My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 35: Must Buy a Piano

Chapter 35: Must Buy a Piano
The morning classroom was bathed in sunlight streaming through the windows, though most of it was blocked by towering stacks of textbooks that loomed over the desks like monoliths. With fifteen minutes left before the start of morning reading class, the early arrivals had collapsed onto their desks in a last-ditch effort to rest. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and lifeless, as if the students were lying in some vast crematorium, each one quietly awaiting the day when both school and the world would crumble into oblivion.
"Brother Yong."
Lin Tian slid into his seat and placed a bag from McDonald's on Xu Yong's desk.
"Here, I got this for you."
"?!"
Xu Yong snapped awake, his drowsiness vanishing instantly as he stared at Lin Tian with wide eyes.
"There's a burger and some soy milk inside," Lin Tian said casually.
Xu Yong opened the bag to confirm its contents—sure enough, it was McDonald's. His expression shifted from shock to outright terror.
"You're not planning to live anymore?"
"I have no future."
"Are you going to get a vasectomy or something?"
"Fuck your mom."
Even Lin Tian, usually so refined and composed, couldn't resist unleashing a string of colorful language in front of Xu Yong. He took a deep breath to compose himself before continuing earnestly:
"I've been thinking… We've been desk-mates for two and a half years now, but I've never treated you to breakfast. This is overdue."
"Oh ho, growing up so fast!" Xu Yong teased, his cheeks flushing slightly as he slapped Lin Tian on the shoulder with mock reproach. "Seriously though, we really have been sitting together for almost three years."
He unwrapped the burger, took a bite, and spoke with genuine emotion.
"Hey, listen, I've been working on a startup lately, and I need a piano. Without it, my future is doomed. If anyone can lend me some cash..."
In an instant, Xu Yong spat out the mouthful of meat, shoved the half-eaten burger back into the bag, and thrust it back into Lin Tian's arms with lightning speed.
"Haha, you little devil~!"
Xu Yong pointed at Lin Tian, grinning ear to ear.
"Oh c'mon, bro~!" Lin Tian chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"I knew it! You bastard actually thought you could trick me into believing you were being nice and buying me food?!"
Realizing how close he'd come to falling for the ruse, Xu Yong immediately launched into a tirade filled with creative insults aimed at Lin Tian's parents.
"Your mom must be rolling in her grave!"
But halfway through his rant, Xu Yong remembered that such curses would only amuse Lin Tian. Quickly pivoting, he corrected himself:
"Actually, your parents are probably super proud right now."
"That's a vicious curse, alright."
Even Lin Tian had to admit that Xu Yong's verbal jabs packed quite a punch.
"I'm serious, Yong. This time, I'm desperate."
"Forget about it! That money's for my gaming rig…" Xu Yong shot back indignantly.
Unlike Lin Tian, who had to fend for himself in every aspect of life, Xu Yong came from a middle-class family where basic necessities were never an issue. Still, he worked part-time jobs alongside Lin Tian—not out of necessity, but because he dreamed of building a high-performance gaming PC capable of running Black Myth: Wukong, a game he'd been obsessing over for months.
Initially, his parents had given him 3,000 yuan to assemble a computer. But after consulting forums like "TechBar," even the most frugal builders warned him that amount wouldn't cut it for stable performance. Reluctantly, Xu Yong turned to "GPUBar," where kind-hearted members helped him upgrade his specs step by step until they settled on an RTX 4070 paired with an i5-12400—a configuration costing a whopping 8,000 yuan.
For the past three months, Xu Yong had scrimped and saved, working tirelessly to scrape together enough money. And now, just as he was nearing his goal, Lin Tian had the audacity to eye his hard-earned funds.
What nerve! It was practically highway robbery—no different from swindling pension money from elderly folks.
Still, once Xu Yong calmed down, he realized Lin Tian wasn't the type to frivolously borrow money without good reason. So, he decided to press further:
"What do you need the piano for? What kind of ‘startup' are we talking about here?"
Lin Tian didn't hesitate to explain. Pulling out his phone, he showed Xu Yong the video they'd posted a few days ago, detailing their current situation.
"So let me get this straight—you're collaborating with that girl on short videos, and you've already gained some traction. All you need now is a piano to blow up on TikTok?"
"That's the plan," Lin Tian nodded confidently.
Hearing this, Xu Yong fell silent, lost in thought. Had anyone else pitched him this idea, he'd have dismissed it as nonsense. But Lin Tian was different. Xu Yong had always admired his friend's pragmatic approach to academics and relentless work ethic. When it came to dedication and focus, Lin Tian was as enviable as he was infuriating.
So, Xu Yong began to seriously consider the proposition. He'd personally witnessed Lin Tian's piano skills last week, and the viral video with nearly 29,000 likes spoke for itself. At the time, Xu Yong had even educated Lin Tian about TikTok trends, never imagining he'd dive headfirst into content creation so soon.
As he scrolled through Lin Tian's account, Xu Yong noticed the username: "Moonlight and Cat."
Pointing at the screen, he asked, "Who's the cat?"
"Gan Yanyu."
"And who's Moonlight?"
"Me."
"Why do you call yourself Moonlight?"
"Should I call myself Cat instead?"
Xu Yong faltered, unable to argue with the logic.
"Look, I gotta tell you—monetizing TikTok isn't as easy as it seems."
"I know."
"..."
Staring into Lin Tian's resolute eyes, Xu Yong sighed deeply.
"How much do you need?"
"About 8,000 yuan."
Lin Tian had done his research. A decent piano cost anywhere between 12,000 and 15,000 yuan. While spending that kind of money on a musical instrument might seem irrational at this stage, Lin Tian didn't care. Sometimes, achieving greatness required bold decisions. Once success arrived, these expenses would pale in comparison.
"You're leaving me completely broke, you know that?" Xu Yong muttered.
"Though part of me wants to help you immediately, I've entrusted all my savings to my mom to prevent myself from splurging before building my PC. If I ask her for the money now, she'll demand an explanation."
"Makes sense."
Lin Tian understood perfectly. After all, 8,000 yuan was no small sum. Any parent discovering their child secretly lent such a large amount to a classmate would likely faint from shock.
"I'll call her during the next break and see if I can convince her."
By the time Xu Yong finished speaking, excitement bubbled within him, causing his body to tremble involuntarily. Eight thousand yuan! That was a fortune.
"Lin Tian, you're sure about this? Borrowing over ten thousand yuan to buy a piano as a high school student trying to make it big on TikTok?"
It sounded insane—madness that any teacher or parent would deem worthy of electroshock therapy at an internet addiction center. Yet, inexplicably, Xu Yong believed in Lin Tian. If Lin Tian succeeded, Xu Yong knew he'd feel a profound sense of pride.
When the extended break finally arrived, the two headed to the chemistry lab on the top floor—a secluded spot perfect for secretive conversations. They waited outside for nearly fifteen minutes, just as the bell signaling the end of the break approached. Finally, Xu Yong emerged from the lab, looking visibly deflated.
"How did it go?"
Lin Tian rushed forward anxiously.
With a heavy sigh, Xu Yong replied, "It's a bust…"
"What?"
"My mom refused. She said the most she'd allow me to lend you is 3,000 yuan."
"Three thousand…" Lin Tian echoed hollowly.
At best, that amount could buy a toy keyboard—not exactly what he needed. Faced with this setback, Lin Tian consoled Xu Yong and returned to the classroom.
On the way back, Lin Tian reflected. Had he acted too hastily? Barely solving his daily needs, he was already dreaming of buying a piano. Could it be possible to succeed without accompaniment, simply by filming another stellar video?
Lost in thought, Lin Tian reached the classroom door, only to be stopped by a female classmate.
"Lin Tian, where were you earlier?"
"A girl came looking for you during the break," she continued. "She had long hair, very pretty. Said she had something important to discuss but left when she didn't find you."