On such a bleak night, even B City, which was usually filled with people\nduring the day, was sparse. There were only a few cars driving by on the\nstreets, and they quickly disappeared\ninto the freezing night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The security in this area was relatively good.\nThere was a special system at the\nentrance, and outsiders were not allowed to enter freely. It was a high-end\napartment, but there were only three buildings. Qi Mu\u2019s apartment was on the\n26th floor of the last one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This building had twenty-seven floors. Qi Mu\nonly recently learned that the entire 27th floor was owned by Min Chen, along\nwith the one he lived in on the 26th, making his apartment a double-floor\npenthouse. It could be said that apart from this apartment, purchased before\nMin Chen had, the entire floor was also Min Chen\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right now, those two floors were dark. Only Qi\nMu\u2019s apartment was shining with warm, yellow light. After cleaning the table,\nMin Chen didn\u2019t immediately leave. Instead, he stared at an oil painting that\nQi Mu had on the wall, lost in thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu finished tidying up and looked over. He saw Min Chen staring at the painting and walked\nto stand beside him, \u201cIt was bought from a gallery in B City. The painter\u2019s\nstyle is good. Similar to Ruben, it\u2019s vivid and looks alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he spoke, Qi Mu pointed at the artistic\nrepresentation of an autumn harvest on a wheat field that was beside the\npainting. His eyes bowed into crescents, \u201cThis autumn harvest is more like\nRuben\u2019s early works. Though not as radical, it has its own charm. I remember\none by him is hanging in the first rehearsal hall of the Geneva Conservatory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen had initially\nbeen just studying the painting, but when he heard Qi Mu\u2019s words, his\ndark eyes narrowed. Just as Qi Mu thought of introducing the other painting to him, Min Chen asked casually, \u201cWas\nthere such a painting there? When I went to last year\u2019s graduation concert, I\ndidn\u2019t notice it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being so suddenly asked about it, Qi Mu\nautomatically replied, \u201cYes. Though, has it been removed recently? It\u2019s\npossible. After all, Professor Deville, that painting. . .\u201d Suddenly, Qi Mu\u2019s\nvoice silenced, and his throat went taut\nas he realized there was something wrong with his words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a long time, Qi Mu smiled, \u201cI only heard\nabout it. Professor Deville Carter at the Geneva Conservatory has a collection\nof paintings. I was interested in one of them when I was a child, and my mother told me she saw the painting\nthere the last time she went.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the original\u2019s memory, his mother did go to\nConservatory for a concert when she was young. As to whether she saw that\npainting or not. . . Qi Mu really had no idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu\u2019s immediate clarification for the slip of tongue would have possibly made the\nother believe it if they were Du Sheng or\nZheng Wei Qiao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if it was Tan Zheng Hui, there might be\nsome doubt, but he wouldn\u2019t dwell on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, the person standing beside him right now. .\n. was Min Chen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu has spent quite some thought in decorating\nhis apartment. There was a spotlight to highlight and brighten these paintings.\nAt the moment, the diffused white light reflected onto the man\u2019s handsome\nprofile, solidifying his sharp features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen felt something incredulous flash\nthrough his mind, but just as he was about to capture his thought, it\ndisappeared entirely without a trace. He squinted and gently hummed, \u201cIf you\nwant to know, i can get Daniel to go find\nout. Geneva and Berlin. . . it\u2019s not that far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeing that the other man didn\u2019t seem to be\nsuspicious, Qi Mu felt a bit relieved. He shook his head and said, \u201cLet\u2019s not\nbother him. It\u2019s no big deal anyway.\u201d After a pause, he laughed and changed the\ntopic, \u201cOh right, I really am sorry about not telling you today would be\ninformal beforehand. I. . . probably let\nyou down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu could imagine. For the Bertram family, it\nwas impossible to have a simple 8-in-1 soup for a Christmas Eve dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s profound gaze lingered on him for a\nbit. Then he shook his head and replied, \u201cYour cooking is excellent. I didn\u2019t\nknow you could cook Chinese like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu laughed, \u201cIt was all learned from my\nparents. They were keen on Chinese cuisine. I\u2019m glad you liked it. I really\nappreciate. . . what you did for me in\nHong Kong. When I went to the score, did you say something to Mr. Boswell? He\nwas very kind to me during the rehearsals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a good man who never let his good deeds stick\nto his name, Min Chen shook his head, \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything special. Didn\u2019t you\nsay that Boswell\u2019s temper was particularly good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Boswell himself had told him. This man\nhad directly recommended him to Boswell. But. . . he still refused to admit it. Perhaps this was a form of. . . modesty?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After thinking for a time, he no longer tried to\nchase the matter. \u201cAll in all, I appreciate you taking care of me in Hong\nKong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m only repaying you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s expression was calm, as was his tone:\n\u201cFor your help with the bug.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a single apartment of roughly forty to\nfifty square meters. Even if the decorations were excellent, after ten minutes\nof appreciation, there was nothing left to look at. Now, there was still some\ntime before midnight. Qi Mu knew it was important for many western families\nwith strong traditions to keep the family together on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although he personally had no interest in the\nvigil, when he considered that Min Chen had to return that large, empty house, waiting for the clock to\nstrike twelve by himself. . . he shook\nhis head and sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the other man had helped him so much, even\ncalling it a repayment. . . so why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore you knocked on my door that day, I had\nno idea you lived next door.\u201d Qi Mu poured a cup of warm water from a thermos\nand handed it to Min Chen, continuing to say, \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to not know who\nwas living next door for so long, it\u2019s a bit funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen took the cup and said, \u201cI don\u2019t\nremember hearing the violin through the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu laughed, \u201cI practice in the music room\nevery day. So I wouldn\u2019t disturb the neighbors, I renovated for better\ninsulation.\u201d After a pause, he said strangely, \u201cBut I only practice for a few\nhours a day, and I don\u2019t remember. . . is there a piano next door?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He remembered, when he went into the apartment\nnext door, he could see one. It was in the living room, a beautiful, black\nSteinway. It stood proudly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was\nelegant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This man who didn\u2019t practice even an hour on the\npiano everyday listened to this, and his face went black. He coughed softly,\n\u201cProbably while you were practicing the violin. . . I also dabbled on the\npiano.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu nodded understandingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s eyes were still dark, and he very\nquickly changed the topic, \u201cI haven\u2019t seen your music room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu subsequently smiled, \u201cIt\u2019s not that\ninteresting of a place, just an ordinary music room.\u201d Despite saying so, he\nenthusiastically led the guest to his\nmusic room. He opened the door and turned on the light, revealing the simple music\nroom. \u201cI did not ask for a music room, so\nthe decorations are simpler.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s narrow gaze circled the entire room\nthen settled on the box on the table. \u201cYou like Paganini\u2019s \u300alla\u300b?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu subconsciously replied, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve\npracticed Paganini\u2019s songs for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI like this piece very much, will you. . .\nallow me to listen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu was stunned, and he turned to look at the man. He saw that Min Chen was also\nstaring at him, his eyes deep and\nfocused. The meaning of that request, Qi Mu was shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a glorious thing for any violinist to\nhave Min Chen ask for a performance. Compared to other music masters, Min Chen\nwas a very indifferent person. He had given a\nchance to only a few, but none. . . later\nbecame well known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bai Ai\u2019s current concertmaster, Christole, was the only violinist Min Chen had taken the initiative to hear his violin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now a second had appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without a trace of fear, Qi Mu curled his lips\ninto a smile and laughed. This expression of confidence was dazzling on the\nyouth\u2019s handsome face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded seriously,\nand his voice was firm, \u201cAlright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He removed his violin from its case, wiped the\nbow with rosin, and directly lifted it to his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The notes were smooth, like water current, and the brisk tone flew from the\nstrings of his violin. The word \u300alla\u300b translated into Chinese meant \u300aBell\u300b. However it had a unique name\u2014\u2014\u300aThe\nEmperor\u2019s Bell\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song was mostly a brisk staccato, but in a\nPaganini\u2019s song, it was quite tricky and\nmost violinists couldn\u2019t control it. So when Min Chen proposed this song, it\nwas also a challenge for Qi Mu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, this song was one of Qi Mu\u2019s former\nincarnation\u2019s most perfected piece, and\nhe was especially fond of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu had played \u300aBell\u300b at his graduation\nconcert as his last performance at Geneva. Even in laters interviewing with\nseveral of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, he still played \u300aBell\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This piece was incredibly significant to Qi Mu. In his previous life, he had a special album that recorded it five times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In that quiet music room, the cheerful music\ncouldn\u2019t wait to jump free from his bow. Every note danced in the air, breaking\nthe silence of the room like it wanted to\neverything into the depths of a happy, cheerful ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as the first note emerged, Qi Mu was\nimmersed in the sound. Each string, each pull of his bow, it was engraved into\nthe depths of his memory. Pulling out this familiar melody, it was like he had\nreturned to that early morning that he had gone to the Vienna Symphony\nOrchestra with his violin case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the interview wasn\u2019t a success, he could only\nleave Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The slender fingers of the youth\u2019s white hand\nflowed back and forth over the four thing strings. The speed was so fast,\nsometimes so dazzling, that one could only use their ears to listen to the\nbeautiful music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps he was too immersed, so deep he could\nnot extricate himself from it, so Qi Mu didn\u2019t know that after playing for just\na minute, the man listening to him suddenly stiffened and stared at him incredulously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His Phoenix eyes were wide, and Min Chen\u2019s\nfingers trembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniel had been with this man for over a decade,\nbut if he could see this now, he would have said, \u201cOh my god, Min. Is it the\nend of the world? Why are you so surprised?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song went on for nine minutes, and Min\nChen\u2019s excellent hearing suspended him in horror, capturing every note\nperfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each slide of the fingers against the strings,\neach pass of the bow, each of these notes were so hauntingly familiar. When\nthey came together, they formed the\nunique song that belonged to just Qi Mu\u2014\u2014\u300aLa\nCampanella\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This song that was unique to Lu Zi Wen. . . \u300aLa Campanella\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n