Three Consecutive Victories

"Mm, so good!"

Gu Ximan scooped up a mountain of crab roe tofu with her spoon, her cheeks puffed up like they were stuffed with two cherries. As she spoke, droplets of sauce trickled down the corner of her lips, only to be swiftly caught by the tip of her tongue.

Her cold tea-brown hair swayed gently with each chew, while beneath the table, her white stocking-clad feet secretly rubbed against Gu Luo's instep.

The tantalizing little gesture sent a ticklish flutter through Gu Luo's heart. Hurriedly, he picked up a sugar-glazed spare rib and placed it in Gu Ximan's bowl, his thumb brushing against the warm sauce at the corner of her lips.

"Slow down, no one's fighting you for it."

Before, such a touch would have just felt comforting. But now, after everything had been laid bare, the gesture carried an unmistakable intimacy.

His main focus right now was sorting out his feelings for Shu Ning and Shu He. Until then, he absolutely couldn’t afford to mess around.

Meanwhile, the silly girl who was too busy devouring her food had completely forgotten her bold declaration from earlier that afternoon—"I, Gu Ximan, would rather starve to death or jump off the rooftop than go back with him!"

Truly, no one could escape the "so good" law.

"Mm, so good!"

Luo Shuling’s cheeks were equally stuffed, her short, ear-length hair gleaming under the light as she giggled. "Eating with Xiao Man really makes everything taste better!"

Her eyes, upturned at the corners, met Gu Ximan’s gaze across the table.

The two shared a knowing smile.

Both were foodies, and both gave each other the ultimate foodie seal of approval.

After all, meals always taste best when you’re fighting for the last bite.

Lu Xuexue, who was eating at Gu Luo’s home for the first time, sat on his other side. The tops of her white thigh-high socks trembled slightly with every restless movement of her legs.

She nibbled daintily at her salad, but her gaze kept drifting toward the Luo sisters—Luo Shuning, who had tied her hair into a high ponytail for cooking, looked gentle and poised in her casual home dress; Luo Shuhe, with her hair cascading over her shoulders, wore a black spaghetti-strap nightgown, her expression cool and detached, exuding an air of regal aloofness.

The stark contrast between their temperaments left Lu Xuexue in awe.

Up close, they were breathtakingly beautiful.

And they were triplets—identical in every way. A major bonus.

No wonder Gu Luo had fallen for both of them.

What guy could resist that kind of allure?

But then again, Gu Luo was exceptional in his own right.

Among the girls at the table, aside from the ever-hungry senior Shuling, every one of them had some kind of complicated, unspoken connection with him.

The only mystery was why Shu Ning had rejected him.

If it were her, she’d be jumping for joy.

Meanwhile, Luo Shuhe was discreetly studying Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue, puzzled by Gu Ximan’s sudden return and her inexplicably cheerful demeanor.

Something felt off.

At that thought, she instinctively glanced at Luo Shuling, who was still engrossed in her meal.

Was this another one of Shuling’s schemes?

Just then, Gu Luo suddenly spoke up.

"Shu He, come to my room later for some gaming."

Without hesitation, Luo Shuhe nodded.

"Okay."

Luo Shuning’s grip on her chopsticks tightened for a split second before she forced herself to relax.

Her emotions were a tangled mess.

She had already made up her mind to step aside for Shu He, cutting off any retreat for herself. But...

But watching Gu Luo turn his attention to Shu He still stirred an ache of envy in her chest.

And then there were the words he’d said to her that morning.

He had changed so much.

And all of it was because of her own extreme actions.

The meal passed quickly.

Throughout, Gu Luo occasionally served dishes to Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue beside him, while also chatting with Luo Shuhe and Luo Shuling.

The only one he seemed to ignore was Luo Shuning, seated at the far end.

And it wasn’t just him—whether by coincidence or design, no one else spoke to her either, their silence eerily synchronized.

Compared to Lu Xuexue, Luo Shuning felt more like an outsider, unwelcome and unacknowledged.

Everyone had their own thoughts weighing on their minds.

"Xuexue, try this."

Gu Luo pushed a small plate of strawberry pudding toward Lu Xuexue, the porcelain spoon clinking softly against the bowl.

At his words, Lu Xuexue lifted her head and met his smiling eyes, her ears instantly flushing crimson, like sun-ripened cherry tomatoes.

Her bashful reaction made her feelings painfully obvious to anyone watching.

Luo Shuning’s heart sank even further.

Soon, the clock struck eight, the warm yellow light suffused with the lingering aroma of food and the faint fragrance of five beautiful girls.

After the meal, Gu Ximan wrapped her arms around Lu Xuexue’s slender waist from behind, playfully tickling her. "Xuexue, you’re not going home tonight! You’re staying as my cuddle pillow!"

"Hahaha... stop... okay, okay, I’ll stay! Just stop tickling me..."

Gu Luo watched the girls’ playful tussle, then glanced at the silent figures of Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe across the table.

This dinner felt like an unfinished game of chess—every player subtly testing the waters, while he, amid the mingled scents of food and the girls’ laughter, caught a fleeting sweetness in the chaos.

Being with his sisters like this was truly wonderful.

Who would’ve thought that in just two months, out of the five girls, only the carefree Luo Shuling remained purely a sister to him?

Once he sorted things out with Shu Ning, Shu Ning, Shu He, Xiao Man, and Xuexue could all stay by his side.

As for Shuling, of course he hoped his little sunbeam would always remain close.

But everything had to unfold naturally.

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

After dinner, Gu Ximan whisked Lu Xuexue off to her room, Luo Shuling settled in the living room to watch a soap opera, and Luo Shuhe carried her laptop into Gu Luo’s room.

As usual, Gu Luo and Luo Shuning were left to clean up.

In the kitchen, Gu Luo silently and meticulously washed the dishes, not so much as glancing at Luo Shuning—if not treating her like air, then close to it.

Luo Shuning mirrored his demeanor. Though her feelings for him remained, she had burned her bridges. There was no going back now.

Once Gu Luo and Shu He’s relationship progressed further, she would come clean about the photos.

"Shu Ning, I won’t be home for dinner this weekend," Gu Luo suddenly said.

"Tomorrow night, I’m taking Xiao Man and Xuexue out. The night after, I’m going for a walk with Shu He."

Luo Shuning paused before nodding slowly.

"Mm, I understand."

Her heart ached, but at the same time, she felt a strange relief.

Whether it was Gu Luo drinking Shu He’s yogurt that morning or inviting her to his room just now, one thing was clear—

Gu Luo was growing closer to Luo Shuhe.

This was good.

This was how it should be...

Just as she had planned.

Forcing a gentle smile, she began, "Shu He is a wonderful girl, Brother, you—"

But before she could finish, Gu Luo cut in. "Of course I know Shu He is a wonderful girl."

"...Mm."

Luo Shuning swallowed the rest of her words.

Her mind was a whirlwind.

She couldn’t tell if Gu Luo had interrupted to emphasize Shu He’s virtues or to stop her from saying what came next.

The dynamics between the three of them had grown unbearably delicate.

After placing the last cleaned plate into the cabinet, Gu Luo turned to Luo Shuning and said, "My anger has subsided by about one-tenth."

"Huh... huh?"

Luo Shuning was momentarily stunned.

Gu Luo shrugged. "Nothing, just giving you an update on the progress bar."

"Brother... I’ve already... gone this far..." Luo Shuning genuinely hadn’t expected that even after doing all this, she was still being gradually forgiven.

So, was Gu Luo’s current initiative toward Shu He just a way of punishing her?

Didn’t that mean everything had circled back to the beginning?

"You’ve probably misunderstood me," Gu Luo said bluntly. "I like Shu He."

"Huh... huh?"

Luo Shuning froze again.

So, this so-called "forgiveness progress bar" meant that only after being forgiven could they maintain a friendly sibling relationship?

Were they not even siblings anymore?

Though legally, they technically weren’t.

"You’ve misunderstood me again," Gu Luo said, reaching out to pinch her cheek with a serious expression. "I won’t give up on either Shu He or you."

"Wha... what?"

Luo Shuning was shocked for the third time, staring at Gu Luo in disbelief.

What did that mean?

What did he mean by "won’t give up on either"?

"Brother... what are you saying...?"

"Exactly what you think I’m saying."

"No!" Luo Shuning frantically shook her head, though she didn’t pull away from his hand. "Absolutely not!"

Sharing the same man with her own sister? That was insane.

Of course, that was any normal person’s first reaction.

Gu Luo pinched her other cheek. "Then what about you, Shu Ning? Will you silently stand by and wish me and Shu He happiness?"

"I... I..."

Luo Shuning was at a loss for words.

Her original plan had been to push Gu Luo toward Shu He and then live alone for the rest of her life—no relationships, no marriage.

To bury her love for Gu Luo deep in her heart forever.

Naturally, that choice would be agonizing.

But there was no other way. Everyone had to take responsibility for their actions.

Right now, Luo Shuning couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh, so she tried another way to refuse: "Mom and Uncle Gu would never agree."

"I’ve already prepared myself to have my legs broken."

"......"

Luo Shuning fell silent, her mind completely blank.

As a traditional girl, she could never accept sharing a man with her own sister.

But the thought of living alone was unbearably painful.

"Take your time to think it over. I’m going back to play games with Shu He now." With that, Gu Luo withdrew his hand, turned, and walked straight out of the kitchen.

Leaving Luo Shuning standing there, dazed.

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

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