Hearing this, Gu Luo's gaze instinctively fell upon Luo Shuhe's fair little feet in their high-heeled sandals.
This pair of delicate feet resembled jade artifacts crafted by a master artisan, their skin impossibly smooth—more refined than the finest porcelain, with a faint rosy glow.
Her toes were petite and perfectly aligned, each one round and polished, exuding youthful charm.
After just a fleeting glance, Gu Luo flinched as if scalded, quickly averting his eyes before smacking his forehead and saying,
"Sorry, sorry, I forgot to remind you."
"Does your ankle hurt?"
"You shouldn't walk too long in high heels—it puts extra strain on your ankles."
"This is my fault."
Gu Luo genuinely believed this was a failure on his part as an older brother.
How could he have overlooked this?
Recalling how he'd been preoccupied with complicated emotional matters the whole way, he’d completely ignored Luo Shuhe’s comfort, never considering that walking too long in heels would be uncomfortable for her.
Meanwhile, Luo Shuhe was sipping her coffee in small, unhurried sips, watching Gu Luo’s self-reproach with the lazy grace of a kitten.
Only the faintest trace of softness flickered in her eyes.
"But really, you must not wear them often, right?" Gu Luo then adopted his usual brotherly tone, lecturing her seriously. "From now on, never walk so long in high heels. And if you feel any pain, you have to say so immediately."
"Understood?"
Luo Shuhe continued sipping her coffee, nodding lightly at his words but remaining silent.
Her gaze remained fixed on him, brimming with an indescribable intensity.
Gu Luo, unnerved by her stare, pressed on, "When we get back, soak your feet in warm water and give them a massage."
Yet the moment the word "massage" left his lips, Luo Shuhe seemed to trigger some hidden mechanism—swiftly twisting around and placing both feet squarely on his lap.
Zero hesitation.
"......"
Gu Luo was momentarily speechless, suddenly recalling an absurd in-game username he’d once seen—Every Toe of Hers Is My Alps Candy.
Ahem...
Sigh.
Well, whatever.
Now wasn’t the time for distractions.
Steeling himself, Gu Luo maintained a composed expression, forcing an air of calm.
Taking a subtle breath, he rested his hands on her ankles and asked softly,
"Does it hurt here?"
"Hurts."
Luo Shuhe finally spoke, though only a single word.
"What about here?"
Gu Luo shifted his touch slightly.
"Hurts."
"And here?"
"Hurts."
"That bad, huh...?" Frowning, Gu Luo said, "Let me massage it first and see how it feels."
"If it still hurts afterward, we’ll get some medicine from the pharmacy."
At this moment, his mind was solely occupied with concern, so without overthinking, he began gently kneading her ankles.
Though his technique wasn’t professional, every motion carried care, the pressure just right.
"How’s the pressure? Does it hurt?"
"Fine."
"Tell me immediately if it does."
"Mhm."
Luo Shuhe continued sipping her coffee, her gaze never leaving Gu Luo’s handsome, focused face.
She watched his slight frown, the earnestness in his eyes—all of it silently conveying his worry for her.
Ruixue Xingcheng, huh...? This brand of coffee was really quite good. Sweet, too.
She decided she’d stick with it from now on.
And so, Gu Luo kept massaging.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Fifteen.
His movements never wavered, not a hint of impatience, the pressure consistently even.
"Feel any better?" he asked while working.
"A little."
By now, Luo Shuhe had finished her coffee but was still chewing on the straw.
"Good, that’s progress."
Relieved, Gu Luo kept going.
After another five minutes, he finally released her. "Shuhe, try walking a bit. See if it’s eased up."
"Put my shoes on for me."
Luo Shuhe wiggled her toes playfully as she spoke.
"......Do it yourself."
"Forgot how."
"......"
Gu Luo’s lips twitched, but he picked up the sandals from the floor and carefully slid them onto her feet.
Luo Shuhe stood, took a few exaggerated steps, then nodded. "Much better. Thanks."
For a moment, Gu Luo was dazed. Staring at her, he couldn’t help but feel she resembled a pouting Luo Shuning.
"If you can walk, it’s not too serious. Just be more careful next time."
Changing the subject, he grabbed his grape taro ball drink and took a big sip.
Twenty minutes of massaging had left his arms a bit sore.
At least this cup seemed to have extra taro balls—a small consolation.
Suddenly, Luo Shuhe stepped right in front of him and asked, "Brother, is this good?"
"You’ve never had grape taro balls before?"
Gu Luo was surprised. Who hadn’t tried Ruixue Xingcheng’s grape taro balls?
Then again, given the Luo family’s wealth, maybe it wasn’t so strange.
She probably only drank high-end brands.
"Nope. Is it good?"
As she spoke, Luo Shuhe leaned in closer, bending down.
"Of course it’s—"
Before he could finish, the drink vanished from his hand.
Luo Shuhe took a sip, then returned it with her verdict: "Not bad."
Gu Luo stared at the straw, now clearly indented from her bite, and was instantly reminded of the yogurt incident.
Why did she always chew on straws?
And more importantly—how was he supposed to drink this now?
Whatever.
No sense wasting it.
Sharing drinks was normal anyway.
Making a big deal out of it would just seem guilty.
With that rationalization, he took another sip, expression neutral.
"You could’ve flipped the straw," Luo Shuhe remarked. "Seems like... you actually enjoy sharing a cup with me."
"Which means an indirect kiss."
Cough—!...
Gu Luo nearly choked on a taro ball.
"Enough." His face turned stern. "Jokes have limits."
"What if it were Shuning?"
Cough—!...
Well...
Gu Luo had no comeback, his forced seriousness crumbling instantly.
"Alright, brother, we should focus." Luo Shuhe clearly didn’t want to dwell on it either, lightly patting her chest.
"Let’s go."
"Go... where?"
As she moved, Gu Luo’s eyes flickered downward reflexively—then just as quickly darted away.
.............
.............