First Ensemble Practice

"You can cook?"

Lin Tian expressed doubt.

The last time Gan Yan Yu was at Lin Tian's place, she almost made him a banquet fit for an emperor.

The reason it was almost was because Gan Yan Yu didn't know how to turn on the gas stove.

So, the meal was immediately declared a bust and replaced with mung bean cake.

"Of course, I cook for myself all the time when I'm in England."

Gan Yan Yu said with a serious expression.

Then, with a hint of guilt, she added:

"Although the taste is just average. But it'll definitely fill you up."

Before they even started cooking, they were already at the stage where just filling a stomach was considered a win?!

"Alright, then tell me what ingredients you need for tomorrow night, and I'll bring them after school."

Lin Tian still agreed to Gan Yan Yu's request.

After all, if he could get a break from cooking, Lin Tian wouldn't refuse.

Besides, knowing Gan Yan Yu's personality, if he didn't let her do something for him, she might feel like she had taken advantage of him later and try to compensate him in other ways.

It was like playing with a little AI, it was too much fun.

"Okay, okay, let me think. You buy a rack of ribs, two carrots..."

Gan Yan Yu started counting on her fingers, seriously calculating.

"That kind of thing, just list it on WeChat tomorrow and send it to me,"

Lin Tian interrupted Gan Yan Yu. "Let's start practicing first."

There were still two weeks until the concert. According to Teacher Gao Zhenyang, for two people who had never played together to achieve a good result, they definitely needed to put in some effort to improve their synergy.

Gan Yan Yu sat on the sofa, opened her cello case, and took out the instrument.

Lin Tian also sat down in front of the piano.

"Let's start with 'Salut d'Amour'."

This piece was relatively simple for a duet, as 'Salut d'Amour' was originally a piece with a single melodic line that sounded even better.

Lin Tian's piano accompaniment would essentially serve as background music. Even if Lin Tian didn't play very well, it wouldn't significantly impact Gan Yan Yu's main part.

Before they began, Lin Tian placed his phone on a phone stand on the balcony.

"What's up? Are you going to post it?"

Looking at the camera pointed at them, Gan Yan Yu seemed a little nervous.

"Just recording it so we can review the results," Lin Tian explained.

"Okay..."

The girl glanced down at her little dress, looking a bit conflicted.

It wasn't because the dress was revealing, but rather she wasn't used to facing a camera while dressed so casually.

"It's just practice, we probably won't post it."

"Probably?"

Gan Yan Yu tilted her head, but Lin Tian had already returned to his seat.

After tuning and confirming everything was okay.

Lin Tian glanced at Gan Yan Yu on the nearby sofa.

They exchanged a look.

And began to play—

The melodious cello and delicate piano notes echoed in the room.

Just two seconds into the piece.

"Almost there!"

Gan Yan Yu exclaimed loudly, startling Lin Tian, who quickly withdrew his hands.

Wait, they had only just started!

Was it really that exaggerated?!

Lin Tian, who possessed skill cards, had a very high level of musical sensitivity, yet he hadn't even noticed anything yet.

Gan Yan Yu raised her index finger and said seriously:

"The timbre and playing styles of the cello and piano are different. We must maintain consistency in rhythm, tempo, and expression. Even the slightest error can affect the overall effect."

"Remember, not even the slightest error is acceptable!"

Gan Yan Yu spoke with an irrefutable tone, like a master teacher.

When it came to music, she was like a completely different person.

Gan Yan Yu in performance mode was terrifying!

But Lin Tian knew that when it came to technical knowledge about instruments and performance, he really had to listen to Gan Yan Yu.

"Okay."

Lin Tian made an "OJBK" gesture with his fingers.

They played together again.

With Lin Tian's focused cooperation, the duet continued without a single stop.

The effect seemed to be pretty good.

Compared to the cello solo, "Salut d'Amour" had more layers and depth when played by the two of them.

As expected, they should have added piano accompaniment from the start.

"A little softer, don't overpower my cello."

"Okay."

"In this measure, you can try playing a bit slower."

"Mm."

And so, The two of them repeatedly practiced "Salut d'Amour," working on it for a solid half hour.

When they felt there were no more issues, they finally stopped.

Lin Tian wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his head.

He saw Gan Yan Yu lying on the sofa, holding her cello, her head resting on the neck of the instrument, seemingly lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Something feels off."

"Off? I thought it was pretty good."

Lin Tian felt quite good about it, considering it was their first time playing together.

Moreover, by the end, they were able to achieve over "98%" synchronization.

The girl pouted slightly, looking a bit embarrassed, as if worried Lin Tian would think she was being difficult.

But she still spoke:

"It's like this, I think your piano playing is very good, and my cello playing is passable..."

"Your cello playing is even better," Lin Tian added.

Gan Yan Yu always gave him face like this, which made Lin Tian feel a bit embarrassed.

It was like a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child.

While guiding Lin Tian through the performance, she'd keep praising him, saying how amazing he was, even better than her.

This kind of excessive praise made it seem like Lin Tian had no aesthetic sense.

"But, our duet isn't as good as we imagined. It's like, our duet should be 1+1=2, but our playing for such a long time only amounted to 1.2, not much better than a solo."

That was true.

Actually, Gan Yan Yu was being very tactful.

The main reason was that Lin Tian couldn't keep up.

During the hour-long session, as they continued to play together, Lin Tian could clearly feel it.

The pressure was increasing.

Before, when Lin Tian listened to Gan Yan Yu play, he just thought she was amazing, sounded great, and was the GOAT!

But when he actually had to play himself, to accompany Gan Yan Yu's performance, He finally understood the terrifying oppressive force of Gan Yan Yu's cello, which was unlike any other musician.

It was a powerful musical aura, an absolute core that was unrivaled and unquestionable within the music.

Lin Tian's piano had to constantly focus on her, revolving around her.

To use a somewhat cliché but easy-to-understand analogy.

As a MOBA player, you're now supporting a world-class AD carry.

Your "inability to keep up" is definitely not just about "not being as fast as him."

Your understanding of wave management, vision control, skill synergy, counter-gank awareness, the enemy's skill cooldowns, your AD's skill cooldowns – can you keep up with "the absolute core who demands it"?

The turning point often happens within one or two seconds; by then, any communication is too late.

This AD carry is temperamental, easily angered, and might go AFK to take a shower if they think you're bad.

Yes, they are very strong, so you have to try and guess, and figure out their intentions.

Do you have the confidence to pull off a brilliant performance with him?

Gan Yan Yu had a great personality, but that didn't stop her musical style from being that of an "absolute core."

If the Gan Yan Yu in everyday life was a kind girl who was always careful and considerate of others.

Then in music, she was a true demon queen.

And in musical ensembles, Lin Tian and this demon queen couldn't communicate verbally.

This meant that the two of them needed to achieve perfect synergy through music alone.

Why does the story of Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi still move people so deeply after a thousand years?

It's because achieving resonance in music, understanding each other's intentions without "dialogue," is incredibly difficult.

"Wait a moment."

After a period of thought, Gan Yan Yu stood up from the sofa.

Then, holding her cello, she grabbed a stool from the side and sat down next to Lin Tian's piano.

Staring intently at Lin Tian:

"I'll sit next to you, and we'll try it again."