When Lu Qing stepped through the door, he was immediately struck by a stifling atmosphere that sent a shiver through his heart. Without a word, he entered the room with a solemn expression and closed the door behind him.
"What's going on?"
Being highly sensitive to the mood, he could almost immediately tell that someone in the house was emanating negative emotions. Moreover, these emotions had grown so intense that they were affecting the surrounding energy—what one might call the "feng shui" of the space.
"Su Ling?"
He called out into the room.
"Yes, Brother. Welcome home."
Her tone was flat.
Lifeless.
Devoid of the usual vitality she carried.
Instead, it seemed to carry a hint of anger.
But this anger wasn’t directed at him. It was more like she was frustrated with something external—or perhaps, with herself.
"...Are you okay?"
Lu Qing quickly took off his coat and walked into the bedroom.
There, he found his younger sister sitting with a black cat in her arms, her face serious as she struggled with a finger exercise from the "Hell Training" series on the screen.
"?? Why are you practicing this? You shouldn’t be doing this yet—it’s way too early for you."
Lu Qing could clearly sense that something was off with Su Ling. Her practice routine, though ambitious, had always been gentle and followed the path he had carefully laid out for her—smooth transitions and steady progress.
But today, she had dug out the "Hell Training" series, a set of exercises that had once tormented him as a child. (Note: The series was authored by Master Kobayashi, the same master whose signature adorned Lu Qing’s prized Schecter NV3 guitar.)
The first exercise alone had a BPM of 160+, a speed that even seasoned players might struggle to nail perfectly, let alone a beginner.
Su Ling’s current state suggested she had been deeply affected by something, pushing her to take reckless steps.
This wasn’t good.
He had to stop her.
"I’m fine. I just feel a little off, so I wanted to try something challenging."
She spoke with her back to him, clearly suppressing her emotions.
Lu Qing wasn’t foolish. He could read between the lines and immediately pulled a chair from the dining table, placing it backward beside her.
He straddled the chair, resting his arms on the backrest, and observed her closely. "If something’s bothering you, can you tell me about it?"
He knew Su Ling well.
Earlier, on his way home, he had even suspected that she might have taken the "missing little metal box." After all, no one else was in the house, and the box had been there just last night before he went to sleep.
All signs pointed to Su Ling—
But.
Lu Qing didn’t rush to confront her.
He knew all too well how much damage an accusation could do to someone with severe depression.
Even a few harsh words could leave invisible scars that would fester deep within her heart.
Lu Qing understood this, so he stayed calm.
Calm enough to test Su Ling’s reactions first, gather evidence, and then decide his next move.
If his sister truly harbored some twisted desire to control him, he would find a way to gently let her know that he was aware of it and that it troubled him. This way, she might rein herself in, and things would be better for both of them.
But before he could make any moves, Su Ling had already become like this—as if someone had deeply wronged her.
Lu Qing was baffled. He was certain he hadn’t done anything to upset her.
"I didn’t do anything. It can’t be me."
He thought to himself.
Su Ling, however, didn’t directly answer his question. Instead, she continued practicing her exercises and asked:
"Brother, if—hypothetically—you wanted to find a girlfriend, what would be your most basic requirement for her?"
"...Huh?"
"I mean, what kind of girl would catch your attention? Even if you weren’t thinking about dating her."
"..."
Lu Qing was caught off guard by her question.
To be honest, he had never given it much thought.
But if he had to answer—
"A girl with charm, I guess."
After some consideration, he gave his answer.
"Charm?"
In Su Ling’s eyes, this answer was too vague.
It could mean too many things.
"What kind of girl do you think has charm, Brother?"
"Charm, huh..."
"Yeah."
Lu Qing pondered for a moment.
He decided to base his answer on his own experiences, as that would make it more grounded and realistic.
So, which girls had truly caught his attention in the past?
Which ones had exuded "charm" and left an impression on him?
The answers came to him almost immediately.
"Well, first, she’d have to have something unique about her—something that others can’t replicate. A girl like that would stand out."
"Second, she’d need to understand herself, to know who she is. She’d throw herself into things she’s passionate about, doing what’s worth doing and striving to improve herself. Even if she started from a bad place, she’d keep pushing forward, cutting through the thorns. That kind of determination—that’s a kind of charm in my eyes."
"Third, she’d have to excel at something, to the point where others genuinely admire her. I’d respect and appreciate a girl like that."
Lu Qing listed these points one by one, then concluded:
"And finally, there’s compatibility."
"Compatibility?"
"Yeah."
He explained: "A girl who meets the first three criteria would definitely catch my attention. But if our values don’t align, I wouldn’t get close to her. So, you’ve actually asked me two questions: 1. What kind of girlfriend would I look for? And 2. What kind of girl would catch my attention? I think the second question comes before the first."
"If she doesn’t catch my attention, I wouldn’t fall for her. And even if she meets all three criteria, if our values don’t align, there’d be no connection between us, and I’d naturally distance myself."
His words were calm and precise. To make sure Su Ling understood, he added:
"I know my time and energy are limited. My situation isn’t ideal for diving into a relationship like a normal college student. I don’t have that luxury. So, your question is a bit of a hypothetical—it doesn’t really apply to me, and it’s unlikely that all the conditions would align perfectly for a ‘compatible values’ scenario."
"Personally, throughout my life, only six women have truly caught my attention. Now, I think it’s down to five."
"Who are those five?"
Hearing this crucial question, Su Ling’s eyes sharpened.
She set the black cat aside and leaned in to listen.
"Ah..."
Though it wasn’t a topic he wanted to revisit, Lu Qing couldn’t refuse his sister’s interest.
He summarized briefly:
"The first was a neighbor’s older sister from when I lived in the countryside as a child."
"She was very kind and took good care of me. During a childhood devoid of familial warmth, she gave me a sense of healing and comfort. She taught me what ‘care’ means."
"..." Su Ling felt a chill run through her.
"The second was Bai Xing, the junior from next door. You’ve met her. She showed me what it means to ‘rise from the ashes.’ She made me see the limits of what hard work can achieve—what it means to turn things around when everything seems lost."
"..." Su Ling’s brows furrowed slightly.
"The third was Lubia, my personal illustrator. Through her actions, she taught me that true love exists in life—it just doesn’t always show itself openly."
Lu Qing took a deep breath, pressed his fingers to his temples, and sighed:
"She taught me that ‘devotion’ is possible in this world."
"............" Su Ling felt the weight of his words.
After a pause, Lu Qing continued:
"The fourth was Lin-chan. She’s the only true ‘online friend’ I’ve ever had. She proved to me, with a level of perseverance and determination that most people can’t even imagine, that there’s a kind of talent called ‘persistence.’"
"To stick with something, to see it through, to improve and refine it until it reaches its peak—that’s how quantity turns into quality. That’s how ‘improvement’ becomes ‘transcendence.’"
"She made me see that geniuses exist in this world. And above geniuses are those who work hard to become geniuses. I was in awe of her, and because of her, I learned to approach every field with humility. She taught me ‘humility.’"
"..."
Su Ling’s resolve crumbled.
There was nothing left to say.
Brother had long been divided up by these people.
Hadn’t he?
His heart had already been completely captivated by them.
Whatever he wanted, whatever he wished to see, they could provide.
And as for me…
All I could do was burden him, make his life even harder.
I couldn’t do anything.
Or rather, at this moment, I couldn’t do anything.
…
…
“And the last one?”
With dim eyes, Su Ling hugged the black cat tightly.
She wanted to hear the story about *her*.
She wanted to know who *she* was, the one who had caused her brother so much pain.
To be saved for last,
she must have been someone unforgettable in his heart, right?
The girl turned her head, not daring to look at her brother’s expression.
Perhaps, when he reminisced about *her*, he would be infatuated?
Would he show a more nostalgic expression than he had for the others?
Could she really stand a chance against a woman who could plunge him into such deep suffering, someone he couldn’t escape from?
Even with the *Black Cat* by her side, could she really clash with her as she had imagined?
It was impossible, wasn’t it?
A wave of despair slowly crept in, like the tide gradually covering the shore.
A dark heart, an empty gaze.
Between her eyes, only emptiness remained.
It was at this moment.
Lu Qing spoke:
“The last one is you.”
“You made me grow into an adult overnight, teaching me what it means to ‘carry a heavy burden,’ what ‘true responsibility’ is. Your daily waiting at home, the delicious breakfasts every morning, the ‘welcome home’ every time I opened the door—you reignited a spark in my ashen life, a flame I never even dreamed of.”
“Su Ling. I’ve always wanted to thank you, but I rarely had the right opportunity like this. If you want to ask me what kind of person I would choose as a girlfriend, then perhaps it’s better to turn the question around—”
He looked at her face, already flushed and stunned, and softly corrected himself:
“I would give up having a girlfriend for someone like you.”
……
……