### Chapter 386: The Future of the Cellists
He Shu Mo looked at Yao Han, adjusting his glasses. Although his expression remained calm, he was secretly amused.
Yao Han was in a panic.
He Shu Mo had never seen Yao Han this anxious before.
Clearly, today’s ensemble had triggered something in him.
But who could blame him?
After all, no one expected Mao Wei Ang and Bai Junze to undergo such a massive transformation in just a little over a week.
Their biggest weaknesses before?
They were all fixed during this ensemble!
All of Yao Han’s meticulous plans had turned into a joke.
If he could still keep his cool now, that would be truly odd.
Saintly persona?
He thought for a moment.
It was the first time He Shu Mo heard someone use that term to describe Moonlight and Cat.
Indeed, when you think about it,
Lin Tian and Teacher Gan Yan Yu were truly remarkable musicians.
They took a world-class “Fate Symphony” and used it for charity.
With the goal of participating in the Cole Cup, they steadfastly refused to change their repertoire.
In the face of such targeted challenges, they remained committed to classical music.
It was as if they genuinely wanted nothing in return.
They just wanted to perform on stage.
Is that weird?
Not really.
These two had always been this pure.
He Shu Mo nonchalantly lit a cigarette.
“Honestly,” he exhaled a puff of smoke and said,
“I think I’m starting to like those two.”
Yao Han turned to look at him.
“…”
This ensemble, just as Yao Han said, indeed,
It was as if those two had actually spawned two monsters themselves!
First off, agreeing to perform with their rivals after the semi-finals was already outrageous.
And then, they helped their opponents grow.
Who helps their rivals break through their mental barriers?
He Shu Mo was about to burst out laughing.
They were truly sincere and kind-hearted people.
Do you think they knew this would happen before doing it?
Not really.
It seemed more like they never even considered that possibility.
It wasn’t that they were careless.
They just didn’t care.
For them, maybe they never saw the others as competitors in the first place?
“This is the charm of the music world,”
He Shu Mo sighed.
Too bad he wasn’t in the same generation as them.
If only he interacted more with Moonlight and Cat, he’d surely be completely captivated by them.
Speaking of which,
Helping their rivals discover problems in their performances
was probably the first time Moonlight and Cat had ever done something like that.
But Yao Han had been doing it all along.
Isn’t he also someone deeply enchanted by this demonic duo, Moonlight and Cat?
“…”
Yao Han looked at He Shu Mo.
At that moment, he raised his head, his eyes lighting up with realization.
“I got it!”
He lowered his head, seriously reflecting, then looked up, bursting with excitement.
“Lin Tian and Teacher Gan Yan Yu are doing all this to unleash their own potential in the finals. They really don’t care about any improvements from their opponents!”
“Ha?”
He Shu Mo thought he misheard,
“Are you out of your mind?”
Now, He Shu Mo really started questioning Yao Han’s mental state.
“Even if they didn’t intend it this way, it’s a fact now! The opponents they’ll face in the finals are just like that!”
Yao Han spread his arms, thrilled.
“Best for them! Good job, Teacher Lin Tian!”
Yao Han murmured.
At this moment, memories of numerous competitions flashed through his mind.
In previous performances,
which time did Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu not need an extremely strong opponent to create miracles?
This time,
the opponents they would face in the finals
would be Nanaly, who had just topped the scoreboards, and Mao Wei Ang and Bai Junze, who had just broken through their mental barriers under their guidance.
“Just wait.”
Yao Han said,
“In such an environment,”
“They… they’ll definitely deliver the best performance in the finals!!”
Wednesday.
In the independent office of Comet Entertainment,
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu personally signed a copyright agreement with Mao Wei Ang regarding “Zhao Zi Long.”
In the contract, both parties clearly stipulated that all income from this piece would be used for charity.
And the authorship would be shared among the four.
“What a pity,”
After signing the agreement, Mao Wei Ang looked at the contract and smiled,
“I thought collaborating with Teacher Lin Tian on this piece might get included in your new album.”
“You mean ‘The Collection of Moonlight and Cat Vol. 5’?”
“Yeah.”
“You want to be in this album?” Lin Tian laughed.
“Definitely.”
Mao Wei Ang was surprisingly serious.
“This piece was created by the four of us, so it holds a lot of sentimental value for me.”
Lin Tian looked at Mao Wei Ang and also sincerely explained,
“It might not be the best, but it holds a unique place in my heart. So it doesn’t need to go in the collection.”
“Got it!”
Mao Wei Ang nodded in understanding.
Actually, Lin Tian had another reason he hadn’t openly admitted.
Because the “Collection of Moonlight and Cat” series consists entirely of memories belonging to Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
And the works were all gifts from Lin Tian to Gan Yan Yu.
This time’s piece clearly wasn’t one of those.
So it obviously couldn’t be included.
But his serious explanation to Mao Wei Ang was genuine.
Lin Tian indeed felt
this was an ensemble he would cherish.
During this time, working with this scholarly, elegant musician, Mao Wei Ang,
and Bai Junze, who seemed carefree but was sincerely kind to others.
He felt really happy.
Of course, there were moments when his bl**d pressure shot up.
But fortunately, this time, he had Gan Yan Yu, the best in the house.
Lin Tian turned and glanced at Gan Yan Yu.
At this moment, she was sitting neatly, not playing with her phone or looking around. Like always, while Lin Tian spoke, she obediently sat there, staring off into space.
In this ensemble, she burned brightly as a supporting character, illuminating the two other musicians.
Without a doubt, she was the MVP!
“One day, we’ll collaborate again.”
Lin Tian said.
“Is there really going to be another chance?”
Mao Wei Ang’s expression was slightly bittersweet.
Lin Tian suddenly remembered that Mao Wei Ang had only a few months left, looking a little awkward.
It was Mao Wei Ang who forced another smile to break the awkwardness.
“I won’t hold back in the finals.”
“Me neither,” Lin Tian replied.
“What do you think, how many people will remember our concert?”
Out of the blue, Mao Wei Ang suddenly asked,
“In a few years… will they still recall this stage we performed on?”
Seeing him ask this,
in Mao Wei Ang’s eyes, Lin Tian caught a hint of melancholy.
It was the reluctance towards life nearing its end, and an unspeakable regret.
Having written so many timeless pieces in his lifetime,
is this truly what mattered most to him?
“…”
Looking into Mao Wei Ang’s eyes, Lin Tian understood.
What does it matter, having composed all his life?
Perhaps,
only this one piece, this stage, this serene night,
is when he finally played for “himself?”
“I’ll remember,” Lin Tian said.
He patted Mao Wei Ang’s chest,
“I’ll help write your story from now on.”
“Even if I can’t, there’s still Teacher Gan Yan Yu.”
Lin Tian said, glancing at Gan Yan Yu.
Just then, the daydreaming Little Gan snapped her head up,
blissfully blurting out a “Huh?”
“…”
Seeing this scene, Mao Wei Ang chuckled, “Alright.”
Then, tears suddenly streamed down his face.
He blocked his eyes with his right arm to keep the tears from falling, leaning against Lin Tian’s chest, while slapping Lin Tian’s shoulder with his other hand,
“Thank you, Teacher Lin Tian.”
“Thank you.”
On stage, as the audience wept, he had not cried.
But now, in the office, after saying those words to Lin Tian, he broke down.
Lin Tian gently patted his arm, silent.
As they walked out of the office, Lin Tian spotted Bai Junze.
This guy was, as always, oblivious to the outside world, lounging on a chair in the company hallway, staring at the ceiling.
When he saw Lin Tian come out, Bai Junze immediately straightened up, excitedly saying,
“Senior!”
“Stop calling me senior; we’re about to meet in competition.”
“—You’re still competing, right?”
Lin Tian asked, a bit uncertainly.
His doubt stemmed from Bai Junze’s odd demeanor since getting this cello.
He had spoken less and even often stared off into space.
Lin Tian knew,
his ten-year wandering life would soon change.
“Yeah, since I’ve made it this far, I’ve got to see the finals stage. Not everyone gets a chance to witness the glitz of the Dragon Zither Cup finals.”
Bai Junze grinned, then paused and added,
“But I’ll probably withdraw from professional cello competitions after this.”
“You’re retiring?”
Gan Yan Yu was surprised beside him.
“Yeah.”
Bai Junze said,
“I plan to go home.”
“Going home doesn’t necessarily mean retiring; you can still join international competitions.” Lin Tian suggested.
For someone with Bai Junze’s talent, retiring would be a real waste.
Even if he didn’t win the Dragon Zither Cup championship, with his outstanding performance, he’d surely have more opportunities on international stages later.
“Nope.”
Bai Junze chuckled,
“I started my wandering life because of my old man’s issues, but now that I’ve let go, there’s no reason to wander anymore.”
“So many years without being by my mom’s side, I owe her too much. I won’t be running around anymore, will dedicate myself to staying at home.”
“What do you plan to do back home?” Gan Yan Yu asked.
“I’ve already chatted with my mom on WeChat.”
Bai Junze replied,
“I’ll become a teacher.”
“After all, that was his wish.”
Bai Junze looked down at the ground, murmuring,
“I plan to, when I return, bury this cello, and then apply at that local high school back home.”
“I’ve actually thought it through; my musical dreams don’t have to be realized through competition victories.”
Bai Junze lifted his head, grinning widely,
“Staying in the countryside, teaching kids music, that’s actually quite a fulfilling life. It also gives kids who don’t have the chance to touch cellos a shot.”
“Then the school probably can’t afford a salary for a Dragon Zither Cup finalist.”
Lin Tian teased, laughing as he held Bai Junze’s hand.
Actually, taking a moment to think about it, Lin Tian found himself envious of Bai Junze.
His and Gan Yan Yu’s dreams were different.
Their dream was to take classical music out into the world.
Thus, winning competitions was a must.
They had to reach everyone, let more people listen.
That was the only way their dream could be fulfilled.
So, Lin Tian couldn’t afford to be as carefree as Bai Junze.
But,
once he wins the Cole Cup championship,
if everything goes smoothly,
he wouldn’t mind after graduating university going back to Qingzhou with Gan Yan Yu, becoming a couple of teacher couples in high school.
At that point, the fame of being world champion teachers retiring to teach would sound nice.
Just thinking about it felt exhilarating.
“Good luck, senior.”
Bai Junze firmly shook Lin Tian’s hand, saying,
“I believe, if it’s you two, you can do it.”
“That ambition of mine that couldn’t come to fruition… I entrust it to you.”
Bai Junze gazed intently into Lin Tian’s eyes.
Lin Tian was a bit taken aback.
—At that moment, Lin Tian didn’t register the meaning behind that gaze at all.
He merely nodded, somewhat confused.
“Well, see you on finals day!”
Bai Junze freed his hand, chuckling.
Then he turned around, slinging his tape-wrapped cello behind him as he left.
“By the way… whatever happened to his old cello?”
Lin Tian wondered aloud, watching Bai Junze’s retreating figure.
“Who knows? Who would want such a fancy cello even if he sold it secondhand?”
Gan Yan Yu replied.
Then Lin Tian looked down at Gan Yan Yu,
“So Teacher Gan, where are we heading next?”
“Of course, we’re heading home.”
Gan Yan Yu clasped her hands behind her back, slightly raising one foot, smiling as she said,
“Soon, we’ll kick off our final practice for the Dragon Zither Cup!”
“This last competition in Tianchao this year … no accidents allowed!”
“Yeah.”
Lin Tian smiled too, patted the cello behind Gan Yan Yu before they walked forward.
As they walked halfway, Lin Tian’s phone buzzed with a message.
He opened it to find a message from He Zhi Chen.
“Teacher Lin Tian, are you online?”
Seeing that, Lin Tian reflexively closed WeChat.
Then he skillfully opened Weibo.
Before long,
he came across a topic that made his eyes go wide.
“Moonlight and Cat’s performance ends, Dragon Zither Cup officials named by Huaxia Daily — Why can’t pop and classical music receive equal treatment?”
(End of Chapter)
