Chapter 309: The Heavyweight Guests of the Concert
“Even if there’s no personal connection, I can still help out, you know—”
Bai Xi smiled.
“Bai Xi, Teacher,”
Lin Tian murmured.
Then he looked at the two people in front of him.
His head felt a bit dizzy.
No way—
This is too weird!
Why is it happening right now? In this place? One after another??
Lin Tian suddenly felt like he had stepped into some kind of sitcom, where the characters had their scripts ready, just like the Avengers making their entrances one by one.
“Yun Qiu Qiu, hurry up!”
Nanaly turned her head and impatiently shouted toward the glass door outside.
“Coming.”
A girl in a blue hoodie, with the brim pulled way down, slowly pushed the door open and walked in.
“Sorry for the interruption.”
More experts??
Lin Tian couldn’t help but stand up from his chair.
“.”
Just like that.
They were seemingly coming in one after another.
Suddenly, three girls, each carrying a cello, stood before him.
The girls wore their casual outfits, looking completely different from their competition personas—Lin Tian almost didn’t recognize them.
“Welcome!”
He Zhi Chen stood up and enthusiastically greeted them.
“Things like this should be brought to our attention early, Teacher Lin~”
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow and said.
“I only learned you guys were having trouble when I saw it online.”
The blonde girl shrugged, her exquisite mixed-race face filled with helplessness.
“Well, you all have such good luck. After all, Miss Nanaly never holds grudges.”
“I was dragged here by Teacher Bai Xi,”
Yun Qiu Qiu said blandly.
“Because Teacher He mentioned that you all needed to meet this morning, and Miss Nanaly knew the address, so we came together.”
Bai Xi smiled again.
“.”
After listening to the whole thing, Lin Tian finally got it straight.
He looked quizzically at He Zhi Chen.
“You knew all along?”
“I only found out half an hour ago on my phone that they were coming over.” He Zhi Chen smiled sheepishly.
“.”
Lin Tian was at a loss for words.
No wonder this guy had been completely silent while he was negotiating with Hu Lang earlier.
He thought he trusted Lin Tian’s decision; turns out he had already been in the know!
“So you guys—”
“Of course, we’re here to participate in your concert!”
Yun Qiu Qiu yawned and said,
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Soon, Bai Xi popped her head back out.
“So, how cool is this? Right when our Lin Tian and Teacher Gan Yan Yu are in dire straits, and voilà! Here we come!”
Bai Xi wore a look of sheer delight.
“Ah~ If this concert goes well, this moment will definitely go down in music history, right? What an awesome experience!”
Bai Xi beamed brighter than a flower, and it was clear she was secretly ecstatic once again.
But Lin Tian didn’t despise her this time.
It was indeed cool.
However—
Lin Tian looked at the three girls.
What he couldn’t wrap his head around was—
“Why…?”
Why help him?
It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes that the concert for Moonlight and Cat was a massive pitfall.
Many musicians who valued their reputations were avoiding it like the plague.
And as the opponents of the duo?
On the Parrot Zither Cup stage, they had lost to Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
They had become stepping stones for the duo to fame overnight.
In this kind of situation, forget about lending a hand; just being able to interact normally as “friends” would be quite a feat.
Not to mention, getting involved meant diving into murky waters!
There was simply no reason to it!
This was why Lin Tian hadn’t called for them from the beginning; he believed it was impossible.
“I told you,”
Bai Xi said with a seemingly nonchalant smile.
“I really like your concert.”
“And…”
She didn’t finish the second half of her sentence.
But Lin Tian quickly remembered what Bai Xi had said during the finals of the Parrot Zither Cup.
—If possible, outside of competitions, she wanted to be friends with “Moonlight and Cat.”
Is that the reason?
Lin Tian didn’t know.
His gaze shifted to Nanaly, who was the biggest surprise of all.
It was said that she had been focusing on participating in various competitions to maintain her skills, all to defeat Gan Yan Yu.
“Playing together is a challenge too!”
Nanaly crossed her arms and looked rather smugly at Gan Yan Yu.
“You better think it through; once we’re on stage, if I steal the spotlight with my cello, don’t blame me for overshadowing your concert.”
Sure enough,
This girl wasn’t going to let go of any opportunity to challenge Gan Yan Yu.
“.”
Lin Tian finally looked at Yun Qiu Qiu.
“Just as I said at the beginning,”
Yun Qiu Qiu said,
“I was brought here by Teacher Bai Xi.”
“OK.”
As soon as the words left his lips,
Lin Tian understood everything.
He was about to speak again
When Gan Yan Yu stood up, taking the initiative.
Facing everyone, the girl bowed deeply!
“Thank you all.”
“Really, thank you so much,”
Gan Yan Yu said earnestly, each word laced with emotion.
In that moment,
The café fell into silence.
The expressions of the others became somewhat moved.
When Gan Yan Yu lifted her head again,
Bai Xi put on a mock unimpressed smile.
“Don’t mention it; I came for my own sake.”
Nanaly’s little face turned even redder as she looked away.
“Don’t get the wrong idea; I’m not doing this to help you.”
“Just as I said at the beginning,”
Yun Qiu Qiu said calmly,
“I was brought here by Teacher Bai Xi.”
“.”
Minutes later.
Two tables were pushed together, creating a larger table.
Everyone gathered around it.
At this moment,
The four competitors from the Parrot Zither Cup semifinals had all converged here.
Four cellos were placed against the wall.
He Zhi Chen went to brew coffee for everyone.
And on the table, they began their official discussion.
“.”
“So you’re saying that because of Gan Yan Yu’s health issues, we need to serve as accompaniment to relieve her performance pressure, in order for the concert to continue?”
Bai Xi summarized their earlier discussion.
“Exactly.”
Lin Tian nodded.
“For this concert, we need to prepare about 15 pieces.”
“My vision is that, as special guests, you could prepare a piece to premiere on stage together.”
“After the premiere, you all would take turns playing with us in a relay format. Two rounds of performance.”
“This way, Teacher Gan can easily complete six pieces, taking a break for a piece, and with the Japanese band I invited, they’ll also perform a piece independently and join us for one.”
“What Japanese band?”
Yun Qiu Qiu raised her hand, curiosity shining through.
“Cosmic Flying Pig,” Lin Tian said.
“Oh, it’s them!”
Yun Qiu Qiu’s eyes widened in excitement.
“You know them?” Nanaly asked.
“Of course! A very popular Tokyo rock band lately; the lead singer, Hoshino Kana, is a former voice actress who voiced many beloved anime characters. Now that she’s transitioned to singing, she’s been a hot topic in the ACG culture circle.”
Yun Qiu Qiu rambled on, her ability to express herself noticeably improving whenever anime was involved.
“They have a song called ‘Super Sweet Missile.'”
Yun Qiu Qiu boasted a little.
“I’ve covered it.”
“.”
Everyone else fell silent, at a loss for words.
Suddenly dropping such a song title in front of a table full of professional musicians made it hard to know how to respond.
Continuing from where they left off, Lin Tian pressed on:
“If that’s the case, Teacher Gan can perform seven pieces under less pressure, and then have two pieces’ worth of break time.”
“Plus, with our intermission segment, Teacher Gan can get over half an hour of substantial rest.”
“.”
Listening to Lin Tian’s arrangements,
Everyone was taken aback.
They didn’t expect that, for Gan Yan Yu’s rest, this boy could be this precise and thorough.
“Thanks to the three of you, I can arrange it this way.”
By the end,
Lin Tian did not forget to express his gratitude again.
In fact, it was precisely because he had three more cellists that his arrangements became much easier.
He could completely alleviate Gan Yan Yu’s pressure through a series of permutations and combinations.
But two questions also arose from this.
One was whether the ensure players could keep up with the intensity of Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu’s performance.
The second, whether such arrangements would cause issues among the live audience.
The first question was relatively easy to solve.
Lin Tian knew the abilities of the three.
There shouldn’t be an issue with keeping up.
The second question was more complicated.
Some fans with specific sentiments insisted on watching “Moonlight and Cat” perform together.
Adding another person in the lead position could leave them feeling odd about the trio performing.
So, Lin Tian didn’t dare to arrange too many performances.
At most, it’d be just one person for two rounds.
So, calculating that way,
“The remaining six pieces must be performed solely by you, Teacher Gan,”
Lin Tian looked at Gan Yan Yu.
“Can you handle it?”
After all.
Even though there would be an extra cellist for the earlier pieces, relieving some of Gan Yan Yu’s pressure,
Gan Yan Yu would still be performing on stage.
It just meant it would be a little easier; it didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any pressure.
Essentially, Gan Yan Yu still had to perform from start to finish, bearing the earlier stress multiplied significantly during these six pieces.
When that time came,
Anything could happen.
Lin Tian couldn’t bear to imagine what Gan Yan Yu would do should something go south.
But now, Lin Tian had done everything he could.
The girls would all do their utmost to help.
“I can do it,”
Gan Yan Yu declared resolutely.
“I will complete the performance!”
“.”
Seeing the determination in Gan Yan Yu’s gaze,
Lin Tian decided not to say anything further.
At this point, excessive concern bore no meaning.
Instead, it was better to shift the topic to discuss some equally important matters.
For example—
“Hey, what do you guys plan to do for the concert?”
Bai Xi asked.
“What do you mean, what to do?” Lin Tian blinked.
“I mean, the opening performance, interactive segments, how to make an entrance, what opening lines to use to greet the audience.”
“Oh, we’re still figuring those out; we plan to finalize them during rehearsal.”
“Be serious, Teacher Lin.”
Bai Xi scolded gently,
“This is the biggest classical music concert in history, destined to go down in music history! You need to leave a lasting impression on the audience, right?”
“Exactly.”
Even Nanaly’s eyes sparkled with rare anticipation at this topic.
“I think you guys should do a fashion show.”
“Put on the prettiest little dresses and walk back and forth on stage.”
“What kind of classical concert does a fashion show?”
Lin Tian retorted,
“Are we dressing up in your Lolita dresses or what?”
“If Gan Yan Yu wants to wear it, that’s not a problem,” Nanaly blushed slightly, glancing at Gan Yan Yu.
“If you want to see it, it’s not impossible,” Gan Yan Yu said seriously.
“Eh?! Really?!” Nanaly’s resolve crumbled in an instant.
“Do you really want to see it?”
Lin Tian gave her a wide-eyed stare.
Hearing that, Nanaly seemed to revert back to her shy self, pretending to be serious.
“N-no, not that I really want to see it. I just…”
“Weren’t you going to invite ‘Cosmic Flying Pig’?”
Yun Qiu Qiu interjected.
“I think we can design some anime characters to create a ‘Moonlight and Cat’ concert mascot, then produce some merchandise to attract the ACG-loving audience. Of course, you two can have your anime characters designed too.”
“This sounds good.”
Gan Yan Yu surprisingly agreed.
“Are we really okay with messing around like this at a classical music concert?” Lin Tian was now the one who was baffled.
“Don’t you think creating a Q-version character of me hugging a cello while you play the piano looks adorable?”
Gan Yan Yu said earnestly.
“.”
Lin Tian fell silent.
If Gan Yan Yu liked the idea, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.
“The most important thing is to attract more people to watch the concert!”
Bai Xi stood up and said.
Then, with a mysterious smile, she continued,
“Imagine, as beloved ‘Moonlight and Cat,’ if you invite a lucky couple ontostage during the performance to dance and engage in some adorable interaction…”
“For that couple, it would be the most dreamy experience! They would forever remember that moment, leaving a significant mark in their lives— they’d never forget it! And oftentimes, after such an encounter, it could lead the two of them to the altar.”
As she thought about this, Bai Xi’s expression became ecstatic again.
“But if they break up, this concert will become a pain they never want to mention!” Lin Tian shot back.
“.”
And so it went,
As everyone sat around the table, they were all excitedly discussing, constantly throwing out various “strategies,” many of which sounded outrageous yet had their merits.
The café buzzed with the sound of the girls’ lively chatter.
“Coffee is here.”
Even as He Zhi Chen brought over plates of coffee and set them on the table,
It only caused everyone to take a brief pause, express their thanks to him,
And then dive right back into the topic of whether a classical concert should venture into the world of anime.
“This is really nice,”
He Zhi Chen placed a hand on Lin Tian’s shoulder, speaking softly from behind him.
Lin Tian was taken aback and turned around.
“Your friends, including Gan Yan Yu, have all taken the concert seriously, haven’t they?”
He Zhi Chen grinned.
“That’s the charm of the ‘biggest classical concert in history.'”
“.” Lin Tian nodded slightly.
Indeed,
It was apparent that even Yun Qiu Qiu, who previously left an impression of being a rather gloomy cellist,
While discussing the concert arrangements,
Her eyes sparkled with an unusual light.
There shouldn’t be a single cellist who wouldn’t wish to see such a concert, representing the resurgence of classical music, proceed smoothly.
Even Bai Xi, who loved modern pop music,
In truth, modern music was just a means to cater to competition aesthetics.
Deep inside, she must still hold a desire to see classical music regain its popularity.
And buried within that heart,
Was precisely—
“It’s you and Gan Yan Yu.”
He Zhi Chen smiled.
“If it were anyone else, there wouldn’t be this much effect. It’s precisely because it’s you and Gan Yan Yu that these classical musicians could gather together.”
“They, as rivals, understand it better.”
“If anyone in this world can successfully host such a groundbreaking classical concert, it has to be you two.”
April.
The season of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Also, Lin Tian’s treasured time when music blossoms.
The concert for ‘Moonlight and Cat’ was in its countdown phase.
And just last Sunday,
The tickets for the concert officially went on pre-sale.
In just a matter of days,
There emerged good news and bad news.
The good news: the current seating rate had reached 70%.
More than 70% of the tickets had been sold!
This meant that the confirmed audience numbers had already reached thousands!
And the bad news was:
The first-class seats had already sold out.
This was like a thunderclap to many online users.
[You’re kidding me!! With that many tickets available, you all went straight for the front-row seats?!]
[Seriously, who the heck buys all the front-row tickets first while leaving so many seats behind??]
[You people are way too intense, right?!]
[Aaahhh! I’m gonna fight you guys for those front-row seats!!]
[.]
As everyone knew, due to the location of the Moonlight and Cat concert,
A very strange phenomenon had appeared.
That is: Despite its high popularity, there were no scalpers.
Even scalpers were scared of losing out!!
Even though the Moonlight and Cat concert was hyped up online, and their discussion on Weibo even rivaled that of major star concerts,
Scalpers simply didn’t dare to jump into the fray.
There was no other reason.
This was a concert featuring two classical musicians!
Nobody dared to bet on that.
Don’t be fooled by how popular they seem right now on Weibo.
Actually putting on a concert with tens of thousands of attendees? Who knows if anyone would come.
Thus, this peculiar phenomenon occurred—
While the concert was hot, and discussions about Moonlight and Cat were booming, there were still no scalpers daring to enter the game.
As a result,
When many online users still unbought tickets realized that there were leftover ones and began to leisurely plan to buy them,
Seeing second-class and third-class seats still had ample availability while first-class and VIP tickets were sold out sent everyone into a daze.
It’s worth mentioning,
Even if a major pop star came to the Mandarin music scene, it would be challenging to find a case where concert tickets have a third left unsold while first-class and VIP tickets got snatched up first.
What’s up?
Are we all just rich when listening to classical music?!
Either they don’t attend or they only want the most expensive tickets?!
In no time, complaints about this very thing surfaced across forums and threads, with users desperate to purchase first-class tickets.
[Looking for a front-row ticket; I’ve been a big fan of Cat for many years, truly seeking! Price negotiable!]
[I’m willing to pay double for a ticket! Message me if you have one!]
[Whoever sells me one, I’m ready to trade for the physical CD of ‘Moonlight and Cat Collection 1’! I’m talking about the first batch; it’s really valuable! Someone once offered five thousand for it, but I didn’t sell it!]
[.]
Instantly, first-class tickets on second-hand platforms were driven up to over 2000 yuan, doubling their initial price, and were still on the rise.
As a consequence, those who had already acquired front-row seats began to flaunt their winnings in forums and comment sections 24/7.
For instance, statements like, [You have no idea; I bought the VIP tickets with signatures from Moonlight Brother and Cat!] [There’s actually someone who can’t sit in the front row to be the first fan to interact with Moonlight Brother in the world?!] and so on.
In the days following,
It even became essential material for some niche individuals’ social media flaunting.
A photo of the concert ticket alongside the line [First concert of my life] as a caption was enough to seem impressive!
And at that moment, posting a cute artsy selfie, while adding a comment about, [Came to the music city Qingzhou for a spontaneous trip!]
The image of a free-spirited, art-loving classical music enthusiast was instantly established.
After posting this on social media, it would provide enough self-satisfaction for everyone to daily check their phones to gloat a little while marveling—
Was a thousand yuan’s emotional value worth it?!
However,
Just as the entire internet was still immersed in the pre-heating excitement for the Moonlight and Cat concert, fervently debating over first-class ticket procurements,
The official Weibo of Leyin announced two significant pieces of news about the concert!
[This concert will welcome three special guests, along with a mysterious band from abroad!]
[Additionally, Moonlight and Cat will unveil two new tracks as special surprises, making their premiere at the concert!]
(End of Chapter)
