Spring nights in Paris were cold. The wind brought the scentof salt from the sea, and everyone tightened their coats as they exited theconcert hall.
The Paris Philharmonic Hall was in the suburbs, surroundedby a man-made lake, and outlined by silver moonlight. One car after the nextdrove down the path and left the magnificent building behind.
Earlier, Akkad and his student came by taxi. Qi Mu did nothave a car in Paris, and Akkad hadn"t bought one yet, so the professor suggestedthey hitch a ride with Min Chen.
Qi Mu followed Akkad out of the concert hall. He tugged onthe scarf around his neck as a breeze brushed past and turned when his teacher spoke.
"Min, the concert tonight was great. Your and Charles"sadaptation was excellent!"
Akkad had long forgotten how narcissistic and arrogant MinChen acted moments ago. "In fact, I wanted Small Seven to adapt a song for practice."
Speaking of Qi Mu, Akkad remembered his student. Heintroduced the two, "Oh, I forgot to say before. Min, this is my student. . .Qi. . . Mu. His name is hard to p.r.o.nounce, but I recall you"re fluent inChinese."
Qi Mu stood under the large poster with Min Chen"s name embodiedon it and smiled. He didn"t have time to interrupt as Akkad went on, "SmallSeven, this is Auston Bertram."
Qi Mu had nothing to hide, so he nodded. Helplessness shoneout of his delicate white face. "Teacher, I. . . I met Mr. Min a long time ago.In Huaxia. . . we were neighbors."
Akkad wondered. . . did he have hearing issues? "Seven, whatdid you say?"
Qi Mu solemnly repeated himself, "Teacher, I said Min Chen,and I met each other a long time ago."
". . ." Akkad turned to look at Min Chen.
The stoic man raised an eyebrow, "I knew him before you did."
Akkad: ". . ."
When did the worldbecome so small? Weren"t there over 7 billion people?!
Since there was no need for introductions, Akkad asked a fewmore questions about the concert then continued toward the exit.
Akkad nodded, but he was dissatisfied. He walked past theartificial lake and recalled, "Wait a minute, Min! That gifted student youwanted to recommend, it wouldn"t be. . . Small Seven, huh?"
Qi Mu: "?"
Min Chen: ". . ."
The man"s ears stained red in the dark, but he maintained a flawlesslycalm and collected expression. Min Chen reached up to cover a cough with hishand, "En. . . yes."
Akkad muttered, "This has to be G.o.d"s joke. Is there such acoincidence?"
Thanks to Akkad"s lamenting, Qi Mu was dumbfounded. He tooka moment to understand the words "student you wanted to recommend" from Akkad"smouth, then he realized. . .
Min Chen recommended him to Akkad?!
An indescribable well of emotion burst forth in Qi Mu"schest, spreading into every corner of his body. He was warm despite the coldair. This man helped him too much. It both dazed and moved him.
"Thank you for taking care of me. . . Min Chen."
The young man kept his voice low, so it didn"t spread far,but it tunneled straight to Min Chen"s ear. He turned and looked at Qi Mu. Satinmoonlight illuminated the boy"s eyes, and there was a tremor in his heart whentheir gazes met.
After a while, Min Chen answered, "Never mind."
Qi Mu could not describe his grat.i.tude. "In Huaxia, youhelped me a lot, I don"t know how to thank you."
Qi Mu referenced the many pointers the other man had givenhim. Although Min Chen wasn"t a violinist, his experience and the depth of his feelingstowards music had inspired Qi Mu.
"Don"t take it to heart, you are very good."
Min Chen"s low-pitched voice resounded on the quiet path.They had spoken in Chinese and Akkad couldn"t understand what they were saying.Though the eccentric professor frowned, he said nothing and let the twoconverse.
What Akkad didn"t know was the two"s conversation had long shiftedaway from the concert to their recent lives. Min Chen paid close attention toQi Mu"s words. The youth had no relatives now and to be alone in Europe, it hadto be uncomfortable.
"The orchestra will stay in Paris for a while, if there"s something,come find me."
Qi Mu laughed a little. "If there"s something I need helpwith, I won"t be shy." He remembered a certain trait of Min Chen"s and teasedwith a smile, "Of course, if there"s anything you need. . . I can help anytime."
". . ." Min Chen thought in silence for a long time then hiseyebrows rose high in question, "What would I need?"
"Bugs."
". . ."
What retribution would he get for teasing this arrogant,stingy man?
Well, this time Qi Mu found out.
They got into the car Bai Ai provided and Min Chen made theentire trip in pursed silence.
Akkad, at some point, asked, "Min, what"s with that cold face?It"s even colder now!" However, when Akkad saw Min Chen open his mouth to speak,eyes even chillier yet, he raised a hand and begged for mercy.
"Okay, you can stop hurting me now. Who doesn"t know thatyou won the championship for world’s worst temper on the Danube Forum? No one daresquestion it. That vote. . . the second place lost by over five hundred votes."
Qi Mu: ". . ."
So Akkad also visited the Danube Forum!
After saying goodbye to his teacher, Qi Mu looked at MinChen"s handsome but indifferent face and smiled.
He raised a finger and swore, "I promise, no one except forthe people that already know, will find out you"re afraid. . . cough, okay?"
Min Chen turned to look at him, voice quiet as he asked, "Areyou sure?"
Qi Mu blinked: ". . . Certain!"
"Alright, go to bed early and be careful on the stairs."
Qi Mu: ". . ."
Don"t have such a good face!!!
Once Min Chen saw Qi Mu"s apartment lights turn on, the carleft and drove toward Akkad"s house. The professor had hopped into the backseat after Qi Mu got out so he could sit next to Min Chen.
He wasn"t too interested in the shift, so he glanced over atAkkad but didn"t pay much attention. The seventy-year-old musician sighed and said,"Min, my student. . . what do you think of him?"
Outside, the streetlights flashed by, their halo castingonto the car as they drove past, and Min Chen"s face flickered in and out ofillumination. He looked over at Akkad. "He"s very talented, very diligent, andvery astute to the emotion of music. His skill is good."
"You used three "very," ah. . . if Farrell heard how you describedSmall Seven, what expression would he have?" Akkad did not smile. "Min, Ialways thought you weren"t one to raise the next generation. Even that stupidboy, Daniel, knows you"re lazy."
Min Chen raised an eyebrow.
"I don"t like to raisethe next generation."
. . . This was the sentence he just heard?
"But, Min, for you to take care of my student like this, it makesme feel. . . strange. Gives me strange ideas."
The little old man turned and stared at his left ear withoutfear. "If you Germans are h.o.m.os.e.xual, you wear an earring in your left ear, showme!"
Min Chen: ". . ."
He turned to face this old man, his expression dark as hesaid dryly, "I don"t wear earrings."
"That doesn"t prove you"re not gay!"
". . ."
"d.a.m.n, are you looking at my lovely student? I"m warning you!You"re not allowed to give him a black hand. Small Seven is a lovely boy, and Iwon"t let you do anything to him. If you try something with him under the nameof Bai Ai, it"s not qualified!"
". . ."
"Oh, wait a minute, Auston Bertram! You"ve never been inlove, have you?! d.a.m.n, you"re gay and paying attention to my student, youdemon. . ."
"Reed Akkad!"
The man next to him gnashing his teeth made Akkad fall silent. Min Chen"s face was dark enough to squeeze out water. He pursed his lips and asked in a dangerous voice, "Who told you. . . I’m h.o.m.os.e.xual?"
Akkad retorted, "Then why are you so good to my student?!"
Translator(s): Bet
Editor(s): BetBet:
I"m going to have to go back and make some edits, but from henceforward, Akkad will use the English "Small Seven" instead of "Xiao Qi." I got in the habit of keeping it Romanized, but since the man has referenced his struggle with Chinese, I might as well adapt.