### Chapter 42: Can-Can!
Gan Yan Yu practically plopped down next to the piano, just thirty centimeters from Lin Tian.
Her front was facing Lin Tian’s side.
Dude, seriously?!
With you staring at me like that, how am I supposed to play??
It felt like being under exam conditions, with the invigilator sitting right in front of you, sharing a desk.
You finish filling in a blank, and the teacher goes, “Tsk!”
Complete a multiple-choice question, and a “Hey~” pops up next.
And that’s while you’re still trying to get through the test.
Or imagine you’re gaming, and your ADC just hauls their monitor right next to you.
Playing some ridiculous robot, and the moment you miss a shot, they pop up, saying, “Hey buddy, what’s going on?”
“No way! If you’re staring at me, I can’t play!”
Lin Tian waved his hands in protest.
If it was a performance, it wouldn’t have mattered much.
But the thought of Gan Yan Yu’s gaze fixed right beside him made him feel completely uneasy.
The pressure was already overwhelming, and now he had a d*ath stare to deal with!
“Ah, I won’t talk!”
Gan Yan Yu pulled a bit of a pout, looking both wronged and stubborn.
“I just wanted to find a connection! Sitting closer might help us ‘share our thoughts,’ like in a fairy tale,” she explained animatedly.
What’s the difference? Other than being louder, what does sitting close accomplish?
In fairy tales, a kiss can bring a dead person back to life—now that’s impressive, right?
But speaking of “sharing thoughts,”
Lin Tian suddenly realized that maybe their lack of connection was due to their emotions being out of sync.
All Lin Tian could think about was playing the piano well without dragging Gan Yan Yu down.
While Gan Yan Yu was likely focusing on “Ode to Love.”
If they could sync up their emotions, maybe it would work wonders…
So, decided! “Can-Can” it is!
“Let’s try this piece!”
Lin Tian retrieved the score from the piano and handed it to Gan Yan Yu.
“A new piece?”
Seeing Lin Tian effortlessly pull out a new score like a magician, the young woman looked pleasantly surprised.
“Just finished it today.”
He had intended to build their chemistry with “Ode to Love” first before recording this one.
But it seemed this tune might suit them better.
“Can-Can.”
Gan Yan Yu read the title, then glanced at the score and started to hum along softly:
“Sa-la-si-do-la, mi-fa-sa-la-si~”
“Do-la-mi-fa-so, la-si-do-la-mi~”
Without realizing it, her little mouth began to curve upwards.
Her expression brightened up.
What a fun piece!
Just humming along made Gan Yan Yu feel her spirits lifting.
“Hey~ you’re humming it wrong!”
Lin Tian’s expression turned serious.
“Sing it like I do.”
“Come, come, I’m a banana, sweet sweet sweet banana~”
“What the heck?”
Gan Yan Yu clamped her mouth shut, stifling an elegant giggle.
“Is that your source of inspiration? You saw a giant banana and whipped up this tune?”
“If it was a giant banana, it’d be a different song!” Lin Tian corrected, “Just follow my lead.”
With the composer saying so, Gan Yan Yu had no choice but to obey.
“Come, come, I’m a banana.”
“Not enough flair!!” Lin Tian boomed.
She shivered at his shout, then blurted out:
“Come, come! I’m a banana! Sweet sweet sweet banana!!”
Blushing furiously.
In the meantime, Lin Tian seized the moment to start playing the piano.
“~”
The light and cheerful notes started to ring out.
Lin Tian played while singing along:
“Come, come, I’m a pineapple, pi-pi-pi-pi-pineapple~”
“La-la-la-la~~”
The atmosphere instantly became lively.
Gan Yan Yu, blushing like a tomato, couldn’t help but get swept up in the joy.
It felt so embarrassing but somehow necessary to shout louder to cover that embarrassment, which just made things even more embarrassing!
They danced like dolls and bears, going back and forth in rhythm.
“Stop just singing, where’s the piano?” Lin Tian shouted.
Gan Yan Yu snapped back to reality and quickly grabbed her bow.
With the cello joining in, the music doubled the fun!
“Da-da, da-da-da-da-da~”
They quickly transitioned from bananas and pineapples to just random singing!
“Smack smack smack that banana, smack that banana smack it~”
As long as they kept the rhythm, anything they sang could be pure joy!
If someone peeked through the balcony at Lin Tian’s house right then,
They’d see two folks looking like they’d lost it, yelling their heads off while playing!
It was hard not to suspect they’d gone completely bonkers!
Not calling the cops would be considered a miracle!!
After fully diving into the groove, the two eventually stopped singing.
They entered a completely immersive jam session!
With the piano getting faster, Lin Tian’s fingers danced swiftly across the keys;
The girl’s bow zipped back and forth, making it seem like the strings would snap at any second!
Sweat droplets like beans fell, splashing on the piano and the strings.
Gan Yan Yu stared at Lin Tian, while he locked eyes with her.
Their gazes intertwined, no one flinching away, just sharing a knowing smile.
In that moment, their thoughts merged, emotions perfectly aligned.
They put on a thrilling duet!
As the last note rang out, Gan Yan Yu slumped back in her chair.
Her sweat-drenched clothes made her already-thin dress practically transparent.
She gazed at the ceiling, her pretty face still smiling.
It had been ages since she felt such pure joy from music.
She longed to share this happiness with everyone, let them taste the same feelings.
That must be the essence of being a composer and musician.
“Not bad at all!”
Lin Tian walked over to the phone stand, checked the recording of their recent jam.
After snipping away the embarrassing parts, the rest was good to go!
Sure, “Can-Can” was significantly more challenging than “Ode to Love,” with its rapid tempo, and both instruments playing equally crucial roles.
Yet, they pulled it off!
This must be how Bo Ya and Zi Qi felt!
Gan Yan Yu hurried to Lin Tian’s side.
Thinking of their earlier performance, her face remained beet red.
She hadn’t expected to lose her mind like that.
This piece was definitely addictive.
The girl leaned closer to peek at the video on his phone.
Her body leaned heavily against Lin Tian.
Mixed with the scent of her sweat, the dampness of her dress was almost intoxicating.
The fragrance was similar to what he’d caught from her school uniform that day—he didn’t mind it at all.
Lin Tian could even feel her sweat drenching his arm, everything feeling damp.
Her hair brushed against his arm, tickling him.
But speaking of which, Lin Tian himself was drenched in sweat too.
Did Gan Yan Yu not mind? Or was she oblivious?
Could this count as a different kind of emotional connection?
(End of Chapter)
