On the way home, the journey was silent.
Su Ling was preoccupied with her thoughts, while Lu Qing felt a stirring in his heart.
The taxi driver, glancing occasionally in the rearview mirror, could sense the subtle tension between the siblings.
He cleared his throat but dared not speak.
A buzzing sound broke the silence.
Lu Qing picked up his vibrating phone and saw a message from Lin-chan:
—"Qing, I want to ask you something. Do you think... there are people in this world who seem carefree and flirtatious, yet excel in the path of music, completely opposite to the image of a master you once described...?"
"..."
Of course.
She had already noticed the almost imperceptible flaw in the video.
—"Perhaps," he replied ambiguously.
—"There are countless types of music in the world, and outstanding performers come in all forms.
The so-called 'perfect performance,' based on perfect pitch, rhythm, and technique, is itself a false premise.
After all, 'emotion' is abstract, and everyone interprets it differently, applying varying degrees of intensity."
Strictly speaking, Lin Mu wasn't wrong.
She was just too shy to fully express her feelings in front of an "unfamiliar" audience, unable to reveal the true emotions hidden in her heart.
Was this a technical issue?
Not at all.
But to teach her the lesson of "always remaining humble and composed, never letting success go to her head," he had no choice but to nitpick the one minor imperfection in her otherwise flawless performance, forcing her to reflect on it herself.
Lu Qing knew all too well that, in a way, Lin Mu's skill as a performer was already on par with his own.
She was a steadfast technical virtuoso, at the peak of her abilities and still improving;
he, on the other hand, was a seasoned theorist whose golden days were behind him.
The glory and hard work of the past, after years of abandoning music, had left him almost "deprived of his skills,"
with only the "inner strength" accumulated over time still circulating within him, quietly waiting for its master to reclaim the path of mastery.
Thus, the question of how to continue guiding the young girl became one that Lu Qing had to carefully consider.
"Brother, what are you thinking about?"
Suddenly, Su Ling interrupted his thoughts.
"Nothing. Just wondering if I should bring my laptop next time we go for coffee. Today, I was so captivated by her performance that I didn't get any work done."
He forced a lighthearted smile.
"..."
Su Ling could see right through his attempt to change the subject. Such a small trick was almost laughable in her eyes.
She steered the conversation back:
"So, you're definitely coming next week, right?"
"Mm," Lu Qing nodded.
"Since I need to write and work on my book anyway, I can do it at home or outside. So, I plan to come once a week, or maybe every other week. After all, I lost the bet, and she gave us so many gifts... it's almost too much to carry."
He pointed to an oversized gift bag beside him, filled with items that must have cost at least 300 yuan—various loaves of bread, baked cakes, premium ice cream, and even an ice pack to keep it all fresh.
Looking at it all, he was at a loss for words.
"..."
Su Ling was equally dumbfounded by Lin Mu's genuine yet gullible nature.
"That girl isn't bad, she's just not very honest," she said, offering her own assessment of Lin Mu to her brother.
"I think the fact that she gave us so much delicious food means she truly considers you a 'guest.'
At the same time, I don't think she has any other 'guests.' In fact, I suspect she might close up shop right after you leave and not reopen until the following Sunday when you return."
"...You really seem to understand her."
Lu Qing was surprised by Su Ling's insight.
Based on his own understanding of Lin Mu, his sister's prediction was about 90% accurate—it was almost uncanny.
"So, do you want to come with me again next week?" he asked.
"Of course. Wherever you go, I'll go. I enjoy going out with you."
She said this with a completely straight face.
"..."
Her obvious concern, which she hadn't shown earlier in the shop, was already a feat of restraint.
Now that they were alone, she could speak more freely, without worrying about embarrassing her brother.
Lu Qing could sense that Su Ling's subtlety and depth were far beyond what most people could imitate.
In terms of "composure," "strategic thinking," "planning," "deduction," "appearance," or "attributes," she was a pure SSS-level, a true all-rounder.
"Su Ling, I feel like there's been some distance between us lately. Are you hiding something from me?"
Lu Qing didn't back down, probing her directly.
"How could that be? You took me to appreciate a senior's performance and to relax. Of course, I'm very happy."
Su Ling was gradually being drawn out of her shell, and under the influence of her lingering resentment, she accidentally let a bit of her true feelings slip.
"!"
Lu Qing chuckled.
"Is that so? Well, did you gain anything from today?"
He didn't press her or ask about the deeper meaning behind her mention of a "senior."
Instead, he continued to probe her true thoughts at his own pace, following his own logic.
"..."
The driver up front was sweating bullets. Although he couldn't understand what they were saying, he could feel the layers of meaning behind every word exchanged by the pair in the backseat.
—This was terrifying.
The driver didn't dare speak or ask questions, focusing solely on the road ahead.
Su Ling smiled sweetly, her signature perfect smile, and nodded at her brother. "Yes, I feel like I'm completely out of my depth compared to Lin Mu."
"How so?"
"Her level of skill in performance doesn't seem possible for someone her age.
If I had to guess, she must have her own 'original compositions.' And these 'original compositions' aren't something she'd easily share with others.
So, I was thinking... when will I be able to write a song like that—
A song poured with emotion, one that can convey feelings and truly move someone."
"I see."
Lu Qing felt a swell of pride as he looked at his sister's expression, filled with both longing and hesitation.
"You can do it," he encouraged.
"Really?"
"Yes, you definitely can."
His expression was full of certainty.
...
The car moved forward into the night.
Tiny stars dotted the sky, casting a dreamlike urban beauty under the moonlight.
The night scenery outside the windows rushed past, much like the day's journey—
it felt as though they had witnessed something significant, yet they couldn't quite recall what it was.
As they approached their destination, the car stopped at the entrance of their neighborhood.
Just as Lu Qing was about to open the car door, Su Ling seized the moment when his guard was down—
and asked:
"Brother, have you ever written an 'original composition'?"
...
...