### Chapter 125: The Fandom of Gan Yan Yu
In no time,
**【Famed composer Tong Tai gives his professional review on the Violin Concerto in E minor!】**
was trending on Weibo!
While many people were still bopping their heads to the latest songs by Moonlight and Cat on Douyin and Bilibili, and chatting about it in various group chats—
Upon hearing that a big-shot had given a professional critique on Weibo, they all rushed to take a peek!
This crazy influx of web traffic hit Tong Tai’s account like a tidal wave!
As outsiders kept pouring in,
For a moment,
Aside from the Violin Concerto in E minor,
Curiosity soared as people frantically searched for “Who is Tong Tai?” and “What are Tong Tai’s masterpieces?”
When everyone discovered that this old gentleman named Tong Tai was indeed a well-respected composer,
A sense of unprecedented satisfaction washed over every Moonlight fan.
Since Moonlight and Cat burst onto the scene,
This was the first public endorsement by an insider of their work!
Up until now, even if Moonlight and Cat were incredibly popular, fans lacked official recognition. They felt the duo was incredible, but could not produce any concrete evidence.
But here it was for the first time:
A legit endorsement from someone in the music industry!
It felt like your favorite streamer suddenly got invited to play in a pro tournament and won a world championship.
That’s some serious leveling up!
The more they learned about Tong Tai—his long list of accomplishments, historical honors—they couldn’t help grinning ear to ear.
This must mean the old man is impressive, which means Moonlight is awesome.
And if Moonlight is awesome, then so are we!
The feeling couldn’t be better.
—
**[Black subzero speaks!! Now, I dare anyone to say Moonlight’s songs are just internet music!]**
**[Respect to Master Tong! He has eyes! Anybody who doesn’t agree with his endorsement is asking for trouble!]**
**[Oh, he’d previously recommended the cellist who played Moonlight’s and Cat’s works, talk about sharp eyesight!]**
**[So long as you praise Moonlight and Cat, we’ll recognize you as the top composer in China!]**
**[. ]**
Meanwhile,
After posting on Weibo, Tong Tai received a call from his star student that evening.
“Master, how come you feel compelled to critique famous players online? Now you’re even getting into TikTok stuff?”
In a concerned voice, the student cautiously lectured:
“Be careful! You never know if those Moonlight pieces are plagiarisms or if there’ll be controversy later. You don’t need to jump around so much!”
Though the student was too polite to mention “destroying one’s reputation,” he knew musicians, especially esteemed ones, took pride in their reputations.
This might explain why despite Moonlight and Cat’s online success, the music community remained relatively silent.
Internet rumors can be unpredictable.
Especially when dealing with two faceless “students.”
If they were signed artists, it would be easier to handle. But these two only released their videos online.
God knows what kind of bombshells could go off later.
Tong Tai’s brave stance was unprecedented for someone of his stature.
His student was flabbergasted.
“Why do you mix yourself in? Do they pay you for it?”
Tong Tai erupted with frustration on the phone:
“Just because someone composes good music, why’s it wrong to praise them?”
“Such beautiful music should be recognized. Don’t they deserve appreciation? It’s absurd!”
“This is exactly where experienced cultural workers like us should step in.”
Tong Tai wasn’t budging.
That night, two other peers called him, urging him to delete the post due to its immense impact.
With over 11k likes, thousands of comments, and a trending topic, it became viral.
Moonlight and Cat fans were now showing their appreciation to Tong Tai in return.
As long as you appreciate our Moonlight, you’re practically family.
Within a day, this previously obscure composer gained an extra 60k followers.
It was a win-win: fans loved him, and he found new fame.
Later on,
Preparing dinner for Gan Yan Yu, Lin Tian picked up his phone again and checked the backend.
Holy smokes! The video already had 920k likes.
Had it really doubled in half a day?
Lin Tian was blown away.
When he scrolled through the comment section, the tone shifted dramatically.
**[Moonlight’s composition is like tea; at first, it seems ambiguous and even bitter, but after repeated sips, you taste the rich flavors.]**
**[I looped it several times and was truly impressed! You have to slowly savor everything!]**
**[Just let me tell you! This song requires depth and experience to understand. The average person wouldn’t get it!]**
**[Absolutely right! I’m a very chilled guy most of the time, but if provoked, I can unleash real darkness. I wish for peace, but some force people to reveal their darker side…]**
In a short span,
The Violin Concerto thread morphed into a huge storytelling session.
Fans enthusiastically shared their experiences and interpreted the piece, finding personal connections within the music.
Lin Tian wondered:
**[These stories aren’t quite accurate, right? Who cares as long as they’re engaging!]**
To his shock, people were genuinely appreciating the music itself.
Candy fans quietened down significantly.
He puzzled:
Why did everyone open their eyes so quickly?
After some research, he stumbled upon Tong Tai’s Weibo.
Wasn’t this the mentor who praised Gan Yan Yu before?
He’s a composer from Qingjiang Province!
This guy, no relation, must be destiny!
Lin Tian started following this old sage.
Future use might pop up!
Enraptured by his device, a glance revealed it was already six o’clock.
Dang!
Gan Yan Yu’s almost back.
Putting his phone down, Lin Tian focused on cooking.
Next dish was sweet-and-sour ribs.
Too much sugary food isn’t good, especially while Gan Yan Yu’s recovering.
Still, today being her big competition day,
A little indulgence couldn’t hurt.
Finishing the last few dishes,
Lin Tian laid the table.
Feeling incredibly accomplished,
He imagined himself waiting for her, like a loyal wife.
Of course, if she brought good news…
“Oh yeah, sweets!”
Gan Yan Yu specifically asked for afters.
Opening his app,
Tea, pudding, slush—order in!
Otherwise, she’d feel out of place eating alone.
**[“Ding-dong!”]**
Doorbell rang.
Back already?
Lin Tian opened the door.
Gan Yan Yu stood outside with her cello. Makeup intact, long gown elegant, yet tired.
**[“.” ]**
She lowered her eyes, silently changed shoes, entered the house.
“What happened?”
Seeing her dispirited look, he feared the worst,
Even worse than after a bad defeat in a gaming match.
Gan Yan Yu walked to the living room, glimpsed the food, plopped on the sofa, placed her cello.
“Did you lose? Did you have a hard time?”
Lin Tian asked, unable to help himself.
“No way. The classical music test was random. You shouldn’t have lost!”
“That’s foul play! Must be insider stuff!”
She sat next to him,
Grasped his arm.
Head buried in his elbow.
“Didn’t pass prelims.”
“Inaccuracies, nervousness…”
“How’s that possible?”
Her flawless playing made errors seem impossible.
“Did you wear the pendant?”
“Yes.”
She lifted her chest, fumbled the charm.
“I’m useless. Today, you included, I probably wouldn’t have handled it.”
“What?”
“See for yourself.”
She showed him photos from social media.
Fans gushed over her entry.
**[Spotting Gan Yan Yu! Wow, she’s stunning!]**
**[Absolutely! Just as beautiful as legend!]**
**[Sniff, she glanced at me!]**
**[“”. ]**
Photos and videos flooded Weibo, captions hyping her arrival.
Some people even went wild in the videos, screaming like at a concert.
“Aren’t these scenes like a star concert?”
“Yeah, remember Riri. Audience held your name signs! Ever seen anything like it?”
Gan Yan Yu appeared terrified, narrating vividly, retelling a nightmare,
“I witnessed the first time it happened.”
“.”
Lin Tian understood.
Introducing concert-style elements to a competition overwhelmed her.
How could she remain calm seeing her audience cheering?
She might tremble just staring at their adoring eyes.
Looks like her sudden fame and large fan base weren’t entirely positive.
“Why does no one intervene?”
“They do, but barely—after all, it’s a folk competition. Not as strict as official events. That’s also why it’s great for the event to have someone like Gan Yan Yu pulling in new audiences.”
Actually, it’s common for famous musicians to gain young followers.
But most fans from the music circle are more disciplined, knowing what’s appropriate in concerts.
Gan Yan Yu’s fans were a mixed bag.
Due to her crossing over from social media.
Many Twitter followers might have never shown interest in classical music, and probably never finished a single piece.
But drawn by her looks and title of ‘genius female cellist’, they flocked in.
Many couldn’t even enjoy classical music, yet they were enthralled by watching competitions.
They watched, thinking,
“Sis is the prettiest!”
End of story.
Though harsh, these ‘fan-followers’ were harder to manage than the dedicated music fans.
At best, they spent like crazy, providing emotional value.
But Gan Yan Yu didn’t care for fandom harvest.
“If finals go the same as today,”
Thinking about it made Gan Yan Yu shudder.
Lin Tian pondered numerous ways to ease pressure for the big day,
Except for her overzealous fan base!
Such a large audience might not rile her up as an idol concert,
But since it’s a competition, her biggest match yet.
“We need to report to the organizers, talk to high-profile Gao Zhen Yang perhaps.”
“Enough talk. Let’s eat.”
—
4k update coming at midnight.
Recommended: Honey Teacher is amazing.
—
