"Yu, listen carefully. An outstanding performer can draw upon their understanding of life and infuse their own interpretation into the emotions of the music."
"Grandpa, what if I don't have any understanding of life?"
Little Gan Yan Yu raised her tiny hand and stared at Gan Hua with innocent, curious eyes.
"That's true. You're only seven, you haven't even gone to kindergarten, and you've barely left the house. Where would you get any understanding of life?"
The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead.
After pondering for a moment, he said,
"Actually, there's another way. Come, close your eyes."
Gan Yan Yu obediently closed her eyes.
"The composer of this piece was named Elvin. When he was thirteen, his homeland was invaded by the Empire's army. Imagine that you and Elvin were childhood friends who grew up together. On the day the capital fell, you were standing alone on the street, and your father and mother had both disappeared..."
"."
"."
A moment later.
"Yu, you actually did it!"
Gan Hua looked at the girl before him, his face overflowing with wild joy.
"Damn it. A genius, a genius! My Gan family's cello legacy will live on!!"
"."
As Gan Yan Yu bit her index finger with a bewildered expression,
Gan Hua sat beside her and earnestly instructed her:
"Yu, you must remember this. This is an ability that belongs to you alone. No one else can imitate it. Used properly, it can take you onto the world stage. But no matter what, don't fall in too deeply... At all times, you must firmly remember who you are. The cello is a tool in your hands. Don't let it consume you."
For some reason,
memories from her childhood surfaced in Gan Yan Yu's mind at that moment.
Looking toward