Shen Wei is a chef who nearly lost everything. Grieving for his twin brother he finds a lifeline in Zhao Yulan, an up and coming cello and violin playing superstar.
"Ah, you're here! Thank you for coming Shen Wei! Don't worry about the others, they'll come and go in a bit. Enjoy the show." He said those eyes warm and happy, settling whatever nerves Shen Wei had.
"Won't I be in the way?" He asked gesturing around them.
Zhao Yunlan stopped playing and rearranged how his violin fit against his shoulder, "Not at all. I'm about to record, so just stay quiet and enjoy."
He smiled again, looking so pleased to see him and that realization spread warmth, Shen had assumed he would never feel again. Shen Wei leaned against the back of the chair, out of the way and just listened, floating on the music and the journey of emotion, only Zhao Yunlan could rouse. Those river stone eyes refocused on the score and they flew like a bird on the wind. A song of hope and yearning, somehow both spirited and sombre.
Over the next three hours, Zhao Yunlan moved from standing to sitting, switching between instruments and Shen's heart skipped an excited beat when he realized that Zhao was playing all of his instruments today.
He had moved by the window and recorded, just with a single small microphone, a beautiful piece on violin, which brought to mind, love and passion in its sweetest forms. Apparently, to be added to a larger score digitally by the producer, but the focus was the romantic mood set by the violin. Then he switched to the erhu, sitting now with a quick happy grin at Shen, resting it on his knee delicately as Da Qing moved to the piano behind him, "This part is for the after battle scene." He told Shen smoothly, "It starts with piano and moves into a pairing with the erhu."
They checked the electronics and then began, beautifully in sync with each, after so many years of playing. It was tragic and hopeful, spinning sound into a resigned grief that echoed his own loss. Touching on that, which was the most painful, causing tears to rise. They didn't fall, not with those beautiful eyes fixed on his, soothing away the hurt and letting him enjoy the more thoughtful tone. The idea that Zhao knew that this might bring him pain and had acted to comfort him, brought tears to his eyes for a very different reason.
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When it finished, Da Qing sat beside him for the second violin piece, this time the storm raging, like a boat being tossed on the terrifying waves, driving ever higher. Zhao's eyes were closed and the bow surged over the strings, as he swayed slightly. The exact opposite in tempo to the prior piece, there was anger and fear in the music now, so powerful that Shen felt shaken and enraptured. Wondering where it would end, as the song soared and fell, giving him ideas that he could use later in the kitchen.
Well, not with the fear. He would leave that to Chu Shuzhi.
They took a brief break, as Zhao set up his cello and carefully packed away his beloved violin. Shen took a moment to recover himself, feeling blessed and closer to his Savior than ever before. Da Qing took that moment when he was studiously not admiring those long legs or the way the material of the t-shirt stretched over Zhao's chest to state very calmly, "No one plays like Chief Zhao."
