Evening fell, and the brilliant sunshine, with all the liveliness and vitality of afternoon heat, faded into darkness.
The cry of cicadas filled the stuffy air along the Spree River. Sitting in the pa.s.senger"s seat, Qi Mu recalled Akkad"s words.
Min Chen and Akkad held a private conversation for three hours. Though he didn"t know its content, he wasn"t curious. Since they didn"t say anything, they had to have a reason. When the time came, maybe he would know.
Min Chen had just told Qi Mu about his visit to Farrell"s house, and their time in the study. They had discussed at length how to get Akkad to agree to their relationship, as well as Farrell"s latest composition.
Although Min Chen"s expression read, "Just talked about his composition," Qi Mu felt… it wasn"t that casual for Farrell.
But, that didn"t matter, since it had already happened. Now, though… He was returning to Paris.
Qi Mu turned to the man whose gaze was fixed on the road. He frowned, heart reluctant.
When Min Chen first brought him to Berlin, Qi Mu wanted to refuse. Now that they were going to separate, Qi Mu felt… the time they spent together was too short.
He only came to the city the day before, and he was already leaving.
The youth"s lovely face was filled with loss, and Qi Mu kept his head down. He gazed at the ground, not focusing on anything until he felt warmth on the back of his hand. He looked at it in surprise, finding Min Chen"s distinct knuckles. Though his fingers were thin, they were powerful from years of playing.
Qi Mu"s gaze followed the hand to his arm and up, only to find the man looking down at him with tenderness.
"When you get back to Paris… Contact me more."
The car stopped in front of Tegel Airport. Its tinted windows prevented anyone from peering inside.
When Akkad saw their complicated expressions, he self-consciously excused himself, "I"ll get off and take my luggage first." Opening the door, he slipped away, leaving them alone.
Only Min Chen and Qi Mu were left in the car.
Each moment spanned for hours. Nodding, Qi Mu gently said, "Well, I"ll take time… and contact you more. Paris isn"t that far away." To ease their parting, Qi Mu added, "You see, Paris and Berlin aren"t as far as B City and S City."
"I"ll miss you."
With just those three words, Qi Mu"s throat contracted, and his words froze in place.
Min Chen"s skin was hot, and his heat surged up the back of his hand into his veins and directly to his heart. It burned in his chest as his pulse sped up.
Qi Mu didn"t know how to reply. The man had reached some sort of consensus with Akkad. Now that he was saying such stimulating words, Qi Mu don"t know what to do.
Finally, Qi Mu squeezed his fingers. He chuckled, "I"ll go help professor with his luggage. It"s too much for him alone." Qi Mu started to turn away, his hand on the doork.n.o.b.
The moment he turned, Min Chen"s low voice called——"Qi Mu."
Turning around, Qi Mu whispered, "Yes, what… Umph…"
Their lips met. Involuntarily, his mouth parted and the the tip of the man"s tongue swept inside.
Seatbelt already unfastened, Min Chen leaned in and pressed his beloved against the door. He held Qi Mu"s waist in one hand and the back of his head with the other, locking him in place.
Somehow, this one-sided kiss became an elusive dance, impossible to separate.
Their lips and tongues twisted together, ambiguity filling the car. Min Chen held the youth firm in his arms, and Qi Mu too earnestly responded to the kiss.
By its end, Qi Mu was breathless, and his dazed expression drew Min Chen even closer. They clutched each other close for a long time, foreheads touching and gasping for breath.
"Will you miss me…"
Qi Mu lifted his gaze. The man"s dark eyes were locked on his, gazing at him in hesitation. It felt as if Min Chen was close to giving up whatever decision he had made to keep him here.
His breath slowly evened out, but Qi Mu didn"t answer. Instead, he asked, "Will you miss me?"
Min Chen smiled. "I will… I really will."
Qi Mu smiled, too, eyes pinched closed. "Then, me too… I will also really miss you."
…
The words "I will really miss you" made Qi Mu smile all the way onto the plane. Even at the security check, he couldn"t stop himself from turning back, never hiding his reluctance to leave the man behind.
Akkad, who had been a single dog for years: "…"
After the plane landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Akkad went to the parking lot with Qi Mu at his side, explaining bits of his business in Turin. When he noticed the young man would only reply with "Oh" and "Um," Akkad frowned. He turned to him.
His lovely student was sending texts on his phone!
Smiling so happily…
Of course, who else could be on the other side?!!!
Akkad, the single dog who had received a second blow: "…"
You"ve only parted for a few hours, can you control yourself a little!!!
After returning to Paris, Qi Mu and Professor Akkad headed back to the college and cleaned up the violin room.
Farrell had said Akkad wouldn"t be back for another three days, but he returned two days earlier. The following night was the opening ceremony for the start of the new semester, and he didn"t want to miss it.
A lot of instructors didn"t have a consistent cla.s.s schedule. During the holiday period, Dylan spent all his time in the piano room, attending cla.s.ses. He didn"t know what the word "vacation" meant.
Qi Mu was the same, he went to Vienna with Akkad during the semester, then to Dresden with Farrell during summer break.
But, Akkad was an official professor at the university. He should lead by example and follow the academy"s regulations, which was why he went straight to Berlin to pick up his student after his business in Turin.
It was no wonder Qi Mu forgot the opening ceremony when his mentor had such an inconsistent cla.s.s schedule.
When Qi Mu finished cleaning up, he was about to pick up his violin case and luggage when Akkad called, "Little Seven, those are heavy. Can you carry them all?"
Qi Mu answered, "I can, professor. My place is nearby, did you forget?"
Akkad nodded then added, "It"s a bit late now. Just leave your violin in my safe. You can pick it up in the morning."
Qi Mu thought about it then agreed.
He handed his violin over to the professor. While locking up the safe, the old man asked, "Oh yes, Seven… Evra mentioned when you cooperated with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, you used an excellent violin, right? Why haven"t you been using it since?"
Confirming that the safe was completely locked, Akkad turned to look carefully at his student. "Seven, that"s no good. No matter how good a violin is, if it"s not played, it"s not a violin. It"s just an item in a collection that looks like a violin. Look at Paganini"s Il Cannone, aren"t there a lot of people borrowing it?"
Feeling awkward, Qi Mu shook his head, explaining, "Professor… There"s a reason for that. I have an agreement with some elders. They keep the violin in the Swiss Bank. I can only take her out after I can cooperate with the world"s top orchestra in the Golden Hall."
His answer made Akkad"s eyes widen. As they walked out of the building together, he asked, "What"s with this strange agreement? Seven, I don"t know what happened, but if you want to take that violin out, you can ask Auston. He should have a way."
Qi Mu shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, professor. I know how to deal with the matter." Pausing, he raised an eyebrow. "But professor… Do you think I"m not capable of it?"
"Okay, fine, fine, that"s your violin anyway! Just remember to bring it and show it to me later!" Akkad muttered a few incomprehensible words to himself. He didn"t ask anything else about the violin.
Looking up at the bright moon, Qi Mu"s lips lifted into a faint smile.
That Little Princess…
It was almost time to get her back.