{"id":7921,"date":"2019-07-22T13:00:20","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=7921"},"modified":"2019-07-22T12:05:30","modified_gmt":"2019-07-22T16:05:30","slug":"kocm86","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/kocm86\/","title":{"rendered":"King of Classical Music 86"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After Qi Mu finished cleaning the last of the\ntrash, he tied a knot in the plastic bag and raised his hand to wipe the sweat\nfrom his forehead. Satisfied, he observed the clean living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen\u2019s house was on the top floor of a\nhigh-class apartment building. Qi Mu wondered if he was born with\nobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), because the moment he entered the\napartment, he found. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decorations in this place were identical\nto the ones in Min Chen\u2019s apartment back in B City!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were some minor differences, of course.\nAfter all, the two houses couldn&#8217;t have the same layout or height. Apart from\nthat, even the angle of the sofa was the same as the one in B City. OCD. . .\nwas really beyond the realm of comprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu smiled helplessly, and when he looked\nup, he saw Min Chen coming from the kitchen with two glasses of water. He wore\nan apron to prevent his clothes from getting dirty, but his expression was as\ncalm and indifferent as ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This made Qi Mu laugh out loud, leaving Min\nChen puzzled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After cleaning all the garbage, Qi Mu sat on\nthe soft sheepskin sofa and asked, \u201c. . . I\u2019ve found you\u2019re. . . a little obsessive-compulsive,\nright, Min Chen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the result of their long acquaintance\nand good relationship. Qi Mu couldn&#8217;t ask such a thing half a year ago. But\nnow, he spoke naturally and felt nothing wrong with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing Qi Mu laugh with his eyes curled into\ncrescents, Min Chen smiled, \u201cYou found out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu immediately bowed in a \u201cconfession\u201d\ngesture. \u201cI don\u2019t dare say a word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They talked for a while, and Qi Mu remembered\nsomething. Putting his glass on the table, he turned to look at the man at his\nside. His expression serious, he said, \u201cActually. . . Min Chen, I saw the\nreview written by Master Leonid the other day. I didn\u2019t expect him to evaluate\nme that high, it made me feel a little. . . flattered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the name \u201cLeonid,\u201d Min Chen squinted and asked,\n\u201cHe wrote a review about you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu didn\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry.\nShaking his head, he said, \u201cTell me the truth. Don\u2019t pretend you didn\u2019t know\nabout it.\u201d The review was published in \u300aPhilharmonic\u300b. Qi Mu didn\u2019t know about it until Akkad\nmentioned it. After a pause, Qi Mu went on, \u201cMy professor felt it was strange.\n. . He said\u2014\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cHow\ncould that old Leonid remember you enough to find you and write a review about\nyou? Little Seven, hang on a bit. I\u2019ll go ask, that guy is too lazy to write. .\n.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without Qi Mu saying it, he hinted blatantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I already know about the bet.<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the bright light, the cold man raised\nhis eyebrows. He calmly asked, \u201cSo. . . What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defeated by his calm expression, Qi Mu\nhelplessly raised his hands in surrender.\u201cI didn\u2019t expect you to make a bet\nwith Mr. Leonid, but. . . Min Chen, thank you for taking care of me. Even my\nprofessor said he wanted to thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow are you going to thank me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen directly ignored his teacher\u2019s\nthanks, asking only for his. Feeling as if a lump in his throat rendered him\nspeechless, he thought carefully for a while. Finally, he tentatively spoke,\n\u201c&#8230;How about I cook for you? My craftsmanship has improved lately. Now that\nwe\u2019re in Vienna, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s a bit difficult to eat authentic Chinese\ncuisine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen didn\u2019t say a single word. Qi Mu\nremembered, \u201cOh right, I forgot. You\u2019re going back to Berlin tomorrow. . .\u201d\nRegret lingered in his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen smiled slightly, then said, \u201cThere\nwill be other opportunities in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu was stunned. \u201cWhat did you just say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen shook his head. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu: \u201c???\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man\u2019s dark eyes stared at the youth\u2019s face\nfor quite a while. He chuckled at Qi Mu\u2019s puzzled expression. \u201cDo you like\nChopin\u2019s music?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The topic changed so quickly, it took Qi Mu a\nmoment to nod. \u201cI love Chopin\u2019s \u300aMazurkas\u300b and \u300aNocturnes\u300b a lot. I have a collection of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen raised an eyebrow. \u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course it\u2019s yours. . .\u201d As soon as he\nspoke, Qi Mu abruptly stopped. He smiled helplessly. In a weak tone, he went\non, \u201cWell, there were many pianists in the world who recorded a complete set of\nChopin\u2019s works but. . . I like yours the best. Especially Nocturne No. 2 \u300ain E flat minor\u300b. It\u2019s quite suitable\nfor bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, before he met Min Chen, he never\nexpected the man was. . . such a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his imagination, Min Chen was a calm and\nelegant musician. Being able to play such beautiful music, he had to have a\ngentle but firm heart. It was inconceivable. . . for him to fear a but the size\nof a nail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, he was afraid of bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If he let Min Chen\u2019s fans know, he couldn\u2019t\nimagine what they\u2019d think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen set his glass on the table, not\nnoticing the young man\u2019s dilemma. The moonlight shone through the window and\ninto the room. Particularly bright and clear, its light bounced against the\nedge of the cup, reflecting a silver streak.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man\u2019s handsome face showed an almost\nimperceptible smile, he asked, \u201cDo. . . Do you want to listen to the live\nversion?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before entering the room, Qi Mu never knew. .\n. another large space existed beside the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 100 m<sup>2&nbsp; <\/sup>room, there was nothing aside from the black grand piano in the\ncenter. The floor-to-ceiling window allowed moonlight to fill the room, casting\npale luminescence across the light brown floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Steinway\u2019s 9ft grand pianos were a favorite\nfor concert halls. Only this one could have such clear sound. It was the only\none that could fully display a pianist\u2019s skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But now, this treasure was shelved in an\napartment, like the sword of a sleeping king. It waited patiently for the king\nto pull it out of its scabbard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu felt like he stumbled upon a refined\nconception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The materials in the room were top-notch. It created\nthe clearest tune and the best insulation resonance. Such a room decorated with\nonly one piano was unique, leaving Qi Mu breathless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Min Chen opened the piano\u2019s cover, Qi Mu\nstood at its side. Before he realized it, he was sitting on the piano\nstool!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chair was big enough for 4 people, so with\n2, it didn\u2019t feel crowded. Qi Mu was surprised when he heard a low voice in his\near. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a chair in this room, so. . . just sit here. Standing can be\nexhausting. You can listen better while you sit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu nodded. After a moment, he asked, \u201cAre\nyou going to play Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 \u300ain E flat minor\u300b?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen didn\u2019t answer. A sound like flowing\nwater answered Qi Mu\u2019s question. Qi Mu had never sat on a piano stool while\nlistening to a pianist perform, let alone the man called the \u201cKing of Piano.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chopin\u2019s Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 \u300ain E flat minor\u300b was a gentle piece.\nIt wasn\u2019t difficult, and there weren\u2019t any flamboyant techniques. However, while\nthe melody was simple, it wasn\u2019t as easy as it seemed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Qi Mu said before, among musicians who\nperformed Chopin\u2019s works, he liked Min Chen\u2019s the most, especially this\nparticular \u300aNocturne\u300b. In his previous life, as long as he had the time, he would\nplay it on loop and listen while relaxing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the pianist played in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Min Chen\u2019s hands were slender, his knuckles\nprominent, and his nails were round. They were trimmed without the slightest\ndefect, much like their owner with OCD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With those hands pressing the white and black\nkeys, the grand piano turned into a child. It sang the most beautiful melody,\nled by this man. It was too perfect to be real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How did the live version compare to the CD?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu experienced it to the fullest then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the \u300aChopin\u2019s Complete Works\u300b he purchased was the\nbest performance at an amateur level, then. . . The \u300aNocturne\u300b he listened to now\nwas the best on a professional level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those precious hands danced rapidly across the\nkeyboard, each note filled with endless subtlety. It was so moving anyone who heard\nthe performance would be intoxicated with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qi Mu finally realized. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was Min Chen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, though he had made a lot of progress, Qi\nMu was nowhere close to this man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only he could turn this \u300aNocturne\u300b into such perfection.\nOnly he could make such a simple melody have a stable, profound connotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the last soft note echoed in the quiet piano room, Qi Mu\ncouldn\u2019t help but smile. He clapped as he said, \u201cBravo!\u201d\u3000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014\u2014First trick in abducting Xiao Qi: Play piano! \u2014\u2014Limited user: Min Chen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/kocm85\">&lt;&lt;&lt; Previous<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/kocm80\">N<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/kocm87\">ext &gt;&gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\">Translator<pwa data-pwa-id=\"pwa-CFD62610D3A5DB66F8E52E8F46BD6CB3\" data-pwa-rule-id=\"WHITESPACE\" data-pwa-category=\"grammar\" data-pwa-hint=\"The punctuation mark '(' may require a space before it. 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Consider adding a space.\" data-pwa-suggestions=\" (\" data-pwa-dictionary-word=\"(\" class=\"pwa-mark pwa-mark-done\">(<\/pwa>s): Empress, Ayn, Bet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[66,35,39,68,64,37],"class_list":["post-7921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kocm","tag-betrayal","tag-bl","tag-modern","tag-power-couple","tag-revenge","tag-transmigration"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7921"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10728,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921\/revisions\/10728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}