heal, scars remain."

"So right now, I don’t particularly feel like engaging with you. The only reason I’m saying this much is because, at this moment, I’m speaking as your brother."

Luo Shuning stood frozen, at a loss for words.

Gu Luo was right—after calming down and reflecting, she realized how childish her actions had been.

Excessively so.

Yet even if given another chance, she still didn’t know what she could have done differently in that situation.

Rejecting him was inevitable.

Had she confessed everything outright, Gu Luo’s kindness would have led him to forgive her—leaving Shu He no closer to happiness.

So she had chosen the extreme path, wounding Gu Luo with the cruelest words and actions, leaving no room for retreat.

But no matter the reasoning, she had still hurt him.

Her emotions now were indescribably tangled.

Sometimes she regretted deceiving Gu Luo that night.

Yet upon reflection, without that deception, she would never have realized the depth of Shu He’s love for him.

But another question arose:

If—

Luo Shuning truly didn’t know whether, had she not deceived him, she would have willingly stepped aside after learning the secret in the black box.

Perhaps she would have.

Perhaps not.

There was no clear answer.

On one side was the man she loved most.

On the other, her dearest sister.

No matter the choice, someone would end up wounded.

Is there really no perfect solution that satisfies everyone...?

Two women sharing one husband?

No, Shu He might have mentioned it, but it was probably just a joke.

Mom and Uncle Gu would never agree to it.

And as for me... I wouldn’t either.

Love inherently comes with possessiveness.

Who could accept sharing the same man with another girl, even if it’s her own sister?

The only option is to step back.

Luo Shuning’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t sort them out.

But the one thing she was certain of was that Gu Luo was indeed different now.

Less indecisive, more willing to lay things out plainly.

Just then, the sound of slippers shuffling against the floor came from outside the kitchen.

A few seconds later, Luo Shuhe drifted in like an ice sculpture, the hem of her black silk nightgown brushing against her calves as she headed straight for the fridge.

She pulled out a carton of yogurt.

After inserting the straw, she took a light sip, biting the tip gently.

"Let me have a taste too."

Gu Luo suddenly turned around, a long-absent smile curling at the corners of his lips.

The moment those words left his mouth, both Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe froze.

For a second, they thought they were hearing things.

"What’s wrong?"

Gu Luo shrugged and reached out toward Luo Shuhe.

Luo Shuhe’s gaze flickered between Gu Luo and Luo Shuning before, after a brief silence, she parted her lips and released the straw—now slightly misshapen and still carrying traces of toothpaste-flavored saliva.

She handed the yogurt to Gu Luo.

Without hesitation, Gu Luo wrapped his lips around the straw.

Then, in one go, he drained the entire carton.

Watching this, the sisters were stunned once more.

"It’s a bit thinner than before. Even the old brands are cutting corners now," Gu Luo remarked casually about the yogurt from his hometown before turning his calm yet pointed gaze to the sisters.

"I won’t run away anymore, and I won’t let myself be pushed around."

"That’s all."

With that, he placed the empty carton back into Luo Shuhe’s hand and walked out of the kitchen.

The strings of his linen apron traced a sharp arc in the morning light, like an unfinished declaration.

Cool. Decisive.

Now, he was clear-headed, no longer lost.

Leaving Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe behind.

Exchanging a complicated look.

......

Guangya High.

Class 8, Grade 2.

"Luoluo, wanna go to KTV this weekend to unwind?"

At Shen Yue’s desk, Feng Youqing lay sprawled over the table, chin propped on her arms as she stared unblinkingly at Gu Luo.

She’d noticed something off about him days ago.

And considering he was supposed to confess to Luo Shuning last Sunday...

It seemed... he’d been rejected.

And it probably caused some drama at home too.

Because neither Gu Ximan nor Lu Xuexue had shown up during breaks all week.

Fearing Gu Luo might be too upset, Feng Youqing had moved her books to Shen Yue’s seat, chatting with him whenever she could to lift his spirits.

As for Situ Wenyao? Sorry, who?

Right then, Situ Wenyao, ever the dutiful partner, chimed in with a grand gesture:

"Bro, come hang out this weekend! My treat—everything’s on me, Situ Wenyao!"

As the saying goes,

A timely helping hand is worth more than a thousand afterthoughts.

The care this couple had shown him all week hadn’t gone unnoticed by Gu Luo.

It warmed his heart.

"Sure, you pick the time. I’ll bring Ximan and Xuexue along," Gu Luo replied with a gentle smile.

"Great! Then you’ll get to witness what a true mic queen sounds like," Feng Youqing said, playfully slapping Gu Luo’s shoulder a few times before pretending to wipe away tears.

"Finally seeing you smile again, my dear son—it truly warms this mother’s heart."

"..."

Gu Luo’s lips twitched uncontrollably. Truly, the wife of Haki Yao.

Even teasing had to be this absurd.

Situ Wenyao then asked,

"By the way, bro, what’s been up with you lately? I wanted to ask, but your ‘mom’ here kept beating me up."

"..."

Gu Luo had a strong suspicion Haki Yao was subtly mocking him, but alas—no proof.

"Didn’t I say no asking?" Feng Youqing straightened up, fixing Situ Wenyao with a sweetly dangerous smile.

Then she stood and returned to her original seat.

Soon, Situ Wenyao’s howls of pain echoed through the classroom.

Watching the two clowns, Gu Luo chuckled before sending a message to Gu Ximan.

[Gu Luo: Ximan, meet me on the rooftop after school. Got something to talk about.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Gu Ximan: Can’t you say it here?]

[Gu Luo: I’d rather tell you in person. Then I’ll take you home tonight.]

[Gu Ximan: I’m not going back. It’s awkward enough watching you and Sister Ning.]

[Gu Luo: You didn’t leave because of that awkwardness, though.]

The "typing" indicator flickered for so long that Gu Luo thought his phone had frozen before her reply finally popped up.

[Gu Ximan: ...Stupid Gu Luo. What’s that supposed to mean?]

[Gu Luo: Guess first. We’ll talk when we meet.]

Outside the window, the camphor leaves rustled in the wind, and sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a warm glow on Gu Luo’s profile.

The jawline that Luo Shuning once thought "looked like it belonged to a manga protagonist" now carried a more mature, chiseled sharpness.

Some wounds need to be exposed to the air to heal, while some words must be spoken face to face.

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

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