Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C71

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Chapter 71: Big Trouble

"Don’t fall behind on my studies?"

For Lin Tian, who had been immersed in music for the past while, this was no small feat.

At the very least, Lin Tian knew he couldn't afford to be as lazy and scattered as before.

Still, there was a silver lining. If he could just tough it out, next month he’d have an entire month off to prepare for the art exam.

"Alright," Lin Tian agreed.

"Mm-hmm."

Zhang Juan nodded and gestured for Lin Tian to sit down.

With a heartfelt tone, she said, "Lin Tian, I may not know why you’ve suddenly decided to pursue a path in music, but I understand your dreams, and I hope you can understand where I’m coming from too."

"You’re one of the school’s key students. If your grades drop, the administration will be asking me some serious questions. So, I hope you can appreciate my predicament."

"Of course, Ms. Zhang."

Lin Tian fully understood her position.

To be honest, having gone through high school twice now, Lin Tian considered Ms. Zhang to be an exceptional homeroom teacher.

All Lin Tian could do was assure her, "I won’t let you down."

Stepping out of the teacher's office, the midday sun bathed the playground in golden light. Most students had already left for lunch break, leaving the area feeling desolate.

Lin Tian and Xu Yong strolled across the empty field.

Reflecting on the conversation in the office, Xu Yong finally spoke up. "So, Zhonghua Music Academy is your choice?"

"Yeah."

"With Gan Yanyu?"

"Right."

"She invited you?"

"How did you guess?"

Lin Tian was genuinely surprised by how spot-on Xu Yong’s intuition was.

"Well, when I asked you about which university you wanted to attend before, you seemed pretty lost."

Xu Yong stretched his arms behind his neck, looking carefree. "But now you seem so determined. The only thing that could cause such a drastic change in a guy like you has got to be a woman."

"Though what you're saying sounds a bit exaggerated, you’re not wrong."

Lin Tian chuckled, not bothering to deny it.

He admitted to himself that Gan Yanyu had indeed changed him in certain ways.

But then again, this was Xu Yong—his mind always revolving around women.

Even when he tried to be serious, he still managed to say something jaw-dropping.

"And you haven’t noticed? You’ve changed quite a bit recently."

"What kind of change?"

"You’ve become more refined."

"Anyone who spends too much time around you will start to lose their refinement."

"I’m just all talk, but back in the day, you were truly ruthless."

Xu Yong fell into a reminiscent tone. "Remember that girl in our freshman year who gave birth in the dorm bathroom and almost dropped the baby into the drain? We joked about it privately, but you actually went up to her and asked where her ‘sturdy baby’ was."

"..."

Come to think of it, pulling pranks like that was definitely something he enjoyed doing.

"But now you’re different. You’ve become more mature, stopped being so careless with your words, and haven’t cursed at me lately."

"If you want me to curse at you, I can oblige."

"No need!" Xu Yong quickly coughed, pretending to clear his throat.

Though he was known for being careless with his words, in a real showdown with Lin Tian, his family tree wouldn’t survive two rounds—even if Lin Tian generously gave him a head start.

Still, seeing Lin Tian now pursuing his own goals, preparing for the art exam next month, and heading in a completely different direction made Xu Yong feel a bit nostalgic.

"It’s just... you’ve become gentler."

"You’re getting disgustingly sentimental."

"I’ve seen this before," Xu Yong said earnestly. "When a guy who’s usually rough around the edges suddenly becomes gentle, it usually means one thing."

"And that would be?"

"He’s probably fallen in love."

"..."

At that moment, Lin Tian stopped in his tracks.

Xu Yong halted too.

They exchanged glances.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

"Haven’t you ever thought about it?" Xu Yong asked.

"Nope."

"But don’t you two act like a couple?"

"We’re partners."

"Do you have no feelings for her?"

"..."

Lin Tian fell silent.

At 18, Lin Tian was in the prime of his youth—or rather, boys never truly grow up. How could he not have thought about it?

Especially after the incident a few days ago when Gan Yanyu had suddenly fallen ill, and they shared some rather ambiguous moments. To be honest, Lin Tian had enjoyed it.

No one would turn down a life-sized figurine.

But love? He hadn’t thought that far.

Not just for himself.

Lin Tian believed Gan Yanyu probably wasn’t thinking along those lines either. After all, she had repeatedly emphasized that they mustn’t cross any boundaries. She had always been reserved around him—though her personality played a role in that.

But most importantly...

They had so much to accomplish: creating, making music, competing.

Every single one of those things felt more important than pondering over trivial matters like romance.

Both of them were working tirelessly toward their shared goal.

If one of them started thinking about love, it would only hurt the other.

"I think if you didn’t care about her, you wouldn’t be doing so much for her," Xu Yong said, despite not knowing the full story or Lin Tian’s thoughts.

Based on the fragmented information he had gathered recently, Lin Tian seemed pretty devoted to this girl.

"You’re overthinking it."

Lin Tian walked ahead and turned to face his woman-obsessed best friend.

Raising a finger, he spoke deliberately: "Love is just a tiny part of life. There are far more important things in this world than dating."

The afternoon math test, though challenging, eventually ended.

Fortunately, math had always been Lin Tian’s forte. Even with recent neglect in practice, as long as his brain was functioning properly, he could pull through during the exam.

After school, Lin Tian slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed home.

But just as he reached his front door, he spotted a familiar figure.

Gan Yanyu, dressed casually, was crouched in front of his house.

If it were anyone else, Lin Tian might have suspected a scam.

"What are you doing here?"

Lin Tian froze.

"Lin Tian, you're finally back!"

Gan Yanyu quickly stood up but seemed to have lost feeling in her legs from squatting too long. As she tried to stand, her knees buckled.

"Ow!"

She stumbled forward a couple of steps.

Thankfully, Lin Tian caught her with both hands before she could fall.

"What’s going on?"