Chapter 42 (2/2)

Qi Mu laughed, “I practice in the music room every day. So I wouldn’t disturb the neighbors, I renovated for better insulation.” After a pause, he said strangely, “But I only practice for a few hours a day, and I don’t remember. . . is there a piano next door?”

He remembered, when he went into the apartment next door, he could see one. It was in the living room, a beautiful, black Steinway. It stood proudly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was elegant.

This man who didn’t practice even an hour on the piano everyday listened to this, and his face went black. He coughed softly, “Probably while you were practicing the violin. . . I also dabbled on the piano.”

Qi Mu nodded understandingly.

Min Chen’s eyes were still dark, and he very quickly changed the topic, “I haven’t seen your music room.”

Qi Mu subsequently smiled, “It’s not that interesting of a place, just an ordinary music room.” Despite saying so, he enthusiastically led the guest to his music room. He opened the door and turned on the light, revealing the simple music room. “I did not ask for a music room, so the decorations are simpler.”

Min Chen’s narrow gaze circled the entire room then settled on the box on the table. “You like Paganini’s 《lla》?”

Qi Mu subconsciously replied, “Well, I’ve practiced Paganini’s songs for a while.”

“I like this piece very much, will you. . . allow me to listen?”

Qi Mu was stunned, and he turned to look at the man. He saw that Min Chen was also staring at him, his eyes deep and focused. The meaning of that request, Qi Mu was shocked.

It was a glorious thing for any violinist to have Min Chen ask for a performance. Compared to other music masters, Min Chen was a very indifferent person. He had given a chance to only a few, but none. . . later became well known.

Bai Ai’s current concertmaster, Christole, was the only violinist Min Chen had taken the initiative to hear his violin.

And now a second had appeared.

Without a trace of fear, Qi Mu curled his lips into a smile and laughed. This expression of confidence was dazzling on the youth’s handsome face.

He nodded seriously, and his voice was firm, “Alright.”

He removed his violin from its case, wiped the bow with rosin, and directly lifted it to his shoulder.

The notes were smooth, like water current, and the brisk tone flew from the strings of his violin. The word 《lla》 translated into Chinese meant 《Bell》. However it had a unique name——《The Emperor’s Bell》.

The song was mostly a brisk staccato, but in a Paganini’s song, it was quite tricky and most violinists couldn’t control it. So when Min Chen proposed this song, it was also a challenge for Qi Mu.

But, this song was one of Qi Mu’s former incarnation’s most perfected piece, and he was especially fond of it.

Qi Mu had played 《Bell》 at his graduation concert as his last performance at Geneva. Even in laters interviewing with several of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, he still played 《Bell》.

This piece was incredibly significant to Qi Mu. In his previous life, he had a special album that recorded it five times.

In that quiet music room, the cheerful music couldn’t wait to jump free from his bow. Every note danced in the air, breaking the silence of the room like it wanted to everything into the depths of a happy, cheerful ocean.

As soon as the first note emerged, Qi Mu was immersed in the sound. Each string, each pull of his bow, it was engraved into the depths of his memory. Pulling out this familiar melody, it was like he had returned to that early morning that he had gone to the Vienna Symphony Orchestra with his violin case.

If the interview wasn’t a success, he could only leave Vienna.

The slender fingers of the youth’s white hand flowed back and forth over the four thing strings. The speed was so fast, sometimes so dazzling, that one could only use their ears to listen to the beautiful music.

Perhaps he was too immersed, so deep he could not extricate himself from it, so Qi Mu didn’t know that after playing for just a minute, the man listening to him suddenly stiffened and stared at him incredulously.

His Phoenix eyes were wide, and Min Chen’s fingers trembled.

Daniel had been with this man for over a decade, but if he could see this now, he would have said, “Oh my god, Min. Is it the end of the world? Why are you so surprised?!”

The song went on for nine minutes, and Min Chen’s excellent hearing suspended him in horror, capturing every note perfectly.

Each slide of the fingers against the strings, each pass of the bow, each of these notes were so hauntingly familiar. When they came together, they formed the unique song that belonged to just Qi Mu——《La Campanella》.

This song that was unique to Lu Zi Wen. . . 《La Campanella》.