"Bro, bro, bro, bro, bro."
"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."
"Hehe."
Luo Shuling was thoroughly pleased with Gu Luo's prompt responses to every call, fluttering around him like a lively little butterfly.
One moment she'd skip ahead, the next she'd trail behind like a tiny shadow, all while steadily carrying a cat carrier in her hand.
Gu Luo held an identical cat carrier, though his gaze wasn't fixed on his lively little sister but rather on a familiar figure in the distance—his "best friend," Situ Wenyao.
True to his role in the Public Service Department, the guy was the picture of helpfulness.
Their club activity for the day was rounding up stray cats in Donghu Park for neutering.
Since the park didn't have too many strays, only four members had joined the effort.
"Bro."
"I'm here."
"Bro."
"I'm here."
"Bro, you sound like a chatbot."
"......"
Gu Luo couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh. He reached out and lightly flicked Luo Shuling's forehead.
She immediately clutched her head dramatically, eyes brimming with exaggerated hurt. "Bro! When did you learn this move from Shu Ning? That really stings!"
"Serves you right. I humored your call-and-response game, and you call me a robot."
"Not a robot—a chatbot!"
"Looking for another flick, are you?"
"Hehe." Luo Shuling quickly dodged out of reach, scampering ahead.
Seeing this, Gu Luo instinctively called out, "Slow down. Watch your step."
"Got it, Chatbot Old Bro—"
"Eek—!"
Just as Luo Shuling turned her head to reply, her foot caught on a protruding rock.
In an instant, she pitched forward and landed flat on the ground.
The cat carrier slipped from her grip, tumbling away with a clatter.
"......"
Gu Luo resisted the urge to facepalm, sighing inwardly before hurrying over. He crouched down to inspect her injuries.
"Just a scraped knee. Should be fine."
"Bro... it hurts... so much..." Luo Shuling sat pitifully on the ground, cradling her knee, looking even more woeful than when she'd gotten flicked.
"My chatbot of a sister... How do you trip on flat ground like some anime heroine?"
Luo Shuling pointed accusingly at the offending rock. "It's all that rock's fault."
"...... Wait here."
Gu Luo stood and jogged toward a nearby refrigerated snack cart, returning shortly with a bottle of water.
He unscrewed the cap and carefully rinsed her wound.
"Ow ow ow...!" Luo Shuling winced, her face scrunching up.
"If you don't like pain, be more careful next time." After cleaning the scrape, Gu Luo pulled disinfectant wipes and a bandage from his pocket.
"Bro, you carry these around?" Luo Shuling blinked in surprise.
In her experience, most guys didn’t even carry tissues—and if they did, they were crumpled into a ball.
Gu Luo’s preparedness was practically saintly.
"Yeah. Ximan’s always falling over too."
As he spoke, he gently dabbed her knee dry with the wipe, then applied the bandage with care.
"Wow, no wonder Ximan’s always calling you a ‘kind-hearted siscon’!"
"......"
Gu Luo responded with another light flick to her forehead.
"Oww..."
Luo Shuling yelped theatrically.
"Quit faking. That was barely a tap. Get up."
"I can’t." She clutched her leg dramatically. "My leg’s broken. I can’t walk."
Pausing, she batted her eyes and added, "If only a sweet big brother would carry me..."
She peeked up to gauge his reaction.
"......"
Gu Luo’s eye twitched, torn between exasperation and amusement at her antics.
After retrieving the fallen carrier, he crouched down.
"Hehe."
Luo Shuling immediately sprang up and latched onto his back, arms locking around his neck like a vise.
"Don’t choke me..."
"Nope! I’ll die if I fall!" She clung tighter, as if her life depended on it.
"......Chatbot little sister."
"Chatbot big bro, giddyup!"
And so, Gu Luo—now dubbed "Chatbot"—trudged forward, a carrier in each hand and his human backpack in tow.
Luo Shuling rested her chin on his shoulder, her cheek nearly touching his, and whispered playfully:
"Bro, am I heavy?"
"Huh?"
Gu Luo was momentarily baffled by her phrasing, mentally noting that her language skills needed work.
(And her grades were slipping toward the bottom ten...)
"I mean, bro, do I weigh a lot?"
"You’re light. Just ease up on the death grip—and stop breathing in my ear." He shuddered as her exhales tickled him.
Instead of backing off, Luo Shuling squeezed tighter and abruptly changed topics. "Bro, your cooking is sooo good."
"......That segue needs work." Gu Luo snorted at the clumsy shift.
"I’m addicted. I can’t go a single meal without it." She barreled on, "Bro, how about you never get married? Just stay with us forever, okay?"
The "us" clearly meant herself, Luo Shuning, Luo Shuhe, and Gu Ximan.
The sister squad.
Gu Luo chuckled. "So you want me as your lifetime housekeeper?"
"Well, if you must marry, just pick Shu Ning or Shu He!"
Luo Shuling tilted her head, grinning. "Or me! I wouldn’t mind~"
"Any of us three except Ximan—your choice!"
"Total win, no regrets~"
"Don’t volunteer them on their behalf." Gu Luo shook his head, dismissing it as childish nonsense.
"But what if I want to eat your food forever?"
"Then come eat. An extra mouth won’t break the bank."
Luo Shuling’s smile widened like a kid handed a candy store.
"Bro."
"I'm here."
"Bro."
"I'm here."
"Confirmed chatbot bro!"
............
............