Like the Geneva Conservatory, Paris\u2019s National Conservatory\nwas amongst the world\u2019s top music academies. Most graduates went on to play in internationally\nfamous orchestras. Rarely did their alumni decide to work in professions\nunrelated to music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu studied at the Geneva Conservatory for four years and improved\nhis skill with the violin in leaps and bounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over those four years, he practiced several tracks as part\nof his professor\u2019s teaching and participated in countless competitions of\nvarious sizes. He joined the academy\u2019s orchestra and eventually became the\ndeputy chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he officially started classes, Qi Mu thought Akkad\nwould have him practice a score of music and give him according feedback, but.\n. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu didn\u2019t expect that when he rushed to the college early\nthat morning and walked into Akkad\u2019s music room at 7:45, the room was empty. .\n. there wasn\u2019t even a music stand!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s right, aside from the shelves of books, it was\nimpossible to see even the shadow of a violin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad\u2019s personal music room had over 50 square meters. The floor\nwas hardwood and had excellent sound insulation. The walls were also equipped\nwith professional sound-absorbing materials. The arrangements were simple, but the\nhuge windows ensured excellent lightning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu sat stunned holding his violin case and waited for\nfifteen minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the clock\u2019s hands finally found eight o\u2019clock, the door\nopened, and Akkad wasn\u2019t even a little surprised to see him there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This serious little old man was wearing casual attire today,\nand a full lens camera hung around his neck. He stood in the door and beckoned,\nXiao Qi, let\u2019s go. Take your violin to my office. We\u2019re going out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Akkad noticed Qi Mu\u2019s speechlessness and added, \u201cDon\u2019t\nworry, my lounge is definitely safer than your apartment. It\u2019s tightly monitored,\nthe little girl in your hand won\u2019t get lost. It\u2019s okay to leave it there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where is he worried?\nThat wasn\u2019t his problem!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But, the professor\u2019s words were instructions for the student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu didn\u2019t object and took his violin to Akkad\u2019s office. Akkad\nseemed to think Qi Mu was still worried so carefully put Qi Mu\u2019s \u201clittle girl\u201d\ninto his safe. He turned and said, \u201cSee, don\u2019t worry?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That really wasn\u2019t the\nproblem!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Qi Mu was confused and couldn\u2019t understand what Akkad\nmeant by it, the following development only made him more. . . baffled!<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the whole day, the violin master from Turin, Italy\nshowed him, thoroughly, how the \u201cpeople of Turin love chocolate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the familiar Jeff de Bruge to Smucha and Jean-Paul Hevin,\nones he had never heard of, the master walked through these famous chocolatiers\nand tasted a variety of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu hadn\u2019t known before, but chocolate could have such distinctive\ntastes. For example, Smucha chocolate was sweet with a bitter aftertaste, while\nJean-Paulkevin was entirely sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chocolate was a common snack in Europe. The many lovely\nchildren on the streets of Paris were not round from just high-fat foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, while Qi Mu had grown up in Europe, he rarely ate\nthe stuff. There was no need to ask why when he was in the orphanage. And after\nhe was adopted, he ate some affordable chocolates, but he had never tasted these\nwell-known brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When they strolled into the last high-end shop in the\nwestern suburbs, it was already four in the afternoon. If they were still at\nthe college, the bell would be ringing, but Akkad was apparently not a mentor\nthat liked to procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad shoved a few of his chocolates into Qi Mu\u2019s hand and\nsaid gravely, \u201cXiao Qi, chocolate is a very happy food. You have to taste it.\nToday\u2019s class is here, tomorrow you will wait for me at the Arc de Triomphe.\nRemember to keep my camera safe, these are the memories of our day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu wanted to cry, but he also wanted to laugh. \u201c. . . Yes,\nTeacher Akkad!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, as the sun set, a handsome young man carrying a variety\nof exquisite chocolate gift bags and a heavy camera around his neck walked down\na path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All day, Akkad had made him smile and pose while he took\npictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, Qi Mu was a bit cautious. He didn\u2019t understand why\nthis eccentric professor wanted to take such bizarre photos, but he gradually\nlet go and even snapped a few pictures of Akkad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomorrow would be focused on the Arc de Triomphe. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looks like another day of fun?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was only after Qi Mu returned to his apartment and set\ndown the heavy camera that he suddenly remembered something important! \u201cMy\nviolin. . . it\u2019s still in teacher\u2019s safe?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu smiled helplessly, having a faint feeling his heart\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad didn\u2019t want him to touch the violin for a while?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, maybe he was overthinking things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, this outlandish speculation was confirmed the next\nday when he asked his professor. \u201cTeacher, I don\u2019t know when I can get my violin\nback.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen, ah? We don\u2019t have to cover every corner of Paris. It shouldn\u2019t\nbe long. I think you should be able to meet the little girl in a week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That morning, at the official start of class, Qi Mu took several\npictures of the Arc de Triomphe and walked back and forth with Akkad across the\nfamous Avenue des Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a simple lunch at noon, he was still guessing as to\nwhere they would spend the afternoon when Akkad took him straight to a high-end\nclothing store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He took Qi Mu\u2019s financial situation into consideration and\nonly selected a medium, gray suit for him. Though Qi Mu didn\u2019t understand his\nteacher\u2019s intent, he assumed it was for when he was allowed to play in the future\nor for a performance, so he directly paid for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But then Akkad cut the label and told him to leave his\nclothes, Qi Mu finally noticed something wrong. He asked, \u201cTeacher Akkad, what\nare you. . . what do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad asked strangely, \u201cDidn\u2019t I tell you before? We\u2019re\ngoing to a concert tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d You\ndidn\u2019t say anything!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad didn\u2019t care too much either way. He nodded, \u201cXiao Qi,\ntonight, we\u2019re going to Paris\u2019s Philharmonic Hall for a concert. This suit fits\nyou well. You can use it for competitions and performances later, but since you\u2019ll\nuse it sooner or later, you might as well use it tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since he had only been in Paris for a few days and most of\nit was spent cleaning his apartment and getting things sorted with the college,\nQi Mu didn\u2019t have time to learn about unrelated things. This was the first time\nhe heard of a concert being held at the Philharmonic Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One that would have Akkad interested in it must be at least\na world-class symphony orchestra. Qi Mu thought for a moment then tried to figure\nout what kind of orchestra. . . would come to Paris to perform?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This question did not haunt Qi Mu for long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When they passed a calm, man-made lake, a magnificent\nbuilding came into sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Paris Philharmonic Hall was the most expensive concert\nhall in the world. This young hall was only nine years old this year, but it\nhad the world\u2019s best audio equipment and sound effects. The building\u2019s architecture\nwas all sleek curves and reflected the faint silver glow of the moonlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Qi Mu entered the building, a huge poster caught his\neye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad looked at the poster in disapproval. He said, \u201cIt\u2019s\nnot that guy conducting, but they still give him a position on the poster. So unreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu\u2019s light-colored eyes widened slightly, and he subconsciously\nasked, \u201cTeacher, this time tit\u2019s not Min Chen. . . um, Mr. Bertram conducting tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad nodded, \u201cAh, I remember this time it\u2019s Littis in\ncommand tonight. His skill is also great, very orthodox and elegant. You should\nbe able to learn a lot from it. Bai Ai is strong, Xiao Qi, you have to listen\nwell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, if there were an opportunity, Qi Mu would never\nhave missed the chance to listen to these first-class orchestras. Moreover, Charles\nLittis was also a great conductor. His style was formal and belonged to the romantic\ngenre. Qi Mu had listened to one of his concerts, and it was dignified,\npowerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlright, Teacher, I will listen carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the moonlight, this beautiful youth dressed in a\ndelicate suit followed his teacher into the exclusive box on the second floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mi didn\u2019t question why they were sitting there, after\nall, this was Master Akkad. For him to get an exclusive seat, it was nothing\nunusual to think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They could see the entire stage from this box. Only after he\nwalked closer did Qi Mu realize this box would experience the concert best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu sat in such a quiet, comfortable box, and looked down at the orchestra members on the stage. when Bai Ai\u2019s concertmaster, Christole, officially arrived, the next to step on stage was the conductor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu smiled and saw Charles Littis step onto the stage. As\nif in time with the master reaching the podium, the door behind them opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sound was quiet, nearly drowned out by the audience\u2019s\napplause, but Qi Mu\u2019s hearing was astute, and it still rang in his ear. He\nturned and looked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He froze, stunned, in his seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the handsome man standing at the door was stunned stillness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Min Chen: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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