Chapter 194: Internet Explosion, Netizen Frenzy
The mont those words left Lin Tian's lips, the scene descended into utter chaos. No one had anticipated such a direct admission.
Reporters surged forward like a tidal wave, microphones thrust high into the air. Shouts filled the room as questions bombarded him from every direction.
"Mr. Lin, can you share your creative process?"
"Mr. Lin, how did you and Miss Gan et? How did you two beco partners?"
"Mr. Lin, at just 18 years old, how do you find inspiration for your music?"
"Why reveal your identity now? What does this an for your career?"
Lin Tian barely rembered how he escaped that maelstrom. All he could recall was being surrounded—reporters, photographers, fans—all clamoring to get closer. It felt less like a press conference and more like a zombie apocalypse. The sheer intensity of the crowd shocked even him.
He likened himself to Ultraman Tiga in a power outage; everyone was frantically snapping photos with their caras, trying to "recharge" him with flashes so bright they nearly blinded him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, He Zhichen and the venue security managed to pull him out of the madness. When Lin Tian ca to his senses, he found himself sitting in He Zhichen's rcedes-Benz.
"It's insane, Mr. Lin," He Zhichen muttered, glancing between the road and his phone screen. Tweets were exploding on Weibo at a rate of 99 per second. The sheer volu was staggering.
"How far has it spread? Beyond Qingjiang Province?" Lin Tian asked wearily.
"Far beyond," He Zhichen replied. "The entire national music scene knows by now."
"That fast?"
"Don't underestimate your influence. Sure, eight million followers across TikTok and Bilibili might not sound astronomical, but your impact in the classical music world—and especially the cello community—is unparalleled."
He Zhichen sighed, shaking his head. As a manager, there were few things worse than dealing with impromptu revelations from clients. Cheating scandals, legal troubles, surprise public announcents—it was all part of the job. But this? This took the cake.
All the dia outlets in Qingzhou had been present, right after the semifinals of The Parrot Cello Contest. Publicly revealing their identities at such a pivotal mont ant chaos—and not the good kind.
Still, He Zhichen didn't think the timing itself was disastrous. The problem wasn't the revelation—it was the lack of preparation.
"You specifically said you wanted to wait until after the finals to go public. Marketing had everything planned for next month. Now, they'll have to scramble to release official statents confirming this."
He wiped sweat from his brow, half-amused and half-frustrated. "When marketing gets wind of this, they're going to kill first."
From their perspective, this was entirely He Zhichen's fault. After all, who else would let their artists casually drop such a bombshell in front of reporters?
Lin Tian shifted awkwardly in his seat, staring out the window. In hindsight, sticking to He Zhichen's PR script would've been smarter. But when he stepped outside and saw the sea of reporters, the contents of the note slipped his mind completely. Reading it aloud in front of everyone wasn't an option either.
"I an…" Lin Tian hesitated, "It's kinda cool.'"
He Zhichen paused, staring at Lin Tian before giving him a thumbs-up. "Only you, Mr. Lin. Only you."
For all his impulsiveness, Lin Tian's decision paid off. The buzz generated was unprecedented—sothing no amount of money could've bought through traditional advertising.
"But I should've talked to Miss Gan beforehand," Lin Tian admitted, turning to Gan Yanyu. "This affects her too. Exposing my identity ans exposing hers."
Gan Yanyu had always wanted to wait until winning The Parrot Cello Contest before revealing herself. By jumping the gun, Lin Tian had acted selfishly.
"It's fine," Gan Yanyu reassured him with a smile. "I actually like this outco."
"This outco, huh?" Lin Tian murmured, warmth swelling in his chest. Gone was the timid girl plagued by self-doubt. In her place stood a confident, radiant young woman.
"All thanks to you, Lin Tian," Gan Yanyu added softly, touching her reddened earlobe. "So I'm happy you were the one to say it."
Up front, He Zhichen groaned dramatically. "When are you two finally going to make an official announcent?!"
"Announcent? What announcent?" Gan Yanyu blinked, confused.
"Probably about winning The Parrot Cello Contest, or sothing," Lin Tian interjected quickly, grabbing He Zhichen's phone to change the subject.
The screen displayed hashtags like #TheParrotCelloContest and #MoonlightAndCatIdentityRevealed. News outlets across Qingzhou had already published articles linking Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu to the mysterious duo behind Moonlight and Cat. Both events—the semifinal results and the identity reveal—were treated as equally groundbreaking headlines.
Within the first hour, the news rocked Qingjiang Province's music scene.
"Who? Gan Yanyu? Gan Hua's granddaughter?? She's Cat-chan?! No way!"
"Oh my god, I've been a fan of both Gan Yanyu and Cat-chan for ages—are they really the sa person?!"
"Holy crap, so all those pieces she perford were her own compositions? Unreal."
"Mind blown. I've been following Moonlight since forever. Never imagined he was that unassuming pianist standing beside Gan Yanyu on stage."
These reactions ca from longti fans of the duo, many of whom had attended their performances. For them, the revelation hit hardest. It was as if two beloved idols had rged into one superhuman figure.
Until now, Lin Tian had largely flown under the radar compared to the dazzling Gan Yanyu. People rembered him as handso and talented at the piano, but little else. Speculation swirled about how soone so seemingly ordinary beca her constant accompanist. So even harbored resentnt, feeling protective of their goddess being "stolen away" by so upstart.
But learning that Lin Tian was none other than Moonlight shattered their worldview further.
"Wait… Is Gan Yanyu secretly this cute in real life?"
"My aloof goddess… I always pictured her as cold and untouchable, the type to step on during fantasies. But this?!"
Fans scrambled to rewatch old videos of Gan Yanyu, particularly the fan Q&A episode where Cat-chan appeared shy and endearing, saying things like, "Moonlight won't let show my face." Hearts broke everywhere.
The fallout extended beyond diehard music enthusiasts. Two hours later, the story exploded beyond Qingjiang Province, reaching mainstream audiences via viral reposts from marketing accounts.
"Moonlight and Cat Unmasked: They're Actually 18-Year-Old Professional Musicians from Qingjiang Province!"
Even casual viewers were stunned. Comnts flooded social dia:
"Bro, are you seriously telling these guys are high school students?!"
"Not only are they geniuses, but they're also insanely attractive. Why is my high school experience so different?!"
"I was worried seeing them in person would ruin my fantasy. Nope, I love them even more now."
anwhile, netizens hadn't forgotten one particular critic: @SheGhostedWhenIPosted. His earlier skepticism about their age ca back to haunt him. Within two hours, ntions of his userna exceeded 999 . Under relentless pressure, he posted a lengthy apology:
"Guys, stop hunting online—I'm scared witless. My brain's gone blank, I've unplugged my internet, and honestly, I don't have the background or skills to handle this ss. Clearly, I ssed with forces beyond my comprehension. Do whatever you want with —I deserve it. If reincarnation exists, trust , I won't touch the internet again."
As the dust settled, the inevitable happened: Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu's backgrounds beca fair ga for investigation.
Qingzhou Seventh High School's top student.
A perennial academic powerhouse.
Granddaughter of renowned cellist Gan Hua.
This year's art exam candidate.
So eagle-eyed users unearthed an old video of a waiter playing piano at a teahouse—dated before Moonlight and Cat's debut. Many realized they'd unknowingly encountered Moonlight long ago.
But perhaps the most ecstatic group were the CP shippers. Seeing Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu's undeniable chemistry and jaw-dropping looks sent imaginations running wild. Fans flooded Moonlight and Cat's account with questions:
"How did Moonlight and Cat-chan et?"
"Were they classmates at first?"
"Please write a moir, Moonlight! Tell us your story!"
"One more Q&A video, please! Show your faces!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers