If I Don't Learn to Be Bad, I'll Be Bullied by You

The autumn wind blew briskly, and the twilight dyed the sky in deep hues.

Inside the courtyard pavilion, though not everyone from the sect had arrived, it was still a nice little gathering.

Cui Hao wore an exceptionally formal and luxurious white robe, revealing a rare look of utmost seriousness. He sat cross-legged in the center of the courtyard with a guzheng placed before him. His technique was skillful and graceful, the melody building up layer by layer, rhythmic and well-arranged.

Holding a teacup, Lin Luoyu repeatedly cast suspicious glances at Cui Hao, who actually seemed to have some genuine skill. Had someone secretly swapped out her Fifth Junior Brother?

Many things hailed as elegant actually require a certain threshold for appreciation.

For example, wild calligraphy, profoundly enigmatic paintings, and slightly bizarre dances.

Without extensive and profound study, one's first impression would probably be: What on earth is this? Is this normal?

However, music is somewhat more subjective. It is no exaggeration to say that good music appeals to both refined and popular tastes.

If one has a deeper understanding of music, they can catch those little surprises hidden within the details.

Lin Luoyu's original background was Confucianism. Although Li Junzi didn't have the means to give Lin Luoyu formal music lessons, she still possessed the necessary appreciation skills.

At the very least, Li Junzi really knew how to play, and he would teach Lin Luoyu during his free time.

Because she had studied it, Lin Luoyu understood just how impressive Cui Hao's performance truly was.

The autumn wind was bleak and desolate, and so was the tune from the guzheng in Cui Hao's hands.

The piece wasn't very long, and Lin Luoyu quietly listened to the end.

Cui Hao lifted his hands, a long note vibrating the strings, before the strings stilled and the sound faded into peace.

Lin Luoyu pursed her lips slightly. Cui Hao's skill was truly beyond her level of critique. She hadn't expected her Fifth Junior Brother to possess such a talent.

Cui Hao gently stroked the long strings, looking leisurely at Lin Luoyu as he asked:

"Fourth Senior Sister, how was my performance?"

Lin Luoyu nodded in praise: "It is naturally impressive. But learning this requires a lot of hard work. It doesn't seem like an instrument you would learn, nor does it quite fit your style."

Cui Hao looked as if he had met a soulmate and sighed:

"As expected of Fourth Senior Sister, you truly have sharp eyes. Originally, I wanted to learn to play the bamboo flute. That thing looks dashing. But back then, I was just a mortal, and blowing it was too strenuous. I kept running out of oxygen, which almost deprived me of all my brilliant intellect."

"Furthermore, when you're about to pass out from a lack of oxygen, you look incredibly ugly."

"So later, I switched to learning this, which doesn't require blowing air, just plucking."

Lin Luoyu looked speechless and said:

"If you hadn't told me the reason, I might have thought a bit more highly of you."

"Seeking truth from facts is my, Cui Hao's, style," Cui Hao said with a leisurely smile. "It's just that this thing turned out to be more interesting than I expected, so I put a bit more effort into it. However, it's been a long time since I last played. As long as Fourth Senior Sister likes it, that's all that matters."

Lin Luoyu thought for a moment. In the past, Li Junzi always played somewhat tender and gentle melodies for her, so she said: "I still prefer softer pieces. They help people relax."

Cui Hao was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Fourth Senior Sister really knows how to pick. You instantly chose the piece I learned best."

Lin Luoyu looked at Cui Hao with a surprised expression.

Cui Hao raised his hand and stroked the strings, blinking his eyes teasingly, his tone softening:

"A rendition of 'Eighteen Touches', dedicated to Fourth Senior Sister!"

Hearing this, Lin Luoyu glared at him. She was a Confucian scholar, but she wasn't completely ignorant of the world. She naturally knew what 'Eighteen Touches' was.

Seeing her junior brother winking like that, it looked as if some filth had gotten into his eyes!

Coincidentally, she still had warm tea in her hand. Today, she would use this tea to give her Fifth Junior Brother a good eye wash, fulfilling her duty as a senior sister!

Lin Luoyu gripped the teacup in her hand, but before she could make a move, Chu Xingchen's voice drifted in:

"'Eighteen Touches'? I didn't expect you to have such an interest. As your master, I'll go find nine robust men right now to use their eighteen hands to thoroughly touch you from head to toe twice."

Hearing this, Cui Hao's expression turned serious. He hastily stood up and looked at his master, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him with a half-smile, as well as his master's wife behind him.

He quickly tried to change the subject, saying:

"Master, have you finished your work?"

"No, I haven't found those robust men for you yet." Chu Xingchen stood up straight and strode inside.

Cui Hao quickly put on an ingratiating smile: "I was just joking with Fourth Senior Sister. I don't even know how to play that."

Chu Xingchen raised his hand from afar and flicked it lightly. A wave of spiritual energy rippled through the air.

The next moment, Cui Hao grunted in pain. He clutched his forehead and looked at Chu Xingchen with a wronged expression.

"Is that the kind of joke you make with your Fourth Senior Sister?" Chu Xingchen looked at Cui Hao and asked. "I flicked you once, do you accept your punishment?"

Rubbing his forehead, Cui Hao nodded and replied: "I accept..."

Lin Luoyu cupped her hands and bowed:

"Master, Master's Wife."

Xie Lingyu gently nodded in acknowledgment without any shy expression. Her temperament had always been like this.

If it weren't true, and someone called her that, she would feel her title was unjustified, naturally wouldn't respond, and would feel slightly embarrassed.

But since it was true, there was nothing to hide.

She was extremely genuine when it came to feelings. Once she had chosen someone, it would naturally only be that one person.

Even if Bai Xuanling were to tease her right now, she would directly and readily accept it.

Seeing Lin Luoyu who had suddenly caught on, Cui Hao also cupped his hands and added:

"Greetings, Master's Wife."

Xie Lingyu spoke with a calm expression: "Greetings to you both. You have all worked hard this time."

Cui Hao smiled and said:

"We are working for our own sect, so how could we call it hard work? It's what we ought to do."

Chu Xingchen looked down at the guzheng in front of Cui Hao and gently plucked the strings with his spiritual energy. The sound was quite crisp and ethereal, but he truly didn't know how to play.

Nowadays, apart from coordinating information, there were many things he no longer needed to handle personally.

At least it wasn't appropriate right now. It seemed that Runan had appreciated the favor, but there was no need to risk running into the encirclement again for this.

It was fine to let others do it.

He wasn't some workaholic, so he didn't need to do everything himself.

Chu Xingchen turned his gaze to Xie Lingyu and asked with a smile:

"Lingyu, do you know how to play?"

"Only a little. I tried it a couple of times before out of curiosity." Xie Lingyu looked at the guzheng and asked curiously, "Do you know how?"

Chu Xingchen smiled confidently, speaking as if he were a master: "I am at the level of having cleared six of my seven apertures."

Hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Cui Hao's face.

Xie Lingyu pursed her lips and chuckled gently:

"Meaning the seventh is blocked—you don't know a single thing, right?"

"Hmm? Have I told you this before?"

"No."

"Then how did you know?"

Xie Lingyu walked over to the guzheng and gently plucked a simple melody with her hand, saying:

"Naturally, I learned to be bad from a certain someone. After all, a certain someone once said, 'He who stays near ink gets stained black.'"

Chu Xingchen walked up beside Xie Lingyu and raised an eyebrow:

"I thought Lingyu would choose the good things to learn. I didn't expect you to learn the bad things even faster."

"I'm not a good person anyway, so why should I only pick the good things to learn?"

Xie Lingyu turned around, her gaze meeting Chu Xingchen's eyes, a faint smile on her lips.

At this moment, even though the autumn wind was bleak and desolate, it could not conceal the gentle spring breeze here.

Chu Xingchen looked into Xie Lingyu's eyes, which rippled like autumn waters, as if they were saying:

If I didn't learn to be bad, I'd always be bullied by you.