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. âMin Chen.â
Min Chen frowned. âHave you caught a cold?â
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, âEn, it seems to be getting colder. Everyone in the orchestra attended tonightâs party and we ended it a bit late, I mightâve caught a slight cold.â
Worry flickered through the manâs voice. âGo back early and keep yourself warm. Thereâs a convenience store just a block away from the apartment. You can buy some ginger and boil it in a tea to drink.â
Finally, after great difficulty, Qi Mu managed to hail a cab. Quickly getting in, he smiled and said, âEn, itâs nothing big. A little cold, at most. The season just changed, so itâs normal to catch a cold. A few people in the orchestra have already caught colds, so donât worry so much.â
ââŠBut, I will still worry.â
The voice was low and mellow, yet it rang like a bell in Qi Muâs heart, stunning him.
It took him quite a while to give the driver his address. When he spoke again, he unconsciously softened his voice, âEn, I know. Iâll take good care of myself.â
Even so, the man on the phone was still dissatisfied. âIâm 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? Iâll be staying in Huaxia for three days, so itâs no problem.â
After thinking for a moment, Qi Mu said, âI donât think I need anything. But please send my regards to Uncle Zhu and Auntie Cheng of the S City Symphony Orchestra.â
âOkay.â
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 âYesâ and âOkayâ as responses, the youthâs voice softly rang in the quiet taxi. The most he spoke was just two wordsââ
âNo thanks.â
After Qi Mu paid the fare and left the cab, the man realized, âI 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.â
Entering the apartment, Qi Mu sighed as the warm air blew over him. He pressed the elevator button to the top floor, then said, âYou forgot, I donât have a driverâs license yet. Iâve been busy ever since I came to Europe so I couldnât find the time to take the test.â
Min Chen was silent for a beat before saying, âI will ask Daniel to find a driver for you.â
Qi Mu: ââŠâ
Trying to fight off his laughter, Qi Mu said, âDonât be ridiculous. Vienna isnât that big, I donât need a driver.â To prevent the man from saying anything else, Qi Mu rattled the keys in his hand and added, âI have to hang up, going to open the door.â
Hearing the words âhang upâ, Min Chen was at a loss. With a trace of disappointment in his tone, he said, âI have to catch my flight too.â It was easy to hear his dissatisfaction.
Qi Mu looked up, thinking before he spoke. âIf I remember correctly⊠S City is your third-to-last location for this tour, right? The second-to-last stop is⊠Vienna?â
âYes.â
The manâs 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, âWe havenât seen each other for a long time, Min Chen. I miss you very much.â
After a good while, the man said, âI miss you, too.â
Even though the bustling airport was so loud, the words âI miss you, tooâ filled Qi Mu with joy. For him, it was the best sound he had heard in his life.
He still didnât turn on the light. Standing in the dark and leaning against the mahogany door, he said, âPracticing alone in the piano room these days⊠I always thought that the piano room was too big. Itâs too lonely for just one person.â
âFour days left.â
Qi Mu smiled and nodded. âEn, four days left⊠Then you will be back?â
âI owe you a concert.â
âYes⊠You owe me a concert.â
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, ââŠCome back soon.â
Not expecting his words, Min Chen was silent for a beat before saying, âI will.â
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 âI miss youâ was enough to make Qi Muâs 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. âItâs already been⊠two months since I last saw him?â
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.
ââŠLuo Yu Sen and⊠Zayev?!â
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 wasnât 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 Aiâs concertmaster, while the other was the second violin groupâs deputy chief. The two shouldnât have any connection with each other, let alone⊠With Evraâs 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 hadnât 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, âDorenza, yes, itâs me, Evra. Thereâs a thing⊠I need to tell you face-to-face⊠Yes, itâs hard to say it on the phone, I have to see you in person⊠Do you have time tomorrow afternoon? Okay, Iâll go to your orchestra. Whatâs going on? Well, in fact⊠It has something to do with a letter I receivedâŠâ
Alone study, Evra made an appointment with Dorenza.
He realized the truth, the hidden truth behind everything. It was very complicated but the truth wasâŠ
He couldnât believe it.
âMaybe⊠I have to ask Dorenza. AlasâŠâ
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 didnât intend to keep the secrets buried forever.
When a life was involved, especially a young one, it was impossible to ignore.