The next day, Sunday.
The morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, bouncing playfully into the room.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of the alarm clock, Gu Ximan slowly opened her sleepy eyes, only for her eyelids to droop halfway and then, as if pulled by some invisible force, gradually close again.
"Mmm..."
She let out a soft, unconscious whimper, her voice sweet and lazy with the remnants of sleep.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, her eyes snapped open.
She sat bolt upright.
Today was an important day—she and Lu Xuexue were going to tail her annoying big brother to see if he was really going on a date with Shu Ning.
As a top-tier brother-con, Gu Ximan had spent the entire week keeping a close eye on the interactions between her annoying big brother and Shu Ning.
But she hadn’t noticed anything particularly suspicious.
Aside from cooking together, the two didn’t seem to have much interaction otherwise.
Still, she couldn’t afford to be careless.
After all, both of them were way too dazzling—one handsome and sunny, the other beautiful and gentle. Who could guarantee that some strange feelings wouldn’t sprout between them after spending so much time together?
"Xiao Man, are you up yet?"
Just then, Gu Luo’s voice sounded from outside the door.
"I’m awake!"
Gu Ximan immediately jumped out of bed, stuffed her tiny feet into her slippers, and scurried over to open the door.
"Ta-da!"
The moment the door swung open, she pulled a silly face, forcefully tugging her lower eyelids down and sticking out her pink tongue mischievously.
Her cold tea-brown hair was slightly disheveled from sleep, cascading messily over her shoulders, but it somehow added to her innocent, fairy-tale charm—like a little sprite who’d just stepped out of a storybook.
However, the smile on Gu Ximan’s face froze the instant she saw who was standing outside.
Her annoying big brother stood there with a resigned expression, while Luo Shuning covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
"Ahem..."
Gu Ximan quickly coughed to mask her embarrassment.
Having spent so much time with Gu Luo, many of her little mannerisms had unconsciously rubbed off on her—like this habit of coughing to hide awkwardness.
Luo Shuning took a step forward, gently smoothing Gu Ximan’s messy hair with her hand as she chuckled. "Little sister is so adorable."
"Of course I am."
Gu Ximan had always believed she was the cutest little girl in the world.
Then, she turned her gaze to Gu Luo, blinking her big eyes rapidly.
It took Gu Luo only a second to understand what this little gremlin was hinting at.
He immediately clapped his hands in exaggerated praise. "Xiao Man is so amazing today! She woke up all by herself—didn’t even need me to call her!"
"Hmph!"
Hearing this, Gu Ximan instantly lifted her chin proudly, her face glowing with satisfaction.
Even though she knew such praise was a little childish, she absolutely loved hearing her annoying big brother compliment her. Every time, it felt like eating honey—her heart swelled with sweetness and happiness.
This was something she often bragged about to Lu Xuexue.
Even though her mother had left when she was very young, and her stepfather was rarely home, she never felt a lack of love.
Because she was a lucky little girl who got praised by her big brother just for eating her meals on time.
Seeing her reaction, Gu Luo couldn’t resist teasing her. "Huh, that’s weird. Comrade Xiao Man isn’t being tsundere today? That’s rare."
"I’m not tsundere at all!"
Gu Ximan immediately retorted, her eyes involuntarily flicking toward Luo Shuning, who was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Gu Luo. She huffed, "Annoying big brother is just a hopeless sister-con."
She would never admit to having tsundere tendencies. Besides, there was now a rival in the house.
Gu Ximan was well aware of the dangers of being tsundere—after all, as a seasoned anime fan, she’d seen way too many female characters whose lives were ruined by tsundere behavior.
Lesson learned!
After a pause, she stretched lazily and then asked, feigning nonchalance, "By the way, where are you and Ning-jie going to buy clothes today?"
Hearing this question, Gu Luo finally noticed the critical point.
Right, he hadn’t even asked Luo Shuning where they were going shopping.
His focus had been entirely on the fact that this was an outing for just the two of them.
Suddenly, a realization struck him.
No way...
"Caizhou Commercial City, of course," Luo Shuning replied with a smile. "That’s where everyone in Caizhou goes for clothes. It’s just a shame little sister has to buy figurines today—otherwise, we could all go together."
Her words sounded regretful, but her smile told a different story.
"That place is pretty far, and everything there is super expensive," Gu Ximan pointed out.
"It’s fine," Luo Shuning said lightly.
Hearing the destination, Gu Luo’s lips twitched.
No wonder Luo Shuning hadn’t mentioned where they were going either—she’d just assumed it was Caizhou Commercial City.
Which meant Luo Shuhe had done this on purpose.
Yesterday, she’d dragged him around all day without buying a single thing.
Turns out, she’d been setting a trap here.
Gu Luo mentally kicked himself. Why hadn’t he just asked beforehand?
No—even if he had, that little devil Luo Shuhe would’ve forced him to go anyway.
This was part of their agreement, after all.
This move was nothing short of a masterful open scheme.
Still, it wasn’t the end of the world.
He still had two ways to fix this.
"Uh… Shuning, how about we go somewhere else?" Gu Luo suggested awkwardly, forcing a stiff smile.
"Hmm? Why?"
"Well…" Gu Luo scrambled for an excuse but came up empty. Finally, he said, "The clothes there are way too overpriced. It’s not worth it. Let’s just pick another place."
"It’s fine, big brother, don’t worry about it," Luo Shuning reassured him, assuming he was concerned about her spending money on him. A gentle smile graced her lips.
"I have quite a bit of pocket money saved up, and I hardly ever spend it anyway. I’d be happy to spend it on you."
After a pause, as if realizing how forward that sounded, she quickly added, "Besides, we should get something for little sister too. The quality at Commercial City is the best."
Hearing this, Gu Luo was at a loss for words.
Great.
Both the little devil and the little angel were forcing their love on him.
Was this the confidence of a rich girl?
Meanwhile, Gu Ximan couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy at such lavish talk.
Not because Luo Shuning had money—but because she wanted to spoil her annoying big brother too.
She imagined throwing wads of cash in his face and then stepping on him with her tiny feet. Just the thought made her giddy.
Though they were now Luo Liang’s stepchildren, their allowance still came from Gu Feng—nothing had really changed.
"Ning-jie, how much pocket money do you usually get?" Gu Ximan finally couldn’t resist asking, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well…" Luo Shuning thought for a moment before answering softly, "Since it’s linked to my mother’s card, it resets to 100,000 yuan at the start of each month."
"Wha—wha-wha-wha… how much?!"
At the mention of 100,000, Gu Ximan was so shocked she could barely speak.
Meanwhile, Gu Luo was equally stunned.
A hundred thousand?
A hundred thousand in pocket money every month?
Most ordinary people would be lucky to earn that much in a year.
And that’s earnings, not savings.
Luo Shuning then explained, "But we definitely don’t spend that much. Usually, I just buy groceries."
"Shuhe and Shuling aren’t the type to splurge either."
Hearing this, Gu Luo immediately recalled Luo Shuhe’s extravagant spending on gun skins.
That didn’t seem like the behavior of someone who was frugal...
"Oh, by the way, I’m not sure if Mother will link the card for my brother and sister, but it’s fine. I can’t possibly spend all of mine anyway—we can share it."
At Luo Shuning’s generous offer, Gu Luo and Gu Ximan both waved their hands in refusal almost simultaneously.
"No need, Shuning. Our pocket money is enough."
"Yeah, yeah, a hundred thousand is way too much," Gu Ximan chimed in, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.
Luo Shuning nodded. "Alright then."
......
After breakfast, Gu Ximan hurried out the door, her steps light with excitement as she thought about her plans with Lu Xuexue.
Gu Luo and Luo Shuning cleaned up the dishes before leaving the house as well.
Today, Luo Shuning wore a sky-blue dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure.
Paired with a pair of delicate high-heeled sandals, every step she took exuded elegance and charm.
Meanwhile, Gu Luo’s outfit was more youthful and vibrant compared to yesterday’s casual look.
Even his hair was neatly styled, making him appear sharp and strikingly handsome.
"Brother, I’ll call a ride on my phone then," Luo Shuning said with a smile, waving her phone in the elevator.
"Sure. The city train to downtown is way too crowded," Gu Luo replied, unconsciously recalling yesterday’s packed train ride with Luo Shuhe.
"Yeah. Honestly, it’s always me dragging Shuhe onto the train, but the moment it gets crowded, she absolutely refuses to ride," Luo Shuning said with a laugh, her tone tinged with fond exasperation.
Gu Luo paused.
Wait, so who was the one who squeezed onto the train with him yesterday?
No way...
Would the little devil really go that far?
Alright, alright—so he’d been walking right into her trap the whole time, completely unaware.
As the elevator descended, they soon reached the first floor and stepped out side by side.
Curious, Gu Luo asked, "Shuning, why do you usually take the train, anyway?"
Luo Shuning smiled and held up two fingers. "First, traffic in Caizhou is terrible. Second, I love watching the scenery rush by outside the window."
"Makes sense," Gu Luo nodded.
It was true—Caizhou’s traffic was a nightmare.
Even when he and Ximan had arrived late at night on their first day, they’d been stuck in a jam for ages.
After a brief pause, Gu Luo asked another question. "Shuning, there’s one more thing I’m curious about."
"What is it?"
"At school, not many people know that Madam Luo is your mother, right?"
Luo Shuning nodded. "Yeah, only some of the school administrators know."
No wonder.
No wonder Qu Meimei had been so bold, constantly picking on Luo Shuning.
"If Qu Meimei and her friends knew, I wonder how they’d react," Gu Luo said, half-amused, half-exasperated.
From what he’d learned over the past few days, he now understood the significance of the Luo family’s Luoshen Group.
It was a titan in the business world—an absolute top-tier powerhouse.
It just went to show that even among the wealthy students at Guangya Academy, the gaps could be vast.
And well, where there’s a forest, there’s all kinds of birds.
After his undercover observations, Gu Luo had realized that Qu Meimei and her clique were simply jealous of Luo Shuning. Even though they knew the rumors were false, they still used them as an excuse.
Some women were truly terrifying.
"I have to thank you for that, Brother. If it weren’t for you, she’d probably still be bothering me," Luo Shuning said with a gentle smile.
"So, Shuning, why did you put up with her for so long?"
"Well..." Luo Shuning sighed softly but then explained her situation with Department Head Feng Duo.
Hearing this, Gu Luo’s brows furrowed tightly.
So that was it.
Now it all made sense.
The little angel was just too kind.
Feng Duo’s behavior was also a form of bullying—arguably even worse.
Gu Luo sighed inwardly. There were still things he wanted to ask.
Like why Luo Shuning referred to Luo Liang as "Mother"—a respectful but oddly distant term.
Or why so many of her habits didn’t match those of a typical heiress.
What kind of wealthy young lady chose to ride trains or take taxis, let alone cooked every day?
Add in Madam Luo’s cold demeanor and Luo Shuning’s sudden withdrawal from the public eye years ago...
It was hard not to connect the dots.
Well, there’d be time for that later. For now, they had to get through the school festival.
Gu Luo was slowly piecing together what Qu Meimei was planning for the performance day.
......
......
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
