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.
............
............
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)
] [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!"
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
