Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C123

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Chapter 123:

For a moment, even was stunned.

This girl...How could she be so good at this? Damn it. Didn’t I buy the pendant? Shouldn’t I be the one providing emotional value here?

Lin Tian started to wonder if was pretending to be clueless and teasing him on purpose with her words.

Lin Tian had to admit, she was an absolute natural.

Looking at the seemingly clueless but utterly earnest Gan Yanyu in front of him, his heart softened.

He couldn't even imagine how sweet their married life would be.

"So — ' (TL:),' is...?" Gan Yanyu looked at the pendant in her hand, curiosity lighting up her face as she asked.

"Miss Gan, do you really need to ask that?" Lin Tian felt awkward explaining it, but he still raised a finger.

"Who is Tian?"

"Lin Tian."

"And who is 'Yu'?"

"That's me!" Gan Yanyu bit her lip, her eyes widening with realization. Her long lashes fluttered as she pointed at Lin Tian, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, so when you put our names together, it means 'rainy day'!"

...

Seriously, can someone please do something about her? I swear, she’s faking it. How could anyone miss that? But… She’s just too good.

Lin Tian clutched his chest, feeling like had just shot him through the heart with an arrow dipped in love potion.

What exactly is a top-tier scheming?

It’s like those —just when you think they’re being overly calculated, you realize how undeniably adorable they are. And somehow, that adorability makes you overlook everything else.

And worst of all? You’re totally into it.

"By the way—what happened to the hair tie?" Gan Yanyu suddenly raised her index finger, pointing at Lin Tian’s wrist.

"Oh, I took it off while showering and forgot to put it back on," Lin Tian replied, glancing down at his bare wrist.

After all, Lin Tian had never worn anything on his wrist—no watches, no bracelets. He simply wasn’t used to having things there. Sometimes, once he took something off and set it aside, it was easy to forget.

At that moment, Gan Yanyu fixed her gaze on him.

Just stared.

Her expression turned slightly sorrowful, yet innocent.

"Alright, I’ll remember to wear it next time," Lin Tian said quickly. "Stop staring at me."

...

Lin Tian felt a shiver run down his spine.

Good grief.

That little pout, those wide eyes boring into you without saying a word—it was enough to make anyone feel guilty over the smallest thing.

If Gan Yanyu ever decided to interrogate a suspect, they’d probably confess every crime they’d ever committed within seconds, sobbing uncontrollably for forgiveness.

"Put it on right now," Gan Yanyu murmured softly.

"Fine, fine." Lin Tian stood up, walked into the room, and retrieved the red hair tie from the nightstand.

As he was trying to tie it around his wrist while stepping back out, Gan Yanyu motioned for him to come closer. "Come here."

Lin Tian approached and sat down on the couch beside her. Gan Yanyu picked up the hair tie, laid it flat on her lap, then placed Lin Tian’s wrist atop it. Since she was wearing shorts today, the back of his hand brushed against her soft, warm thigh.

As always, her skin felt impossibly smooth.

With one hand holding his wrist steady, Gan Yanyu used the other to loop the hair tie around twice before tying a knot. She lifted his hand afterward, inspecting the newly secured accessory alongside the pendant hanging from her neck.

A proud smile spread across her delicate face. "It looks great. This is the bond between us as partners."

"Sure, sure." Lin Tian thought for a moment. If someday they won the and Gan Yanyu achieved her dream, maybe they could debut as a duo under the name “Rainy Day.” Something along the lines of or . Or even better, like .

They could become the most legendary male-female idol group in history.

And then Lin Tian wouldn’t bother hiding anymore. Surprise! While everyone thought he only wrote classical music, he actually dabbled in pop too. Imagine—a world-renowned composer and cellist turning into an idol. That sounded pretty cool, didn’t it?

"On the day of your audition, make sure you wear it properly, okay?" Gan Yanyu said earnestly, clearly worried he might forget again after another shower.

"It’s a lucky charm from your partner. If you forget to wear it, you might fail the test."

How does she manage to deliver such a cutting curse with such pure innocence?

Lin Tian felt a chill run down his spine.

The effect was undeniable.

Now he’d definitely remember no matter what.

"Of course, I’ll wear mine too," Gan Yanyu reassured him. "Tomorrow’s the preliminary round of the . I’ll be wearing it during the performance."

...

"Huh? Preliminary round?" Lin Tian blinked, caught off guard.

He hadn’t heard anything about a preliminary round for the Starlight Cup. He’d assumed the event scheduled ten days from now was the sole official competition.

"There is one," Gan Yanyu explained. "But it’s only two rounds: preliminaries and finals. I didn’t mention it because it’s not that important. Either way, I’ll get through it easily."

"You sound confident."

This wasn’t like Gan Yanyu.

"Well, it’s not like I lack self-awareness," she replied. "The preliminary round requires competitors to play designated pieces within a set time frame. Those pieces are usually selected from classic works of classical cello repertoire."

"I see." Before Gan Yanyu could finish, Lin Tian already understood.

Randomly performing classical pieces from this world’s canon would be as easy as breathing for Gan Yanyu.

After all, she was essentially a walking library of classical music. The grueling training regimen she endured ensured she could ace any random piece thrown her way.

"But wait," Lin Tian interjected. "Didn’t you say earlier that current competitions aren’t very friendly toward classical music?"

When it came to learning more, Lin Tian believed in asking questions. Back when they first discussed music competitions, Gan Yanyu mentioned something about this. In this world, the emphasis on musical honors seemed far greater than in his past life, which skewed certain priorities.

For instance, here, "classical music" wasn’t as popular as "pop music" or "modern classical." To put it bluntly, classical music was considered "meta-weak."

At the time, Lin Tian hadn’t delved deeper into the topic. Now, seizing the opportunity, he wanted to understand fully.

"Yes, but it depends on the competition," Gan Yanyu said. "Actually, this trend stems from the ."

"The International Music Association?"

"Mm-hmm."

Whenever these topics came up, Gan Yanyu became unusually serious.

"Music evaluation is inherently subjective, so judges’ preferences play a crucial role."

"Over the past decade or so, the International Music Association has pushed a new trend. With the rising popularity of various music competitions and younger audiences tuning in, they’ve argued that traditional classical styles can sometimes be too rigid, focusing excessively on technique and form. So, they’ve encouraged promoting music that appeals more to younger listeners."

"Sounds like the International Music Association is keeping up with the times," Lin Tian quipped.

Honestly, it wasn’t hard to understand. Whether it was art or sports, commercialization was inevitable for any event aiming to grow bigger. With more young viewers tuning in, the content naturally shifted to cater to them. Judges’ evaluations became more targeted as well.

On one hand, it seemed extreme to cater so heavily to younger audiences. On the other hand, perhaps it was precisely because of this adaptability that music competitions in this world were taken much more seriously than in his previous life. More viewers meant more capital flowing in, driving up the prestige and stakes of these events.

Still, Lin Tian wondered what caused the difference between the two worlds. Could it be that this world had produced some international superstar musician who single-handedly brought the industry into the limelight?

"Because of the current international trend, ’s competitions have followed suit and shifted focus," Gan Yanyu continued. "But since we’re latecomers, classical music hasn’t been completely sidelined yet. It’s not surprising that grassroots events like the Starlight Cup still feature it prominently."

In simpler terms, the local scene hadn’t caught up to the global trend entirely. In a way, this highlighted how far behind Zhonghua’s music industry was on the international stage.

"Got it," Lin Tian nodded. "So, before competing abroad, as long as it’s a domestic competition, you can keep playing classical music without worrying about biased judging, right?"

"Bingo~"

"And what about after going abroad? What’s your plan?" Lin Tian asked.

Truthfully, he wasn’t limited to writing classical music. His vast repertoire allowed him to compose pieces spanning countless genres. Even if trends shifted overseas and another style became dominant, Lin Tian could adapt accordingly.

"Of course, I’ll keep playing my music," Gan Yanyu said confidently.

"But didn’t you say—"

"Lin Tian." Gan Yanyu’s expression shifted subtly. Her eyes shimmered with a hint of melancholy. "Have you forgotten what I told you—not once, but multiple times?"

...

Lin Tian remembered.

Gan Yanyu’s dream wasn’t just about winning the highest honor for cello or claiming the Kölner Cup championship. There was a critical qualifier attached to that statement:

—to let the whole world hear our classical music.

Yes, Gan Yanyu aimed to spread classical music globally. To phrase it more relatably:

Restoring classical music’s glory is our duty.

"This is reverse-meta competition," Lin Tian sighed bitterly.

"Mm-hmm." Gan Yanyu smiled.

...

Unsurprisingly stubborn, this classical musician.

Unlike sports or esports, where raw skill can often overcome meta disadvantages, music remained deeply subjective. Ultimately, it all came down to the judges’ scores. If they deemed you unworthy, no amount of talent would save you—even if you far surpassed the other competitors.

"Are you planning to move the judges to tears with your music, making them betray their own preferences—like in anime?"

"It’s not impossible."

"You’re something else," Lin Tian muttered, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

Having played video games himself, he knew how terrifying it was to go against the meta. This wasn’t some escapist fantasy; reality rarely offered miracles.

And yet, here was Gan Yanyu, charging ahead full steam, with Lin Tian by her side, ready to brave the storm with her.

"Relax, we haven’t even reached the Parrot Cello Contest yet. Thinking about international competitions is getting ahead of ourselves," Gan Yanyu chuckled wryly, ending the conversation.

Lin Tian refocused, realizing: "You didn’t tell me earlier that tomorrow was the preliminaries—I haven’t bought tickets yet. Do I at least get VIP seating as a family member?"

"Just don’t come," Gan Yanyu whispered. "It’s only the prelims. I’ll be fine on my own. If you’re there, I’ll just get nervous."

Ah. So, when he played alongside her on stage, she grew more confident. But sitting in the audience? That made her tense instead.

Lin Tian understood. If he couldn’t perform with Gan Yanyu, he was less useful than a pendant. Already daring to act this way now... After marriage, would it escalate to—

"Then, since I’m competing tomorrow, can you make me something extra delicious? Maybe two puddings and a bubble tea waiting for me when I return?" Gan Yanyu twirled a strand of hair around her finger, asking innocently.

"Alright."

"Great. Tomorrow, I want..."

"That kind of thing, just send it to me on WeChat later," Lin Tian cut in swiftly, knowing that once Gan Yanyu started listing dishes, she wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

...

The next morning.

Lin Tian prepared breakfast for Gan Yanyu, dressed elegantly in formal attire with her hair neatly tied up. Since this was an official competition rather than a concert-style performance, she opted to keep her hair pulled back.

After handing her the meal and seeing her off, Lin Tian returned home. He figured his must have been out for a few days now. Opening his phone, he checked TikTok’s backend.

As expected, the numbers weren’t great.

420,000 likes, millions of views. Though it made the trending list, its popularity paled compared to his earlier works. But honestly, this was within Lin Tian’s expectations. Complex, esoteric music didn’t align with modern tastes. Only a handful of people had the patience to truly appreciate it.

Scrolling through the comments and live chat, many expressed confusion.

"Sorry, I’m uncultured. What’s this piece trying to say?"

"At least with and , I could tell one was about love and the other was tragic. But this cello concerto? No idea."

", please tone it down. I genuinely can’t follow."

"Waiting for the experts to break this down."

"Moonlight Bro, can you give us some background story? Or better yet, team up with for a skit to help us understand?"

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