Music practice room.
The air was filled with a uniquely girlish sense of ease and relaxation.
As Naiya manipulated the guitar with her magic and strummed the final chord of the song, the lingering essence of youth scattered throughout the practice room.
Tunzuo looked at the witches still immersed in the music, and a relaxed smile couldn’t help but curl at the corner of her mouth.
It seemed that everyone really liked the song she had chosen.
Before Antuxi transformed Tunzuo into a witch, she had naively believed that the ground beneath her feet was the whole world.
The lonely girl yearned to step out of the black-and-white shadows and touch the world under the sunlight.
So she picked up the guitar—
It was both her protective coloring and her bridge to communicate with the world, a vessel for self-expression.
Clumsy as she was, she could only sing loudly.
But as long as she held the guitar, even if she clenched her fist and punched at the sky only to hit nothing, even if her insignificant body was nothing before the blue planet, she could still strum with all her might, leaving her own mark on this planet that had rotated for billions of years.
After that, the Guitar Hero was born.
A girl with extreme social anxiety picked up the guitar—
Youth, passion, salvation—
Even the most ordinary, loneliest soul could unleash astonishing energy.
Tunzuo looked up at the halo cast by the chandelier on the ceiling, and the past drifted like smoke as the light rippled.
“Guitar, Loneliness, and Blue Planet” was the song Tunzuo listened to most often in high school, and it was the only song she could sing.
However…
She hadn’t listened to it in a long time—
So long that she had almost forgotten it.
In those years when she was crushed by test papers, rankings, and endless competition, Tunzuo would use her Walkman every late night, washing her numb nerves with that vibrant guitar sound.
The past Tunzuo had once been like an incurable fool, hoping that when she was lonely and forgotten by the world, a few sun-like extroverts would suddenly barge into her life and drag her out of the shadows in a “forceful” way, lighting up her rotting existence.
But unfortunately, reality always teaches lessons in the coldest way.
Glory always belongs to a small minority.
Shanhe Four Provinces, ten thousand people scrambling for a single log bridge; a hundred boats competing, only a few succeed.
In the bustling crowd, everyone barely has time for themselves, guarding their pitiful grades and empty futures with all their might.
Who has the extra energy and emotion to warm others?
It’d be good if they didn’t go crazy.
In those three years like a pressure cooker, everyone was giving their all for that final push.
Tunzuo herself hadn’t achieved the spirit contained in “Guitar, Loneliness, and Blue Planet.”
She hadn’t achieved any of it.
What Tunzuo did was just muddle through everything arranged for her, drifting into college without any change, stepping into society, becoming a corporate drone, and then, when she couldn’t hold on anymore, choosing the most shameful way to escape.
As the memories flashed through her mind, the smile in Tunzuo’s eyes faded slightly, and a very soft sigh escaped her throat.
But that sigh dissipated quickly, as if she were just a bystander watching an irrelevant matter.
Tunzuo shook her head vigorously, throwing those stale, rotten old memories out of her mind.
Every path in life has its own Bridge of Helplessness.
Once you’ve crossed to the other side, don’t look back.
The past is gone; all karma has nothing to do with the cleansed person.
For Tunzuo, the existence once called “Jiyu” had died in that damp, moldy rental room.
Standing here now was the Ghost Witch named “Tunzuo,” the daughter of Chief Witch Antuxi, and the lover of Gold Family heiress Olivia.
Having made peace with the past, Tunzuo raised her head and swept her gaze over the witches standing before her.
Sally was holding a guitar, hopping and skipping like a child who had gotten her favorite toy, humming the melody just played.
Huli was holding a bass, her soft, cute face full of pure joy, the redness at the roots of her ears betraying her excitement.
Hai Lanyue was also holding a guitar, lowering her head shyly and quietly, as if being able to play on stage with everyone was already her greatest achievement.
And beside the electronic keyboard, that golden figure in Tunzuo’s heart was meticulously organizing sheet music, dazzlingly bright, making the witch unable to look away.
All the things she had lacked in the past had come to her one by one after arriving in Dunyala.
Family, friendship, and…
Romance.
Everything made Tunzuo feel very satisfied.
However, if she could use the present to make up for some past regrets, that would be wonderful too.
Having sorted out these thoughts, Tunzuo’s eyes sharpened.
She reached back and tied her long hair into a high ponytail with a hair tie, raised both hands above her head, and clapped them together firmly.
A crisp applause echoed through the music practice room.
Olivia and the other witches all turned to look at Tunzuo.
Tunzuo took a deep breath, a wild smile spreading across her face, and shouted loudly:
“Alright, girls! Since everyone’s satisfied, then the song we’ll perform at the academy festival is decided!”
“Next—get moving! Practice hard, and don’t let Teacher Sherry look down on us!”
“Whoo—!”
The young witches’ cheers resounded throughout the music practice room, almost lifting the roof.
The smile on Tunzuo’s face grew even richer.
Damn!
Although I’m nearly thirty years old, a twenty-nine-year-old girl is still a girl!
The expiration date hasn’t passed yet!
I’m going to go crazy for youth too!
But that said, dreams and reality still had some distance.
Tunzuo, Huli, and Hai Lanyue—
The three witches—
Had just started their instrument journey.
Their techniques and experience were still rough and needed more practice.
They were far from ready for a formal rehearsal.
However, what Tunzuo didn’t notice was that Naiya, who had been hanging on her face the whole time, hadn’t spoken a word after the song ended.
The eerie smile that should have been eternally fixed on the pale mask now revealed a hint of indescribable sadness under the light.
As a familiar, Naiya could clearly sense the waves of emotion that had surged through Tunzuo just now.
A yearning for warmth, a fear of loss, and a deep attachment to all the witches around her.
Tunzuo’s change made Naiya feel an unprecedented absurdity.
Only now did she realize how sentimental, how fragile, and how…
Dependent the past ignorant young master was on that yellow lizard named Olivia.
This was bad!
Very bad!
“Maybe I… shouldn’t have done that?”
Naiya, who never admitted mistakes, rarely showed a trace of hesitation.
Her transparent tentacles curled slightly in the void.
“…Now it seems that yellow lizard is, besides Fox Sister, the young master’s firmest emotional anchor. What if…”
“Aiya, maybe I shouldn’t break up the young master and that yellow lizard…”
But this wavering lasted only a moment before Naiya ruthlessly snuffed it out.
She waved her tentacles, driving those soft thoughts out of her mind.
Naiya told herself she should choose the most foolproof plan.
“Go away, go away. No, I absolutely can’t be soft-hearted!”
Tunzuo’s feelings were all built on the foundation of Tunzuo possessing humanity.
If Tunzuo’s humanity dissipated and she fell into chaos, then everything above would be worthless.
In order for Tunzuo to keep her humanity and walk in this world, to let Tunzuo successfully reach the end, some sacrifices were necessary.
If the young master wanted to hate, then let the young master hate me.
It’s not like I’m a witch that anyone likes anyway.
I’ve long been used to things like this…
Having reaffirmed her plan, the smile on the pale mask once again became eerie.
But after being exposed to Tunzuo’s emotions, enlightened, Naiya no longer argued with Olivia.
The previous sarcasm and veiled attacks all vanished like smoke.
Naiya retracted her spikes, stayed quietly on Tunzuo’s face, and began earnestly teaching Tunzuo drumming techniques using her extensive music knowledge.
“Young master, relax your wrists. You’re too stiff. Gripping the drumsticks like that not only tires you out but also easily loses pitch.”
Naiya whispered softly in Tunzuo’s ear, occasionally using her tentacles to correct Tunzuo’s posture.
Seeing Naiya acting so normal, although Olivia was full of suspicion and wary of what tricks Naiya might be up to, the competitive spirit aroused in her still made her give her full attention to teaching.
“Come on, little ghost. Let’s go over the rhythm again with the sheet music.”
Olivia pressed the keys, using the practical demonstration to help Tunzuo familiarize herself with the score.
Thus, Tunzuo had a rare harmonious and efficient practice night.
Without arguments and interruptions, the learning efficiency skyrocketed, getting twice the result with half the effort.
By the end, Tunzuo could already use the drum set to tap out the rhythm of a song.
As the hands on the clock turned, the evening’s practice time quickly passed.
After finishing practice, Tunzuo stretched lazily, packed up briefly, and pushed open the door to walk out of the practice room.
The evening cold wind blew on Tunzuo’s face, sobering her up a bit.
Just as Tunzuo was about to leave, she ran into Samotush and Anne, who had just finished their teacher band practice.
Samotush greeted Tunzuo casually with a warm smile on her face.
“Yo, little… ahem, Tunzuo! What a coincidence!”
“Tired from practice? Want to grab a late-night snack with us? I know a barbecue place nearby that’s pretty good—big portions and affordable. Want to give it a try? Anne and I are treating.”
Tunzuo turned to look out the window.
Seeing it was already late, her instinct was to refuse.
After all, she wasn’t used to sudden social invitations.
“Don’t refuse so quickly, young master. This is a great opportunity to get closer!”
Before Tunzuo could speak, Naiya’s voice suddenly rang in her ear, clearly coaxing.
“Young master, you know that in witch society, interpersonal relationships are very important. Connections can save a lot of trouble. Always working behind closed doors isn’t a good thing.”
Hearing Naiya say this, Tunzuo thought about it and felt there was some truth.
First, she really did need more channels to understand Dunyala.
Second, Samotush and Anne were both Olivia’s friends, so it was necessary to get to know them.
So Tunzuo nodded and accepted Samotush’s invitation.
“Sure, then I’ll be troubling you.”
“Hey, it’s nothing.”
Samotush grinned, looking very easygoing.
But what Tunzuo didn’t know was that Naiya’s suggestion to accept Samotush’s invitation wasn’t really for her sake in building connections.
Last night, when helping Tunzuo copy the sheet music, Naiya had deliberately read Tunzuo’s memories of spending time with Olivia.
While browsing, Naiya keenly found, from some of Olivia’s irrational behaviors, a breakthrough point to drive a wedge between Tunzuo and Olivia’s relationship.
But this breakthrough point needed a suitable fuse.
Well, Samotush’s invitation came at just the right time.
Seeing Samotush invite Tunzuo, Olivia, who was following beside Tunzuo, also wanted to go.
But before she could speak, Samotush and Anne blocked her from both sides.
“Ahem, Olivia, this event didn’t invite you, you know.”
“Yes, well… it’s a little secret among us shadow witches.”
Anne opened her folding fan, smiling meaningfully.
“That’s right. Non-involved witches, please step aside.”
Samotush chimed in, her dog tail wagging happily behind her.
“We have some private matters to discuss alone with Tunzuo.”
“Private matters? What private matters could you two have with Little Ghost?”
Olivia frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Anne’s reasoning.
She looked warily between Anne and Samotush.
“Tell me honestly, what exactly do you two want to do?”
Tunzuo looked at Samotush and Anne’s evasive demeanor, then thought back to their previous behavior, and roughly had an idea.
Samotush and Anne most likely wanted to talk to her about joining a faction.
Since it would be like poaching someone right in front of her, it definitely wasn’t suitable to bring Olivia along.
So Tunzuo lightly patted Olivia on the back, soothing her:
“Don’t worry, perverted dragon. It’s just a meal. Nothing big. I’ll be back soon.”
Olivia wanted to say something more, but seeing the unyielding expression on Tunzuo’s face, she could only reluctantly give in.
“But…”
When parting, Olivia looked at Tunzuo with lingering reluctance, then shot a fierce glare at Samotush and Anne, the meddlers, before turning and leaving.
Watching Olivia’s figure gradually disappear into the darkness, Tunzuo turned around and spoke to Samotush and Anne.
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