Chapter 105 (1/2)

Qi Mu pushed open the mahogany door, and a beautiful melody spilled out from inside.

Naturally, rehearsal halls weren’t designed like concert halls. Many were styled like classrooms and built with sound insulation. Often, there were only seats for the orchestra and none for an audience.

However, Bai Ai’s was obviously an exception.

At a glance, Qi Mu gauged about 300 seats and in front, a 50 cm platform stage. The red curtain was drawn to both sides, and nearly a hundred people were gathered under the lights.

Qi Mu listened for a few lines then turned to Min Chen, “They’re rehearsing Tchaikovsky’s 《Symphony No. 6 in B minor》?”

Min Chen gently closed the door behind them. The entrance was so quiet, no one on stage noticed their arrival. Only Daniel, who sat in the audience, saw and turned to stare in surprise.

“Yes, Tchaikovsky’s temporarily set as our autumn tour’s theme. They’re rehearsing the first piece.” Min Chen walked toward the stage, whispering to Qi Mu, “We’ve performed Symphony No. 6 before, so they’re familiar with it.”

Qi Mu nodded but didn’t speak.

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was keen on Bauhaus’ minimalistic style. This hall wasn’t as brilliant as many of the concert halls in Vienna and was decorated mainly in black and white. It channeled the black and white keys of the piano to express the fluidity of music in various smooth, curved lines.

Even the seats were minimalistic. Qi Mu saw Danial, but to his surprise, Min Chen took him two rows away from the smiling, waving agent.

Daniel: “…”

Qi Mu: “…”

Aware of the confusion, Min Chen pulled down a chair and sat, whispering, “This seat has the best audiovisuals. They’re only rehearsing now, and Christole is leading them, but it’s best to sit and listen here.”

Qi Mu: “…Really?”

Min Chen nodded calmly: “Really.”

Qi Mu frowned: “Then why did Daniel sit there?” …Shouldn’t he be sitting over here?

Min Chen casually glanced at Daniel and answered, “He has bad judgment and chose the wrong seat.”

Qi Mu: “…”

Daniel: “…”

Oi, I heard that!

On stage, Christole led the orchestra in their rehearsal of the second movement. As concertmaster, he was responsible for leading Bai Ai in their conductor’s absence. Obviously, he had become excellent at this.

As Qi Mu listened, he couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes and immersing himself in the melancholy.

The second movement of Tchaikovsky’s 《Symphony No. 6》 was a gentle adagio and had a soothing rhythm. It wasn’t anywhere as pleasant, or as comfortable, as 《Serenade》. In fact, it was rather sad and depressing.

Qi Mu’s eyebrows furrowed as he listened to the moving melody. He noticed it was a little below Bai Ai’s usual level of performance, but still at an orchestral peak.

This clearly marked Bai Ai’s excellence. Just a few days of rehearsal under their concertmaster, who wasn’t even a professional conductor, and they could play with first-class quality.

Of course, near the end of the movement, Qi Mu heard the timpani miss a beat and someone in the cello group made a mistake. These errors were within the range of tolerance, though, and were temporarily ignored.

As the last note lingered in the air, Qi Mu applauded, offering his respect and encouragement to the musicians.

Christole took the bow from his strings and looked down from the stage at the sudden applause. When he saw the black-haired young man, the name “Little Angel” flashed through his mind, but before he could act, the other Bai Ai members were jumping around like they were in a frying pan.

“Oh my God! Little Angel?!”

“Oh God, when did he get here? Why didn’t I notice?!”

“It was only yesterday when I said to McCann Angel hadn’t called the conductor for a long time. Why did he suddenly come here?!”

……

Christole shook his head helplessly, thinking: Of course, you won’t think of how your Little Angel suddenly got here… Have you considered who brought him?

Sure enough, a moment later——