Gu Luo took a slight breath, turned around, and put on a perfectly measured smile before gesturing to Luo Shuning to take a sip of water.
Seeing this, Luo Shuning smiled softly, nodded lightly, and then redirected her attention back to the clothing rack, resuming her careful selection of outfits.
Noticing this, Gu Luo practically flew across the floor, quickly striding over to the shop assistant.
The assistant had just finished pouring water. "Here you go, young man—half hot, half cold. If you’d prefer it not warm, I can pour another cup for you."
"Warm is fine, thank you."
Gu Luo politely accepted the cup.
Admittedly, such thoughtful service made it easy for customers to willingly spend money here.
But now, a question arose.
Why was this shop assistant here?
His memory was clear—she was supposed to be working at the third shop to the right on the neighboring street.
Thinking this, Gu Luo directly asked, "Miss, weren’t you at the shop across the street?"
"Both stores are run by relatives in my family. This one’s busier, so I came to help out," the assistant explained with a smile.
Ah, so that was it.
Truly, life was full of surprises.
If he hadn’t stopped himself earlier, things would’ve definitely gone sideways by now.
With that in mind, Gu Luo decided to employ a small self-sabotage tactic.
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "Um, miss, could I trouble you with something?"
"Sure, go ahead." The assistant seemed intrigued.
"Well, she’s actually in a bit of a bad mood today, so..." Gu Luo paused before continuing, "I really shouldn’t be talking to other girls right now—especially someone as pretty as you. So later, could you pretend not to acknowledge us? Sorry for the trouble..."
"Oh! I see, no problem at all!" The assistant waved her hands dismissively, grinning. "I’ll stay on the other side and won’t disturb you lovebirds."
Meanwhile, her heart swelled with delight.
So this handsome guy thought she was pretty?
But then, like a wise older sister, she added earnestly, "Young man, cherish the person beside you."
"Got it. Thanks, miss."
With the potential crisis averted, Gu Luo carried the two cups of water and walked back with light steps.
Luo Shuning was currently absorbed in comparing two nearly identical outfits. Seeing her brother return, she immediately smiled and asked, "Brother, I think both of these would suit you perfectly."
"They do look great," Gu Luo agreed, setting one cup on a nearby stool before naturally taking the two garments from her hands.
"Shuning, have some water first. It’s warm."
"Okay."
As she sipped, Luo Shuning studied Gu Luo with her bright, wide eyes.
"...What’s up?"
Under her gaze, Gu Luo grew slightly flustered and instinctively averted his eyes.
"Nothing. I just think you’re really handsome—you’d look good in anything." She blinked playfully and suggested with a grin, "How about I buy all the new arrivals here for you, and you can just cycle through them?"
"......"
Well, this was...
Gu Luo was momentarily speechless, his expression caught between amusement and exasperation.
He vaguely recalled someone claiming earlier that morning that they didn’t spend money recklessly.
Oh, so she didn’t splurge—just showered her brother with gifts instead?
Mystery solved. This was the sugar-coated artillery of capitalism.
He absolutely had to resist the temptation.
"No jokes, okay? I have enough clothes as it is," Gu Luo said with a chuckle.
He was terrified Luo Shuning would follow in Luo Shuhe’s footsteps and impulsively dive into a shopping frenzy.
One little devil forcing her lavish affection on him was more than enough.
The little angel absolutely must not be corrupted.
"I’m not joking. I really do want to buy you a whole wardrobe."
Luo Shuning’s eyes were utterly sincere, not a trace of teasing in them.
After a pause, she smiled again—so tenderly it could melt hearts—and added, "But of course, I’ll always listen to you first."
Hearing this, Gu Luo felt as if Cupid’s arrow had struck him square in the chest, leaving him dizzy.
How could anyone resist this?
The little angel truly was an angel.
Not only did she spoil him, but she did it with such compliant obedience that it left him utterly defenseless.
Absolutely wrecked.
He was so wrecked.
He couldn’t even imagine who the lucky guy would be to marry Luo Shuning someday.
But surely, it’d have to be someone incredibly handsome and outstanding.
After paying and stepping out of the store, Gu Luo smiled and said, "Shuning, I’ve got enough clothes now. Let’s go pick something for Ximan."
"But I still want to buy you more."
Luo Shuning was still basking in the joy of selecting outfits for him.
Hearing this, Gu Luo pointed at her flawless feet. "It’s enough, really. Mostly, I’m worried because you’re wearing heels today. If we walk too much, your ankles will hurt by tonight."
At this reasoning, Luo Shuning immediately agreed.
Her heart warmed.
Her brother was so thoughtful, so considerate.
Even though he was clearly enjoying shopping, he gave it up just to spare her discomfort.
And so, she began mentally romanticizing the situation all over again.
If measured in favorability, it would have skyrocketed in that moment.
Gentle souls like her always interpreted the actions of loved ones in the kindest light, instinctively attributing the purest intentions to them.
Only when Luo Shuning relented did Gu Luo finally exhale in relief.
The crisis was averted.
He’d been genuinely afraid of another mishap.
Today’s operation could not go off the rails!
Yet the moment he thought this, Luo Shuning spoke up again.
"Oh, brother, since we’re already here, why don’t I take you to get a custom-tailored suit? There’s a small shop nearby that does excellent work."
Gu Luo’s vision nearly darkened.
Did the universe enjoy slapping him in the face this quickly?
Had Luo Shuhe the little devil even dug a suit-shaped pit for him?
And if the little devil knew the tailor, then the little angel probably did too.
Going there would be a guaranteed disaster.
"Ahem..."
His mind raced for a solution before he forced another smile.
"Shuning, let’s save it for next time."
His tone carried just the right mix of regret and anticipation. "What I mean is, I really love going shopping with you. So if we get the suit now, we won’t have an excuse to come out again later."
Damn, he sounded like such a player.
But this was the price of lying—every step was a tightrope walk.
One misstep, and the whole thing would blow up in his face.
"Oh, I see... Well then~~ I really enjoy going shopping with my brother too." Under the barrage of such smooth talk, Luo Shuning had absolutely no resistance left.
Her heart was practically overflowing with joy.
Her emotional needs had already been fully satisfied.
Phew...
Gu Luo was internally panicking, but he maintained a gentle smile on his face as he said, "Then let's go buy some clothes for Ximan."
"Mm, okay."
And so, the two of them began browsing through women's clothing stores.
..............
"See, Xuexue? I told you—my dumb older brother and Shuning-jie are just out shopping for clothes together."
"Now they’re probably getting something for me. I really want to go pick something out myself."
Not far away, Gu Ximan spoke with a relaxed tone as she grinned at Lu Xuexue beside her.
"Yeah, Brother Gu and Senior Shuning really do just seem like ordinary siblings," Lu Xuexue chimed in, her previously anxious heart finally settling down.
"We were overthinking it. My dumb brother actually has some sense of boundaries."
"Mhm!"
After secretly observing them for a while longer and confirming that nothing unusual was going on, Lu Xuexue turned to Gu Ximan and said,
"Manman, I’m going to grab some drinks. What do you want?"
"Definitely grape taro balls! But today, instead of half sugar, I want it at 70% sweetness."
"Got it. Manman, you keep following them for now. There’s a Luckin Coffee right across the street—I’ll be back soon."
"Oki doki~"
With that, Lu Xuexue headed straight for the opposite side of the street.
Along the way, she reached up and pulled off her mask.
Wearing an N95 for too long really did get stuffy.
"Dear valued customers, great news! Great news! Luckin Coffee’s Caizhou Avenue branch is now officially open!"
"Bring your loved ones..."
"Special opening promotion—exclusive benefits for parent-child pairs, couples, and married couples! Buy one, get one free!..."
Buy one, get one free for couples.
Hearing this, Lu Xuexue’s mind immediately conjured up sweet images of her and Gu Luo coming to buy milk tea together.
Gu Luo would then gently pat her head, followed by all sorts of other intimate gestures...
Just thinking about it...
Her cheeks unconsciously grew warm.
Business at this Luckin Coffee branch was booming today, with several young couples among the customers.
The moment Lu Xuexue stepped inside, multiple gazes instantly turned her way.
Well, what guy could resist the allure of a white thigh-highs-wearing, twin-tailed lolita?
Especially one with such a fair and adorable face—she might as well have stepped right out of an anime.
What was that saying again? "Rejecting infantilized beauty standards starts with you."
Several guys in the shop were already itching to ask for Lu Xuexue’s contact info.
A top-tier lolita like this was an ultra-rare spawn.
If they missed this chance, who knew how long they’d have to wait for the next one?
"I’d like two grape taro balls, room temperature—one at 70% sugar, one full sugar. Thank you," Lu Xuexue said softly to the cashier.
"Sure, here’s your receipt. It’ll be ready soon."
"Thanks." Lu Xuexue took the receipt and was about to find a seat to wait when suddenly, her attention was drawn to the wall behind her.
To be more precise, to a photo hanging on that wall.
............
............
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
