Chapter 136
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 hoarseness 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 Japan 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 button 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 classical 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 spacious 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 glasses 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 space.
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.
Chapter 137
When Dorenza saw Evra entering his lounge together with Zayev, he went to the old man for a hug and said, "Evra, it's been a while! You rarely come to me even though we're in the same city. What made you stop by today?"
They were familiar with each other, so when Evra came, he didn't bring any gifts. He just spread his arms and smiled. "Isn't Wei Ai about to start this year's global tour? Of course, I have to see you before you leave."
To speak more with his old friend, Dorenza asked Zayev to leave first after joking around for a bit. Before he left, Evra made a joke with Zayev, making the atmosphere in the lounge quite harmonious.
But as soon as Zayev closed the door, Evra's face sank.
With his back facing Evra, Dorenza poured water for him. So when he turned around and saw his old friend's face, he was stunned. Sitting on the sofa beside him, Dorenza asked, "So, Evra, was there something you needed to tell me?"
Evra took the glass of water but didn't take a sip. Instead, he put the glass on the table. He looked solemnly at Dorenza, watching as he slowly sat up straight as if realizing--
Something severe was about to happen.
Instead of answering, Evra pulled out a thick letter and handed it over to him. "My old friend, this thing... I don't know how to tell you. But I think you will understand once you read this letter..."
"That is why I came in person."
Though it was a thick letter, Dorenza didn't spend much time reading it. Especially for the first third of the letter, he read hurriedly and didn't pay it much attention.
But once he got to the last two-thirds of the letter, Dorenza slowed down, reading several sentences more carefully than others.
As he read the letter, the gentle maestro was shocked. After a while, he asked, "Evra... You fired the second violin group's deputy because... He drugged Lu Zi Wen last year?!"
The concert had stayed vivid in Dorenza's memory all this time!
Before going on to the stage, the polite child came to greet him, and he wished him luck, but such a tragedy occurred before the concert even ended!
Evra shook his head, handing him a newspaper.
"No, Dorenza. Look at... This report."
Receiving one shocking news after another, Dorenza was overwhelmed. After reading the letter and the report, he and Evra had a long, heated discussion in his lounge.
When the sunset and the night fell, the gentle conductor clenched his fist and finally admitted, "You know, Evra, I've noticed... Something Zayev did a long time ago. It's just, now that you tell me that he's involved with Lu Zi Wen's death, I really..."
"But Dorenza! How could you not believe it?! I have about a 90% grasp on the whole drugging situation, the only thing I lack is the exact evidence! Right now, it's very likely that it was Zayev who orchestrated the whole thing, so why won't you start to investigate?!"
"...Evra, I..."
"Dorenza, I know you're a kind-hearted person, and you don't want to doubt people, but this involves... Someone's life. When you came to our orchestra to invite Lu Zi Wen as your concertmaster, I thought you brought him an opportunity. I never thought... It would lead him to his death."
"I don't blame you, Dorenza. Your intentions were good. I believe Lu Zi Wen respected you a lot. But... His death wasn't an accident. It was murder! Are you really willing to let him die without justice?!!!"
Silence spread in the conductor's lounge.
A long time passed before Dorenza's firm voice resounded, "Evra, I understand. I... We will investigate Zayev's past thoroughly."
"I owe this to Lu..."
"I owe him the truth!"
As the chief conductor, Dorenza controlled half of the Wei Ai. On general meetings, he had the right to veto and make decisions for many major events.
Dorenza was a good man with a kind heart and was close to several people. No one reacted much when he was given such big power because they knew--
"Mr. Dorenza is kind to everyone. If you make him angry, then you're the one at fault!"
Being in charge of Wei Ai for so many years, everyone knew what kind of a person Dorenza was. They trusted their chief conductor.
When he really wanted to check the internal affairs of the orchestra, he was like a fish in water. He discovered a lot...Things he'd never known.
He told Evra that he knew something Zayev had done years ago. But it was as he said, it was a long time ago when Zayev wasn't Wei Ai's concertmaster.
At the time, Zayev was the deputy concertmaster. He deliberately suppressed a musician in the first violin group, greatly dissatisfying Dorenza in the process.
Zayev insisted that he was in poor condition after that, claiming it wasn't deliberate. So Dorenza closed an eye and made the brilliant, young violinist the deputy chief of the second violin group.
But other than that one incident, Zayev never acted strangely. Dorenza thought that Zayev just didn't like young people. He never imagined Zayev would cross a line.
However, the result of his investigation made Dorenza doubtful...
Had he done something wrong?
In the orchestra's seemingly united, harmonious atmosphere, there was a group of people hidden in darkness. This small group was exclusively reserved for suppressing and even sometimes forcing new musicians to resign.
This small group consisted of one person from the woodwind group, two from the brass group, two from the second violin group, and... the chief of the first violin group, the concertmaster, Zayev.
The biggest common factor of this group was that they were all older than 50, belonging to the oldest generation in the orchestra.
Dorenza almost couldn't believe it. When he said he wanted to know more about Zayev's deeds, many members of the orchestra anonymously sent him letters. Suddenly, the smooth, calm waters were broken by ripples.
During rehearsal, they deliberately made the musicians rehearse ten times. Before performances, they told the musicians to come to the venue well ahead of time to do things that weren't even related to their job...
Most of the members knew of the group's suppression, but no one thought of telling Dorenza because Zayev once said, "I've worked with Dorenza for many years. Who do you think he'll believe? Me? Or... You? Practice your skills and speak when you have the strength to do so."
Most of the musicians were fresh graduates. They didn't even have the chance to speak to Zayev most of the time. They all regarded this as a rule in the orchestra and dared not to provoke Zayev, who had extensive connections.
Reading the anonymous letters, Dorenza angrily threw his pen to the ground. The nib broke, and black ink stained the light-colored carpet.
The pen was a gift from Zayev for Dorenza's last birthday. His name was engraved on the cap. The pen's body was smooth and shiny, with a unique metal luster. It was likely very expensive.
By then, however, Dorenza had the urge to trample it.
His orchestra...
There were so many hidden depths he had never known!
The simple, pure world of classical music would never allow such a dirty thing to happen!
He was ignorant of it for more than ten years and even...
It wasn't until a brilliant life was lost forever that he discovered the truth. And, he only discovered it when someone outside the orchestra prompted his search!
"Zayev..." Pounding the table heavily, Dorenza gnashed his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
When his anger gradually subsided, his eyes began to water. Tears of guilt flowed from his old, haggard eyes. He whispered, "Lu, it's me... It's my fault... I'm so sorry..."
It was because he had a good temper that everyone thought he was easily deceived.
But Zayev, did you know?
The most terrible people in the world weren't the type that was quick to anger.
It was those people who were gentle, but when driven to rage, whose fury burned most deeply.
Compared to Evra, Dorenza...
Was terrifying.
Chapter 138
For the rest of his life, Zayev would never forget... Dorenza's expression that day.
Albert Dorenza, the chief conductor of Wei Ai, was one of the four most successful conductors in the world. As famous as he was for his strength, he was just as famous for his kind and gentle heart. Even when the orchestra made a mistake during a formal performance, he wouldn't get angry. Instead, he would pause the performance and encourage the orchestra to restart.
Zayev was in his fifties. He had been a member of Wei Ai for 20 years and served as the concertmaster for a decade.
In the orchestra, although the members knew Dorenza held the most power, they also knew that Zayev was the secret leader.
"It's not enough to use a soft heart to deal with others," Zayev once evaluated himself, "How can an orchestra function without someone harsh, to get things done? Since Dorenza doesn't have the spirit to do it, I must. So, as Wei Ai's... What's the name again? Ah, right! As Wei Ai's Bismarck, I will be the one to manage everyone!"
Whether or not the famous figure would vomit in his grave when he heard such praise was unknown.
Zayev never paid any attention to Dorenza's views. After all, excluding the rehearsals and the performances, the man held relaxed management over the orchestra. He hoped that they could develop freely. Provided the secret was well-kept, Dorenza would never be suspicious.
"Dorenza is really a good man." Zayev said this with a little meaningful smile.
However, the good man had his lips tightly pursed when he called Zayev to his lounge.
Zayev's heart beat harshly in his chest as he asked, "What's the matter, Dorenza? Are you in a bad mood today? Maybe you should take a rest tomorrow and let me handle the rehearsal. You have a bad expression on your face..."
Dorenza raised his head slowly after hearing Zayev's voice.
His eyes were bitter cold, like a knife cutting straight into Zayev's heart. His gaze was without a trace of vitality, as if... he was looking at a dead man!
Taking a step back in horror, Zayev fell to his knees. He began to doubt whether this man was the same Dorenza that he knew!
Before Zayev could think any further, Dorenza raised his hand and lifted a golden pen from his desk.
Zayev's eyes followed the movement of the pen, watching as Dorenza held it in his hand, before--
With a sharp flick, the pen shot down and broke against the desk's surface with a loud thump!!!
That was his birthday gift to Dorenza last year!!!
"Zayev, I really don't want to see you right now." After a slight pause, Dorenza continued, "No... I don't want to see you ever again!"
The voice was as if it came from the South Pole, an icy wind across a dense, eerie forest. Zayev trembled in fear. After a few moments, he asked, "Dorenza, what's the matter with you?! What did I do? You should..."
"Zayev, I always thought that people who loved classical music could never be so vile." Dorenza's always smiling face was expressionless. "More than 30 years ago, I made a mistake. Moss drugged someone before a performance and he fell. I was the one who recommended him to the New York Philharmonic, and that regret will stay with me for the rest of my life."
More than 30 years ago, the deputy concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic drugged the concertmaster before a performance and got away with it... Until he was exposed by an informant, an insider.
The brilliant deputy concertmaster never made it to the stage again, but what no one knew was...
It was Dorenza who recommended him to the New York Philharmonic.
"Zayev, because I rarely doubt people, I helped the child when he asked me. I was enthralled by his beautiful violin. I didn't expect him to have such a terrible mind. But now, I didn't even see..."
"You, Leon Zayev, are far more terrible than Moss ever was!"
From the moment he saw Dorenza's dark expression, Zayev already knew what was happening, but he still tried to dodge it. "Dorenza, I don't understand what you're talking about. What have I done..."
"Why did you want to kill Lu Zi Wen?"
Stunned, Zayev said, "Kill Lu Zi Wen? Dorenza, who told you that?! I haven't done anything like that. How could I? In the two months that we rehearsed with him, me and the orchestra all liked him. You know that, Dorenza! I liked Lu a lot, how could I harm him?"
Dorenza stared coldly at Zayev, keeping his silence.
Zayev continued, with agitation, "I liked that kid, Dorenza and you know that! He was a very gifted child, and polite, at that. I think he's a malleable talent, I never even got the chance to train him, how could I kill such a gifted child..."
"How dare you say that?!"
Dorenza slammed his palm against the desk and rose to his feet. Before Zayev could respond, he picked up a thick stack of letters and threw them on the man's face.
Shocked, Zayev wasn't able to react for a beat. Once he returned to his senses, he heard Dorenza say, "See for yourself! Did you really think you'd never get found out?!"
"Zayev, God is always watching! If you didn't want anyone to know, then you shouldn't have done it to begin with!"
In the deadly silence of the lounge, Zayev picked up the letters scattered on the floor.
As he read... His expression grew dark, before finally turning red. He stood up and said, "Dorenza! Do you believe me or them?! Do you really think I'm that kind of a person..."
"Shut up!"
Dorenza completely subverted Zayev's cognition. He was still a gentle person, but the man's anger made Zayev's heart tremble as if he was experiencing an earthquake. He felt that... If he said another word, the man would break him to pieces!
"Now you can get the hell out of here. You'd better not let me find evidence of you murdering Lu Zi Wen. If I do... Your end won't be so kind as being kicked out of Wei Ai and the classical music world."
"Evra can completely destroy Luo Yu Sen's future, but you're different from him. I can't do the same to you... But mark my words, Zayev! No matter what orchestra might accept you even after knowing about you drugging another member, then that orchestra--"
"Will never be able to step foot in Vienna!"
"You, get out of Vienna and never come back!!!"
After a long while, Zayev grabbed the corners of the desk and said, "Dorenza, what are you talking about? Kicking me out of Wei Ai? How could you drive me out? We've known each other for more than a decade, and I've been here for more than two! Dorenza..."
"I don't want to see you anymore."
Dorenza's voice was flat. After he spoke, he no longer paid any attention to Zayev. A few minutes later, security personnel came to collect him from the room.
In just a few moments, only Dorenza was left in the empty lounge.
The enraged old man slowly collapsed. After a long while, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, a completely different man than he had been only moments earlier.
"Lu... I'm really sorry..."
"I hope your spirit in heaven will be more at ease..."
"But I have no evidence. I couldn't find anything... If I had known how ugly he was, I wouldn't have..."
A harsh Dorenza with sharp edges was still the same, gentle and kind Dorenza.
Even if it wasn't his fault, he blamed himself. He drove himself to the edge to get justice for the poor child.
While there were truly despicable people in the world, some were kind enough to shine light amidst the darkness.
The members of Wei Ai shared the same thought. When they all saw Zayev being driven out from the orchestra by the security personnels and his belongings being thrown out, every member of the staff received a small envelope.
The envelope was very thin and it concealed something which was made of plastic. Judging from the size...
It might be a USB stick.
Evra had just hung up a phone call when he received the envelope. From his phone call, he heard that Dorenza had driven Zayev out of Wei Ai and let out a heavy sigh.
When he received the envelope with a USB stick in it, Evra was surprised for a moment, before he finally...
Plugged the USB stick into the computer.
Once he did, he hesitated.
A pop-out window with only one audio file sprang up.
Dorenza and Evra were dumbfounded before...
Clicking on the file.
Chapter 139
When the police knocked on Luo Yu Sen's door, he was packing up, planning to wait in Sweden until things settled down.
After Zayev abandoned him, Luo Yu Sen didn't want to cause a commotion by fighting with him. But Zayev's words rang true. When the story came to light, though Zayev incited the action against Lu Ziwen, it would be him who was suspected for murder!
Without Zayev's backing, Luo Yu Sen could already see what would happen to him.
He refused to give up. Going to Sweden was only a temporary plan. Luo Yu Sen would never give up his desire to return to the orchestra. The deputy concertmaster of Wei Jiao's seat must be his, that was what Zayev's promised him!
Even when he was escorted to a police car, he didn't realize what had happened until he arrived at the police station.
Zayev shared the same fate.
In the recording, although Zayev said he never told Luo Yu Sen to murder Lu Zi Wen, the resulting death was an indirect effect of his instructions. The police couldn't just let him go. They needed to interrogate him.
....One might wonder, why were the police so motivated?
Because they were driven by Dorenza and Evra!
"Please discover the truth and bring the criminals to justice!" Dorenza said.
"Give them the punishment they deserve. Isn't this a homicide case? We hope it can be settled quickly." Evra was more direct.
Zayev had been in the European classical music circle for decades, accumulating dozens of connections, so he anticipated some kind of warning from them. But such connections were not worth mentioning when compared to Dorenza, who was a Viscount!
Qi Mu wasn't surprised at all when he discovered that Luo Yu Sen and Zayev were taken in by the police. Instead, he thought Evra moved quite slowly.
According to what Qi Mu knew of Evra's personality, the hot tempered maestro would have contacted the police the night he received the recording. But, it wasn't too slow either. At least he would have the chance to see the case unfold while he was still in Vienna.
While Qi Mu was calm and almost indifferent, the entire music circle in Vienna exploded!
With solid evidence, Evra didn't suppress the media this time around. Within an hour after Zayev's and Luo Yu Sen's arrest, the first one to respond was the Vienna music circle's evening news--
《Wei Ai's concertmaster is a murderer?! The mystery surrounding the death of Wei Jiao's former deputy concertmaster!》
The next morning, all the major newspapers and magazines published reports on the incident. Many of them even said, "The tragic death of Wei Jiao's former deputy concertmaster in the Golden Hall's preparation room a year ago wasn't an accident. It was a murder under the deliberate instruction of Leon Zayev, Wei Ai's concertmaster! Last night, the reporter travelled to the Vienna police station to get an interview relating to the incident..."
《The cancer of the classical music world, the dark secrets behind Leon Zayev!》
《Leon Zayev: A shame! Murder for benefit in the classical music world!》
《Amidst the hatred between two deputies of Wei Jiao, Luo Yu Sen is suspected to be a murderer!》
......
Out of ten reports, six used the name Leon Zayev while only a couple used Luo Yu Sen. The former was much more known than the latter, after all. In order to create hype, Luo Yu Sen could only step aside.
When Qi Mu rose to do some morning exercises, he flipped through the newspapers without actually reading them. When he walked through the streets, he could hear people arguing, expressing their shock--
"God, really?! Mr. Leon Zayev is really a murderer?!"
"How could this be? Did you get the wrong person, Adrian? It was only a few months ago when we last heard Wei Ai's performance!"
"It really is Wei Ai's concertmaster. The reports said he's suspected of instructing a deputy chief of Wei Jiao to drug someone. It caused that person's death!"
"How could this be..."
......
All kinds of exclamations could be heard along the streets of Vienna. Even when Qi Mu arrived at the Palisade Theatre with his violin case, none of the orchestra members remembered to practice. Instead, they discussed the shocking event.
"Is this really how 2016 is going to end? I can't believe it's Mr. Zayev... No, Zayev would actually do such a thing!"
"Where did you get the news? I just read the report from 《The Voice of Music》, they said because Mr. Dorenza appreciated Lu Zi Wen and might even promote him to be Wei Ai's deputy concertmaster that Zayev acted out."
"Really? What kind of a threat does a newcomer possess to Zayev?"
"You've never listened to Lu Zi Wen's violin, have you? Although the accident happened last year, I got the rehearsal's ticket the day before. I heard his Blue Danube, he was a really brilliant violinist!"
"Oh... That really happened?!"
"Haha, you don't know anything, do you? Zayev was worried Lu Zi Wen would be a threat to his position. He'd been Wei Ai's concertmaster for more than a decade. As long as there wasn't an issue, his position shouldn't change."
A member of the trumpet group glanced around covertly, then whispered, "One of my former classmates comes from a very rich family. His violin skills are only average, but how could he compare to our concertmaster? He's been showing off to the rest of our classmates since last year."
A member of the violin group asked curiously, "Showing off? What do you mean?"
"He said he could be the deputy concertmaster of one of the world's top orchestras!"
Hearing this, everyone laughed. Even the deputy concertmaster of Palisade Theatre Orchestra made fun of himself, "Come on, even I'm only suitable to be a member of a top orchestra. But, the deputy concertmaster? I better go dream of something else. I think only our Little Seven is good enough for that. Right, Little Seven?"
Walking over with his case in hand, Qi Mu glanced around the members and smiled helplessly, "I wouldn't say that."
After they joked around, the members quickly asked the trumpeter, "Hey, Niall, you haven't finished your story yet. Go on!"
Niall sniggered and continued, "We didn't believe it before, how could he become a deputy concertmaster for a top orchestra, at his skill level? But then he quit school last year! Rumor has it, he had a special tutor and he improved a bit. But, judging by his violin when we met a few days ago, tch, it doesn't sound like it improved at all."
"Stop stalling, get to the point!"
"Well, later a classmate revealed that his family bought a relationship with a member of a top orchestra a year and a half ago. He agreed that as long as he was skilled enough, he could be the deputy concertmaster of a top orchestra. I heard that... they paid this much!"
Niall held out his palm as he spoke.
Qi Mu's eyebrows raised. "500,000?"
Niall, however, shook his head. "No! It's 5 million euros!!!"
Everyone gasped.
Even Qi Mu was shocked. He didn't expect someone would actually pay 5 million euros for a deputy concertmaster seat. Of course, what made him even more surprised was that--
Zayev did that kind of thing in the dark!
"We didn't know which orchestra it was before, we only heard that it was either an Austrian or a German one. Say, there are only a few top orchestras in the world, and the best in Austria and German are Wei Ai, Bai Ai, and Dresden. We all think it's among those three, plus Wei Jiao. But now, I guess anyone could tell which one it is."
Niall stopped at that and didn't go on, but the other members understood. They didn't need to say the name of the orchestra, everybody knew it.
All musicians and orchestras of Vienna very clearly understood Dorenza's reputation. When the maestro learned of such dirty things happening in his orchestra, wasn't he enraged enough to tear Zayev to pieces?
Even Wallace, their orchestra's conductor, knew what happened in Vienna. It might be why everyone in the Palisade Theatre Orchestra was absent-minded during the rehearsal that day.
An hour before they clocked-off, Wallace gave them a holiday.
"You guys probably won't be able to focus after all this. Well, actually, I'm going to visit Dorenza right away. That poor old friend of mine, I'm afraid he's not feeling well now."
In response, the members said their condolences.
"Send him our regards, Mr. Wallace."
"You must comfort Mr. Dorenza."
"Mr. Dorenza is so pitiful."
After Mr. Wallace angrily bellowed, "You little shits!", they all laughed and went their separate ways.
The day's rehearsal was over.
Carrying his violin case and saying goodbye to the other members of the orchestra, Qi Mu walked alone to the nearest subway station. As he walked, he thought he should ask Charles to keep up with the trial.
By late autumn, the Vienna air already carried a chill, even with the sun's rays warming the land. Likely due to the temperature, not many people lingered in the streets. Those that were around moved quickly.
Qi Mu looked at the gray ground in deep thought. He crossed a street and walked a few more steps, only to hear a low, magnetic voice behind him--
"Young gentleman, you seem to have lost something."
The voice struck him in the deepest level of his heart. Each word he spoke lingered in Qi Mu's ears each night.
Pausing, he turned back.
Chapter 140
The sun set slowly in the west, its round shape huge against the surrounding buildings. The sunlight cast a golden backdrop over the world, turning the man's tall figure even hazier.
Most of Min Chen's face was blocked by the black hat he was wearing. The shadow cast by the brim of the hat obscured his eyes, that were slightly squinted in a smile as he looked at the young man. Qi Mu stared back at him, stupefied. Reaching out, he took the youth's right hand and slipped a bag into it, whispering, "Young gentleman, you forgot this, and... your boyfriend."
......
When Qi Mu got into Min Chen's car, he chuckled and played with the bag in his hands. "I didn't expect you to come back so early. Isn't your flight tomorrow? I was going to pick you up."
With one hand gripping the steering wheel, the man said, "Well, it's supposed to be tomorrow, but the performance in Huaxia went smoothly, so I left early." After a pause, Min Chen added, "Zhu Wen Jun and Cheng Ting Wen asked me to bring you a message. They hope that you can grow quickly and don't forget to go back to Huaxia."
Hearing this, Qi Mu couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I'm planning to go back next month when the orchestra is on a holiday."
Qi Mu then asked a few questions about the tour. The Palisade Theatre was close to Min Chen's apartment, but the road was jammed with traffic. After driving for ten minutes, they could see the towering building's silhouette but unfortunately, they wound up in another traffic jam.
Qi Mu looked at the long queue of vehicles and sighed. "Alright, subways are much faster than driving sometimes. I didn't expect Vienna would have such a terrible traffic jam. I thought I could only see such wonderful scenes in Huaxia." After a pause, Qi Mu suddenly remembered something. "By the way, what did you bring me?"
As he spoke, Qi Mu raised the small black gift bag in his hand. The edge of the bag was outlined with silver thread and small crystals were inlaid every few centimeters. The bag's texture was simple, yet luxurious, but was unmarked by a logo.
When Qi Mu first received it, he thought it was a gift the man bought from some shop. But when he opened the package, there were only two simple things inside... They looked like tube-shaped things made of wool. It could've been a scarf, but no scarf was that round. It could also have been a hat, but it wasn't big enough.
After thinking for quite a while, Qi Mu suddenly had an epiphany. "You bought me a wrist guard?!"
Min Chen: "..."
After a while, Min Chen said, "It's gloves." His voice was deep and dull, projecting his endless aggrieved emotions.
Qi Mu, on the other hand, was carefully observing the four attached tubes that looked like elk's antlers. He failed to notice Min Chen's tone. When he heard that they were gloves, he was stunned. "Min Chen, were you duped? How could they be gloves? There's nowhere to put your hand!"
「......」
"You must have been cheated. How are they even packaged in such a high-end gift bag? They must have been very expensive, weren't they? Why didn't Daniel help you check them and let you buy such strange things?"
「......」
"Well, where did you buy them? If they're expensive, then let's return it. In fact, let's return them right away... Uh..."
The black Porsche stopped in front of a red light. The moment the car stopped, the man in the driver's seat leaned over and caught the youth's lips in a kiss, completely swallowing his words.
The kiss came so suddenly and fiercely that Qi Mu didn't have the time to react. When he returned to his senses, he was clinging to the man's chest while Min Chen curled his arms around his back. The exchange was so heated and intense that the air inside got warmer.
Thanks to Vienna's 80 second red lights, by the time Min Chen settled back in his seat and stepped on the accelerator again, Qi Mu's cheeks were dyed red. He was in a daze. Of course, the most important thing was--
He stopped talking.
The car stopped downstairs in the basement carpark. In the well organized community, there were no strangers, so there were very few people walking in the streets. Qi Mu was about to unlock his seat belt and get out of the car when a warm hand covered his.
Looking up, Qi Mu encountered a deep and dark pair of eyes.
With a dull tone, Min Chen said, "They're gloves." After a slight pause, he added, "They're a very, very good pair of wool gloves."
Qi Mu, in a daze: "...?"
"They're precious. They have crossed over three continents, passed two oceans, taken first-class flights, entered the conductor lounge of the world's top concert hall and most importantly..."
Min Chen suddenly stopped and Qi Mu asked, "Most importantly?"
The man's phoenix's eyes drooped and Min Chen murmured, "...Nothing."
Most importantly... I knitted them!
Qi Mu looked perplexedly at the man's complicated expression. The two didn't get out of the car. Min Chen took the gloves out of the gift bag and carefully put them on Qi Mu.
The gloves had three openings. The biggest one was on the wrist and the other two were for the fingers and the thumbs. The one for the left hand fit quite nicely, albeit a bit big, but that didn't make much difference. But when Qi Mu tried the one for the right hand, the tip of his thumb got stuck.
Qi Mu's fingers were slender and long, the fact that his thumb couldn't slide into place meant that the person who made them was... extremely inept.
Min Chen, on the other hand, was still very enthusiastic with the gloves. Staring fixedly at the small hole, he tried to make it bigger with his fingers.
But how could a thin wool thread stretch so easily?
Min Chen gave up after trying for quite a while. Taking his hand, Qi Mu murmured, "These gloves... Did you make them yourself, Min Chen?"
The man placed so much value on the gloves that Qi Mu knew something was wrong. Despite being made of high-end, expensive materials, they were so poorly made, he could barely stand to look at them. He guessed that--
Min Chen made them himself?
Faced with the question, Min Chen's hands froze. He shook his head softly. "Not me."
After a pause, he added, "Daniel."
Daniel shot with rage, half the globe away: "..."
Seeing the man's awkward response, Qi Mu was even more sure of his guess. If the man said he bought it, Qi Mu could still force himself to believe it a little.
...Although he didn't think anyone would sell such ugly gloves that they couldn't even wear.
But, Qi Mu wouldn't believe that Daniel made them. Qi Mu once saw Daniel skillfully sew a button that fell off from a shirt. Coupled with his doubt that Min Chen would actually let him wear something that Daniel made...
It was absolutely impossible, alright!
But the guy was proud, so Qi Mu could only smile charmingly and say, "Mn. It wasn't you, definitely not you."
Min Chen, coaxed like a child: "..."
Although the gloves weren't exactly wearable, Qi Mu still put them on, but--his fingers couldn't go through the holes where they were supposed to go.
They took the elevator to the top floor. A TV in the elevator broadcasted the big event in Vienna.
Min Chen had just arrived in Vienna that afternoon, and he had been busy with the tour that he didn't pay attention to what happened in Vienna. Seeing the names "Leon Zayev" and "Luo Yu Sen" on the screen, the man's eyes narrowed dangerously. He remained silent.
Qi Mu looked at the screen casually, not bothering to pay attention to it.
Entering the apartment, they were instantly met with the warmth of the heater. Together, they took off their scarves and coats, standing before the coat rack as they hung their clothes. Their actions were fluid and natural, as if they'd done it countless times before.
"I was going to buy the groceries tomorrow, so there's not much at home today. Is a simple dinner okay?"
"...Home?"
Min Chen's voice was a little low so Qi Mu didn't quite catch it. "Huh? What did you say?"
Min Chen swallowed his emotions and shook his head. "Nothing."
Qi Mu didn't mind it much. "Well, I'll make something easy and quick. Do you want to help me...? Well, forget it. I want to eat Chinese food instead of Western tonight."
Qi Mu wouldn't sugarcoat his words when it came to the man's ability to cook Chinese food.
Qi Mu turned around and stepped into the kitchen while Min Chen leaned against the doorway and quietly watched his beloved. With his thin lips slightly curled up in a smile, the man's cold face appeared softer. He felt good.
Just now, Qi Mu said... Home.
Yes, it's home.