Tears of the Little Devil

Luo Shuhe's nails dug into Gu Luo's nape through the cotton fabric of his T-shirt.

This little-demon-style assertive response sent Gu Luo's heart racing. His palm naturally slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer. The satin of her spaghetti-strap nightgown crumpled between their pressed bodies.

Luo Shuhe subtly raised her knee to rest against his abdomen, her kiss growing more fervent—lips and teeth carrying an unmistakable aggression, as if she had seized control of this long-overdue, forceful kiss.

Truly, a little demon through and through.

Always so assertive.

Even if caught off guard at first, she quickly regained her footing.

Outside the window, faint chirps of birds could be heard, but they were drowned out by the rising heat in the room.

Time slipped away, minute by minute.

Twenty minutes stretched like silk, tangled between them.

When Luo Shuhe finally pulled back, their lips still clung, reluctant to part.

The dark gemstones of her eyes had melted into deep pools, shimmering with moisture, reflecting Gu Luo's equally ragged breaths.

"Baby..."

Luo Shuhe murmured, her fingertip grazing his lower lip, now reddened from her bite. Suddenly, she laughed—a sultry laugh reserved only for him. "You’ve wanted this for a while, haven’t you?"

Gu Luo panted, forehead pressed to hers, his hand still lingering at her waist.

Watching the little-demon smirk reappear at the corner of her lips, he realized that the boldness of their earlier kiss paled in comparison to the starlight now dancing in her eyes.

The sweet scent of yogurt still lingered in the air. He knew—some things, once set in motion by that kiss, could never be undone.

Namely, the path of a playboy.

"Of course. As a guy—and your gege—getting kissed like that by a girl is kinda embarrassing, you know?" Gu Luo teased before pecking her lips a few more times.

Luo Shuhe leaned into his embrace with a scoff. "Oh? So bold now—not afraid of getting caught?"

"Let them see. I don’t need to hide how much I like Shuhe."

Gu Luo was addicted—those cherry lips and delicate features were impossible to resist.

Besides, Shu Ning wouldn’t barge in. Shuling, the carefree foodie, would be glued to late-night soap operas as long as there was no school the next day. As for Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue, they’d already been… handled. They promised to wait patiently while he figured things out with the sisters.

So, no worries.

Luo Shuhe remained pliant the entire time. Despite her naturally domineering aura, she now curled against him like a cat retracting its claws—the contrast intoxicating.

After another heated exchange, she suddenly spoke up:

"So, baby… what exactly are you thinking?"

She meant his feelings for Shu Ning.

She’d done all she could, even stepped aside—but if her sister wouldn’t fight for him, there was nothing more to do.

Gu Luo answered softly, "You keep calling me a playboy, so I might as well own it. I won’t give up on either of you."

"So you’ve decided to have both?" Luo Shuhe wasn’t surprised, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Did getting rejected by her change your mind?"

A pause, then her tone cooled slightly. "Well, good for me, I guess. Thanks to her, someone didn’t just fly off happily ever after with his one true love."

Gu Luo caught the jealousy lacing her words. Even a little demon was still a teenage girl—once intimacy bloomed, that childish pettiness surfaced.

Suppressing a laugh, he gave her backside a light smack. The smack and the soft bounce under his palm sent a tingle through his fingertips.

Damn, that feels good.

Clearing his throat, he nodded toward the desk. "Open the drawer."

Curious, Luo Shuhe straightened, her black nightgown dipping slightly as she twisted her slender waist to pull the drawer open.

Inside lay a delicate gift box tied with a ribbon.

Her eyes flickered, lips twitching before she forced them still.

With a soft click, the box revealed a silver chain coiled on velvet, its pendant a tiny panda clutching a heart. Its onyx eyes gleamed under the moonlight, mirroring the shine in Luo Shuhe’s gaze.

"Well? Do you like it?" Gu Luo brushed her hair aside, fingertips grazing her nape and feeling her slight shiver. "I noticed your toothbrush has a panda, just like Ximan’s. Figured you’d like this too."

Luo Shuhe didn’t turn, only pressed the pendant to her palm, its cool metal warming against her skin.

Her heart warmed too.

Seeing her faint smile, Gu Luo took her wrist and fastened the necklace around her neck. As the chain settled against her swan-like throat, he nipped her earlobe. "A little demon with a panda is the cutest."

His whisper sent a tremor through her. When she turned, she met his smiling eyes—the panda pendant now resting above her heart, pulsing with each thump.

This combo attack left the little demon utterly defenseless.

Her heart was melting.

But he wasn’t done.

Pulling out his phone, Gu Luo opened the shopping app, showing her the purchase history—dated before his confession to Shu Ning.

"Shuhe, I love you," he said earnestly. "Even before confessing to Shu Ning, I’d already realized—I can’t live without you either."

"So I decided then: I’d be with both of you, even if it costs me my legs."

"Time was tight, so I couldn’t make you a handmade gift like hers. But don’t worry—whatever Shu Ning has, you’ll get too. I’m working on it."

Luo Shuhe’s nose stung. Her heart had liquefied completely.

She hadn’t lost.

Gu Luo didn’t love her out of obligation or past ties.

He’d chosen her before the heartbreak.

"Cry if you need to. I’m here."

Gu Luo’s voice was like cotton soaked in warmth, his palm gliding soothingly along her trembling spine.

The girl in his arms stiffened briefly before going boneless against him, her forehead pressing harder into his chest.

The strap of her black nightgown dug into his collarbone, but it was nothing compared to the tightness in his chest at her quiet sniffles.

When he lowered his head, his nose brushed against the white tea scent of her hair—her recent choice of hair oil, now tinged with something saltier.

The first warm droplet seeped through his T-shirt. Instinctively, he tightened his arms, pulling her closer.

Luo Shuhe’s cries were soft, like a wounded animal licking its injuries in solitude. Only the tremors against his chest and the growing dampness confirmed this wasn’t a dream.

After a long while, he gently turned her face toward him, his thumb brushing past the redness at the corners of her eyes, touching the damp warmth of tears.

"Shuhe..."

Gu Luo started to comfort her, but Luo Shuhe buried herself against his chest again, cutting him off.

This time, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, clinging to him like a lifeline, her muffled sobs pressed into his chest.

Gu Luo didn’t speak anymore, simply stroking her back in slow, soothing motions.

The quiet sniffles gradually softened in the silent room, until only their mingled breaths remained.

The damp patch on his chest grew, cool and sticky against his skin.

Suddenly, the usually domineering little demon in his arms, curled up so small, felt more real than ever before.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his palm still feeling the occasional tremble along her spine.

"I'm here."

Gu Luo repeated the words, his voice so tender it threatened to overflow.

The girl in his arms slowly quieted, though she still clung to him like a child seeking shelter.

A long moment later.

Luo Shuhe finally spoke, her voice thick with lingering tears, "Baby, I’m staying tonight."

"Okay."

Gu Luo agreed without hesitation.

In the past, he might have worried—afraid his sisters would see.

But now? He wouldn’t just let Shuhe stay alone. Even if Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue joined, he wouldn’t flinch.

As the old saying went, "The barefooted fear no shoes." Though the analogy wasn’t perfect, the sentiment fit.

"Tonight... I’ll give you my first time..."

Luo Shuhe’s voice, still tinged with tears, reached him again.

But this time, Gu Luo didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he softened his tone and said, "There’s no rush. Let’s settle what happened between us when we were kids first, alright?"

At that, Luo Shuhe finally lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and whispered,

"There’s nothing from back then. You just fed a stray cat once—no need to dwell on it."

She wasn’t hung up on the past anymore.

Holding onto happiness now was what mattered.

Gu Luo’s heart ached faintly at her comparing herself to a stray cat.

He didn’t press further, resting his forehead against hers instead.

"The day after tomorrow, we’ll go on a date. I’ll give you my answer then."

The panda pendant around Luo Shuhe’s neck swayed slightly, bearing witness to this night—the little demon shedding all her armor, revealing the soft, vulnerable heart hidden beneath her fierceness.

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