Yes

"......"

Gu Luo suddenly thought of something, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily.

Staring at the varying shades of red marks in the photo, he asked hesitantly, "Don’t tell me... I did this too while I was asleep?"

"Hmph."

Gu Ximan didn’t answer, merely pouting exaggeratedly.

Meanwhile, the corners of her eyes secretly flicked toward his flustered expression, the tips of her little leather shoes tracing crooked circles on the ground.

"......"

Tsk...

Gu Luo was genuinely exasperated with himself now.

First, forcing a kiss, then groping her chest.

This really was inexcusable toward Ximan.

After all, these were matters of a young girl’s innocence.

Even if unintentional, what happened had happened.

"Hah... Some people are just born perverts, taking advantage of me while I was asleep—kissing, hugging, and even slipping their paws in to grope."

When Gu Ximan mentioned "kissing" and "hugging," she instinctively turned her head away, a little guilty. But when it came to "paws" and "grope," she immediately perked up.

After all, the red marks on her chest were undeniably left by that jerk Gu Luo.

What, you want proof?

That night at the sleepover, Gu Luo was the only guy there, and the two of them had slept together—who else could it be?

Faced with the overwhelming evidence, Gu Luo was thoroughly cornered. He forced an awkward laugh, "Ximan... Look, I’ll take responsibility for what I did..."

He paused, then shifted the topic:

"But..."

Before he could finish, Gu Ximan rolled her eyes and cut in with a sarcastic lilt, "I know, but first you have to sort things out with Sister Ning and Sister He."

"How admirable, a principled scumbag~~~"

"So impressive~~~"

The last three words were uttered with a light, sugary sweetness, as if she were sucking on a piece of hard candy—yet the mockery in her tone was unmistakable.

"......"

Gu Luo was left speechless.

A principled scumbag? Really?

He had no idea where she’d picked up that sarcastic tone, but paired with her puffed-up cheeks, it was oddly adorable.

Enough to make him want to reach out and pinch them.

With that thought, Gu Luo slowly raised his hand, about to squeeze Gu Ximan’s plump, youthful cheeks.

But the moment their eyes met, his hand instinctively recoiled, his heart skipping a beat.

Gu Ximan’s face was flushed, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings—utterly captivating at that moment.

Huh?!

This time, not only was he stunned, but Gu Ximan also blinked suspiciously.

Pinching each other’s cheeks had long been routine between them, yet this was the first time he’d pulled back.

An awkward silence settled between them.

After a long pause, Gu Ximan suddenly narrowed her eyes, propping her chin on one hand, a triumphant smile curling at her lips. "Jerk Gu Luo... Are you actually blushing?"

"......"

Gu Luo stayed silent, his gaze drifting toward the distant school building.

"For that split second, did your heart skip a beat?" Gu Ximan leaned closer, the lace trim of her pleated skirt brushing against his knee.

"......"

Gu Luo remained quiet.

"Come on, admit it. If you confess that you were tempted, this beautiful maiden will reward you—something really nice~~~" As she spoke, her fingers lightly flicked the top of her thigh-high sock, producing a crisp snap as the elastic recoiled, making her fair skin tremble slightly.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer fabric, casting suggestive shadows along her calf.

Youthful. Alluring.

Innocence laced with seduction.

No man could resist such temptation.

"You... Where did you even learn this?"

Gu Luo, being a man, was no exception. He forced himself to look away, his voice strained.

"Some people always treat me like a kid." Gu Ximan slowly stood up, straightening her back, hands clasped behind her. The sunlight gilded her school skirt, outlining the perfect, sensual curves of a young woman as she looked down at him.

"Girls mature faster than boys, you know. When it comes to certain... specialized knowledge, you might not even compare."

"......"

Gu Luo had no idea how to respond to that.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but marvel—only after certain things were laid bare could you see another side of the opposite sex.

Maybe this was what people meant when they said the quiet, glasses-wearing girls were the most surprising.

But that side was reserved only for their boyfriends.

Ximan... had truly grown up.

Or rather, he was finally seeing her as a teenage girl—not just a little sister.

Perspective changes everything.

Once he stopped viewing her through the lens of a sibling, the feminine charm he’d overlooked before now surged like wild vines.

"Wait, you almost derailed me again." Gu Ximan snapped out of it, stomping her foot before pressing, "Jerk Gu Luo, confess! Were you tempted just now?"

"...Yeah."

His voice was barely a whisper. Immediately after, he lowered his head and hastily changed the subject. "Ahem... By the way, tomorrow I’ll take you and Xuexue to karaoke. The day after, I have a date with Shu He."

The words spilled out in a rush.

Yet, strangely, there was no response for a long while.

"Huh? Ximan, you..."

Gu Luo finally looked up—and froze, his gaze locking onto her.

The golden glow of sunset spilled over the rooftop railing, drenching Gu Ximan in honeyed light. Her cold tea-brown hair fluttered in the breeze, the dimples at the corners of her eyes sparkling with fragmented radiance, her lips curled in a smile brimming with joy.

Tilting her head, she beamed—bright and beautiful.

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

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