Entering November, the air in Vienna was chilly and bleak. Where London and Paris had warm, humid sea breezes, Vienna was landlocked. With such cold, dry air, the temperature plummeted as soon as night fell.
Holding his violin case in his right hand, Qi Mu pulled his sleeves down to his fingers, scarcely keeping them from being frozen by the cold.
When Qi Mu received a phone call from the man, his low voice already carried a hint of hoa.r.s.eness from the wind. "Min Chen."
Min Chen frowned. "Have you caught a cold?"
Perhaps because he also thought his throat was sore, Qi Mu was planning to take a cab home instead of the subway. But for some reason, no taxi stopped for him, even though he stood by the street for a long time.
Qi Mu coughed softly, trying to moisten his throat. His voice turning more normal, he said, "En, it seems to be getting colder. Everyone in the orchestra attended tonight"s party and we ended it a bit late, I might"ve caught a slight cold."
Worry flickered through the man"s voice. "Go back early and keep yourself warm. There"s a convenience store just a block away from the apartment. You can buy some ginger and boil it in a tea to drink."
Finally, after great difficulty, Qi Mu managed to hail a cab. Quickly getting in, he smiled and said, "En, it"s nothing big. A little cold, at most. The season just changed, so it"s normal to catch a cold. A few people in the orchestra have already caught colds, so don"t worry so much."
"…But, I will still worry."
The voice was low and mellow, yet it rang like a bell in Qi Mu"s heart, stunning him.
It took him quite a while to give the driver his address. When he spoke again, he unconsciously softened his voice, "En, I know. I"ll take good care of myself."
Even so, the man on the phone was still dissatisfied. "I"m in j.a.pan now, about to board the flight to S City. We will perform at the S City Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall tomorrow. Do you want me to bring you anything? I"ll be staying in Huaxia for three days, so it"s no problem."
After thinking for a moment, Qi Mu said, "I don"t think I need anything. But please send my regards to Uncle Zhu and Auntie Cheng of the S City Symphony Orchestra."
"Okay."
Qi Mu barely spoke again in the next 20 minutes, as the domineering man told him that he should not speak when his throat was uncomfortable. Reduced to only "Yes" and "Okay" as responses, the youth"s voice softly rang in the quiet taxi. The most he spoke was just two words——
"No thanks."
After Qi Mu paid the fare and left the cab, the man realized, "I just remembered… There should be a car in the underground garage. You can use it. The key is in the second drawer by the door."
Entering the apartment, Qi Mu sighed as the warm air blew over him. He pressed the elevator b.u.t.ton to the top floor, then said, "You forgot, I don"t have a driver"s license yet. I"ve been busy ever since I came to Europe so I couldn"t find the time to take the test."
Min Chen was silent for a beat before saying, "I will ask Daniel to find a driver for you."
Qi Mu: "…"
Trying to fight off his laughter, Qi Mu said, "Don"t be ridiculous. Vienna isn"t that big, I don"t need a driver." To prevent the man from saying anything else, Qi Mu rattled the keys in his hand and added, "I have to hang up, going to open the door."
Hearing the words "hang up", Min Chen was at a loss. With a trace of disappointment in his tone, he said, "I have to catch my flight too." It was easy to hear his dissatisfaction.
Qi Mu looked up, thinking before he spoke. "If I remember correctly… S City is your third-to-last location for this tour, right? The second-to-last stop is… Vienna?"
"Yes."
The man"s mellow voice was like a cello reverberating in the quiet doorway as Qi Mu closed the door. In the rich darkness, Qi Mu was in no hurry to move. He smiled and said, "We haven"t seen each other for a long time, Min Chen. I miss you very much."
After a good while, the man said, "I miss you, too."
Even though the bustling airport was so loud, the words "I miss you, too" filled Qi Mu with joy. For him, it was the best sound he had heard in his life.
He still didn"t turn on the light. Standing in the dark and leaning against the mahogany door, he said, "Practicing alone in the piano room these days… I always thought that the piano room was too big. It"s too lonely for just one person."
"Four days left."
Qi Mu smiled and nodded. "En, four days left… Then you will be back?"
"I owe you a concert."
"Yes… You owe me a concert."
Neither of them spoke again after that. Only when Qi Mu heard Daniel calling Min Chen in the background, did he remember that the man was currently about to board the plane.
Feeling an impulse, Qi Mu said, "…Come back soon."
Not expecting his words, Min Chen was silent for a beat before saying, "I will."
After hanging up the phone, Qi Mu leaned back against the door and looked up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. The ceiling was just like the room, painted in simple black and white with smooth lines to outline the modern style of the Bauhaus.
Such a style was really like that man. Always so simple and elegant, and no extra words are needed. A simple "I miss you" was enough to make Qi Mu"s heart beat faster.
He stayed like that for a long time, before turning on the light and taking a shower.
The apartment… was really big. Perhaps, with one more person, it might feel a little smaller.
Just as he was about to flip the switch on the lamp before going to sleep, Qi Mu froze. "It"s already been… two months since I last saw him?"
The soft sight of the young man reverberated in the quiet room, full of wonder.
While Qi Mu was sleeping peacefully, the members of Bai Ai were stepping foot into Huaxia, ready to start their third-from-last performance of the year.
On the other side of Vienna, Evra looked at a gossip column in a tabloid. His study was silent as he was lost in thought.
"…Luo Yu Sen and… Zayev?!"
Although the old man kept up with current affairs, he liked to spend his free time in the evening reading newspapers, especially those about music.
Vienna had a very strong musical atmosphere. It was difficult to find an entertainment newspaper in the newsstand, but if he wanted to find a cla.s.sical music newspaper… They had them by the dozen.
Each day, Evra read seven to eight newspapers. From the most widely distributed one, to this humble one. If he wasn"t paying attention, he would have missed this small news.
Before reading the report, Evra never would have connected Luo Yu Sen with Zayev.
Never.
One was Wei Ai"s concertmaster, while the other was the second violin group"s deputy chief. The two shouldn"t have any connection with each other, let alone… With Evra"s understanding of Zayev, he was not a guy who likes to mingle with young people.
In the s.p.a.cious study, a lone yellow light shone dimly. The gray-haired old man had already taken off his conductor suit. In his pajamas, Evra looked like a grandfather next door.
His fingers clenched the newspaper tightly, forming countless creases in the paper. After thinking for a long time, Evra took off his gla.s.ses and rubbed his temples.
Although he was old, his mind was still active. It hadn"t dulled at all.
After a brief hesitation, he decisively made a phone call.
When he heard the surprise from the other end of the line, he sighed heavily and said, "Dorenza, yes, it"s me, Evra. There"s a thing… I need to tell you face-to-face… Yes, it"s hard to say it on the phone, I have to see you in person… Do you have time tomorrow afternoon? Okay, I"ll go to your orchestra. What"s going on? Well, in fact… It has something to do with a letter I received…"
Alone study, Evra made an appointment with Dorenza.
He realized the truth, the hidden truth behind everything. It was very complicated but the truth was…
He couldn"t believe it.
"Maybe… I have to ask Dorenza. Alas…"
His heavy sigh was trapped in the study. When Evra got up and left, he flipped off the light, watching as the room darkened. The darkness swallowed every secret hidden inside the s.p.a.ce.
But… Evra didn"t intend to keep the secrets buried forever.
When a life was involved, especially a young one, it was impossible to ignore.
Translator(s): Kuro
TL Check: Teo
Editor(s): Empress
Proofer(s): Ayn