Ding dong.
Lu Qing opened the door.
"This is your package, please sign for it."
"Got it."
He took the Jingxi Express package, glanced at the information on it, and confirmed that it was the panoramic door monitor he had purchased.
He signed for the package and watched the delivery man leave.
Lu Qing closed the door.
"Brother, who was it?"
"The delivery guy."
"What did you buy?"
"Equipment."
He said to his sister, who was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.
"Oh, oh. Brother, you really love buying equipment... the house is almost full of it."
Su Ling smiled as she applied moisturizer, casually saying something that made Lu Qing feel uneasy.
Something was off.
His sister was acting strange.
Lu Qing had a hunch.
Although he hadn't told his sister about the stalker watching them, he felt that she would probably notice when he installed the camera.
After weighing his options, he decided it would be better to bring it up himself.
"Su Ling." He said.
"Hmm?"
"Recently, things outside our house might not be so peaceful. There's a bit of trouble. If someone knocks on the door when you're home, make sure to check through the peephole first, okay?"
He instructed his sister, "If they don't look like decent people, don't open the door. Got it?"
"Huh—?"
Su Ling perked up at this.
"Brother, what's going on? Is there a thief outside?"
She didn't know about the stalker, but now that there was "new information," she immediately turned off the faucet and stopped her skincare routine halfway.
She turned to look at the living room.
Lu Qing was unpacking the package, and he hummed in acknowledgment, summarizing briefly:
"A neighbor mentioned that a strange person has been lingering around our door. I don't feel safe, so I bought this panoramic monitor and plan to install it right now."
He took out the equipment piece by piece,
"For the next month, we should observe outside before opening the door. This camera can connect via Bluetooth and be controlled with a phone. I'll sync it with yours later. We'll share the permissions, and I'll show you how to use it."
"!"
Su Ling nodded obediently, "Okay!"
But inside, she was in turmoil.
What's going on?
A thief?
That doesn't make sense.
Thieves wouldn't choose such a well-guarded community to target, would they?
The security guards here are tough—whether it's Old Wang at the main gate or Old Bi at the south gate, they're all very dedicated (except for Old Liu). Even in the monitoring room downstairs in Building C, there's Old Ge, who works 24/7, his specialty being monitoring 24 security cameras simultaneously...
Such a formidable grid defense system, how could a thief even think of breaking in?
If they're caught on camera and the evidence is reported, wouldn't they be done for immediately?
So, if it's not a thief, then who?
Wait. Lingering...?
That means they've been here many times?
A stalker?
Oh.
"Who's spying on my brother."
The girl frowned in thought.
She was a bit concerned.
"Brother said it was 'a neighbor' who provided the information."
So, the neighbor can be ruled out.
Such a thing wouldn't be a case of the thief calling out the thief, and besides, this neighbor couldn't be anyone else,
Could it be you, Bai Xing?
"This time, you did well."
Su Ling gave her a bit of approval in her mind.
It seems the little cat isn't completely useless after all.
"Then."
If it's not the little cat, then who else would have the desire to spy on my brother to the extent of stalking him?
And they're bold enough to loiter around our doorstep without fear of being caught?
Could it be...
"There's a master among them?"
Su Ling pondered.
Based on her intelligence network, the known threats so far, besides the little cat, are only that crossdressing artist.
The little cat is next door, closely watching over my brother every day, even trying to seduce him during school hours, which is unavoidable.
But everything has two sides.
Su Ling believes that the little cat's existence has both advantages and disadvantages.
She's a double-edged sword.
Due to her extreme infatuation with my brother, she can't accept the presence of other women around him.
In other words, Bai Xing can help protect my brother when he's out, preventing him from being swallowed by other women.
As for when my brother is home, that's naturally my territory.
Bai Xing's role is limited to that—whether it's working or guarding, she's just a tool for me.
"Heh... so, the stalker must be that artist, right?"
Considering that Lubia's address in her profile is "Tianhai,"
Everything fits together.
At this thought,
Su Ling felt that a mere stalker wasn't worth worrying about.
"The little cat will take care of you."
Do I even need to lift a finger?
Tsk.
She smiled.
Confidently.
Then, she walked up to Lu Qing, her eyes filled with curiosity as she watched him organize the equipment and parts.
At this moment, Lu Qing opened the packaging, took out the tools, and, following the instructions, walked to the door to find the right angle to install the camera.
This thing wasn't hard to install—just needed to be fixed above the door, aimed at the entrance and the elevator area, to record all the movements of people coming and going, ensuring the safety of their doorstep.
"Brother, how much did this cost?"
"Not expensive, a few hundred."
"Can it record videos?"
"Of course, it even has night vision, zoom, and a sleep mode. It won't trigger recording when no one is at our door, but you can also set it to record all day." He explained.
"Wow, so advanced?"
Su Ling found it more and more interesting, even liking it a lot!
She liked the thing her brother bought.
He said he bought it because he was afraid of thieves, but in reality, wasn't it to protect her that he was so eager to get it?
Otherwise, as a man living at home, would he be afraid of being harassed by a woman?
Su Ling was delighted.
"Brother, about what I mentioned yesterday..."
"Yeah, I've thought about it. I've even ordered a guitar suitable for you."
Lu Qing said, "Once it arrives, I'll find you a teacher, and you can start learning properly."
"Huh...?"
Hearing this, the girl felt warm at first, then paused.
Wait.
A teacher?
Who needs a teacher?
Who needs another teacher?
Hmm?
Brother,
You're still avoiding, aren't you?
Su Ling smiled playfully.
She was thinking a lot.
On the surface, she looked innocent and cute, her small hands behind her back, as she leaned her little head to the side, watching her brother install the camera at the door, and casually said:
"Brother, what kind of guitar did you buy for me? For beginners... a not-too-expensive one would be fine, right?"
"Yeah, it's a decent one."
"A decent one... hmm... how much did it cost?"
"Not much, a thousand or so. You can use it however you like."
Lu Qing bluffed.
"?"
Would Su Ling believe such nonsense?
But seeing her brother's stiff expression, it was clear he didn't want to reveal how much the guitar actually cost.
So, a simple deduction made it clear.
—He couldn't resist, and splurged.
"Brother."
"Hmm?"
"I don't want to learn from a teacher, though."
She continued.
"......"
Lu Qing's hands paused, and he coughed, cautiously asking: "Then, what do you want...?"
"Brother, don't you know music?"
She looked up at him, who was standing on a stool.
"No."
Lu Qing was firm.
"I'm just a music lover who likes to listen to songs, I've never practiced playing instruments."
Su Ling: "?"
"Never practiced playing instruments."
Not "never touched a musical instrument," "never played a guitar."
Alright then.
She smiled without exposing him,
Just blinked her eyes and continued to ask, "Then, brother, if I don't want to interact with outsiders, how can I learn to play the guitar well?"
"Ah..."
Lu Qing thought for a moment, unyielding, "Online classes, I guess.
I'll hire a teacher online, one-on-one, the effect is better than those small group classes."
"."
Su Ling's face darkened.
"No."
"......"
Lu Qing felt a chill down his spine.
A cold breeze.
"Uh, Su Ling?"
"I don't want to interact with strangers."
She pursed her lips, "I don't want to learn from an online teacher. No."
"......"
"No. I don't like it. I don't want to. It's not good. I don't want to."
Su Ling's mood was a bit off.
It was like the prelude to an outburst.
Lu Qing was startled,
Lu Qing had to quickly stop what he was doing, jump off the stool, and help his sister into the room, saying, "Alright, alright, we won't look for a teacher, we won't take online classes. Online classes are no good."
"Mmhmm."
Su Ling nodded,
"Online classes are no good."
Lu Qing was sweating a bit now.
He didn't understand why his sister had such a strong reaction to the idea of a teacher.
If this continued, not only would learning the guitar be a problem, but even going to school might become an issue...
He felt this approach wasn't going to work.
So, he closed the door, led his sister to the table, and comforted her, saying:
"Su Ling, just now, I didn't think it through. Learning the guitar really isn't suitable for online classes. After all, the teachers in online classes can't adjust your finger placement and posture for you, nor can they demonstrate advanced techniques up close, like a quarter-tone bend or fingerpicking sweeps."
"Brother, you seem to know a lot about this?"
Su Ling kept a straight face and asked innocently.
"Ah?"
Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat.
He thought he could still salvage the situation: "Wrong, I just picked up these things from music movies and anime. I can talk the talk, but I don't actually understand any of it."
He decided to take a roundabout approach and immediately proposed the next idea:
"Let's do this, Su Ling. You said you don't need a teacher, and I think that's fine. After all, many high-level players also teach themselves to play the guitar, and that's perfectly fine."
But my suggestion is, let's start by finding some high-quality tutorials on Bi-Zhan, the free ones, and then I'll buy you a few excellent textbooks that I think are really good, like imported reference books, such as '365 Days to Becoming a Guitar Master' or the 'BangDream Electric Guitar Beginner' series, to help you get a feel for this instrument. What do you think?"
Lu Qing's suggestions were so reasonable that they could save her years of detours.
Without a teacher, he could, with the best textbooks, help his sister quickly reach a level where she could smoothly play various pieces.
Su Ling thought about it for a moment and then nodded, agreeing to this plan.
"Okay, Brother. I'll try my best not to waste your effort and the money spent on the guitar."
There was a hidden meaning in her words.
Lu Qing felt like he was being pricked in the butt.
Clearly, in his eyes, his proposal was essentially a "test" for her.
Roughly, if she could really learn to play the electric guitar well through self-study, then he would take the next step and help her embrace the true charm of 'music'.
But if she failed at this stage—if she found it too painful on her fingers and wanted to give up, or if she didn't want to put in the time and effort despite having the best tools, or even if she didn't take care of her equipment and damaged the guitar—
In any of these scenarios,
Lu Qing would turn around and completely stop caring about her future in music.
This was Lu Qing's 'bottom line'.
Shrinking from challenges,
Having an incorrect attitude towards music,
Not cherishing one's 'life-long companion' (the guitar),
These three points were his absolute 'minefield'.
As long as Su Ling could avoid these pitfalls and reach an entry-level standard within a month (defined by Lu Qing as mastering basic techniques and being able to play BPM=80+ songs without difficulty), then he could push her forward further, buying her a full set of equipment.
—Just like what Lin Jiang had consulted about before.
A single-effect pedal matrix, a tube amplifier, professional practice monitoring headphones, and various guitar accessories—all would be arranged.
Finally, he would find her suitable teammates to let her experience the 'true charm' of electric instruments.
"Sigh."
Thinking back to his own teammates from the past,
Lu Qing's heart sank even deeper.
Nowadays, although he always worked alone on school assignments, there had been a short period when that wasn't the case.
"Forget it."
There was no need to revisit past memories. His sister just wanted to learn how to play the guitar. He had done his part, and there shouldn't be any issues.
Lu Qing's mood was a bit heavy, but fortunately, his sister didn't make any further demands.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would probably just "dip her toes" into playing the guitar after getting it.
She wouldn't delve too deeply into it.
After all, for a girl to play the electric guitar, she would first face the issue of hand pain, then the problem of tedious basic exercises, and finally, the more complex aspects of tone adjustment and equipment investment.
It was still early days.
He thought.
"Brother, with the electric guitar, can I just focus on my favorite music styles after getting the basics down?"
At this moment, Su Ling spoke up again.
Lu Qing pondered and gave his answer:
"Yeah, once you've built up your finger strength, you don't have to necessarily study styles like blues. After all, we're not in a conservatory, so there's no need to take exams or force ourselves to play 'standard pieces'. Just play what you like, mainly for fun."
At this point, he suddenly remembered that he had never asked what kind of music his sister liked.
"Su Ling."
"Hmm?"
"What kind of music do you like? I mean, after you get the basics of guitar down, what style would you want to play?"
He thought she might not understand and added, "Like pop? Or folk? Or punk? Or maybe... metal? You probably don't like metal. Anyway, do you have your own direction?"
"Yes, I do."
Su Ling smiled faintly.
"Go on."
He looked at his sister with curiosity, both hopeful and anxious.
He hoped that she would mention a more refined or aesthetically pleasing style;
He worried that, like Yang Zai, she might prefer lowbrow stuff (like MC shouting over beats) or mediocre folk (not high-quality country folk, but rather those three-chord, love-obsessed, mass-produced pop songs) or low-quality DJ mixes (not top 100 DJ electronic dance music, but rather the bass-heavy remixes played in small-time dance halls).
If her taste wasn't straightened out, then it would only be a matter of 'appreciating both the elegant and the popular'...
However—
Only to hear Su Ling speak with an incredibly confident tone, saying:
"I only want to delve into ACG."
...
...