### Chapter 257: The Official Welcome Banquet
2025 “Sato Sakura” International Piano Competition, Tokyo Station.
It was the day of the official welcome party before the competition.
Early in the morning, Lin Tian stood in front of the mirror, styling his hair like a grown-up and donning a handsome suit.
Gan Yan Yu personally stepped in to help Lin Tian create a new hairstyle.
“All done!”
After finishing up with some setting spray, Gan Yan Yu clasped her hands together, standing behind Lin Tian, admiring the masterpiece in the mirror.
A sharp suit, a trendy side-part hairstyle, and Lin Tian’s youthful face make quite the combo.
“Idol trainee,” she commented with a smirk.
“Let’s skip that,” Lin Tian said, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead.
In his world, that nickname certainly wasn’t considered a compliment. It might appeal to girls, but for a guy to be called a trainee, that could lead to some awkward moments.
Usually, men preferred compliments like “You look like an action star!”
“Are you really going like this?”
After adjusting his collar, Lin Tian glanced at Gan Yan Yu.
Contrasting his polished look, she was dressed way too casually.
A floral dress paired with a knitted cardigan—pure relaxation mode.
Gan Yan Yu was accompanying Lin Tian to the welcome event today, playing the role of “family.” So Lin Tian was a bit taken aback by her attire. Normally, she would dress to the nines for such events; being the cello goddess isn’t just for laughs!
“Today is your show, Lin Tian. It wouldn’t be right for me to outshine you,” Gan Yan Yu explained.
Forget the cello competitions. This was Lin Tian’s first solo show in the spotlight, after all.
There’s a saying:
“When someone gets married, don’t go singing and dancing on the side!”
Gan Yan Yu might not have heard that one, but she understood the gist and decided to keep it simple.
Lin Tian had already played the role of her supporting actor enough times. This time, Gan Yan Yu was determined to excel as the head of the cheerleading squad!
“Alright…”
Lin Tian bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying the latter half of the thought.
What Gan Yan Yu didn’t get was—
The more stunning she looked, the better he looked too!
A gathering like this is just an opportunity for musicians to “casually” show off their lives, right?
But then again, it wasn’t like Gan Yan Yu looked bad either.
Just switching from “goddess” mode to a more “demure” vibe.
Hold up.
Lin Tian turned his head and stared at Gan Yan Yu.
“What?” she asked, startled, pulling her shoulders in as her smooth long hair cascaded over the knitted sweater.
“Nothing,” he smirked.
This was the vibe of a newlywed!
Lin Tian approved wholeheartedly.
The usually elegant and polished Gan Yan Yu, who always shone in front of the camera, was now ready to become a down-to-earth housewife for him. But her plain outfit could never overshadow her stunningly youthful beauty.
Thinking about it like this made it rather delightful.
“Alright, He Zhi Chen is waiting for us downstairs.”
Even though Lin Tian seemed lost in thought, Gan Yan Yu blushed a bit under his gaze and gave his shoulder a playful pat.
“Let’s go, our great pianist Lin Laoshi!”
At the Yokoyama Grand Hotel, Tokyo’s renowned Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu hopped out of the car.
Here, luxury cars were lined up, and the who’s who mingled about.
People of all skin tones and nationalities gathered at the entrance.
Apart from a few musicians with a commanding presence, there were staff from the organizer and media reporters from all over the globe.
At the official reception.
Lin Tian stepped forward, presenting his identification to the staff.
The person in charge was a Japanese woman who looked at Lin Tian’s ID in a daze and didn’t take it right away but glanced up at him and then at Gan Yan Yu.
“Did I go to the wrong place?”
Lin Tian felt a wave of self-doubt wash over him; there was definitely a sign for the “Sato Sakura International Piano Competition” at the entrance!
“…”
The woman beside her leaned in, whispering something in Japanese to her co-worker, looking utterly perplexed.
Then the woman raised her head and tentatively asked:
“Are you one of the participants?”
“YES.”
Lin Tian’s response left both staff members stunned.
“うわあ、若い選手だなあ (Whoa, what a young participant!)”
Their native language slipped out in disbelief.
“(Scary, is this really a pianist from the mainland?)”
“(He’s younger than me!)”
“(And he’s so handsome! Totally could live off his looks.)”
They probably thought Lin Tian couldn’t understand Japanese, so they spoke freely.
After they finished signing him in, one of the staff members stood up and handed him a tote bag.
He peeked inside and found greeting cards, competition documents, a schedule, and entry materials.
“ありがとうございます (Thank you)!” Lin Tian smiled brightly.
The expressions of the two women suddenly froze in awkward silence.
Soon, they made their way to the banquet hall on the third floor.
After presenting his entry badge at the door, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu were allowed in.
It was so easy that it caught Lin Tian off guard.
Weren’t guests like “family” supposed to be heavily scrutinized?
He had even thought of ways to have Gan Yan Yu pretend to be officially engaged to him!
As they entered the venue, a glance around revealed tables filled to the brim with delicious food.
The participating pianists from various countries were engaged in cheerful conversations.
He Zhi Chen was spot on; although it was an international competition, it was still very youthful, much like the Parrot Zither Cup and Star Cup at home.
Most attendees seemed to be in their thirties, and those who looked a bit older seemed like they had just become new fathers.
However, Lin Tian, being the 18-year-old boy he was, felt a bit out of place.
“Wow, dorayaki!”
Gan Yan Yu exclaimed, heading over to a nearby table,
“I’ve been wanting to try this since coming to Japan! I can’t believe it’s here!”
Lin Tian swiftly grabbed the back of her dress collar.
“Don’t go wandering off for dessert!”
Though he didn’t care much about appearances, grabbing treats at such a high-profile event would definitely be embarrassing if caught on camera!
“Dorayaki, do you know what that is? It’s what Doraemon eats!”
Gan Yan Yu animatedly painted a picture for Lin Tian.
Just then—
“Lin Tian Laoshi!”
A cheerful voice called out from afar.
That voice captured the attention of those nearby.
“Yao Han Laoshi?”
Lin Tian was startled to see the incoming figure.
Yao Han, dressed in a sharp suit, was making his way towards Lin Tian with open arms.
(End of Chapter)
