Gu Ximan’s eyelashes fluttered like startled butterfly wings.
Their noses were almost touching—she could see her own reflection in Gu Luo’s pupils.
Those usually smiling eyes were now filled with shock and barely concealed joy. The lips beneath her fingertips trembled slightly, like sun-warmed glass.
A breeze carried dandelion fluff from nowhere, brushing past the watch on Gu Luo’s wrist. The ticking of the second hand was unnervingly loud in the silence.
“Xiao Man...” Gu Luo’s voice came muffled through his palm, rough and broken.
Gu Ximan could see the shadows cast by his long lashes on his cheeks. Then, unexpectedly, he curled his hand, pressing the back of it against her lips.
Time froze into amber.
She caught the scent of soap lingering on his fingers, mingled with the warmth of sunlit school fabric and something indescribably, uniquely Gu Luo.
Her widened eyes glazed over with moisture again, and the hand braced against his chest unconsciously tightened around his collar.
This kiss, separated by his palm, wasn’t soft—it was almost reckless.
Yet it sent a jolt through her entire body, leaving the cold tea-brown-haired girl breathless and thoughtless, aware only of the heat and pulse of the boy’s lips against her skin.
Gu Luo’s kiss slid from her hand to her wrist, his fingertips still guarding her lips as if she were delicate porcelain.
His gaze was clearer than ever.
Staring into Gu Ximan’s watery eyes, he suddenly chuckled low, the sound carrying a sigh of relief:
“I can’t even kiss you properly without a barrier...”
He paused, exhaling softly before continuing:
“Xiao Man, I honestly don’t know how to face your feelings—your romantic feelings. I can sense them, but... I’m sorry, I can’t give you an answer yet.”
“But if you’re willing, I’ll start treating you as a girl my age, someone in the throes of adolescence. Once I’ve resolved things with Shu Ning and Shu He, I’ll give you a proper response.”
“The truth is... I’ve been drowning in self-deception, indecisive and hesitant about love. In the end, I hurt not just myself but all of you.”
“After these past few days of reflection, I’ve realized something: hesitation has no place in matters of the heart. You must say what you feel. The moment you hold back or fail to communicate, misunderstandings arise, driving people who love each other apart.”
“I don’t want any more regrets or pain. I’m even prepared to have my legs broken or be disowned.”
“That’s my answer.”
Every word was sincere.
Shu Ning’s actions—throwing away the letter, saying cruel things, getting into another boy’s car—had cut deep.
It wounded others, but it also wounded herself.
This was a calculated move, a scheme aimed at her own heart.
Luo Shuning’s approach was simple, childish, extreme. No matter the justification, such things were unforgivable.
Two people who loved each other ended up inflicting the deepest wounds.
How laughable.
How ironic.
Love was too complicated, like a potion that could transform you into someone entirely different the moment you drank it.
Hearing this, Gu Ximan suddenly seized his wrist, forcefully pulling his hand away from their lips.
The afternoon wind caught her hair,
brushing against Gu Luo’s cheek.
Her next move carried the desperation of someone burning their bridges.
Sunlight streamed through the rooftop railing, weaving golden patterns over their intertwined shadows.
The distant clamor of Guangya Academy’s students faded into background noise, leaving only the warmth between their lips
and the heartbeat that had waited far too long to be shared.
Gu Luo stiffened like the iron railing, forgetting even to breathe.
An eternity passed.
Just as his fingertips unconsciously curled, nearly grazing her waist, a sharp pain bloomed on his lip.
The metallic tang of blood spread between them.
Gu Ximan stood on shaky legs, stepping back with lips stained a vivid red, like a maple leaf on snow.
“Sort things out with Ning-jie and He-jie first...”
Her voice trembled as she nervously twisted the lace trim of her pleated skirt. “I... I’m just collecting interest!”
With that, she plopped back down, turning her face away as her small hands fluttered frantically before her burning cheeks.
Her uniform sleeve slipped, revealing a slender wrist glowing pearl-white in the sunlight.
The wind lifted her hair again, cold tea-brown strands skimming Gu Luo’s hand, leaving behind a faint, lingering itch.
............
............
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
