### Chapter 86: Gan Yan Yu Goes Ahead
“Ah?”
Gan Yan Yu’s chopsticks froze mid-air.
“You’re not going to perform with me?”
“No way, are you kidding me, dummy!”
Lin Tian pretended to tap the girl on the forehead, but she instinctively covered her head.
“I said ‘go first,’ ‘go first!’ Got it?”
Lin Tian put his hand down and said seriously, “I was supposed to head over right after school tomorrow, perfectly timed. But the homeroom teacher said today that I have to stay after class to talk, so I might be a little late.”
“But don’t worry, I’ll definitely make it before the performance starts. After all, there’s a whole bunch of stuff to do before the concert, right?”
“Oh,” Gan Yan Yu nodded, but still asked an extra question, “What does your homeroom teacher want to talk to you about?”
“My grades have been slipping lately, so they want to have a heart-to-heart.”
“Do you really need to talk about that?”
Lin Tian raised his finger: “Don’t compare the concerns of your average student with those of a top student.”
“Fine.”
Even though she felt a bit regretful about not being able to enter right away with Lin Tian, it wasn’t like she could protest now that he’d said it.
“And after this concert, you really should get back to school,” Lin Tian reminded her, “At that time, you should start taking things seriously.”
“Mm.”
Just then, Gan Yan Yu suddenly had a thought and asked, “So, does that mean we can eat lunch together from now on? And we could find a place to practice piano?”
“Who told you to start thinking like that!”
School life was one of the few moments Lin Tian didn’t hang out with Gan Yan Yu. Once she returned to school, they’d probably be glued together 24/7.
Just thinking about it gave him the shivers!
Lin Tian’s gaze turned towards Gan Yan Yu, and at that moment, their eyes locked.
Lin Tian froze.
The girl was gazing intently into his eyes.
“Lin Tian.”
“Uh-huh?”
Gan Yan Yu put down her chopsticks after finishing her meal.
“Let’s start.”
Their last rehearsal wrapped up smoothly. This time, neither of them offered any comments on how the performance turned out.
With things getting this far, it didn’t really matter anymore.
The two of them sat on the sofa, making some casual conversation before departing, mostly about the arrangements for tomorrow.
Suddenly, Gan Yan Yu went quiet for a moment,
“Do we have any drinks?”
“What? You’re not planning to sleep?” Lin Tian asked.
“Of course not! Tomorrow is the concert! Why would I practice anymore?”
Honestly, the girl had reached a pretty decent level by now.
“I just really want a drink.”
“Alright.”
Lin Tian got up and brought her a can.
“Pop!”
He opened it and handed it to her.
“Aren’t you drinking?”
Gan Yan Yu took a small sip and asked.
“Nah,” Lin Tian smiled, “Not today.”
Wednesday, 6 PM.
Sunny Day Concert Hall in Qingzhou City.
At the entrance of the “Soul’s Resonance” concert, a petite girl in a black evening gown and a peony pinned to her chest stepped out of a car.
The atmosphere was buzzing with a vibrant crowd, lively with excitement.
From students and office workers to middle-aged elites decked in fancy attire.
Audience members gathered at the entrance, chatting and discussing.
As soon as Gan Yan Yu stepped in, a wave of whispers erupted nearby.
“She’s here! She’s here!”
“It’s really her!”
Before she knew it, a swarm of reporters quickly blocked her path.
“Ms. Gan Yan Yu!”
“We are reporters from the local ‘Music Pulse Channel.’ Can we interview you?”
Before Gan Yan Yu could agree, flashbulbs started popping like fireworks.
“Ms. Gan Yan Yu, can you tell us where you’ve been for the past year? Rumor has it that you went abroad to England but returned because you couldn’t make it over there. Is that true?”
“Ms. Gan Yan Yu, you chose this concert as your first performance after returning home. What’s behind that decision?”
“Ms. Gan Yan Yu, back when you withdrew from the Zither Cup as a top-eight contestant, you were labeled an ‘escapist’. With a new Zither Cup coming up in four months, will you participate again?”
“Ms. Gan Yan Yu, will Mr. Gan come to watch your performance today? Many see you as his successor and think your current performance doesn’t measure up. What’s your response to those claims?”
Each question hit the girl like a sharp blade, piercing her heart.
More and more passerby turned to gaze at the scene, their stares as scorching as flames burning on her face.
Her heart began racing out of control.
“Stop asking, Ms. Gan Yan Yu still needs to prepare backstage!”
At that moment, a voice emerged, cutting through the tension.
Gao Zhen Yang stepped forward, blocking the reporters.
“Save your questions for after the concert!”
As a member of the Qingzhou Music Association’s board and a committee member for this concert, his authoritative tone silenced the chaotic crowd.
“Please, this way, Ms. Gan Yan Yu.”
Gao Zhen Yang respectfully motioned for a path for her.
After that, they walked down the corridor, where the atmosphere was tense yet orderly, staff hustling in every direction.
As they walked, Gao Zhen Yang rubbed his hands, “Sorry, Ms. Gan Yan Yu, I’m late.”
“It’s okay. Thanks.”
“Where’s Lin Tian?”
“He said he had something at school and would arrive later.”
“Something at school?”
Gao Zhen Yang stopped dead in his tracks, his face displaying disbelief like he thought she was joking.
“How long will that take?”
“No idea.”
“Well, it’s fine, you’ll make it in time; luckily, you’re the last group to perform.”
Gao Zhen Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead.
As a committee member, arranging the order of familiar performers wasn’t that hard.
“Please wait in the rest room. I still have to handle some things.”
“Okay.”
After leading Gan Yan Yu into her private rest room,
“Bang!”
The door closed.
Gan Yan Yu sat in the chair, opening her cello case.
At that moment, she noticed a window in the room.
She stood up and walked over to it, where she could see the stage and the audience seats.
Some audience members were already trickling in, and she could faintly hear the noise from the venue.
It seemed memories of unpleasant moments flooded back, causing her head to swim slightly.
She returned to her chair, hesitated for a moment, then decided to call Lin Tian.
However, the call didn’t connect.
(End of this chapter)
