At four in the afternoon, the school bell rang across Guangya.
As usual, students flooded toward the club building or sports center, their laughter rising and falling like waves, weaving a lively net under the clear autumn sky.
Lu Xuexue glanced at Gu Ximan, who looked troubled, and hesitated before speaking up. "Miman, I’ll go with you."
She had carefully gone over the whole incident with Gu Ximan afterward and realized it was truly just a misunderstanding.
Gu Luo’s confession had been meant for Luo Shuning all along.
Though Lu Xuexue was heartbroken too, she had spent the past few days doing her best to console Gu Ximan, who was taking it even harder.
Hearing her offer, Gu Ximan waved a hand with forced nonchalance. "It’s fine, really. Hmph, I just want to see what that jerk Gu Luo is up to."
But the worry between her brows betrayed the unease in her heart.
Gu Luo’s words—You didn’t leave because of that awkwardness, did you?—still echoed in her mind.
What did that idiot mean?
Had he figured something out? Was he about to lay everything bare…?
"Alright then… I’ll wait for you downstairs," Lu Xuexue said, her expression concerned as she ruffled Gu Ximan’s cool tea-brown hair.
"Mhm! That jerk said he’d take me home, but I’m not going." Gu Ximan lifted her chin defiantly. "I’d rather starve to death or jump off this rooftop than go back with him!"
"Hey, none of that talk about starving or jumping! Tsk, tsk."
"You’re the best, Xuexue!"
Ten minutes later, Gu Ximan took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the rooftop door.
A breeze brushed past her, and the sunlight was a little too bright.
Gu Luo was the only one there, sitting on a bench. He waved at her and called out, "Block the door."
"W-why block the door…?"
Gu Ximan’s face instantly flushed.
Every Guangya student knew the rule—blocking the door with something meant hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign. It usually meant a couple was up here getting cozy.
After using an empty bucket to barricade the door, Gu Ximan smoothed her cool tea-brown hair and walked unhurriedly toward the bench.
She sat down beside Gu Luo, leaving just a few inches between them.
"Come closer."
He patted the space next to him with a smile.
"…Okay."
Her heartbeat quickened, her gaze darting nervously as she inched closer, until her calf lightly brushed against his uniform pants. Her pulse stuttered.
"Ximan."
Gu Luo turned to look at her, his voice soft.
"…What?"
She puffed her cheeks and glared back, though her lashes trembled.
"You like me, don’t you?"
"……"
The words hit like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending ripples crashing through her chest.
Her eyes widened, lips parting, but before she could speak, she choked on her own saliva. Violent coughs wracked her, turning her cheeks scarlet.
"Cough… cough…!"
"Easy, easy."
Gu Luo’s hand settled on her back, gently rubbing along her spine. The warmth seeped through her thin uniform, so scorching she wanted to pull away—yet couldn’t bring herself to.
When she finally caught her breath, Gu Ximan covered her face, her voice muffled between her fingers.
"You… you…!"
"Jerk… What are you trying to say…?"
Her heart pounded so hard it threatened to leap out of her throat.
This was too sudden.
Way too sudden.
Instead of answering, Gu Luo pulled a lucky star from his pocket. The fluorescent green paper shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Pinching the star between his fingers, he smiled so tenderly it could melt ice. "I love it. Really, really love it."
"Because you folded it for me. It’ll definitely bring me luck—and keep me safe."
"…S-so what…?"
Her pulse raced even faster.
But Gu Luo veered off again, fingertips tracing the star’s edges as he murmured,
"Ximan, there’s something I need to confess to you."
…………
…………
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
