Chapter 41 (2/2)

The woman stuck in the middle: “. . .”

“Honey, why are you still standing at the door? Why don’t you go see what Qi Mu made. . . and how it tastes. . .”

“Aaaahhh!!! Min Chen!!!”

There was loud thud, and the things Zheng Wei Qiao had purchased at the supermarket fell to the ground. They quickly tidied up and went into Qi Mu’s apartment.

Once all the food was on the table, Zhao Yue, Zheng Wei Qiao’s wife, laughed and said while she served the soup, “Xiao Qi’s cooking is delicious. I thought I would need to help out more today, but it looks like I was worried for nothing.”

Zhao Yue wasn’t in the music circle. While she looked gentle, she was, in fact, a savvy and decisive lawyer. Although her husband was in the music industry, she knew nothing about it, so when she saw Min Chen, she didn’t recognize him.

Of course, to Zhao Yue, this was just a simple meal, and everyone had gathered to celebrate. Because Zheng Wei Qiao had told her beforehand that Qi Mu’s performance at the music festival was reported on in several international media, she only thought about celebrating that with Qi Mu today.

Like Qi Mu, the Zheng family didn’t put much importance on Christmas. Thus, at the table, only one man was wearing formal attire, appearing solemn, completely out of place.

This was Zheng Wei Qiao’s first time being in contact with Min Chen. Although Qi Mu always said the man wasn’t as harsh as he looked, having a dinner together with such a giant in the industry. . . it made him a bit uncomfortable.

Fortunately, he was only somewhat half in the circle right now. If he was still a violinist playing in an orchestra, he didn’t think he would even dare breathe.

The atmosphere was rather stiff once dinner started, so Qi Mu took the initiative to liven things up. As a lawyer, Zhao Yue was savvy with words, so she often made jokes here and there. Once dinner was over, Zheng Wei Qiao quietly pulled Qi Mu aside and gave him a red envelope, then he said, “Xiao Qi, ah, later. . . don’t make me eat with Mr. Min again.”

For the Zheng couple, Qi Mu was still a kid in his early twenties, so they often gave him pocket money.

Qi Mu quickly returned the envelope to Zheng Wei Qiao and helplessly said, “Zheng-ge, Min Chen is truly a good person. Really, get to know him a little, and you’ll get along with him. He has a good temper.”

Who would expect that Zheng Wei Qiao, known for his calmness, would suddenly burst into tears, “Xiao Qi, ah. I’m not being prejudiced against him or anything, it’s just. . . The sight of Mr. Min makes me remember when Teacher would punish me by having me practice 《Constance March》 for a month! I still can’t forget how terrible that song was, even after eight years. I’ll always remember that nightmarish month whenever I see Mr. Min’s face. . .”

Qi Mu: “. . .”

《Constance March》was the first movement in 《Violin Sonata No. 9 in D Major》. This symphony was written by Min Chen when he was twenty-one. There were four movements in the whole composition and among them, the violin section of the first movement was the most difficult to perform. Some professionals even secretly called it “Hell.”

Min Chen was a pianist after all. So compared to Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 “Devil’s Movement,” there were some areas of 《Constance March》 that were lacking. Particularly in the technical aspect. But, for a violin song written by a contemporary musician, no one doubted that this was the most difficult to play.

Watching Zheng Wei Qiao’s expression of “having just seen a ghost,” Qi Mu didn’t try to persuade him anymore. After he saw the couple off downstairs, Qi Mu returned to his apartment and unexpectedly found Min Chen. . . Clearing! The! Table!

Qi Mu’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, and he forgot to close the door. “Why are you clearing the dishes?!”

This patient whose obsession with cleanliness was very steep pinched the edge of a plate and picked it up. Qi Mu’s sudden yell caused him to fumble a bit, and his finger ended up brushing against a brown sauce. Min Chen’s face immediately turned black and he stiffened.

They went to the kitchen together, and Qi Mu started washing the dishes. He said profoundly, “Thank you so much for today, Min Chen. I really didn’t expect you to stay and help me clean up. I certainly didn’t expect you to pick up the dishes.”

Min Chen who stood beside him drying a plate but actually doing nothing: “. . .”

Qi Mu sighed, “It’s amazing that you actually carried them. . .”

Min Chen: “. . .”

How to say it. . . it wasn’t as though the plate he carried was explosive, right? Well, it had to be an illusion