Thumbs Up

In Caizhou City during November, daytime and nighttime might as well be two different seasons. The days were crisp and autumnal, while the nights felt like a step into the depths of winter.

Curled up like a kitten under the covers, Gu Ximan pressed close to Gu Luo, her skin flush against his warmth. The faint, distinctly masculine scent of him made her legs go weak.

Lost in slumber, Gu Luo sensed something amiss but, too deeply asleep, merely mumbled incoherently in response. He scratched his chin where strands of his cool tea-brown hair had tickled him, then rolled onto his back, limbs splayed carelessly.

The position suited Gu Ximan perfectly. Without hesitation, she nestled her head onto his arm, almost instinctively swinging a leg over his waist—until she remembered Lu Xuexue standing nearby.

Lu Xuexue had witnessed everything, her cheeks burning with secondhand embarrassment.

Gu Ximan, oblivious to her friend’s flustered state, pointed at the nightgown lying discarded on the floor.

Blinking in the dim light, Lu Xuexue obediently picked it up, folded it neatly, and placed it on the bed.

Amused by her cluelessness, Gu Ximan nearly laughed aloud. She gestured at herself, then to the space beside Gu Luo’s other arm, her meaning crystal clear this time: My dear Xuexue, are you a little fool?

Teammate incompetence aside, the plan was still on track.

That shameless Gu Luo? Easy prey.

Finally catching on, Lu Xuexue bit her lip, hesitated briefly, then slipped off her own nightgown, folding it atop Gu Ximan’s. She was left wearing only the white thigh-high stockings hugging her slender legs—the same purple lingerie set Gu Ximan had picked for her last time.

With her playful twin tails and that tempting, delicate figure, Gu Luo would’ve nosebleeded on the spot if the lights were on.

Relieved her teammate had finally stepped up, Gu Ximan waved urgently, signaling her to hurry.

Lu Xuexue instinctively shielded herself, her thighs trembling—whether from nerves or shyness was unclear. The moment she climbed onto the bed, her legs buckled, sending her stumbling forward.

Two muffled grunts echoed in the room.

Gu Luo, abruptly jolted awake by a dull ache in his abdomen, groaned and sat upright, dragging a dazed Gu Ximan along with him.

His eyes locked with Lu Xuexue’s, who now knelt between his legs. In the darkness, he could just make out the outline of her face.

Their position was… decidedly inappropriate.

Their faces were so close he could feel the warmth of her breath.

Any lingering drowsiness vanished. For a moment, he couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

How did a girl—one who smelled faintly of milk—end up in my arms while I was sleeping?

Lu Xuexue, meanwhile, was scarlet with embarrassment. She tried to scramble away, but her stocking-clad legs, strained tight, refused to cooperate. Instead, she collapsed forward, landing squarely against Gu Luo’s chest.

Recognizing her now, Gu Luo instinctively steadied her by the waist—his fingers brushing against skin so soft it felt like it might melt at the touch.

He meant to let go, but the sensation was addictively velvety, his hand glued to her.

Finally snapping out of her stupor, Gu Ximan watched the scene unfold and nodded approvingly, flashing Lu Xuexue a thumbs-up.

"Good, good, this is how you should take the initiative.

Xuexue truly lives up to her name."

Gu Luo only then noticed someone sitting beside him. When he got a clearer look, his expression turned complicated, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"What are you two...?"

"Gu... Gu... Gu... Gu..."

Lu Xuexue was so flustered she was on the verge of tears, stammering like a glitching computer.

Gradually, her voice even cracked with a sob.

The girl was pure-hearted, terrified that Gu Luo might misunderstand her as being too forward and ruin her image.

After all, throwing herself into his arms late at night while dressed like this carried a certain implication.

And she had already promised Brother Gu that she would wait patiently until he sorted out his feelings with the two seniors.

The more Lu Xuexue thought about it, the more tangled her emotions became. Overwhelmed, her eyes grew moist, and she began to sniffle softly.

Gu Ximan, who had been giving a thumbs-up, froze when she heard the crying.

Wait, why is she crying now?

Then she saw Gu Luo quickly comfort her in a gentle voice, "Ah, don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s okay, shh, no more tears."

As he spoke, he patted her fair back soothingly—though a few strokes accidentally landed on something delicate.

But girls are a peculiar species—the more you comfort them, the more aggrieved they feel, and the harder they cry.

Lu Xuexue was exactly like this. Hearing her beloved’s soothing words only made her emotions spiral further, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

She didn’t even know why it was happening—her tear ducts just refused to cooperate.

And a girl’s tears? For boys, they’re a weapon of mass destruction.

"Shh, shh, no more crying."

Gu Luo couldn’t stand seeing girls cry, especially given their unique relationship.

He quickly pulled Lu Xuexue into his arms, stroking her small head while murmuring gentle reassurances.

Lu Xuexue, like a kitten that had finally found warmth, nestled against him pitifully, her tiny arms wrapping around his waist.

Hiss—

Gu Ximan watched, utterly dumbfounded.

Her recently lowered hand unconsciously rose again, thumbs-up reinstated.

A true master.

This must be what they call "still waters run deep."

Who would’ve thought that shy, reserved Xuexue could be so formidable?

In just a few moves, she had melted into Gu Luo’s embrace—even earning tender comfort.

After about five minutes of coaxing, Lu Xuexue’s emotions finally stabilized a little.

Gu Luo suddenly turned to Gu Ximan, who had been enjoying the show, and twitched his lips.

"Ximan, was this your idea?"

"What? I don’t understand."

Gu Ximan adopted a "come at me" attitude, clinging tightly to his arm and squeezing it between hers.

"What do you mean you don’t understand? We agreed to wait until I sorted things out."

"Exactly. That’s why we came to see you late at night."

"..."

Gu Luo was at a loss with this mischievous sister of his. He silently thanked his luck that he’d sent Shu He away earlier—otherwise, who knew what chaos might’ve erupted?

He wasn’t ready yet to explain Ximan and Xuexue’s situation to the Shu sisters.

Take things one step at a time.

No need to rush.

"Alright, alright, Xuexue and I came here specially—see how good we are to you?" Gu Ximan said.

"Next time you come... give me a heads-up."

Gu Luo had originally meant to say "just this once," but the words slipped out differently before he could stop himself.

"Hmph, as expected, it's that pervert Gu Luo."

Gu Ximan put on an expression that said, 'I saw right through you from the start.'

With things having reached this point, Gu Luo naturally wouldn’t refuse.

To be honest, this feeling had a different flavor compared to being alone with Shu He.

Gu Luo, of course, knew how to balance things fairly. Before long, his gaze drifted toward Lu Xuexue, who was watching with envy.

Then he slowly lay down and pulled the covers over himself.

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