Chapter 15: The Obsessive Musician
Lin Tian believed he wasn’t a person with particularly low emotional intelligence.
But sometimes, Gan Yan Yu really made him feel like he was trying to read hieroglyphs.
Isn’t it said that a woman’s heart is a mystery?
Especially a girl like Gan Yan Yu, who seemed so sharp from the moment they met.
So, Lin Tian’s strategy was pretty straightforward.
Just drag it out!
In a way, this little speech was Lin Tian’s heartfelt confession.
As long as you stay alive, anything goes.
However, when Gan Yan Yu heard Lin Tian’s words, she suddenly froze.
Her eyes went blank, but her cheeks turned a rosy shade.
Like a scene pulled straight from an anime, the beautiful girl’s pupils quivered ever so slightly.
It was hard for anyone to tell if she was blushing in embarrassment or if it was just plain awkwardness.
“What are you talking about?”
Gan Yan Yu turned her face away, her voice softened.
Lin Tian quickly realized:
His previous statement might come off a bit ambiguous.
Doesn’t it imply that as long as you’re around, anything tastes good?
Whoa!
What a cheesy line?!
Lin Tian hurriedly clarified, “What I meant was, I usually eat alone after work, but having someone with me tonight makes me really happy.”
He wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to explain anymore—it just felt weirder by the second.
But then, when he noticed Gan Yan Yu’s expression gradually relaxing, he knew that at least his earlier statement had some effect.
Suddenly, a screen appeared before him.
【SAN Value: 18↑】
【Health Status: Poor → Fair】
Feeling a bit better?
Lin Tian felt a little relieved.
Though that number was still pretty low, it at least proved his efforts weren’t in vain.
With a bit more effort, he might just find a new breakthrough.
“Alright.”
Gan Yan Yu put on a serious face and adjusted her expression.
Even though she thought Lin Tian’s sudden line was a bit odd, she considered that there was no way Lin Tian would ever say something with “that kind” of meaning.
That only made his words appear more sincere.
With that thought, the girl’s mood settled down.
“How about this?”
Lin Tian suggested suddenly,
“Why don’t you treat me to dessert?”
“Dessert?” Gan Yan Yu’s eyes lit up.
“Yeah, if that’s not enough, we can always get mung bean cake.”
Earlier, while strolling downstairs, Lin Tian had noticed how she glanced at the menu outside a dessert shop three times.
Some things are just too hard to hide.
She might be good at concealing her secrets, but…
“Sure.”
This time, Gan Yan Yu was quick to respond.
They quickly shifted gears to the dessert shop.
Bright lights, a fresh and airy decor.
They both settled into a cozy spot.
Gan Yan Yu ordered two cups of pudding: one mango-flavored, the other strawberry-flavored.
Lin Tian got himself a watermelon slushie.
He absolutely loved the feeling of scooping out high mountains of watermelon slush, like digging into someone’s ancestral grave—very relieving!
Watermelon juice dripped down like the ghastly runoff from an exhumed grave.
This remark was directed at Xu Yong.
It was Lin Tian’s birthday, and Xu Yong had promised him a big meal, but instead dragged him to get this slushie.
Right then, Lin Tian asked Xu Yong, “Does this slush look like your family grave mixed with bl**d?”
Though, surprisingly enough, Lin Tian grew to actually love the taste!
Gan Yan Yu held her pudding cup delicately, as if it were a sacred lotus.
She took a spoon, gently scooping some up and popping it into her mouth.
The smooth texture, the icy sensation, mixed with the heavenly aroma of mango.
So good!
Gan Yan Yu bit her spoon, her eyes crescent-shaped, radiating pure happiness.
It was like all the world’s troubles vanished with that delectable pudding!
This scene left Lin Tian across the table utterly slack-jawed.
For some reason, it reminded him of someone—an invincible dude—
Kusuo Saiki.
Turns out, those anime scenes of people enjoying pudding truly exist in real life!
“I remember your grandpa’s café has pudding too, right?”
Seeing Gan Yan Yu uncharacteristically cheerful, Lin Tian decided to probe a little.
“Yeah, but while grandpa makes decent coffee, his pudding just doesn’t cut it — it’s not even close to mine!”
Gan Yan Yu chewed on her spoon as if reminiscing about some sweet memory,
“Grandpa’s been quite troubled. He knows I love pudding and has tried tons of different ways, but he just can’t replicate what they serve at dessert shops. When I went to England, he said he’d make sure to whip up a pudding that satisfies me when I got back.”
“Did you ever get to eat it?”
Summoning his courage, Lin Tian asked.
“Guess.”
The girl chuckled lightly.
She then lowered her head to take the strawberry pudding and returned to her heavenly experience.
So, she’s not spilling the beans, huh?
Lin Tian felt a bit helpless.
But it wasn’t all in vain.
He unexpectedly discovered that Gan Yan Yu didn’t seem as aloof as she appeared.
She actually had a sunny side.
Maybe before everything went down, Gan Yan Yu was just a cute, playful ordinary high school girl too.
“I remember you mentioned you play classical music?”
Having gained piano skills and awakened his music library, Lin Tian wanted to chat with Gan Yan Yu about this topic.
Starting with music might just make her more receptive.
“Yeah.”
“What’s the difference between classical music and regular music? Or is it just that any old music gets labeled ‘classical music’?”
“Big difference.”
When the topic shifted to music, Gan Yan Yu suddenly set her pudding down.
Though she didn’t get why Lin Tian was suddenly so interested, she seriously raised her finger to give him a lesson:
“Classical music is a style; it doesn’t just mean ‘old music.’”
“In cello competitions, they usually differentiate genres clearly. Besides ‘classical music,’ there’s also ‘modern music,’ ‘jazz,’ ‘pop,’ and so on.”
“However, in recent years, cello competitions have gained immense popularity with young audiences. Classical music, because it often places too much emphasis on technique and rigidity, isn’t very popular now.”
“So if you like classical music, doesn’t that put you at a disadvantage in competitions?” Lin Tian queried.
“Not really. We all venture onto this path because we love music; sharing our music with the audience on stage can’t be called a disadvantage.” As she spoke, Gan Yan Yu’s voice softened as she cast her gaze out the window.
Lin Tian understood.
If cello could be represented by League of Legends, then international competitions would be the S series.
In the S series, “modern music” and “pop music” would be the top-tier champions while “classical music” would be the underdogs.
Gan Yan Yu was a “classical music” expert, but being in a weak version made competition tough for her.
She was like someone knowing full well that strong champions existed but choosing not to practice, ending up losing in competition.
Isn’t that just UZ?
Of course, Lin Tian was just speculating.
He had never seen Gan Yan Yu’s performances and had no idea what her level was in England.
But from the girl’s words, it was clear.
Gan Yan Yu seemed to possess an obsession with classical music that few could comprehend.
“Ding-dong—”
Suddenly, Lin Tian’s phone rang.
The caller ID said Xu Yong.
What did this guy want?
“I’ll take a call.”
With that, Lin Tian stood up and stepped outside the shop.
“Lin Tian, where are you right now? Still dining with that Gan Yan Yu?”
As soon as the call connected, Xu Yong rushed out his question.
“Yeah, so what?”
“That Gan Yan Yu, when you were introducing me to her just now, I kept feeling like there was something I wanted to ask but forgot. It suddenly came back to me—
Do you happen to know why she took a leave of absence?”
“Yep, going to England for further studies.”
“That’s not right…”
At this, Xu Yong’s voice grew quieter.
“In my first year of high school, I saw her in the office when I was turning in a punishment speech. She was handling her leave of absence paperwork and a crowd had formed around her. It was ridiculously exaggerated!”
“I remember her reason for taking leave was to go abroad for medical treatment.”
(End of this chapter)
