My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 90: Post-Concert Reflections

Chapter 90: Post-Concert Reflections
Gan Yanyu's return to school after more than a year of absence was no small matter. What made her situation particularly remarkable was that she had briefly returned from the UK once during her hiatus—to take and pass her academic proficiency exams. Thanks to this, she could now re-enter school without any lingering academic burdens, transitioning straight into her senior year.
Still, the pressure was undeniable. For someone who hadn't stepped foot in a classroom for over a year, jumping back into the most intense period of high school life was daunting. The first hurdle wasn't academics—it was mental fortitude.
To be honest, Lin Tian wasn't entirely convinced that Gan Yanyu had truly "recovered." Sure, her weight had stabilized after months of effort, and her figure was undeniably enviable. But there was a nagging thought at the back of his mind—what if her prolonged absence from school wasn't due to physical illness at all? What if it was purely psychological?
Her performance at the recent concert certainly didn't scream "normal." Then again, Lin Tian, with his own quirks and eccentricities, wasn't exactly in a position to judge.
"…"
Leading Gan Yanyu into the living room, Lin Tian headed to the water dispenser and poured her a glass of water.
"Thank you," she murmured softly, perching on the edge of the couch like an impeccably behaved hamster. Her movements were delicate, almost exaggeratedly so, as she sipped cautiously from the cup.
This level of formality was typical of Gan Yanyu. No matter how many times she visited Lin Tian's home, she always acted as though it were her first time, treating every interaction with polite restraint. It frustrated him sometimes, but he'd long since accepted it as part of her charm—or perhaps her quirkiness.
The only solution, he mused wryly, would be to make her the mistress of the house. But that was a bridge they weren't ready to cross just yet.
"Have the media reviews started coming out?" Lin Tian asked, settling onto the opposite end of the couch.
The "Resonance of Souls" concert wasn't technically a competition, which meant there wouldn't be trophies or medals handed out regardless of how well-received the performances were. However, what mattered far more were the critiques from Qingzhou's top music publications—their opinions carried immense weight in shaping public perception of musicians across the region.
"A few have been published," Gan Yanyu replied. "But NQ won't release their review until Sunday. Their weekly issue comes out then."
NQ, short for NobleQuest, was widely regarded as the most authoritative music magazine in the area. With its print circulation leading among all music journals in the province, its evaluation held unparalleled significance.
"We still have to wait until Sunday…" Lin Tian sighed, feeling the familiar itch of post-performance anxiety. It was akin to taking an exam and having to endure days of uncertainty before receiving the results. Even if you felt confident walking out of the test center, celebrating too early could lead to embarrassment—a lesson famously demonstrated by a certain professional athlete who underestimated his opponent and paid dearly for it.
Lin Tian couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. Looking back, the first two pieces they'd performed—Greeting of Love and Can-Can Dance—hadn't quite reached their usual standard. The third piece, however… that had been something else entirely.
Thinking about it now, Lin Tian realized just how deeply Gan Yanyu had influenced him during the performance. Knowing he couldn't alleviate her pain through conventional means, he'd resorted to an extreme approach: pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion in order to synchronize with her emotionally.
Their rendition of Symphony No. 40 had been transformative. While past attempts had felt mechanical, as though they were merely tracing outlines without grasping the essence, this time had been different. Under immense pressure, Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu had achieved perfect harmony—not just musically, but spiritually. Their emotions—excitement, tension, anger, despair—had aligned seamlessly with the symphony's themes, culminating in a performance that bordered on the transcendent.
And yet, Lin Tian knew better than to attribute it solely to skill or preparation. Luck had played a significant role. He'd gone into the concert with a gambler's mindset, fully aware that failure could mean disaster. Thankfully, fortune had smiled upon them. But replicating such a feat? That was another story altogether.
For starters, achieving such profound resonance wasn't something they could count on every time. Moreover, even if Lin Tian attempted another marathon session of self-punishment, there was no guarantee it would yield the same result. And let's not forget the neighbors—they'd likely kill him if he subjected them to another round of nocturnal practice sessions.
But above all, there was Gan Yanyu's health to consider. Could she withstand such strain again? Remembering her fragile condition, Lin Tian turned abruptly toward her.
"Miss Gan, did your asthma act up after the performance?"
She tilted her head thoughtfully, pressing a hand against her chest as though reliving the moment. "Not really. I felt a bit tightness afterward, but after sitting quietly for a while and taking my medication, I was fine."
"How is that possible?" Lin Tian blurted, genuinely astonished. Based on his understanding of her condition, he'd expected her to collapse immediately after the concert. Yet not only had she remained composed during the event, but she'd also recovered quickly afterward.
"What was different about your state during that performance compared to usual?" he probed further, sensing that the answer might hold the key to helping her conquer her ailments once and for all.
Gan Yanyu tilted her head, lost in thought. "I guess…I slept better?"
"And what were you thinking about while performing?"
"You."
"Huh?"
Lin Tian blinked, caught off guard.
Gan Yanyu fidgeted with her fingers, her expression a mix of exasperation and reproach. "During the concert, I wanted to stand up and hit you with my bow. Stupid Lin Tian."
Her eyes shimmered with unspoken grievances. "You made me so worried—I couldn't focus on anything else!"
At the time, Gan Yanyu had half-suspected that Lin Tian's erratic behavior was deliberate, designed to keep her on edge. But reflecting on subsequent events, she'd come to a simpler conclusion: Lin Tian was just… clueless.
"I'm sorry," he said earnestly, clasping his hands together in apology.
"It's okay…you're fine now, right?" Gan Yanyu replied, suddenly flustered by his sincerity. "Just…don't do anything dangerous like that again, or else…"
"Or else what?"
"Or else I'll pull your hair!" She scowled fiercely, widening her eyes in an attempt to appear intimidating.
"I don't usually approve of hair-pulling," Lin Tian remarked dryly before adding, "So, does that mean the reason you didn't get sick this time was because you were too focused on worrying about me?"
If that was true, they were in trouble. Surely, he couldn't rely on self-harm as a pre-performance ritual forever. That would make him less of a musician and more of a masochist.