Placing the spinach into the sink, Qi Mu turned on the water to wash it. Phone in his free hand, he asked, “You said the orchestra was having difficulties with the fourth movement. How do you suddenly have time to call?"
The man on the other side hummed before answering, "It was only a slight problem, it"s fine now." Min Chen could hear running water, so he asked, "What are you doing?"
Qi Mu eyed his reflection in the window as he washed his vegetables one-handedly. His face was calm, and his voice relaxed, "Washing ingredients for cooking. Oh, there"s no time difference between Paris and Berlin. Have you eaten yet?"
Min Chen didn"t reply right away. After a beat of silence, he said, "Well, I have. What are you having tonight?"
Qi Mu couldn"t help laughing. "I"m having…"
This simple, ordinary chat eased Qi Mu"s depression and shifted his forced smile into something much more natural.
When the conversation turned to Akkad and the chocolates, Qi Mu had already burst out laughing a few times. His mood warmed by the minute and his delicate face was filled with smiles.
Min Chen said he was going to make Daniel go to Turin to buy chocolate for the old man, and Qi Mu couldn"t restrain his giggles. "Are you… going to bribe my professor?"
The man"s answer was matter-of-fact: "Of course."
"Well… what are you going to bribe him for? You can"t be… you"re not trying to learn the violin again, are you?!" Recalling his mentor"s words, "Auston"s violin is G.o.d-awful," Qi Mu immediately shook his head and said, "Min Chen, I think you"re already superb with the piano, so don"t grieve yourself over the violin."
Min Chen: "…"
Under Qi Mu"s persuasion, Min Chen revealed some anecdotes from his childhood studies of the violin.
Qi Mu placed his salad and on the table and lifted his chopsticks. He had yet to take even a single bite when Min Chen sighed. "So… now that you"ve heard my jokes, do you feel better?"
His chopsticks froze. Smiling weakly, Qi Mu asked, "How did you know?"
"When you answered, your voice sounded… sad." The man"s voice was very much like the beast piano, clear and pleasant. "Qi Mu, I"m sorry I can"t be with you right now. If something happened that made you unhappy… Please, don"t hide it from me?"
Though that voice was transmitted over cold radio waves from thousands of miles away, it warmed his heart. He could imagine the man"s face, still cold and indifferent, but with eyes overflowing with indulgence and affection.
"Actually… it wasn"t anything very important…"
Qi Mu explained the situation. Calmly, he relayed that he trusted a man very much but never expected him to go behind his back. His explanation wasn"t too vague, and while someone might think he was misaligning the facts, he didn"t hide anything.
When he finished, he omitted his death and replaced it with, "I lost something very important." Still, leaving it at that, he was worried Min Chen might be angry.
After a long while, Min Chen said, "So… That someone you never thought would stab you in the back and seemed kind was actually conspiring with someone else to take something precious from you?"
Qi Mu nodded. "Yes, something very, very precious."
Everyone knew how big the opportunity to perform in the Golden Stage was to a young violinist.
Not to mention… how precious life was to someone who obviously only had one!
"So… what are you sad for, Qi Mu?"
The question threw Qi Mu off guard.
"Since he took something precious from you, take it back." Min Chen said, "But, if you can"t take it back, then… teach him the price of taking something that isn"t his. Even if he used to be kind to you."
His voice was composed and without much fluctuation, and Qi Mu felt he was trying to suppress something, which, to be frank, surprised him.
Though, nothing Min Chen said was wrong.
He didn"t have anything to be sad about. On the contrary, he should feel grateful for his fortune!
Since he knew the person"s true face early on, he hadn"t truly been deceived by them yet. When he thought about it this way, he and Zayev had only known each other for two months, whatever friendship they had wasn"t that profound.
Qi Mu relaxed. It wasn"t that flamboyant and crude Jacques who had him killed. Qi Mu also wanted to believe in him, even though the black musician never concealed the fact he looked down on him.
Getting such a blatant wake-up call from Min Chen, the weight in his heart disappeared.
They chatted for a while after that, until Qi Mu was ready to eat and about to end the call. But then, Min Chen whispered, "Qi Mu… is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Qi Mu pondered for a moment. Shaking his head, he replied, "No, I can"t think of anything else? I"ll call if I do. Remember to put your phone on mute, so I don"t disturb the rehearsal."
On the other end of the phone, Min Chen replied with a hum. Qi Mu hung up with confusion written across his face. He wondered why the man asked… What else could he want to tell him?
He still couldn"t think of anything after pondering it for quite a while. Chuckling, he started his dinner.
In Berlin, thousands of miles away, a man wore a gloomy expression.
Daniel came over and scratched at his hair. "Hey, Min, break"s over. Let"s continue with afternoon rehearsal." Daniel, who didn"t know he stood before a loaded gun, continued, "Did you just call Little Angel? Oh, it"s been a while since I last saw him, I really miss that guy! What"s the Chinese saying again…"
"Um, let me see… Ah, one day is like countless autumns!"
Min Chen glanced at Daniel. "It"s ."
Daniel nodded. "Oh yeah, yeah, that"s the one. d.a.m.n, Chinese is too difficult!"
Min Chen"s eyes narrowed. "You"re just stupid."
Daniel: "…"
After a beat: "You wanna go!!!"
Though he said it, even ten Daniels wouldn"t dare fight him. When they returned to the rehearsal hall side by side, even Daniel, as dense as he was, could feel something off about Min Chen.
He frowned. "Min, we"ve known each other for a long time. Yet, I rarely see you in this bad of a mood… What happened? Does it have something to do with Angel?"
Over their decade of friendship, Daniel had a good grasp on Min Chen. Put simply——
He knew him so well, he even knew he was afraid of bugs, okay!
So, he definitely noticed the anger Min Chen tried to suppress, so pungent it threatened to freeze the air.
Daniel hadn"t seen Min Chen this anger in a very long time. The last time was over a trumpeter trying to be smart. They tried playing petty tricks to get ahold of the track they were using to select the next deputy chief in advance. It made Min Chen furious, and the trumpeter"s end was——
To be driven out of Bai Ai.
Standing before the mahogany door, Min Chen lowered his head, and his hair covered his eyes. It took a while to suppress everything, but finally, he said, "Someone did something bad to him."
For a split second, Daniel was stunned, then he rolled up his sleeves. "What?! Someone bullied him?! They must not want to live anymore! Don"t worry, Min. You won"t even have to do anything. We, Bai Ai, will end this with one punch."
Qi Mu was Bai Ai"s angel. Bullying him? Daniel knew they had to have a death wish!
To his surprise, the man who ought to be the most furious of them all shook his head. Min Chen stared at the ground and murmured, "It"s too late…"
Such simple words shocked Daniel. Though he didn"t know what happened, he could tell from Min Chen"s appearance, things weren"t simple.
Because… Daniel had never seen Min Chen blame himself or be so vulnerable.
He was surprised that this man, who had always remained calm and composed in all his schemes, who could even hide his murderous intent, could show such remorse. He stared at Min Chen. He felt so lost until he remembered…
Min Chen was just an ordinary human.
Their years of friendship made Daniel sad for him. Patting Min Chen"s shoulder, he sighed, "Don"t worry, Min. It"s not too late yet. Isn"t Angel doing great right now?"
He continued to encourage him after a pause. "I don"t know who bullied Angel… but now that he"s doing so well, you can certainly protect him. Besides, I don"t think anyone would dare try such a thing now. How can they bully him when he has us, Bai Ai"s support?!"
Daniel waved his fist as he spoke.
He didn"t notice the cold flash in Min Chen"s eyes. After a beat, Min Chen sighed. When he looked up again, he"d regained his composure.
Min Chen replied to Daniel with a hum. When he opened the door, he was once again the usual Bai Ai"s cold conductor with a poisonous tongue.
But, as he looked at the man"s st.u.r.dy figure, Daniel shook his head and whispered, "Looks like… someone"s going to be very unlucky."
The night sky in Paris was the same as in Berlin, and a hazy crescent moon hung overhead.
Qi Mu finished doing the dishes and intended to pack things and prepare his score for his work with the college orchestra. He hadn"t practiced with one for quite a while.
In Bai Ai, Min Chen had extra patience that night. Though all the members and staff worked overtime, they were surprised to find——
Wasn"t the conductor a lot less poisonous today?!
Well, it had to be because he was spending so much time with Angel!!!
The moonlight shone on Qi Mu as he wiped his table. Gazing up at the moon outside his window, Qi Mu decided to forget all those disgusting people. He took a comfortable bath then sank into sweet dreams.
Light dispelled darkness, just like justice would always triumph over evil.
That day wasn"t that far away.