The Misunderstanding Between Gu Luo and Huang Anlu (Combined Parts Three and Two)

"Best friend, I won!"

"Haha, I won, I won!"

"This guy was no match for me at all!"

Haji Yao trotted over excitedly, carrying a cat carrier with Haji the cow-patterned cat inside, his face beaming as if he had conquered the world.

"Impressive..." Gu Luo gave an awkward chuckle, nodding without knowing how else to respond. It was just... hard to describe.

Then he turned to the other two and asked, "By the way, what about the vet clinic and the cost of neutering these cats...?"

Huang Anlu adjusted her glasses out of habit and explained seriously, "The vet clinic has already been arranged. As for the cost, it’ll be covered by the club’s budget."

"Don’t underestimate our Public Service Department—we may not have many members, but our funding is top-tier among all the clubs."

"That’s true, our department is pretty well-off," Situ Wenyao chimed in. "And we don’t spend much, so at the end of each semester, we donate the leftover funds to reliable charities."

"But the school has to approve the budget usage, right?" Gu Luo pressed.

"Of course, all expenditures require the school’s approval."

"I see..." Gu Luo nodded.

Huang Anlu then turned to him and asked, "Aren’t you the vice president of the Pure Music Club? How come you don’t even know these things?"

"Cough..."

Gu Luo instantly felt embarrassed.

In the club, he was basically just a mascot.

Every day, he was either being flirted with or on the verge of being flirted with.

All club affairs—from event planning to daily management—were handled by the president, Luo Shuning, and the other vice president, Ren Lei. He was nothing more than a hands-off figurehead.

Hearing this, Situ Wenyao perked up with curiosity. "Oh yeah, what happened with the Music Club? Why was it suddenly disbanded?"

After a pause, he added, "I also heard rumors that you and Luo Shuning became a couple. But since you’re siblings, I guess that makes sense."

"There was an incident in the club..." Gu Luo gave a vague explanation, avoiding details.

The aftermath of that incident had ended with the Music Club’s dissolution, Feng Duo’s apology, Qu Meimei receiving a major demerit, and being sent home for three weeks of reflection.

To prevent the scandal from spreading, the school had ordered all club members who knew about it to keep it confidential.

However, his furious outburst at Qu Meimei had been misinterpreted by the freshmen as a public confession to Luo Shuning.

So, while the incident itself wasn’t leaked, whispers about the ambiguous relationship between him and Luo Shuning had slowly spread.

Well, modern young people were always eager for juicy gossip—they lived for the drama.

"Meow~~~"

At that moment, the calico cat, now full and content, licked its tiny paws and trotted gracefully toward a nearby bush.

Huang Anlu silently watched the cat’s retreating figure until it disappeared from sight before turning back to the other two.

"So, once the president gets back, do you guys want to leave or stay a bit longer?"

"Stay, stay! The weather’s so nice today," Situ Wenyao answered without hesitation.

Of course, the real reason he wanted to stay was simply to spend more time with Gu Luo.

As long as he was with his best friend, fun was guaranteed.

"What about you, Gu Luo?" Huang Anlu asked.

"I’ll go with whatever Shuling decides."

"Typical siscon, always deferring to your sister." Huang Anlu adjusted her glasses again—a habitual gesture whenever she was thinking or making a point.

Gu Luo just shrugged with a smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He never hid the fact that he was a hardcore siscon.

Spoiling his sisters was just too much fun.

And now that he had four sisters at home, the happiness had quadrupled.

"Huh?"

Just then, Situ Wenyao’s gaze suddenly fixed on something in the distance, his eyes lighting up.

"Hold this for me, best friend."

He shoved the cat carrier with Haji the cow-patterned cat into Gu Luo’s hands and then dashed off like an arrow toward an elderly woman.

To be precise, an elderly woman digging through a trash bin.

Unlike typical scavengers, her clothes were understated yet dignified, carrying an air of quiet elegance.

"Granny, let me help you!"

Situ Wenyao eagerly approached the trash bin.

"Oh... Thank you, young man. You’re such a kind soul." The old woman smiled warmly, not refusing his offer.

Then she asked, "By the way, which school do you go to?"

Hearing this, Situ Wenyao suppressed his inner glee and immediately replied, "Guangya Academy."

Though he never left his name when doing good deeds, he always made sure to mention his school if asked.

This honor wasn’t his alone to claim.

"Guangya... How wonderful." The old woman nodded approvingly. "As expected of a fine young man from Guangya."

"You flatter me, Granny." Situ Wenyao, buoyed by the praise, enthusiastically started helping her dig through the bin for bottles.

Meanwhile, Huang Anlu, seeing this, placed the two cat carriers she was holding at Gu Luo’s feet.

"I’ll go help too."

With that, she walked straight toward Situ Wenyao and the old woman.

Gu Luo opened his mouth slightly, his expression complicated.

After silently watching the three of them nearly finish rummaging through all the nearby bins, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.

He walked over and said softly to Situ Wenyao and Huang Anlu, "The club activity is over. Let’s head back."

"Huh? Okay..."

Situ Wenyao stopped digging, confused but obedient. After all, his best friend’s word was law.

Huang Anlu, however, frowned slightly. Adjusting her glasses, she asked calmly, "Didn’t you just say we’d wait for the president before deciding?"

She held up a slightly dirty plastic bottle. "Or is it because you disapprove of what we’re doing?"

"Is that it?"

"Of course not," Gu Luo quickly waved his hands, realizing their straightforward, no-nonsense vice president had misunderstood.

Before he could explain, Huang Anlu spoke firmly, "Gu Luo, don’t think our Public Service Department’s activities are just about petting cats and enjoying the breeze."

"If you can’t accept this kind of work, I suggest you quit the club."

"You can call me tactless, but I’ll say what needs to be said."

"Hey, hey, come on..." Situ Wenyao jumped in, trying to mediate.

Many members had been driven away by Huang Anlu's sharp words before.

He didn't want to lose a close friend.

Nor did he want to see two good friends end up in a heated argument over this.

"Let's talk this out calmly, everyone here means well," the elderly woman interjected anxiously.

"You're all good kids—please don’t quarrel."

But instead of backing down, Huang Anlu only grew colder.

"Gu Luo, I’m not targeting you personally," she said. "But the Public Service Club was built from the ground up by me and the president. Even if our club’s ideals might sound laughable to some, every member who stayed truly believes in them and works hard for them."

"So, I sincerely suggest you think carefully."

Seeing the misunderstanding deepen, Gu Luo could only let out a helpless sigh.

Instead of responding to Huang Anlu immediately, he first turned politely to the old woman.

"Grandma, you’re dressed neatly and look healthy—I can tell your family isn’t struggling financially."

"If I had to guess, you probably started collecting recyclables after retirement just to keep busy, maybe even to earn a little extra on the side."

The old woman blinked in surprise, then nodded reflexively.

Gu Luo continued gently, "Grandma, first of all, I really admire your determination to stay active and contribute even after retiring. And I appreciate the effort you’ve put into keeping our city clean."

"But..." He paused before adding, "While it’s fine to pick up litter that ruins the city’s appearance... I’d ask that you leave the bottles and other sellable scraps in the trash bins."

"Caizhou may be an international metropolis... but there are still struggling families who rely on collecting those scraps to get by."

"So, I hope you’ll forgive me for speaking out of turn..."

Gu Luo had phrased it as tactfully as possible.

In his mind flashed the image of the two disheveled, sallow-faced elderly scavengers he’d seen earlier—their backs hunched, their hands rough from labor.

What this well-off grandmother was doing might seem thrifty, even virtuous in its own way.

But this extreme frugality was, in another light, a form of greed.

Wasn’t it, in a way, the privileged taking resources from those who had nothing?

As Records of the Grand Historian once said: Those who reap benefits should not compete with the common people for profit.

Of course, everyone had their own perspective on such matters.

If not for the risk of being misunderstood by Huang Anlu and Situ Wenyao, he wouldn’t have wanted to stand on moral high ground and judge the old woman.

Hearing Gu Luo’s words, Huang Anlu froze.

Her earlier aggressive demeanor vanished without a trace.

She lifted a hand as if to adjust her glasses, then let it drop halfway.

All of this was quietly observed by Luo Shuling and Luo Shuhe, who stood a short distance behind them.

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