Envy Towards Lin Mu

"Turning Over Rocks, Morning Light Falls on You" was the first song Lin Mu planned to use to warm up.

"Qing Sang, let me tell you, that 'Sea King' I mentioned last time shamelessly came to my shop again to pick a fight, and he even had the nerve to look down on me! After seeing my equipment, he said I wasn’t worthy of owning them! I nearly died laughing. He clearly has no idea how skilled I really am!"

Before stepping on stage, Lin Mu glanced at the pair of siblings upstairs who were "all ears," while proudly connecting cables and adjusting the sound system. She sent a message to Yinci P on her phone, sharing today's rant.

Soon, Yinci P's reply appeared in the chat—

"Is that so? Then you better put on a good show and not let outsiders think you're an easy target. Let me tell you, many amateurs love to judge others' professionalism based on their own limited understanding, and they often belittle others for no reason just to show off their own superiority. It's part of human nature, a flaw in most people."

"! You're absolutely right! Exactly! I think the Sea King is exactly that kind of person! He knows nothing but still acts like he’s in charge. It’s so annoying. Once I win the bet, I’ll make him come to my shop every week and buy coffee. He’ll have to drink at least four cups each time! Otherwise, I won’t let him off the hook!"

[Yinci P: "No need to go that far…"]

…

"Hmph~"

Lin Mu was thrilled with the reply, feeling as if she had been blessed with divine power!

She glanced up again at the Sea King, who was busy on his phone, and after confirming that all her equipment was set up, she picked up her creamy white Fender bass from the A-frame stand. With a challenging tone, she shouted upward:

"Shall we begin the competition?"

"Sure."

Lu Qing took a sip of his coffee, observing Lin Mu's expression, and immediately understood.

"She’s using a Fender worth a few thousand instead of the big AZ worth thirty thousand because she thinks outsiders aren’t worthy of hearing the better one."

He knew it all too well.

After all, it was his own teaching—use the right instrument for the right audience. If it’s just a gig for money, even a $200 beginner guitar and plastic effects pedals are fine.

In her eyes, he was the "villain," so it made perfect sense for her to use the Fender bass.

Because,

【It was her cheapest bass.】

……

Lu Qing took his sister’s hand and headed downstairs.

"Huh? Do I have to go down too?" Su Ling asked, surprised.

"Of course. While the view might be better upstairs, the sound quality isn’t as good. Being right in front of the stage gives you a more direct and solid audio experience, especially with her surround sound system. If we’re facing the tube amplifier directly, we’ll even feel a wall of sound pushing toward us during her performance. It’s incredibly satisfying."

Lu Qing accidentally slipped into a level of technical talk that was beyond amateur, but fortunately, he spoke softly enough that the "brat" tuning her guitar didn’t hear him.

Su Ling nodded, half-understanding, and followed her brother downstairs without asking further questions.

After all, her principle was simple: whatever her brother told her to do, she’d just go along with it. Any unnecessary questions were just distractions. She’d save her curiosity for later and focus on handling the situation at hand.

This was her lifelong strategy, the secret to her "constant victories."

The principle was to make those around her feel 「comfortable」, creating an impression of being 「considerate」.

And it had proven to be highly effective.

"Ready?"

Once the two had settled on a couch downstairs, Lin Mu adjusted her bass strap, moved the high stool aside, and stood confidently under the spotlight. With a tone that said, "I’m definitely going to win," she asked:

"Alright, what’s the first song?" Lu Qing asked curiously.

"Turning Over Rocks."

Their rule was 「best of three」. As Lu Qing put it, "One song isn’t enough to show your real skill. You need to play three songs, and if you can perfectly perform two of them, then you might have something. Otherwise, just relying on one signature piece doesn’t count as true talent."

His seemingly amateurish words were laced with professional cunning.

Lin Mu found it odd, but with her limited experience, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly was strange.

Still, she thought the Sea King’s reasoning wasn’t entirely without merit, so she agreed. She decided to play three songs: a "warm-up piece," a "show-off piece," and an "original composition," aiming to strike at the Sea King from three different angles.

"Alright, I’ve heard this one before. It’s by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, right?"

"? It’s from Bocchi the Rock."

"? The original is by Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Bocchi the Rock did a rearrangement."

"? Really? How do you know that? Hold on, let me check."

Lu Qing’s words threw Lin Mu off balance.

Generally, most people don’t care about who originally composed a song—they just care if it sounds good. Some fans even mistake cover artists for the original creators and go as far as attacking the actual composers, saying things like, "They’re not as good as XXX’s version," just to flaunt their superiority.

This kind of behavior is all too common among 「amateurs」, and it’s also what gives unlicensed cover artists the confidence to act boldly. Many original creators who pour their hearts into their work suffer greatly, constantly facing online harassment and attacks, leading to countless tragedies.

As a hardcore ACG musician, Lu Qing had long moved beyond the stage of "just listening to the surface." He had even surpassed the level of simply appreciating the arrangement and instrumentation typical of most professionals.

When he listened to a song, if he found anything praiseworthy in the composition, arrangement, mixing, or vocal delivery, and if something caught his attention, he would immediately 「trace it back to its source」—

That is, he would track down the original creator and listen to their entire discography from the very first song of their first album, following their entire creative journey.

For him, this was the only way to truly understand a creator’s 「creative process」, to know what they went through at certain points in their life, and what emotions and mindset drove them to create such masterpieces.

At the same time, it was also his way of showing support for 「original works」.

As everyone knows, people who value 「original works」 tend to have high moral standards.

Lu Qing had premium memberships on three major music platforms, and for songs he particularly liked, he would even purchase the rights to individual tracks. If he "really loved" something, he wouldn’t hesitate to splurge on everything related to it—including physical albums, merchandise (like books and clothing), and even the same instruments used by the musician or master in question.

This was the kind of fanatical support he offered, and it was also his 「attitude」 toward the things he loved.

—「Respect for originality」.

…

Sure enough.

After checking Baidu, Lin Mu discovered that the Sea King was actually correct. "Turning Over Rocks" was indeed originally by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, not Bocchi the Rock.

However, Bocchi the Rock had clearly obtained official authorization, as they were able to rearrange and release the song as an EP single and sell it commercially.

Without authorization, this would have been an act of infringement and would not have been allowed.

"Ah… I didn’t expect you to know so much."

She was somewhat impressed by him.

She thought to herself, this guy seems so full of himself, yet he’s so meticulous when it comes to the origins of a work?

It doesn’t match his outwardly boastful and dismissive attitude at all!

Lin Mu clearly remembered what Qing Sang had told her—"Truly skilled musicians are usually humble. Few are arrogant, most keep their brilliance hidden. Many masters are kind and patient because they’ve gone deep into their field. Once you go deep, you realize how small you are and develop a sense of reverence, understanding that there’s always someone better."

—【Height determines perspective, and cultivation refines the mind.】

Unexpectedly, Lu Qing’s response immediately dispelled her doubts: "Oh, I just like nitpicking over trivial things. I was just trying to mess with you, nothing special."

"You… you…"

Damn it!

This guy, he really can’t stay cool for more than three seconds.

Got it.

He’s just trying to mess with my head, make me mess up.

Haha, wishful thinking.

Although what he just said was correct, would I really be affected by such a minor oversight?

Ridiculous.

Lin Mu huffed and insisted:

"I don't care, I'm going to play the lonely version of the reverse for you. After all, that's what I've been practicing, so you'll have to listen to this one. Anyway, I won't mess it up. If I get a full combo, I'll score a point, and if I score another point in the remaining two pieces, you lose! How about that?"

Somehow, in the course of their interaction, the tone of the loli had shifted from "scolding" to "self-reproach," and then from "self-doubt" to "laced with longing."

This was no longer just a question—it was a plea for his approval.

Su Ling, standing to the side, saw it most clearly and felt a sense of foreboding.

"Could it be that she doesn't realize she's being led by the nose by her brother?"

Su Ling thought that Lin Mu's state of mind was completely consumed.

Even if she hadn't noticed, the outcome was already inevitable—

She would fall into her brother's trap, propelled forward by a force within the atmosphere he had meticulously crafted, driven to a pivotal moment that could be described as a "transformation." There was no need to consider whether there was fog ahead, nor to glance to the left or right.

[Is this her brother's goal?]

[To make her charge forward unknowingly, without hesitation.]

[To secretly encourage her to keep moving in the right direction.]

[Her brother only needs to stay in the shadows to pull off this entire operation?]

Su Ling was deeply unsettled by the thought.

With a barely perceptible movement, she glanced at Lu Qing's expression—

It was the perfect look of someone provoking an argument, with a flawlessly executed smirk of disdain and mockery, the slight curve at the corner of his lips. Everything about it proved that her brother had the potential of an award-winning actor.

But...

But.

[Why can't you pour more of that love, more and more, into me?]

[Now, it's me who's trying everything to reawaken your past, to help you rediscover the meaning of life.]

[Brother, I need it too.]

[That kind of love, I need it too.]

Su Ling thought with a heavy heart.

……

……