Come On, 2V02

On the other side.

Inside Gu Luo's room.

"Stinky Gu Luo, stop playing on your computer. Look at me, look at me already..." Wearing an adorable nightgown, Gu Ximan wrapped her arms around Gu Luo's neck from behind, pouting and whining without pause:

"I'm way more fun than your computer. Otherwise, why don't we just"

""

Hearing this, Gu Luo's lips twitched involuntarily.

His mind couldn’t help but replay the scene from last night—when Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue had gone to an event together and shared an oversized combo meal.

In the end, the lucky Lu Xuexue had won a grand prize worth hundreds of millions.

"Ahem... Ximan, let’s keep it low-key and proper during the day."

Gu Luo mentally indulged in all sorts of wild thoughts, but outwardly, he maintained the demeanor of a righteous gentleman.

Ximan’s character had completely crumbled by now.

And she was charging full speed ahead down some very... unconventional paths.

Well, saying her character had "crumbled" wasn’t entirely accurate. It was more like Gu Ximan before and after dating were two entirely different people.

And she was surprisingly talented—a master of water-element magic, wielding all sorts of aquatic spells.

Colloquially known as—"Oh, the sea, you—"

"Proper? Why should I be proper?"

Gu Ximan immediately puffed up her rosy cheeks, grumbling in dissatisfaction: "We’ve already slept together, eaten together—what’s left to be proper about? Last night when you coaxed me and Xuexue, you didn’t say a word about being proper!"

At first, their evening had just been some innocent affection.

But then someone’s true colors gradually emerged, suggesting ideas that were downright scandalous.

If she hadn’t stepped in to help persuade Lu Xuexue, there was no way Gu Luo would’ve gotten his way so easily.

"Ahem..."

Gu Luo was momentarily speechless, unable to refute her.

Last night had indeed been a bit... unrestrained. Thankfully, Gu Ximan had helped out—otherwise, he would’ve had a hard time convincing Lu Xuexue, who was experiencing this for the first time.

The whole thing gave off major "scumbag manipulating an innocent girl" vibes.

"Hah, can’t even come up with an excuse now, can you?"

Gu Ximan pressed her advantage, continuing her interrogation: "And what was that comment at dinner earlier? Saying Xuexue should teach me? So what if I accidentally grazed you with my teeth a few times? If you weren’t happy, you could’ve just said so—was it really necessary to call me out like that?"

"Sure, at school I might not be as good as Xuexue academically, but in this area? I refuse to lose!"

"......"

Listening to this, Gu Luo could only feel a phantom toothache, unsure how to respond.

Of course she’d misunderstood.

Seriously, who taught them to overthink like this?

With an internal sigh, he awkwardly explained: "Ximan, if I said I didn’t mean anything else—that I just wanted Xuexue to stay and tutor you—would you believe me?"

"Hmph."

Gu Ximan didn’t outright say whether she believed him or not, merely rolling her eyes.

The message was clear—Yeah, right.

But even her eye-roll was unfairly charming, exuding a unique allure that made him want to kiss her right then.

"I’m really not lying..."

Gu Luo was telling the truth—well, half of it.

The other half was his hope that Lu Xuexue could offer Luo Shuning some comfort during this delicate period, helping maintain their fragile balance.

But that part wasn’t exactly something he could say outright.

Otherwise, it’d seem like he was just using her as a tool.

Right now, he genuinely adored this sweet, attentive little girl who called him "Brother Gu" in that sugary voice.

What could he say? A siscon like him was bound to have a bit of a lolita complex.

Honestly, the two tendencies often went hand in hand.

"Liar, keep lying! You’re just mad I grazed you last night! So petty!"

Gu Ximan was fully committed to her own interpretation, her heart swelling with grievance. As she spoke, she made a show of kneeling down—determined to prove herself.

"Hey, no no no—come on, it’s broad daylight!"

Gu Luo hurriedly reached out to stop her, pleading like a desperate man. But Gu Ximan thrashed around like a pig on slaughter day, impossible to restrain, completely ignoring him.

She was determined to follow the gentleman’s creed—using her mouth, not her hands.

Finally, with no other choice, he simply scooped her up into his arms.

"Stupid Gu Luo, don’t stop me! I have to prove that I—"

Just as their playful bickering reached its peak, the bedroom door swung open.

Luo Shuhe strode inside, clad in a black spaghetti-strap nightgown, only to find Gu Ximan nestled intimately in Gu Luo’s lap. Her chestnut-brown hair and nightgown were both disheveled, as if they’d just finished some kind of... physical struggle.

And what kind of "struggle" could possibly happen between a man and a woman?

The three of them froze, staring at each other in silence.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

"Ahem... Shuhe... So here’s what happened. I was about to work on my novel, and then Ximan started messing around, so I had to teach her a lesson..."

Gu Luo wasn’t even sure why he was explaining, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being caught red-handed.

Now wasn’t the time to reveal the full nature of his relationships with Ximan and Xuexue.

Luo Shuhe didn’t respond, merely crossing her arms and staring at the scene with an icy expression.

Around others, she always wore this cold, emotionless mask.

Of course, when alone with Gu Luo, she’d occasionally reveal her softer side—usually during... intimate moments.

"Sis Shuhe, what’s the big deal? Me sitting in my brother’s lap is totally normal, right?"

Already in a bad mood, Gu Ximan grew even more irritated seeing Gu Luo act like some henpecked husband.

Luo Shuhe met her challenge head-on, replying coolly: "Ximan, you’re a grown woman now. This isn’t exactly appropriate."

"Grown woman? I’ll always be my brother’s little sister!"

Gu Ximan stuck out her tongue playfully, then planted a kiss on Gu Luo’s cheek before shooting Luo Shuhe a defiant look.

Clearly, she’d completely forgotten the promise she’d made to Gu Luo.

Right now, her subconscious could only accept sharing Gu Luo with Lu Xuexue.

And her dissatisfaction with Luo Shuning had subconsciously expanded to include anyone surnamed Luo.

Why should she and Xuexue have to take a backseat to the Luo sisters?!

Then again, jealousy was just part of a girl’s nature.

Meanwhile, Gu Luo was on the verge of passing out from stress.

Pushing Ximan away would hurt her feelings, but letting her stay put meant enduring Shuhe’s murderous glare.

A classic love polygon.

As they say—the battlefield of love may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive.

Ah, the sweet, familiar taste of drama.

Just as the two girls reached a stalemate and Gu Luo was about to scratch his head raw in frustration—Lu Xuexue walked in, carrying a fruit platter.

Taking in the scene, she paused for just a second before smiling sweetly:

"The strawberries and honeydew are extra sweet today."

"Manman, get down first—Brother Gu can’t even eat like this."

She subtly emphasized "Brother Gu," a quiet reminder—Manman, we promised him, remember?

Ever the overthinker, Gu Ximan immediately caught the hint. Though still sulking, she took the out, hopping off Gu Luo’s lap and plopping onto the bed instead.

Lu Xuexue then turned to Luo Shuhe and said, "Sister He, Sister Ning mentioned you love honeydew, so she cut up a lot. Try some, it's really sweet!"

With that, she obediently handed the fruit platter to her.

The fruits were neatly diced, each piece skewered with a toothpick.

"Mm, thank you."

As a well-mannered young lady from a wealthy family, Luo Shuhe naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for her. She took a small piece of honeydew and tasted it.

What could have been a thorny situation for Gu Luo was effortlessly defused by Lu Xuexue’s tactful words.

Gu Luo silently gave Lu Xuexue another mental thumbs-up.

Her approach was textbook-perfect.

She had even subtly eased the tension between Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe.

A true MVP.

Xuexue was an absolute MVP.

Gu Luo couldn’t be happier that he’d decided to keep Lu Xuexue around.

Obedient, always ready to help, and skilled at navigating tricky interpersonal dynamics—she was a gem at maintaining harmony among the girls.

Who wouldn’t adore a sweet, fragrant, white-stockinged, twin-tailed little rich girl like her?

Moreover, Gu Luo’s impression of Lu Xuexue had completely shifted.

He used to think of her as a shy, timid girl who always hid behind Gu Ximan.

But after getting to know her better, he realized her shyness was reserved only for him.

The rest of the time, she was confident, gracious, sincere, down-to-earth, and impeccably organized.

A wealthy little lady who only had eyes for him.

Just as Gu Luo began to relax, Luo Shuhe spoke up again, "Brother, do you have plans for this afternoon?"

"...Yeah, we do."

Gu Luo’s mind raced as he scrambled for an explanation. "Well, Ximan and Xuexue often drop by my class during breaks, so they’ve gotten close with everyone. Feng Youqing and Situ Wenyao invited us to karaoke and suggested bringing them along."

"I was going to ask you two as well, but I figured Shuling usually has a packed schedule on weekends, and you, Shuhe, don’t like noisy places, so I didn’t bring it up."

He had no choice but to frame it this way.

He couldn’t possibly say—"Yeah, I’m taking Ximan and Xuexue out alone this afternoon."

That would definitely upset Luo Shuhe.

"I see."

Luo Shuhe nodded slightly, narrowing her eyes. "I’d like to go too. You don’t mind bringing me along, do you?"

She wasn’t about to let these three spend time alone together again.

Not when sparks could fly too quickly.

"...Of course not. The more, the merrier."

Gu Luo forced an awkward smile.

"Oh, and my sister is a great singer. You wouldn’t mind if she joined us, right?"

Luo Shuhe added, casting a sidelong glance at Gu Ximan, whose expression had darkened.

Bring it on.

2V2.

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