The Thoughts of All Parties

Even though Gu Luo and the others had quietly slipped away backstage, the applause in the performance hall continued like surging tides, wave after wave, unending.

Such a soul-stirring performance was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something rare and hard to come by.

The passionate sound of the suona seemed imbued with magic, its lingering notes echoing in everyone's ears.

Listening to it evoked a strange impulse—an urge to just lie down and bask in the afterglow.

"Gu Luo!"

Someone was the first to shout his name at the top of their lungs, their voice like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly rippling out in endless waves.

"Gu Luo!"

"Gu Luo!"

"..."

The students quickly joined in, chanting in unison.

The synchronized and fervent cries seemed powerful enough to burst through the venue's ceiling.

This enthusiasm spread rapidly, soon infecting the young visitors in the audience.

Even the schoolboys who usually thought Gu Luo was pretentious and showy couldn't help but be swept up in the moment.

The guy had real talent!

It was impossible not to admire him!

After that suona performance, not only the emotionally sensitive, easily smitten girls in their adolescence—even an animal would’ve been utterly captivated.

They all shared one thought—when Gu Luo played the suona, he was like a soul-stealing envoy.

Gu Luo was already ridiculously handsome on a normal day, but the moment he started playing, it was as if he’d been infused with an even greater energy, his charm multiplying instantly.

Even his aura seemed to stand apart from everyone else.

No one could resist that kind of magnetism.

"That was my son! My son!"

In the audience, Gu Feng beamed with pride, excitedly announcing to the surrounding visitors.

But the cheers and shouts in the venue were so deafening that his voice was immediately drowned out in the noise.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stands—

"Big bro is amazing! Big bro is AMAZING!!!"

Gu Ximan’s face flushed red with excitement as she screamed at the top of her lungs, completely abandoning any semblance of decorum.

Her hands flailed wildly in the air, as if trying to physically release all the exhilaration inside her.

In her heart, her annoying big brother had always been the best, but today’s performance had elevated her admiration for him to new heights.

Beside her, Lu Xuexue kept her hands pressed against her burning cheeks.

So. Handsome.

Brother Gu was just too handsome.

At this point, way too many girls—no, practically every girl in school—must have a crush on him.

The competition was fierce.

But luckily, aside from Shen Yue, Brother Gu rarely interacted much with other girls.

That included the Luo sisters.

Meanwhile, she could openly visit Gu Luo in his class with Ximan by her side.

This school was her and Ximan’s turf.

As for Shen Yue… compared to the others, she was definitely less of a threat.

Thinking this, Lu Xuexue slowly lowered her hands from her cheeks, then clenched them into determined fists, psyching herself up.

Her cute little toes curled inside her white thigh-high socks.

She had to overcome her instinctive shyness around Brother Gu.

She would pursue him openly.

Make him different homemade treats every day.

Oh, and she should ask Ximan which anime girl characters Brother Gu liked.

She could cosplay any of them.

Lu Xuexue knew exactly what boys his age were into.

She could use the excuse of asking him to pick the best photos—then casually send him all kinds of private pictures.

When chasing a guy, you had to play to your strengths.

The excitement in the performance hall lasted for quite a while.

Gu Luo’s suona performance was like a dazzling meteor, leaving an indelible mark in everyone’s hearts, something they’d remember for a long time.

It wasn’t until the student council president took the stage and loudly called for order that the venue gradually quieted down.

However.

In a secluded corner of the hallway—

"Exhilarating… absolutely exhilarating…"

"Ahhh… so good… so good…"

Situ Wenyao’s eyes were glazed over, his entire body limp as if drained of strength.

He felt like he was floating on clouds, euphoric beyond words.

After a long moment, he shakily pulled out his phone.

Then opened a shopping app and searched for "suona."

Instant purchase.

"Exhilarating… absolutely exhilarating…"

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

Backstage.

"God Gu, you were SO cool!"

"God Gu, what was the name of that suona piece? I need to listen to it every day—it was mind-blowing!"

"Yeah, yeah! I used up a lifetime’s worth of goosebumps today!"

"God Gu, me and my friends all joined your fan group! We’ll always support you!"

"..."

The moment Gu Luo stepped backstage, he was immediately swarmed by a flock of chattering girls from the dance club.

Their form-fitting dance outfits clung to their bodies, perfectly accentuating their youthful figures.

Trapped in the middle, Gu Luo wore an awkward smile, unsure how to respond.

These girls were way too close!

Their body heat mixed with the scent of perfume overwhelmed his senses.

Some were even sneaking in touches—grabbing any chance to cop a feel.

Gu Luo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But as the saying goes, you don’t hit someone who’s smiling at you—he couldn’t exactly push away fans who were showering him with praise.

This was tough.

He was already wildly popular at school, with no shortage of female admirers.

But after this performance, his reputation skyrocketed to a whole new level.

Sigh.

Life was just full of surprises.

All he’d wanted was to quietly get through his time at Guangya, content with just taking care of and spending time with his sisters.

Yet somehow… he’d ended up becoming the center of adoration.

Meanwhile.

Qu Meimei had already vanished without a trace.

Luo Shuning was about to step in and rescue Gu Luo from the pink-clad vultures when Ren Lei stopped her.

"Babe, did you and Qu Meimei make up?"

"No."

Seeing her best friend’s misunderstanding, Luo Shuning gave a complicated glance toward the surrounded Gu Luo before pulling Ren Lei aside.

She then explained everything that had happened in detail.

"It’s like this—Brother predicted… so…"

"Finally, we agreed to perform together next time, just the two of us…"

Ren Lei listened quietly, her expression growing increasingly shocked and conflicted as Luo Shuning spoke.

When the explanation ended, she asked in disbelief, "So… Gu Luo outmaneuvered Qu Meimei?"

"He went through all that just to make sure the performance went smoothly?"

"This…"

"You two…"

She trailed off, hesitating.

What she really wanted to ask was—what the hell is your relationship?

Playing mind games, setting up contingencies…

Luo Shuning clearly understood what Ren Lei was implying, her face instantly flushing red.

She had no intention of hiding it from her best friend.

The relationship between her and Gu Luo was indeed no longer purely platonic...

It was something beyond ambiguity, yet not quite a committed romance.

All it needed was time to settle and the right moment for the two to officially become a couple.

Seeing Luo Shuning’s flustered expression, Ren Lei, her self-appointed "love strategist," immediately understood everything.

She wanted to say something but struggled to find the right words.

“I’ll go save... I mean, help my brother now.”

Unable to endure her best friend’s knowing gaze, Luo Shuning could only flee in embarrassment.

However, at that very moment—

Feng Duo came rushing over like a whirlwind, yanking Gu Luo out of the flock of chattering girls from the dance club. Excitedly, she spread her arms wide, ready to throw herself at him.

Luo Shuning’s brows instantly furrowed.

But then, Gu Luo deftly sidestepped Feng Duo’s embrace.

Her frown unconsciously softened.

“Gu Luo, you’re amazing!”

Feng Duo’s face flushed with excitement, as if she’d just been told her cancer diagnosis was a mistake, babbling incoherently in her exhilaration.

She didn’t even seem to notice his instinctive evasion.

Witnessing this, Gu Luo took two deliberate steps back, maintaining a safe distance, and calmly said,

“President, please calm down first.”

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

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

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