Recaps

On the day of the Star Cup, Lin Tian accompanied Gan Yan Yu to the competition and learned about her formidable opponents and her grandfather’s unfinished path. As Gan Yan Yu prepared backstage, Bai Xi approached her and then recognized Lin Tian.

• Lin Tian tried to steady Gan Yan Yu before the competition and accompanied her to the venue.
• On the way, Gan Yan Yu explained that she was competing in the professional division and told Lin Tian about Bai Xi, a strong rival she had faced in the 2022 Parrot Qin Cup.
• Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian arrived at the venue, where excited fans surrounded them with cheers before they entered the waiting hall.
• Bai Xi greeted Gan Yan Yu and recalled watching her compete two years earlier.
• When Gan Yan Yu left to have her makeup done, Bai Xi turned to Lin Tian and asked if he was Lin Tian.

Bai Xi questioned Lin Tian about his role in Gan Yan Yu’s musical transformation, then performed a dazzling pop arrangement on cello that shook the contestants in the waiting room. With Gan Yan Yu nervous before her turn, Lin Tian gave her his hair tie and encouraged her to focus on performing.

• Bai Xi approached Lin Tian, praised his work with Gan Yan Yu, and tried to recruit him to hear her perform, but Lin Tian defended his equal partnership with Gan Yan Yu and declined.
• Bai Xi asked Lin Tian to watch her performance, then took the stage first and played “Golden Dance,” a striking pop-style cello solo.
• The other contestants feared they could not compete with Bai Xi, while Lin Tian recognized her as a serious rival for Gan Yan Yu.
• Lin Tian found Gan Yan Yu nervously drawing stars on her thigh and urged her to sit properly and continue with the competition.
• Lin Tian gave Gan Yan Yu the hair tie from his wrist and told her he would always be her number one fan.

Bai Xi praised Gan Yan Yu as a rival before Gan Yan Yu admitted she feared she could not match Bai Xi or handle the attention of her fans. Lin Tian encouraged her to focus only on playing, and she took the stage to begin her cello concerto.

• Bai Xi returned to the lounge, praised Lin Tian, declined to press him further about a solo, and wished Gan Yan Yu good luck.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian that Bai Xi's Golden Dance was formidable and that she feared the pressure of performing for her fans.
• Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu to treat the fans like radishes and cabbages and focus on finishing her piece.
• Gan Yan Yu tied her hair up, asked Lin Tian how she looked, and headed to the stage.
• Gan Yan Yu walked onstage, sat with her cello, and prepared to play her Cello Concerto in E minor.

Gan Yan Yu struggled with stage fright while performing Moonlight and Cat’s cello concerto at the Star Cup, as Bai Xi recalled how hard she had worked since childhood. The chapter ended when Lin Tian appeared in the audience with a sign and began dancing to cheer her on.

• Performers in the waiting room recognized Gan Yan Yu’s piece as Moonlight and Cat’s newly released cello concerto and doubted her choice for the competition.
• Gan Yan Yu searched the audience for Lin Tian and mistook her excited fans’ waving signs for a threatening sight, causing her performance to falter.
• Bai Xi remembered meeting sixteen-year-old Gan Yan Yu studying scores alone at the 2022 Parrot Qin Cup and reflected on her extraordinary dedication.
• Gan Yan Yu felt overwhelmed by the judges’ attention and struggled to continue playing.
• Lin Tian held up a sign reading “Gan Yan Yu is Awesome,” grabbed two glow sticks, and began dancing to encourage her.

At the Star Cup finals, Lin Tian performed an exuberant support dance to encourage Gan Yan Yu, who responded with a deeply emotional cello performance. Gan Yan Yu finished to sustained applause as security reprimanded Lin Tian, and Bai Xi left looking forward to seeing them at the Parrot Qin Cup.

• Lin Tian stood in the audience and performed a support dance with glow sticks, drawing attention from the crowd and the lounge.
• Gan Yan Yu saw Lin Tian cheering for her, suppressed a laugh, and began playing with overflowing emotion.
• Gan Yan Yu's cello performance captivated the lounge, and Bai Xi recognized her musical strength while reflecting on Lin Tian's devotion.
• As Gan Yan Yu's performance reached its climax, Lin Tian kept dancing until security rushed in and he surrendered.
• Gan Yan Yu finished to applause and cheers, while performers praised her performance and Bai Xi left anticipating the Parrot Qin Cup.

After Gan Yan Yu completed her Star Cup performance, Lin Tian praised her and celebrated with her and Gao Zhenyang while they discussed her chances and the competition ahead. The chapter ended with Gan Yan Yu asking whether Lin Tian would still partner with her if she proved less capable than he imagined.

• Lin Tian met Gan Yan Yu backstage after her performance and praised her playing.
• Gan Yan Yu returned to the lounge, where Zhu Ya and other contestants congratulated her and invited her to discuss music.
• Gan Yan Yu left before the results were announced, and Lin Tian joined her for a celebratory meal with Gao Zhenyang.
• Gao Zhenyang assessed Gan Yan Yu and Bai Xi as nearly equal in technique but thought Gan Yan Yu had stronger emotional expression.
• Gan Yan Yu asked Lin Tian whether he would still partner with her if she was not as strong as he expected.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu met music manager He Zhichen, whom Gao Zhenyang recommended to help them navigate the music industry and their future arts entrance exams. The next day, they checked the Star Cup results together, and Lin Tian's heart sank when he saw a two-character name at the top of the list.

• Lin Tian reassured Gan Yan Yu that no one suited his music better than she did.
• Gao Zhenyang introduced Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to He Zhichen, who recited detailed profiles of both musicians and estimated Lin Tian could sell at least 110,000 copies of a first-month album.
• Gao Zhenyang steered the discussion away from album plans because Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu were still studying, and He Zhichen offered to help them prepare for their arts entrance exams.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu accepted He Zhichen as their music manager and agreed to call him Brother Chen.
• The next day, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu checked the Star Cup results, and Lin Tian's heart sank when he saw a two-character name at the top of the list.

After Gan Yan Yu placed second in the Star Cup, Lin Tian tried to comfort her while they prepared for the arts entrance exam. Gan Yan Yu privately feared Bai Xi might steal Lin Tian away, but Nana Li arrived to challenge her to the Parrot Qin Cup.

• Gan Yan Yu left Lin Tian's home after saying she was satisfied with her performance, though Lin Tian suspected the runner-up result had upset her.
• Gan Yan Yu came back for dinner and studied music theory while Lin Tian read online reactions to the Star Cup results.
• Gan Yan Yu asked Lin Tian to play a duet, then left early, telling him she was tired.
• Gan Yan Yu went to the café alone and rolled around in frustration, worrying that Lin Tian might turn to Bai Xi and be stolen away.
• Nana Li visited Gan Yan Yu and urged her not to get depressed, declaring that she expected them to compete for first and second place at the Parrot Qin Cup.

After losing the competition, Gan Yan Yu feared Lin Tian would choose to perform with Bai Xi, and Nana Li helped her realize she was jealous. The next day, Gan Yan Yu apologized to Lin Tian and gave him a sealed letter to open when they achieved their dreams.

• Nana Li confronted Gan Yan Yu about losing the competition and urged her to take their rivalry seriously.
• Gan Yan Yu admitted she feared Lin Tian would leave her to practice with Bai Xi, and Nana Li suggested that she was jealous because she liked him.
• Gan Yan Yu thanked Nana Li, then left with a clearer idea of what she wanted to tell Lin Tian.
• Lin Tian worried that Gan Yan Yu was suffering over the competition and regretted letting her leave alone.
• The next day, Gan Yan Yu apologized to Lin Tian and gave him a sealed letter, asking him to open it when they achieved their dreams.

Lin Tian apologized to Gan Yan Yu for leaving her to bear their Star Cup loss alone, and she promised not to run away. Later, He Zhichen argued that the judging panel’s biases meant Gan Yan Yu had not lost on performance, leaving Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu with a new explanation for the result.

• Lin Tian apologized to Gan Yan Yu for failing to share the burden of their competition loss, and she told him she would not run away.
• Lin Tian encouraged Gan Yan Yu to move on from losing the Star Cup, and they studied together more comfortably.
• After Gan Yan Yu left, Lin Tian resisted opening the secret letter she had given him and hid it in his bedside drawer.
• Lin Tian met He Zhichen for afternoon tea, where He Zhichen showed them the Star Cup judges’ list.
• He Zhichen said that judges favoring the International Musicians Association’s standards made up about 41.67% of the panel, and argued that Gan Yan Yu had not lost in performance.

After He Zhichen’s analysis showed that Gan Yan Yu’s Star Cup performance had been equal to Bai Xi’s despite a scoring advantage for modern music, Lin Tian prepared for his arts exam and completed a system mission that granted him Master-Level makeup skill. He decided to test the skill and called Gan Yan Yu to borrow cosmetics.

• He Zhichen compared competition scores and concluded that Gan Yan Yu had performed as well as Bai Xi, though internationalist judges’ scoring had favored modern music.
• Gan Yan Yu realized she had not lost the cello duel, and He Zhichen said the Parrot Qin Cup would likely have more professional judges.
• With two days left before the arts exam, Lin Tian’s system mission was completed and he received Master-Level makeup skill.
• Lin Tian admired his newly heightened sense of his own appearance and decided makeup could help him at the exam.
• Lin Tian called Gan Yan Yu and asked to borrow her makeup.

Lin Tian went to Gan Yan Yu’s home to try out his self-taught makeup skills, and she watched as he applied a natural-looking makeup style. When he finished and asked her to assess his hair, Gan Yan Yu was stunned by how good his fashion sense was.

• Lin Tian visited Gan Yan Yu’s home early in the morning to practice makeup.
• Gan Yan Yu brought out her small collection of makeup, and Lin Tian checked that it had everything he needed.
• Lin Tian explained that makeup could change someone’s style and began applying a natural look to himself.
• Gan Yan Yu watched Lin Tian work and was surprised by his skill.
• Lin Tian finished his makeup and asked Gan Yan Yu to look at his hair, leaving her stunned by his fashion sense.

While Gan Yan Yu styled Lin Tian’s hair, Lin Tian tried to learn what kind of boys she liked before he confessed after the Parrot Qin Cup. Her answer about preferring something grand and uninhibited left him puzzled, and she finished his hair in a middle part for the upcoming arts exam.

• Lin Tian realized Gan Yan Yu’s comment about his fashion sense was an indirect compliment about his improved appearance.
• Gan Yan Yu said Lin Tian’s bangs needed changing and styled his hair with a comb and hair dryer.
• Lin Tian used the hairstyle conversation to ask what style Gan Yan Yu preferred, hoping to learn what kind of boys she liked.
• Gan Yan Yu said she liked something grand that gave her a feeling of a grand narrative and made her feel shocked and uninhibited.
• Gan Yan Yu finished Lin Tian’s hair in a middle part and suggested he wear it for the arts exam the day after tomorrow.

On the morning of Qingjiang Province’s music unified exam, Lin Tian dressed for the test and traveled alone to Qingjiang Music University, where he stood out among students arriving with arts training institutions. He was an independent trainee with no formal institutional training.

• Gan Yan Yu styled Lin Tian’s hair and advised him to wear a white shirt for the arts exam.
• On December 12, Lin Tian got up early, put on exam makeup and formal clothes, and headed to Qingjiang Music University after Gan Yan Yu said they would meet there.
• Lin Tian arrived at the crowded exam square, where students gathered in groups under their training institutions’ flags.
• Lin Tian watched Chunqiu’s students draw attention as the group from a training institution known for producing Qingjiang’s top scorers.
• Lin Tian stood alone among the organized groups, revealing that he had received no formal institutional training.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived at the art exam venue together, drawing attention with their looks before separating for their exams. Lin Tian entered his first exam room, while a Spring and Autumn teacher and candidate Wu Yi wondered whether the unknown pair could be competitors.

• Lin Tian prayed to Kunmen, then met Gan Yan Yu, who brought him warm soy milk and wore a white shirt like his.
• Gan Yan Yu grabbed Lin Tian's arm and hurried with him toward the teaching building as the first round of drawing lots began.
• Students admired Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, while Spring and Autumn's teacher wondered where the unknown, striking pair had come from.
• Wu Yi suggested they might be students from out of town and said he hoped to face interesting candidates.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu compared their exam rooms, wished each other luck, and went their separate ways.
• Lin Tian followed the exam order into his first exam room.

Lin Tian entered the sight-reading exam as other candidates panicked over an unusually difficult classical-music question. He recognized the score as a work by Elvin and played it smoothly, astonishing the recording teacher.

• Candidates who finished the exam complained that the sight-reading pieces were impossibly difficult, spreading panic among those still waiting.
• Lin Tian entered the examination room while other candidates watched and speculated about how he would fare.
• Lin Tian received an eight-bar score, recognized its classical style as a work by Elvin, and smiled.
• Lin Tian played the piece with ease, surprising the recording teacher with his fluent performance.

Lin Tian impressed the A7 proctor and became the talk of the art exam candidates after playing sight-reading effortlessly, then finished the written exams. On his way to the final instrument performance, Wu Yi tried to show off his own full marks, while Lin Tian left without recognizing the challenge.

• Lin Tian played the sight-reading piece smoothly enough to delight the proctor and astonish the candidates gathered outside.
• Lin Tian left the exam room amid a crowd, considered checking on Gan Yan Yu, then trusted their plan to meet after the exams and continued onward.
• Lin Tian easily completed the music theory and dictation exams, becoming a subject of gossip among candidates and training institutions.
• Wu Yi introduced himself to Lin Tian and said they would share the instrument performance exam room, adding that he had also earned full marks on sight-reading.
• Lin Tian wished Wu Yi luck and walked away, leaving Wu Yi panicked about having tried to act cool in front of Teacher Gan.

Wu Yi reflected on the pressure of living up to his reputation as a musical prodigy and vowed not to lose his instrumental performance exam, despite recognizing Lin Tian as a formidable rival. As the final exam began, Wu Yi sat at the piano under the watch of many candidates, while Lin Tian waited for his turn.

• Wu Yi recalled how his mother's expectations and years of praise had forced him to maintain the image of a confident genius.
• Wu Yi told his teacher that Lin Tian would be a good opponent but insisted he would beat him, and his teacher promised a celebration banquet.
• Lin Tian drew the thirteenth performance slot and noted that Gan Yan Yu's cello exam room was far from his own.
• The instrumental performance exam began, and candidates gathered to watch Chunqiu's Wu Yi enter the piano room.
• Wu Yi felt the candidates' attention as he sat at the piano and convinced himself that his experience gave him the advantage.

Lin Tian delivered a stunning piano performance in the arts examination, leaving the candidates and Wu Yi convinced that he was on an entirely different level. Wu Yi then learned that Lin Tian was a professional pianist who had performed at Qingtian Concert Hall.

• Wu Yi finished an excellent piano performance and left the examination room, believing Lin Tian had ignored his playing.
• Lin Tian entered the classroom and performed Moonlight and Cat’s challenging pieces, “Can-Can” and “Symphony No. 8 in G Minor, 'Pathétique.'”
• The candidates were stunned by Lin Tian’s speed and flawless playing, which sounded more like a concert than an examination.
• Wu Yi listened to Lin Tian’s performance and felt relieved to lose to someone so far beyond his level.
• Wu Yi’s teacher called and told him that Lin Tian was a professional pianist who had performed at Qingtian Concert Hall the previous month.

After Lin Tian’s piano performance revealed that he was a professional musician, Wu Yi accepted that he could not compete with him and sincerely congratulated him. Lin Tian then reunited with Gan Yan Yu after her cello exam, and the two left together.

• Wu Yi realized Lin Tian was a professional pianist and decided to stop pretending to be his rival.
• Wu Yi congratulated Lin Tian, who said he might not be the top scorer, as the examinees reacted to news of another professional musician at the exam.
• Lin Tian headed to Gan Yan Yu’s examination area and found her surrounded by cello students eager for a photo.
• Gan Yan Yu spotted Lin Tian in the crowd, joined him, and complained about her stiff smile in the selfie.
• Gan Yan Yu deleted the photo and walked away beside Lin Tian.

After finishing the provincial unified exam, Lin Tian learned that his next challenge would be accompanying Gan Yan Yu in the Parrot Qin Cup. Gan Yan Yu discovered that her idol, Tuoba Jianhui, would judge the competition and saw that he had singled her out in an interview.

• Lin Tian reflected that the unified exam was only a threshold before the more demanding school exams, including China Music University's.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian that the Parrot Qin Cup preliminary round was next week and asked him to accompany her.
• Gan Yan Yu learned that Tuoba Jianhui would judge the Qingjiang Province cello competition, and Lin Tian found out she admired him and hoped to study at his university.
• Lin Tian showed Gan Yan Yu an interview in which Tuoba Jianhui named her as a contestant who had caught his attention.

Tuoba Jianhui harshly criticized Gan Yan Yu’s performances, leaving her shaken while Lin Tian suspected personal resentment. Gan Yan Yu resolved to prove herself at the competition, and Lin Tian received a new Producer mission.

• Tuoba Jianhui called Gan Yan Yu’s performances unacceptable in an interview and urged her to reflect before the finals.
• Gan Yan Yu wondered whether her performance had been that bad, and Lin Tian angrily defended her.
• Lin Tian suspected Tuoba Jianhui’s criticism stemmed from an old grudge involving Gan Yan Yu’s grandfather, but Gan Yan Yu said the two musicians had likely been on good terms.
• Gan Yan Yu decided to work hard and change Tuoba Jianhui’s opinion of her at the competition, and she and Lin Tian planned to begin training the next day.
• Lin Tian received a Producer mission to create music, film a performance with a partner, earn two million likes, and achieve 98% audience satisfaction on a stage.

Lin Tian chose “Por Una Cabeza” for Gan Yan Yu to perform at the Parrot Qin Cup, hoping its accessible, emotionally rich tango would satisfy the audience. After they recorded a cello-and-piano duet, Gan Yan Yu said the piece was good but did not suit her.

• Lin Tian received the Forced Calm skill and considered how it could help him stay composed while performing with Gan Yan Yu.
• Lin Tian realized the task required a 98% live-audience satisfaction rate and searched for a challenging but approachable piece.
• Lin Tian chose “Por Una Cabeza,” inspired by how Gan Yan Yu had narrowly missed winning the Star Cup.
• At a café the next day, Lin Tian introduced the piece to Gan Yan Yu, who was excited by its melody.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu recorded a passionate piano-and-cello duet, with the music seeming to turn the café into a ballroom.
• After the performance, Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian that the piece was good but did not suit her very well.

Lin Tian encouraged Gan Yan Yu to keep working on a tango piece despite her doubts and the criticism from Tuoba. To find inspiration, they went to perform outdoors at Bishui Riverbank, where Gan Yan Yu embraced the prospect of being seen as romantic street musicians together.

• Gan Yan Yu said the tango piece felt romantic but distant, and Lin Tian urged her to adjust her performance rather than give up.
• Gan Yan Yu admitted that Tuoba's criticism had made her question her performance, and Lin Tian condemned his remarks and encouraged her not to be intimidated.
• Gan Yan Yu suggested they change locations to seek inspiration, and Lin Tian agreed to go with her to Bishui Riverbank.
• Lin Tian checked the outdoor piano near a bookstore while Gan Yan Yu disguised herself with a cap, sunglasses, and mask.
• Gan Yan Yu took out her cello and said she wanted to experience the tango's adventurous rhythm as a romantic street musician with Lin Tian.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed a piano-and-cello duet on a quiet pedestrian street, drawing a crowd. Their performance caught the attention of violinist and livestreamer Zhang Dong, who hurried over to join them.

• Gan Yan Yu sat close beside Lin Tian and asked him to play the first piece he had written for her.
• Lin Tian played the piano while Gan Yan Yu accompanied him on cello, and passersby gathered to watch.
• Zhang Dong livestreamed himself walking along the pedestrian street and promised to play "Spanish Bullfight Music" when his stream reached twenty thousand likes.
• Zhang Dong heard the duet and saw that the pair were performing "Spanish Bullfight Music" outside the bookstore.
• At his viewers' urging, Zhang Dong took out his violin and approached the performers, wondering how they could play so well.