Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C150

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Chapter 150:

didn’t need to explain further— already understood.

If he were to grade her performance just now out of 100, Gan Yanyu had only managed a 70. She had barely scraped by with the basics, lacking any real depth or immersion. In other words, she wasn’t in the zone.

For a competition piece, this simply wouldn’t cut it. But Lin Tian wasn’t surprised. This kind of music, deviating from traditional classical styles, was bold and unfamiliar territory for Gan Yanyu.

"What emotion are you feeling here?" Lin Tian asked.

"It’s... um..." Gan Yanyu hesitated, lowering her voice. "Romantic, I guess."

"Romantic?" Lin Tian echoed, caught off guard.

"Yeah," Gan Yanyu replied uncertainly. She struggled to articulate the sensation. It felt too novel, too indescribable. What she did sense, however, was that the imagery evoked by the piece felt so beautiful, so unattainable, that it left her feeling distant rather than inspired.

Gan Yanyu’s playing relied entirely on emotional immersion. If the scene painted by the music felt too far removed from her own experiences, she instinctively recoiled.

"I’m sorry, Lin Tian. I must be such a bother, right?" Gan Yanyu said anxiously.

"A little," Lin Tian admitted.

"But you’ve improved, haven’t you?" he added with a smile. "You’re not saying things like ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I can’t play this.’ Instead, you’re saying ‘it might not suit me,’ which shows you’re thinking critically about it."

Gan Yanyu nodded silently.

"So don’t say discouraging things. Let’s adjust and keep trying," Lin Tian encouraged.

He hadn’t expected Gan Yanyu to master a new piece immediately. In the past, when faced with unfamiliar compositions that pushed her comfort zone, she would often shy away entirely. Saying "it doesn’t suit me" indicated that Gan Yanyu was genuinely reflecting on the issue.

Lin Tian understood well that Gan Yanyu’s talent was a double-edged sword. When she resonated with a piece emotionally, she could deliver an immersive, breathtaking performance. But if she failed to connect—or became too consumed by its emotions—it could lead to disaster.

This process required effort on her part. While Lin Tian could effortlessly adapt existing works, he couldn’t deny Gan Yanyu the time she needed to find inspiration.

"Actually," Gan Yanyu said, "I thought we could record this later. Since we’ll be performing at the competition, maybe I should stick with my old ."

"That doesn’t sound like you," Lin Tian remarked. "Every one of your past performances has featured a new piece."

The most extreme case? The , written just a week before its debut concert. Even two days prior, they hadn’t fully mastered it. Yet driven by her love for the piece, Gan Yanyu took the stage without hesitation.

And now, with another emotionally challenging piece, was she really considering giving up?

"Is this because of what that old man said?" Lin Tian asked bluntly.

Gan Yanyu nodded. "I’ve been thinking about what meant. Where exactly does he think my playing falls short?"

"Forget about him," Lin Tian interjected, waving his hand in front of her face. He could tolerate Gan Yanyu overthinking due to musical resonance—but not letting some bitter critique hold her back.

"Listen carefully," Lin Tian said firmly. "No matter why that musician dislikes your playing or whether his words hold merit, no respected elder should publicly criticize an 18-year-old girl like that during an interview. That behavior is unforgivable. Understand?"

Gan Yanyu blinked, startled by Lin Tian’s passionate defense. "Okay," she murmured softly.

"You’d better mean it," Lin Tian warned skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Sitting back down at the piano, he continued, "Let’s run through the piece again. We’ll find the right vibe."

Truthfully, Lin Tian agreed—the recording lacked something as it stood. As tango music, performing it stiffly on a stool simply wouldn’t capture its essence.

"Lin Tian, let’s change locations," Gan Yanyu suggested suddenly.

"Huh?"

"If we stay cooped up inside, we won’t make progress," she reasoned, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "It might be a hassle, but I want to try changing the environment—and my mood. Maybe inspiration will strike."

Surprisingly, her idea aligned perfectly with what Lin Tian had been contemplating.

"Where to, then?" he asked.

"I know a place."

---

Under the blue sky and white clouds, surrounded by colorful street buildings, they arrived at a bookstore on the pedestrian walkway opposite the riverbank. Reaching his hand out, Lin Tian brushed dust off the neglected piano stationed there.

Plunk—

Thankfully, the tuning held steady, requiring no adjustments. A cool breeze carrying the scent of earth blew across the river, refreshing and invigorating.

The setting was perfect. For all his years of playing, Lin Tian had never performed outdoors—a great way to shift their mindset.

"There’s just one thing," Lin Tian noted, glancing at the bustling yet quiet riverside promenade. Though not crowded, their performance would certainly draw attention.

While he personally didn’t mind, Gan Yanyu…

"Miss Gan, what are you doing?" Lin Tian turned to see Gan Yanyu tying her hair back, clad in a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask—a full disguise.

"For street performances, these precautions are necessary to avoid being recognized," Gan Yanyu explained sheepishly. After a pause, she added, "Lin Tian, cover your face too."

"Are we really going all-in like this?" Lin Tian groaned, reluctantly accepting the black mask and hat she handed him.

Performing outside a mall carried risks—they could encounter anyone. Unlike a formal concert hall, this setting allowed for recordings, and passersby might approach them directly. Their impromptu session could easily end up as viral clips on or .

When had Gan Yanyu become so daring?

"If we don’t take action, we’ll remain stuck," Gan Yanyu whispered, unzipping her bag to retrieve her cello. " is defined by its blend of sadness and passion, its unique rhythm akin to exploration and adventure. I want to experience that feeling."

"Feeling?" Lin Tian repeated blankly.

"Mm-hmm." Gan Yanyu turned to him, smiling faintly. "The feeling of being seen as a pair of ."

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