5:00 PM.
There was still one hour left before the music department's gathering at Guangya Academy.
In a quiet corner of the city's bustling streets, a café filled with the rich aroma of coffee stood nestled among the urban sprawl.
The interior was warm and elegantly decorated, with soothing music flowing through the air like a gentle stream, creating a cozy and tranquil atmosphere.
"I'm so mad, so mad, SO MAD!"
As soon as Ren Lei sat down, she downed her coffee in one gulp.
Almost immediately, her face twisted in disgust, her features scrunching up from the bitterness.
"Ugh... so bitter..."
Sticking out her tongue, she quickly stabbed a piece of dessert from her plate with a fork and shoved it into her mouth, chewing vigorously.
Only after a while did the bitter taste gradually fade.
Luo Shuning, sitting across from her, couldn't help but chuckle helplessly at the sight.
"If you know it's bitter, why do you always order it?"
"You don’t get it, you don’t get it—it's called being trendy," Ren Lei retorted after swallowing the dessert, then smacked her forehead. "Ugh, don’t interrupt me!"
Pausing, her face twisted back into an angry scowl.
"That Qu Meimei is driving me up the wall!"
"She actually had the nerve to claim all the creative ideas for the performance were hers, and even accused you of stealing Gu Luo away!"
"Seriously, I’ve never met someone so shameless in my life!"
Hearing this, Gu Luo, who was sitting beside Luo Shuning, took a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee before calmly reassuring her,
"Calm down, calm down. Someone like Qu Meimei isn’t worth getting worked up over."
"Huh?!"
Ren Lei immediately smacked the table in frustration. "Gu Luo, shouldn’t you be angry too? How can you stay so calm? Qu Meimei is blatantly twisting the truth!"
"I am angry," Gu Luo set down his cup, his expression serious.
"I’ve been angry this whole time."
"But for now, let’s just let the bullet fly a little longer."
Ever since the first time he heard Qu Meimei badmouth Luo Shuning, the fire of fury had been burning inside him.
But he knew that blindly shouting, arguing, or picking fights with Qu Meimei wouldn’t solve anything.
It might offer momentary satisfaction, but it wouldn’t actually help—it would only escalate the conflict and make things worse.
That was the most useless way to handle things.
Of course, if he were the type to act impulsively for the sake of pride, he might have already stormed off in a rage.
But when dealing with a loudmouthed rat like her, the best approach was to drag her out of the filthy sewers and expose her under the harsh sunlight.
A full, merciless judgment.
"What do you mean?" Ren Lei was tempted to throw her dessert at his head. "Stop being so cryptic! People who talk in riddles deserve to be shot!"
"Come on, calm down, calm down. Someone like Qu Meimei isn’t worth getting worked up over."
At that moment, Luo Shuning, as if echoing her partner, repeated Gu Luo’s words verbatim.
"You... Shuning, you’re really abandoning your friends for love, huh?" Ren Lei lamented dramatically.
"Not at all. Big Brother has his own plans—we just need to trust him," Luo Shuning replied softly, her face adorned with a sweet, obedient smile.
She looked every bit the perfect little sister, deferring to her brother in all matters.
Seeing this, Ren Lei could only sigh and press a hand to her forehead.
In her eyes, Luo Shuning had already been completely molded into Gu Luo’s image.
No resistance left at all.
Still, she had to admit—Gu Luo and Luo Shuning were a perfect match in every way, from looks to personality.
They were practically made for each other.
It’d be a crime if they didn’t stay together forever.
"Fine, fine, you two handle it your way." Seeing her best friend’s lovestruck expression, Ren Lei’s earlier urgency faded. After all, there was no point in the eunuch worrying when the emperor wasn’t concerned.
"Eat more."
Luo Shuning hadn’t forgotten her friend—while speaking, she kept transferring different desserts from her own plate to Ren Lei’s.
"Hmph, that’s more like it."
Ren Lei pouted and was about to pick up her fork when—
A sharp, piercing wail suddenly shattered the café’s peaceful ambiance.
The three instinctively turned toward the sound.
At a table behind them, a little girl had burst into uncontrollable sobs.
Tears and snot streamed down her face as she flailed her tiny hands in the air, crying as if her heart was breaking.
Zero warning.
Completely out of nowhere.
The girl’s mother, a stylish and elegant young woman, looked flustered as she rummaged through her bag for snacks, alternating between gentle coaxing and silly faces.
But the little girl remained inconsolable—if anything, her cries only grew louder.
The entire café was soon engulfed in the noise, drowning out the quiet conversations and turning the atmosphere chaotic.
Other customers shot annoyed glances their way while the young mother, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, kept apologizing and trying even harder to calm her daughter.
But nothing worked.
The more she tried, the louder the girl cried.
"Ugh... this is why I can’t stand kids..." Ren Lei muttered under her breath before setting down her fork and covering her face in agony.
Like Sun Wukong hearing Tang Sanzang’s headache-inducing chant.
Realizing her efforts were futile, the mother sighed and began gathering their things, preparing to leave the awkward scene behind.
Just as she reached to pick up her daughter—
Gu Luo, who had been quietly observing, turned around.
A warm smile graced his face, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Little one, be good, okay? No more crying."
Those simple words held a magical power.
The girl’s sobs stopped instantly.
Her tear-streaked face froze as she stared wide-eyed at Gu Luo, hiccuping slightly, her tiny body still trembling.
And it wasn’t just the girl—even the mother was stunned.
Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Th-thank you, handsome," she managed to say.
"No problem."
Gu Luo gave a slight nod, then turned back to his coffee after deactivating his [Charm Boost Card].
A charm stat of 10 really was overpowered.
Effective against grandmas and little girls alike.
A charm of 9 was already at the peak of human attractiveness, but 10 transcended mere appeal—it entered the realm of magical influence.
Like a mage in a game.
Possessing an irresistible, spellbinding allure.
Which was exactly why Gu Luo usually kept his charm at 9.
No need to go full-on wizard, right?
Meanwhile, the little girl wiped her tears, kicked off her tiny white shoes, and stood on the sofa seat, staring unabashedly at Gu Luo’s handsome profile.
Clearly, she was already smitten.
The child's thoughts were simple—they just thought Gu Luo was incredibly good-looking.
A true little admirer of beauty.
The young mother immediately waved over a waiter and insisted on paying for Gu Luo’s table as a gesture of gratitude.
She even ordered several more expensive desserts for them.
Clearly, money was no object for her.
Gu Luo and Luo Shuning politely declined, but the young mother wouldn’t take no for an answer.
In the end, they had no choice but to accept her kindness.
"Holy... a real charmer, huh?"
Witnessing all this, Ren Lei widened her eyes, utterly convinced.
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