King of Classical Music

At that, Min Chen asked, “What did you talk about?”

Min Chen still looked calm. Qi Mu smiled. “Are you really curious?”

The handsome man raised his eyebrows and quietly laughed. “If you want to say, I’ll listen.” The implication being, if he didn’t want to say, he wouldn’t force him to, because… he trusted Qi Mu.

Qi Mu’s face softened a bit, and the two walked into the subway together. He briefly summarized his conversation with Wu Lao as they went.

In fact, the talk had been quite simple. The center of their topic had been that little princess——『Edith』.

The original had wanted to sell the priceless violin a few years ago for money to go drinking and drag racing. But, if he wasn’t going to sell his little princess, well, Wu Lao and the others were unlikely to fight against it. The original had sold his parents’ house in S City before, but 『Edith』 had more meaning.

It was a token of love between the original’s father and mother. In the beginning, it was at a violin exhibition. Qi Mu’s mother and father had met while visiting “Edith.” After the two were married, Qi Mu’s father spent a lot of money to buy it at an auction. Though it could be said to be shelved, never to play again, it was still a very important violin.

This time, Qi Mu came to Wu Lao to test the elder’s attitude towards “Edith.” He wanted to let the beautiful relic be heard to the world under the identity of “Qi Mu.” It wouldn’t fade away in the cold safety of a bank, but shine its light unto the world.

And Wu Lao’s attitude was clear. At first, because Qi Mu was too rebellious, they didn’t want the unskilled child to sell it for drinking money. But, the Golden Hall was just a symbol, now Qi Mu could go directly to the Swiss bank and take it out.

But, in the face of the answer, Qi Mu refused directly. In Wu Lao’s study, he had smiled at that serious old man and sincerely said, “Wu Lao, I will take 『Edith』 back with my own strength. I hope she can sing the most beautiful notes under the world’s eyes. And, the Golden Hall… is very suitable.”

Wu Lao was clearly satisfied with Qi Mu’s answer. As he left, Wu Lao had especially encouraged him. Min Chen raised his eyebrows, “A violin called 『Edith』?”

Qi Mu nodded. “En, yes, it’s called 『Edith』. Wu Lao showed me her picture, and she is an exquisite violin. Her lines are slender and elegant; she should be from a famous brand.”

After a moment, Min Chen sighed. “If I remember correctly… Christole also has a violin given to him by a friend, it’s called 『Burnell』. I think it was produced in the same year as your 『Edith』.”

Qi Mu halted. Looking at Min Chen in surprise, he said, “You mean…”

The man nodded, his tone helpless, “It’s very likely… they’re a pair of violins.”

Every time a violin maker made a violin, it consumed a lot of time and effort. In such a situation, it was challenging to make two violins at the same time, but these two, 『Edith』 and 『Burnell』 were exceptions.

His accomplishments on string instruments weren’t on par with Qi Mu and Christole, but that didn’t mean Min Chen hadn’t studied the violin.

Christole owned 『Burnell』, but he seldom played it. He took it out and played it at a New Year’s concert, but Min Chen hadn’t seen it since.

Afterward, Min Chen hadn’t cared much about the matter. Instead, Daniel was the one to check into the violin. He’d whispered in his ear all day for a month afterward in horror, “Oh my god, Min! Can you believe it! That 『Burnell』 was auctioned at the sky-high price of 1.15 million euros. Oh God, why didn’t I touch it when Christole took it out…”

Daniel was too annoying to listen to, so Min Chen had also looked into 『Burnell』 and discovered it was created at the same time as 『Edith』.

Qi Mu was caught between hysterics and tears. The world was really too small. He didn’t expect Christole to own the violin counterpart to 『Edith』.

After thinking for a while, Qi Mu laughed. “That’s fine. Later, when I take 『Edith』, Christole and I can have a two-person ensemble and use the two violins.”

Qi Mu pulled out the key to open the hotel door. He pushed it open, but he hadn’t even turned on the light when something touched his waist. In the next second, his back was pressed against the door. Qi Mu raised his blank eyes, but it took a moment for him to recover.

In the darkness, Min Chen’s voice seemed to come straight from the depths of hell, alluringly seductive, “If you and Christole have a double ensemble, then I also want…”

His warm breath brushed Qi Mu’s ear as Qi Mu’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. He rejoiced at not having managed to turn on the light—— at least his red ears wouldn’t be seen.

The environment was perhaps too quiet, and the distance too close, and his voice was a bit hoarse. “Min Chen, do you want to have a double ensemble with me? But your violin is really…”

Qi Mu didn’t have the heart to continue.

Min Chen’s violin wasn’t all that bad. He at least could be regarded as an ordinary member of Bai Ai. During his interview with Bai Ai, the examiner could have pulled him in without a thought.

But comparing Christole’s violin to Min Chen’s…

If the former was a natural sound, the latter was barely passable.

Qi Mu coughed lightly and concealed his smile. But Min Chen had sharp ears. He pursed his lips, and his dark eyes steeped in the darkness. He lowered his voice, “I want to ensemble with you.”

Qi Mu replied quietly, “I remember we’ve played one before, like… Paganini’s 《Etude No. 24》?”

Min Chen’s tone was decisive: “Doesn’t count, no one heard.”

Qi Mu: “……” After a while, he said, “Professor Akkad and Dylan would cry.”

Min Chen pursed his lips, “Too few people.”

Qi Mu thought about it. “Oh, that’s right, that other time, the college evaluated our ensemble of Beethoven’s 《Spring Sonata》 in front of many people. You really scared me that time. Ensembling without rehearsing… that’s the first time I’d done something like that.”

“But, you played well.”

That sentence, Min Chen didn’t say it. He looked down at the young man in front of him, peering into his clear eyes, and whispered, “I want to open with a… piano and violin ensemble.”

Qi Mu’s eyes blew wide open, his surprise unconcealed.

To open a concert with Min Chen, what a privilege it was! This man, who was too lazy to even open his own show with his piano, wanted to ensemble with others? It was simply impossible to pass up!

After thinking, Qi Mu smiled. “Okay, let’s have a concert. Once I get 『Edith』, then we’ll open. By then… you’ll have finished writing 《Twilight Under the Moon》, we’ll play that one together.”

The pleasant voice filled the quiet room with this answer that was just too gentle, and Min Chen’s chilled eyes softened.

Moonlight shone in from behind him, coloring the youth’s eyes as bright as amber.

Min Chen bowed his head and pressed his lips to Qi Mu’s. At the familiar softness, he didn’t want to let go. This kiss was so affectionate that though he clearly remembered he had to catch a plane the next day, Qi Mu gradually sank into the other man’s rich warmth, shyly responding.

Their heated breath filled the empty hotel room, and when Qi Mu woke the next day, he grabbed the closest thing at hand—— a pillow and threw it at the abominable man.

“Didn’t I say I had to return to Vienna and needed to go to bed early!!!”

Min Chen dodged the “death pillow” and innocently pouted, “I’m packing.”

He raised the clothes in his hands, crumpled rather than folded, and stuffed them into the suitcase.

Qi Mu: “… Stand still, I really won’t kill you.”

Min Chen: “… You couldn’t bear it.”

Qi Mu: “You’ll see if I’m reluctant!!!”

Min Chen: “……”