Chapter 49 (2/2)

Min Chen looked at Farrel in surprise. “You mean. . .”

There was a meaningful smile on Farrel’s face. He looked at the bustling, splendid nightscape of S City. “I think Paris is good.”

Not long after, Daniel and Christole drove over from the parking lot, and they sent Farrel back to his hotel. Daniel held the steering wheel and joked with Christ in the passenger’s seat, while Min Chen sat alone in the back seat, pondering something with a frown.

He recalled Farrel’s earlier words and the furrow in his brow deepened. In the end, he sighed quietly, murmuring, “Paris, then. . . Did he. . .”

By then, Qi Mu had already returned to his hotel and was packing his luggage. After the Centennial Celebration, it was time for B City Symphony Orchestra’s spring performance. He had to go back to B City to prepare himself and join the rehearsals as soon as possible.

Qi Mu set an overcoat in his suitcase. He hadn’t moved away when he heard his cell phone vibrate. He stood up and stepped over the luggage, reaching for his phone on the table. When he saw the name of the sender, Qi Mu froze for a moment before opening the text message.

Min Chen: 『The performance tonight was excellent. Congratulations.』

Qi Mu let out a quiet laugh. He tapped the touch screen a few times: 『Thank you. Conductor Zhu said you might not have time to come. I didn’t expect to see you tonight.』

It wasn’t long before Qi Mu received a reply: 『I arrived at Hongkou Airport this afternoon, and I have a ticket for tomorrow’s flight to Berlin.』

Before Qi Mu answered, there was another message: 『Some things happened in the orchestra recently.』

Seeing the evasive sentence on the screen, Qi Mu couldn’t help laughing. He put the clothes he held aside and responded to the other party with due respect: 『I wish you a pleasant journey, I’m also flying back to B City tomorrow. By the way, I should let you know that today I encouraged one of your admirers in your name. I hope you don’t mind.』

The streets of the Bund were bustling, the stream of vehicles not stopping even so late in the night. Min Chen looked at the dark Huangpu River outside the window. The phone in his hand vibrated suddenly, and he peered down at it.

His gaze paused for a moment on the smiling face at the end of the message, then he resumed texting: 『That’s fine, it doesn’t matter. I also wish you a pleasant journey.』

This time there was no response. Qi Mu had already put down his mobile and continued to pack. Min Chen turned his head and again stared at the Huangpu River engulfed in the darkness.

Several cargo ships sailed slowly along the black surface. The lights of the city were so bright that the water seemed like a cold, dark abyss.

The man’s slender fingers beat rhythmically on the casing of his phone. Although he seemed calm and composed, in fact, Min Chen’s heart was turbulent, and his mind filled with too many thoughts.

Daniel had investigated the relationship between Qi Mu and Lu Zi Wen——the only time they were in contact was that one joint performance in Vienna eight years ago. At the time, Lu Zi Wen was your average newcomer in the first violin group, and Qi Mu had already been lauded as a gifted child prodigy.

But, if so. . . if they had no relation with each other, how had Qi Mu changed so much?

And, why. . .

. . .did he resemble Lu Zi Wen so strongly?

Min Chen’s pupils constricted, and his lips parted slightly.

It was not possible for two different people’s music to be identical, not to this extent. . .

Absolutely impossible.

Min Chen felt as if he stood before an impenetrable door. It wasn’t locked, but there were also no gaps—sealed so tightly even air could not pass through it. He ran into a dead end before he had even begun. But it was right in front of him, and he couldn’t ignore it.

This was the first time in his thirty years of life that he had encountered such a queer thing as an almost identical 《Bell》.

Even though there were slight differences, no one would dare deny it if Min Chen publicly announced that Qi Mu’s 《Bell》 was the same as Lu Zi Wen’s 《Bell》. After all, this was Min Chen, the man who could hear when a single string’s mistake.

“So why. . . How could this be?”