King of Classical Music 86

After Qi Mu finished cleaning the last of the trash, he tied a knot in the plastic bag and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Satisfied, he observed the clean living room.

Min Chen’s house was on the top floor of a high-class apartment building. Qi Mu wondered if he was born with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), because the moment he entered the apartment, he found. . .

The decorations in this place were identical to the ones in Min Chen’s apartment back in B City!

There were some minor differences, of course. After all, the two houses couldn’t have the same layout or height. Apart from that, even the angle of the sofa was the same as the one in B City. OCD. . . was really beyond the realm of comprehension.

Qi Mu smiled helplessly, and when he looked up, he saw Min Chen coming from the kitchen with two glasses of water. He wore an apron to prevent his clothes from getting dirty, but his expression was as calm and indifferent as ever.

This made Qi Mu laugh out loud, leaving Min Chen puzzled.

After cleaning all the garbage, Qi Mu sat on the soft sheepskin sofa and asked, “. . . I’ve found you’re. . . a little obsessive-compulsive, right, Min Chen?”

This was the result of their long acquaintance and good relationship. Qi Mu couldn’t ask such a thing half a year ago. But now, he spoke naturally and felt nothing wrong with it.

Seeing Qi Mu laugh with his eyes curled into crescents, Min Chen smiled, “You found out?”

Qi Mu immediately bowed in a “confession” gesture. “I don’t dare say a word.”

They talked for a while, and Qi Mu remembered something. Putting his glass on the table, he turned to look at the man at his side. His expression serious, he said, “Actually. . . Min Chen, I saw the review written by Master Leonid the other day. I didn’t expect him to evaluate me that high, it made me feel a little. . . flattered.”

At the name “Leonid,” Min Chen squinted and asked, “He wrote a review about you?”

Qi Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Shaking his head, he said, “Tell me the truth. Don’t pretend you didn’t know about it.” The review was published in 《Philharmonic》. Qi Mu didn’t know about it until Akkad mentioned it. After a pause, Qi Mu went on, “My professor felt it was strange. . . He said——”

 “How could that old Leonid remember you enough to find you and write a review about you? Little Seven, hang on a bit. I’ll go ask, that guy is too lazy to write. . .”

Without Qi Mu saying it, he hinted blatantly.

I already know about the bet.

Under the bright light, the cold man raised his eyebrows. He calmly asked, “So. . . What happened?”

“. . .”

Defeated by his calm expression, Qi Mu helplessly raised his hands in surrender.“I didn’t expect you to make a bet with Mr. Leonid, but. . . Min Chen, thank you for taking care of me. Even my professor said he wanted to thank you.”

“How are you going to thank me?”

Min Chen directly ignored his teacher’s thanks, asking only for his. Feeling as if a lump in his throat rendered him speechless, he thought carefully for a while. Finally, he tentatively spoke, “…How about I cook for you? My craftsmanship has improved lately. Now that we’re in Vienna, I’m afraid it’s a bit difficult to eat authentic Chinese cuisine.”

Min Chen didn’t say a single word. Qi Mu remembered, “Oh right, I forgot. You’re going back to Berlin tomorrow. . .” Regret lingered in his voice.

Min Chen smiled slightly, then said, “There will be other opportunities in the future.”

Qi Mu was stunned. “What did you just say?”

Min Chen shook his head. “Nothing.”

Qi Mu: “???”

The man’s dark eyes stared at the youth’s face for quite a while. He chuckled at Qi Mu’s puzzled expression. “Do you like Chopin’s music?”

The topic changed so quickly, it took Qi Mu a moment to nod. “I love Chopin’s 《Mazurkas》 and 《Nocturnes》 a lot. I have a collection of them.”

Min Chen raised an eyebrow. “Whose?”

“Of course it’s yours. . .” As soon as he spoke, Qi Mu abruptly stopped. He smiled helplessly. In a weak tone, he went on, “Well, there were many pianists in the world who recorded a complete set of Chopin’s works but. . . I like yours the best. Especially Nocturne No. 2 《in E flat minor》. It’s quite suitable for bedtime.”

In fact, before he met Min Chen, he never expected the man was. . . such a person.

In his imagination, Min Chen was a calm and elegant musician. Being able to play such beautiful music, he had to have a gentle but firm heart. It was inconceivable. . . for him to fear a but the size of a nail.

Well, he was afraid of bugs.

If he let Min Chen’s fans know, he couldn’t imagine what they’d think.

Min Chen set his glass on the table, not noticing the young man’s dilemma. The moonlight shone through the window and into the room. Particularly bright and clear, its light bounced against the edge of the cup, reflecting a silver streak.  

The man’s handsome face showed an almost imperceptible smile, he asked, “Do. . . Do you want to listen to the live version?”

Before entering the room, Qi Mu never knew. . . another large space existed beside the living room.

In the 100 m²  room, there was nothing aside from the black grand piano in the center. The floor-to-ceiling window allowed moonlight to fill the room, casting pale luminescence across the light brown floor.

Steinway’s 9ft grand pianos were a favorite for concert halls. Only this one could have such clear sound. It was the only one that could fully display a pianist’s skill.

But now, this treasure was shelved in an apartment, like the sword of a sleeping king. It waited patiently for the king to pull it out of its scabbard.

Qi Mu felt like he stumbled upon a refined conception.

The materials in the room were top-notch. It created the clearest tune and the best insulation resonance. Such a room decorated with only one piano was unique, leaving Qi Mu breathless.

When Min Chen opened the piano’s cover, Qi Mu stood at its side. Before he realized it, he was sitting on the piano stool! 

The chair was big enough for 4 people, so with 2, it didn’t feel crowded. Qi Mu was surprised when he heard a low voice in his ear. “There isn’t a chair in this room, so. . . just sit here. Standing can be exhausting. You can listen better while you sit.”

Qi Mu nodded. After a moment, he asked, “Are you going to play Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 《in E flat minor》?”

Min Chen didn’t answer. A sound like flowing water answered Qi Mu’s question. Qi Mu had never sat on a piano stool while listening to a pianist perform, let alone the man called the “King of Piano.”

Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 《in E flat minor》 was a gentle piece. It wasn’t difficult, and there weren’t any flamboyant techniques. However, while the melody was simple, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. 

As Qi Mu said before, among musicians who performed Chopin’s works, he liked Min Chen’s the most, especially this particular 《Nocturne》. In his previous life, as long as he had the time, he would play it on loop and listen while relaxing.

Now, the pianist played in front of him.

Min Chen’s hands were slender, his knuckles prominent, and his nails were round. They were trimmed without the slightest defect, much like their owner with OCD.

With those hands pressing the white and black keys, the grand piano turned into a child. It sang the most beautiful melody, led by this man. It was too perfect to be real.

How did the live version compare to the CD?

Qi Mu experienced it to the fullest then.

If the 《Chopin’s Complete Works》 he purchased was the best performance at an amateur level, then. . . The 《Nocturne》 he listened to now was the best on a professional level.

Those precious hands danced rapidly across the keyboard, each note filled with endless subtlety. It was so moving anyone who heard the performance would be intoxicated with it.

Qi Mu finally realized. . .

This was Min Chen.

And, though he had made a lot of progress, Qi Mu was nowhere close to this man.

Only he could turn this 《Nocturne》 into such perfection. Only he could make such a simple melody have a stable, profound connotation.

As the last soft note echoed in the quiet piano room, Qi Mu couldn’t help but smile. He clapped as he said, “Bravo!”　

——First trick in abducting Xiao Qi: Play piano! ——Limited user: Min Chen

Translator(s): Kuro
Editor(s): Empress, Ayn, Bet