### Chapter 353: Enthusiastic University Student Fans
Just before getting off the bus, Gan Yan Yu turned around and nervously adjusted her appearance.
She fiddled with her bangs and asked Lin Tian, “How do I look? Any problems?”
Lin Tian squinted his eyes, “It’s just Tuoba Lao Deng, right? No need to be nervous!”
Suddenly, Lin Tian remembered that Gan Yan Yu used to be a massive fan of Tuoba Jianhui.
But after that Parrot Zither Cup incident, Lin Tian thought her fan filter would’ve shattered to pieces. I mean, who could actually like such a petty old man?
On the flip side, artists can be quirky. Many famously unpleasant personalities have still managed to create timeless works of art.
“If you’re that serious about it, I should tidy up a bit too,” Lin Tian said, pushing his bangs back.
“What?”
Gan Yan Yu chuckled at Lin Tian’s antics and grabbed his hand, “I’m just worried about making a bad impression on the seniors!”
“In just two months, we’re going to enroll at Tian Yin, and it’s my first time being here, so of course, I’m a little nervous.”
“True.” Lin Tian smiled as well.
Honestly, the reason they both made such a fuss to come today wasn’t just to flatter Tuoba Jianhui.
Mainly, it was the excitement of envisioning their future college life. They had only just found out they were likely to be accepted and rushed over to check out the campus.
Talk about major “us time”!
“So, how about my look today?” Gan Yan Yu asked again.
Lin Tian scrutinized her seriously this time.
Today, she was rocking Lin Tian’s second-favorite sweet girl outfit: a super short camisole underneath a pink casual jacket, her waist peeking out just enough, and that pleated skirt accentuating her long legs, radiating pure youthful energy.
This version of Gan Yan Yu could smile a lot more than usual, and when she did, she looked like an adorable angel; any guy glancing her way would be utterly entranced. Even Satan would say she’s healing!
And, by the way, this outfit? Totally Lin Tian’s creation.
He owned the rights to it!
In the past, Gan Yan Yu’s wardrobe was pretty conservative—mostly sticking to keywords like “vintage,” “artsy,” and “innocent,” with most clothes being solid colors.
She wouldn’t go near anything too flashy or bright.
Then one day, Lin Tian stepped into Gan Yan Yu’s room and discovered that this girl, though sporting an old lady vibe, was just like any other typical girl on the inside—she just liked to repress herself.
So, Lin Tian gifted Gan Yan Yu a pink watch.
After that, she never suppressed her girlish heart again and truly let herself go.
Now she was trying out all sorts of bold styles and colors, and her wardrobe had become much more diverse.
Seeing Gan Yan Yu like this made Lin Tian quite proud.
—I did that!
If anyone else got to witness this cute version of Gan Yan Yu, Lin Tian was definitely going to charge a fee!
Why should they have all the fun for free? He created this masterpiece!
“Lin Tian?”
Seeing Lin Tian lost in thought, Gan Yan Yu tilted her head, a bit confused.
“Oh!”
Lin Tian snapped back, candidly saying, “You look great—especially today! You exude such friendliness that any senior you encounter will warm up to you quickly.”
“Yay!”
Gan Yan Yu held her cheeks, beaming with satisfaction.
If she only knew what Lin Tian had been thinking just now, she might have rolled her eyes at him.
They got off the bus.
In front of them stood the comprehensive building of Tianchao Music University.
Since the vehicle went straight into the campus, they found themselves right at the center.
There were tons of university students moving about. Cars buzzed past, and students either rode shared bikes or walked in tight-knit groups along the sidewalks.
The campus was lushly manicured, offering a breathtaking autumn view. Like Xingye Music Academy, there was a stunning artificial lake here as well.
No wonder it was the crème de la crème of music universities!
Just taking in the scenery made Lin Tian feel refreshed.
Honestly, this place felt less like a university and more like a park.
To Lin Tian, a university’s scenery was closely tied to its prestige.
Elite institutions had a way of shining through even in a viewer’s eyes.
Plus, Lin Tian didn’t think Xingye Music Academy was much worse.
But then again, knowing he was standing on ground belonging to a top-tier school with a rich historical legacy made everything suddenly a lot more pleasing.
The top-notch greenery, stunning campus vistas, even the air felt sweet.
Even the students strolling on the streets seemed to have their heads filled with oceans of knowledge, radiating elite confidence in every gesture.
Of course, Lin Tian, who had attended university in his past life, knew better.
These were just high schoolers wearing academic filters!
These college kids probably had more thoughts about hitting on girls or about flirting with girl students.
Or maybe those two thoughts could coexist.
They were probably pondering how to charm girl students into helping them.
Now, that’s a real college student’s life!
But clearly, there were some who hadn’t quite shed their high school naiveté.
—Little Gan Classmate.
Spotting a cluster of students coming their way, Gan Yan Yu instantly tensed up, lowering her head nervously while edging closer to Lin Tian.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Tian asked, amused.
“Do I look too flashy today? What if they think poorly of me?”
“I already told you—you look great! You’re just overthinking this, Little Gan Classmate.”
“But seriously, I’m super nervous!”
Gan Yan Yu lifted her head and looked earnestly at Lin Tian.
“The students here are the future of Tianchao music, representing the new generation of Tianchao music. Just look at them! They’re so vibrant!”
“And if they represent the new generation, then what are you?”
Lin Tian was at a loss for words.
Does this girl not realize her own value?
Why is she still being so self-deprecating?
As the group of students drew nearer, suddenly—
A guy holding textbooks stopped in his tracks.
He stared blankly at Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
Two whole seconds passed—
The book dropped to the ground.
“Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu?!”
“No way, it’s really them!!!”
The guy shouted.
Quickly, several other students with books glanced over and got hyped up.
“Ahhh! Lin Tian Sensei!!”
“Gan Yan Yu Sensei!! It’s really Gan Yan Yu Sensei!!”
“Please, sign for me, Gan Yan Yu Sensei!!”
A bunch of students eagerly surrounded Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, shouting with excitement.
—The future of Tianchao music is lost!
Lin Tian thought to himself as the shouts echoed around them.
Before long, people across the street, outside a convenience store, and along the lakeside path had all heard the commotion and rushed over.
In no time, there was a crowd gathered around Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
What had started as chaos had morphed into a major fan event.
Usually, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu could go out without makeup and no one would recognize them.
But step into a music university and suddenly they were treated like international superstars!
Living the superstar treatment!
“Lin Tian Sensei!! I’ve been a fan for ages! I have every one of your albums!!”
“How did you come to our school?! Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu Sensei, did you know the entire academy is full of your super fans?!”
“I’ve been watching your competitions lately—go for it! Tianchao music is counting on you two!!”
One student, who looked like she was around five feet tall and had a classic southern appearance, even opened her bag and squeezed in holding a cello.
She made her way to Gan Yan Yu.
“Can I get your autograph, Gan Yan Yu Jie Jie? I also study cello, I really admire you! Could you sign my cello?!”
“.”
Faced with someone clearly older than her, who still called her “sister,” Gan Yan Yu took the pen, took a deep breath, and surprisingly felt a bit nervous.
Then, with great seriousness, she signed her name on the girl’s cello.
“Is this okay?”
Gan Yan Yu looked a little uncertain as she tucked away the pen.
The girl peeked at the signature and exclaimed in excitement, “It’s perfect! Thank you, Gan Yan Yu Sensei!!”
Soon, the crowd went wild.
“I want one too! Gan Yan Yu Jie Jie, please sign my violin!!”
“Ahhh! I play the harp, but I really love you!”
“With Gan Yan Yu Jie Jie’s blessing, I’ll definitely become the best musician!”
“d*mn it. What about my piano, though?! Can I run home and grab it?”
Emotions ran high!
At such a prestigious university, even if a few trending stars were around, students wouldn’t mind as long as shooting didn’t disrupt public spaces.
But if Moonlight or Cat showed up, well, that’s a whole different story!
“Thanks… thank you, one at a time, please.”
Caught in this whirlwind, Gan Yan Yu quickly became dizzy, turning into nothing more than a signing machine.
As she signed on one instrument after another, all those rosy daydreams and fantasies in her head were likely far gone by now.
Lin Tian couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Yet, as he observed closely, he noticed that although Gan Yan Yu seemed overwhelmed in the crowd, the corners of her mouth were constantly lifted.
Gan Yan Yu never mastered that signature smile.
Every time she smiled at the audience before a performance, it was a genuine expression of excitement about the coming show—indicating that she was eager to embrace the stage.
Every smile from her was heartfelt.
“.”
Looks like Gan Yan Yu really loved this feeling.
In fact, the last time they were at Xingye Music Academy, Gan Yan Yu also experienced something similar.
It seemed she genuinely cherished the affection from students who shared her passion for music performance.
In her eyes, besides fans, perhaps they also served as kindred spirits—admiration from like-minded souls brought her joy.
At this moment, He Zhi Chen appeared right on cue—having parked the car earlier, he went to buy water for Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu. As their agent, he was quite accustomed to this caretaker role.
Seeing Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu suddenly swarmed by a mass of students made him anxious, and he hurried over.
“Make way, make way!”
Since Lin Tian preferred not to be disturbed, He Zhi Chen usually didn’t arrange for bodyguards.
However, he certainly hadn’t expected the two would be recognized by so many people, and his responsibility for their safety had him worried.
When the crowd parted and He Zhi Chen reached them, he saw that Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu were fine and engaging in cheerful conversation with the students.
“What?! You’re starting this September?!”
A boy exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my gosh, I’m going to be schoolmates with Gan Yan Yu Jie Jie!”
The previously eager young girl said, her face lighting up.
The atmosphere was harmony incarnate; students with phones approached to snap photos, and Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu quickly posed with peace signs.
“.”
He Zhi Chen sighed in relief and couldn’t help but smile.
Yeah, putting aside their identities, they were just a bunch of passionate music-loving peers.
What could possibly go wrong?
“Hey, back already?”
Lin Tian called out once he spotted He Zhi Chen.
“It’s time to go, Lin Tian Sensei.”
He Zhi Chen paused a moment.
“Tuoba Sensei is already waiting for us.”
After a heartfelt goodbye with the enthusiastic students, Lin Tian and the group followed a teacher leading them to the conducting department’s building at Tianchao Music Academy.
As they entered, Lin Tian immediately spotted Tuoba Jianhui’s photo and introduction on the teacher’s notice board.
—Department head of the conducting department and vice president of the music academy.
Beneath that was an impressive list of awards and performance experiences. It seemed even significant accomplishments had been too numerous to note down entirely.
Tuoba Lao Deng had indeed lived a remarkable life.
Thinking of what he had learned from Yao Han before, Lin Tian felt a touch of nostalgia.
The leading teacher guiding them noticed Lin Tian lingering and enthusiastically began, “Tuoba Dean is currently one of the top three active conductors in our country; the others have either retired or passed away. Among the top three, Tuoba Dean is the only one still working hard on the front lines!”
“Besides teaching, Tuoba Dean spends all his time with the orchestra.”
Still fighting on the front lines, huh?
Lin Tian had thought someone like Tuoba Lao Deng would have retired long ago.
And when “orchestra” was mentioned, it triggered even more thoughts in Lin Tian’s mind.
He recalled those experiences from twenty years ago when Tuoba Jianhui had disbanded a once-world-renowned orchestra.
In reality, he had evidently been heartbroken. Even after reforming the orchestra later, he never returned to the ideals of his youth.
Why keep pushing himself now?
This orchestra was likely adapting to the modern music scene, drifting away from classical roots, right?
He had evidently lost interest two decades back.
So why was he so determined to do it now, still doing something he had once disliked?
Even Grandpa Gan had been brewing coffee for sixteen years.
“.”
Lin Tian couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Then, under the teacher’s guidance, they ascended the stairs.
It was class time.
The teaching building was quite tranquil, occasionally filled with sounds from nearby music classrooms.
Arriving at one classroom door, the female teacher paused.
“Tuoba Dean is currently teaching; please wait a moment,” she instructed.
“Okay.”
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu peered inside the classroom.
—That familiar, controversial face Lin Tian would never forget.
The once grandstanding Tuoba Jianhui, who behaved like royalty on stage.
Right now, he was wearing a rather casual shirt, his hair a mess, resembling a slightly shivery old man.
No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t resemble that legendary conductor at all.
Now, it was a theory class.
Students in the conducting department were focused intently.
Meanwhile, Tuoba Jianhui was explaining while playing the piano—a first for Lin Tian, discovering he could play!
“It’s obvious that the male student from earlier really struggled—he let a cellist take him off track during our last joint practical class!”
“I’ll restate once more, as a conductor, you must firmly hold onto your own ideas! The baton in your hand is everything! How you convey your thoughts through the orchestra is a lifelong lesson for every conductor.”
“What you should do is continuously analyze the music.”
Tuoba Jianhui spoke animatedly, a far cry from his reserved demeanor on the judging panel during the Parrot Zither Cup.
Just then, Lin Tian noticed.
On the blackboard, Tuoba Jianhui had laid out a ton of classical music arrangements for example purposes.
Was he indeed passing on classical music to his students?
Hadn’t he already given up?
In that moment, Tuoba Jianhui seemed to sense something, turned around, and spotted both of them.
“Wait a second, students.”
Tuoba Jianhui announced, then walked toward the two.
Lin Tian’s heart raced as he fixed his gaze on the old man who had previously argued with him.
However, when Tuoba Jianhui reached them,
Before Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu could say a word, Tuoba Jianhui extended his hand and asked,
“Want to perform?”
(End of chapter)
