Chapter Summaries

At the album launch livestream, Lin Tian answered a question about his creative inspiration by describing the difficult childhood and years of hardship he had actually experienced. His account moved the audience and Gan Yan Yu, while the flood of viewers’ emotion values left him awkwardly accepting her sympathy.

• Pu Yidan arranged for An Ning to ask Lin Tian about his creative process, drawing eager attention from fans and skeptics.
• Lin Tian explained that musicians drew inspiration from art, culture, history, and especially their emotions and life experiences.
• Lin Tian said his mother had left when he was young, his father had abandoned him at fifteen, and he had supported himself through school by working several part-time jobs.
• Xu Yong watched the livestream and recalled how hard Lin Tian had worked while trying to study and support himself.
• The viewers were moved by Lin Tian’s story and praised his perseverance, while An Ning stopped asking questions.
• Gan Yan Yu tearfully apologized to Lin Tian and held his hand, and the viewers’ emotion values surged in the system backend.

At the album release livestream, Gan Yan Yu comforted Lin Tian after his story about lacking familial warmth, then described how she interpreted the album’s music through vivid, mystical experiences. The interview ended with the hosts opening the chat for Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to interact with viewers.

• Gan Yan Yu cried over Lin Tian’s past and wished she had met him sooner, while Lin Tian reassured her that he was fine.
• Lin Tian’s emotion value rose to 84556/100000 as Host Ning redirected the livestream to Gan Yan Yu’s perspective on the album.
• Gan Yan Yu described speaking with the soul of the “Cello Concerto in E minor” and feeling affected by its sorrowful, chaotic thoughts.
• Gan Yan Yu spoke for half an hour about the “Cello Concerto in E minor” and the “Pathétique” Symphony, leaving the audience moved but confused.
• Pu Yidan prompted Ning to interrupt Gan Yan Yu, and Ning ended the interview before opening the chat for Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu.
• Ning went backstage and told Pu Yidan she would never interview Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu alone again.

Lin Tian performed “Canon in D Major” with Gan Yan Yu during his livestream, then agreed to improvise music from viewer prompts. After Gan Yan Yu added “summer” to the selected word “ocean,” Lin Tian played “Kikujiro's Summer.”

• Lin Tian took control of the livestream and asked viewers what they wanted to see, then stopped their sexual jokes about Gan Yan Yu and himself.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed “Canon in D Major” together, delighting viewers and fulfilling one viewer wish.
• Viewers asked Lin Tian to improvise, and he agreed to create music from a word chosen in the comments and an addition from Gan Yan Yu.
• Lin Tian selected “ocean” from the viewer comments, and Gan Yan Yu added “summer” based on childhood memories of gathering seafood with her grandfather.
• Lin Tian pieced together a melody and performed “Kikujiro's Summer” for the livestream.

Lin Tian improvised a piano piece for his livestream, moving Gan Yan Yu and impressing the viewers before naming it “Teacher Cat's Summer” as a song dedicated to her. The system marked his third objective—making his partner’s heart flutter—as complete.

• Lin Tian combined scattered notes into a complete, cheerful piano piece, astonishing the livestream viewers.
• As Lin Tian played, Gan Yan Yu remembered childhood summers with her grandfather and smiled at him.
• The viewers praised Lin Tian’s finished piece and asked him to name and record it.
• When Gan Yan Yu asked about the ritual, Lin Tian said every piece he wrote was for her and named the song “Teacher Cat's Summer.”
• The system declared Lin Tian’s third objective complete.

Lin Tian completed a mission after composing a piece that touched Gan Yan Yu, then drew a viewer wish for her to try a dress-up game. He kept the camera pointed away while she modeled a flight attendant outfit, and her unexpected flirtation left him flustered.

• Gan Yan Yu responded tenderly to Lin Tian's performance, completing his mission and making him reconsider how complicated he had imagined her to be.
• Lin Tian told the livestream viewers that his composition had come easily because of the event and Teacher Cat's atmosphere, then left Gan Yan Yu in charge of the camera.
• Lin Tian found the costumes Pu Yidan had prepared, and the system drew a viewer wish for Teacher Cat to experience a dress-up game.
• Lin Tian dressed Gan Yan Yu in a flight attendant uniform and kept her off-camera while asking her to act as though she were serving him.
• Gan Yan Yu covered Lin Tian's hand with hers, pressed it to her lips, and breathed warmly onto it as she asked whether his heart was still cold.

After the press conference, Lin Tian wondered why Gan Yan Yu seemed distant, then claimed his reward and gained a major boost to his physical resilience. He tested the reinforcement at home and found it tougher than expected.

• Lin Tian used Forced Calm to hide his embarrassment, and Gan Yan Yu blushed before leaving to change.
• Lin Tian ended the livestream after announcing the album's Friday release and thanking viewers.
• In the taxi, Lin Tian noticed Gan Yan Yu had grown quiet and pulled her wrist away when he reached for her watch.
• At home, Lin Tian collected a Focus Potion and received three levels of Producer Body Reinforcement.
• Lin Tian tested his new durability by striking a concrete wall and found his body, including his most private part, remained unharmed.

Lin Tian asked He Zhichen for advice after Gan Yan Yu began acting distant, and He Zhichen concluded she might be compensating for showing him too much affection. Lin Tian left thinking he needed to help Gan Yan Yu see him as more than a partner, possibly through a song.

• Lin Tian invited Gan Yan Yu out to eat, but she said she had ordered takeout and was staying home.
• Lin Tian met He Zhichen at Grandpa Gan's café and explained how Gan Yan Yu had acted during the livestream and afterward.
• He Zhichen suggested Gan Yan Yu might have become distant because she regretted showing Lin Tian too much affection or felt guilty about crossing a partner's boundaries.
• Lin Tian rejected the idea that Gan Yan Yu was deliberately playing games and considered that she might be trying to preserve their partnership.
• He Zhichen urged Lin Tian to make Gan Yan Yu break free from seeing herself only as his partner, and Lin Tian considered using a song to express his feelings.

After Lin Tian planned how to make Gan Yan Yu understand his feelings, clips from Moonlight and Cat’s livestream went viral and drove CD pre-orders past twenty thousand. The chapter ended with He Zhichen predicting a major sales surge and telling Lin Tian to prepare to shock the Heavenly Dynasty’s top composers.

• He Zhichen encouraged Lin Tian to pursue Gan Yan Yu, and Lin Tian decided to choose a piece that suggested romance without being explicitly about love.
• Lin Tian discovered that livestream clips had helped his Douyin account gain more than a million followers overnight.
• Promotional accounts spread clips of Moonlight’s past, Gan Yan Yu’s emotional reaction, and Lin Tian’s improvised piece, Teacher Cat’s Summer.
• Music creators analyzed and performed Teacher Cat’s Summer as the livestream clips dominated Douyin.
• He Zhichen told Lin Tian that physical CD pre-orders had surpassed twenty thousand and predicted the album would sell over a hundred thousand copies in its first month.

Wang Ming and music fans rushed to buy Moonlight and Cat's album Rainy Day Wet, which sold out across the country and drew widespread attention to the duo. As the album’s success brought Gan Yan Yu joy, Lin Tian gave her the new piece he had written for the Parrot Qin Cup finals: “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor.”

• Wang Ming arrived at the local CD store at six in the morning, found a long queue for Rainy Day Wet, and learned that the album had sold out before he could buy it.
• Wang Ming and other disappointed fans gathered around a boy who had bought the album and listened to its music through his laptop speakers.
• Lin Tian learned that Rainy Day Wet had sold out at stores nationwide, prompting Leyun to expand production and announce a new preorder batch.
• Netizens showed off their copies as Rainy Day Wet became scarce, while HX-board ranked Moonlight and Cat first on its weekly album chart and placed them at number 98 among Chinese musicians.
• Gan Yan Yu read fans’ responses to the album and smiled as more people showed interest in classical music.
• Lin Tian gave Gan Yan Yu the piece he had written for the Parrot Qin Cup finals, titled “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor.”

As the Parrot Qin Cup finals approached, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu practiced Hungarian Dance No. 5 while Lin Tian planned to confess if they won. He asked Su Ran and Xu Yong for advice, and Su Ran suggested he do something bold to make Gan Yan Yu see him as a man as well as a musical partner.

• Lin Tian chose Hungarian Dance No. 5 for his and Gan Yan Yu’s finals performance and planned to confess after they played it.
• Lin Tian noticed Gan Yan Yu had stopped initiating the casual physical contact she used to show him.
• Lin Tian invited Xu Yong and Su Ran to dinner and announced that he would confess to Gan Yan Yu if they won the competition.
• Su Ran told Lin Tian that Gan Yan Yu did not seem to have romantic feelings for him yet, then offered to teach him how to change that.
• Su Ran advised Lin Tian to do something bold before the finals to make Gan Yan Yu see him as a man as well as a partner.

Lin Tian discussed how to confess to Gan Yan Yu with Su Ran and Xu Yong, who offered to help him plan a private, romantic setting. That night, as Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu reviewed their competition recording at the café, he moved closer to her, and she abruptly left for the bathroom.

• Lin Tian rejected the idea of using forceful physical contact to stimulate Gan Yan Yu's feelings because he was serious about her.
• Su Ran suggested that Lin Tian could touch Gan Yan Yu's heart without resorting to physical pressure, and she encouraged him to choose a private place to confess.
• Su Ran and Xu Yong offered to scout locations and arrange flowers and other props for Lin Tian's confession.
• Su Ran told Lin Tian she believed Gan Yan Yu had feelings for him, and Lin Tian hurried away after hearing about Su Ran's own first love.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu trained at the café and reviewed their recording together, but when Lin Tian moved closer and their arms touched, Gan Yan Yu suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom.

Lin Tian tried to reconnect with Gan Yan Yu through a conversation unrelated to music, but his sincere promise to take her to the world championship received a calm response. He realized his earlier Forced Calm had hurt Gan Yan Yu and explained why she had withdrawn from intimate interactions, leaving him unsure whether she had accepted the distance between them.

• Lin Tian asked Gan Yan Yu to talk about their health and lives instead of music, and she told him about her asthma and worries about competing.
• Gan Yan Yu stopped Lin Tian from mentioning death and said she would perform with him at the Parrot Qin Cup, though she might need his support at the Dragon Qin Cup.
• Lin Tian hugged Gan Yan Yu and promised to take her to the world championship, telling her not to question whether she deserved to compete.
• Gan Yan Yu replied calmly that she understood, and Lin Tian realized her reaction resembled his own Forced Calm after she had held his hand at the livestream venue.
• Lin Tian understood that his earlier unresponsive reaction had hurt Gan Yan Yu and prompted her to avoid intimate interactions.
• Gan Yan Yu thanked Lin Tian for talking, hid her face, and said she was going home.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu entered the Parrot Qin Cup finals amid predictions favoring Bai Xi, while their partnership remained strained. Just before the match, Gan Yan Yu twisted her ankle and asked Lin Tian to set it.

• Xu Yong arranged for Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to celebrate at Brother Soft’s restaurant after the competition.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian he had seemed distracted, and Lin Tian realized their musical connection had weakened as their hearts drifted apart.
• The Parrot Qin Cup finals began with Gan Yan Yu facing Bai Xi, whose many awards and strong reputation made the audience doubt Gan Yan Yu’s chances.
• Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu that Tuoba was no longer judging and that Teacher Yao Han had taken his place.
• Gan Yan Yu returned from the restroom after twisting her ankle and asked Lin Tian whether he knew how to set bones.

Before the Parrot Qin Cup finals, Lin Tian treated Gan Yan Yu’s injured foot in their private lounge, and the two agreed to talk after the competition. They turned their attention to the broadcast as Bai Xi took the stage and the contest began.

• Lin Tian noticed a smudge on Gan Yan Yu’s high heel and helped her lie down so he could examine her foot.
• Lin Tian removed Gan Yan Yu’s shoe and stocking, then adjusted her ankle and massaged her foot while Yao Han performed onstage.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian she wanted to talk after the competition, and Lin Tian said he did too.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu resolved to focus on winning the Parrot Qin Cup before discussing their feelings.
• Bai Xi was announced as the first contestant, walked onto the stage, and prepared to play her cello.

Bai Xi’s unconventional reason for learning the cello and her polished public persona were introduced as she began her performance in the finals. She played “Falling Leaves” onstage while Yao Han, Lin Tian, and Gan Yan Yu watched.

• Bai Xi explained that she learned the cello because playing it looked cool and she thought people would admire cellists.
• Bai Xi’s childhood popularity and her determination to repay others’ goodwill by presenting an energetic, likable image were described.
• After seeing a cellist perform at a concert, Bai Xi decided that learning the cello would make her more lovable and became a striking performer in Qingjiang’s music scene.
• Bai Xi took the stage in the finals and began playing “Falling Leaves.”
• Yao Han praised the piece as a good fit for cello and speculated that Bai Xi had chosen a cautious arrangement because of her opponents.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu watched Bai Xi perform backstage, and Lin Tian admired her theatrical charm.

Bai Xi delivered a captivating cello performance in the finals, then encouraged Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to create an unforgettable stage. She asked to be friends with them after the competition.

• Bai Xi spotted Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu watching her performance and wondered about their story and partnership.
• Bai Xi played a passionate rendition of "Falling Leaves," winning over the audience and judges with her performance.
• He Shumo doubted that Gan Yan Yu could surpass Bai Xi with a dance piece, while Yao Han said he trusted Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to interpret music unexpectedly.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu headed backstage toward the stage and ran into Bai Xi as she came offstage.
• Bai Xi told Lin Tian that she hoped all of them would create a memorable stage and asked to be friends after the competition.

Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian performed Lin Tian’s “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor” in the Parrot Qin Cup final, surprising the judges with the demanding, lively piece. The performance was still underway as the judges wondered whether Lin Tian had more to reveal to overcome Bai Xi.

• Bai Xi teased Lin Tian, said she would wait for him at the Dragon Qin Cup, and left.
• Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian took the stage for the Parrot Qin Cup final as the audience and judges watched expectantly.
• Gan Yan Yu began performing “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor” while Lin Tian accompanied her on piano.
• The judges recognized the piece’s Hungarian style and were impressed by its difficulty and the pair’s coordination.
• He Shumo and Yao Han discussed Lin Tian’s reputation as a composer, and Yao Han wondered whether the performance would be enough to beat Bai Xi.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor, each pouring their tangled feelings into the music. The performance ended to a stunned venue, while Lin Tian still did not know what Gan Yan Yu’s playing meant.

• Lin Tian realized that his plans for a cheerful performance and a confession had been undermined by the unresolved rift between him and Gan Yan Yu.
• Gan Yan Yu reflected on her self-reproach and lack of courage to communicate, then poured her conflicting emotions into her cello playing.
• Yao Han and He Shumo heard the performance shift into a layered mix of joy, bitterness, grief, and sweetness, and Yao Han claimed only a mental patient could play it that way.
• Gan Yan Yu took the musical lead as Lin Tian struggled to keep up, and their performance drew the audience into a range of emotions.
• The music stopped abruptly, ending the performance as Gan Yan Yu panted and sweat dampened her face.

After Gan Yan Yu’s emotionally charged piano performance, Lin Tian realized she had used the music to share the story of her life with him, and they agreed to be more honest with each other. As the judges prepared to announce the results, Gan Yan Yu took Lin Tian’s arm and brought him onstage to face the outcome together.

• The audience applauded Gan Yan Yu’s performance, while judges He Shumo and Yao Han reflected on its emotional impact.
• Gan Yan Yu collapsed into Lin Tian’s arms after the performance, and he supported her backstage while she recovered.
• Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu that he had heard her life story in her performance, and she smiled in response.
• Lin Tian embraced Gan Yan Yu and asked them to speak honestly instead of keeping their feelings bottled up, and she accepted his embrace.
• A staff member summoned Gan Yan Yu to the stage for the results, and she took Lin Tian’s arm so they could stand together.

Gan Yan Yu won the Parrot Qin Cup with perfect scores from all eleven judges, sharing the trophy with Lin Tian. After the celebration, Lin Tian received Xu Yong’s message that their plan was proceeding as usual.

• Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian walked onto the stage together as the host prepared to announce the Parrot Qin Cup champion.
• The host announced Gan Yan Yu as champion for her performance of “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor,” which earned perfect A+ scores from all eleven judges.
• Gan Yan Yu raised the trophy, thanked her grandfather through tears, and placed Lin Tian’s hand on it so they could hold it together.
• Gan Yan Yu gave her acceptance speech and spoke with the media while Lin Tian stayed beside her; Yao Han and others congratulated them afterward.
• After leaving the concert hall, Lin Tian received Xu Yong’s message that the plan was proceeding as usual.