Chapter Summaries

Bai Junze's unconventional, high-level cello performance captivated the audience and helped Nana Li rethink how she could pursue freedom within her constraints. As the Dragon Qin Cup continued, Gan Yan Yu worried that no contestants had played classical music, and Mao Wei'ang was announced as the next performer.

• He Zhichen and Yao Han explained that Bai Junze lived as a wanderer to preserve his musical inspiration, and Yao Han described him as truly free.
• Bai Junze finished his explosive cello performance to thunderous applause, while Bamboo Leaf praised his arrangement and musical understanding as top-tier.
• Nana Li realized she needed to follow her mother's route and defeat Gan Yan Yu to gain the freedom to choose her own life, then questioned why Yao Han was helping her.
• Yao Han told Nana Li he did not want to see a highly talented musician squander her ability, then privately called her the perfect opponent for Lin Tian.
• Lin Tian discussed the competition's difficulty with Gan Yan Yu, who worried that no contestant had performed traditional classical music; the host then announced Mao Wei'ang.

Mao Zi performed his cello composition “Sonnet of Electric Current and Sheep Gut Strings,” impressing the audience and judges with its catchy pop style and strong technique. The next contestant was Gan Yan Yu, who was set to perform The Blue Danube.

• Mao Zi’s appearance excited the audience, while the commentators discussed his many popular songs and his reputation as the King of Pop Music.
• Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu about Mao Zi’s fame, and she said she had never heard his songs because she had only had access to classical music.
• Mao Zi performed “Sonnet of Electric Current and Sheep Gut Strings,” captivating the audience with its energetic melody and cello playing.
• The commentators praised Mao Zi’s performance and cello fundamentals as the judges nodded in approval.
• Bamboo Leaf checked the upcoming contestant list and saw that Gan Yan Yu would perform The Blue Danube.

Mao Wei'ang's crowd-pleasing cello piece became a major online sensation, but Gan Yan Yu could hear only its emptiness and worried she could not compete. Lin Tian encouraged her to trust her unusual musical perception, and the chapter ended as Moonlight and Cat took the stage to perform "The Blue Danube."

• Mao Wei'ang performed "Sonnet of Electric Current and Sheep Gut Strings," earning a standing wave of applause and praise from the commentators and judges.
• The Dragon Qin Cup livestream surpassed five hundred thousand viewers, while Mao Wei'ang's piece topped Weibo's trending searches and spread across video platforms.
• Gan Yan Yu told Lin Tian that Mao Wei'ang's music felt empty and admitted she feared she could not understand why it had succeeded.
• Lin Tian reassured Gan Yan Yu that her ability to perceive music's essence was an advantage and urged her to let the audience hear real music.
• The host announced Gan Yan Yu as the next contestant, and Moonlight and Cat's fans flooded the livestream with comments.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu walked onstage as the commentators saw that their selected piece was "The Blue Danube."

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu chose classical music for their Dragon Qin Cup performance, prompting doubts from viewers and commentators. Their gentle duet suddenly turned into “Tango Before the Storm,” leaving Maple Leaf stunned as he recognized the piece.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu announced a classical piece, alarming contestants, judges, and fans who expected modern music.
• Maple Leaf and Bamboo Leaf cautiously defended their choice while the backstage lounge watched anxiously.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu began a gentle piano-and-cello duet that sounded like a familiar waltz.
• Gan Yan Yu introduced an unscripted tremolo, and Lin Tian answered with low diminished seventh chords.
• Maple Leaf realized the performance was not a waltz but “Tango Before the Storm.”

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed their reworked “The Blue Danube,” turning its third section into a passionate vision of Gan Yan Yu’s dream of playing in Vienna. The performance moved many listeners but divided the livestream audience, and Bamboo Leaf and Maple Leaf realized the contrasting reactions were the result of a deliberate musical “curse” on those who had not listened closely to the classical opening.

• Gan Yan Yu asked Lin Tian to revise the third section of “The Blue Danube” so it would express her dream of performing with him in Vienna, and Lin Tian agreed.
• During the performance, Gan Yan Yu transformed the third section with a passionate cello variation while Lin Tian shifted his piano style to match.
• Bai Xi and the musicians backstage were swept up in the imagined Vienna and Golden Hall, while viewers and contestants voiced their excitement about pursuing their dreams.
• Other livestream viewers said they could not connect with the piece, sparking an argument that Bamboo Leaf and Maple Leaf struggled to calm.
• Maple Leaf and Bamboo Leaf realized the variation rewarded listeners who had appreciated the classical opening, while those who had not paid attention could not feel the same emotional release.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu’s performance of their adapted “The Blue Danube” moved the audience and stirred controversy, while the judges entered their scores. As debate over classical music and Pop Music intensified, Mao Wei'ang left to prepare for the coming confrontation.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu transformed “The Blue Danube” with Gan Yan Yu’s arrangement, winning cheers from the audience and moving commentator Maple Leaf.
• The judges entered their scores after weighing the performance and the audience’s response.
• Yao Han and He Shumo discussed Gan Yan Yu’s advancement, the association’s hopes for the Kohl Cup, and the pressure Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu would face in the semifinals.
• Mao Wei'ang watched the performance, then left with his cello, saying it was nearly time to prepare for the next battle.
• Mao Wei'ang reflected that Lin Tian’s piece would fuel a wider confrontation between classical music and Pop Music.

After learning that classical music supporters inside the association were backing them, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu resolved to win despite the association’s resentment over past international failures. He Zhichen then showed them that their performances had sparked a fierce online feud between Pop Music and classical music fans.

• He Zhichen told Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu that people inside the association supported them and explained that resentment over a major cello defeat sixteen years earlier had shaped the association’s stance.
• He Zhichen revealed that the country’s Dragon Qin Cup champions had achieved very poor results at the international Kohl Cup, helping Lin Tian understand the association’s hostility.
• Lin Tian vowed that he and Gan Yan Yu would give their best performances and force the association to acknowledge them.
• He Zhichen showed Lin Tian that four Dragon Qin Cup performances had attracted millions of views online.
• Pop Music fans and Moonlight and Cat’s classical music fans traded insults over Mao Wei’ang’s and Gan Yan Yu’s performances, turning the rivalry into a trending internet flame war.

A dispute between Moonlight and Cat’s fans and Mao Wei'ang’s supporters escalated into a nationwide argument about Pop Music and classical music, with many Chinese Music Scene stars taking sides. After Wei Xiaoxiao defended Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, the online fight began to subside, and the chapter ended with Xu Yong asking Lin Tian about his college entrance exam score.

• Moon Cat Fans attacked Mao Wei'ang’s supporters, whose counterattacks and media coverage turned the fandom feud into a broad dispute over Pop Music and classical music.
• The argument spread across the Celestial Empire, and central media planned a feature promoting folk music as prominent singers joined the debate in support of Mao Zi.
• Teacher Cai, Chen Xun, and Hua Ming argued for Pop Music, while Wei Xiaoxiao defended Moonlight and Cat and criticized Hua Ming and the Chinese Music Scene.
• Wei Xiaoxiao’s post drew attacks from netizens but gained her followers and discouraged more singers from speaking out, bringing the first stage of the argument to a temporary close.
• Lin Tian reflected on the online backlash and Wei Xiaoxiao’s support, then answered Xu Yong’s call and learned that college entrance exam scores had been released.

On college entrance exam score-release day, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu checked their results while preparing for the Dragon Qin Cup. Lin Tian scored 662, one point above Su Ran, and Gan Yan Yu scored 521, leaving them both with a chance to attend China Music University together.

• Xu Yong told Lin Tian he had scored 534 and reflected on how watching Lin Tian pursue music had helped him face his own goals.
• Lin Tian learned that Su Ran had scored 661 and hurried to check his own result with Gan Yan Yu.
• Gan Yan Yu checked Lin Tian's score first, revealing that he had scored 662.
• Gan Yan Yu apologized for thinking she had held Lin Tian back, so Lin Tian asked her to repay him by checking her own score.
• Gan Yan Yu scored 521, and Lin Tian celebrated her achievement and told her they would go to college together.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu celebrated their admission to China Music University while discussing the pressure of the Dragon Qin Cup semifinals. He Zhichen then brought them to the university to meet Tuoba Jianhui, who had something to tell them that might help Lin Tian compose his next piece.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu celebrated Gan Yan Yu's admission to China Music University, and Xu Yong congratulated them over the phone.
• Lin Tian asked Xu Yong about Su Ran, but Xu Yong dismissed the possibility of a relationship and said he expected people to forget him after graduation.
• Gan Yan Yu thanked Xu Yong for his advice during their exam preparation, leaving him speechless after the call ended.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu shared a celebratory seafood dinner and discussed the pressure of composing for the Dragon Qin Cup semifinals.
• He Zhichen invited Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to meet Tuoba Jianhui at China Music University, saying the meeting might help with Lin Tian's next piece.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu visited China Music University before meeting Tuoba Jianhui, where students recognized them and eagerly asked for autographs and photos. After seeing Tuoba teach conducting and classical music with passion, Lin Tian wondered what had brought him back to that work, and Tuoba invited them to perform.

• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived at China Music University, excited to tour the campus where they expected to enroll.
• Students recognized Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, crowded around them, and asked for autographs on their instruments and photos.
• He Zhichen returned with water and told Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu that Tuoba Jianhui was waiting for them.
• Lin Tian saw Tuoba Jianhui's faculty profile and learned from their guide that he remained an active conductor and orchestra leader.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu watched Tuoba Jianhui teach conducting and classical music before he approached them and asked whether they wanted to perform.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed “The Blue Danube” for Tuoba Jianhui’s classical-music students, then met with him privately to hear why he had summoned them. Tuoba called the students’ enthusiasm fake, leaving his reason for saying so unexplained.

• Tuoba Jianhui asked Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to perform for his students, and they agreed for the juniors’ sake.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu played “The Blue Danube,” captivating the students and prompting He Zhichen to ask Tuoba Jianhui why he still taught classical music.
• Tuoba Jianhui explained that he was old but believed someone had to keep cultivating classical musicians, despite criticism that he was harming his students’ career prospects.
• After the performance, Lin Tian challenged Tuoba Jianhui about his earlier warnings over Gan Yan Yu’s dangerous performances, but Tuoba maintained his position.
• Tuoba Jianhui brought Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu to his residence for a private talk and said his students’ enthusiasm during the performance had been fake.

Tuoba Jianhui told Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu that the Classical Music Renaissance was a false golden age built on media hype and shallow fan worship, and urged them to destroy it themselves. Inspired by his challenge, Lin Tian wrote a new piece titled “Moonlight.”

• Tuoba Jianhui argued that students’ enthusiasm for Classical Music often came from idolizing Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu rather than understanding the music.
• Tuoba Jianhui described how media hype and short-video trends had inflated their success, while his favorite student had abandoned music for an internet-company job.
• Gan Yan Yu said that choosing music because it seemed cool was not wrong if students committed themselves to it, and Tuoba Jianhui admitted he had used orchestra performances to numb his pain.
• Tuoba Jianhui told Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu that they had to destroy the false golden age of Classical Music with their own hands.
• After returning home, Lin Tian wrote a piece critiquing formalistic idol worship and titled it “Moonlight.”

Lin Tian wrote Debussy’s “Moonlight” for Gan Yan Yu to perform in the semifinals, but its lack of narrative left her struggling to find an emotional approach. During their rehearsal, Gan Yan Yu’s playing suddenly turned fierce and accelerated, and Lin Tian asked if she wanted to win too badly.

• Lin Tian finished composing “Moonlight” overnight and went to sleep while leaving the score on the piano.
• Gan Yan Yu arrived with breakfast and told Lin Tian she had played “Moonlight” all morning but still could not find its emotions.
• Lin Tian understood that Gan Yan Yu’s immersive performance style left her lost in the piece’s tranquil, storyless world, so he offered to rehearse it with her.
• Gan Yan Yu darkened the room to create a moonlit setting, and she and Lin Tian began playing the duet.
• As the music reached its climax, Gan Yan Yu’s cello became unexpectedly fast and fierce, and Lin Tian sensed her inner turmoil before asking whether she wanted to win too badly.

Lin Tian helped Gan Yan Yu understand that her desire to win the Ke'er Cup was part of her dream, and they returned to rehearse with renewed determination. Meanwhile, Nana Li refused her mother’s attempt to summon her before the competition, and her mother decided Nana’s trip to Tianchao would end after the event.

• Gan Yan Yu admitted that she could not stop feeling that winning the Ke’er Cup was essential, despite Lin Tian’s reassurance that their dream had other paths.
• Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu that spreading classical music and winning the championship were both genuine parts of their dream, and that she had no reason to feel guilty about wanting victory.
• Lin Tian took Gan Yan Yu back to rehearse so they could show their determination to win at the competition.
• Nana Li ignored her mother’s invitation to ride to the venue and chose to walk there herself.
• Nana Li’s mother let her leave and said Nana’s trip to Tianchao would be over after the competition.

As the Dragon Qin Cup semifinals began, the commentators tried to prepare viewers for possible differences between judges’ scores and audience reactions, prompting Moonlight and Cat fans to clash with Mao Wei'ang supporters. Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived looking relaxed, and Mao Wei'ang entered amid fanfare after the commentators revealed he would perform his hit pop song “Gun Out Like a Dragon.”

• Bai Junze and Bai Xi arrived at the concert hall as viewers praised their appearances and performances.
• Bamboo Leaf and Maple Leaf explained that judges might score differently from the audience, sparking a fierce argument between Moonlight and Cat fans and Mao Wei'ang supporters.
• Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu arrived chatting calmly, and their relaxed demeanor reassured fans worried about their chances in the semifinals.
• Mao Wei'ang arrived in a luxury sports coupe and was stopped for an exclusive interview with the organizers.
• Bamboo Leaf told Maple Leaf that Mao Wei'ang planned to perform his popular song “Gun Out Like a Dragon” during the competition.

Lin Tian checked on Nana Li before their semifinal performance and learned that she wanted to return to Europe to study art, but feared losing to Gan Yan Yu because of an agreement with her mother. As Nana Li was called to perform, Lin Tian encouraged her to focus on completing the performance and promised to wait for her.

• Lin Tian noticed Nana Li was distressed backstage and went to her lounge after Gan Yan Yu urged him to check on her.
• After watching the live competition in silence, Nana Li told Lin Tian she wanted to study at an art academy in Europe, but losing to Gan Yan Yu would force her to accept her family's plans.
• Nana Li revealed that her mother was watching the competition and that memories connected to the cello made her feel unable to face performing.
• Lin Tian questioned whether Nana Li truly hated music and encouraged her to finish her performance before deciding what she wanted.
• When Nana Li was announced as the next contestant, Lin Tian gave her a thumbs-up and said he would wait for her.

Nana Li struggled to perform while her mother watched from the audience, but memories of joyful musical moments helped her reclaim the cello as something she loved. She began Chromatic Sonata, painting vivid colors and scenes through music as Gan Yan Yu watched in amazement.

• Nana Li encountered Gan Yan Yu backstage, snapped at her advice, and left for the stage after Gan Yan Yu promised to watch carefully.
• Nana Li froze under her mother's gaze and nearly forfeited as the audience grew restless.
• Remembering happy performances with Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, Nana Li realized she hated her mother, not music, and raised her bow.
• Nana Li began Chromatic Sonata, whose unusual harmonics sounded to the commentators like a pencil sketch.
• Gan Yan Yu tearfully told Lin Tian she thought she had hurt Nana Li, then saw Nana Li's confident performance on the screen.
• Nana Li played the second movement with vivid watercolor-like effects, earning the commentators' astonished praise.

Nana Li unleashed her full, aggressive talent in the Dragon Qin Cup semifinal, severed her emotional ties to Kelian, and made the finals race more formidable. As Lin Tian prepared to take the stage with Gan Yan Yu, he teased her about a dream in which she chose being with him over winning the championship.

• Nana Li performed “Prisoner Bird” with overwhelming force, revealing that her restrained preliminary performance had hidden her true ability.
• During the “Ink Wash Painting” movement, Nana Li ignored Kelian, and Kelian realized she had lost control of her daughter; Nana Li finished in tears, feeling free of her childhood chains.
• He Shumo, Yao Han, and Lin Tian recognized Nana Li as a championship-level threat, while Gan Yan Yu said she was happy to see Nana Li perform confidently and insisted Nana Li could not beat her.
• Gan Yan Yu tried declaring that she would win the championship, and Lin Tian encouraged her to embrace the ambition as they prepared to perform.
• After Mao Wei'ang's “Gun Out Like a Dragon” drew loud acclaim, Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu that he had dreamed she preferred being with him to winning the championship, then pushed her toward the stage.

Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu performed “Moonlight” at the Dragon Qin Cup, moving the audience with its gentle piano and cello. As the piece continued, the commentators noticed it seemed to have no central point, leaving them puzzled about Lin Tian’s intent.

• Maple Leaf urged viewers to listen respectfully to classical music before Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian took the stage.
• Zhang Dong watched the performance and worried that “Moonlight” would not compete with Pop Music’s immediate appeal.
• Lin Tian played piano while Gan Yan Yu accompanied him on cello, and their tranquil performance captivated the audience and livestream viewers.
• Zhang Dong imagined himself playing violin beneath moonlight and wondered whether Lin Tian intended the piece as a farewell to classical music.
• Bamboo Leaf and Maple Leaf realized that “Moonlight” seemed to lack a central point and questioned what Lin Tian was trying to do.