In autumn, S City was different from B City as it did not enter a cold season quite as early. The S City Concert Hall stood in the bustling city center and had nearly a hundred years of history. Sixteen ochre-colored marble pillars surrounded the concert hall, giving the architecture an elegant and solemn look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the evening, there were more and more cars crowding the front of the hall. One by one, people got out of the vehicles and stepped onto the red carpet, then entered the arch into the building. Among them, there was an old man who appeared calm and respectable, and he was escorted to a room on the second floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The front seat was already warming up to the point of boiling, while backstage, everyone was busy making final checks before going on stage. Du Sheng, the concertmaster, was carefully double-checking his violin. After confirming that there were no problems, he went to examine the first violin group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B City Symphony Orchestra\u2019s performance uniform was a light black, form-fitting suit with a slim crimson tie carefully wrapped around the neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu pinned a sapphire tie clip to his tie. The bright lights shone down on him from top to bottom, making the blue sapphire look even more enchanting. Qi Mu was already handsome and, when carefully dressed, even Tan Lao, who had just entered the backstage, couldn\u2019t help but look at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to say it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not that other people were too ordinary. It was he that was just. Too. Much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Lao finally gave some words of encouragement to everyone and, after thunderous applause, the orchestra members entered the stage one by one starting from the wind instruments to sit in their positions. When Du Sheng finally sat down, the red curtain that separated the stage and the audience slowly opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Lao rearranged his clothing, took a deep breath, and finally stepped onto the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another round of enthusiastic applause roared to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike some conductors, Tan Lao didn\u2019t like doing an introduction or demonstration. He gave a direct bow and stood at his podium. At this moment, he made eye contact with the orchestra members and, without any verbal confirmation, he grasped his baton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, Dvorak\u2019s \u300aSymphony No. 6\u300b began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dvorak was the most famous music maestro from the Czech Republic, and he wrote numerous musical pieces throughout his life. With orthodox direction dominating his musical style, he also incorporated the sweet and fresh scenery of the countryside in his home country to make people feel at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u300aSymphony No. 6\u300b was one of Dvorak\u2019s nine symphonies. Although it did not compare to \u300aSymphony No. 8\u300b nor was it as world-famous as \u300aSymphony No. 9\u300b, it had a solemn opening that revealed the musical influence that precipitated the maestro\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAllegro nontanto\u201d was the rhythm rate of the first movement in Symphony No. 6. When the whole song entered a good pace, Qi Mu looked up at Tan Lao on the conductor\u2019s podium. With just eye contact, Qi Mu inserted his violin into the music and, like that, the second violin group accompanied the ensemble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone once said that the second violin group was the shadow companion of the first violin group. This also implied that in comparison to the first violin group, the second violin group was far less important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, in fact, for musicians who really understood music, the second violin group was as crucial as the first. Although they do not stand out to the audience as the first violin group did, a song could never be perfectly played without them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the box at the easternmost side of the second floor, a white-haired old man closed his eyes and listened carefully. He listened to the whole song from the second movement Adagio to the third movement scherzo. When the entire orchestra was about to play the final movement, and the whole piece was sublimated, the old man suddenly opened his eyes and sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWu Lao. . . what is it?\u201d asked a young man beside him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wu Lao was sitting on the soft sofa, and his eyes seemed to be casually looking at the orchestra on the stage. But only he knew that he was focused on the young man sitting at the right side. He then asked, \u201cXiao Chen, can you hear. . . Qi Mu\u2019s violin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young man startled a bit, but then he listened carefully. After a while, he shook his head with shame and said, \u201cI can hear the second violin group, but I can\u2019t distinguish. . . which one is his\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis violin is calm and restrained. The tremolo which had a turning point in the third movement was also smoothed out. Unexpectedly, in the many years I haven\u2019t seen him. . . Qi Mu\u2019s skills not only didn\u2019t deteriorate but actually increased. It truly. . . amazes me.\u201d Old Wu said while looking at the handsome and beautiful youth on the stage from afar then narrowed his eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t know what kind of experience he had that polished him. This youngster used to be a show-off, so it was impossible for him to play in an orchestra. What a surprise. . . what a surprise indeed. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Xiao Chen was astonished hearing Wu Lao\u2019s words, but he also felt it was incredible. Because he also knew, for Wu Lao, it was unnecessary to tell such a lie. What he couldn\u2019t hear, naturally the old man could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And a similar conversation also happened in the middle box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An elegant woman looked at the handsome youth in surprise, her beautiful eyes wide. After a while, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and asked the dignified, middle-aged man beside her, \u201cWen Jun, how did Qi Mu. . . change so much? He wasn\u2019t like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man thought about it and replied, \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen him for many years, and he\u2019s still young. It\u2019s normal for him to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman listened a bit more and, after the second performance finished, she couldn\u2019t help but say, \u201cThe change in Qi Mu is too great. Although I can\u2019t hear it completely, I can still hear a little of his violin. But, from what I can hear, his level exceeds the chief\u2019s.\u201d After a pause, the woman glanced at her husband and said, \u201cWen Jun, when I wanted to take Qi Mu into S City Symphony Orchestra, what did you say back then? You said that he was rebellious and needed some time to grow up. Do you regret it now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man smiled helplessly, and his wife didn\u2019t say anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two were the current conductor of the S City Symphony Orchestra, Zhu Wen Jun, and his wife, Cheng Ting Wen, the music director of the same orchestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of the first half of the show, the roaring applause drowned out the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second half started with Mendelssohn\u2019s \u300aViolin Concerto in E Minor\u300b led by Du Sheng. Although this piece only had the difficulty level of 10 in examination, it firmly occupied the title of world\u2019s Top Ten Violin Piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Du Sheng leading the orchestra on this masterpiece, it was truly both seamless and flawless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After their good start, a louder \u201cBravo\u201d constantly sounded in the concert hall. When the last song, Dvorak\u2019s \u300aSymphony No. 8\u300b ended, Tan Lao waved his baton and sweat dripped down his forehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The music boiled to an apex then abruptly stopped, and only the echoes of it remained. Some people in the hall were unable to regain their wits. The old man in a box on the left side of the second floor suddenly stood up and shouted loudly\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBravo!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that, the audience gave a thunderous applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the members of the orchestra rose up in succession and bowed to the audience under the leadership of the conductor and the concertmaster. Among them, a youth was bowing alongside the orchestra members, but when he stood up, he couldn\u2019t help but look toward the old man on the second floor who was the first to applaud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWu. . . Sheng Tao?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu\u2019s whispered words were overwhelmed by the warm applause from the audience. When all of the orchestra members gathered behind the stage, the grey-haired old man suddenly appeared beside Tan Lao. After saying a few words and laughing, Tan Lao found Qi Mu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a stern expression, Tan Lao said, \u201cQi Mu, come here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did he feel like he was being called by a teacher and was about to get a scolding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hmm. . . It must be an illusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n