\u201cHello, Teacher Akkad.\u201d Qi Mu bowed and said politely, his tone\nwarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before he could straighten, the eccentric man heaved a sigh\nout his nose and said in response, \u201cI still haven\u2019t taken you as a student,\nAngel. Why do you call me teacher already?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farrell has passed on this unspeakable name, ah!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was so aghast at the name that he didn\u2019t notice the\ninstructors in the room exchange words with Professor Akkad. They left the room and. . . closed the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the old man strode across the room to the desk in front\nof him, Qi Mu was surprised to watch this world-famous violinist sit directly on\nthe table. Akkad looked up at him and said, \u201cYou\u2019re \u300aGypsy\u300b just now\nwas alright. Can you manage Tchaikovsky\u2019s \u300aD Major\u300b?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu tore his stare away and slowly nodded. \u201cI\u2019ve practiced\nit some. The third movement is still unfamiliar, but the first is doable. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen play, the first movement is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He started to play. When he reached the third section of the\nthird movement, the music continued smoothly, but Professor Akkad shook his\nhead in disgust and said, \u201cEnough, enough. Your third movement is indeed not\ngood. Let\u2019s advance to the interview section.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if he didn\u2019t notice the confused stare at all, Akkad said,\n\u201cYou know, this is the first time I\u2019m accepting a student. I cannot guarantee\nhow I will teach you. So I wanted to ask first, Angel, you. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProfessor. . .\u201d Qi Mu could resist no longer. He raised his\nhand and said, \u201cYou. . . can you stop calling me \u2018Angel\u2019? I haven\u2019t taken the name.\nMaster Farrell is messing with me. This kind of joke, you don\u2019t have to take so\nseriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad raised an eyebrow but said nothing in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, when Farrell recommended a student called \u201cAngel,\u201d\nAkkad thought it was a cute little girl. When he found out it was a young man, he\ncouldn\u2019t help but worry about his friend\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What kind of child can you praise as an Angel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Qi Mu was writing his exam, Akkad had looked in through\nthe back door. When he saw this beautiful young man, even he had to admit the\nboy was a delicate porcelain doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, this name Angel is a bit. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad asked with a smile, \u201cIf not Angel, then what is your\nname?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu replied, \u201cProfessor Akkad, my name is Qi Mu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad\u2019s face wrinkled in difficulty, and he said, \u201cI heard your name seems to mean \u2018Seven\u2019 in Chinese. I will call you Little Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Little Seven Xiao Qi*<\/em>: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Literally, Little Seven Little Seven<\/p>\n\n\n\n No longer entangled with this issue, Akkad switched topics, \u201cXiao\nQi, I don\u2019t have experience in teaching a student. Of course, you can rest assured.\nI will help you improve. There is no doubt in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu had never doubted Akkad, so he replied, \u201cProfessor, I\nhaven\u2019t questioned your ability. I am honored to be your student and have your\nguidance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu was modest, but it displeased Akkad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Farrell had said, this little old man had such a high\nlevel of skill with the violin that his temper was strange. He looked Qi Mu up\nand down, appreciative, then asked, \u201cBut, Xiao Qi, why should I accept you as a\nstudent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu didn\u2019t hesitate, and the words made Akkad swallow his\nnext words. He looked at Qi Mu for a long time, and felt. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Am I a child to be\nconvinced like this?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while, Akkad asked again, \u201cThen, what do you want to\ndo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOver eighty percent of violin graduates from the Conservatory\nwill go into various orchestras. Most will only be a regular member their\nentire lives and won\u2019t even climb to deputy chief.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTen percent will become soloists. And less than ten percent\nwill not go into classical music at all. I am afraid they don\u2019t go into any\nmusic-related industry at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After spiting these statistics, Akkad looked at him solemnly.\n\u201cSo, I want to ask you. Xiao Qi, what do you. . . want to do in the future?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most, this was a difficult question to answer. But,\nafter only just asking, Akkad\u2019s eyes widened, and he remained silent for a long\ntime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad asked no further questions. He looked at this smiling\nyouth with a complex gaze then smiled briefly. He adopted a serious expression\nand nodded, \u201cTomorrow, report to the college at eight. You\u2019re not allowed to be\nlate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu was a little surprised at the sudden approval, but not\nlong after, he smiled and packed his violin into its dark green case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He picked up the small bag next to the case and walked over to Akkad. He handed it over. \u201cTeacher, this is chocolate from Jeff de Bruge. I didn\u2019t know your preference, so I bought a little of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dignified little black gift bag contained a box of packaged chocolates. Jeff de Bruge was one of the most famous chocolatiers in Paris. It took almost two hours to wait and buy a box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even he didn\u2019t know why, but when he passed the store that\nmorning, he remembered Zheng Wei Qiao\u2019s joke. He stood at the door for a while\nwhen a Chinese woman walked over and asked in surprise, \u201cExcuse me, are you. .\n. from Huaxia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he nodded, this young woman\u2014\u2014an intern at Jeff de Bruge, pulled him into the store and let him buy the chocolates without waiting in line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad looked at the bag and light flashed in his eyes. He\nlooked at him and asked furiously, \u201cYou think because I\u2019m from Turin, I like\nchocolate?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m an adult, Severin,\nI don\u2019t have a preference for sweets children like to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu apologized, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Teacher, I didn\u2019t know. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEating a little occasionally doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad looked at the bag with disdain but snatched it up and\nhid it behind his back, not even letting him see it again\u2014\u2014like he thought Qi Mu\nwould take it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dumbfounded, Qi Mu stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was it Farrell said?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eccentric temper?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, this couldn\u2019t be considered a quirk. There was a popular\nword floating about lately. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tsundere?!*<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Translates to \u201cProud but tender.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the splendid sunshine, the European buildings in\ndowntown Paris looked as though covered in a layer of spun gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After being told to go to the college the next day, Qi Mu dropped\nhis violin off at the apartment, took his wallet and keys, and found the\nnearest supermarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While furnished, the apartment\u2019s refrigerator and cabinets\nwere empty. He had a lot to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His new apartment was in a good location. It was one street\naway from the university, and there was a small convenience store nearby. It\nonly had one floor, but it had quite a selection. Qi Mu was rather satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the high-wattage lighting, Qi Mu held a small frying\npan, studying it. There were already a lot of items in the cart beside him,\nfresh fruits and vegetables, and the basic seasonings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After deciding on the pan, he put it in his cart. He hadn\u2019t\nstood up entirely yet when he saw a familiar figure. After a moment, Qi Mu\nstood up and looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a narrow alley outside the glass window, and there\nweren\u2019t many pedestrians on the sidewalk. Everyone came and went, but they were\nall blond. Where was that figure he had just seen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n After looking for a long time, he didn\u2019t find them and\nsighed, laughing a little at himself. \u201cI really want to see Min Chen. . . how could\nhe be here? I won\u2019t see him every time I move. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The young man\u2019s voice didn\u2019t attract anyone\u2019s attention in\nthe store, but what he didn\u2019t know that halfway down the street\u2014\u2014before the magnificent\ndoors of the Paris National Conservatory of Music, a handsome man lifted his\nhead to look up at the quiet, beautiful college, then. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stepped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the man\u2019s right hand, he held a small black bag. The word \u201cJeff de Bruge\u201d was written in silver on the side, and it shone like diamonds in the sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chocolate and Min Chen? Don\u2019t you think. . . it\u2019s a bit disharmonious?!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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