Recaps

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu learned that Nishikawa Yuuhaku, Lin Tian’s old rival, would accompany Isaac at the Ke'er Cup and considered facing him in a piano contest. They reaffirmed their plan to marry if they won the championship, then thanked Wan Qi for his help as he left their progress in Vienna to them.

• Wan Qi explained Nishikawa Yuuhaku’s achievements and his close musical partnership with Isaac, while Lin Tian recalled their past encounters in Japan.
• Wan Qi realized Lin Tian and Nishikawa had both attended the Sakibo International Piano Competition, and He Zhichen clarified that it had been an exhibition rather than a direct contest.
• Gan Yan Yu encouraged Lin Tian to challenge Nishikawa on the piano, and Lin Tian considered it a chance to pursue a major achievement as a pianist.
• Gan Yan Yu said she wanted Lin Tian to share in the joy of victory, and Lin Tian replied that winning would let them fulfill their promise to marry.
• Wan Qi learned of their marriage agreement and congratulated them, while He Zhichen lamented losing a bet about it.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu thanked Wan Qi for his advice, and he told them the rest of their journey in Vienna was up to them.

On the day the Ke'er Cup’s first stage began, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu visited Vienna’s Golden Hall, where Gan Yan Yu eagerly explored and took pictures. Lin Tian ran into Nishikawa Yuuhaku inside the hall.

• Gan Yan Yu woke Lin Tian and asked what he thought of her curled hair and elegant black gown.
• Gan Yan Yu persuaded Lin Tian to dress formally so they could take many pictures together at the Golden Hall.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived at the Golden Hall and attracted curious looks from reporters and musicians.
• Gan Yan Yu hurried toward the entrance, captivated by the Golden Hall, while Lin Tian admired its architecture and atmosphere.
• As Lin Tian walked into the main hall, Nishikawa Yuuhaku recognized him and came over.

Lin Tian met Nishikawa Yuuhaku and several cellists at the Golden Hall before the Ke'er Cup qualifying round, then discussed their musical ambitions and agreed to face each other as composers. Gan Yan Yu arrived to tell them the round had begun, and the three entered the viewing room, where contestants noticed Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.

• Nishikawa Yuuhaku introduced Lin Tian to cellists Brian and Perkins, and Brian insulted Lin Tian after learning he had not won China's Dragon Qin Cup.
• Nishikawa Yuuhaku explained that he had come to see Lin Tian and asked why Lin Tian did not pursue greater recognition as a pianist.
• Lin Tian said he played to help his partner reach the Ke'er Cup summit, while Nishikawa Yuuhaku declared he would avenge his loss in Tokyo with a composition of his own.
• Lin Tian introduced Gan Yan Yu as his partner and fiancée, and Nishikawa Yuuhaku praised her beauty.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian and Nishikawa Yuuhaku that the qualifying round had begun, and they entered the viewing room together as contestants noticed Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.

Lin Tian brought Gan Yan Yu to watch the Ke'er Cup qualifiers and guided her to evaluate contestants from the perspective of a strong competitor. When Alick Zorn challenged their right to attend after they withdrew from China’s national finals, Gan Yan Yu defended herself by criticizing his playing and revealed she had studied recordings of all thirty-eight directly admitted contestants.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu watched several Ke'er Cup contestants perform, and he encouraged her to assess them critically.
• Gan Yan Yu identified weaknesses in a Latina contestant’s vibrato and emotional expression, impressing Lin Tian with her growing analytical skill.
• Alick Zorn confronted Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian, accusing them of using connections to enter the Ke'er Cup after withdrawing from the national competition finals.
• Lin Tian admitted that they had withdrawn, prompting nearby contestants to question how they had qualified and Brian to angrily scrub his hand after shaking Lin Tian’s.
• Gan Yan Yu told Zorn that she had the right to compete and criticized his performance of Taylor: Etude No. 13, saying his playing lacked steadiness and failed to release the piece’s emotions.
• Zorn left after Gan Yan Yu challenged him to watch their performances, and Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian she had watched recordings of all thirty-eight directly admitted contestants.

After Gan Yan Yu revealed that studying the other contestants had made her feel confident, Lin Tian chose Mozart’s “Turkish March” for their Ke'er Cup performance. The second-stage competition day arrived, and Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu left for the venue believing they were ready to make their mark in Vienna.

• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian she had watched recordings of the other contestants and felt they were not good enough, prompting him to embrace her and rejoice in her growing confidence.
• Lin Tian decided they no longer needed to watch the first-stage performances and returned with Gan Yan Yu to their hotel.
• Lin Tian played a lively march on the piano and explained that it required absolute confidence, then wrote down Mozart’s “Turkish March” as their competition piece.
• On the second-stage competition day, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu dressed for the event, exchanged a smile, and set off hand in hand.

As the Ke'er Cup second stage began at the Golden Hall, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu prepared to compete in Group B while online arguments revealed that Asian viewers had come to support “Moonlight and Cat.” The chapter left Isaac and Nishikawa Yuuhaku taking the stage as spectators wondered which musicians had drawn such a large audience.

• The first-stage results showed that 26 of 476 contestants had advanced, bringing the second-stage field to 64 with the invited contestants.
• Online arguments over Asian support for the competition ended with netizens realizing that viewers had gathered to support “Moonlight and Cat.”
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu waited backstage, and Lin Tian reassured her while teasing her about their future marriage.
• Lin Tian noticed Brian glaring at them and told Gan Yan Yu a fabricated story about Brian touching his used toilet paper.
• Brian was called to prepare for his performance as Isaac and Nishikawa Yuuhaku appeared on the big screen.
• A German cellist and his friend wondered why so many eliminated musicians had come to watch the competition.

Isaac Mek and Hypnos Brian delivered powerful performances that raised the competition’s scores and put the following contestants under pressure. Gan Yan Yu was announced as the next performer, and Perez noticed that her accompanist’s name might be the Lin Tian who had once defeated Nishikawa Yuuhaku.

• Isaac Mek and Nishikawa Yuuhaku performed “Tokyo Rhapsody No. 6,” earning Isaac 98.42 points and first place in Group A.
• Conrad told Perez that Lin Tian had once overwhelmingly defeated Nishikawa Yuuhaku’s rhapsody at Sakubang.
• Hypnos Brian performed “Texas Dance No. 5” with confidence and scored 97.31 points, taking first place in Group B.
• Backstage, Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian praised Brian’s performance, while Lin Tian admitted he disliked Brian’s arrogant manner.
• Gan Yan Yu was announced as the next contestant, and Perez asked Connor whether her accompanist was the Lin Tian he had mentioned.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu began their Ke'er Cup performance with a joyful rendition of “Turkish March,” winning over the audience and revealing Lin Tian’s identity as the composer who had defeated Nishikawa Yuuhaku. Their confident performance left Zorn wondering whether Gan Yan Yu’s earlier challenge had been aimed at everyone in the viewing room.

• Connor recognized Lin Tian’s name on the program but waited to judge him and Gan Yan Yu until he heard them play.
• Dozens of first-stage classical-music performers stood to bless Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu before they began, then pointed toward the Golden Hall’s statue as a sign to reach the top.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed “Turkish March,” whose playful melody delighted the audience and drew a child and the child’s parent into clapping along.
• Connor realized the piece confirmed Lin Tian was the composer who had defeated Nishikawa Yuuhaku, while Perez noted the pair’s focus and trust in each other.
• Zorn watched in shock and wondered whether Gan Yan Yu’s earlier words, “You’re no match for me,” had been directed at everyone in the viewing room.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed their version of “Turkish March” in Vienna’s Golden Hall, captivating the audience and shocking livestream viewers around the world. After the judges deliberated, Gan Yan Yu received 98.15 points and took first place in Group B.

• Lin Tian saw Gan Yan Yu’s performance in the Golden Hall as a test of whether she had reached the world’s highest level, and she impressed him as they performed “Turkish March.”
• Nishikawa Yuuhaku enjoyed the performance, while Isaac criticized its instinctive style and insisted music should serve its listeners.
• Livestream viewers praised Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, and overseas netizens discovered more of Lin Tian’s works, including “Symphony No. 5,” “Can-Can,” and “The Blue Danube.”
• The performance ended in silence before the audience broke into applause, and Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu shared a smile.
• As the judges deliberated, Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian laughed over how the scene reminded them of their “Moonlight” performance at the Dragon Qin Cup.
• The host announced Gan Yan Yu’s score of 98.15, placing her first in Group B.

Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian earned a score of 98, shaking the cello competition and leaving the other contestants troubled by their talent. After Brian apologized and vowed to face them in the finals, Nana Li ran into them and begged Gan Yan Yu to watch her perform.

• The contestants reacted to Gan Yan Yu's 98 and Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu's ages, while Zorn reconsidered his accusations against Gan Yan Yu.
• Gan Yan Yu hurried with Lin Tian to tell their teachers about the result, but the other cellists greeted them with complicated hostility when they returned to the lounge.
• Brian bowed to Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, apologized for his earlier behavior, and promised to give his all against them in the finals.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu left for their hotel and encountered Nana Li, who scolded them for not seeking her out in Vienna.
• Nana Li asked Gan Yan Yu to stay and watch her performance.

Lin Tian asked Nana Li what she was still playing the cello for, and she promised her music would answer. As Nana Li performed “Silhouette” at the Ke'er Cup, its sudden change in melody made Gan Yan Yu realize it was her music.

• Lin Tian asked Nana Li why she kept pushing herself as a cellist, and Nana Li said her music would provide the answer.
• He Zhichen called Lin Tian to congratulate him on scoring 98.15 and mentioned a foreign article praising him and Gan Yan Yu.
• Nana Li took the stage, where musicians and fans recognized her as the Lolita Killer and cheered her on.
• Nana Li began performing “Silhouette,” impressing the audience with her forceful, controlled playing and the piece’s classical elements.
• The music shifted into a gentle melody, and Gan Yan Yu recognized it as her own music.

At the Ke’er Cup, Nana Li performed a piece inspired by her first meeting with Gan Yan Yu, revealing that she had spent years chasing Gan Yan Yu rather than music itself. Gan Yan Yu watched with a relieved smile, while Lin Tian realized the performance expressed Gan Yan Yu’s gentleness more than Nana Li’s own nature.

• At the 2022 Manchester competition, Nana Li watched Gan Yan Yu perform with chilling, mechanical precision, then broke down, convinced she could never defeat her.
• Gan Yan Yu comforted Nana Li and admitted she was afraid of performing; Nana recognized that the icy stage persona concealed a gentler self and challenged her to take Nana seriously as a rival.
• Gan Yan Yu accepted Nana’s challenge, and Nana spent years following her through competitions, repeatedly losing while cherishing Gan Yan Yu’s warmth toward her.
• At the Ke’er Cup, Nana performed an adaptation of a piece Gan Yan Yu had once played in Manchester, expressing the gentleness Gan Yan Yu had been unable to show onstage.
• Nana realized she had always been chasing Gan Yan Yu’s back view, while Lin Tian noticed the music seemed to express Gan Yan Yu’s inner nature; Gan Yan Yu listened with a relieved smile.

Nana Li performed a deeply personal piece for Gan Yan Yu, deliberately accepting a score that eliminated her from the Ke'er Cup. After the performance, Gan Yan Yu comforted the grieving Nana Li, who said goodbye while promising she would never forget her.

• Nana Li’s cello performance shifted from fierce intensity to gentleness, expressing her feelings for Gan Yan Yu, while the judges criticized the abrupt changes.
• Gan Yan Yu recognized that the piece was about her, and Lin Tian realized Nana Li was performing as though it were her final competition.
• Nishikawa Yuuhaku concluded that Nana Li was aiming to lose, while Isaac condemned her choice to sacrifice the competition.
• Nana Li finished her performance and received 93.73 points, placing eleventh in Group A and missing the third stage.
• Nana Li found Gan Yan Yu in the lounge, broke down in tears, and embraced her as Gan Yan Yu comforted her.
• Nana Li said she was returning to university and said goodbye, then admitted she would never forget Gan Yan Yu.

After qualifying for the Ke'er Cup finals, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu left the Golden Hall with He Zhichen and Gao Zhenyang, sharing a tender moment on the drive back. He Zhichen then showed Lin Tian a viral article praising their performance and demanding that Western music reflect on its defeat, though the article continued beyond the chapter.

• The Ke'er Cup's second stage ended with Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu among the fourteen finalists, and He Zhichen and Gao Zhenyang greeted them outside the Golden Hall.
• Gao Zhenyang teased He Zhichen about their bet, prompting He Zhichen to insist that he was the one responsible for Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
• As they drove away, Lin Tian comforted Gan Yan Yu about returning for the final, and they playfully compared how soft their faces and bodies were.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian she wanted to understand him better, and he promised it would happen soon as they looked ahead to the final step of the competition.
• He Zhichen showed Lin Tian a viral Twitter article by a German critic that praised their Turkish March performance and called for Western music to reflect on its defeat.

After Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian’s performance sparked a worldwide debate about classical music and the International Musicians Association’s reforms, Lin Tian worried about backlash before the finals. He persuaded Gan Yan Yu to stay with him for safety and proposed that they create their final-stage song together.

• X.Y.’s article blamed the music world’s system and its neglect of classical music for Europe’s decline, and prominent critics and scholars joined the debate.
• Twitter split into conservative and reformist camps, while Ke'er Cup cellists faced humiliation and abuse after Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian’s performance exposed how little they knew about Moonlight and Cat.
• Lin Tian explained to He Zhichen that their deliberate effort to revive classical music could make them targets, and He Zhichen recalled Lin Tian defeating an armed attacker in Japan.
• Lin Tian suggested that he and Gan Yan Yu stay together and avoid going out until the finals, and Gao Zhenyang agreed.
• Gan Yan Yu accepted Lin Tian’s plan, and Lin Tian said they would create the song they would perform in the final.

Before beginning their ten days of closed-door training, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu visited a pet shop in Vienna, where Gan Yan Yu decided to take home a gravely ill rabbit. Lin Tian agreed to raise it, and Gan Yan Yu hinted that the rabbit’s heart condition reminded her of herself.

• Gan Yan Yu asked to visit a place before closed-door training, and she led Lin Tian to a pet shop in Vienna.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu looked at the animals, but Gan Yan Yu chose a quiet Little White Rabbit named Qiqi instead of a kitten.
• The clerk explained that Qiqi had congenital cardiomyopathy, was not for sale, and might not live much longer.
• Gan Yan Yu said Qiqi’s eyes reminded her of her own and insisted on raising her; the clerk offered to let them take the rabbit for free if they treated it well.
• Lin Tian agreed to take Qiqi, and a familiar voice behind them spoke to Isaac in Japanese.

Gan Yan Yu adopted a rabbit while she and Lin Tian prepared for the finals, and Isaac accused her of being selfish for keeping it. After reassuring Lin Tian that she knew why she had adopted it, Gan Yan Yu revealed that she had a congenital heart condition and declared that she would prove herself on the final stage.

• A shop assistant agreed to let Gan Yan Yu adopt a rabbit, while Isaac told Nishikawa Yuuhaku that he liked the calico cat but would not adopt it because he could not care for it.
• Isaac insulted Gan Yan Yu as selfish, but Nishikawa Yuuhaku restrained him and dragged him out after Isaac challenged Gan Yan Yu to face him in the finals.
• Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian brought the rabbit to her apartment, named it Brother Rabbit, and began their isolated training for the finals.
• Gan Yan Yu asked whether Isaac was right that she had adopted the rabbit to satisfy herself, and Lin Tian assured her that she was not selfish.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian that she had a congenital heart condition, which she had kept controlled with daily medicine, and said she would prove herself on the final stage.

Lin Tian learned that Gan Yan Yu had a congenital heart condition, and she assured him it would not affect their Ke'er Cup finals. They began choosing music for the final competition, with Lin Tian presenting two pieces for them to try.

• Lin Tian recalled Yun Qiuqiu telling him about an unlabeled medicine bottle in Gan Yan Yu’s cello case and realized it had been for her heart condition.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian she wanted to face the finals with him without hiding anything, and she guaranteed that her condition was safe and would not affect their performance.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu joked about her heartbeat before moving to his apartment to practice with Brother Rabbit.
• They discussed why the judges had not lowered their semifinal score and agreed to focus on performing their chosen music despite expecting bias in the finals.
• Lin Tian showed Gan Yan Yu two compositions to try: Beethoven’s “Emperor” and Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique.”

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu tried classical masterpieces as possible choices for the Ke'er Cup finals, but he ruled out Tchaikovsky's emotionally overwhelming Pathétique Symphony No. 6. After testing several other works, they reached the final page of Lin Tian's notebook, titled “Requiem.”

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed Beethoven's “Emperor” Concerto No. 5 and agreed to keep it under consideration for the finals.
• They tried Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony No. 6, and Gan Yan Yu said she could feel the composer's despair and found the music beautiful.
• Lin Tian decided they should not perform Pathétique at the Ke'er Cup, despite Gan Yan Yu's objections.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu tried several more works, including Mahler's symphony, Vivaldi's Four Seasons series, and Schubert's fantasy, but found all of them suitable.
• Lin Tian tried to skip the notebook's final piece, but Gan Yan Yu persuaded him to reveal its title: “Requiem.”

Lin Tian confronted Gan Yan Yu about her inability to imagine a long future, then chose Beethoven’s “Emperor” as their likely competition piece while refusing to let her perform music about death. That night, Gan Yan Yu secretly played Mozart’s “Requiem,” and Lin Tian left the choice between struggle and fate to her.

• Gan Yan Yu challenged Lin Tian over his refusal to consider “Requiem,” and he questioned whether she could imagine a life with him beyond the competition.
• Lin Tian accused Gan Yan Yu of never believing she would live far into the future, and she admitted she did not know what to do.
• Lin Tian explained why he feared “Pathétique” and “Requiem” would draw Gan Yan Yu too deeply into death, then chose Beethoven’s “Emperor” for their finals repertoire.
• Lin Tian walked Gan Yan Yu home, and she lay awake that night thinking about his words and wanting to try the forbidden piece.
• Lin Tian woke from a frightening dream and found Gan Yan Yu playing Mozart’s “Requiem,” then told her she had to choose between struggle and fate.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu chose Mozart’s Requiem for the Ke'er Cup finals and spent a week training intensely. He Zhichen proposed recording their preparation, and although Lin Tian rejected a training show, Gan Yan Yu became interested in documenting their trip to Vienna if they could control the editing.

• Gan Yan Yu chose Requiem for the finals, and Lin Tian agreed to perform it with her.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu trained daily while discussing their future and caring for Brother Rabbit.
• After a week, He Zhichen visited and learned they had already chosen their competition piece.
• He Zhichen brought filming equipment and proposed recording their final seven days of training for an online variety show.
• Lin Tian rejected filming during their training, but Gan Yan Yu suggested recording their Vienna trip if they could decide what footage remained.

As Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu prepared their Requiem performance for the Ke'er Cup finals, they struggled to find the profound emotion that could win over the judges. After sharing pudding with Brother Rabbit, they found the rabbit dead the next morning, just before their match.

• Gan Yan Yu persuaded Lin Tian to let He Zhichen install cameras to record their training, and He Zhichen set them up in Lin Tian's room.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu continued refining their performance, then discussed how to prove classical music was irreplaceable through a moving work and deep emotion.
• Lin Tian ordered pudding as a reward, and Gan Yan Yu shared some with the curious Brother Rabbit.
• Lin Tian asked Gan Yan Yu whether Brother Rabbit knew it would die, and Gan Yan Yu said it did before feeding it pudding.
• The next morning, Lin Tian found Brother Rabbit dead in its cage, and Gan Yan Yu accepted its death before telling Lin Tian they would do their best in the match the next day.

On the night before the Ke'er Cup finals, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu both struggled to sleep and watched the stars together on his balcony. Gan Yan Yu pointed out that Lin Tian had never directly told her he liked her, and as she fell asleep on his shoulder, he finally whispered his feelings and wished her luck for the competition.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu cremated their rabbit, then had a final dinner before the finals with He Zhichen and Teacher Gao Zhenyang.
• He Zhichen urged Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to get eight hours of sleep before their competition, but both struggled with nerves and insomnia.
• At three in the morning, Gan Yan Yu joined Lin Tian on his balcony, where they sat together and counted stars.
• Gan Yan Yu realized Lin Tian had never directly told her he liked her and said she needed to feel his love to face their opponent with confidence.
• After Gan Yan Yu fell asleep on his shoulder, Lin Tian whispered that he liked her more than anyone and kissed her forehead.

On the morning of the Ke'er Cup finals, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived exhausted after staying up together, while He Zhichen worried about their ability to perform. As the crowd and media framed them as Asia’s last hope, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu embraced that responsibility and declared they would win for Asian and classical musicians.

• He Zhichen found Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu looking exhausted and learned they had slept for fewer than three hours.
• He Zhichen told Lin Tian that the livestream had reached 3.4 million viewers and that fans were calling the duo the Light of Asia.
• Lin Tian explained that he and Gan Yan Yu fought for classical music, their friends, and the musicians who had supported them, rather than for a country.
• Gan Yan Yu woke in the car and agreed with He Zhichen that they could accept the responsibility fans had placed on them.
• At the Vienna Golden Hall, reporters questioned Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu about representing Asia, and Lin Tian said they would win for Asian musicians, Chinese musicians, and classical musicians worldwide.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived at the Golden Hall for the Ke'er Cup finals as fans across China tuned in to Zhang Dong’s newly authorized livestream. The judges took their seats, and the unexpected appearance of Steven Kao left the competitors and Gan Yan Yu stunned.

• Lin Tian declared that he would fight for Asia and classical music, and fans cheered as he and Gan Yan Yu entered the Golden Hall.
• Zhang Dong began the only officially authorized Chinese livestream of the Ke'er Cup after Lin Tian’s manager helped him secure broadcast rights.
• Gan Hua and Tuoba Jianhui watched the finals together, while He Shumo and Yao Han watched from a private cinema.
• Connor and Perez praised Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, then wished them well despite fearing their success could harm other musicians’ careers.
• Lin Tian noticed Nishikawa Yuuhaku smiling at him and Isaac glaring at Gan Yan Yu in the competitors’ lounge.
• The judges arrived, and the audience recognized Steven Kao, whose past included helping lead the anti-classical movement that changed competition rules.