My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 83: Gan Yanyu, Burning the Midnight Oil

Chapter 83: Gan Yanyu, Burning the Midnight Oil
"Alright, one more round."
Seeing Gan Yanyu so fired up, Lin Tian had no choice but to agree.
"You know," Lin Tian said gently, "I think you've practiced enough already. Since tomorrow morning's rehearsal, there's not much point in pushing hard tonight. Rest is what you really need."
Besides that, something about Gan Yanyu today felt…off.
She seemed distracted, like her head was somewhere else entirely—like she was sleepwalking through life.
He'd even checked her forehead. No fever.
Still, it wasn't the first time she'd been acting strangely lately. She had these odd episodes from time to time, and while they never lasted long, they always left him a little worried.
Still, better to send her home early and let her rest.
"Mm-hmm."
After taking a swig of beer, Gan Yanyu suddenly looked more alert. She grabbed her bow again with renewed energy.
Who actually drinks beer to stay awake?
Not Lin Tian. To him, alcohol = instant nap mode.
One last run-through.
This time, Lin Tian played the pieces in the exact concert order—from Greeting of Love to the final piece. Three songs total.
"…"
The piano rang out, filling the room.
And just like that, the sleepy-eyed Gan Yanyu snapped back to life. Her bow moved instinctively across the strings as if guided by muscle memory.
"~"
The air buzzed with harmony once more.
"…"
When the last note faded, Lin Tian exhaled, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.
That performance had even surpassed their previous ones.
"We could play this for Mr. Gao, and he wouldn't find a single fault," Lin Tian said confidently, half to motivate Gan Yanyu.
It was amazing how far they'd come—from shaky beginnings full of mistakes to this flawless synchronicity.
But none of it would have been possible without Gan Yanyu mastering the lead parts so thoroughly.
If there was one thing still gnawing at him, though—it was her health.
Her condition was unpredictable, to say the least.
Even if she played beautifully during practice, who knew how she'd hold up on stage under pressure, surrounded by an audience?
It was anyone's guess.
There were some things even effort couldn't fix.
Lin Tian could only hope that tomorrow's rehearsal would give her the confidence boost she needed.
"Let's call it a night. We should get up early tomorrow. In case anything happens, we'll just take a ride-share instead. Once we make some money, we can splurge a bit here and there. Oh, and I'll pick up the suit in the afternoon—I'll wear casual clothes for rehearsal."
"Miss Gan?"
He called out again, only to realize that Gan Yanyu had somehow slipped into ‘ghost mode' again—eyes blank, unresponsive.
Only when he reached over and patted her head did she snap back to reality with a startled shiver.
"Ah? Okay."
"Okay what? Did you even hear me?"
"I heard. I'll wear a ride-share to rehearsal tomorrow."
"…"
Lin Tian ruffled her hair roughly, messing it all up.
She winced, pulling her neck in like a scared turtle, eyes wide and innocent.
"In short—up early tomorrow."
"And—"
"Right. Right. Rest." She mimicked him, exaggerating every syllable.
Like a fresh recruit hearing orders from a drill sergeant.
Her face, faintly flushed, was serious and sincere.
"Go on."
She picked up her cello, stood up, and—without missing a beat—grabbed the half-finished beer can off the table, holding it between her lips like a pirate.
Just before leaving, she turned around.
"Lin Tian."
"What now?"
"Can I take another can with me?"
"…"
Of course. The little snacker had to have another drink.
She hadn't even finished the first one yet.
Lin Tian sighed.
"Fine. Take it."
"Yay~!"
With a skip in her step, she made her way to his fridge, opened it, and pulled a can from the right drawer.
Lin Tian almost chuckled.
She knew exactly where his stash was. Like it was her own fridge.
"Bye then."
"Goodnight."
"Nighty-night~"
Bang.
The door shut behind her.
The living room returned to silence.
Lin Tian flopped onto the couch with a heavy yawn.
A full day of classes followed by hours of practice—he was wiped.
Tonight, not even his usual scroll through the online videos could tempt him.
He downed the last of the beer, closed his laptop, and headed to bed.
Tomorrow's rehearsal had already been cleared with his homeroom teacher—sick leave, of course.
For a student like Lin Tian, Ms. Zhang was always understanding. Approval came easy.
After a quick shower, he turned in early.
---
Deep into the night, Lin Tian woke up with a vengeance.
His bladder was staging a rebellion.
Grumbling, he dragged himself out of bed to pee.
2:13 AM.
Early bedtime forced late-night bathroom calls.
Alcohol didn't exactly help either.
As he shuffled past the living room, the dim light from the bathroom caught the edge of the trash bin.
Inside sat the empty beer can.
Suddenly, images from earlier flashed through his mind—Gan Yanyu chugging beer to keep her hands sharp, forcing herself to play despite looking exhausted.
That silly girl—
She'd even taken one more can with her when she left.
"…"
Lin Tian furrowed his brows.
He drank to fall asleep.
She drank to stay up.
So why did she take another can last night?
The thought nagged at him.
Putting on a hoodie, he stepped outside.
Ever since the weekend, he'd started noticing strange things.
Slow reactions. Delayed speech. Endless yawns.
Combined with her recent insane progress rate…
He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Plain and simple—she wasn't sleeping enough.
The reason? He couldn't be sure.
But every time they rehearsed together, she always showed up strong. That's why he never took it too seriously.
Plus, he had reminded her—at length—to rest well tonight.
He thought, maybe finally, she'd listen.
But apparently not.
He climbed six flights of stairs in record time.
Standing in front of Apartment 603, he raised his hand to knock.
Then—
The door to Apartment 602 cracked open.
An elderly woman stepped out and gave him a curious look.
"You're that girl's friend?"
Lin Tian nodded cautiously.
"She's okay… isn't she?"
"Eh, tell your friend she's gotta slow down. The walls are thick, sure, but I still hear her every night."
"What do you mean?" His stomach twisted.
"Since last week, she's been playing that cello like possessed—late into the night. Tonight was no different. I knocked, but she didn't answer."
The old lady rubbed her arm nervously.
"It's fine at night, I guess. But she plays all day too. I'm starting to worry—does she even sleep anymore? Maybe something's wrong with her… or someone put a hex on her."
"…"
Bam bam bam.
Without another word, Lin Tian pounded on the door.
"Gan Yanyu! Open up!"
Whether she was haunted or not, he didn't care.
What he did care about was giving her a piece of his mind—and possibly a slap upside the head.
Bam bam bam.
"Gan Yanyu! Open the damn door!"
Click.
The lock turned.
The door creaked open just a sliver.
"Eh?"
A messy-haired Gan Yanyu peeked out in her pajamas—one hand gripping the doorframe, the other still holding a cold beer.
Behind her, the room looked like a battlefield—empty cans scattered everywhere.