Chapter 315: Her Real Name is Gan Yan Yu
Thump—thump—
At this moment,
On stage, an elegant performance was still ongoing.
The romantic “Voices of Spring Waltz” had carried all the audience to a dream-like dance hall.
But Zhang Dong could only hear his own heartbeat in his ears.
“If everything here is just to help Teacher Cat complete this concert…”
“Then… how bad is Teacher Cat’s condition?”
A layperson might not fully understand or perhaps only know a little.
But in the Qing River music scene, those who knew Gan Yan Yu before the “Cat Sauce” moniker was popular…
The news about the famous cellist Gan Yan Yu’s health problems seemed to have always been common knowledge.
Initially, Zhang Dong had never heard of it either.
But after Gan Yan Yu won the Parrot Zither Cup, becoming known as the “Top Cellist of Qing River,”
This rumor began to spread among more people.
However, most people knew only that she was “not well.”
Where exactly was she unwell? Why?
They didn’t know.
So, even if someone had heard the rumor, they wouldn’t take it seriously most of the time.
Now, when Zhang Dong saw such a stage with his own eyes,
He couldn’t help but break out in cold sweat—
Could it be true that the rumor is real?
Teacher Cat, I mean, Gan Yan Yu, has actually had health issues unknown to the public all along.
It might be easy to forget her reality as a famous cellist and think she’s always just “Cat” due to familiarity.
No!
Zhang Dong widened his eyes.
Maybe it’s just because of the tiring rehearsals, making her look pale?
He decided to watch a bit longer to reconfirm.
Yet,
Once he entertained this thought,
Focusing intently on it,
He noticed something even stranger:
Moonlight glanced at Cat’s direction every time he played a bit of piano.
That glance was clearly one of worry.
Something’s not right!
Zhang Dong gritted his teeth.
What illness would require someone to share the intensity of a performance?
Why can’t these things be talked about openly?
When Bai Xi finished her piece,
It was Yun Qiu Qiu’s turn again.
Audiences finally understood by this point.
There were three special guest artists,
Each taking turns playing alongside “Moonlight and Cat.”
Judging from the rhythm,
There would always be a guest performer during this entire concert.
Was this a special feature?
Audiences found it somewhat odd yet intriguing.
Even though there was an orchestra accompanying them, why adopt such a format?
Add another cello for emotional depth?
It certainly looked impressive.
But some still found it uncomfortable.
“I want to see Tian and Gan play together! What’s going on?”
Su Ran complained, her eyes beginning to show resentment.
“It’s fine; there are more instruments, which actually creates a nice effect.”
Xu Yong enjoyed himself, savoring the music.
Despite being a first-timer, these tunes gave him quite a treat!
Xu Yong thought, even a regular person like him could appreciate this, which must be heavenly music!
“This isn’t alright at all!”
Su Ran retorted loudly,
“Three people on stage, isn’t it crowded?!”
“What’s going on here?!”
Xu Yong had expected Su Ran to at least pretend, but instead, she skipped straight to the conclusion!
“The girls sitting next to Xiao Gan are so distracting! They’re blocking Tian; music should be a one-on-one!”
“Stop equating ‘love’ with ‘music,’ will you?!”
“…”
Thanks to their good habit of arguing in school, they were oblivious to the consequences.
Though their argument wasn’t loud, it drew attention from nearby spectators.
Indeed, there were audiences who felt the same way.
“Having guests is great, but it’s boring when they constantly accompany the main performers!”
“Oh, at first, they were just a simple piano and cello; now, there’s a whole band backing them. It’s not the same feeling anymore.”
“As for Tian and Gan, they’re surprisingly familiar and unfamiliar names!”
Hearing their argument, nearby spectators grew curious.
Indeed, slightly informed folks had heard.
Moonlight’s real name is actually Tian.
And Cat Sauce is named Yan Yu.
But usually, no one uses their real names.
People often ignored their actual names.
It wasn’t because the names were difficult.
In fact, many famous people with aliases became targets of jokes once their real names were disclosed, especially online personalities.
For example:
Yan Yu once burned me with a cigarette b*tt in middle school!
Or,
Last time, I saw Tian help an old lady cross the road on a bicycle!
Kinda jokes like that.
Such jokes make fans feel closer to their idols.
It’s common, really.
But “Moonlight and Cat” were different.
Their real names were almost never mentioned, so many people still didn’t know who Moonlight and Cat really were.
Even if anyone did call them by their real names, it would add a sense of realism.
Actually, to the fans,
“‘Moonlight and Cat’ had become almost deified.
Through each piece of music,
Moonlight and Cat ceased to be mere musicians but became unblemished, flawless idols in the hearts of many!
Thus, without breaking the illusion,
Everyone naturally overlooked their names.
Also, their high school student status.
Hearing their real names now,
Surrounding people felt momentarily dizzy.
The last time that happened was during the live debut when Moonlight shared stories of his student days.
Back then, though, everyone only saw those stories as “back then,” separating the current Moonlight from his past self.
Right now, seeing them perform, emotions were a little different.
The lady next to Xu Yong touched his shoulder.
Surprised by being interrupted, Xu Yong turned around with an inquisitive look.
“Did I hear correctly? You called them Tian and Gan? What’s up? Are you joking with them on purpose?”
“Not at all, we usually call them that.” Xu Yong said.
“They’re classmates,” Rang added.
“Oh…”
Surrounding spectators nodded knowingly.
Classmates!
Yeah, it’s normal for Moonlight and Cat Sauce to be high school students.
For classmates to attend their concert, absolutely normal.
Thinking about it, the lady felt a touch of sentimentality.
“To go from high schoolers to the stage, that’s truly hard! Especially seeing ordinary high schoolers like them.”
One could picture the two of them, once plain students under the dazzling lights.
It was a fascinating concept.
They were regular people whose music wasn’t just magically created, but honed through their efforts.
“What. She’s sick?”
“Oh? So that’s what happened to Cat Sauce all along?”
“What?!”
Suddenly,
Somewhere along the way, whispers started spreading.
The message rippled through the audience, reminiscent of a game of telephone, gaining momentum.
Many spectators lowered their devices to type or whispered to their neighbors.
“Asthma?”
“Depression?”
“Lightest weight less than 80 pounds?!!”
“Oh my god!”
The news originated from the most popular live stream at the venue, the Bilibili channel ‘Sunny Uncle Dong.’
As many spectators had been chatting in the stream, everyone saw it when news got posted!
With its spread, the atmosphere heated up.
“Seriously, Cat Sauce did this?!”
“Why didn’t we know earlier?”
“How did someone like her become an artist?”
“Heaven, why is it she’s just an 18-year-old girl?”
“.”
At this moment,
Zhang Dong in the live stream lowered his voice with grim emotion,
“This is something I learned just recently from an insider acquaintance.”
“Even that guy only found out yesterday from another acquaintance.”
“Unconfirmed, but I bet it’s true.”
Listeners were surprised to see.
Zhang Dong, who usually mocked his fans, now wore an expression of unprecedented melancholy.
Lost in thoughts, Zhang Dong muttered to the livestream,
“I hate! I hate it!!”
His teeth clenched,
“I hate that I only learned of this now, I, who claimed to be most knowledgeable about ‘Moonlight and Cat.’”
“Can you imagine?”
“Cat Sauce, an 18-year-old girl, despite suffering so much, persists on stage.”
“What pain and scrutiny she faced? Unimaginable!”
Zhang Dong’s eyes welled up.
His affection for Cat was genuine, admiring and venerating her.
Not caring so much about labels, Zhang Dong just wanted to convey his sincere appreciation for Moonlight and Cat.
Now, knowing about Cat’s difficulties,
Even jokster Zhang Dong’s emotions overran.
Thinking about it, his heart ached for her deeply!
Simultaneously, he was genuinely grateful and impressed by Teacher Moonlight for walking her through this journey.
Zhang Dong wiped his tears, addressing the stream,
“I want everyone to know,”
“Gan Yan Yu is Cat Sauce’s real name.”
“Don’t ignore that she’s just a regular teen despite her shine.”
“Precisely because she’s ordinary, she’s amazing!”
Those lingering in Zhang Dong’s stream were profoundly stirred.
Rerouting their attention to the stage,
Seeing Yan Yu passionately playing “Symphony No. 6 in G minor”…
Amidst the soaring sorrow,
Some viewers fought back tears.
“Always felt her cello could reach souls, but never imagined she could embody this.”
“In fact, this symphony mirrors her life.”
As the two cellos clashed,
Tension built up in the audience.
Bai Xi stepped down without anyone taking her place.
Finally, it was just Moonlight and Cat.
They started their most loved piece, “One Step Away,” with tango music filling the air.
Tian and Yan Yu immersed themselves.
Together, they performed as if dancing gracefully in the piece.
As the chorus approached,
Tian rose and came to Yan Yu,
To the audience’s explosive cheers,
He took her hand—
The heavy atmosphere vanished.
Instead, there was immense surprise.
Here it was!
Everyone’s favorite moment—
Moonlight and Cat, MV of “One Step Away!”
Immediately,
Yan Yu blushed as she held Tian’s hand.
The two moved front and back,
Under the vast stage,
Supported by the orchestra.
High heels clicked the floor; youthful steps were stately and elegant.
Dancing elegantly.
“Wow, wow, wow! It’s really happening!!”
“Gah, gah, gah! Did you buy tickets for this?! Just for this moment?!”
“Too beautiful! Sister Cat, too handsome! Brother Light!”
“They knew what we wanted to see!”
“.”
Seeing this,
Even Zhang Dong, who was downcast earlier,
Regained his spark of joy.
Particularly when he saw Yan Yu’s blissful smile,
His spirits surged again.
Why be negative?
What asthma, mental illness—those were past!
No matter what hardship, they had overcome!
Now, as Yan Yu stood radiant on stage,
“Ppl attending this should be happy for her!” Zhang Dong exclaimed.
Audience energy soared to new heights!
Amidst thunderous applause,
They settled down, mesmerized by the dance of Light and Cat.
For many traveling far to see this concert,
This moment was the highlight.
Moonlight and Cat sure planned this well!
Earlier grumpy audience members were heartened.
East Brother was right!
Past shouldn’t weigh too much on us,
But seeing Cat now, we should celebrate!
As the music concluded abruptly,
Intermission began.
There would be a 15-minute break,
Primarily to rest the players.
Moonlight and Cat could leave the stage.
“Let’s go.”
Tian smiled and tried to hold Yan Yu’s hand.
She shyly dodged,
“People everywhere.”
A tired face showed a defiant, “Nuh-uh” smile.
“Think you can make it?”
“Yeah, thanks to her support, I’m breathing fine.”
“Your face is pale.”
“I’ll pop another pill and be fine.”
“A new song is next.”
“Ah. Haha, ah-ah…”
Yan Yu coughed twice, covering her mouth.
Panic flashed across her face.
Quickly, she urged Tian offstage.
“Just now, Cat sneezed, right?”
A front row viewer wondered aloud.
Turning to his neighbor for confirmation.
But they both wore identical horror-stricken faces.
“Cat Sauce is sick??”
“Really? When’d this happen?”
“Didn’t she look terrible all day? Thought it was lack of sleep!”
“Figured it was just bad lighting!”
“…”
Cat Sauce was ill!
News spread lightning fast.
From front row to rows far back,
Many fans went pale.
“Is she performing sick today?”
Zhang Dong shook his head in disbelief.
Circling back to the starting point,
If heard normally, nothing much.
But now!
Now, in light of recent revelations!
“If it’s just a minor ailment, they could’ve told us and justified the use of special guests. We totally understand that,”
“Why keep this hidden?!”
“Come on. Is the universe really trying to torment our Cat Sauce?!”
“What the heck is going on? Right now??”
“Give us backstage info?!”
In moments,
The whole audience descended into chaos!
As news spread more absurdly,
Fans opened phones, sharing and seeking validation.
“What’s really happening?!”
Everyone cried out.
Simultaneously,
Staff announced the next piece from the stage.
The very first new track for Moonlight and Cat,
“Fate Symphony,”
And it’s done.
