Chapter 392: Little Gan Doesn’t Understand How to Express Love
In the increasingly agitated music…
A loud shout pulled Gan Yan Yu out of her own little world.
She lifted her head to meet Lin Tian’s gaze.
In that moment, the young woman’s lips trembled slightly, her expression seemingly puzzled.
But Lin Tian remained silent, simply watching her eyes.
And just like that…
The music seemed to gradually calm down, returning to stillness.
Before Lin Tian could even feel happy about it…
In response, the young woman’s cello lost its momentum.
The performance turned into a puddle of stagnant water.
And that was that.
“How did this happen?!”
With the performance halted, Lin Tian cradled his head, staring at Gan Yan Yu in disbelief.
“This piece… there’s no reason we couldn’t play it well!”
“I-I don’t know.”
Gan Yan Yu looked a bit confused.
She was completely lost in her own world while playing. Sometimes, she couldn’t even tell how her performance was going.
But judging by Lin Tian’s expression, she knew.
She had apparently messed up.
“Maybe it’s just because I’m out of practice. It’s been a long time since I last played.”
Gan Yan Yu leaned closer to Lin Tian, speaking earnestly.
“How about we try again?”
“It’s not a matter of practice.”
Lin Tian said, a little dejectedly.
This couldn’t possibly be about practice.
After all, this “Ode to Love” was the first piece he wrote for Gan Yan Yu.
How could she not be practiced enough?
This was clearly a matter of mindset.
“This is ‘love’, Teacher Gan.”
Lin Tian couldn’t help but blurt out,
“Do you understand love?”
He hesitated to reveal his most intuitive feelings.
He was afraid of hurting Gan Yan Yu.
In Lin Tian’s mind,
Given their current relationship,
Even with “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor,” they could pour so much emotion into it.
So “Ode to Love” should be just fine!
They should be able to perform it in the sweetest and most romantic way!
How could it taste so different?
That previous piece had completely lost its essence!
When Gan Yan Yu played, she wasn’t seeing it as herself.
That’s why Lin Tian had shouted earlier, trying to get her to focus on him.
But judging by the results…
It seemed to have no effect.
Could it be…
“Wake up! Teacher Gan!”
Lin Tian gripped Gan Yan Yu’s shoulders, shaking her desperately.
“What on earth are you thinking?!”
Gan Yan Yu felt dizzy from the shaking.
She gripped Lin Tian’s hands to steady herself.
In Lin Tian’s astonished gaze,
Gan Yan Yu pondered for a moment.
“I was thinking about the competition…”
“Maybe… it’s just like last time. Once I remember it’s for the finals, my mind can’t help but get overwhelmed with pressure.”
Gan Yan Yu analyzed seriously.
“…”
Lin Tian was stunned.
How could someone be so clearly aware of what they did wrong yet still make the same earnest mistake?
Lin Tian was speechless.
Because this perfectly described Gan Yan Yu’s previous mentality.
She hesitated because she lacked confidence in performing this piece well.
She was already doubtful about playing this piece, and then the overwhelming pressure during the performance made it reasonable for her to lose focus.
But…
Was it truly just because of the pressure?
Hadn’t they dealt with that during the preliminaries?
For some reason…
Looking at Gan Yan Yu, Lin Tian felt something sinister stirring within him.
— He decided it must be his lovesick brain at work.
“Little Gan Classmate.”
Lin Tian spoke.
When he switched titles, it meant he was about to switch to coaching mode!
“When you perform again,”
Lin Tian said,
“Just focus on me.”
“Just look at me, and that’s it!”
This was the best idea he could think of.
He still hesitated to say those nauseating words out loud.
How to put it…
In Lin Tian’s eyes.
Love should be subtle, something that’s “understood without words.”
And as a musician,
What Lin Tian hoped for was to communicate with Gan Yan Yu through music.
That was how their relationship had always been.
So…
How could he say something like “infuse the music with your love for me”?
That kind of mushy line was just too much for him to say to Gan Yan Yu.
Normally,
Wasn’t it supposed to be understood intuitively??
They were already performing “Ode to Love”!
With Gan Yan Yu’s personality, this should be something she excelled at!
So likewise,
Lin Tian also never voiced that line.
— “Is it because you don’t like me enough that the performance turned out this way?”
If he said that, he’d end up sounding like a lovesick fool.
He wouldn’t stoop to asking such a question.
Lin Tian always believed.
Gan Yan Yu was just a bit slow on the uptake.
Nothing more.
So…
“Just look at me.”
Lin Tian said.
He would set a good example for Gan Yan Yu’s learning!
Then,
Lin Tian struck the keys.
His hands began to dance across the piano, beautiful music resonating once more.
“…”
Lin Tian had talked many times about when he first fell for “classical music.”
But for some reason, he hardly mentioned when he started liking Gan Yan Yu.
That was actually hard to pinpoint.
Because just like the heart fluttering system suggested.
Whether you’d fall for someone was largely predetermined from the moment you first met.
According to this theory,
When Lin Tian first saw Gan Yan Yu, his heart fluttering rate must have been off the charts.
The moment he caught a whiff of her faint scent, laced with sweat and dirt from her school uniform, his heart had already skipped a beat.
As for the “like”…
That had to be during that disastrous concert.
In that performance,
To understand the inner workings of this mental case of a girl,
Lin Tian tortured himself physically for the first time.
He personally felt her sadness, pain, dreams, and obsession.
That was their first synchronicity in music.
At the same time,
In that competition, Lin Tian also saw a more genuine side of Gan Yan Yu.
She was truly beautiful.
Whether it was “peer communication” or “soul resonance.”
In short,
When the audience erupted in applause, Lin Tian completed his bow on stage for the first time.
Looking at Gan Yan Yu next to him, her cheeks smeared with sweat and tears.
For the first time, Lin Tian wondered in his heart—
Do I really like her?
Teenagers these days…
Once such a question pops up in their minds, it can spiral out of control.
Lin Tian started to look forward to seeing Gan Yan Yu every day.
Watching her eat was cute, seeing her focus on playing the cello was adorable, and each time she timidly came over to his house like a guest was just too cute to handle.
Teenage boys…
Actually don’t often have “raunchy” thoughts about girls they genuinely like.
But Lin Tian was alright; he’d lived two lives.
So that buff didn’t work on him.
To translate this means:
Lin Tian wanted to do things with Gan Yan Yu while eating, fantasized about doing things as she earnestly played the cello, and wanted to pin her against the wall each time she came over timidly.
This was normal; Lin Tian never thought such thoughts were a big deal.
After all, he didn’t want to do such things with anyone else.
Wasn’t that pure love?
Pure “do” love.
Lin Tian thought for a moment.
He was almost moved to tears by his earth-shattering affection.
This was Lin Tian’s love!
No matter the form, Lin Tian could be sure that his feelings were definitely thick enough.
—Would they be able to convey it?
Lin Tian quickly played on the piano.
He turned to glance at Gan Yan Yu and smiled.
“Pay attention and learn well, Teacher Gan!”
This was the way to inject such fullness of emotion into music that he learned from you.
Now, please take it seriously!
Lin Tian pressed down hard on the piano keys.
In that moment,
Gan Yan Yu looked at Lin Tian.
Her face suddenly flushed.
Huh?
Gan Yan Yu didn’t understand.
Why was her heart racing so fast in a daze?
Lin Tian’s piano sounded different now.
It seemed softer, more romantic… comforting.
Gan Yan Yu’s pupils widened a bit.
This Lin Tian…
Was so handsome.
Though he’d always been handsome.
Better yet,
Gan Yan Yu realized the concept of “handsome” came from him.
The young woman swallowed hard.
Took a deep breath.
Her gaze shifted from initial confusion to hesitation, finally becoming determined.
She finally lifted her bow.
Seeing this, Lin Tian quickly smiled.
Then he poured even more joyful emotion into the music.
The cello rang out.
Their duet began!
Gan Yan Yu closed her eyes and drew the bow.
Her cello was light but carried a heavy tone.
Tender yet powerful, flowing like a blooming lotus in the pond.
The music cascaded down in an incredibly elegant manner.
It worked!
Lin Tian’s heart leaped with joy.
Gan Yan Yu’s cello suddenly felt light.
Gone was the previous suffocating pressure.
Sure enough,
His line of thought hadn’t been wrong.
Gan Yan Yu just needed a guide.
As long as he conveyed his feelings well through the performance,
Gan Yan Yu would definitely understand!
At that moment,
A smile began to form at the corners of Gan Yan Yu’s mouth as she played.
Unintentionally,
The young woman’s toes lifted gracefully.
—She was enjoying the piece.
She no longer had to keep watching Lin Tian; she could easily immerse herself in the music.
She smiled sweetly.
Lin Tian hadn’t seen such a comfortable expression on Gan Yan Yu’s face in a long time.
The last time she smiled so happily during a performance was back in “One Step Away.”
Just like that.
Their feelings should be this kind of smile-inducing level!
Lin Tian thought to himself.
He even found that…
Gan Yan Yu’s cello was now so lively that it overshadowed his own.
Causing Lin Tian to force himself to infuse a fuller emotion into the performance to keep up with Gan Yan Yu’s tempo.
However,
Gradually, Lin Tian began to sense something amiss.
As the music reached its climax.
Gan Yan Yu’s emotions shifted for the third time.
From the initial “subtle sweetness,” to “the mere thought brings joy,” and finally, Lin Tian heard an “excited and passionate” emotion in Gan Yan Yu’s cello.
No,
The flavor changed!
This wasn’t their love.
Their love had never been “excited and passionate.”
Their love had always been tranquil and beautiful, flowing gently like a brook.
This indicated that…
Gan Yan Yu’s current mindset was once again influenced.
But,
Considering their performance was still quite nice,
Lin Tian didn’t interrupt.
Until they finally finished performing the entire piece.
Lin Tian tilted his head, resting on the piano.
“What’s wrong?!”
Seeing this, Gan Yan Yu hurriedly approached, looking into Lin Tian’s eyes.
“Did I mess up again?”
“It’s not about messing up or not!”
Lin Tian expressed some frustration.
So close, yet so far!
Clearly, Gan Yan Yu’s first half of the performance under his guidance was almost a success.
But for some reason, in the latter half, it seemed Gan Yan Yu’s thoughts drifted away.
If she pushed through, they would have succeeded, yet she just couldn’t muster the same energy.
It was just slightly off!
“Were you thinking about something else toward the end?”
Lin Tian asked, raising his head.
“I…”
Gan Yan Yu seriously recalled.
“Maybe just a bit.”
She said quietly,
“Because I thought we were close to making our dreams come true, so I got a bit carried away.”
“I see.”
That makes sense,
The Gan Yan Yu from earlier must have been trying to reflect on her feelings.
But involuntarily, she connected it to the finals.
That was unavoidable.
After all, in their world, emotions have always been tied to dreams.
Lin Tian pondered for a moment.
Summarizing these two performances,
He finally figured it out.
Gan Yan Yu had never struggled to express herself because of the pressure of the finals!
But due to the inner “excitement”—because of the imminent finals and their dreams just within reach.
The difference was that the latter was a very positive mindset.
But the problem was,
“Ode to Love” was meant to be profound.
It had to carry a deep, untainted “loving feeling.”
If Gan Yan Yu always let the finals affect her emotions, their “Ode to Love” would always miss that little bit of “feeling.”
So why was Gan Yan Yu like this?
Why didn’t it affect Lin Tian?
Although reluctantly,
Lin Tian felt…
Gan Yan Yu actually wasn’t very good at expressing “love.”
Yes, she had never really excelled at it.
The previous “Hungarian Dance” was precisely because Gan Yan Yu didn’t understand what “love” was that she poured all possible emotions into it, creating a chaotic mess that perfectly encapsulated all the feelings of loving someone.
But Lin Tian believed.
That time, Gan Yan Yu might have been somewhat overboard.
Moreover, she had merely managed to interpret it.
She wasn’t skilled in “confessing love.”
Understanding “love” and conveying “love”
are entirely different.
Clearly, she wasn’t nearly as good at it as Lin Tian was while playing the piano earlier.
It was then that Lin Tian recalled that seemingly trivial yet quite fitting statistic.
[Heart Flutter Rate: 12%]
From their everyday interactions, it was evident.
She rarely took the initiative to express her feelings, often coming off as robotic.
Her emotional awareness was simply too low.
In the past, whenever Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu faced a piece they didn’t know how to connect with,
They would quickly seek to experience and practice, finding the feeling of that piece through similar emotions.
Never would he have imagined,
In this final competition of the year,
The ultimate question standing between Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu was perhaps one they had never properly explored before—love.
“Little Gan Classmate.”
Lin Tian took a deep breath, paused, and said,
“How about we do something… intimate?”
(End of Chapter)
