National\nHigher Conservatory of Music<\/a> in Paris. As far as I know, he is still\nwaiting for a student.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis old man\u2019s voice was casual as if he was saying something trivial.\nBut in Qi Mu\u2019s ears, it stunned him to stillness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reed Akkad, who was he?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, the great Master of the violin was over seventy years old, but last year\nhe put on a grand performance with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad\u2019s skill with a violin stood\nat the top of the world. Due to the difficulty of his play and his fantastical\nhand-speed, he had a resounding nickname\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014The contemporary Paganini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was, of course, also\nbecause Akkad\u2019s first performance on stage took first place in Genoa\u2019s Paganini\nCompetition. However, Akkad\u2019s mystical ability truly made the entire world\nsigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell and Akkad went separate\ndirections. The former played each piece with skill and rich emotion. Whenever\nsomeone mentioned the latter, despite Akkad having a deep understanding of\nmusic, the first thing that came to mind was his dazzling skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Qi Mu least expected. . . this master had entered a music school and became\na professor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He could not help but feel a\nlittle doubt in his heart. Qi Mu\u2019s brow furrowed, and he looked up at the\nsmiling Farrel. \u201cBut. . . Mr. Farrel, as far as I know, Master Akkad is reluctant\nto accept students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad was born poor, and he was self-taught.\nSo, when he was young, he threatened that he would never accept a student in\nhis lifetime. He believed that a true master could not be taught by anyone and that only hard self-study could produce\na first-class violinist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell laughed. He sipped his tea\nand said, \u201cQi, you are still young. You don\u2019t understand an old man. . . in the\nlast ten, twenty, half a year of life, what kind of mentality is that? When we were\nyoung, we said a lot, and a lot of it was rubbish. Now, at our age, it is\nnatural to see farther and clearer. That kind of nonsense is stuff we said as children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu took the initiative to renew\nthe tea, and Farrel was a little surprised, then he smiled, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell continued, \u201cAkkad has a\nterrible temper, but, Qi, he will certainly be a good teacher. When I heard\nyour \u300aD Major\u300b last night, I knew you had good skill, and you\nhad an excellent feel for music. Yours was unique and delicate. After chatting\nwith Hill today, I found out you are also good with Paganini\u2019s songs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hill was Cheng Ting Wen\u2019s English\nname. Qi Mu hadn\u2019t expected them to talk about his affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded, \u201cYes, I prefer\nPaganini\u2019s songs. Whether it\u2019s his 24 capriccios\nor the others, I have practiced them all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great! Qi, since I spoke\nwith Hill today, she gave me a copy of your performance last night and a few of your other albums. When I return\nto Europe, I will pass them on to Akkad.\u201d Farrell paused then smiled again, \u201cQi,\nyou don\u2019t have to worry. I believe Akkad will be thrilled to have you as a student.\nI just hope. . . you won\u2019t refuse my kindness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell had learned from Cheng\nTing Wen that Professor Karl had tried to take Qi Mu on a student and was rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professor Karl was also a\nwell-known professor of music. Many of his students were in the world\u2019s top\norchestras. If Qi Mu could refuse him, then he was also very likely to reject becoming\nAkkad\u2019s student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Farrell\u2019s thoughts went\nthat route, Qi Mu lowered his eyes and furrowed his brow without responding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The morning sun shone through\nthe window, and the leaves outside rustled against the glass, isolating the\nlight into dappled rays that scattered over the youth\u2019s almost transparent\ncheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a long time, Qi Mu glanced\nup then at Farrell. He was surprised to find the world\u2019s top violinist, without\neven a hint of anxiety, watching him, waiting for his answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last string holding his\nheart back snapped in two. He sighed, \u201cThank you for your kindness, Mr. Farrell,\nbut. . . I don\u2019t know if Master Akkad will accept me as a student. If I had the\nopportunity, I would be honored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The implication being that Qi Mu\nwas hopeful about becoming Akkad\u2019s student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps Qi Mu was a tad too\nproud. The moment news that \u201cReed Akkad wished to take a student\u201d was released,\nthere would be more than a hundred people gathering outside Paris\u2019s National\nConservatory to set eyes upon the master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, Farrell did not appear\nupset with Qi Mu\u2019s answer. He knew this promising young man must have had his\nown reasons for rejecting Professor Karl\u2019s invitation. Therefore, it was justifiable\nfor him to not make a decisive decision in the face of his own request half a\nyear later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell stood up and smiled. He extended\na hand and said, \u201cTrust me, Qi, you are very\ngood. You are the student Akkad has been looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu immediately stood up and\nclasped hands with Farrell. His lips curled upward in a smile, \u201cThank you for\nyour praise. I was fortunate to have this\nopportunity to meet you today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two exchanged a few more\nsentences, then Qi Mu saw Farrell off at the S City Symphony\u2019s entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zhu Wen Jun and Cheng Ting Wen\nalso came over to send him off. The group chatted politely, then Farrell turned\nto step towards the car, but he seemed to think of something. Farrell turned\nand looked at Qi Mu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone knew that Farrell Louis\nhad presbyopia (farsightedness). He squinted a little and seriously looked Qi\nMu up and down again. He seemed to look straight through him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A long stretch of time passed, then just when the polite smile on Qi Mu\u2019s\nface was about to falter, the master burst into laughter. He asked, \u201cQi, do you\nhave an English name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silhouetted by the winter sun, the\nyoung man\u2019s face appeared softer, even as he frowned in confusion. Qi Mu\u2019s eyes\nflashed with a trace of bewilderment, and he shook his head. \u201cMr. Farrell, I\nnever took my English name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell nodded. \u201cI was too far\naway last night, and I couldn\u2019t see clearly. Today, it was too dark in the lounge,\nso there wasn\u2019t much I could see. But now, Qi. . . I think there is a name that\nsuits you very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somehow, Qi Mu\u2019s heart leaped with a bad\nfeeling. He subconsciously took a half step backward, but he could not ignore Farrell\u2019s\npresence. He bit the bullet, pushed\nthrough, and asked with a smile, \u201cFarrell. . . I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking\nabout. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow about Angel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPfffft. . . \u201c Cheng Ting Wen,\nthe closest, suddenly burst into laughter. When Farrell looked at her, she waved\na hand and said, \u201cMr. Farrell, I think. . . ah, Angel suits Xiao Qi very well, pffffft. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zhu Wen Jun looked at his wife\nhelplessly then whispered, \u201cYou. . . really, ah. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell did not seem to notice\nhow drastic his words were. He nodded and\ngazed at Qi Mu solemnly. \u201cQi, you are truly a beautiful child. Your music is\nalso excellent. Cute as an Angel. This name really suits you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mascot Xiao Tian Shi*\/Xiao Qi:\n\u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheng Ting Wen laughed until Farrell\u2019s car had disappeared around the corner. She heaved in breathlessness. In contrast, her husband was positively stern, his expression making Qi Mu feel much more comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it did not last for\nlong. He only saw Zhu Wen Jun\u2019s eyes squint\na little, then he looked at Qi Mu and said, \u201cXiao Qi, I heard Mr. Daniel Duke\nused to call you Engelchan*. . . or\nsomething? Why don\u2019t you make your English name Angel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a single afternoon, the\nentire orchestra learned that he had been given an English name by Farrell. \u201cAngel\u201d\nof all things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After spending several hours at\nthe headquarters, Qi Mu had seen countless members laughing and beckon him over\nwith a grin from ear to ear, all shouting \u201cAngel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This ubiquitous \u201cbad name\u201d was\nunavoidable. Qi Mu changed his flight to B City for that evening. In the face\nof Cheng Ting Wen\u2019s enthusiasm, he did not hesitate to board the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just before he entered the\nsecurity checkpoint, Cheng Ting Wen, who\ncame to drop him off at the airport, raised her hand to wipe away the\nnonexistent tear in the corner of her eye. Her tone was low when she said, \u201cAngel,\nyou have to go study in Paris. Your auntie Cheng. . . I will certainly go see you often!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you dare to change my name!!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n