"I have had things you never possessed, and I have grasped opportunities you never held."
That day, Bai Xing had yet to realize that the situation she had painstakingly built would begin to crumble the moment she went to the hospital to accompany her grandmother.
...
Saturday afternoon, 1 PM.
Lu Qing, accompanied by Su Ling, arrived punctually once again at the doorstep of the little devil's coffee shop.
"Brother, you didn't take me out for lunch today."
"Ah, really?"
"Yeah, last time you said you were afraid she might poison us, so you made sure to eat lunch before coming here for afternoon tea."
At the entrance of "Twilight Coffee," Su Ling, watching her brother carrying a laptop and a large bag, reminded him in a soft voice.
"Oh, that's true, but as you can see, Lin Mu doesn't have any ill intentions. So today, I thought I'd let you try the pasta she makes. How about that?"
"..."
Seeing her brother's meticulously planned schedule, Su Ling sighed inwardly but nodded obediently.
"Alright. I'll follow your lead, brother."
"Good."
Lu Qing felt at ease.
He was comfortable with the restraint his sister had shown recently.
Ever since he caught Su Ling's strange behavior late at night a few days ago, he had noticed that she no longer wandered out of the house or quietly took his things during the night.
The "key" was still there, and so were the little metal boxes.
She had become quiet.
Quietly practicing the piano, quietly studying tutorials, quietly tidying up the house, and quietly watching him during dinner.
Lu Qing didn't know why his sister had become so reserved.
But ever since she joined the "work group," Bai Xing and Lin Mu had also stopped talking much. The once lively group chat had turned lifeless, as if everyone had become wary.
Focusing on the present.
Today was the agreed-upon day.
The day he, having lost a bet, had to visit the coffee shop as "Ah Hai," order at least four cups of coffee, and drink them all by himself.
After the last bet, Lin Mu's demand was, "I want you to come here every week and drink at least four cups of coffee!"
Though it sounded outrageous, like something said in anger, Lu Qing felt that he should at least fulfill her request for the first time.
Four cups of coffee seemed daunting, but there were ways to handle it.
One Americano, one latte, one cappuccino, and one mocha—no espresso, no cold brew—reducing the overall caffeine content by mixing in milk and cocoa to avoid sending his heart racing uncontrollably.
Cunning Lu Qing knew how to protect himself.
Even in a bet, he had a backup plan.
"Let's go."
He pushed the door open.
—Ding-ding-ding~
The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out pleasantly as the door opened.
"Welcome... Ah, Ah Hai! Su Ling!"
"Good afternoon, little devil."
Lu Qing led his sister inside.
He noticed that Lin Mu looked completely different from last time—
Her hair was down, and she was wearing an elegant, fitted medieval noble-style dress.
Her naturally beautiful face was also made up, albeit with a very unprofessional application of extremely expensive foundation, leaving Lu Qing and Su Ling both stunned.
Wow.
Her originally pretty face now looked unnaturally pale, mismatched with her neck... It was both amusing and pitiful.
Su Ling's first thought was, 【Lin Mu is serious now. She's fully invested.】
Taking a light sniff, the air in the coffee shop carried a refreshing scent.
It was the fragrance of a candle—
"English Pear & Freesia."
Glancing around, Su Ling noticed that the dress Lin Mu was wearing looked familiar.
A genuine Lolita dress—
"Potion Classroom" in black and green.
"..."
【Why is she suddenly wearing a dress worth nearly ten thousand yuan?】
Su Ling didn't say anything, continuing to observe quietly.
On the stage, the cream-colored Fender bass was gone.
In its place was a new instrument.
A handcrafted electric bass that seemed to radiate a holy light just by its appearance.
Though Su Ling didn't recognize the specific model, she could tell from her memory of "enemy videos" that it was Lin Mu's prized possession—the "Big AZ" that her brother had always wanted but could never afford.
It was also one of "her" weapons, something he had longed for but never obtained.
In Su Ling's intelligence network, there was a recorded conversation.
A few years ago, her brother had asked Ryo a question:
【Ryo, how much does the AtelierZ-M265 electric bass cost?】
Ryo: 【Ah, the milky white Big AZ? That's out of production now. The limited editions available on the market are skyrocketing in price. It used to cost around 20,000 yuan, but now even a new one might cost over 30,000 yuan and still be hard to find.】
Lu Qing: 【Really? A friend of mine has that bass, and she played it in front of me once... The sound was completely different from any other bass I've heard. It was solid, rich, and unforgettable.】
Ryo: 【Haha, 'unforgettable,' huh? You have a good ear, Qing. After all, the Big AZ... was made by the same group of people who created the 'Noble Bird,' another legendary instrument.】
Lu Qing: 【What did you say?】
Ryo: 【Yeah, you must have heard about it, right? It's a very low-key brand from Japan, a small but passionate company that handcrafts instruments. Their employees are deeply passionate about music and have an almost obsessive attention to detail...
Though I'm just one of their authorized dealers in the country, I've spoken with the master craftsmen during several events. They told me that their bass series, the AtelierZ, was a masterpiece... Just by putting their heart into it, they created something world-class. These kinds of secrets aren't known to outsiders.】
Lu Qing: 【This...】
Ryo: 【No need to be surprised. They spare no expense in sourcing the best wood from around the world, even some ultra-rare types you can't order from other manufacturers... For a 30,000 yuan bass, the materials alone account for a huge portion of the cost, which is why it's so highly regarded by masters... By the way, Qing, why don't you get one?】...
Clearly.
In Su Ling's eyes, the brand Ryo mentioned was the same company that had produced the "Black Cat."
And that company had once been the manufacturer of Lin Mu's sacred instrument, the Big AZ bass.
Based on her brother's response, it was clear that "she" had also used the same bass.
Or perhaps, the same model but in a different color, an earlier or more original version of the AtelierZ.
"In other words..."
In that moment.
Su Ling suddenly realized—
【Was my brother recommending that Lin Mu buy this bass as a way to remember "her," who once existed in his heart?】
【But he said he had moved on. Could it be that Lin Mu is just a substitute to fill the void in his heart...?】
【No, no.】
【Based on the timeline, Lin Mu bought the bass before my brother removed "her" from his heart.】
【So, so...】
"Was my brother treating Lin Mu with a sense of guilt, planning to quietly push her forward in the shadows all along?"
Thinking this, the young girl felt a chill run down her spine.
...
...