Chapter 61

Spring nights in Paris were cold. The wind brought the scent of salt from the sea, and everyone tightened their coats as they exited the concert hall.

The Paris Philharmonic Hall was in the suburbs, surrounded by a man-made lake, and outlined by silver moonlight. One car after the next drove down the path and left the magnificent building behind.

Earlier, Akkad and his student came by taxi. Qi Mu did not have a car in Paris, and Akkad hadn’t bought one yet, so the professor suggested they hitch a ride with Min Chen.

Qi Mu followed Akkad out of the concert hall. He tugged on the scarf around his neck as a breeze brushed past and turned when his teacher spoke.

“Min, the concert tonight was great. Your and Charles’s adaptation was excellent!”

Akkad had long forgotten how narcissistic and arrogant Min Chen acted moments ago. “In fact, I wanted Small Seven to adapt a song for practice.”

Speaking of Qi Mu, Akkad remembered his student. He introduced the two, “Oh, I forgot to say before. Min, this is my student. . . Qi. . . Mu. His name is hard to pronounce, but I recall you‘re fluent in Chinese.”

Qi Mu stood under the large poster with Min Chen’s name embodied on it and smiled. He didn’t have time to interrupt as Akkad went on, “Small Seven, this is Auston Bertram.”

Qi Mu had nothing to hide, so he nodded. Helplessness shone out of his delicate white face. “Teacher, I. . . I met Mr. Min a long time ago. In Huaxia. . . we were neighbors.”

Akkad wondered. . . did he have hearing issues? “Seven, what did you say?”

Qi Mu solemnly repeated himself, “Teacher, I said Min Chen, and I met each other a long time ago.”

“. . .” Akkad turned to look at Min Chen.

The stoic man raised an eyebrow, “I knew him before you did.”

Akkad: “. . .”

When did the world become so small? Weren’t there over 7 billion people?!

Since there was no need for introductions, Akkad asked a few more questions about the concert then continued toward the exit.

Akkad nodded, but he was dissatisfied. He walked past the artificial lake and recalled, “Wait a minute, Min! That gifted student you wanted to recommend, it wouldn’t be. . . Small Seven, huh?”

Qi Mu: “?”

Min Chen: “. . .”

The man’s ears stained red in the dark, but he maintained a flawlessly calm and collected expression. Min Chen reached up to cover a cough with his hand, “En. . . yes.”

Akkad muttered, “This has to be God’s joke. Is there such a coincidence?”

Thanks to Akkad’s lamenting, Qi Mu was dumbfounded. He took a moment to understand the words “student you wanted to recommend” from Akkad’s mouth, then he realized. . .

Min Chen recommended him to Akkad?!

An indescribable well of emotion burst forth in Qi Mu’s chest, spreading into every corner of his body. He was warm despite the cold air. This man helped him too much. It both dazed and moved him.

“Thank you for taking care of me. . . Min Chen.”

The young man kept his voice low, so it didn’t spread far, but it tunneled straight to Min Chen’s ear. He turned and looked at Qi Mu. Satin moonlight illuminated the boy’s eyes, and there was a tremor in his heart when their gazes met.

After a while, Min Chen answered, “Never mind.”

Qi Mu could not describe his gratitude. “In Huaxia, you helped me a lot, I don’t know how to thank you.”

Qi Mu referenced the many pointers the other man had given him. Although Min Chen wasn’t a violinist, his experience and the depth of his feelings towards music had inspired Qi Mu.

“Don’t take it to heart, you are very good.”

Min Chen’s low-pitched voice resounded on the quiet path. They had spoken in Chinese and Akkad couldn’t understand what they were saying. Though the eccentric professor frowned, he said nothing and let the two converse.

What Akkad didn’t know was the two’s conversation had long shifted away from the concert to their recent lives. Min Chen paid close attention to Qi Mu’s words. The youth had no relatives now and to be alone in Europe, it had to be uncomfortable.

“The orchestra will stay in Paris for a while, if there’s something, come find me.”

Qi Mu laughed a little. “If there’s something I need help with, I won’t be shy.” He remembered a certain trait of Min Chen’s and teased with a smile, “Of course, if there’s anything you need. . . I can help anytime.”

“. . .” Min Chen thought in silence for a long time then his eyebrows rose high in question, “What would I need?”

“Bugs.”

“. . .”

What retribution would he get for teasing this arrogant, stingy man?

Well, this time Qi Mu found out.

They got into the car Bai Ai provided and Min Chen made the entire trip in pursed silence.

Akkad, at some point, asked, “Min, what’s with that cold face? It’s even colder now!” However, when Akkad saw Min Chen open his mouth to speak, eyes even chillier yet, he raised a hand and begged for mercy.

“Okay, you can stop hurting me now. Who doesn’t know that you won the championship for world’s worst temper on the Danube Forum? No one dares question it. That vote. . . the second place lost by over five hundred votes.”

Qi Mu: “. . .”

So Akkad also visited the Danube Forum!

After saying goodbye to his teacher, Qi Mu looked at Min Chen’s handsome but indifferent face and smiled.

He raised a finger and swore, “I promise, no one except for the people that already know, will find out you’re afraid. . . cough, okay?”

Min Chen turned to look at him, voice quiet as he asked, “Are you sure?”

Qi Mu blinked: “. . . Certain!”

“Alright, go to bed early and be careful on the stairs.”

Qi Mu: “. . .”

Don’t have such a good face!!!

Once Min Chen saw Qi Mu’s apartment lights turn on, the car left and drove toward Akkad’s house. The professor had hopped into the back seat after Qi Mu got out so he could sit next to Min Chen.

He wasn’t too interested in the shift, so he glanced over at Akkad but didn’t pay much attention. The seventy-year-old musician sighed and said, “Min, my student. . . what do you think of him?”

Outside, the streetlights flashed by, their halo casting onto the car as they drove past, and Min Chen’s face flickered in and out of illumination. He looked over at Akkad. “He’s very talented, very diligent, and very astute to the emotion of music. His skill is good.”

“You used three ‘very,’ ah. . . if Farrell heard how you described Small Seven, what expression would he have?” Akkad did not smile. “Min, I always thought you weren’t one to raise the next generation. Even that stupid boy, Daniel, knows you’re lazy.”

Min Chen raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t like to raise the next generation.”

. . . This was the sentence he just heard?

“But, Min, for you to take care of my student like this, it makes me feel. . . strange. Gives me strange ideas.”

The little old man turned and stared at his left ear without fear. “If you Germans are homosexual, you wear an earring in your left ear, show me!”

Min Chen: “. . .”

He turned to face this old man, his expression dark as he said dryly, “I don’t wear earrings.”

“That doesn’t prove you’re not gay!”

“. . .”

“Damn, are you looking at my lovely student? I’m warning you! You’re not allowed to give him a black hand. Small Seven is a lovely boy, and I won’t let you do anything to him. If you try something with him under the name of Bai Ai, it’s not qualified!”

“. . .”

“Oh, wait a minute, Auston Bertram! You’ve never been in love, have you?! Damn, you’re gay and paying attention to my student, you demon. . .”

“Reed Akkad!”

The man next to him gnashing his teeth made Akkad fall silent. Min Chen’s face was dark enough to squeeze out water. He pursed his lips and asked in a dangerous voice, “Who told you. . . I’m homosexual?”

Akkad retorted, “Then why are you so good to my student?!”