### Chapter 363: Debussy’s “Moonlight” (Part 2)
As the high notes of the piano began to evaporate, the cello suddenly sank deep into the sea.
Gan Yan Yu’s bow trembled on the A string, and her rosin particles formed tiny starry clouds under the spotlight.
Lin Tian closed his eyes slightly, gently pressing each key with his fingers.
And so, he played and played…
Outside,
everyone grew increasingly bewildered.
One of the judges, an old professor, began to frown deeply from the moment he arrived.
“What kind of music is this?”
“Is this even classical music? This lack of organization??”
Out of politeness, the old professor didn’t ask his peers their opinions. He preferred to believe that Lin Tian had miswritten the score rather than admit he couldn’t understand it.
“This shouldn’t happen. Despite their stubborn attitude towards classical music, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu wouldn’t make such rookie mistakes, right?”
Another, slightly younger judge chimed in,
“They’re the creators of the Symphony of Destiny.”
Even though they felt differently about Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu’s stubbornness with classical music,
as judges worthy of this position,
they had standards.
What goes around comes around.
But they never imagined that Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, who were typically rock-solid in classical music, would produce something this abstract.
At that moment,
Zhang Dong, watching the live stream, also noticed something off with the music.
“This isn’t classical music, right? I’m starting to lose my confidence.”
No matter how he listened, it should still be considered classical music.
But the more he listened, the less it seemed like it.
What the heck was going on?
Seeing his comments section flooded with questions:
“Wait, wouldn’t Moonlight Brother have made such a low-level mistake?”
“Are you saying this piece isn’t up to par as classical music?”
“Could this piece not even be classical music and we’re just guessing?”
“Could it be, you just don’t get its structure?”
Zhang Dong was about to explode.
They could question Zhang Dong’s violin skills, but they couldn’t question Zhang Dong’s undying love for Moonlight and Cat!
“There are people out there wondering, could this piece be anything but classical music? Could it just be because we didn’t get its structure?”
“What do you think? Would Moonlight Brother stoop so low just to fit the competition format?”
“Doesn’t this piece have emotional depth that matches classical music?”
“Answer me!”
Zhang Dong tilted his head and glared at the screen,
“Up until now, which part of this ‘Moonlight’ has been a consistent repeat?”
“Answer me!”
“You all, claiming this ‘Moonlight’ isn’t classical music—answer me!”
“Look me in the eyes!”
“Tell me!”
“Why?”
“Why??”
Zhang Dong’s endless questioning had everyone in his chatroom in stitches.
It was like a sudden case of hiccups!
But no one could refute him.
For a while, no one dared to say a word in the chat.
But then, Zhang Dong adjusted his mood.
He glanced at the live stage, and watched the judges’ brows furrow even deeper as they listened intently, almost in panic mode.
He lost it too!
So, these old farts can’t understand either!
Seeing this, Zhang Dong felt a bit smug.
All these judges who schemed so much against Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu couldn’t even figure out the music.
But, let’s be honest,
Zhang Dong refocused his attention back on the music.
If this ‘Moonlight’ is indeed a classical piece,
and if it’s true that it lacks a center and proper structure,
then what is Moonlight Brother up to???
Meanwhile,
at the commentary table—
Zhu Ye and Feng Ye, the commentators, were also driven mad.
“I give up, Zhu Ye, do you know what’s happening?”
“No idea,” Zhu Ye replied helplessly.
The fact that two professional commentators were utterly clueless was quite the spectacle for the audience.
Now, the actual meaning of the performance didn’t matter anymore.
Understanding the structure became the universal priority for everyone.
Feng Ye tried to make sense of it by analyzing the climax,
but there wasn’t really any climax to speak of.
There literally wasn’t any buildup!
‘Moonlight’ was continuously creating tension through a low note chord progression.
Each time you thought it had reached a climax,
it was just pushing you further away—
like a tease that wouldn’t come true!
If it were another composer,
everybody would call this piece a mediocre work with minor errors.
But it’s Lin Tian.
The “classical music master” many people look up to, even if they wouldn’t admit it to themselves.
Therefore,
people subconsciously think it’s their own fault, not Lin Tian’s.
In this mindset,
the commentators, judges, audience members, and viewers online were all equally perplexed.
Everyone’s gaze was locked on Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
“What are you guys doing??”
The moonlight suddenly turned sticky.
Lin Tian remained calm.
Outside disturbances didn’t seem to affect him whatsoever.
His entire focus was on the performance.
With Lin Tian playing faster and Gan Yan Yu drawing her bow with tremendous force,
the young man immediately intensified the left-hand augmented sixth chord, filling her deliberate pauses with the sound of bronze bells.
Here it comes.
“…”
This segment is the hardest part of ‘Moonlight.’
Previously, it was where Gan Yan Yu frequently made mistakes.
But now,
Lin Tian’s unintentional glance at Gan Yan Yu revealed sweat forming on her neck, leaving marks on her white satin robe.
She stood there, bathed in light, displaying unprecedented boldness and confidence.
Her performance of such a gentle, charming moon scene brought the emotions to life.
Gan Yan Yu succeeded.
Cleanly, neatly.
It was smooth sailing, without any ripples.
She’s really strong.
So strong that Lin Tian feels terrified of her.
After conquering her stage fright and other obstacles,
Lin Tian wonders what challenges might still stand in Gan Yan Yu’s way.
She’s learned so much after just a little guidance.
Lin Tian was relieved.
From her first concert to reaching the semi-finals of the Dragon Zither Cup,
he’s seen Gan Yan Yu grow.
From struggling on stage to being overwhelmed by fans, to now displaying her technique boldly,
she’s become a true cellist.
That’s the joy of nurturing someone.
However, amidst this satisfaction, Lin Tian felt a hint of doubt.
Looking at Gan Yan Yu, he knows she’s confident today not because of his pep talk.
It’s because she genuinely wants to win.
Her bold performance is a testament to her desire to win the world championship.
She’s determined to achieve this goal at any cost—winning and maintaining her victories.
In other words, her power comes from her relentless pursuit of victory and her dreams.
Which means,
Lin Tian finds Gan Yan Yu extremely attractive.
But, what if someday they lose?
Like now.
Putting winning at all costs into her dreams is a devilish pact.
It brings strength, but strips them bare when they fail.
When losing used to leave some room for retreat,
now they have nothing left.
For Gan Yan Yu, this is everything.
Lin Tian knows he can only take risks.
Regardless,
let them see a determined Gan Yan Yu—
how terrifying can she be?!
“…”
“~”
The cello’s E flat note began,
and the prism at the dome refracted the moonlight into twelve silver streams.
In that moment, Gan Yan Yu, her face exquisite, closed her eyes and played the cello to its limits.
The audience suddenly widened their eyes.
“So beautiful,”
Feng Ye murmured.
“Here it comes.”
Yao Han, almost smiling in triumph, said,
“Gan Yan Yu’s immersive experience!”
At that moment,
a scene of unparalleled beauty enveloped the Baijing Concert Hall.
Backstage, many cellists also gasped in surprise.
What a breathtaking sight!
Moonlight shattered on the lake, each silver foil dissolving subtly in silence.
The night breeze blew across the reeds, causing their green leaves to tremble, imitating musical staves on the water’s surface.
The reflection of the abandoned pier across the lake was fragmented by the ripples, and tiny fish swarmed out of rotting cracks, carrying the light of the submerged stars.
Humid mist rose from the water, forming translucent ribbons entwining around willow branches.
Decaying wooden planks revealed the slow sinking of last autumn’s sycamore leaves as their veins were clear lines like strings in the moonlight.
This view was beyond stunning.
So stunning that,
it almost seemed too unreal to be real.
Unreal!
How poetic could a scene be to be fake?
Zhang Dong whispered to himself,
Suddenly,
an idea lit up in Zhang Dong’s mind.
He lifted his head sharply and exclaimed,
“Exactly! Everything here is simply an illusion created by the water’s reflection!”
“…”
“Moonlight by Lin Tian isn’t really the moonlight at all!” Feng Ye said excitedly,
“What do you mean, water’s reflection?”
Next to me, Zhu Ye looked confused,
“Take it easy first, we’re commentators, need the audience to understand, right?”
“In other words, this ‘Moonlight’ itself doesn’t follow any storyline; it’s entirely intentional.”
“Intentional? You mean we guessed blindly?”
“That’s it.”
Feng Ye organized his thoughts and continued,
“In truth, I can’t be sure I’m right, but I feel this piece by Moonlight Brother is intended to serve as a reflection for our viewing pleasure, showing us things as we see them.”
“So what is the point of doing this?”
“Criticism.”
At the same moment,
in Zhang Dong’s live stream,
he shared the same conclusion as Feng Ye.
“Moonlight Brother always does this; he likes adding side notes to his music.”
“With this piece, he created an abstract work that defies the traditional structure of classical music.”
Zhang Dong said this with a bitter smile, almost defeated.
From this perspective,
everything became crystal clear!
“This piece uses fragmented arpeggios to create the auditory space and intentionally omits a central point or formal structure.”
Explaining this to the audience,
Feng Ye said,
“This deconstruction of the central point is essentially mocking the grand narrative structure of classical music.”
The more you look for structure, the less you’ll find.
“So it is,”
Zhu Ye whispered, stunned,
“Then why no climax point?”
“The anti-climax aesthetic.”
Feng Ye explained something unfamiliar yet familiar to Zhu Ye.
“Really?!”
“Yes, Lin Tian is using this very technique to criticize the contemporary habit of seeking instant gratification.”
At this point,
Feng Ye paused.
With thousands watching!
His sentence clearly stated:
‘Moonlight’ mocks those listeners who seek emotional highs rather than appreciating good music.
He’s talking trash—especially to those who listen to “g*n Out Like a Dragon.”
And he even took a shot at his own audience,
which took Zhang Dong by surprise,
“You got your wish, let’s see others get surprised like you.”
Zhang Dong sighed in the chatroom,
It’s like wanting to see others falling into the same trap you fell into.
But what he anticipated the most was the judge’s response.
He lifted his head, fixated on the live feed of the judges’ reactions.
What will you do with this kind of classical music?
(The chapter ends here.)
