Gan Yan Yu Will Also Keep Pace With Lin Tian

In the car on the way to their destination.

Gan Yan Yu gripped her small fists tightly with one hand, while the other continuously drew and scribbled on her thigh, then pinched herself.

Lin Tian, watching from the side, was stunned.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

Caught in the act, Gan Yan Yu's pretty face flushed slightly, and she awkwardly tucked her head in.

"When I'm nervous, I draw stars on my leg."

"And the pinching?"

"To refresh the drawing board."

"Impressive."

It seemed Gan Yan Yu's little routine had a strict operational system.

He just wondered if it would still work properly if someone else tried it.

This afternoon, to fulfill Gan Yan Yu's promise to meet the Chairman of the Music Association, Lin Tian had even sacrificed his precious lunch break and specifically taken a taxi with her.

"Are you that nervous?" Lin Tian asked.

"I'm nervous for you!"

"For me?"

"That old gentleman is a conductor who has performed at the Royal Albert Hall."

"What music hall?"

"The Royal Albert Hall in London, England!"

Gan Yan Yu said earnestly, raising her index finger.

"Only world-class musicians are qualified to perform at London's Royal Albert Hall!"

"Oh."

Although Lin Tian didn't know many names in the music world, he could understand to some extent.

It was like when he watched anime about idols from Japan, where the idols often considered performing at the Tokyo Dome their ultimate goal.

Of course, entertainment industry stuff couldn't be compared to world music; what they pursued was on a different level.

"Besides the Royal Albert Hall, there's also the Vienna Music Association Hall, Germany's Berlin Philharmonic Hall, and America's New York Carnegie Hall. In the eyes of every musician, these places are the highest temples of art. Being able to perform in these halls means you are a very, very accomplished musician!"

As Gan Yan Yu mentioned these places, her eyes were filled with longing.

It seemed this was also a cellist's dream for Gan Yan Yu.

"What about Grandpa Gan? Has he been to these places?"

"No."

Upon saying this, Gan Yan Yu's eyes dimmed.

"Grandpa had the chance to go, but after he was eliminated from the Kohl Cup, he never performed again."

"That was a big blow."

Lin Tian found it somewhat difficult to understand.

While he didn't understand the cello, he knew there were many music competitions worldwide. Even for the cello, there wasn't just the Kohl Cup—even if it was the most prestigious.

Moreover, at the level of musicians, competitions shouldn't be everything for artists, right?

"It's not like that,"

Gan Yan Yu said softly. "That year, Grandpa shouldn't have lost."

"Why do you say that?"

"Someone drugged him."

Gan Yan Yu's emotions stirred slightly, and she whispered, "Throughout the entire competition, Grandpa was perfectly fine. But on the morning of the competition, after finishing rehearsal and returning to the lounge, he started vomiting uncontrollably. He held on until after the competition, and only then went to the hospital for a gastric lavage."

"The China Cello Association appealed this matter to the organizing committee, and a panel of experts from Vienna also launched an investigation, but there were no results..."

This was something Lin Tian hadn't expected.

He had only known that Grandpa Gan was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Kohl Cup, but he never knew there was something like this involved.

However, when he searched for related news, he hadn't seen any reports.

He figured this matter must have been suppressed. After all, an investigation without results wouldn't benefit public opinion if it were publicized.

No wonder Grandpa Gan never played the cello again and instead opened a coffee shop to retire.

His spirit was broken.

If it were me, I'd also call it quits.

Many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the truth from sixteen years ago is now impossible to uncover.

But this has also become Gan Yan Yu's reason for needing to go to the Kohl Cup.

The young girl turned her face, looking out the car window.

She spoke softly, word by word:

"If that day comes, I must go to Vienna in person to see it. I want to know what Grandpa went through back then."

Perhaps the long river of time has long since faded everything. The past participants, committees, and audiences of the competition might not remember this event anymore.

However, for the person who was directly harmed, their time is forever frozen on that day sixteen years ago.

Looking at her grandfather, who had fallen into a vegetative state and could no longer move, Gan Yan Yu could not let go of her obsession with the Kohl Cup, no matter what.

Lin Tian could understand this to some extent.

The obsession these musicians had with music.

At the same time, he also felt a bit curious about this old artist named Wan Qi.

The car stopped in front of an old residential complex.

When the door was knocked on, a young man opened it.

"Hello."

Gan Yan Yu greeted him politely, "We're looking for Mr. Wan."

"You must be Gan Yan Yu and Lin Tian. The old man has been waiting for you for a long time."

The young man smiled and made a "please" gesture, ushering them inside.

It was a house with a distinct feel of the early 2000s. The decor was in shades of gray and blue, and a worn calendar hung on the wall, easily evoking feelings associated with dreamcore and similar aesthetics.

As soon as Lin Tian stepped into the inner room, he saw an old man with white hair tidying things up.

"Yo! Yan Yu is here." The old man turned around, saw Gan Yan Yu, and immediately broke into a smile.

"Teacher Wan."

Gan Yan Yu bowed respectfully.

"Hah, how many times have I told you, don't be so formal with me! Your grandfather and I have known each other for so many years! I watched you grow up!"

Wan Qi seemed to strongly dislike Gan Yan Yu's politeness and waved his hands frantically.

He seemed like a very spirited old man, just like Grandpa Gan.

On the topic of Gan Yan Yu, he found common ground with Lin Tian.

"How is your grandfather's health?"

"It's still the same," a hint of bitterness appeared on Gan Yan Yu's lips.

Hearing this, the old gentleman put down the books he was sorting and sat down in a wooden rocking chair.

He sighed heavily:

"Sigh! This old fellow, I told him, staying cooped up in that coffee shop every day, he's suffocated all his luck! Now look, he's down for the count, isn't he?!"

"."

Seeing the atmosphere gradually becoming heavy, Wan Qi picked up a large cigar, lit it.

"Let's not talk about this anymore—Yan Yu, this one..."

He turned his gaze to Lin Tian.

"This is Lin Tian."

"Hello, Mr. Wan."

Perhaps influenced by Gan Yan Yu, Lin Tian also bowed respectfully.

"Right, right! It's you, the one who wrote that piece, 'Salut d'Amour', isn't it?!"

Wan Qi suddenly stood up from his chair, excitedly examining Lin Tian from head to toe.

He couldn't help but exclaim:

"The future is promising, the future is promising!"

"You two, come with me!"

With that, the old gentleman led them into the room.

He turned on the light.

A piano sat quietly in the center of the room.

"Young man, come take a look!"

Wan Qi beckoned Lin Tian over and guided him, letting him personally feel the texture of the piano with his hands.

"What do you think? If you don't mind, you can take it away!"

"Take it away?"

Lin Tian was flattered.

"This piano has been my old companion for almost thirty years. Although I'm quite reluctant to part with it, Yan Yu has been asking me for a long time, haha. She's only approached me like this once over the years, so I couldn't possibly let her down!" Wan Qi laughed heartily.

Lin Tian turned his head in surprise, looking at Gan Yan Yu.

The young girl quickly turned her face away and said, her voice not loud but exceptionally serious:

"Didn't you... weren't you worried about the piano before? I thought, since we're partners, I can't always be the one benefiting, right?"