Chapter 131 (2/2)

Min Chen: 【I’m in London.]

Qi Mu strolled as he thought of a reply, then said: 【You’ve just arrived? The tour will start in a few days. Please rest early.]

After a pause, Qi Mu decided to send another text: 【I went to an orchestra’s recruitment audition today.]

After about five minutes, the other man didn’t reply but called his phone instead. Slightly surprised, it took Qi Mu a moment before pressing the answer button. “Min Chen?”

It was noisy on the other end of the line. Qi Mu could hear multiple people chattering about where to have fun before turning in for the night. Daniel was shouting, “Oi, take your room cards first, you little bastards.” The man’s low and magnetic voice stood out against the background noise.

“Which orchestra?”

Qi Mu walked to the subway station’s entrance, his phone in hand. “The Vienna Symphony Orchestra. They’re recruiting for the deputy concertmaster, so I thought to give it a try. But… Guess what happened?”

Hearing this, Min Chen halted for a beat. Then, Qi Mu heard him walking, and the background noise started to fade. Min Chen gently sighed, then said, “You got first place.”

The bleak autumn wind blew into the subway and Qi Mu couldn’t help but tightened his coat. He smiled helplessly and said, “You guessed it. Mr. Evra, their chief conductor, admitted that I’m the best among the applicants but it didn’t help me much.”

Qi Mu swiped his subway pass card, while the man on the other end of the line hesitated. Finally, he asked, “You didn’t want to go there?”

Qi Mu shook his head. “I want to… The others had no opinion on it, but Mr. Evra declined my offer.” Thinking of how helpless he looked onstage, Qi Mu squinted. He paused, then added oil and vinegar to the story, “Mr. Evra said he would never hire me as their deputy concertmaster. Well, I was very sad about it. Now is when you should comfort me.”

Min Chen froze. “…”

Qi Mu couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Well, I lied to you. Mr. Evra thinks that I’ve surpassed their concertmaster, Jacques. The orchestra couldn’t hire a deputy concertmaster who’s better than the concertmaster. I’m not particularly obsessed with getting into the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, anyway, so it’s no big deal…”

“Don’t be sad.”

Qi Mu’s words halted on his tongue. Stunned for a long while, he was still in a stupor when a subway train passed in front of him. After a long time, he asked in a low voice, “Was I sad?”

Min Chen’s low and magnetic voice came through the speaker, “You were.”

Staring at the bright lights in the subway station, Qi Mu asked, seemingly to himself, “Was I really… sad?”

What Akkad said was true. In this “worst” era, an outstanding violinist would always meet the biggest problem in their life; they were too excellent. In this era, perhaps more ordinary people would have it easier. When Evra rejected him, Qi Mu accepted it with a smile. Though he realized that… His future was uncertain.

As Evra said, an orchestra doesn’t need a deputy concertmaster who surpasses the concertmaster. Even in Paris, when Hooke wanted to invite him to join the New York Philharmonic, Boswell vetoed the proposal, as he regretfully informed Qi Mu afterward.

Excellence had become a hindrance. It was as if there was a huge, boundless wall stretching out in front of Qi Mu. He didn’t know how to overcome it.

“Things will get better, Qi Mu.” Min Chen’s sigh resounded in Qi Mu’s ear. “Soon, you will get your chance. I believe… The time will come very soon.”

The last few words made Qi Mu asked, “What do you mean?”

Instead of answering his question, Min Chen said, “Dorenza is also in Vienna these days. He talked to me about you the other day. Wei Ai’s tour this year will be postponed for two months because their deputy concertmaster will retire soon.”

Qi Mu’s eyes widened in shock. It took him a long time to say, “Is it Mr. Anthony? I don’t know at all…”

A smile in his voice, Min Chen whispered, “Dorenza told me in private. It should be… in the next six months.”

Walking to the next lane, Qi Mu leaned against the wall and whispered, “Do you think I can get into Wei Ai?”

Min Chen didn’t deny, just replied with a soft hum.

The roaring sounds of the subway drowned the young man’s whisper. Qi Mu’s smile didn’t fade until he arrived at his station, even after hanging up the phone. With his violin case in hand, he stepped into his apartment.

He felt lost, just for a moment…

Strength, after all, was the best protection in the world of classical music.

In London, a handsome, elegant man slowly put down his phone. He looked out the window, over the bustling nightlife. His gaze was pointed east——The direction of Vienna.

Did he want his beloved to go to Wei Ai?

Yes, but not as the deputy concertmaster.

As…

The concertmaster.