The impromptu public performances ent.i.tled "Feel Vienna, ExercisePerforming Skills" lasted for three days after Qi Mu arrived.
In late spring, Vienna was full of fragrant flowers. Qi Mu andAkkad visited almost all of the famous spots under Qi Mu"s guidance.
Akkad had to admit, "Little Seven. . . Perhaps you have the talentto become a geographer? It"s not easy to read such a complicated map, andyou"ve never got it wrong. . ."
Qi Mu: ". . ."
Although Vienna"s streets were complicated, there was still along way to go between "able to read maps" and "becoming a geographer!"
After the impromptu performance, Qi Mu planned to see his oldhouse. But, Akkad clapped his hands and said, "Little Seven, after three days,there"s finally a concert. Tonight"s concert is by the British BBC PhilharmonicOrchestra, it will be the first orchestra we attend after coming to Vienna."
Qi Mu thought for a moment and had an idea, "Professor, you mean,when you took me to all those places to perform over the past few days. . .were you waiting for the concert to begin?"
Akkad nodded with a very master-like expression and said, "Well,yes. From today on, there will be many good concerts in Vienna, enough for usto stay until May."
As they talked, they walked into a cafe next to Gesellschaft derMusikfreunde in Wien"s building. Akkad ordered a cup of coffee then looked atQi Mu and said, "Little Seven, you are skilled and have a great sense of music.What you lack most is the opportunity to work with an orchestra."
Qi Mu nodded solemnly. "Yes, professor. There are fewopportunities."
Qi Mu, a member of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in his previouslife, was a reserve member in his first year there and didn"t get to performfor quite some time. After that, he entered the first violin group directly andgradually grew from an ordinary member to the deputy chief.
But this meant he never had the chance to work with an orchestraas the concertmaster.
The concertmaster was a very glorious and sacred position, meaningthey needed the strength to match. Excellent violin skills didn"t make anexcellent concertmaster. It usually took a lot of practice to acc.u.mulateexperience.
Qi Mu had a superb sense of music, which made it convenient forhim to rehea.r.s.e with an orchestra. But it was talent rather than experience,after all. What Qi Mu lacked was experience as the concertmaster.
In the quiet coffee shop, a gentle, female voice sang a blues song.The coffee shop was located near the Musikverein, where many cla.s.sicalmusicians waited for the concert that evening.
Akkad didn"t wear a disguise. So many people who wandered into thecafe found this world-cla.s.s master of the violin. When they noticed thehandsome youth sitting opposite him, they realized instantly——
"Is that. . . Is that the person who won first place in the Paris"National Conservatory"s last a.s.sessment?"
From time to time, people came to pay their respects to Akkad whilesneaking a glance at the maestro"s favorite disciple.
When their coffee arrived, Akkad used a spoon to mix sugar intothe drink and sighed. "Actually, Little Seven. . . if you were born a decadeearlier, I don"t think you would have such a worry."
Qi Mu looked Akkad, who helplessly continued, "Right now, all theworld"s major orchestras are basically complete. Even Bai Ai, that has alwaysbeen "a never changing old man" made Christole their concertmaster seven oreight years ago. Now, basically, all the concertmasters of most of thefirst-cla.s.s orchestras are young."
Qi Mu was slightly startled. After a pause, he spoke. "Indeed. . .But teacher, have you forgotten the concertmaster of Wei Ai?"
Akkad was silent for a moment before replying, "I forgot that oldfellow. Yes, he is quite old. But he has worked with Dorenza for so many years,and I don"t think he will leave Wei Ai in the near future."
Qi Mu nodded and didn"t express his opinion.
Akkad sighed, "Even the Academy Orchestra of our college have Angeas the concertmaster. Even if he graduated next year, you would also graduateat that time. So that position won"t be yours, Little Seven."
Qi Mu thought about it a bit and then asked, "That. . . Professor,can I start as an ordinary member?"
Akkad shook his head and said, "No, Seven. Before you came toParis, I already saw your performance as deputy chief of the second violingroup and a.s.sistant concertmaster of the B City Symphony Orchestra. As a memberof the orchestra, I think you"re already excellent. You don"t need moreexperience in that. . . What you need is specific experience as concertmaster."
Qi Mu went silent and said nothing more.
He knew how to cooperate with world-cla.s.s orchestras after workingwith the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for over a decade. However. . . not everyonecould have such an opportunity, and unfortunately, Qi Mu was not born in that"lucky" era.
Akkad smiled and went on, "But Little Seven, having a lot ofstrong opponents is a good thing for you. It is because there are so manyrivals that you can watch and learn more. So this era that you were born in isnot only a cruel era but also a beautiful one."
At Akkad"s words of encouragement, Qi Mu nodded, and a smileappeared on his handsome face. "Yes, professor. I will work harder."
Akkad nodded approvingly, and they quickly left for theMusikverein in the next building.
The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was one of the top symphonyorchestras in Britain. Their style tended to be romantic, graceful, and gentle.After five symphonies were played in one evening, thunderous applause broke outseveral times, and at the end of the event, an encore was performed.
The BBC Philharmonic"s concert wasn"t held at the Golden Hall butin another hall of the same building. However, when Qi Mu walked into theMusikverein again, his heartstrings pulled tight, an indescribable emotionflooding his being.
This was the last place he went in his former life.
The three-store building stood for more than 200 years, allowingnumerous cla.s.sical music maestros to perform and spread their music to theworld. It had the world"s best music hall, the GroßeSaal—— which has collected countlessvirtuoso from all over the country.
Qi Mu hastened to maintain his composure and didn"t show anyemotion in front of Akkad. He accompanied his mentor to greet many of the man"sold friends. Akkad also introduced Qi Mu to these world-renowned masters,expanding his contacts.
With such a famous mentor, this represented Qi Mu"s inheritance ofhis master"s various contacts and factions in a way.
The next day, Akkad took Qi Mu to visit a world-renowned cellist.The three of them chatted for a long time at the virtuoso"s house. Akkad let QiMu leave on his own in the afternoon as he needed to talk more with his friend.
Qi Mu smiled and said goodbye to Akkad and the cellist then leftthe building.
It had been four days since he first stood in the quiet streets ofVienna, and this was the first time since his arrival he was finally alone and couldmove freely.
He looked at the clear blue sky, unclear how long he stood therebefore recovering. After looking around, Qi Mu figured out where he was. Hefound the nearest subway station he was familiar with and took the line he hadtaken for over a decade.
The scenery leaving the subway was one he was so familiar with.The sights and sounds were engraved in his soul, and he stood there for a longtime in a daze.
The dessert shop still looked like it did eight months ago withthe owner"s favorite tulips placed in front. The owner of the small cafe on theopposite street preferred to move his lounge chair to the front of the shop inthe afternoon, however, and basked in the sun.
Qi Mu took a step and moved forward. In a short while, apiano-like sound came from the side of a small building. A little boy, who didn"thave much talent in piano, still practiced every day. He never made anyprogress.
Qi Mu"s pace grew faster and faster. When he turned a corner andsaw the house he had lived in for more than a decade, he stopped. He wonderedwhether he should go forward or turn back.
It took him a while to walk to the side of the apartment, then hestopped again.
The young man leaned against the brick wall. Because it was in thesun for quite a while, it was warm. He looked up and stared at the dark windowon the second floor of the small building.
Qi Mu stared and remained silent until the sun set. Night came,and he still didn’t move. He didn"t go forward, he didn’t leave. It was as ifhe fondly remembered a past he couldn"t rewind. There was no way to saveanything from it.
About half an hour later, Qi Mu finally heaved a long, heavy sighand said to himself with a bitter smile, "It"s all over. . . it"s impossible toreturn."
He turned and left.
Just as he turned away, a black Bentley parked nearby slowlyfollowed his path.
Once the young man left, the window opened, and a handsome faceappeared in the dark night.
Min Chen"s eyes narrowed, and he stared in that direction for along time.
Ten minutes earlier, he saw Qi Mu on the street. He wanted to sayh.e.l.lo, but he noticed he was staring at the apartment across the street.Unknowingly, the words he wanted to say died.
That. . . was Lu Zi Wen"s apartment.
He waited until he saw the familiar young man enter the subway, thenMin Chen turned away and said in a low voice, "Let"s go."
The driver, still unaware, started the engine without askinganything.
In the dimly lit car, the man pressed his long finger against hisphone screen several times, and before long, he received a reply.【Are you already busy with the orchestra yet? Iwas just strolling around. Since we"re both in Vienna, there is time for us tomeet.】
After Min Chen replied with an affirmative, they exchanged a fewmore texts then said, "Good night," to each other.
He looked out the window at the golden night of Vienna, and hiseyebrows furrowed for a long time before he sighed——
Since you were just strolling around, why…
Why did you stare at that apartment for so long with thatexpression?
Translator
(s): Kuro
Editor
(s): Empress, Ayn, BetThe Author:
Listening to Aimer"s "If I didn"t meet you" at the end of this chapter was quite hard to do while translating lol curse you, playlist. What a nice time to play that song at the end of the chapter. Coincidence? I don"t think so