Time flew by, and it was already the next morning.
Su Ling was dressed in sweet, girly attire, cooking steak in the kitchen. The steak was a specially ordered M5 wagyu from the Sam's Club membership store. Although Japan prefers to categorize beef quality using the A1-A5 grading system, Su Ling found the Australian classification, M1-M9, more intuitive.
The steak she had carefully selected for her brother was just the right level, with a bright red color and a delightful aroma. She had opted not to choose a higher grade above M5 because, although they were of higher quality and more expensive, their excessive fat content would result in too much oil secretion, making the taste less ideal than expected. So, Su Ling decided it wasn't necessary.
Her brother only needed enough protein intake to maintain his physique.
"I need to control my brother's nutrition to keep him in shape," Su Ling thought with a smile.
Meanwhile, her hands never stopped moving. She turned the stove to low heat and melted butter in the pan, adding rosemary. Using a spoon, she continuously drizzled the melted butter over the steak, ensuring both sides were evenly coated. Then, she sautéed mushrooms and garlic in the oil, poured in red wine sauce and other seasonings, plated the dish, and let it cool on absorbent paper.
This entire process was so skillful that even Lu Qing, who prided himself on being a great chef, would have been impressed.
The room was filled with an aroma that made one's mouth water.
【Ding Dong】
Just as Su Ling was about to serve the steak on the dining table, the doorbell rang.
"Brother?"
"Yeah, I'll get it."
In the bedroom, Lu Qing, typing at an octopus-like speed, responded. His train of thought was interrupted, and he pulled a painful expression, removing his hands from the keyboard. He stood up stiffly, looking unhappy as he walked toward the door.
For a top-tier author, being disturbed during work meant spending an additional tens of minutes to several hours to regain focus, not simply picking up where they left off, as one might when copying homework.
Click.
The door opened.
A tall, thin man in black work attire stood there, shouldering a rectangular box. After Lu Qing reached out, the man carefully handed over the package.
"Hello, sir. Headwind Express."
He said politely.
"Hmm. What is this?"
"It's a musical instrument, sir. It's insured. Please sign here."
"Oh! Alright, alright."
Hearing this, Lu Qing immediately realized this was the "holy instrument" he had ordered the night before!
He didn't expect it to arrive so quickly, just a day later.
He took the black pen, signed the form, and asked, "Is this from Guangzhou?"
"Yes, sir. Special rush delivery, by air. That's why it's fast."
The Headwind Express deliveryman was very patient and added, "You can open the box here to check if the item is damaged. If there's any issue with the delivery, you can refuse to accept it, and I'll take it back for a return."
"…Sure."
After all, it was a 30,000 RMB guitar. Checking it on the spot wasn't a bad idea.
He asked Su Ling to bring scissors and personally opened the box at the door.
No one knew.
Each snip of the scissors tugged at his heartstrings.
—TS Guitars.
Prestige.
"Midnight Limited."
2024 Edition.
High-end handmade guitar.
Sigh…
Sigh…
Of course, he wouldn't show it.
He kept a straight face, as if nothing had happened,
slowly,
unveiling the "bride's veil."
…
"What the…"
Inside the box was another box.
Because a high-quality guitar wouldn't be shipped in just a cardboard box; it would come with a dedicated case.
In the guitar sales world, guitars above a few thousand RMB come with a guitar bag (a cloth or cotton bag worth a hundred or two), while those above ten thousand might deserve a dedicated case (worth around four to five hundred, similar to a black rectangular box for a sniper rifle).
But a TS guitar comes with a top-tier case,
one that perfectly fits the guitar's shape, with precisely carved spaces, lined with thick cotton, ensuring safety and warmth,
for the "holy instrument" to rest in.
So, when Lu Qing opened the inner case—
"!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ah!!!!
He showed an unprecedented, bizarre expression.
The black gradient midnight finish, the ancient fretboard texture, the holy light shimmering from the headstock logo, the "flying bird"-like body shape, the silver, exorbitantly priced dual-coil pickups…
"Black Cat."
A black cat in the night.
"It's perfect."
"Absolutely perfect."
Just a glance,
and his body couldn't help but lean forward, his neck slightly raised, as if he had inhaled too much of something, his mouth open, trying to slowly activate his obstructed respiratory function.
This isn't good.
He was so mesmerized by its beauty that it made him uncomfortable.
Am I going to "somatize" from this?
Oh god, it's just too beautiful, too beautiful.
How can anyone withstand this?
Ah… I really want to touch its surface…
No, no, Su Ling is still here. I have to hold back.
Lu Qing did his best to maintain his fragile sanity.
"……"
At this moment, Su Ling was closely observing her brother.
Of course, the deliveryman was also confused.
"Uh, sir?"
"Are you okay?"
He couldn't understand why this customer was reacting this way to a beautiful guitar.
The guitar was insured, obviously expensive, and rare.
But was it really that intense?
This…
It's a bit scary.
"Yeah… you can go. It's fine, definitely fine."
Without needing to test the sound, Lu Qing could tell at a glance that Ryo hadn't lied to him.
This "Midnight Limited" was indeed tuned by a master and quality-checked before shipping.
From the perfect string height, he could tell,
its playability would be two levels above the soft, delicate Fender.
Thinking this, Lu Qing couldn't help but slightly bend down,
kneel on the ground, lean over,
bring his face close to the guitar's surface,
hovering above the 12th fret,
gently,
inhaling.
"Mmm…!!!"
Su Ling: "……"
"Goodbye, sir."
The Headwind Express deliveryman opened his mouth, then turned and fled.
Now, Su Ling had fully understood,
who her brother's true love really was.
She had never seen him show such a perverted expression.
Never, ever.
Even on the first day she barged into his room, even when she intentionally slid her dress strap down to her upper arm,
even when she deliberately adjusted her sitting position during meals to make him blush and heartbeat,
he remained as steady as a pine tree.
But now…
a guitar…
just…
"……"
Su Ling was troubled.
Extremely troubled.
Although she didn't want to admit it,
she had to face the fact,
she seemed to have been "defeated."
And it was a complete defeat.
A devastating defeat.
"Brother?"
She closed the door, crouched down beside him.
"Hmm? Beautiful, isn't it, Su Ling? Hmm? Isn't this Midnight Limited gorgeous?"
Lu Qing didn't even look at her, his gaze still fixed on the black-gray holy instrument in the case.
The long-lost, sick expression on his face,
the wide, almost maniacal grin,
the intense, focused gaze that saw only "her,"
immediately made Su Ling feel that her brother was a bit scary.
"Has he… already reached this level of illness?"
Su Ling felt utterly stumped.
What should she do?
Her brother's condition seemed more severe than she had anticipated…
"Yeah, it's beautiful."
She steeled herself inwardly but could only go along with him for now, trying to stabilize his emotions.
Clearly,
a switch in Lu Qing's mind had been triggered by this sudden "holy instrument."
He was on the verge of "unlocking," dangerously close to the edge.
Su Ling knew she had "gone too far" this time.
She had only wanted to pull her brother out of his numb, spiritless state,
but instead,
he, captivated by the "holy instrument,"
seemed to be the true demon…
"Looks like."
"I'll have to put in 1200% effort to master this guitar."
Su Ling thought with grievance.
……
……
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
