Chapter 301: The Invitation List for the Dragon Zither Cup
In a perfectly tailored black suit, he looked just like a top male model.
Just from the corner of that white shirt peeking out, you could feel the overflowing male hormones.
And paired with a face that could stop traffic at a hundred paces!
No skill involved here at all.
Pure stats!
He’s just ridiculously handsome!!
The fandom girls who caught sight of this set of pictures were completely dumbfounded.
It’s hard to believe that such jaw-dropping looks don’t come from the modeling or entertainment worlds, but from the realm of classical music!!
[Are you kidding me?! Do classical musicians really have this kind of physique??]
[Wait, when I searched online, wasn’t it a pianist I found? Who the heck is this handsome dude?!]
[Are musicians really this competitive now?!]
[Ahhh!! Sisters, I’ve just realized I quite like classical music!]
Such a quick change of heart!
The Moonlight Cat fans didn’t even have a chance to give them a crash course.
Just a single photo, and these people were conquered!
It had everyone rolling with laughter!
[Our Moonlight Brother’s least commendable trait is now being treasured by these folks?]
[People claiming his photos are over-photoshopped can just look for Moonlight Brother’s live performances on Bilibili. Go take a look!]
[Dying of laughter; we’ve long been immune, maybe because we’ve seen so much of it. It doesn’t feel like much anymore.]
[Only these simple-minded stans would keep hammering on Moonlight Brother’s least important trait.]
[.]
And indeed, that’s how the Moonlight Cat fans are!
In their eyes, only the brief period when Moonlight Brother’s true identity was exposed sparked discussions about his looks.
After some time, who cares?!
Our Moonlight Brother has so many merits: composing, piano playing, and having Teacher Cat—aren’t those more worthy of boasting than his looks??
Looks are just something to get used to; everyone’s already accepted that Moonlight Brother’s looks are in a league of their own.
Only the most superficial, tasteless fans keep bringing up looks like it’s the only thing that matters!
Seeing all those newly minted fans making a ruckus in the comments about Moonlight Brother was glorious!
What, you superficial nobodies think you’re worthy of even mentioning our Moon God’s name?
In no time,
The comment section filled up with many “ten-year-old fans” condescendingly educating these newbies.
Even dragging in those who dared to criticize back into the fray.
And there were even some sharp-eyed veterans cashing in on the chaos:
[“Moonlight and Cat” first video on Douyin just dropped; anyone want to hear about it? Add me on WeChat, I’ll tell you everything.]
[Taking in heartbroken stans, one-on-one coaching you to become a Moon Cat fan; you’ll be a ten-year fan in no time.]
[Participated in the “Sato Sakura Twitter Defense Counterattack,” top-tier old fan, planning to start a group chat to share inside scoops about Moonlight and Cat that only true fans know, black silk photos included+]
In an instant, under these comments,
There were various responses like [Me, me, me!], [Bro!], [Pull me in!] flooding the space.
What was once a battlefield now transformed into a massive friendship connection event!
“.”
In fact, just because most fans were acting all tough and saying how “old fans don’t care about the least worthy traits,” their lips curling up incredulously,
deep down, after seeing Moonlight Brother’s photos, most fans were still quite shocked.
— Didn’t expect Moonlight Brother to look this handsome when he’s serious!!
It wasn’t that he didn’t showcase his serious side before.
It’s just that the Moonlight Brother we usually see in competition replays, MV clips, and live streams always presented a more objective view.
Everyone rarely had the chance to directly appreciate his good looks.
In that black suit, with slicked-back hair,
The fierceness between his brows exuded a kingly aura!!
He’s so handsome it almost feels foreign!
Fans were more accustomed to that boyish, slightly refined look of the high schooler, Moonlight Brother.
But now, this image indeed aligned more closely with what netizens imagined a genius composer to look like!
In their minds,
An 18-year-old who debuted, skyrocketing to the top of the classical music charts in Tianchao within six months, ought to look like this!!
There were various controversies regarding Moonlight Brother’s photos.
For instance, how to succinctly introduce Moonlight Brother’s greatness amidst limited efficiency? Is it too much to flaunt Moonlight Brother’s looks? I mean, not everyone digs handsome guys; some age brackets are just indifferent towards good-looking men.
Yet, in the next few photos, those worries vanished.
Because all fans were filled with sheer confidence.
As long as you’re a normal person, not blind or from the LGBTQ community,
nobody would deny—
How spectacular Cat’s looks truly are!
When outsiders first saw the musician named “Cat” in the photos, they were almost unanimously awestruck.
[So handsome… so beautiful!!]
[I feel like her gaze could k*ll! Ahhh, Sister, step on me!!]
[Help! She really looks like a K-pop idol with stunning visuals and perfect poses!]
[She’s a million times hotter than those guys!! That gaze is just unreal!!]
[.]
Forget outsiders.
Even insiders were left dumbfounded.
Especially the insiders, who were very much taken aback.
“Is this really Teacher Cat???”
Zhang Dong exclaimed during the livestream,
“Seriously, who transformed her like this???”
It’s well-known that male and female aesthetics are vastly different.
When appreciating beauty,
women often see tall, angular features giving off an “older sister vibe” while men like all sorts: tall legs, big assets, you know.
Of course, setting aside those rather hardcore traits.
Men generally prefer certain “vibes” like “innocent-looking”, “flirty”, or “good girl” aesthetics.
Very few beauties satisfy both genders, reaching such heights indicates a top-tier beauty.
And Cat has evidently reached that level!
Previously, she portrayed a cute and well-behaved sweet girl to her fans.
But this time, the drastic style shift felt utterly natural.
You could hardly tell it’s the same person!
So when Zhang Dong opened the Weibo images, he was entirely stunned.
“She’s been edited—this is totally edited!”
As the biggest fan who understood Moonlight and Cat the best,
Zhang Dong declared with firm conviction,
“I refuse to believe Moonlight Brother did this!!”
Having uniquely collaborated offline with Moonlight and Cat,
upon hearing this, netizens couldn’t help but think:
That’s hard to argue against!
Zhang Dong flipped through the photos one by one.
The images switched rapidly.
Cat donned a black long dress, hand on her waist, slightly lifting her chin.
Her striking blue eyes, glued to the camera.
Cold, condescending, with a hint of disdain.
One look and you’re hooked!
“Too handsome!”
Zhang Dong reclined against his chair, unable to stop himself from clicking his tongue in admiration.
Clearly, not only was Cat’s expressive power incredible, but the photographer also possessed high skills.
As a fan, seeing such photos truly made him elated.
Thinking back on how many amazing pieces he had listened to from Moonlight and Cat,
Yet in his mind, it was hard to pin down a specific, resonant image.
But now, upon seeing their advertising sh**t for Depu,
he felt genuine happiness bubble up.
The earlier comments of “edited or not” were really just for show.
Of course, if Moonlight Brother did edit, he wouldn’t be surprised.
It was just pure, loyal fan happiness wishing to see their idol do well, devoid of any impurity.
Probably, the fans in the livestream were feeling the same as him.
Zhang Dong nodded slightly, glancing at the barrage of comments.
[Ahhh, Cat, step on me! Please!!]
[This gaze is everything, woohoo!! So satisfying!!]
[Please treat me like trash! I beg you to treat me like trash!]
“Stop it already!!!”
Zhang Dong yelled out, clearly losing his cool.
When Lin Tian connected to the internet, he witnessed this internet frenzy firsthand.
Below on Weibo, in the super topics, and in the backend comments,
the madness over Cat reached a near-frantic level!
Cat’s endorsement photos started spreading widely across social platforms.
Wherever there were photos, people started losing their minds as if they triggered a keyword.
[Cat… hehehe… Cat hehehe…]
[I wanna be Cat’s dog so bad!!]
[Can we have more photos, just one more? Pretty please!]
[.]
An unserious media channel even rolled out a special science video addressing this phenomenon.
They coined this trend on Douyin as “Cat Addiction.”
Detailed findings showed that.
Those afflicted by “Cat Addiction” had an obsession with cellist Gan Yan Yu so intense they would edit Cat’s photos into various reaction memes.
For example: Some say nothing’s perfect in this world, I: (Cat’s disdainful face).JPG.
They would use these memes daily, posting them in group chats and WeChat conversations.
Along with a series of robotic responses: “Cat’s my wife,” “I’m Cat’s dog,” etc.
Moreover, the virus was remarkably contagious!
Previously, only top V-streamers or famed cosplay artists enjoyed such perks.
When the uninformed stumble upon these memes, they’d often be curious enough to search it up.
They’d think it was some V-streamer doing a skit, only to discover—
What the heck, a classical musician!!
While grumbling about how the world had gone downhill and how these starved otaku don’t spare anything, they couldn’t help but worship at Cat’s feet.
Originally thought to be memes made for laughs,
Lo and behold, they turned out to be completely serious endorsement photos?
What kind of innate disdainful beauty is this?!
Many suddenly flipped what they thought about their own weird inclinations, realizing they had a thing for this direction, and began sprinting towards this twisted path.
Regardless,
Depu’s endorsement event, having merely released the first round of endorsement posters, garnered a staggering amount of exposure.
Whether for Depu, or Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu themselves, it was an unintended surprise.
Even more unexpectedly for Lin Tian was the dramatic rise in backend data.
Whether it was one group losing their minds online and another group doing the same, spreading it all around, that was all just virtual noise.
What truly mattered were the backend video views and the steadily increasing music streaming rates!
“.”
“Is it that captivating?”
Lin Tian’s curiosity got piqued.
He lay on the couch, staring at Gan Yan Yu’s photos, lost in thought.
From Lin Tian’s perspective, these photos should have flopped a bit.
They aimed for a confident, high-end vibe; yet ended up making Gan Yan Yu look like a regal queen.
Such tragically overdone photos still had that many fans?
Lin Tian found himself wondering too.
Why despised expressions seemed to enamor so many.
Perhaps it was because he wasn’t an M, so he just couldn’t get it.
Looks like he could only experience this for real once he fulfilled his playing schedule.
The day after Depu officially announced their new endorsement,
He Zhi Chen invited Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu out for a meal.
Both dressed quite casually for the occasion.
At the table, He Zhi Chen replaced his usual lightheartedness with a serious demeanor, breaking the news to them.
“The official participant list for the Dragon Zither Cup has been released.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian gasped in shock.
“I thought this wasn’t supposed to be announced until May? Where did you get this info?”
“Insider info.”
He Zhi Chen confidently stated about his news sources.
“This time, there are three cellists representing Qingjiang Province in the Dragon Zither Cup.”
“One is Teacher Gan Yan Yu.”
“The other one is Bai Xi.”
When this name came up, both were a bit startled.
Gan Yan Yu advancing was a given; as the Parrot Zither Cup champion, she automatically qualified for the Dragon Zither Cup.
And Bai Xi, being the champion of Star Cup and the runner-up of the Parrot Zither Cup, getting to participate as the second cellist in a national competition was only logical.
Still, even knowing it’d happen, hearing it first-hand was thrilling.
After all, Bai Xi was indeed a formidable opponent.
Her astonishing interpretations of contemporary music could always leave everyone awestruck.
What musician who could whip up a bombshell at any given moment wouldn’t be intimidating?
There was just too much uncertainty.
Moreover, she always carried an air of complete confidence, even after losing, she had that expression of absolute control.
Though it may seem a bit arrogant.
It was undeniable; it was truly terrifying.
From that standpoint, Lin Tian felt the pressure Bai Xi brought was on par with what he experienced against Burke and Nishikawa at the Sato Sakura International Piano Competition.
Lin Tian was no longer the same person he once was.
Having gone through his solo competition experience in Japan, he was now a true, independent professional pianist.
Having witnessed the pinnacle of performance skills and the utmost mastery of the instrument,
he approached a cellist like Bai Xi with newfound respect.
“Teacher Lin Tian, post your stunning performance at the Sato Sakura Competition; you’ve received a fair amount of attention in the domestic music scene.”
He Zhi Chen said,
“Once at the Dragon Zither Cup, you will be the most noticed accompanist there; you might even attract some critiques from the judges who don’t favor your style.”
“Therefore, your performance is going to become increasingly critical; the Dragon Zither Cup is a highly regulated stage, and since you’ve attracted attention, you can’t slack off like that last competitive final.”
Lin Tian understood exactly what performance He Zhi Chen was referring to.
That one time at the finals when he and Gan Yan Yu played the Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor.
In that performance, Gan Yan Yu had basically taken the lead the entire time.
Lin Tian had hardly any part to play.
In fact, he only realized the emotional depth of that piece later after reading Gan Yan Yu’s letter.
He Zhi Chen meant that at the Dragon Zither Cup, since he was now a “well-known pianist,”
he couldn’t just slide through; otherwise, it could negatively affect Gan Yan Yu’s score.
What kind of logic is that?
Aren’t I just the accompanist?
Seemingly sensing Lin Tian’s confusion, He Zhi Chen added:
“In some judges’ eyes, your accompaniment stands out far beyond others, hence the higher expectations for cellists; that’s completely normal.”
After hearing that, Lin Tian finally got the drift.
It was like people discussing who the best ADC in the bottom lane was; support is inevitably a topic brought up.
What kind of support are you bringing to the table? Your support has competed on a world stage!
That naturally raises the bar.
Just like everyone later realized how terrible IG’s Bo Lan was that he couldn’t even sweep basic vision without JKL signaling him.
That’s when they began to realize just how astonishing JKL was in 2018, dragging a noob like that to championship glory.
Translating that back, Lin Tian gained fame, which instead increased scrutiny on Gan Yan Yu.
Well, here he was, going abroad to boost his resume.
Now he was making things tougher for Gan Yan Yu.
But it was understandable.
After all, Gan Yan Yu was a pianist who won three top-tier awards in one go.
With that thought, Lin Tian couldn’t help but feel a little pleased.
Even though it was scrutiny, it ultimately was acknowledgment of his strength.
“Wait a second.”
Lin Tian paused, suddenly realizing he seemed to have overlooked a key piece of information.
“You said there were three people entering the Dragon Zither Cup? Who’s the third one?”
Logically speaking, two participants were already plenty; one provincial champion and one special invite.
Over the years, it was quite rare for three or more cellists to enter the Dragon Zither Cup.
“Your old rival.”
He Zhi Chen stated,
“Nana Li.”
“This kid works incredibly hard; while you two were resting, she didn’t take a break, returned to England, and participated in several competitions.”
“The next time you meet, she’s bound to be a formidable opponent.”
(End of this chapter)
