The\nspring rain was fresh and pleasant. Its smell permeated the soil and gave off\nthe feeling of vitality. Several students talked amongst themselves. More,\nstill, were concentrated on the various musical instruments in their hands,\neyes closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an old college, the Paris\u2019\nNational Conservatory of Music had over 200 years of history. After many\nrenovations, every single piece of their music equipment was world-class. The\npractice rooms had perfect insulation, and there were no sounds from outside,\nonly the beautiful sound of the musical instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paganini\u2019s \u300aCaprice No. 24\u300b was not\nthat elegant nor full of aesthetic. Sometimes, it could also be regarded as an\netude. This was the case for amateur violinists. Professionals and skilled\nviolinists, however, could play such a complicated piece and make it truly\nunforgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musicians like Akkad, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paganini\u2019s \u300aNo. 24\u300b not only tested the\naudience\u2019s aesthetic appreciation but also the violinist\u2019s skill. Only a good\nmusician could perfect such a difficult piece, and only a strong musician could\ncontrol their momentum when playing Paganini\u2019s works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen had listened to Qi Mu play\nPaganini’s work before. It was that \u300aBell\u300b, at midnight on Christmas\u2019 Eve. Three or four months had passed\nsince then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite feeling it was the same as\nLu Zi Wen\u2019s violin, Min Chen had also been amazed by Qi Mu. Such a unique\nperformance was first-class even when placed it on the world stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that\u2019s it. It was just amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Daniel asked Min Chen to bring\nQi Mu into Bai Ai, he would hesitate but answer: \u201cNo, he still falls a bit\nshort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu was extraordinarily talented.\nHis absolute pitch made Min Chen think of taking Qi Mu as his student. He could\nteach him to be the world\u2019s top conductor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, if he wanted to be Bai Ai\u2019s\nconcertmaster. . . Qi Mu still lacked compared to Christole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s skill with the violin\nwas middle-tier, at best. If he evaluated himself, Min Chen would consider\nhimself passable as concertmaster or deputy concertmaster for a second-class\norchestra. But to evaluate anyone else, he could do just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference between Christole\u2019s\nand Qi Mu\u2019s violin was too small for Min Chen to describe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it is precisely because\nthe difference was so small that Min Chen couldn\u2019t tell what is wrong\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After all, he wasn\u2019t that\nproficient with the violin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Min Chen made the move, he\nhoped that Akkad would take Qi Mu as his student. What he couldn\u2019t hear, Akkad\nmight be able to spot. Perhaps he was the teacher Qi Mu needed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Min Chen was prepared for\nthis outcome, when he heard Qi Mu\u2019s violin again, he was utterly stunned. The\npure, decisive sound played from that violin made him breathless with shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . .Qi Mu had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song had a lot of beautiful and\ngorgeous techniques, not to mention how it changes between several octaves,\nrequiring the left hand to maneuver across the strings. Between the various\nways the bow needed to be used, the plucking of the strings, it was enough to\ngive the average violinist a headache. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the bright sunshine, the\nyoung man stood with his head tilted sideways, and his left hand danced across\nthe strings. The speed of his fingers exceeded what human eyes could capture,\nleaving behind only an afterimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His right hand slid the bow gently\nacross the strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this section, musicians needed\nto demonstrate the piece\u2019s progressiveness with the right hand holding the bow\nin a spiccato while the left hand danced over the strings. This was the most challenging\npart, but Qi Mu seemed to have no difficulty with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What surprised Min Chen was not the\ndisplay of these difficult techniques but instead. . . the qualitative change\nin the sound itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was like a veil had been\nremoved. No, more like a layer of mist shrouding the sound lingered at the\nedges, almost ready to clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sound of the joyful violin\nreverberated in the music room. Each friction of the strings and the bow let\nout a high-pitched sound as if singing the upbeat notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end, Qi Mu finally heaved a\nsigh. He turned to look at Min Chen off to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flashing a beautiful smile, Qi Mu\nspoke, \u201cYou\u2019ve heard it, then. . . Mr. Min, can you give me some advice? I\nhaven\u2019t found an answer yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roused from his stupor by Qi Mu\u2019s\nvoice, Min Chen looked up at him for a while then said, \u201cQi Mu, I don\u2019t know if\nyou noticed but..there has been a fundamental change in your violin. I don\u2019t\nknow how Reed did it but. . . now, I think I know how you will have to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen\u2019s tone was serious and\nsolemn. Qi Mu\u2019s expression shifted to concern, and he asked, \u201cYou. . . noticed\nthat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen nodded slightly. \u201cYou only\nchanged a few notes, and there was a slight altering of the beats. It\u2019s still\nthe recognizable \u300aNo. 24\u300b. However, your violin is quite different than before, you\u2019ve\nchanged. I can see exactly where the problem is. It\u2019s quite hard to explain but.\n. .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a pause, Min Chen looked up\nat Qi Mu, \u201cIs there a piano?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten minutes later, a tall Swiss man\nexcitedly lent them his music room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brunet was called Dylan. He\nstudied the piano for more than ten years, so a Fazioli grand piano resided in\nhis room. With it, he could practice any time he wished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLittle Seven, I never knew you\nknew Mr. Bertram! I\u2019m so excited! God, is he going to borrow my room to play my\npiano? God, I won\u2019t even play this Fazioli again, I must preserve it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was natural for Dylan to be\nexcited at meeting his idol. Grateful, Qi Mu said, \u201cThank you very much, Dylan.\nMy room doesn\u2019t have a piano, so I can only borrow yours. If you need to\npractice, you can go to my room, it has good lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite not completing the task\ngiven by his mentor, Dylan shook his head without hesitation. \u201cNo, Seven! I\nwant to stay and listen to Mr. Bertram play the piano. I want to remember this\nscene well and imprint it in my heart!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen played a few notes to\nfamiliarize himself with the piano, then he looked up at Qi Mu, who had his\nviolin rested on his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen smiled, \u201cPlay as usual.\nI\u2019ll keep up with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu nodded and lifted his bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had no doubt that Min Chen would\nbe able to keep up with him nor that he would have any trouble despite not\nrehearsing first. If Min Chen couldn\u2019t play it. . . no one in the world could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the elegant piano resounded,\nQi Mu\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It. . . wasn\u2019t an ensemble!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was an accompaniment!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The piano was like a river\u2019s\nstream, and the sound flowed slowly in the room. Although Qi Mu was shocked,\nhis bow didn\u2019t stutter, nor did his fingers on the strings. He remembered Min\nChen\u2019s words from earlier, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me, just play as usual.\u201d So, he\ndid. Qi Mu stopped thinking about it and concentrated on playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only the sound of the violin and\npiano resonated in the quiet room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sole audience, Dylan, was taken\naback. He never expected that Mr. Bertram would accompany Little Seven! This\nwas simply too amazing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this piece, Dylan could\nrecognize from a single note. It was the piece Little Seven had been practicing\nso intently, Paganini\u2019s \u300aNo. 24\u300b. Dylan\u2019s own syllabus hadn\u2019t yet reached it, so he knew how\ndifficult it must be. Qi Mu played it well, but he couldn\u2019t say much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, however, he felt that this\nsong. . . could be adapted so pleasantly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Dylan didn\u2019t know was that Qi\nMu was also surprised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Min Chen only acted as the\naccompaniment, but Qi Mu felt that he was being led by the man. While being\npulled wasn\u2019t obvious, he could still detect the slight traces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu didn\u2019t intend to ask Min Chen\nhis intention, but when he entered the song\u2019s second section, he found\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He grabbed hold of that inspiration!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The echo of freedom released the\nmelody and let the sound of the violin dance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every time he practiced, he would\ntry to find that flash of inspiration Mr. Akkad once described. Qi Mu had\noccasionally seen a glimpse of this wonderful feeling before, now. . . he\nactually had it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even after the 6 to 7 minutes, when\nthe piece had ended, the echoes of a violin and piano still lingered in the\nroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took a long time for the sole\naudience to recover and applaud. Qi Mu set down his violin and turned to look\nat the man by the piano. Min Chen looked back at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two gazed at each other for a\nmoment then Min Chen revealed a rare smile and asked quietly: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you. . . get the feeling now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n