The following process went very smoothly—
Lu Qing ordered a full set of accessories for his sister online, including additional cables, consumables, a basic all-in-one electric guitar effects pedal, and a small orange home practice amp. To ensure that "Zhen Ye Shang" (True Night Appreciation) remained in an optimal humidity and temperature environment to prevent warping or moisture damage, Lu Qing even purchased a 3000 RMB guitar storage humidity-controlled cabinet.
This was a cube-shaped glass cabinet, large enough to hold three guitars or five electric guitars/basses (electric instruments are thinner than acoustic ones). With this, his mother no longer had to worry about the expensive treasure warping during Tianhai's rainy season.
As for Lu Qing's original prized possessions, they were safely stored in their cases, which contained desiccants and drying agents. If the cases were not opened for a long time, there was no need for a humidity-controlled cabinet like this. However, since his sister would be practicing, "Zhen Ye Shang" would be exposed to the air and surrounded by unclean air, which would cause wear and tear. Therefore, Lu Qing felt it necessary for his sister to store "her" in a safe zone after each practice session.
This was crucial. (If you didn't want a 30,000 RMB guitar to depreciate rapidly to 15,000 RMB.)
"Brother, I've seen online that practice guitars are fine to buy for under 2000 RMB. But... I don't think Black Cat here looks like a guitar in that price range at all?"
"Huh? Black Cat?"
Lu Qing, who was in the middle of setting up his RME sound card, was slightly stunned upon hearing Su Ling's seemingly casual remark.
He quickly caught on. "Did you give her a name?"
"Ah, yes, brother. I think she looks like a cat, a shy black cat. So I..."
Su Ling sat on the edge of the bed, cradling "Black Cat" in her arms and gently stroking "her" strings, whispering softly:
"Hehe, does brother think I'm being childish?"
"!?!"
Her words completely delighted Lu Qing.
His hand, which was plugging in the audio cable for the sound card, even trembled slightly—
Dear heavens.
Not only did his sister not think he was crazy, but she also followed through and named his beloved guitar!
Could it be...
Could it be that she truly has the same talent as me in this area...?
After all, "Grade 10 in Guitar Language" is a skill that, besides Ryo and Lin, seems to be possessed by no one else.
"Very good, you did well! Yes, take good care of Black Cat, she will be your lifelong companion. Treat her well, take care of her, open your heart fully and accept her! Pour your heart out to her, listen to her voice."
Lu Qing rambled on like a madman, his heart surging with emotions.
He knew that if his sister was sincere and truly devoted herself to loving "her,"
Perhaps one day,
She might truly sense Black Cat's call through dreams, stages, whispers, or even telepathic listening.
"A fully devoted bond with a treasured instrument will, in the future, return unattainable healing to you through some means."
"How wonderful."
Lu Qing felt deeply moved.
After a brief silence,
He suddenly spoke:
"Su Ling, I need to tell you a few things. You must take them to heart."
At this moment, he seemed to be taking his sister's "desire to learn guitar" more seriously.
—Originally, he had planned to use this opportunity to buy "Zhen Ye Shang" for himself, but perhaps from today onwards, it could truly become "Black Cat" in his sister's hands.
If that's the case,
Then I should pass on to her the things that "cannot be learned outside."
How much she understands is up to her.
"Mm-hmm, brother, go ahead. I'll listen carefully."
Su Ling obediently sat beside him, watching as Lu Qing connected the cable from the lower right side of "Black Cat" to the Babyface Pro audio interface on the computer desk.
A 7500 RMB audio interface (BabyFace Pro) paired with a 30,000 RMB electric guitar, neither outshining the other, both flawless.
After finishing the software instrument setup, Lu Qing swiveled around in his office chair to face his sister, speaking with the tone of a mentor:
"There are three principles to follow when practicing the guitar."
He began teaching without even realizing it.
Completely forgetting that he was a "never-practices-guitar" kind of guy.
"First, 'always wash your hands before practicing.' You must not touch the guitar body with dirty hands. If you ever have the opportunity to perform with the guitar outdoors, remember to carry wet and dry wipes with you. If possible, bring a cleaning cloth, like an eyeglass cloth."
Su Ling: "Oh..."
Though abstract, she quickly extracted the key points: "Wash your hands frequently, keep yourself clean," otherwise, you can't touch the guitar.
"Got it." She nodded.
"Alright, next."
Lu Qing extended his index and middle fingers, his expression serious:
"Second, 'practice with full concentration.' Don't think about other things, like what to eat today, where to go later, or practicing while watching anime, chasing dramas, or listening to audiobooks. That's wrong.
You might be able to mechanically carve muscle memory while practicing basic skills and finger strength, but never treat this attitude as the norm. We must take practicing and performing seriously."
"Okay."
Su Ling nodded, "Brother means that playing the guitar is about playing the guitar. I have to be fully invested."
"Very good, you have great comprehension."
Lu Qing smiled approvingly.
Then he extended his ring finger—
"Third."
"After practicing, 'conduct a tactical review.'"
He said, "Every practice session is not in vain. Solving problems and overcoming challenges with purpose is more efficient than aimlessly playing whatever you feel like.
You are at the beginner stage now, so you are not qualified to just play songs. You must first master all the basic techniques before you can truly enjoy music and ACG. I know this sounds harsh, but do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes. Brother means I shouldn't aim too high or be overconfident. I should first build a solid foundation; otherwise, I'll end up with twice the effort for half the result."
Su Ling quickly grasped the essence of what he was trying to convey,
"And if I master the basics, practicing songs will be the opposite—half the effort for twice the result."
"!"
What?
Lu Qing widened his eyes upon hearing this.
Her interpretation ability made him pause slightly.
He thought,
How come my sister seems to understand everything?
She even knows how to "draw inferences about other cases from one instance"!
This...
Such abilities are not something a wooden-headed person can grasp or comprehend, right?
I only told her three "small points about attitude," and she has already fully absorbed them.
Then if,
I teach her some more abstract things in the future...
Would she also completely get my ideas?
Come to think of it.
"How come... she seems to know me so well?"
No.
Her expression.
It looks like she's really listening carefully...
At this moment, Lu Qing had no doubt that if there was a notebook beside her, his sister might even pick up a pen and start taking notes right away.
Seeing her brother stunned,
Su Ling tilted her head slightly, showing a pensive expression, and asked in return:
"Brother, how come you seem to know so much? It feels like you've taught other people instruments before, huh?"
"!?!"
"Hey, how's that so?" She asked with a smile.
...
...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
