Chapter 32 (1/2)

The humid wind from the sea blew into every corner of the Disneyland. There were wooden dolls and fake mountains around the Peter Pan Dream Stage, resembling the animation and embellishing the fairytale.

In the middle of the stage, there was a dark, seven-foot Bösendorfer with a smooth, shiny surface and bright black and white keys. The piano stood alone but seemed as though it were under a spotlight.

Qi Mu didn’t know much about the piano because he didn’t study it too deeply. The instrument was expensive, especially those of higher quality. In those days (his era), only people with a good family would dare learn the piano. He was just a child when he first saw someone play the piano.

But, even though he didn’t study the piano in depth, music was always intertwined with each other. Qi Mu had heard several piano songs including the works of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and other symphonies and etudes.

Disneyland really had a lot of money, they could even let guests play a Bösendorfer.

However, while such a piano was regarded as a high-quality by ordinary people, Qi Mu would guess from childhood to adulthood, Min Chen had probably. . . never played a piano less than nine feet.

Bösendorfer was a world-class brand but Qi Mu once heard in the Vienna Symphony gossip circle that there were over a dozen 9ft Steinway pianos in the Bertram house.

And currently, that man was getting ready to play in front of a large crowd.

Qi Mu squinted to look at the man seated on the piano bench. In the red sunset, his back was straight. The cap and sunglasses covered most of his face, making it difficult for people to see what he looked like. But everyone present were shocked.

Because. . . on the piano keys, there was a beautiful pair of hands.

His fingers were long and slender with knuckles clearly visible. There were thin calluses on each fingertip, obvious from years of practice.

This kind of beauty was different from Qi Mu’s hands. Much like their owner, Min Chen’s hands were overbearing. When he pressed the keys, the loud and noble Bösendorfer suddenly quieted and turned docile, obediently waiting for him to play.

As if the previous people that came up to the stage were just playing around and now a solemn concert was about to begin.

It was an aura that controlled the entire arena, making everyone forget the actual issue of “Isn’t that a man? Why is he competing against children?” Instead, they waited with expectation to see what kind of performance this man would give them.

Qi Mu looked at Min Chen and startled. Through the sunglasses, he could feel Min Chen’s eyes lingering on him for a moment before he turned to look at the red-eyed boy.

Min Chen’s lips curled up slightly and he whispered to the boy, “Have you listened to the original 《D Minor》?”

The boy first shook his head then nodded, “Ye. . . yes. My teacher had me buy the album. I’ve heard it.”

Min Chen nodded and sighed, “Some things cannot be fully understood just by listening. 《D Minor》was not recorded well and there are no videos of it. An ordinary teacher isn’t very clear on the placement technique. You won’t need to study this song in the future.”

The boy blinked, but didn’t really understand.

Under the stage, Qi Mu suddenly understood what this man was going to do——!

He actually wanted to. . . personally guide the boy?!!!

Qi Mu’s eyes widened in astonishment and his beautiful face was marred with a disbelieving expression. Without giving him time to think about it anymore, the piano suddenly rang out like a wave crashing against the shore.

The piano trembled. Each key was like another wave hitting the beach, sweeping away everything with it. Qi Mu clenched his fists tight, eyes fixated on the man playing the piano.

With his better hearing, Qi Mu was destined to hear more than others.

Min Chen’s 《Sonata in D Minor》 had another name, 《The Night Tsunami》.

The whole song was a fast allegro. Although its difficulty wasn’t the highest amongst Min Chen’s works, it was abundant with emotion. A majestic force that fought against a tsunami alone in the dead of the night.

Someone once jokingly said before playing 《D Minor》: Clearly, this song is not that difficult, but every time I play it, my fingers are always sore afterwards.

It was Qi Mu’s first time listening to the creator of 《D Minor》 personally playing the song. It was so exciting that each note made him feel as though he was suffocating. As the melody grew stronger and stronger, the strength that the tsunami had besieged was once more regained at the last moment and they had stood up again. It was frightening.

The boy’s earlier 《D Minor》 and this one, they were like two different songs!

If the former was a child playing in a pond, the latter was facing a terrible tsunami of the sea’s greatest depths.

Min Chen’s fingers were fast, fast enough to create afterimages. But his posture was just as calm and elegant as it was when he had first begun. The nobility carved into his bones remained unaffected by the melody at his fingertips. Only the occasional twitch of his body indicated that he was fully immersed in the music, unable to pull himself free of it.

But. . . was he really unable to extricate himself?

Of course not!

When the song was at its last allegro, Qi Mu suddenly heard the melody take a certain tone. He was surprised and stared at Min Chen, but he only saw the man calmly continuing to play. The change in melody made Qi Mu frown with confusion.

That change in melody meant this song was no longer the same 《D Minor》. While Min Chen was playing, he seemed to be repeating a certain part. And. . . it was getting slower and slower, so that everyone could follow the movement of his fingers.

Qi Mu suddenly understood!

He was playing like this to let the boy see exactly how he played it!

Min Chen repeated the movement three or four times then moved on suddenly, bringing it back to the original melody in one graceful motion. For the audience, it seemed that Min Chen had played something gentle and not difficult at all.

But Qi Mu knew, to adapt a song in such a short time and do it smoothly, only a true master could do it!

Qi Mu felt his heart beating along with the piano’s sound as it turned fierce once more. When the last note echoed magnificently, Qi Mu clapped and couldn’t help but shout, “Bravo!”

The rest of the audience applauded as if they had just woken from a dream.

“They were playing differently. But it was pleasant and good to listen to.”

“Yeah, I guess the kid in my family can play as good as this man when he’s grown up.”

“Dad, I’m going to play better than him!”

“Okay, my baby must play better than him!”