Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C108

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 108: Gan Yanyu Delves Into Girl Talk

"Why???"

Almost instantly after Lin Tian sent his message, Gan Yanyu replied.

Isn’t it supposed to be class time right now? What’s this guy doing? Before Lin Tian could respond, a flood of messages poured in from Gan Yanyu—

"Are you no longer going to be my partner?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"I shouldn’t have eaten those two bananas you left at the café while you were editing yesterday. I’m sorry."

"I’ll buy you more later—lots and lots of them! Please don’t be mad…"

One message after another overwhelmed Lin Tian. When did she even eat those bananas? He hadn’t noticed at all yesterday. Her timing was impeccable.

Seeing her misunderstanding, he quickly reassured her:

"No, I’m not mad. I bought those bananas and left them there so you’d have something to eat if you got hungry during filming."

"Oh… I see (crying emoji) (crying emoji)."

"Do you have a new partner now?"

"Does she also play the cello?"

"Is she better than me?"

Another wave of questions left Lin Tian sweating profusely. Was Gan Yanyu deliberately teasing him? Or had his phrasing been too ambiguous?

"Not at all," Lin Tian replied. "That’s not what I meant."

When he said "separate," he wasn’t referring to an actual split. Instead, he meant that for the next month, they could focus on their individual goals independently.

The Starlight Cup was crucial, so Gan Yanyu needed to participate without distractions. Similarly, Lin Tian couldn’t afford to neglect his art exam preparation. If they tried to tackle both tasks together, neither might succeed.

Therefore, perhaps taking a step back—temporarily working apart—would yield better results. Without Lin Tian’s support, Gan Yanyu would face challenges in The Starlight Cup. Likewise, navigating the art exams alone would be tough for Lin Tian.

But life rarely offered perfect solutions. As partners, trust and mutual assistance were vital. Yet, if they believed they couldn’t accomplish anything without each other, their partnership risked becoming unhealthy.

Lin Tian explained everything to Gan Yanyu: separation didn’t mean cutting ties entirely. They could still meet frequently; they’d simply focus on different paths temporarily, giving each other space.

Truthfully, Lin Tian wasn’t sure if this decision was correct. But with no better alternatives, he felt it was worth trying.

On the other end of WeChat, Gan Yanyu fell silent for a long time. Finally, she replied with just three words:

"Talk tonight."

Gan Yanyu turned off her phone and stared blankly at the blackboard. The English teacher continued explaining test answers, but the girl had lost all interest.

A month apart? In the month since returning to competition, Gan Yanyu had grown accustomed to Lin Tian’s presence. Now, his sudden suggestion threw her off balance.

He was right—their priorities conflicted. Competitions and exams couldn’t coexist perfectly. The best solution was for them to focus separately.

Yet… why did Lin Tian seem so nonchalant about it?

---

After School

As a day student, Lin Tian didn’t need to attend evening study sessions. However, Gan Yanyu, who also commuted, stayed behind to catch up on missed coursework. By the time she finished her classes, Lin Tian had already gone home.

Standing at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change, Gan Yanyu heard a surprised voice:

"Ah, Gan Yanyu!"

Turning around, she saw Su Ran—a beautiful girl from Lin Tian’s class. Gan Yanyu vaguely remembered her. Last time, Su Ran had approached her, asking if she liked Lin Tian, and even added her on WeChat. She seemed a bit eccentric.

"Lin Tian isn’t with you?" Su Ran asked.

"He left earlier."

"Oh, right."

At that moment, a sly glint appeared in Su Ran’s eyes. She placed a hand on Gan Yanyu’s shoulder and smiled brightly.

"Come on, Miss Gan! Let’s grab some bubble tea!"

"Eh???"

Gan Yanyu’s eyes widened as she hastily stepped away.

"No, thank you. I… I have something urgent to do."

"What? But I know this amazing dessert shop where they make pudding as big as a rice cooker!"

Su Ran gestured enthusiastically, feigning disappointment.

"I have their membership card! If you don’t mind, I can treat you."

"??"

Before Su Ran finished speaking, Gan Yanyu leaned forward abruptly, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Where is it?"

---

Under warm lighting and cartoonish decor, a massive golden pudding sat in the center of their table. Gan Yanyu scooped a spoonful of its smooth surface and savored it slowly. Her eyes immediately lit up like stars, and she closed them blissfully, cradling her cheeks in delight.

"...Wow."

Su Ran watched in awe. So adorable! This anime-like expression really existed in real life. Was this the gap between herself and a super idol-level girl?

Suddenly inspired by competitiveness, Su Ran mentally noted every detail of Gan Yanyu’s expression. If she mastered even half of it, wouldn’t her TikTok followers go wild over her?

"...Mmm."

After savoring the pudding, Gan Yanyu suddenly remembered something. Turning politely to Su Ran, she said,

"Thank you so much, Su Ran. This pudding is amazing."

"You’re welcome! I’ve wanted to get to know you for a while now."

Su Ran rested her chin on her hand, smiling mischievously.

"I thought you wouldn’t accept an invitation from a stranger."

"Normally, I wouldn’t."

Gazing at the ceiling, Gan Yanyu pondered before replying,

"But aren’t you friends with Lin Tian?"

"...Huh?"

Su Ran froze. Did she agree because she assumed Su Ran was close to Lin Tian? How… adorable.

"Ahh~ So that’s how it is."

Su Ran grinned knowingly.

"Lin Tian must mean a lot to you, huh?"

"Huh?"

Gan Yanyu blinked in confusion. Why were they suddenly talking about this?

"When I saw you waiting at the crosswalk earlier, you looked troubled. Is it relationship-related?"

"No, it’s not exactly about relationships."

"So it is related to Lin Tian, then?"

Sipping her bubble tea, Su Ran leaned in with a probing gaze.

"How did you know?" Gan Yanyu’s pupils dilated slightly.

"Because girls understand girls, especially stunning ones like us."

Su Ran smirked, emphasizing the word “stunning” with playful arrogance, as though challenging Gan Yanyu head-on.

She leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially:

"Need advice on romance?"

"Romance advice?"

Su Ran raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

"Wait—don’t tell me you’ve never talked about ‘girl stuff’ before?"

"What’s ‘girl stuff’?"

"It’s complicated. Haven’t you ever had girlfriends to talk about these things with?"

"No."

Gan Yanyu shook her head.

Due to her reserved personality and somewhat isolated lifestyle, she’d rarely participated in typical girl talk. While other girls discussed which boys were cute or debated their favorite TV dramas and romance novels, Gan Yanyu had no concept of such topics. Once girls formed cliques, they often became exclusive, and someone as peculiar and introverted as Gan Yanyu naturally drifted to the edges of social circles. From elementary school onward, she’d always been alone.

"Is that so?"

Instead of looking sympathetic, Su Ran grew even more excited.

"Gan Yanyu, you’re truly the epitome of a pure, aloof beauty!" she exclaimed. "The kind of character who could be the heroine in an anime!"

"Ah?"

Gan Yanyu was utterly baffled by Su Ran’s sudden enthusiasm—and felt a twinge of unease.

"If you’ve never talked about this kind of thing before, why don’t you share with me?" Su Ran patted her chest confidently, smiling brightly.

"With you...?"

Gan Yanyu hesitated. She wasn’t used to opening up to others about her feelings. Lin Tian had been the first person she’d ever confided in. But why was Su Ran so interested in her relationship with him? Didn’t she like Lin Tian herself?

"Come on, come on," Su Ran urged. "For example, where are you and Lin Tian at right now? You two have already performed together on stage, so your relationship must be pretty inseparable, right?"

"I guess... you could say that," Gan Yanyu murmured.

"Then what’s there to worry about?"

"Well, we’re planning to take a break from each other," Gan Yanyu confessed, instinctively lowering her guard since Su Ran was Lin Tian’s friend.

"Take a break?"

"Yeah," Gan Yanyu said softly, staring down at her spoon. "I have a competition next month, and he has his art exams to prepare for. He thinks it would be better if we focused on our own goals separately for a while."

"I see."

Su Ran nodded thoughtfully. It sounded exactly like something Lin Tian—a rational, hardworking guy—would suggest.

"So you can’t accept it?"

"No, it’s not that I can’t accept it. I think Lin Tian is right. Sacrificing a bit of time apart to achieve our dreams is something I’m willing to do."

"But..."

"But what?"

"He made it sound so... easy," Gan Yanyu fidgeted with her spoon, her face filled with conflicted emotions. "Taking a break for a month—it should be a difficult decision, one that requires deep thought and enduring loneliness. But Lin Tian seemed to decide without hesitation, as if he didn’t need to consider anything beyond choosing the ‘right’ path."

"I know it sounds silly, but..." Gan Yanyu trailed off.

Suddenly, Su Ran burst into laughter.

"Pfft, hahaha!"

"Why are you laughing?" Gan Yanyu’s face turned bright red, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She immediately regretted sharing her thoughts with Su Ran.

"Sorry, sorry! I just found it hilarious—Lin Tian being such a hopeless romantic, and you being so adorably clueless," Su Ran said, clutching her stomach.

"You two really are a match made in heaven!"

"...!"

Gan Yanyu’s cheeks burned hotter.

"Don’t say weird things! We’re not like that!"

"But worrying about something like this isn’t adorable?" Su Ran teased.

She was growing increasingly invested in their dynamic. People who’d been in love knew that watching others navigate romance was far more entertaining than experiencing it themselves. And Gan Yanyu—someone who’d never mingled with typical girl groups—was refreshingly pure and otherworldly.

After calming down, Su Ran spoke earnestly to the still-babyish Gan Yanyu.

"First, Gan, don’t feel embarrassed. It’s normal for girls to overthink these things."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. Second, you probably don’t understand boys yet. Where did you discuss this topic with him?"

"On WeChat."

"That explains it," Su Ran nodded knowingly.

"Words are cold—you can’t see emotions through text. That’s why long-distance relationships often lead to arguments. Plus, guys tend to be rational, especially someone like Lin Tian. His apparent detachment doesn’t mean he’s indifferent. He must have thought deeply before saying those things."

Su Ran paused, deciding against revealing Lin Tian’s confession of liking Gan Yanyu.

"Finally, regardless of your relationship, keeping a little distance when you care about someone isn’t necessarily a bad thing."

"...!"

Gan Yanyu fell silent, mulling over Su Ran’s words. Though she felt awkward about the boyfriend-girlfriend lens Su Ran used to interpret her situation, she couldn’t deny that some of it made sense.

"I see. I guess I was overthinking things."

"Exactly."

"Thank you, Su Ran." Gan Yanyu stood up, her expression sincere.

So this is what girl talk feels like.

"You’re welcome, Gan-chan~ Does it bother you if I call you that?" Su Ran grinned.

"Not really, but why do you want to?"

"You wouldn’t understand—we otaku love calling cute things like that."

Su Ran winked playfully.

"In the future, make sure to share more of these kinds of conversations with me!"

"Well, actually, I’ll probably ask Lin Tian directly when I get home," Gan Yanyu said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Su Ran’s eyes widened in horror. "You’re going to ask him outright about all these private doubts?!"

She raised her voice dramatically.