Chapter 121: Just Pretend I’m by Your Side (4K Extra Update) (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
After finishing his performance, Lin Tian finally realized what his issue was.
He had been overly focused on practicing separately.
Because Lin Tian had a simple mind.
The two of them couldn’t just keep doing double-queues forever.
Just like this time, Lin Tian had to take an art exam, while Gan Yan Yu had to step onto the stage for the Star Cup alone.
If he thought he couldn’t succeed without her, that was just terrifying.
But now Lin Tian had discovered something.
So what?
Is there really anything wrong with not being apart?
They were partners; aren’t partners meant to be stronger together?
This “separation” was just a physical distance, not a separation of the spirit!
Lin Tian had been chasing after the wrong direction all along.
What he should emphasize wasn’t “Without this cello, I can still wipe out the enemies!”
What he should say is—
“No matter where I go, the moment my piano plays, I believe that cello is always by my side.”
That was the true meaning of being partners.
It was like this,
Lin Tian thought he wanted to practice solo to learn techniques from the young women. He thought what would bring him joy was their exquisite craftsmanship.
But turns out, that wasn’t it at all.
Silly boy, what brings you joy isn’t their skills.
It’s the person herself!
So, no matter how much Lin Tian tried to imitate and learn, as long as he used his own hands, he could never find that feeling.
What to do?
Well, of course, when practicing solo,
He should repeatedly imagine her face in his mind!
Picture her sitting right beside him, gently stroking him, and believe that she is right there.
That way, his solos would show their most powerful effects.
“…”
Gan Yan Yu seemed to grasp it partially, mumbling,
“Just pretend you’re by my side?”
“Yeah.”
Lin Tian said, “Just like earlier, Teacher Gan, you didn’t play poorly just because I wasn’t there. You just lacked confidence.”
Despite Lin Tian telling Gan Yan Yu again and again that she could do it and just needed more confidence,
He knew that this was a long process.
It needed the young woman to savor it herself.
“I’ll work hard.”
Gan Yan Yu nodded.
She was just as confused.
Pretending “Lin Tian” was right beside her didn’t really connect with reality.
Being there is one thing, but not being there is another.
How could she make it feel like he was there?
During the competition, she wouldn’t even have an accompaniment.
No piano sound—was she supposed to just imagine a piano accompaniment?
“Is this what they call a ghostly presence in music?”
“That’s not how that term is used!”
Lin Tian tapped her on the head with his finger.
She shielded her head and whimpered.
“Only dead people say that.”
Thinking like that wasn’t so bad.
Once she got through life and became a ghost,
She could play alongside her, running to her side and performing together.
Don’t you say, Gan Yan Yu really could communicate directly with the spirits of classical music, maybe she had some spirit-talking abilities.
Who knows, maybe she’d actually see Lin Tian.
At that moment, she’d turn to Lin Tian and say, “Oh, the great composer spirit who has passed! Got any new pieces recently?”
Lin Tian would just freeze.
“In any case, let’s both do our best! If we can do a duet, we should practice together as much as we can!”
Lin Tian said.
Earlier, to help Gan Yan Yu completely break away from her dependency on him,
They deliberately hadn’t done any more duets.
As a result, Lin Tian ended up feeling a bit socially isolated during this last week.
It was really annoying.
Fortunately, with more than ten days left before the art exam and Star Cup,
It wasn’t too late to correct the course of practice.
Lin Tian exported the video he had just filmed.
Then, he skillfully titled it.
【“E Minor Cello Concerto” Cello & Piano】
Since the author goes by “Moonlight,” the official title should be 【Moonlight’s “E Minor Cello Concerto”】.
【#Classical#Cello#Piano#Performance#Soprano#LongLegs#BeautifulWomen#Tearjerker#SadBoys#LongSticksGoingInAndOut】
This piece didn’t have any catchy bits, so there wasn’t much to write about.
Moreover, the style was quite serious and restrained, so there was no need to force in some lively comments.
It’s worth noting,
This particular piece was incredibly special among all of Lin Tian’s releases so far.
To put it nicely:
This piece expressed the author’s deep emotions and complex inner world, potentially attracting young people keen on exploring emotional nuances and inner complexities.
To be blunt: What on earth is this mess?
Listening to it once, twice, even three times, and it still might be hard to grasp the emotion.
Even a master like Gan Yan Yu took a long time to practice it without a sense of security.
Lin Tian was well aware of his fans’ demographics.
After all, this piece didn’t even have a modern “catchy melody” that people could cling onto.
So he figured the video’s performance data wouldn’t be great either.
But it didn’t matter; this piece was originally custom-made by Lin Tian for Gan Yan Yu.
As long as the judges and audience at the cup competition understood it, that was enough.
Speaking of which,
While releasing the video, Lin Tian noticed several music media accounts he followed had updated.
These were accounts he had started following after the last concert.
Recently, it seemed like they were all hyping up the “Star Cup.”
Lin Tian clicked in.
【Qingzhou’s largest unofficial music event, the Star Cup, is about to grandly open! Many contenders for the Parrot Zither Cup are participating!】
【Star Cup: This month’s most popular female cellist, Gan Yan Yu, has confirmed her participation!】
【Star Cup is approaching, Gan Yan Yu is set to participate—who’s your pick for TO1?】
【.】
Lin Tian glanced down the list.
Out of ten news items, four had titles mentioning Gan Yan Yu.
“Teacher Gan, people are really excited about you!”
“Don’t say that.”
Just reading a few headlines had Gan Yan Yu covering her head and squatting on the sofa, burying her face in her knees.
The immersion was strong.
She was already getting nervous!
“Is this the price of fame?”
Lin Tian felt a bit ashamed.
After the last concert, thanks to an explosion of traffic,
Gan Yan Yu had completely taken off in the Qingzhou music scene.
Especially after playing Moonlight and the Cat piece, many netizens even started calling her “Cat!”
Some people even began writing little essays, trying to find connections between Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, and Moonlight and the Cat.
Initially, Lin Tian was a bit anxious.
But quickly, since Gan Yan Yu had only gained fame in Qingzhou, not outside the province or in the mainstream music scene, those wanting to dig up dirt on them couldn’t find decent evidence, and the hype gradually faded.
Still, the fact that Gan Yan Yu was hot in Qingzhou was a reality.
Lin Tian took another glance.
The positioning of this “Star Cup” was a bit awkward.
If you say it’s important, it’s not an official event. Participating in the Dragon Zither Cup next year ranks lower in consideration.
But if you say it’s not important, there seem to be quite a few musicians taking part.
Many media outlets viewed this “Star Cup” as a prelude to the “Parrot Zither Cup.”
They’d predict which musicians might stand out in the Parrot Zither Cup based on the performance at the Star Cup.
After all, the opening time of the Star Cup was less than a month before the preliminary round of the Parrot Zither Cup.
Lin Tian didn’t quite get it; he hadn’t participated in music competitions before.
Who knows if musicians would even show up at the Star Cup to hide their talents, leading to a big reveal at the Parrot Zither Cup next year.
After all, the value of the two events was quite different.
Lin Tian had especially looked at the list for the Star Cup, confirming he didn’t see that foreign girl’s name.
Since last time, she had come to help him and Gan Yan Yu clean up without being asked, she hadn’t bothered them again.
Maybe she was saving up for something big.
Then Lin Tian decided to check Weibo, scrolling through the comments on these music media accounts.
Sure enough, he found quite a few comments related to Gan Yan Yu.
【Hey, will Sister Gan Yan Yu be playing Moonlight again this time? I really think she suits it well!】
【Yeah, pretty face, and plays the cello well. My ideal Cat should look like this!】
【How do you think Cat is so cute, while Gan Yan Yu is clearly more of the cold, regal type? I can’t even imagine Gan Yan Yu smiling; what are you guys picturing?】
【By the way, I didn’t see Teacher Lin Tian performing this time. Aren’t they partners?】
【.】
Lin Tian scrolled through for a while; this topic still had plenty of heat.
Several people who usually chased after Korean boy bands and idol dramas
Suddenly started showing interest in a big cello competition happening somewhere!
It felt like they were having a split personality.
But looking closer at their comments, they were all just talking about the goddess and her beauty.
He couldn’t get why they were fans of Gan Yan Yu’s music or just her looks.
But it seemed likely that, once again, many people would flood the competition venue because of Gan Yan Yu.
Bringing in a lot of new spectators.
Lin Tian thought maybe those media outlets were aware of this too.
Since Gan Yan Yu attracted traffic, they’d push for more promotion.
But in reality, many impressive teachers were participating in this Star Cup.
“.”
After reading the comments, Lin Tian glanced at Gan Yan Yu, who was curled up on the sofa.
She had buried her head in her knees but was still cautiously scrolling through her phone.
“What are you looking at?”
Lin Tian leaned in, and she immediately panicked and tucked her phone away.
“Nothing, nothing.”
“You’re looking at comments, right?”
“.”
“How can you still look at them like this?”
Lin Tian was speechless.
He thought Gan Yan Yu never looked at comments online.
After all, this girl was too sensitive; if she saw something about herself at night, she’d probably get nervous and that might affect her performance.
Knowing her mindset wasn’t great, why did she keep looking at the comments?
“What’s up? Did you see any bad comments against you?”
“No… but there are some not-so-nice comments.”
“What?”
Gan Yan Yu placed her legs down from the sofa and said seriously,
“They say I only have such high popularity because I’m pretty. There are many more excellent cellists, yet no one knows them; it’s unfair, and I think they’re right.”
“Right about what?”
Lin Tian replied, frowning, “Your looks are your own skill; people liking you is their freedom.”
“But I really have received attention that doesn’t match my talent…”
“Teacher Gan, I think you’re putting too much weight on popularity.”
Lin Tian said,
“The internet is like that. It’s all about entertainment. Whether people like you for your music or your looks is irrelevant; the essence is they’re fulfilling their own desires.”
“Do you think those who fan the big musicians are truly in awe of their talent? Wrong! Many people just want to fulfill themselves, and think it’s cool to like someone talented.”
“.”
Gan Yan Yu kept her head down. “Alright… Maybe I’m taking it too seriously.”
“Didn’t expect our Teacher Gan to care about what others think?” Lin Tian chuckled.
“How could anyone not care?”
“True.”
This much, Lin Tian could somewhat understand.
After all, everyone has two sides.
People like Gan Yan Yu, who are particularly good at putting themselves in others’ shoes and thinking of others’ feelings, are inherently sensitive.
Regardless of whether the outcomes of their sensitivity are right or wrong, that comes down to intelligence, not kindness.
People like that are likely to care more about how others view them.
Likewise,
Those who don’t care about how others see them are often somewhat blunt about others’ thoughts.
But Gan Yan Yu’s situation probably came from her learning to go online.
Lin Tian had rarely seen her dwell on this before.
“How about this? I’ll make a small account online and be your cheerleader.”
Lin Tian suggested, “I’ll become your little fan, cheering for you!”
“Absolutely not!”
Gan Yan Yu protested, her face flushed.
That weekend,
Inside Xingye Music Academy,
Piano sounds echoed in the classroom, flowing down the hall.
As soon as Lin Tian put his hands down, nearby, Gao Zhen Yang’s applause erupted.
“Clap, clap, clap!”
“Awesome, Teacher Lin Tian!”
“You’ve improved so much in just a few days!”
Gao Zhen Yang exclaimed,
“At this rate, I think you can beat 99% of the exam takers!”
“What about the remaining 1%?”
“Just luck. After all, the actual exam is a lot different from practice.”
“OK.”
Lin Tian sat in the chair, stretched lazily.
Feels good!
It was like solving a math problem.
From not understanding the piano, then finding new methods.
Realizing halfway through he took a wrong turn and starting over.
Now he was getting better and better, earning Gao Zhen Yang’s recognition.
This whole process of continuous thinking, adjusting methods, upgrading piano skills in the middle, and finally succeeding at the problem felt amazing!
“However, Teacher Lin Tian, I still have to say, the art exam isn’t that simple. There are still many unpredictable factors.”
Such as the random sight-reading segment.
Picking a piece Lin Tian had never seen before and performing it live.
Lin Tian wasn’t familiar with pieces from this world, so the chance of blundering wasn’t completely off the table.
Gao Zhen Yang was right.
Still needed practice!
“By the way… How’s Teacher Gan Yan Yu preparing for the Star Cup? I haven’t seen her around for a long while.”
Gao Zhen Yang asked.
For a while, Lin Tian had been preparing for the art exam training alone at Gao Zhen Yang’s place, and Gan Yan Yu hadn’t been around. Gao Zhen Yang had to check in on her.
“As for her… she should be fine,” Lin Tian said vaguely.
From what Lin Tian knew about her, this girl was likely still pondering how she could “imagine Lin Tian beside her while performing.”
Lin Tian shared his and Gan Yan Yu’s method with Gao Zhen Yang.
The usually upright college professor was taken aback,
“Can it be done this way?”
In Gao Zhen Yang’s eyes, this approach felt no different from mysticism.
It completely broke his long-standing understanding of music learning!
Maybe this was how genius musicians think.
“Well, if that’s the case, Teacher Lin Tian,” Gao Zhen Yang said,
“Maybe you should give her something small to carry during the competition. Just touching it will remind her of you—just like in TV shows.”
(End of Chapter)
