### Chapter 347: The Little Curse Cast by Moonlight and Cat
“Can we change the third section?”
Three days ago, in the deep of night, Gan Yan Yu slammed her coffee cup onto the piano sheet holder, soaking Lin Tian’s meticulously written score.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian raised his head, surprised, and looked at the young woman.
This was the first time in all this time that Gan Yan Yu had suggested a “modification” to a piece he composed.
“Why?” he asked, propping his chin in his hand and leaning on the table with an amused expression.
You must understand, this was none other than the famous “Blue Danube,” composed by the waltz king Strauss! For centuries, it had become a cultural icon of Austria.
And now, you want to change it? It’s not about whether you can change it, but whether you can actually change it!
Even Lin Tian’s adaptations merely rearranged the instrumentation; he always held great respect for the original score.
“I—I don’t have any issues with this piece at all! Lin Tian, you wrote it beautifully!” Gan Yan Yu stammered, then paused, fidgeting with her little finger and whispering, “Let’s just call it a selfish little request. I want to add a bit of my own emotion into this piece.”
“Your emotion?” Lin Tian asked, intrigued.
“Yeah!” She nodded vigorously, tilting her head back to glance dreamily at the sky outside the window, slowly adding, “Last night, after performing this ‘Blue Danube’ at your place, I dreamed.”
“I dreamt that I was really in the Golden Hall of Vienna, performing on stage with you, playing my favorite classical music.”
“After the performance, you took my hand, and we walked by the Danube. This dream felt so vivid; when I woke up, it was like it really happened.”
Lin Tian stared blankly at Gan Yan Yu.
Until she finished sharing her dream with sparkling eyes, then looked down at herself, saying, “So, I want to make a tiny change—to weave my dream into this piece. I want others to feel my passion too.”
At this point, Gan Yan Yu hurriedly added, “I—I know this might be a bit selfish.”
Seeing her serious expression, Lin Tian smiled.
“Of course! Let’s go with your idea. After all, this piece was originally written to illustrate your dream.”
As the third waltz section approached, Gan Yan Yu used a counterpoint technique reminiscent of Bach’s unaccompanied suites to reconstruct the melody, making every triplet sprout Baroque-style decorative foliage.
At that moment, the music shifted into a passionate frenzy!
Lin Tian’s piano also shifted its style, creating frequencies akin to shards of glass breaking.
Suddenly, the previously calm Danube began to surge with fierce waves!
What lay beneath was Gan Yan Yu’s burning dream!
Feng Ye practically had goosebumps from the excitement.
In a daze, he seemed to follow the steps of the moonlight and cat, walking right into the Golden Hall.
On this historic stage, bearing the dreams of countless musicians, he stood there.
In the audience were thousands of fans, fervently applauding his recent performance.
He stood there, calmly enjoying the moment, proclaiming himself a world champion!
What an amazing dream!
However, from this variation, it was clear they’d transitioned from classical to a more modern style of performance.
Wasn’t it better this way? Why cling to classical music? Feng Ye was even more puzzled.
Or perhaps it was a compromise made for the sake of the competition while still ensuring they performed “classical music.”
Even someone like Feng Ye, a music critic, found himself swept away, simply imagining the scene he had just witnessed.
Not to mention the other musicians backstage at the concert hall at that moment.
“What a unique piece,” Bai Xi couldn’t help but whisper.
“The first half felt like Vienna honey, but from the third section on, it changed. I feel different too…”
Right!
As she thought about it, Bai Xi suddenly understood why this “change” gave her goosebumps.
In the first half of the piece, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had presented a beautifully enchanting waltz, painting a picture of Vienna for all the listeners.
Not to mention whether Lin Tian had been to Vienna.
Just this piece could transport everyone there.
The scene he crafted was truly beautiful.
As dusk draped silver over the Danube, the whole city began to sway gently with the river. The river reflected the steeple of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and amongst the rippling light danced the ancient notes of Lin Tian’s “Blue Danube.”
The columns of the Golden Hall awakened in twilight, the skirts of sixteen marble music goddess statues flowing with a honeyed glow. This music temple, adorned with gold leaf, had air infused with the aroma of a hundred-year-old pine resin and parchment scores.
The most moving passages blossomed in the Schönbrunn Palace gardens at dusk.
When the fountains danced to the melody of the “Valley of Spring” waltz—yes, if you’ve heard Lin Tian’s piece before, you’d feel more immersed.
Young women in Baroque dresses twirled on the gravel paths, their skirts brushing against the tulips awakened by moonlight.
As night deepened, the waves of the Danube began to echo the cello’s murmur.
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu leaned against the newly-planted smart streetlights by the riverbank, light dappling on their shoulders as they returned home. The rosin in the young woman’s violin box, still drying, mingled with the three-century-old notes secreted in the river.
Such a breathtaking scene!
Bai Xi was truly lost in the moment.
Well done, Master Lin Tian!
Being in Tianchao without traveling anywhere, yet still able to write such an ode to the Danube.
She could even say this piece could rival those historical classical pieces praising the Danube.
However, amidst such a beautiful ambiance, as Gan Yan Yu’s cello variation ascended, the entire style of the piece transformed in an instant!
The Danube surged forth, and the lights of the Vienna concert hall sparkled.
Its perspective suddenly shifted from a beautiful landscape to focus on one person.
That person was Gan Yan Yu.
At the same time, it could also be all the musicians.
Following Gan Yan Yu’s gaze, everyone’s vision of Vienna shifted.
That vision represented the dreams of all musicians!
The heartfelt chords surged forth.
At that moment in the rest room, the emotions of the other instrumentalists shifted dramatically.
Some remained silent, their excited pupils trembling.
Others had already let loose, exclaiming loudly:
“My God, what a beautiful Vienna!”
“So this is how Gan Yan Yu sees the Danube! I’m so envious!”
“Ahhhh! I must go to Vienna! I must go to the Ke’er Cup!”
“One day, I must perform in the Golden Hall. No regrets in this life!”
“I will realize my dream. Boohoo! I’ve played for 20 years just to see such a scene!”
In an instant, the contestants, who had initially been watching the competition with a relatively calm attitude, began to pour out their heartfelt emotions.
Indeed, how could anyone who came here not have a dream like Gan Yan Yu described in their hearts?
However, as professional performers on a competitive stage, people rarely mention “dreams” out loud.
Because discussing “dreams” on a competitive stage feels utterly foolish.
Gradually, many professional musicians had repressed their feelings for so long that they had begun to view “dreams” as almost unreachable.
Over time, many didn’t even know how to portray such scenes anymore.
It seemed they only remembered — to win the world championship.
That’s all.
However, in this “Blue Danube,” when Gan Yan Yu’s variation played, it allowed all musicians to rediscover a tangible “dream”!
In Vienna, by the Danube, at the Golden Hall.
Many had long blurred concepts suddenly became so clear.
In a daze, they even seemed to smell the Danube’s scent, feeling the shimmering light of the Golden Hall upon them.
So beautiful.
Unbelievably beautiful.
“。”
At this moment, they stood on the Dragon Zither Cup stage.
It was only a step away from realizing their dreams.
Gan Yan Yu presented such a dreamlike and vivid representation of dreams that made one feel as if they were being transported there.
Through the young woman’s performance, they felt that “I absolutely must go to that place” passion.
How could this not stir everyone’s heart?
At this moment, even the audience outside, including many who had no connection to music, couldn’t help but be excited as well.
[I don’t know why… I know nothing about the Danube, but listening to this music makes me want to cry from the emotion]
[Ahhhh! This is amazing! I want to go to Vienna too!]
[I’ve never dealt with anything musical in my life, but after hearing this, I want to learn the cello.]
[Really… While I’m not in this field, I can absolutely feel their dedication to their dreams hitting hard!]
[.]
Looking at the flood of comments, Zhu Ye and Feng Ye were momentarily stunned, completely unprepared for this twist.
The two commentators exchanged glances and smiled at each other.
Their smiles weren’t just joy for the piece resonating with the audience.
Rather, they suddenly realized that in the previous “Fourteen Poems,” there seemed to be no purely expressive comments like this at all.
Their brief moment of surprise was further proof of how after Maestro Maozi’s “Pop Music,” they almost didn’t react.
As seasoned commentators and professional music critics, this smile held a hint of self-deprecation.
Indeed…
Is this not what true music is?
“.”
However, the wave of positive feedback from the audience didn’t last long.
Soon, entirely different and opposing reviews filled the livestream.
And they were not few in number.
[No… Am I too LOW? Why can’t I relate at all?]
[Are these comments serious? All this praise has me questioning my taste.]
[It’s good, but really, I can’t comprehend how so many are feeling moved and inspired!]
[Why are there even performers crying? Did they get paid off?! (shocked)]
[I guess that’s the power of fandom.]
[.]
These subsequent comments quickly created a conflict with the initial enthusiastic ones.
And soon, sparked a wave of debate.
The two sides rapidly became embroiled in shouting matches in the livestream, with insults flying everywhere.
“Music is a very subjective thing. Different people have different feelings about different music, and that’s normal,” Zhu Ye stepped in at this point, gently trying to mediate.
He never expected such a stellar work would provoke such arguments.
The spat was between those who couldn’t relate and those who felt deeply moved.
“Exactly, as a famous saying goes: In a thousand eyes, there are a thousand interpretations of Hamlet,” Feng Ye quipped, attempting to relieve the tense atmosphere, but with little effect.
In a livestream room of fifty thousand people, such a discourse was perilous.
It wouldn’t be long before it spread across major social media platforms.
Both commentators were sweating, glancing at the performance space, trying to change the topic.
However, at that moment, they both noticed something unusual on stage.
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, having completed the variation and hit the second peak of the music, exchanged glances while they played.
Lin Tian wore a smile that seemed like he was barely suppressing laughter!
This smile had nothing to do with the emotional context of their performance!
The two commentators were absolutely certain of this.
Because that grin seemed utterly ridiculous!
It felt more like he found something amusing, like he anticipated some ironic event about to unfold.
Could it be…?
Feng Ye glanced at Zhu Ye, uncertain.
Could it be that Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had already foreseen that their variation would spark audience discussions?
Given how familiar they were with the competition rules, it wasn’t impossible.
“.”
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Feng Ye’s head.
He quickly turned to Zhu Ye, who had a similar panic-stricken expression.
After a moment of shared understanding, they both had their answers!
This wave of audience debate wasn’t baseless but rather something entirely anticipated!
Because those arguing weren’t professional trolls, they weren’t there just to criticize— they simply couldn’t empathize!
Because they couldn’t empathize, when they saw others praising the performance, drawing connections to passion and dreams, they felt awkward, even enraged.
Everyone else had gained emotional value from the music.
Yet they heard nothing and had to watch people express their feelings.
Of course, they’d feel displeased, even humiliated!
They might even yell, “This is nowhere close to Maestro Maozi!”
From this perspective, it was easy to understand.
The issue lay within the “Blue Danube” itself.
In the first half, its music truly was beautiful.
However, the notes of this piece were undeniably ancient.
It was an incredibly traditional classical piece—so traditional it hardly fit into any other category.
Simply listening to this performance, the audience could sense it was like echoes from centuries past.
This kind of music has high bars.
It requires earnest appreciation to perceive the “beauty of the Danube” within.
Yet in the latter half, as Gan Yan Yu’s variation struck a vibrant note, this emotional surge emerged.
This section was truly accessible to any listener on an emotional level!
Moreover, their superb technique offered sheer listening pleasure.
However, that’s where the issue sprouted.
Only those who had appreciated the “classical music” in the first half and genuinely engaged with the beauty of the Danube could feel touched when Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu played about their dreams.
Because of that understanding, their emotions could be fully released in this section, even moving many cellists to tears— because it was beautifully crafted!
But for those who hadn’t genuinely savored the “first half,” those who found it dull and slow-paced, who hadn’t listened attentively…
When the variation hit, their emotional experience would be decidedly diminished!
They could tell the latter half was cool, yet their emotional take was just not the same as everyone else’s!
This was Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu’s—an interesting yet heartbreaking little curse.
If you didn’t engage deeply with classical music,
You could forget about gaining any emotion from their performance!
“.”
Feng Ye couldn’t help but crack a smile!
Upon hearing Gan Yan Yu’s variation, he truly believed the pair had compromised, altering the piece to resonate more with the audience by integrating modern pop elements.
Now it seemed,
They weren’t compromising for the audience at all!
They were intentionally toying with them!
The latter half of this performance clearly showcased that Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu possessed the capabilities for creating and performing pop music—and they were incredibly skilled!
It seemed they had predicted some audience members only heard the modern elements and glossed over the earlier performance.
So they served up a grand showcase right at the climax, making you all feel something!
While the music was the same, in that technique, the emotional reception of both groups of listeners was starkly unequal!
Zhu Ye and Feng Ye couldn’t hold back any longer.
These two were way too clever. Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had turned the Dragon Zither Cup stage into their playground for hijinks!
(End of Chapter)
