Chapter 150 – Exploring Tango Rhythm
“Without needing an explanation from Gan YanYu, Lin Tian could already sense it.”
The performance just now, if rated out of a hundred points, Gan YanYu would only get a seventy. It was barely a satisfactory basic performance.
Or, in other words, she wasn’t in the groove.
To compete in a contest, she’d better bring more of that magic to the table.
But this was all within Lin Tian’s expectations.
After all, it deviated from the traditional classical music and this kind of style was quite bold for Gan YanYu.
“What kind of feeling did you get from it?” asked Lin Tian.
“Just, kinda,” replied Gan YanYu, thinking for a bit before whispering,
“A romantic kind of vibe, I guess.”
“Romantic?”
Lin Tian was taken aback.
“Yeah.”
Gan YanYu herself didn’t even know how to describe that feeling.
Too novel to be put into words.
However, what she could feel was that the scene portrayed through her performance was too beautiful, almost unattainable.
Her playing required total immersion.
If the imagery depicted was too distant, her feet would instinctively tuck in.
“I’m sorry, Lin Tian! This must be such a hassle, right?”
She quickly said.
“It’s just a bit,” replied Lin Tian with a smile. “But at least you’ve improved. You’re not saying ‘no’ or ‘I can’t play’ anymore. Instead, you’re starting to say ‘maybe it’s not suitable’. So in your own way, you’re figuring things out, right?”
“—”
Gan YanYu nodded silently.
“In that case, let’s not think about the negative stuff. We just need to adjust,” said Lin Tian.
He had never imagined that Gan YanYu could fully grasp a new song right away.
If it were in the past, faced with a completely new piece, when it touched on her lowest acceptance limit, she might have started shying away already.
Saying “it’s not suitable” meant Gan YanYu was actually giving it serious thought.
Lin Tian had long seen through that.
Gan YanYu’s musical talent was like a double-edged sword.
When she resonated emotionally with the piece, she could fully immerse herself in it.
But if she couldn’t resonate or fell too deep, she either couldn’t perform it or the performance would turn into a disaster.
For this, Gan YanYu had to invest effort too.
Lin Tian moving a piece around was easy enough.
But he couldn’t neglect finding inspiration for her performance, even if his own creation didn’t require inspiration.
“The truth is… I thought we could record it later since it’s going to be performed for a competition anyway, so we could just use my old recording of the Cello Concerto in E minor.”
“That doesn’t sound like you,” said Lin Tian.
“When have you ever performed an old piece in any show?”
Remember the most outrageous example:
A week before the concert, the symphony “Pathétique” in G minor was written.
Even up until the day before the concert, they hadn’t nailed it yet to an acceptable level.
Yet, driven by her passion towards that piece, she bravely brought it onto the stage.
For this same piece, does she now feel it’s unsuitable?
“Was it because of that old fart’s influence?” asked Lin Tian.
“Yeah,” admitted Gan YanYu.
“I’ve been wondering what Teacher Tuoba meant by what he said. Was there something wrong with my performance?”
“Don’t overthink this stuff.”
Lin Tian waved his hand in front of her face urgently.
He could digest her emotional ramblings over the piece.
But he couldn’t stand her being intimidated by an arrogant old critic!
“Let me put it straight!”
“Doesn’t matter who that Tuoba guy is, or why he dislikes your music, and whether his words make sense or not.”
“A senior in the music world speaking like that to an 18-year-old girl in an interview—there’s no way that behavior can be overlooked, got it?”
“—”
“Yeah.”
Gan YanYu was taken aback by Lin Tian’s outburst.
Her eyes widening, she nodded, “Okay.”
“Gan YanYu, you really ought to know.”
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow, warning her with a distrustful look.
Then he sat back down at the piano.
“Let’s try playing this one more time to find our rhythm.”
Actually, Lin Tian himself felt the song needed just a little more finesse if they were to record it straight away.
Since it’s a tango, and sitting on a stiff wooden stool to play it seems a bit lackluster.
“Lin Tian, let’s change places,” suggested Gan YanYu.
“Ah?”
“Staying cooped up at home won’t help us think clearly.”
She twirled a lock of her hair and continued,
“Although it might be a bit troublesome, I want to give it a try. Changing scenery, changing mindset—I believe inspiration might strike.”
Funny enough, this idea aligned perfectly with what Lin Tian was pondering.
“Where then?” He asked.
“I know a place.”
It was the banks of Green Water River—blue skies, white clouds, colorful streets.
Across from the river, on the pedestrian street by a bookshop’s entrance, Lin Tian wiped the dust off the piano.
It looked like it hadn’t been used in a while.
“Dong—” Lin Tian pressed the keys, relief washing over him as the sound was still decent enough.
A cool breeze carrying the earthy scent blew in from opposite the river, making everything quite comfortable.
The location was really lovely.
After so long, Lin Tian hadn’t played outside yet.
At least, it seemed like a good option to refresh their spirits.
“But,”
Looking at the bustling pedestrian walkway,
Though it wasn’t in a busy downtown area, it wasn’t quiet.
Being close to the riverside, it drew a lot of attention.
But he didn’t mind much, whereas for Gan YanYu.
“Gan YanYu, what are you doing?!”
Lin Tian turned around, only to see Gan YanYu had tied her hair, put on a cap, sunglasses, and a mask, fully camouflaged.
He thought she was preparing for a stealth raid if the IP address wasn’t safe.
“For a street performance, these props are necessary to avoid being recognized.”
Gan YanYu blinked for a moment and said,
“Lin Tian, you should cover your face too.”
“Gan YanYu, we’re really going all in?”
Lin Tian took the black mask and cap gently, somewhat unsure. Who knew what kind of crowd they’d run into.
In a way, it was even more exciting than performing on stage—since no one could ban recording here. There was always a chance some passer-by might join them live, creating videos which would go viral on platforms like Douyin and Bilibili.
When did Gan YanYu become this daring?
“If we don’t act soon, we’ll keep going in circles.”
Gan YanYu spoke softly, unpacked her cello from the bag,
“The unique feature of tango music is its blend of melancholy and passion. The distinctive rhythms feel like exploration and adventure. That’s why I want to experience this.”
“Experience?” Lin Tian asked blankly.
“Yeah.”
The young lady turned toward Lin Tian with a slight smile,
“Together with Lin Tian, experiencing the sensation of passing by as a couple of romantically adventurous musicians.”
