Chapter 100: Rising Attention
Mr. Tong Tai—a towering figure in Qingjiang Province's music scene.
Forget his current position in the Music Association; his résumé alone was enough to make anyone's head spin. A graduate of Zhonghua Music Academy back in the last century, he had earned prestigious awards at both dostic and international competitions. Unlike many so-called "musicians" who relied on seniority or networking for recognition, Tong Tai built his reputation through tiless compositions and groundbreaking performances. Countless instruntalists sought him out to compose pieces for them.
And yet, despite being a living legend, this venerable artist kept pace with modern trends, regularly updating his Weibo account with insights about contemporary pop music, earning adoration from younger generations.
But how much weight did his opinions carry in Qingjiang Province?
Here's one way to put it:
Imagine Mr. Tong Tai sitting in his backyard, drinking with friends late into the night. In a drunken stupor, he casually points at soone's na—let's say a pianist—and mutters,
"That guy… good."
The next day, that pianist would instantly skyrocket in fa, drawing attention from countless music enthusiasts and attracting interview requests from major dia outlets.
Now imagine what happened when this sa influential elder posted a new Weibo update just two days ago. His excitent practically leapt off the screen:
"It's been ages since I listened to classical music. Never expected to see such vibrant young classical musicians in 2024! Let recomnd this perforr to everyone—Gan Yanyu. Her cello playing is stunning. And her piano accompanist? Equally beautiful. My student showed a recording today—it was too good."
—Too good.
Not rely "good," but "too" good. Rarely did Old Tong lavish such high praise.
Within hours, comnts flooded in:
"Is this real? Did Master Tong really rate her this highly?"
"Wow, searched her up—she's gorgeous!"
"This woman is literally a goddess…"
"I think I saw her on TikTok recently. She and that guy Lin Tian were performing Moonlight and Cat's songs at the concert."
The buzz surrounding Gan Yanyu quickly spilled over onto Moonlight and Cat as well.
But here's the strange part: Moonlight and Cat had gone viral, and Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu had started gaining so online attention as well—yet the two were trending separately. Moonlight and Cat had beco full-fledged internet sensations. As for Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu? Their nas seed almost irrelevant to the phenonon.
However, when Lin Tian searched related topics on Weibo, he stumbled upon sothing unexpected: even though neither he nor Gan Yanyu had active Weibo accounts, a super-topic page for Moonlight and Cat had already been created.
The page boasted over 100,000 followers and thousands of posts.
Well, wasn't that sothing?
There was a certain ironic joy in realizing their music had quietly cultivated a fanbase without any direct involvent. Lin Tian eagerly clicked into the super-topic to see what people were saying about them—and which tracks they liked best.
Post #1:
"Moonlight and Cat Daily Check-In Thread! If you love ‘MoonCat,' check in every day. Rumor has it, once we hit 100,000 posts, they'll get married! 💍"
Post #2:
"Super-sweet screenshots from Moonlight and Cat videos. Like what you see? Feel free to use them as couple profile pics! ❤️"
Post #3:
"Moonlight & Cat Fanfiction: lodic Hearts: We're Just Partners, Don't Get Too Attached. Super sweet, no angst, 18 chapters. Top Cat-sempai x Bottom Moonlight!"
Wait… what?
Lin Tian stared at the screen, dumbfounded. How had he, a re musician, beco the male lead in Yaoi fanfiction?
This was… alarming.
He could already picture the chaos that would ensue if he and Gan Yanyu ever opened a Weibo account. Their comnt sections would be overrun with shipping wars and fan theories.
But wait—Gan Yanyu as the Top?
Could she even pull that off?
How would that even work?
Lost in thought, Lin Tian clicked on the fanfiction thread, ready to critique its contents and offer constructive feedback.
Knock knock knock.
Before he could dive in, a knock at the door interrupted him.
Lin Tian hastily closed his phone and answered it.
Standing there was Gan Yanyu, dressed in a casual floral sundress, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her petite fra radiated elegance and grace. No matter how many tis Lin Tian opened the door, he couldn't help but marvel at her breathtaking beauty.
Her hands clasped demurely in front of her belly, she tiptoed slightly to peek inside his apartnt.
"What's up?" Lin Tian asked.
"Mr. Gao wants to know if we're free for dinner," she said softly. "He says he has sothing to discuss with us."
"Dinner? It's Sunday, so sure."
After a brief mont of consideration, Lin Tian agreed. He'd been imrsed in music all week and welcod the chance to unwind.
No wonder Gan Yanyu looked so formal—anwhile, Lin Tian was lounging around in nothing but oversized shorts.
Suddenly, Gan Yanyu tiptoed again, craning her neck to peer further into his apartnt.
"What are you doing?" Lin Tian squinted suspiciously. Was she checking for hidden guests? Did she suspect him of hiding soone?
"I'm starving," Gan Yanyu mumbled shyly, poking her fingers together. "Do you have anything to eat?"
"But aren't we eting Mr. Gao soon?"
"I can't hold out until then."
Ah. So she'd co to mooch food.
It was nearly 11 AM, and by the ti they reached Gao Zhenyang's place, they'd likely be ravenous anyway.
"Do you want a banana?" Lin Tian offered.
"Yes."
---
On the way to the restaurant, Gan Yanyu nibbled on a banana while standing curbside with Lin Tian, waiting for a ride-hailing car. Once they hopped into the vehicle, Lin Tian was startled to hear…
Greeting of Love, remixed as a DJ version?
The heartfelt lody paired with an infectious beat made for quite the vibe.
Who authorized this remix?
Before Lin Tian could process it, the bespectacled driver suddenly turned around, eyes wide as saucers.
"Are— are you Gan Yanyu? The cellist who perford at Qingzhou Concert Hall last week?"
"Uh…"
Mid-bite, Gan Yanyu froze, hurriedly covering her mouth to hide her embarrassnt.
"Ms. Gan Yanyu, I'm a huge fan of your cello playing! I wanted to attend your concert last week, but… well, life got in the way."
The driver gushed enthusiastically, then blurted,
"Could you sign this for ?"
Caught off guard, Gan Yanyu swallowed the enormous chunk of banana whole, her tiny mouth sohow managing the feat.
"S-Sure."
She scribbled her autograph on a CD case handed to her by the driver, looking flustered and far from the poised image of a professional cellist.
Lin Tian watched the scene unfold, trying—and failing—to suppress a grin.
At the sa ti, a realization dawned on him.
Gan Yanyu… was truly famous now.
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