Sherlock Holmes: Vine

"......What's going on here?"

"Uh......this......"

The two boys stared dumbfounded at Luo Shuning, who was cheering excitedly, feeling as if they'd been slapped hard across the face, their cheeks burning.

They couldn't help but sigh inwardly—sometimes, being handsome was just unfair.

Even the triplets, the top goddesses of the academy, could be effortlessly conquered.

The world was truly unjust.

Exchanging glances, they shook their heads in resigned amusement, their movements full of self-mockery and helplessness.

Honestly, they thought Gu Luo loved showing off in front of girls, always trying to act cool, which left a sour taste in their mouths.

Yet at the same time, they couldn’t help but envy his overwhelming popularity.

Who wouldn’t want to be like Gu Luo, walking through campus surrounded by adoring girls, basking in that star-like attention?

But Gu Luo, currently on the sports field, remained completely unaware of these mixed feelings the boys had toward him.

If he knew, he’d probably cry foul.

He never intended to steal the spotlight or become the center of attention.

All he wanted was a quiet campus life, but Haji Yao kept dragging him into crowded places with all sorts of bizarre schemes.

The problem wasn’t the world—it was Haji Yao!

"Wait! There’s still Luo Shuhe. If it’s her, she definitely wouldn’t be so shallow!" One of the boys suddenly brightened, as if grasping at the last straw in the dark.

As long as even one girl remained immune to Gu Luo’s charm, it was their victory—their last stronghold.

"Yeah, there’s still Luo Shuhe."

The other boy quickly agreed.

Luo Shuhe’s aloofness was her defining trait, the very reason they believed she’d never fall for Gu Luo.

As they spoke, their gazes drifted through the classroom window toward a corner seat by the sill.

There sat an expressionless, breathtakingly beautiful girl, quietly scrolling through her phone.

Her delicate features exuded an icy aura, deterring anyone from approaching.

On her phone screen was a photo—a young man carefully massaging a pair of small, jade-like feet.

Watching it, Luo Shuhe’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.

And this fleeting moment was caught by the two boys.

"Wait—did Luo Shuhe just smile?!" One of them rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"I... I think I saw it too..."

"You think... Luo Shuhe’s in love?"

"I’d say the odds of winning the lottery are higher. If Luo Shuhe actually likes a guy, I’ll eat ten pounds of dirt." The other boy scoffed, utterly dismissing the idea that the ice-cold Luo Shuhe could ever be interested in romance.

Meanwhile, in another corridor...

Qu Meimei stood alone in a secluded corner, her eyes filled with resentment as she watched the figure on the sports field.

Ever since she’d pulled Gu Luo into the music club, her school life had turned upside down.

The girls who once surrounded her had gradually drifted away, leaving only one or two close friends. The rest now ignored her completely.

Qu Meimei didn’t blame Gu Luo for this—she just despised those shameless girls trying to steal him away.

But what infuriated her most was Gu Luo himself, dense as a block of wood. No matter how she hinted or invited him out, he remained oblivious, unmoved.

His eyes were clear and innocent, like a college student who’d eaten too much instant noodles, radiating an inexplicable kind of wisdom.

If not for the fact that Gu Luo spent most of his time with a certain chubby girl and ignored other girls too, Qu Meimei might’ve suspected he was toying with her.

Still, their relationship wasn’t bad. During club activities, Gu Luo often asked her for violin advice.

Qu Meimei had already planned exactly how she’d seduce him.

Once the school festival performance ended, she’d play the victim, pretend to be emotionally shattered, and take him out for drinks.

Then she’d get him wasted.

And after that... well, the rest was unspeakable.

At the thought, a smug smile crept onto Qu Meimei’s face.

She’d worked hard for this—playing the good girl for a whole week, attending every rehearsal, putting on her best behavior, even resisting the urge to pick fights with Luo Shuning.

With all the effort she’d poured into this "relationship," she was sure she could finally reel Gu Luo in.

And then she’d make sure to send those... intimate photos to Luo Shuning, just to rub it in her face.

Let her see how desirable and irresistible Qu Meimei really was. Let her seethe with envy!

Qu Meimei, swallowing her frustration, had resolved to stop at nothing.

She turned her head slightly and immediately spotted Luo Shuning among a crowd of girls across the hallway.

Watching Luo Shuning fangirling like an idiot, Qu Meimei couldn’t help but sneer.

"Look at you, Luo Shuning, drooling over him like some obsessed fan. Gu Luo doesn’t even spare you a glance."

"And just wait till the day after tomorrow. When the music club’s performance flops spectacularly, as the next club president, you’ll be thrilled, won’t you?"

......

"Xuexue... Xuexue..."

"Xuexue, what’s wrong? You’ve been spacing out a lot lately."

In another building’s hallway, also tucked away in a corner...

Lu Xuexue was snapped out of her daze—staring at Gu Luo on the field—by Gu Ximan’s voice.

Her face flushed instantly. "N-Nothing... just thinking about some things..."

"Ohhh~ I get it. You’re thinking about that senior, aren’t you?" Gu Ximan grinned, her expression turning downright fangirlish.

Then, quickly scanning the sports field, she noted that while there weren’t too many P.E. classes today, four were in session.

Excluding one freshman class, the target had to be in one of the remaining three—one of which was her idiot older brother’s class, Sophomore Year 8.

Wait a minute...

Something felt off.

Gu Ximan’s brain whirred into overdrive.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Xuexue! The senior you like is from Sophomore Year 8, right? My brother’s class!"

Lu Xuexue’s eyes widened as if struck by lightning, her fair cheeks flushing crimson, so red it seemed blood might drip from them.

Her heart pounded wildly, palms sweating from sheer nervousness.

"Hah! I knew it!" Gu Ximan laughed triumphantly at Lu Xuexue’s reaction.

"I... I..."

Overwhelmed by both shyness and guilt, Lu Xuexue wished she could vanish into the ground.

She had no idea how Gu Ximan had figured it out—or why she seemed so delighted about it.

Could it be... that Ximan didn’t mind her being with Brother Gu?

The thought flashed through her mind, leaving her both thrilled and nervous.

After hesitating for a long while, Lu Xuexue lowered her head in resignation and asked awkwardly, "Ximan... how did you know?"

"Heh heh."

Gu Ximan smirked triumphantly again, then pretended to adjust nonexistent glasses on the bridge of her nose before giggling:

"Mind your words, or you'll spill the beans!"

"Xuexue, you were way too careless."

"You promised to come with me this morning to deliver cookies to my annoying older brother, but you backed out last minute."

"At the time, I thought it was weird—like you were too embarrassed to go to Class 2-8."

"And just now, you were spacing out while staring at the sports field. My guess? You must’ve spotted that senior."

"Therefore," Gu Ximan tucked a strand of her cool tea-brown hair behind her ear, slowly forming a peace sign with unwavering confidence, "the senior you like is in the same class as my brother!"

"Right? Hehe, am I wrong?"

"......" Lu Xuexue’s lips parted slightly, her expression deeply conflicted.

In a way, Gu Ximan’s reasoning made perfect sense.

But she’d gotten the answer completely backward—like writing (1, -1) instead of (-1, 1) on a math test.

"N-no... you’re not wrong."

After a long silence, Lu Xuexue finally conceded.

Gu Ximan immediately beamed at the confirmation. "Ahaha, I am a genius!"

"Just piecing together these little clues to uncover the truth."

"Don’t worry, Xuexue, no need to be shy. You’re coming with me to deliver those cookies later, got it?"

She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully before adding, "Here’s the plan: You hand the cookies to my brother. Since you’re basically his honorary little sister anyway, this way, we can gauge that senior’s reaction—see if he’s into you or not."

"Plus, you’ll get to sneak closer to Class 2-8 under the pretense of treating my dumb brother."

"Ahaha, what a brilliant move. I’m such a prodigy."

Gu Ximan swelled with pride, convinced she’d just mastered the art of matchmaking.

"......"

Seeing how earnestly Gu Ximan was trying to help, Lu Xuexue couldn’t bear to keep hiding the truth any longer. She took a deep breath and mustered her courage:

"Ximan, I’m sorry for hiding this from you... The person I actually like is—"

But before she could utter "Gu Luo," Gu Ximan cut her off.

"No, no! Don’t tell me—I’ll figure it out myself!"

Chin held high, she declared with absolute certainty, "As Sherlock Ximan, I only need details to uncover his identity."

"This’ll be as easy as drinking water."

.............

.............