"......Happy."
Gu Luo chose not to lie.
After all, the other party had genuinely spent real money—around ten thousand yuan—to buy him a custom-tailored suit. Of course, he could always find an opportunity later to ask the shop owner for the exact price.
This gesture moved him deeply, and he truly felt grateful to Shu He for gifting him his very first suit.
"Big brother’s happiness is my happiness."
Luo Shuhe’s voice was soft, light, yet filled with absolute sincerity.
After a pause, she lifted her head and smiled faintly. "After all, we were once husband and wife."
"Huh? What?" Gu Luo was stunned, his face etched with disbelief.
Husband and wife?
Who and who were husband and wife?
It definitely couldn’t be some so-called past-life reincarnation nonsense—especially since Luo Shuhe had once looked at him with such disdain.
Besides, he wouldn’t believe it anyway.
"We’ll talk tonight."
............
"After all, we were once husband and wife."
"After all, we were once husband and wife."
"After all, we were once husband and wife."
"......."
Luo Shuhe’s words echoed relentlessly in Gu Luo’s mind all night.
After dinner, Gu Luo leaned back on the sofa, his gaze distant, completely consumed by those words.
His thoughts ran wild, galloping through all sorts of fantastical possibilities.
Time travel?
Rebirth?
Past lives?
Parallel worlds?
Or was this just Luo Shuhe playing a prank on him?
Gu Luo’s imagination ran rampant, conjuring up every outlandish scenario imaginable.
After all, the idea of marriage was far too shocking.
Combined with Luo Shuhe’s recent unpredictable behavior and ambiguous attitude, Gu Luo’s heart felt like it was being incessantly scratched by a kitten—itching with unbearable curiosity.
This burning curiosity drove him to desperately seek the truth.
Just a few more hours until midnight.
Then, everything would be revealed.
He could finally confront Luo Shuhe and properly discuss the nature of their relationship.
"Stupid big bro."
"Stupid big bro."
"Stupid big bro, I’m talking to you!"
Gu Ximan, watching Gu Luo spaced out on the sofa, was practically fuming.
Her rosy cheeks puffed up like an inflated balloon.
She reached out, pinched Gu Luo’s ear, and yelled at the top of her lungs:
"STUPID BIG BRO—!!!"
"Ah?!"
Gu Luo jolted in shock, nearly leaping off the sofa.
Heart still racing, he turned to see Gu Ximan and, after a moment, finally relaxed, his expression turning helpless. "Why’d you have to scream right in my ear like that?"
"Huh?!" Gu Ximan only grew angrier. She yanked his ear again, her every word hissing through clenched teeth:
"I—CALLED—YOU—SO—MANY—TIMES—!"
"Big brother, are you feeling unwell? You’ve seemed off since coming home today."
From the other side of the sofa, Luo Shuning spoke up with gentle concern.
Meanwhile, Luo Shuhe remained silent, her eyes fixed on the TV screen, her expression unreadable, as if completely detached from her surroundings.
As for Luo Shuling, she was currently soaking in the bathtub, enjoying a blissful, relaxing bath.
"Sorry, I just zoned out... haha..."
"Don’t worry, Shuning, I’m fine."
Gu Luo scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a smile before turning back to Gu Ximan.
"Sorry, Ximan, what’s up?"
"Hmph!" Finally getting his attention, Gu Ximan released his ear and excitedly waved a figurine in her other hand.
"Stupid big bro, look! It’s ‘Azi’! Xuexue and I waited in line forever to get this!"
Gu Luo took a closer look. The figurine depicted a girl with long purple hair, dressed in shrine maiden robes, holding a magic wand, her expression serene and heartwarming.
For some reason, she looked... familiar.
Ah, right—he’d seen her in Shen Yue’s sketchbook.
Shen Yue’s drawing skills were truly impressive; the resemblance was uncanny.
"Wow! This is amazing!!!"
Gu Luo’s eyes widened dramatically, his face lighting up with exaggerated excitement, as if he were a die-hard figurine collector finally beholding his holy grail.
He immediately reached out to snatch it. "Let me see!"
"Hehe, no way." Gu Ximan smirked, deftly twisting away just in time to evade his grasp.
"Ximan, come on, let me see! This figurine is so lifelike, so beautiful!" Gu Luo put on his most desperate act.
"Of course it is."
Gu Ximan, thoroughly pleased with his reaction, lifted her chin proudly. "Too bad it’s a limited edition—one per person. Otherwise, I might’ve been generous enough to buy one for my stupid big bro too."
As she spoke, she gently stroked the figurine.
"But, since I’m such a kind and beautiful soul..."
"If big bro likes it so much, I’ll let you display it by your bed for a couple of days."
With that, she handed "Azi" over.
Gu Luo accepted it with both hands, beaming. "You’re the best, Ximan."
"Heheh."
Gu Ximan couldn’t suppress her grin, her eyes crinkling into happy crescents.
The flood of validation warmed her heart like honey.
Nearby, Luo Shuning watched the heartwarming scene with an affectionate smile.
This was what family felt like.
And no matter what, big brother always spoiled his little sister.
"Oh yeah, big bro, Xuexue asked me to bring you a gift too."
Gu Ximan rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a small, exquisitely crafted anime plushie.
Its tiny belly even bore a hand-painted heart—clearly a thoughtful pick.
"For me?"
Gu Luo hesitated, about to reach for it, when he suddenly sensed eyes on him.
And not just one pair.
His heart skipped a beat. He forced a polite smile and waved his hand.
"I can’t accept gifts for no reason. Keep it for me, Ximan, and thank Xuexue for me."
"...Fine." After a moment’s thought, Gu Ximan nodded and tucked the plushie back into her pocket.
"Big brother, are you close with Ximan’s friend?"
Luo Shuning’s voice, soft and melodious, carried a hint of curiosity.
"Only met her a few times."
Gu Luo answered honestly—because it was the truth.
He’d only seen her a handful of times back in middle school.
Every time they met, they would only exchange a few polite greetings, chat briefly about trivial matters, and then have no further interaction.
Moreover, Lu Xuexue was clearly the type who got easily flustered. Whenever Gu Luo saw her, she would shyly hide behind Gu Ximan, like a timid little rabbit.
"I see."
Hearing this, Luo Shuning smiled gently, her expression warm, with no intention of pressing further.
Clearly, that answer was enough.
Meanwhile, Gu Ximan seemed completely oblivious to the subtle atmosphere in the room. She casually asked Gu Luo in her usual carefree manner:
"By the way, big bro, what did you have for lunch with your classmates? Was it good?"
Hearing this question, Gu Luo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Here it comes.
Here it comes.
Time to lie.
He really didn’t want to lie...
The feeling of deceiving his family was truly uncomfortable.
"...We had hotpot. That place was pretty decent, I guess." Gu Luo forced himself to sound calm, trying to keep his tone natural.
Meanwhile, he was desperately praying in his heart—Don’t ask, please don’t ask!
But as luck would have it, the worst-case scenario unfolded.
"Oh? Which restaurant? Maybe Xuexue and I can try it next time."
"It’s... uh, what was it called again? Let me think..." Gu Luo pretended to be deep in thought, furrowing his brows slightly while frantically trying to recall the name of an actual restaurant.
Come on, brain, work!
Seeing Gu Luo struggle for so long, Gu Ximan lost interest. "Never mind, never mind. Big bro’s memory is seriously the worst."
Phew...
That’s it? Just like that?
Just as Gu Luo was starting to relax internally, Luo Shuning’s voice suddenly chimed in.
"Brother, did Yue-er eat a lot of tripe? She loves tripe with sesame paste."
Luo Shuning’s voice remained soft, but to Gu Luo, it felt like a bolt from the blue.
His heart raced, unsure whether this was Luo Shuning’s subtle way of testing him.
But under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have contacted Shen Yue over something like this.
"Ah, that... I didn’t really pay attention to what she ate."
Gu Luo believed this was the safest response.
He tried his best to keep his expression natural and his voice steady, but inside, he was as tense as a startled bird.
"I see. Alright then."
Hearing his answer, Luo Shuning’s smile grew even gentler.
Seeing this, Gu Luo finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
For some reason, he had a feeling that if he and Luo Shuning ever became a couple, she’d be the type to secretly get jealous easily.
But imagining the usually angelic Luo Shuning sulking gave him a strange, amused feeling—the mental image was kind of funny.
Lost in his thoughts, Gu Luo suddenly noticed Luo Shuhe’s expression.
It was the unmistakable look of someone enjoying the drama, like a spectator relishing the chaos.
Oh, great.
Of course.
She’s definitely a little devil.
Don’t you know exactly why I had to lie?
"I’m going to the bathroom."
Afraid of being interrogated further and digging himself deeper into lies, Gu Luo quickly stood up, using the classic "bathroom excuse" to make his escape.
He headed straight for the first-floor restroom.
Once inside, he immediately pulled out his phone, opened the messaging app, and tapped rapidly on Shen Yue’s profile.
He had to confirm.
Stay calm. No mistakes.
............
............
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
