Star Guardian Neeko

When Sona was still in swaddling clothes, she was abandoned at the doorstep of an orphanage in Ionia.

Therefore, she had no memory of her birth parents.

People found the infant Sona lying quietly on a guqin inside an exquisite, mysterious zither case.

From a young age, she was a particularly well-behaved child, always silent and content.

The caregivers who looked after her were initially convinced she would be adopted very quickly, but soon everyone realized the truth—Sona was born mute.

Sona lived in the orphanage until she grew up, watching adopters come and go from beside her in desperate silence.

During this time, the caregivers sold the peculiar guqin that accompanied her to an avid collector, hoping to establish a trust fund for her.

However, the guqin would inexplicably return to Sona's side, or mysteriously appear outside the house.

It was then that Lady Lesthara heard about the strange occurrences involving the guqin and Sona.

She immediately set off for Ionia.

When the caregivers showed her the guqin, she stood up without a word, searched the entire orphanage, and finally stopped outside Sona's room.

Lady Lesthara adopted Sona without hesitation and paid a hefty sum for the instrument.

Under Lady Lesthara's patient tutelage, Sona discovered a deep resonance within herself with the guqin.

Lady Lesthara named the guqin "Aihua."

In Sona's hands, Aihua could produce exquisite melodies that captivated all who listened.

In just a few months, Sona and her mysterious guqin "Aihua" became famous, with every performance sold out.

It was as if she played with her heart as the strings, without sheet music or effort, able to stir the emotions of her audience with the music.

"That's how it is. Although Sona isn't my biological daughter, I love her more than anything."

Lady Lesthara finished recounting Sona's story, sighing with emotion.

She had already drunk several glasses of red wine.

"Let Sona show you Aihua; you'll be captivated by her and it. Go on, Sona, take them upstairs. I need to entertain other guests, you see."

Lady Lesthara was truly thoughtful. Just as Jia Ruo was about to shamelessly ask Sona to play a song, Lady Lesthara provided the perfect opening.

"Not at all, Lady Lesthara. You look no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight."

Jia Ruo, having received a favor, decided to play along.

"This way, please."

The maid behind Sona made a gesture of invitation.

Sona adjusted her sapphire blue long dress, bowed slightly to Lady Lesthara, and then led Jia Ruo and Neeko up the spiral staircase to the second floor.

"This is Miss's practice room. I'll be right outside the door. Please call me if you need anything."

Entering an elegant room, the maid withdrew.

The soundproofing is quite good. After coming in, the noise from the lobby downstairs completely disappeared, Jia Ruo thought.

Sona gracefully walked to a shelf and took out a delicate box that looked quite old.

"This isn't the music box where you were discovered back then, is it?"

Sona nodded slightly.

"Wow, for some reason, it gives me a sense of Destiny."

Jia Ruo marveled softly.

Sona gently opened the music box. There was no scene of auspicious light and auspicious energy scattering as Jia Ruo had expected.

It was just a zither carved with exquisite patterns, lying quietly within. This was the Virtuoso's instrument, Aihua.

Jia Ruo couldn't identify the type of instrument, but according to what Lady Lesthara had said, this instrument was not only valuable but also had strange events happen upon it. Aihua must be an extraordinary artifact.

Perhaps it had already bonded with Sona, Jia Ruo grumbled inwardly.

Sona took Aihua out and sat down on a chair.

Then, Sona directly placed Aihua on her slender legs.

Jia Ruo's eyes fixed on the slender fingers on the strings. He felt that the moment Sona pressed down on the strings, the entire room fell silent.

In a daze, Sona's performance began.

Jia Ruo, who didn't understand music well, was also captivated.

Just as the exclamation of amazement and praise, "Holy crap," was about to escape his lips, Jia Ruo finally remembered that he had received nine years of compulsory education.

He coughed twice, swallowing the vulgar words. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he borrowed a line of poetry from Bai Juyi:

"The strings clatter and chirp, a complex melody, like pearls big and small falling on a jade plate. Beautiful, truly beautiful."

Sona seemed to hear nothing, and the music became even more undulating.

Suddenly, Neeko gently tugged at Jia Ruo's sleeve.

"Jia Ruo, why do I feel a fluctuation of magic elements in Miss Sona's music?"

Jia Ruo also sensed the unnaturalness of the magic elements.

Time Warp activated silently, granting him transcendent senses.

The music in his ears stretched out, and within it, Jia Ruo felt Sona connect with the surrounding magic elements through Aihua.

As expected, Sona was also someone who had mastered magical abilities.

This answer was not unexpected for Jia Ruo. He also knew that Sona was hiding her talent.

That's right, Sona's music had earned her the favor of Demacia's high society.

However, others in Demacia suspected that her spell-like melodies were actually casting magic—and magic was a great taboo in Demacia.

Although Sona always remained silent to outsiders, her closest companion somehow understood her completely.

It always merged with her.

The harmonies strummed by Aihua could not only soothe wounded allies but also strike down enemies who underestimated it.

When no one was around, Sona practiced this art, and her mastery of this talent continued to improve.

After a long while, Sona finished her song.

"Clap clap clap..."

Jia Ruo and Neeko applauded sincerely.

"Miss Sona, you are indeed as skilled in music as the rumors say. However... you can use magic, right?" Jia Ruo said softly.

Sona froze.

"But please rest assured, I know Demacia's attitude towards magic. I will not use this to blackmail you; on the contrary, we will keep this secret."

Jia Ruo paused.

"In fact, if you encounter any trouble or difficulties you can't handle, you can come find me at the Hall of Tranquility."

Jia Ruo didn't know what Sona was thinking; it was a bit difficult for the speechless Sona to communicate.

Jia Ruo scratched his head and heard a cheerful melody.

He understood; it was Sona expressing her gratitude.

Knock knock knock.

The door was knocked.

"Miss, it's very late now, you should rest."

"Yes, we should go back too. I had a very pleasant evening today. Please thank Lady Lesthara for me."

Jia Ruo led Neeko out.

Seeing the guests leaving one after another, he didn't bother Lady Lesthara and also declined the butler's offer to see him off.

Because there were no electrical appliances, the nights in Placidium were very quiet, with only a few candlelight lamps lit on the streets.

Jia Ruo and Neeko strolled among them, wanting to walk home.

"Jia Ruo, do you particularly like the big-chested girls here?"

Neeko gestured at her chest.

"Uh, why do you suddenly say that?"

"I saw you staring at Miss Sona all evening. Neeko, Neeko can do it too."

As she spoke, Neeko's chest began to swell...

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant."

Jia Ruo hastily stopped Neeko's teasing.

"Then tell me, Neeko and Miss Sona, who do you prefer?"

"Then just read my mind and you'll know."

Jia Ruo suddenly grabbed one of Neeko's small hands.

He calmly let down his mental defenses, allowing Neeko to read his Shuoma.

"Hehe, you still prefer Neeko... No, you really have lewd thoughts about Miss Sona!"

Neeko's fist lightly tapped Jia Ruo's chest, not hurting him.

After a bout of playful banter.

"Jia Ruo, this long dress is so troublesome. I can't even stretch out my tail..."

"Then I'll carry you back. Come on."

Jia Ruo squatted down, his back facing Neeko.

After a while, he saw no movement from Neeko.

"What's wrong, Neeko...?"

Jia Ruo turned his head and was stunned.

Through her shapeshifting, Neeko was no longer wearing her goose-yellow long dress.

Instead, she wore a sailor uniform and short skirt with light green patterns, white thigh-high stockings on her slender legs, and her hair had turned orange-pink.

This was... Neeko in her Star Guardian skin.

Seeing Jia Ruo dumbfounded, Neeko felt a little smug and jumped directly onto Jia Ruo's back.

"Jia Ruo, do you like me like this?"

Jia Ruo didn't speak, but Neeko heard the sound of his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Then Neeko will stay like this from now on."