Sister's Suspicion

In this world, there exists a type of gamble known as the "Showdown Game."

It is a game where both sides believe they have a one hundred percent chance of winning, and neither cares about the stakes they might have to pay if they lose—

Lin Mu thought that Lu Qing had gotten carried away, underestimating her completely. In terms of musical skill, she was unbeatable, unmatched by anyone.

Lu Qing, on the other hand, believed that Lin Mu's victory was inevitable, something he had orchestrated himself. But even if she won, given her personality, she would never make any outrageous demands.

Therefore, the moment she won would also be the moment she "lost," because his goal would have been achieved. She would gain confidence from this competition and become addicted to the feeling—

So, regardless of the outcome, the true winner would be himself.

…

Both had their reasons for being confident, leaving Su Ling sitting silently in her seat.

Her brother's motives were strange, but by simply reversing the logic, it became clear that everything was a setup by her brother.

With her brother's level of musical skill, how could he not understand the knowledge and terminology related to ACG?

But he deliberately pretended otherwise, clearly aiming to achieve some goal in a more subtle way.

She understood.

—Was it because he wanted to see Lin Mu perform up close?

Su Ling thought that her brother had never truly had the chance to watch Lin Mu play the piano up close. Videos on the internet were just that—videos. They couldn't compare to the impact of a live performance.

This live experience, combined with the well-equipped small stage downstairs and Lin Mu's performance-level skill, would be worth paying for, even if it came with a fee.

Su Ling wasn't sure, so she decided to observe further.

…

…

Not long after.

Lin Mu came up the stairs carrying a tray.

She was in a good mood today, so she had put a lot of effort into making her specialties for the siblings—

Osmanthus Longjing Iced Latte, Christmas Reindeer Rich Hot Cocoa, French Éclair Chocolate Puffs, Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Cookies, and a complimentary plate of Cranberry Scone tea snacks.

"Ah Hai, I'm in a good mood today, so I'm giving you an extra plate of snacks. Oh, and if you honor the bet later, I can throw in a box of strawberry macarons, hmm… and some leftover red bean toast from yesterday. Anyway, don't you dare back out if you lose."

The wealthy lolita spoke in a light tone, her steps light and her attitude completely different from before, no longer confrontational at all.

"What did you just call me?? Who's Ah Hai? What's Ah Hai??"

"~"

Lin Mu didn't respond, simply placing the coffee in front of each of them with a look of joy on her face.

The iced latte was for Lu Qing, the hot cocoa for Su Ling. After setting down the snacks, she turned and eagerly ran downstairs to wash her hands without waiting for them to say anything.

"..."

Sure enough, "washing hands before playing the piano."

This habit had become deeply ingrained in Lin Mu's life.

So, almost immediately, Su Ling, who was now on track, quickly realized the source of her motivation.

Somewhat concerned, she nudged her brother with her elbow and probed:

"Do you think she might play really well?"

"...Hmm, maybe."

"What if you lose, brother? Will you really agree to her demands?"

Su Ling reminded him, "She hasn't said what she wants yet. What if it's something really unreasonable? Would you still agree?"

"Unreasonable?"

Lu Qing shook his head lightly, dismissing the idea. "It probably won't be. Look at how innocent she seems. How unreasonable could it possibly be?"

"Really?"

Unexpectedly, his sister's next words made his hand tremble, nearly spilling the coffee in his cup—

"What if she wants you to stay here forever?"

"...Wait, hold on."

Lu Qing's expression turned serious as he put down his cup and glanced at his sister, noticing her completely serious expression...

He thought to himself: Is that what she wants, or is that what *you* want?

But he couldn't say it out loud.

Instead, he probed indirectly, "Why would you think she's like that? Do you see her as extreme?"

"Not really."

Su Ling shook her head, naturally not revealing the information she already knew about Lin Mu. Instead, she chose to use her own way to speculate on her brother's thoughts:

"Brother, you should know that I've been reading a lot of posts about equipment lately. I think that if someone really didn't understand instruments or was a weak player, they probably wouldn't even know how to store or maintain their instruments properly.

Look, there's a humidity-controlled cabinet in the back right of the stage, and inside it is a wooden guitar,"

She pointed downstairs and analyzed, "Right by the entrance on the left, there's a huge air humidifier, which is used to adjust the humidity in the room to ensure that high-end wooden instruments don't warp or deform with seasonal changes."

"!"

"She's also wiped down the piano, which is covered with a piano cloth; the drum set is positioned correctly too, clearly the work of someone who's played in a band. So, brother, your chances of winning this bet with her should be pretty low, right?"

"..."

Lu Qing was stunned.

Not by his sister's incredibly precise and detailed judgment, but by how she had managed to acquire so much information about equipment in just a month.

Generally, kids who learn instruments are already exhausted just from practicing, let alone having the energy to study wood, environment, and other instrument-related knowledge.

In their last conversation, Su Ling had already shown an excessive understanding of the "luthier" circle, which didn't match her current identity as a "newbie electric instrument enthusiast."

In other words, she had, in ways he hadn't noticed, acquired knowledge that was far beyond her level.

That's why she could tell at a glance that his bet with the little brat was a "sure-loss game."

"...Su Ling."

"Hmm?"

"Tell me, when did you learn all this?"

—「Role Reversal」.

This was an S+ level skill: [Don't answer the other person's question, but instead focus on the source of the information to pressure them. If they refuse to answer, you can also refuse; if they answer, you can gain more information.]

"Ah…?"

Sure enough, Su Ling's eye twitched, unsure of how to explain.

"I-I just used my bedtime to browse through some posts on Little Red Book. Why are you so concerned about these details?"

She was starting to feel the pressure again.

Facing her brother, she felt more and more that he was unfathomable, no longer as easy to decipher as he had been at the beginning.

"I see."

Lu Qing nodded slightly, pretending to believe her.

"You're really talented then. I'm sure you'll become an all-rounder in no time."

Finishing move: The Thirty Blows Divine Skill—「Praise to Death」.

The effect was to make his sister retreat by raising her expectations so high that she couldn't back down, forcing her to delve deeper into various fields of knowledge. This could either motivate her to push forward or make her back off—

—Either outcome would benefit him.

In fact, he had already planned to "test his sister," but he hadn't expected her to expose herself so quickly.

At her normal pace, there was no way she could have absorbed so much unconventional knowledge in the music field so recklessly.

Her rate of learning the piano was already terrifying, and now she was putting in so much effort into the surrounding aspects—it was too suspicious.

"It seems she must be hiding something from me."

Lu Qing wasn't worried about anything else, only that his sister might be gradually heading down the wrong path under her surface-level disguise, becoming more and more extreme.

As for why his sister was practicing the piano and studying music so intensely, he had a few guesses—

First, she might be trying to achieve some goal, one she couldn't tell him about. Generally, this would be closely related to him, or she might even be targeting him directly...

How could he not be concerned?

Second, she might have been influenced by some external stimulus, something or someone outside that had pushed her to strive so hard. This was similar to "going off the rails," and as her older brother, if he didn't figure out the reason, he wouldn't be doing his job.

So, this situation was equally urgent.

Third, and this was his initial guess—his sister had an "inner drive."

This inner drive is something newly formed, as she had never been exposed to music before, let alone shared the same obsession with it as he did.

Therefore, combining this with the first point, Lu Qing had reason to suspect:

Su Ling seemed to have tied her "inner drive" to something else.

And this possibility was extremely high—

It was constantly expanding, pushing her forward, making it impossible for her to retreat, and forcing her to reach the finish line or some milestone at the fastest speed possible. Otherwise, she would fall into immense failure and pain, tormenting herself and potentially worsening her condition.

No matter the reason, it was a serious situation.

"It's urgent," Lu Qing thought to himself as he looked at his sister's anxious expression.

"Anyway, when I get back tonight, I'll study her further, right?"

……

……