My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 82: Somethings Off with Gan Yanyu

Chapter 82: Something's Off with Gan Yanyu
"Mm-hmm."
Gan Yanyu nodded, then tilted her head slightly to the side, flashing a shy smile.
"Umm... Lin Tian?"
"Huh?"
"Could I get a takeout? I want it for a late-night snack."
"..."
Eat away. Go on, eat and stay quiet.
Next time, I'll just treat myself to king crab and abalone while you enjoy your little pudding all by yourself.
Lin Tian thought bitterly to himself.
---
Monday – Two Days Before the Concert
7:00 PM – Back Home
After a quick dinner, Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu dove straight into their intense practice session.
"Three, two, one..."
~Playing music~
"Miss Gan, you're rushing again. Didn't adjust properly?"
"Oh right, sorry."
"One more time."
"Three, two, one..."
~Playing music again~
...
Surprisingly, the ensemble went off without a hitch.
They played through the piece almost effortlessly.
Lin Tian could clearly feel that Gan Yanyu had truly mastered Symphony No. 40. Aside from being slightly too fast in the beginning due to what seemed like an off moment—possibly nerves—the rest of her performance was spotless; every note, every rhythm, perfectly aligned.
It was as if the cello parts were synthesized by a computer.
In other words—
This was scripted. Like clockwork.
A piece only a week old, yet studied to such perfection?
Her musical talent was nothing short of terrifying.
As for Lin Tian, all he needed to do was keep up with her pace.
"If we keep this up, the concert will be a breeze."
Lin Tian gave her a thumbs-up, encouragingly.
"Just stay calm. Don't get nervous."
"...Is that true?" Gan Yanyu sat on the sofa, eyes half-closed in a dreamy expression, bobbing her head slightly with a soft smile. "How nice."
"You okay?"
Lin Tian noticed something strange about Gan Yanyu's behavior—it felt... off.
Ever since she walked in the door, she'd been drifting in and out, unfocused.
She didn't smell like alcohol, so she wasn't drunk—but there was a sluggishness to her responses. She lagged behind conversations like she was always half a beat behind reality.
He was worried at first, but the moment they started playing, she snapped back to life, delivering a flawless performance that made it seem like nothing was wrong at all.
"I'm fine~"
Gan Yanyu hugged her cello close, her gaze distant and unfocused, like her eyes couldn't quite lock onto anything.
Softly, she murmured:
"Tian… do you think my playing is perfect now? But maybe it lacks a little… emotion?"
...
Lin Tian stayed silent.
Truthfully, while her technical execution was excellent, it lacked the same emotional depth it had shown during their very first duet together.
Simple explanation—during that performance, Lin Tian had struggled to keep up. The pressure had been immense.
Now, even though his piano skills had improved, he still felt less challenged than during their second practice session.
But not to worry—he still found it incredible.
The small imperfections he noticed were things only a composer would catch.
"A flawless performance beyond any criticism"—that alone was enough to outshine most musicians.
And compared to their earlier recording session where she tried juggling interaction and performance, this was leagues better.
The audience and press would definitely be amazed at the live event.
"That was great," he finally said, stepping closer.
"Now the most important thing is to maintain this state, understand?"
He emphasized, gently:
"Just keep playing like this. One step at a time. You can gradually add more personal emotion into the music. Just don't rush it. For now, staying consistent and mistake-free is more important than anything else."
"Miss Gan? Did you hear me?"
Lin Tian asked carefully, sensing her slipping away again.
"Miss Gan?"
"...Yanyu?"
"Eh?"
Gan Yanyu suddenly straightened up, eyes wide in panic, like someone snapping awake after falling asleep in class.
She nodded rapidly, like a little chicken pecking at food.
"Got it got it."
...
Lin Tian stepped forward quickly, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead.
No fever.
"She doesn't have a temperature…" he muttered.
Then why did she seem even more off?
"Did you not sleep well?"
He frowned.
"No way," she replied, "I don't have school or work—I've got plenty of sleep, silly."
True enough. If she, who did absolutely nothing all day, claimed to be tired, then every exhausted office worker in the world might as well start a revolution.
Still, her posture reminded him a bit too much of how he used to look during boring lectures—slumped in a chair, nodding off like a fishing float, jerking upright when her head nearly hit the desk, legs shaking nervously as she pretended to pay attention...
Then pretending to drop a pen, bending down to pick it up just to sneak in a few seconds of naptime.
"Hey, Tian..." she suddenly tugged at his sleeve with a gentle voice, looking up at him with a strangely soft gaze.
"Do you have any beer at home~?"
"Huh?"
"Can I have a can?"
She leaned in closer, holding his sleeve lightly.
"There's some, yeah."
Though puzzled by her sudden request, Lin Tian went to the fridge and pulled out two cans.
Popped one open for himself, another for her.
Pop.
Gan Yanyu tilted her head back and took a long swig, finishing half the can in one go.
Lin Tian was stunned.
Setting the can down, she let out a soft, sleepy burp.
Hic~
Delicately wiping the corner of her mouth, she smiled:
"Let's keep going."
"So soon?"
He thought they'd take a break after the last round.
"C'mon, c'mon~"
She patted her cheeks gently, trying to wake herself up.
Then, with a slightly flushed face and hazy eyes, she mumbled:
"In the second bar... I messed up a bit on the opening note. Let's do it again."
Awwww.
Even if the timing was weird, Lin Tian couldn't help but think it in his head.
Today, Gan Yanyu seemed... softer than usual?
Still, he couldn't help but be impressed by her self-awareness.
"You sure? I didn't even notice."
He was surprised—there was something so subtle he hadn't picked up on, yet she caught it immediately.
At this point, she probably understood the piece better than anyone except him.
"Hurry up~ We don't have time. Tomorrow morning is rehearsal."