221. Chapter 220 – Say It the Right Way
After three solid seconds of dead silence…
The audience erupted into applause, jumping to their feet.
Unprecedented applause that shook the entire Sunny Day Concert Hall!
“Holy mackerel, it’s like she played several different songs all at once!”
“This gave me heart palpitations! That’s got to be some powerful music!”
“Gan Yan Yu is a beast!!”
“Dude, why on earth are you tearing up?”
“What? You managed to finish this with a smile?!”
“…”
In the audience, people were gushing with praise and gossiping with their neighbors all at once. From joy to bewilderment, the reactions were as varied as the notes they had just heard. Much like the melody itself, it had twists and turns—one moment high, the next low—keeping everyone’s emotions in a loop.
On the judges’ panel, He Shu Mo couldn’t help but chime in:
“It feels like it just started… and now it’s over!”
“I haven’t even had time to savor it!”
Stopping in just the right spot should have been a breeze.
But no, it had to stop there!
If only he had just a wee bit longer, He Shu Mo, as an academic, might have figured out what emotion Gan Yan Yu was really trying to convey.
But why did it end so quickly?
“Has it really ended?” Yao Han pondered, with a smirk on his face.
“Really ended?”
He Shu Mo was totally bewildered.
“But didn’t the performance already finish?”
“We don’t need to worry about their story; their music speaks for them now.”
Yao Han rose from his seat,
“As judges, our job is to simply score based on what we’ve seen and heard.”
“Let them take their story where they may,” Yao Han added, eyeing Lin Tian onstage.
Lin Tian was looking more and more amused by the second.
Lin Tian, Teacher,
Even someone as gifted as you—
must’ve felt misled by such a performance.
Because in your mind—
this kind of expression was never how YOU would express emotion, was it?
“Yan Yu—”
Lin Tian stepped forward and steadied Gan Yan Yu, who was wheezing heavily.
With lights blinding and noise deafening, Gan Yan Yu managed to force a smile through her flushed face.
“Wonderful, Lin Tian, we made it.”
Then, she collapsed onto Lin Tian.
“… ”
Backstage,
Lin Tian fetched some hot water, watching as Gan Yan Yu downed her medicine while lying on the sofa.
Her complexion finally began to improve after a while.
“You rest here. We’ll wait for the judging committee to announce the results.”
Lin Tian stated.
This waiting period was always excruciating—
like waiting for a verdict, or even a d*ath sentence.
Yet…
Lin Tian felt everything seemed less significant after that performance.
Lin Tian stared at Gan Yan Yu on the sofa.
“Teacher Gan.”
He leaned in closely,
saying seriously,
“The piece you played… was life, wasn’t it?”
“Eh?”
Gan Yan Yu looked at him in surprise.
“I could tell.”
Lin Tian said.
In that “Hungarian Dance No. 5” in G Minor,
It should have been thrilling, lively, and exhilarating—
just as Lin Tian planned before—
he meant to immerse himself and Gan Yan Yu in that mood, pouring unprecedented affection into every note.
So Gan Yan Yu would understand—
Your joy isn’t the same as mine.
We’re not just partners, but…
That was Lin Tian’s plan.
But reality—
in the middle of the performance, Lin Tian hadn’t found the opportunity to dive into that mood with Gan Yan Yu—
instead, Gan Yan Yu pushed him away gently.
Leaning in close, she whispered.
She told many stories—
all about herself—
regret, bitterness, sweetness, happiness, joy… everything from her past, she wanted to share with Lin Tian.
In this emotional rollercoaster,
Lin Tian saw the journey of an emotionally scarred young woman.
A tangled mix of feelings—sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy—all intertwined.
That’s life.
Probably only someone like Gan Yan Yu—
could express such profound sentiments through her piano playing.
This—was what you truly wanted to tell me?
Through your music,
Lin Tian felt deeply Gan Yan Yu’s pain for the first time.
This 18-year-old girl was carrying what kind of chaotic inner world to be here today?
If not for that serendipitous run-in where he climbed up the balcony,
maybe this girl’s world would have crumbled long ago.
Facing such a suffering teacher,
how could Lin Tian bear to hurt her anymore?
At this competition,
the root of all these issues, wasn’t it their inability to open up?
Lay bare your life fully, without reservation—
that was Gan Yan Yu’s solution to break the deadlock.
Gan Yan Yu stared at Lin Tian in disbelief, then smiled faintly.
“Teacher Gan!”
Lin Tian gripped her shoulders.
After hesitation, he pulled her in close,
enveloping her upper body into his arms—
“From now on, let’s speak our minds. Don’t keep things bottled up, alright?”
He whispered in her ear.
As partners—
he detested feeling this way—
one suffering,
the other hesitating.
Partners should say what needs to be said, not hold back!
“Hmm,”
This time around,
Gan Yan Yu didn’t pull away.
Blushing deeply, she snuggled against his chest, making soft sounds of contentment.
She nodded slightly, breathing warmly against his chest.
“Lin Tian, you meant to say this to me at the end of the competition?”
Hearing these words, Lin Tian snapped back into reality.
He released his grip.
This 185cm tall young man, who had abs, was now turning red—
“Well, not exactly,”
“So, what then?”
Gan Yan Yu tilted her head, giving him a puzzled look.
“Teacher Gan, this, well, still—”
Just as Lin Tian was speaking,
the door to the dressing room burst open.
A staff member stood at the door,
calling out loudly.
“Teacher Gan Yan Yu, we’re about to announce the results. Get up there!”
“Go ahead,”
said Lin Tian.
“Mm-hm,”
Gan Yan Yu stood up, standing in front of the mirror, patting her hair which was disheveled from her earlier attack, tucking strands behind her ears.
She adjusted the necklace inscribed with “Rainy Day,” centering it over her collarbone.
Looking at her refined reflection, she wrote on her thigh and pinched her own arm.
All ready!
“Let’s go.”
The staff member respectfully said,
“Teacher Bai Xi is already on stage waiting for you.”
“Okay.”
Gan Yan Yu took two steps, but instead of heading to the door, she marched straight to Lin Tian and offered her hand.
Lin Tian was taken aback.
“Why?”
Before Lin Tian could reply, she grabbed his arm and pulled him up,
“We’re partners. Whether the final outcome is good or bad, we should stand together on stage. Right, Lin Tian?”
(End of Chapter 220)
