### Chapter 271: Finals Day
“Familial history of mental illness.”
Sounds kinda freaky, doesn’t it?
But Lin Tian thought back on his interactions with Yao Han. Though he often couldn’t make heads or tails of Yao Han’s motives, their exchanges were pretty normal overall.
Nothing that even remotely suggested mental illness.
“…”
Okay.
Lin Tian pondered for a moment. Even Teacher Gan seemed normal enough day-to-day.
Well, except for when she touched anything musical.
Since the Parrot Zither Cup ended and the competition wrapped up, Gan Yan Yu had been one day cuter than the next, almost to the point where Lin Tian felt a tad estranged.
Sure, music can be so depressing.
Why did I even touch the d*mn thing!?
Whether Yao Han had something similar going on was anyone’s guess. But right now, in Lin Tian’s eyes, Yao Han was starting to look kind of like an “old perv.”
“Speaking of which,” Lin Tian asked, “what’s up with this ‘psychotic brother’ of his who once played under Teacher Tuoba’s orchestra?”
This piqued Lin Tian’s curiosity.
He remembered Gan Ya Yu mentioning her grandpa, the cellist, had once been part of Tuoba Jianhui’s orchestra.
Now, this “brother of Yao Han,” another alumnus from there, was thrown into the mix.
Musicians come and go in orchestras so frequently; whether they belonged to the same group or not, hard to say.
But somehow, Lin Tian felt like this place was full of talented weirdos.
Not just for producing a master like “Grandpa Gan,” but Tuoba Lao Deng himself was a bit of an oddball.
“The details on this go way back, man, pre-2000s stuff. Not many records left,” He Zhi Chen shrugged off, feeling ancient like he was still in nappies.
“But judging by the scraps we do have, Yao Xing, Yao Han’s brother, played the flute. He was like a shining star in Tuoba Jianhui’s orchestra back in the day. Loads of media hailed him as ‘a rising star in the music world.'”
“Some even said that for a short stint, the entire orchestra revolved around him!”
“No kidding?”
Lin Tian was floored. A simple flute player taking center stage over an orchestra?
That’s some mighty impressive charisma!
“How true that really is, though, is debatable. In the end, he was a flash in the pan.”
He Zhi Chen clarified, “A single mishap during a performance led to his exit from the orchestra.”
“After that, he disappeared from the public eye altogether, never seen again.”
“One mistake? Really?” Lin Tian quipped.
Given Tuoba Jianhui’s reputation, it didn’t make sense for him to toss a guy out for a single error.
“Hardly, but specifics are murky. The era’s records are tough to find, and loads of folks from that scene have retired or gone MIA.”
He Zhi Chen threw his hands up in the air, shrugging away.
Even data master He Zhi Chen was stumped—looks like those records are gone for good.
“Right-o.”
Lin Tian mulled it over.
In summary, Yao Han had a brother named Yao Xing.
Once, he ruled the music scene, capable of dominating the orchestra led by Tuoba Jianhui.
But poof! Just like that, after a performance, he vanished into thin air.
Was he out of the music circle, or out of the world entirely?
Only Tuoba Jianhui and “Grandpa Gan” knew the answer, aside from Yao Han himself.
Even though how this all links with Yan’s bizarre behavior remains a mystery—
“Let me reiterate,” He Zhi Chen warned,
“Stay as far away from Professor Yao Han as you can.”
The Sato Sakura International Piano Competition was underway.
At Tokyo International Music Hall.
Inside the venue, pandemonium reigned supreme.
Journalists and audiences alike swarmed in like a tidal wave, both domestic and international, all buzzing with excitement.
Backstage, frazzled staff hustled about while contestants anxiously prepared themselves.
Including Lin Tian.
An effeminate Tokyo guy finished applying Lin Tian’s full makeup.
The small boy then gazed at Lin Tian in the mirror, visibly elated.
“Brother, you’re the best-looking musician I’ve ever seen! With looks like that, why don’t you consider becoming a superstar idol?”
“Thanks.”
Lin Tian merely gave a casual response. He rubbed his shoulder, unimpressed by the male praise.
With the finals now underway, there weren’t nearly as many contestants loitering around backstage due to nerves or perhaps their own diva-like airs.
Quiet, serene. Contestants milled about doing their own things.
Seeing as the stage was still under construction and the competition hadn’t kicked off yet.
Lin Tian pulled out his phone and logged onto Twitter.
Under the #SatoSakura hashtag—
Sure enough, tweets were pouring in by the minute, largely from excited fans.
[“Here they come! So nervous! Who’ll win between Burke and Nishikawa-sama?!”]
[“Oh, I love both pianists! I’ll feel bad for either if they lose!”]
[“More curious about the Best Newcomer. Who do y’all think it will be?”]
[“Hey, isn’t Tianchao’s contestant Lin Tian hot? His rendition of the Croatian Rhapsody absolutely smashes Nishikawa’s Dawn Night’s Lament.”]
[“Whoa, take it easy! Don’t you fear Nishikawa-sama’s fans?”]
Soon everyone was caught up in debates about these pieces.
This wasn’t the first time such disputes had heated up online.
Japanese netizens insisted Nishikawa’s piece was a clear winner.
Whereas others from outside Japan argued that it was absurd to compare them at all.
One Twitter user bluntly stated, “What does that Croatian tune have that makes it worth comparing?”
Before long, Twitter exploded into a war of words.
Yet amidst all the bickering, Lin Tian’s popularity soared. Instantly, the online buzz labeled him a competitor on par with Nishikawa.
(End of Chapter)
