Chapter 20 (1/2)

The apartment Qi Mu rented was in a relatively high-end neighborhood, so he wasn’t nervous about security nor was he being too harsh on himself. Zheng Wei Qiao thought he was too economical and that the apartment might be too small because the rent was so cheap.

One could not blame Xiao Qi for this. The owner of the apartment was a young woman in her 20’s. She couldn’t look away from Qi Mu once she saw him. So the rent that was agreed upon with the broker dropped from 5000 to 3500 yuan.

There were a lot of high-end rentals in this area and quite a few were 50 m2 apartments like Qi Mu’s. They had a green environment, and the surrounding area was also excellent. The most important thing was the commute. The apartment was located only 1km away from B City’s Symphony Orchestra, so it was convenient for him. He could just walk there in the morning.

Assistant concertmaster and deputy chief were not the same position. Generally speaking, the assistant could replace the concertmaster as needed while the deputy could only remain the deputy of the second violin group.

At first, Qi Mu was worried that his qualifications were too shallow, and someone would be dissatisfied. But, surprisingly, after they learned of his “promotion,” they decided to hold a small celebration party for him.

“Xiao Qi, ah, this is great. You must treat us to a meal!”

“Yeah, Xiao Qi, assistant concertmaster. You really have to invite us to a large feast, haha!”

“Hey, Xiao Qi. How about I bring my daughter tonight? She’s 20 years old this year, and she’s pretty good-looking!”

“Stop that now, Zhao Lao. . .”

. . .

Most of the orchestra members were over 30 years old. There were still a few in their 20’s, but all of them were older than Qi Mu, so they treated him like a little brother. He had to say, under the leadership of Tan Lao and Du Sheng, the B City Symphony Orchestra had the atmosphere of a large family. It was full of warmth.

On the night of the celebration, although Tan Lao didn’t come, Du Sheng was there. Everyone drank until they were buzzed, but Qi Mu used his age as an excuse to drink less. Afterward, Du Sheng wrapped his arm around Qi Mu’s shoulder and said, smiling, “Xiao Qi, ah, you have to do well. Tan Lao has high expectations of you, and your Du-ge does too.”

Qi Mu saw his drunken flushed face and helplessly laughed, “I will try my best to live up to Tan Lao and Du-ge’s expectations.” With that, Qi Mu helped Du Sheng walk down the side of the street and hail a taxi.

Du Sheng stumbled and said, “Well, you need to put in more effort. Haha. . . Right, the indoor concert will be in a few days. . . How’re your preparations?

Du Sheng’s words were somewhat inconsistent, but Qi Mu understood them. Seeing that there were no taxis in the endless stream of traffic, Qi Mu brought down his hand that was waving and said, “I’ve practiced more than one song, but Du-ge. . . Do I really need to play on stage? I have no experience in chamber music.”

Being accosted by the night wind, Du Sheng’s mind had sobered a little. He slowly straightened up and said, “Un, you should prepare more. This concert is still significant as there are many people from all kinds of circles who will attend. It’s hard to get a chance to perform.”

This, he naturally knew.

This indoor concert was co-organized by Tan Lao and Du Sheng. Both had quite large names in B City, so they invited a lot of people to participate. It could be considered a small event for the end of the year. There were no tickets, one could only enter with an invitation.

Indoor concerts were naturally different from large orchestral symphony concerts. Generally, it was a small group of people playing, and there could also be solo performances. This time, Tan Lao gave him an extra opportunity to perform. This served as his official debut and introduction to the Huaxia music industry.

This was different from his orchestral performances thus far. It was entirely Qi Mu’s and had nothing to do with the B City Symphony Orchestra.

“You have to be prepared, ah. Don’t let me down. . .”

Du Sheng drunkenly laughed and, soon after, Qi Mu stopped a taxi. He put Du Sheng in the car and could, at last, walk home after finishing this final task of sending off Du Sheng.

Autumn in B City was quite cold, unlike Vienna. Although they were almost at the same latitude, autumn in Vienna was not as dry as it was in B City. Now, the cold and bleak autumn wind blew across Qi Mu’s face, forcing him to wrap up his scarf.

When in the north during October, it was common sense to wear a thin overcoat and a scarf.

The celebration party was held in a hotel near the orchestra to make it easier for them to eat and drink as much as they liked. It was only 2 km away from Qi Mu’s new home and walking would help him digest. As he walked freely, he thought about his dilemma.

Tan Lao’s concert was. . . organized especially for him.