Chapter 76: It’s Normal as a Partner (4K)
Lin Tian had never been to a suit store before.
In fact, the sight of two high school students in a suit store was already a rare phenomenon.
“This is one of our most popular styles recently. You can take a look, sir.”
The store was bright and lavishly decorated. The saleswoman didn’t treat them lightly just because they were high school students; she patiently explained things to Lin Tian.
“…”
After all, this was his first time performing on stage, so Lin Tian was quite cautious.
Yet, as he listened to the saleslady enthusiastically narrate the features, he still felt a bit lost.
To Lin Tian, a suit was still something far removed from his everyday life.
After all, he was the kind of guy usually seen in a T-shirt and baggy shorts, and the most formal he got was washing his hair for a slightly more serious occasion.
His usual look screamed “standard disheveled teenage boy.”
Besides, he had the classic M haircut!
That’s the signature hairstyle of male leads in neon anime. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of “I’m a student, pamper me!”
Who in their right mind would picture a guy with an M hairstyle in a suit?
“Can I ask what your needs are, sir?” the saleswoman asked.
“Business attire, wedding, or banquet?”
“Do you have any fabric preferences? We commonly use wool, cashmere, linen, and silk, each offering different textures, weights, and breathability.”
“…”
“Let’s go with the business style.”
Just as Lin Tian pondered over it, a blue sample suit was shoved into his arms.
He looked up to see Gan Yan Yu pressing the outfit against his chest.
“Try this one on.”
Then she turned with a polite smile to the saleswoman, “Could you help him try it on, please? Thank you.”
Five minutes later.
The changing room curtains were pulled aside, and Lin Tian stepped out.
Gan Yan Yu, sitting on the sofa, unconsciously stood up.
Her exquisite eyes were glued to him.
Broad shoulders and a well-defined chest stretched the deep blue suit impeccably.
The collar lay neatly over his white shirt, with the tie’s slim line perfectly crossing between his well-defined collarbones.
Standing there, he was like some kind of fiery dragon in armor, one hand adjusting the sleeve of the other, which was slightly too big.
The cuffs peeking out revealed silky blue, complementing the suit’s color.
“…”
Gan Yan Yu’s eyes sparkled like little stars.
This was the first time Lin Tian was scrutinized by her with such an expression.
Normally, he’s the one staring at her—now that their roles were reversed, Lin Tian felt a bit nervous.
“How does it look?” he asked.
“Looks good,” she nodded earnestly, giving him a thumbs up.
“Lin Tian, you suit a suit even better than I imagined!”
Hearing her praise, Lin Tian stroked his chin and glanced in the mirror.
He expected to see a heavy teenage vibe, but surprisingly, he actually looked decent?
Especially with his chest and white shirt pairing nicely, he exuded enough boss vibe that if he left the suit jacket unbuttoned, he would look pretty slick.
Talk about a showstopper!
No wonder they say: A suit is a man’s armor.
So this is what it feels like to wear armor!
“Though the size is a bit big, the style is great. A custom fit would be perfect,” Gan Yan Yu said while adjusting Lin Tian’s sleeves.
“…”
The last time someone helped him with his outfit, he might as well have been born in the wrong era.
Watching Gan Yan Yu diligently fuss over him gave Lin Tian a peculiar feeling.
Like a newlywed wife arranging her husband’s wedding attire.
When Gan Yan Yu’s palm brushed against his chest.
“Ah~.”
“Don’t make weird sounds.”
Gan Yan Yu’s cheeks flushed, trying to muster an angry expression.
“Teacher Gan, wasn’t it you who poked me earlier?” Lin Tian said helplessly.
“But still, that’s not allowed,” Gan Yan Yu muttered, her confidence wavering.
Just then, while helping Lin Tian adjust his clothes, she accidentally touched his chest.
It was so hard!
How could something be this hard?
Gan Yan Yu had never considered that anyone’s chest could be this firm.
Curiously, she pressed down slightly.
Feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed made her quickly pull back her hand.
A breathing chest!
This sensation was new, entertaining, but also left her heart racing!
Though she hadn’t seen others, she was pretty sure Lin Tian had one of the best bodies among his peers.
“…”
Realizing her earlier behavior might have crossed a line, Gan Yan Yu apologized.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No worries,”
Lin Tian thought, “I actually enjoyed that.”
“It’d be nice if you let me touch yours next time.”
Between partners, being honest with each other is totally normal…
—Though he really wanted to say that, Lin Tian swallowed his words and changed the subject.
“So, should we go with this one?”
“Do you like it?”
Gan Yan Yu looked up, serious.
“I think it’s fine.”
“Great!”
After the saleswoman took Lin Tian’s measurements and finalized the material, he left his phone number and successfully made the appointment.
The price? A bit pricey, enough for two months’ rent.
But Lin Tian genuinely loved this suit of armor.
Considering the ad revenue would come in soon, and he hardly ever bought clothes, he gritted his teeth and paid the deposit.
It would be ready before next Wednesday, and by then, Lin Tian could strut onto the stage in this suit.
“…”
On the way to the concert hall, inside the ride-share car.
Remembering his experience at the suit store, Lin Tian couldn’t help but ask Gan Yan Yu sitting next to him, “You seemed quite invested in my outfit?”
“Of course,” Gan Yan Yu replied earnestly, “it affects the performance. This is something we’re both involved in. On the competition day, I’ll dress up nicely, so you can’t slack off either.”
That made sense.
If Gan Yan Yu was dressed up glamorously, showing up in shorts would definitely spark some strange stories.
But since it’s said to be “together’s business…”
“Then can I also choose your outfit, Teacher Gan?” Lin Tian asked.
“Ah?”
For a moment, Gan Yan Yu didn’t catch on.
Then, she shyly looked down, holding her knees, “What do you want to see me wear?”
“Can I really choose?” Lin Tian asked excitedly.
“Well, since we’re performing together, if you have a request, I’ll do my best to accommodate.”
Gan Yan Yu said this while her feet gently rubbed together.
Although she could be a bit old-fashioned in her thinking, her fashion sense was definitely on point.
Over this time, she had shown Lin Tian several dresses already.
Actually, Gan Yan Yu was kind of looking forward to it.
She wanted to know what kind of outfit Lin Tian imagined her wearing on stage.
“School uniform.”
Lin Tian raised a finger, eyes sparkling.
“…”
“Shin Jin.”
“Teacher Gan, are you messing with me?”
“I didn’t~ Yan Yu didn’t say anything~.”
“You’re definitely messing with me! Who taught you to speak like this? Teacher Gan, aren’t we each other’s confidantes?!”
Lin Tian couldn’t help but marvel at the vocabulary Gan Yan Yu had picked up.
“Not really…”
Meanwhile, with her innocent face and squinted eyes, she made an “X” gesture with her crossed fingers and shook her head, her high ponytail swaying along.
“…”
Lin Tian had nothing to say to someone who didn’t get the allure of high school girls.
Gan Yan Yu was just a high school girl; what do you expect her to know about high school charm?
“…”
Soon, the car pulled up in front of the concert hall.
Stepping out, they faced a small square.
At the end of the square stood a glimmering colossal egg-like structure—the largest concert hall in Qingzhou City—Qingzhou Concert Hall.
It was evening, and the concert hall shone brightly, illuminating the cobblestone path of the square.
Just standing outside gave an aura of luxury and grandeur.
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu entered the concert hall where a brightly lit lobby awaited, with two long corridors extending on either side.
With half an hour left until the concert began, the lobby was filled with a few scattered visitors.
Thanks to the concert hall’s atmosphere, even though there were many people, it maintained a very quiet vibe.
In the middle stood the theme poster for tonight’s concert.
【“Voices of the Stars” Anniversary Concert】
【Star Symphony Orchestra】
【Melodies of the Galaxy, Journey of the Soul】
【Let the notes guide you through the starry sky and experience serenity and excitement within.】
The poster featured a picture of the orchestra conductor and a group photo of the members.
Tonight, this orchestra would be the performers of the entire concert.
“Quite a task,” Lin Tian thought—he and Gan Yan Yu had three pieces to perform, and that was already exhausting enough.
But taking on every piece of the concert? The orchestral musicians must be working even harder!
“This orchestra is quite famous,” Gan Yan Yu stated. “Although they’re young, most who get into the Star Symphony Orchestra graduate from world-class music academies.”
As she looked around, Lin Tian wandered down a side corridor and suddenly spotted something more interesting.
“Teacher Gan, check this out—”
Gan Yan Yu approached, her face revealing a hint of surprise.
【“Resonance of Souls” Concert】
【Gathering Qingzhou City’s rising stars, notes dance, souls resonate, dreams blossom in this moment.】
This was the poster for the concert Gan Yan Yu would soon participate in next week.
Compared to the earlier “Voices of the Stars,” this concert’s scale was clearly more significant.
A whole corridor was plastered with posters for this concert!
One of them had Gan Yan Yu’s picture on it.
“Wow~”
In the poster, Gan Yan Yu sported delicate makeup, donned a classic red dress, and played her cello.
Pointing at the poster, Lin Tian asked, “Who’s this beauty?”
“It’s me after putting on makeup.”
Gan Yan Yu playfully pressed a finger against Lin Tian’s lips, preventing him from making any more cheeky comments.
Then she stared at the poster, lost in thought.
This photo was taken back when she participated in the city competition, the “Star Cup.”
It had been a year and a half since then.
And for the whole past year, she hadn’t graced a domestic stage at all.
At this moment, her feelings were both excited and complex.
How would others perceive her?
In their eyes, how did they view her cello?
But this time, she wasn’t alone in this battle.
Gan Yan Yu turned to the boy beside her.
Lin Tian was also stroking his chin, staring at the poster, deep in thought.
He turned to her and said earnestly, “I think, Teacher Gan, you look better without makeup.”
“…”
“Okay, okay.”
Gan Yan Yu covered her face, unable to hold back a smile.
Who would seize every opportunity to analyze someone’s looks?
It seemed Lin Tian really did think about this all the time.
Well, since they would be performing together, his appearance would also affect how they presented themselves.
As partners, caring about each other’s looks was totally normal!
“Is there a restroom?” Lin Tian suddenly asked.
“There is, over there.”
Gan Yan Yu pointed to the hallway’s end, then added, “I’ll go too.”
“Okay.”
Feeling a strong sense of immersion.
Lin Tian strolled around the concert hall, glancing at several posters.
He was starting to feel a little nervous!
Just the thought of performing with Gan Yan Yu here next week made him feel like he needed to use the restroom!
Not a lack of confidence in himself.
It was mainly worry over the mental state of his cello-playing partner, who had some questionable habits.
The two had only taken a couple of steps forward when suddenly, a voice called from behind:
“Hey? Isn’t that Gan Yan Yu?”
Turning instinctively, Lin Tian realized that they weren’t addressing Gan Yan Yu but were actually staring at the earlier poster.
Two girls stood in front of the poster.
Their artistic outfits, complete with berets and gold-rimmed glasses, gave off a “artsy” vibe—like the type who would label themselves as artists during a concert and post on social media.
“Ah, who is Gan Yan Yu?”
Upon hearing the girl’s amazement, her friend asked.
“You don’t know Gan Yan Yu? She’s the granddaughter of the renowned cellist, Gan Lao!”
“Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. Wasn’t she quite famous in Qingzhou? But wasn’t she supposed to be studying abroad?”
“Who knows? She probably just came back recently.”
At that, the girl’s expression suddenly turned interesting.
“Rumor has it that she went to England to gild her name. Didn’t expect her to return so soon. Guess her skills weren’t up to par, sneaking back in, huh?”
“Totally agree!” Her friend chuckled, adding fuel to their speculation, painting a picture that fit their narrative of female rivalry.
“I never liked her. Just because her grandpa is Gan Lao, she kept branding herself as some child prodigy cellist. If I had a grandpa like that, I’d be famous too!”
Staring at the poster photo, the girl crossed her arms.
With a tint of jealousy, she snidely remarked, “Now she’s back and immediately on the ‘Resonance’ concert stage. Must be using her grandpa’s fame to sneak in.”
“You’re full of it!”
Suddenly, a male voice interrupted.
Gan Yan Yu was taken aback; she hadn’t processed what was happening when Lin Tian had already stormed over.
He shot back sternly, “Why are you here speculating about why Gan Yan Yu went to England and why she came back?”
“Who are you?”
The girl was visibly shaken by Lin Tian’s sudden appearance.
After regaining her composure, she frowned, “Everyone knows Gan Yan Yu went to England for further studies. If she’s back so soon, isn’t it obvious she didn’t make the cut? Besides, her music isn’t that great…”
“What do you know?” Lin Tian sneered.
Gan Yan Yu hurried to lower her head, using her hair to cover her face, stepping closer to Lin Tian and softly murmuring, “Don’t, Tian.”
“I ask you, have you ever attended Gan Yan Yu’s concert?” Lin Tian challenged.
“I’ve seen videos online,” the girl replied. But her voice became soft, “I haven’t attended an actual concert.”
“So then why are you talking?”
Lin Tian’s words made the girl jump, nearly spilling her bubble tea.
She glared at Lin Tian with gritted teeth.
But he wasn’t going to pull any punches; pointing a finger at her, he declared, “If you’ve never seen her, what right do you have to judge? If you don’t understand, that’s fine. But spreading nonsense without knowing anything? That’s just foolishness.”
“Someone like you, lacking even basic aesthetic appreciation, shouldn’t pretend to attend a concert looking like a wannabe artist. Instead of boasting about fishing on social media, you should spend that time improving yourself.”
(End of Chapter)
