182. Chapter 181 – Are You Sneaking in Hidden Messages in the Piece? (Additional Update) (Vote for Me)
— Chapter 181 – Are You Sneaking in Hidden Messages in the Piece? (Additional Update) (Vote for Me)
The night before.
New Year’s Eve.
At Lin Tian’s place, both Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu received messages from backstage.
They then learned that:
Qingjiang Province’s Music Association officially announced the eight candidates advancing to the semi-finals of the Parrot Zither Cup today.
They are:
Group A: [Bai Xi], [Lou Yitong], [Yang Weize], [Zhu Ya].
Group B: [Christine Nanaly], [Yun Qiu Qiu], [Mao Junfeng], [Gan Yan Yu].
These eight players will battle it out on the stage during the semi-finals.
Finally, the top scorer in Group A and the top scorer in Group B will advance to the finals, determining the champion of this year’s Parrot Zither Cup, and representing Qingjiang Province in the upcoming Dragon Zither Cup.
“This competition system is brutal,” Lin Tian couldn’t help but say.
“From 260 participants, to only leaving 8 for the semi-finals, and 2 for the finals.”
Although Lin Tian didn’t understand musical competitions much, he had never heard of one where only two people could make it to the final round.
This was just too outrageous.
They were competing in cello performances, not duking it out with cellos like they were swords in some crazy fantasy show. Who would d*e in a music contest?
Such a direct elimination process was pretty rare in music competitions.
It was supposed to be about scoring, not fighting one-on-one.
“These rules were recently changed to follow international standards, to cater to young audiences, and mimic athletic competitions,” Gan Yan Yu explained.
“Well, that does sound competitive,” Lin Tian said understandingly.
Now, he got it.
Compare it to other competitions.
Why aren’t music competitions more popular among young folks?
Because there’s no ‘competition’ or ‘adversity.’
Not everyone can appreciate the nuances of cello music anyway.
But at least the winner vs loser aspect is easy to grasp!
The idea that “there are no losers in music” began to fade into the background.
Splitting them into separate groups and setting up a finals showdown between top scorers.
Perfect for the officials to drum up buzz and idolize musicians.
Lin Tian figured it wasn’t enough.
He suggested adding trash-talking segments or post-game handshakes.
“Winners should humiliate the losers!” he declared.
Despite the slightly altered rules, the fundamental structure stayed the same.
Categorizing them this way,
In the semi-finals, Gan Yan Yu wouldn’t face off against her old rival Bai Xi.
Instead, she would duel Yun Qiu Qiu, Christine Nanaly, and Mao Junfeng.
“Nanaly…” Lin Tian was truly surprised. This gal actually made it to the semis.
Initially, when media ranked her third, he found it amusing.
Even after being bumped up to second in the initial rankings, he still thought she was capitalizing on being Gan Yan Yu’s nemesis.
But now, with the final list out,
Lin Tian finally took her seriously.
She hadn’t gotten any attention but kept winning.
Coincidentally, the semi-finals start in two days, so Lin Tian needs to hone his performance a bit more.
“Should we invite Nanaly over for practice?” he asked.
“What?!” Gan Yan Yu was shocked. “But do you think she’ll come?”
“You can ask such questions?” Lin Tian stared in fear at Gan Yan Yu, unsure if she genuinely didn’t know or was pretending. Nanaly was the textbook example of an “aristocratic tsundere” who wouldn’t even appear in shoujo manga.
“Wait and see,” Lin Tian replied, then sent a message via phone.
Sure enough, Nanaly arrived the next day right on time.
Seeing Gan Yan Yu, Nanaly, contrary to her usual demeanor, glanced aside and softly said,
“Congratulations…you made it to the semi-finals. I thought that annoying old man’s comments would disqualify you.”
Her mood turned heated as she continued.
“Foul old man, he’s always suspect in my eyes! His eyes are creepy, I feel invaded while playing. I bet he doesn’t understand music, he only gets to act senior because of his age.”
“Not quite,” Lin Tian quickly interjected, feeling awkward.
While criticizing Tuoba Jianhui made sense, outright insults seemed a bit too much.
Indeed, Nanaly remained as snarky as ever, only this time aiming her barbs at someone who mattered to Lin Tian.
Considering Nanaly’s British roots, cursing at Chinese musicians like Tuoba Jianhui bothered her not at all. Unlike Gan Yan Yu.
Tuoba Jianhui was her idol.
After her rant, despite what happened on stage, Gan Yan Yu hasn’t uttered a harsh word about him to Lin Tian.
Not that she ever did.
“What do you mean, ‘Not quite’?” Nanaly pouted, ready to keep going.
But then, thinking fast, she added, “I’m not here to back you up; it’s honestly that I dislike that old geezer too. And if you hadn’t advanced, I wouldn’t have been able to win against you in person. So congratulations, don’t get any wrong ideas!”
Gan Yan Yu blankly stared at her, tilting her head.
No words were spoken but it felt like everything was said.
Lin Tian headed to the piano, while Gan Yan Yu sat down on the sofa. They tuned their instruments and prepared themselves.
Then, Nanaly perched herself on the café counter, her legs swinging freely. She eagerly rubbed her hands together.
“Come on! Let’s do this!”
With both their music starting, the café filled with their melodic duet.
“The Ode to Love,” Lin Tian chose the piece.
Wanting to build on the successful tactic from “One Step Away” where he used “likes” to overpower Gan Yan Yu’s piano skills.
“The Ode to Love” perfectly conveyed affection and was well-suited.
Technically, he shouldn’t be overwhelming her in the actual competition as he’d be accompanying her.
But his bold experiment in the video sh**t paid off.
Doing the same thing correctly meant providing controlled guidance through the same dimension of music so that Lin Tian could lead Gan Yan Yu’s performance within reasonable limits.
By proving his capability as a leader and guiding factor in her performance, it’s a clear demonstration of control.
On performance quality alone, perhaps a minor boost, maybe a 100 to 102 improvement.
But the stability and coordination would immensely improve. This means Gan Yan Yu’s immersive performance has a lifeline during critical moments.
Plus, it’s a very effective rebuttal to Tuoba Jianhui’s earlier remarks!
After the first go-round:
Gan Yan Yu put down her cello with a pounding heart.
She once again felt that emotion, stronger than before.
“Lin Tian…”
Just then, Nanaly’s eyes widened with an odd expression and she locked onto Lin Tian.
“Did you sneak in hidden messages in your piece?”
(Finishing this chapter)
