My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 22: Ill Help You

"Wait a minute."
Though Lin Tian hesitated to interrupt Gan Yanyu while she was still caught in the throes of such raw emotion, he couldn't hold back.
"Asthma?"
"Yes," she replied softly. "I've had it since birth. It flares up when I get nervous, and it's gotten much worse over the past few years."
Lin Tian fell silent, his mind racing as he pieced things together.
For most people, asthma—no matter how severe—wasn't considered life-threatening. But for someone chasing dreams on a grand stage, especially one requiring physical endurance like playing the cello, it could be devastating.
But this kind of devastating wasn't quite the same as what Lin Tian had imagined earlier.
What the hell kind of terminal illness is this?
Lin Tian felt utterly exasperated.
After reflecting for a moment, though, he realized he couldn't blame Gan Yanyu entirely. After all, everything he'd assumed about her condition stemmed from Xu Yong's cryptic phone call—a conversation that painted her situation far grimmer than reality.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Lin Tian asked again: "So… you went to England to treat your asthma?"
"Yes," Gan Yanyu admitted quietly. "I'm sorry I lied before. But I really am also studying cello there."
"That doesn't matter." Lin Tian cut her off impatiently. "So, you don't have a terminal illness, right?"
"No! Why would you even think that?"
Without another word, Lin Tian stepped forward quickly, his hands reaching out to grip Gan Yanyu firmly by the shoulders.
?!
Startled, Gan Yanyu jerked her head up like a frightened rabbit, her wide eyes meeting Lin Tian's intense gaze.
"That's good," Lin Tian murmured, his voice soft but filled with relief. He looked down at her, his lips curling into a gentle smile.
Gan Yanyu froze, staring at him in bewilderment.
Over the course of the night, Lin Tian had been consumed by the belief that Gan Yanyu's time was running out—that no matter how hard he tried, her fate was sealed. The crushing weight of helplessness had shadowed every attempt to save her.
And now, in an instant, that burden lifted completely.
Relief washed over him in waves, leaving behind pure, unadulterated joy. Lin Tian couldn't deny it—he was genuinely moved.
But now…
It was time to settle accounts.
"Your grandfather is still lying unconscious in a hospital bed, and your dream hasn't come true yet—but here you are thinking about suicide?!"
Suddenly, Lin Tian began shaking Gan Yanyu by the shoulders, his frustration boiling over.
"What will happen to your grandfather if you die?!""
"You talk about wanting to keep playing the cello forever, but the moment he ends up bedridden, you give up?"
"I've seen spineless people, but never anyone as spineless as you!"
Gan Yanyu hadn't expected Lin Tian's mood to shift so abruptly. She stumbled under his forceful shakes, her world spinning wildly around her. Frantically raising her hands in surrender, she let out a dejected whimper:
"I—I'm sorry…"
Lin Tian released her, and Gan Yanyu staggered back, clutching her head as dizziness overwhelmed her. Losing her balance, she collapsed onto the ground.
When the disorienting swirl finally subsided and silence returned, Gan Yanyu slowly lifted her head, her expression heavy with sorrow.
"Two days ago," she began in a low voice, "my parents came back."
Lin Tian blinked, taken aback.
"They oppose me playing the cello. They cleared out everything Grandpa kept for me at home—my trophies, my certificates—all thrown away without a second thought."
"I tried to fight them, but it didn't make any difference. With just a few words, they got my agency to terminate my contract. From now on, I won't be able to participate in any competitions."
As Gan Yanyu finished speaking, the air grew thick with silence once more.
Now, Lin Tian understood why she had seemed so broken.
Growing up dependent only on her grandfather, she returned from treatment abroad to find him lying comatose after a car accident. And before she could even begin processing that grief, the two people who abandoned her at age three suddenly reappeared, claiming guardianship and destroying everything precious she had left.
If there was anything keeping Gan Yanyu alive after her grandfather's accident, it was the hope of fulfilling his unrealized dreams. But those dreams were mercilessly crushed by the very people calling themselves her "parents."
With her purpose stripped away, what reason did an 18-year-old girl have to keep living?
Lin Tian finally understood why Gan Yanyu always appeared so emotionally detached. When existence itself loses meaning, nothing else seems important anymore.
"But, Lin Tian…" Gan Yanyu stood up shakily, looking at him earnestly. "Thank you."
The story of Jacqueline du Pré that Lin Tian shared earlier lingered in her mind—a beautiful tale of resilience against impossible odds.
Until the very last moment, one must not give up.
"I'll wait for Grandpa to wake up," Gan Yanyu declared resolutely. "No matter how long it takes, I'll wait."
"And I'll continue playing the cello," she added.
Lin Tian chimed in supportively: "Exactly."
"But…"
"What's the problem? So you don't have an agency anymore—you can compete as an independent musician! And besides, you're already 18! Are you telling me you can't survive without those so-called parents who abandoned you when you were three? Who gave them the right to barge back into your life now and dictate what you do?"
Lin Tian's tone turned sharp, laced with bitterness—not just for Gan Yanyu's sake, but perhaps for his own unresolved grievances.
A brief pause followed.
"You're right," Gan Yanyu conceded quietly.
She turned her gaze toward the distant cityscape, lost in thought. Living alone would undoubtedly be daunting, but hadn't Lin Tian done exactly that for years? Look at the incredible person he'd become. Maybe, just maybe, she too could carve out her own path through sheer determination.
"It's not that simple, though," Gan Yanyu admitted after a moment. "Competing as an independent musician means starting from scratch. The road ahead will be infinitely harder than it ever was before."
Dreams may sound sweet, but reality rarely bends to accommodate them.
"What exactly was your grandfather's dream?" Lin Tian asked, perching casually on the railing.
"To win the Kölner Cup championship," Gan Yanyu answered without hesitation. "To let our classical music reach the ears of the entire world."
Her words rang clear and unwavering, echoing countless times within her heart. No one understood better than Gan Yanyu just how monumental this goal was.
Without family support or corporate backing, pursuing her grandfather's dream alone would be an uphill battle fraught with challenges.
Starting with the local Starlight Cup, then the provincial Parrot Cello Contest, followed by the national Dragon Cello Competition. To earn a spot at the prestigious Kölner Cup—the pinnacle of global cello competitions—she needed to secure a top-four finish in the Dragon Cello Championship, alongside three other talented musicians from Zhonghua.
Vienna awaited beyond: a stage where cellists from across the globe gathered to showcase their artistry.
In Zhonghua, the cello remained a niche instrument, its practitioners few and far between. Gan Yanyu herself, despite being called a professional, had barely scraped past the threshold required to enter provincial contests.
Now, stripped of her previous achievements, she faced the daunting task of rebuilding her career from the ground up—as an independent musician, no less.
Gan Yanyu lowered her head, weighed down by the enormity of the challenge.
Suddenly—
On the distant horizon, the first rays of sunlight peeked above the mountaintops, casting a warm glow that pierced through the fading night. The sky shifted from deep indigo to soft gray-blue, then gradually brightened as light spilled across the landscape.
The gentle radiance bathed Gan Yanyu's face.
Is it… morning already?
Her pupils trembled slightly as she blinked against the dawn.