CH 8

Bewitched Again?

Even though he repeatedly warned himself not to be bewitched by him, at every step of his coaxing, Ying Ruoyun was hopelessly immersed in a passionate and powerful outpouring of emotions.

His senses were mobilised, his talent stirred, his understanding of the music and his own experience blended together in a seamless and unforgettable way. It was as if he was not playing Shu Jingzhi's music at all, but rather that it flowed naturally from his strings like magic. It was heartfelt and tantalising.

When the song was over, silence descended. The lingering sound of the music lingered in the air, a heavenly music.

Even Shu Jingzhi, one of the top conductors in the international music circle, was stunned by this wonderful performance. He gazed intently at the young man in front of him, recalling the rainy night when they first met.

Ying Ruoyun was wearing a clean white shirt with a French fringe at the collar, his brown hair all soaked by the rain, with beads of water running down the contours of his face, and the fabric of his shirt clinging to him, outlining his sharp collarbone and slender figure.

He stopped him to ask for a pen and paper, saying that he couldn't wait to write down his inspiration.

Shu Jingzhi was holding a black umbrella at the time, calmly surveying the man in the rain. His personality had always been indifferent, noble and proud, and he would have ignored such a casual passer-by.

But for some reason, with just one glance, the man in front of him touched him. Maybe it was the heat in his eyes, maybe it was his crazy obsession with music, maybe it was some kind of unspoken destiny.

For the first time in his life, Shu Jingzhi was willing to hold an umbrella for him, to take out blank sheets of music paper from his folder, and to watch him write down that sequence of melodies.

This was their meeting.

To this day, this time and this night, Shu Jingzhi thought, he had never not missed watching him.

Ying Ruoyun was born for music, and he would always and forever surprise him.

"That was a very good performance," Shu Jingzhi said, "I believe you can still do better, but that's all for today."

Ying Ruoyun avoided his gaze and, in an unusual silence, put away his violin, slung his case over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"Wait." Shu Jingzhi sensed something strange.

Ying Ruoyun turned his back to him and stopped.

Shu Jingzhi said, "Turn around."

Ying Ruoyun did not move.

"Ruoyun." Shu Jingzhi said, "Be obedient."

Ying Ruoyun turned the handle of the door and was about to leave. Shu Jingzhi stepped forward and grabbed his wrist. Ying Ruoyun tried to get out of his grip, but as he struggled, the moonlight crept in, and he could clearly see the red corners of Ying Ruoyun's eyes, and the slight traces of tears that had not yet dried up.

His heart suddenly tightened violently, and Shu Jingzhi's breath trembled: "Yun Yun..."

"Conductor, please don't misunderstand." Ying Ruoyun was rational and restrained, but his voice carried a slightly viscous undertone: "I was just touched by the music."

"Okay, I understand. Can you stay a little longer?"

"Why?"

Shu Jingzhi removed his violin case and placed it on the floor to the side, before gently hugging the person in front of him.

Ying Ruoyun took a deep breath.

"Thank you for playing," Shu Jingzhi said, "I enjoyed it."

Ying Ruoyun felt a sourness in his throat, and it took a few moments before he pushed him away and picked up his violin case again.

As he left, he heard Shu Jingzhi say:

"Sweet dreams tonight."

———

September 3rd, 7 PM, International Art Exchange Centre, City A.

Even though Ying Ruoyun had already seen Shu Jingzhi's enormous influence, he didn't expect that after only two years away from China, Shu Jingzhi's fame would be more than ten times greater than before.

Giant posters were displayed at the entrance of the International Arts Exchange Centre, and large VR projections were projected in the night to promote the recital. International and domestic journalists and photographers crouched in front of the concert hall with their long cameras, and the red carpet and flashing lights were in full force.

The most prominent names in the music world were gathered here, and when Ying Ruoyun looked at the list of invited guests, he was incredibly surprised: almost all the most renowned composers, pianists and violinists in China were present, and even the Mozart International Society, the Bach Society, the Royal Academy of Music, the Conservatoire de Paris and his own alma mater, the Eastman School of Music, were represented.

The most outrageous thing was that at the end of the invitation list there was a small note: Space is limited, only a selection of guests is shown, please download the document for the full version.

Ying Ruoyun downloaded the document and found that it was 599 pages long. Slightly helpless, he asked the staff member who was doing his make-up, "How can the concert hall possibly hold such a large audience?"

The make-up artist explained, "Tonight's recital is being broadcast live online and offline worldwide, and most of the guests are online. All those who will be on site are the biggest names in the music industry, don't be too nervous, Xiao Yun."

Ying Ruoyun was not too nervous, but when she said so, he got a little nervous.

The chance to perform the finale with Shu Jingzhi at such a major recital was an opportunity that many people could only dream of.

Shu Jingzhi trusted him like this, and he absolutely, positively could not let him down.

"Alright, wow, Xiao Yun, you're great!" The make-up artist looked at her finished product in the mirror and commented with satisfaction, "Conductor Shu wouldn't have chosen someone based on their appearance, would he? He's got such good taste, I'm crazy excited to see it!"

Ying Ruoyun couldn't withstand the compliment and immediately blushed.

"Wow, what are you blushing for, Xiao Yun? That makes you look even cuter and gives you a ravishing..." Before she finished her sentence, she saw Shu Jingzhi's knife-like gaze and immediately swallowed the latter half of her sentence, "My work is done, I'll leave first, call me on WeChat if something comes up, bye."

Ying Ruoyun: ......

"Ready to go?" Shu Jingzhi asked him.

When Ying Ruoyun saw Shu Jingzhi, his head went blank for a few seconds. Words can hardly describe the visual shock he gave him, it was not just his stunning appearance, but also the absolute suppression of his temperament and aura. He was like a divine envoy high above the world, untouched by mortal matters, whose gaze would easily crush all the mundanities in the world without hesitation.

"You look wonderful." Shu Jingzhi's gaze settled on him for a long time: "Tonight's look suits you very well."

"Don't make fun of me." Ying Ruoyun said, "In front of you, I..."

"You look wonderful." Shu Jingzhi repeated, "Don't be nervous, it's just like our usual practice."

"Mmm."

"It's 7:36, the recital starts at 8:00. The last piece is scheduled for 9:00, so you can rest for a while before that."

"Okay."

"Once you're on stage, if you're nervous, just..."

"I'll just look at you."

"Mmm."

At exactly nine o'clock, the recital was reaching its climax.

Ying Ruoyun stepped onto the stage, and as the spotlight shone on him, he was surprisingly calm inside.

It was because Shu Jingzhi was looking at him, giving him his full attention and gentleness.

He met that gaze with such warmth and softness in his heart.

Together with his former lover, he played a piece of music that belonged to them, and everything was so natural and beautiful.

His performance felt as if he had been guided by the gods, and it was even more beautiful than the usual practice.

When the curtain came down, the applause was thunderous, and they stood side by side as if they had received the most sacred honour in the world.

———

After the recital, Ying Ruoyun left for Italy to attend the semi-finals of the Premio Paganini.

Having Shu Jingzhi with him saved him a lot of trouble, but at the same time added to his problems.

Most music students are required to learn Italian, but they only need to master the pronunciation, not the depth. Shu Jingzhi, on the other hand, learned it directly to the level of a native speaker. In addition to this, he is fluent in English, German, Russian, French and Spanish.

So no matter which country you go to in Europe, having Shu Jingzhi with you means that you can travel unhindered, which is the pleasant part.

However, there were also unpleasant situations, such as when you encountered his crazy fans around the concert hall, as was the case now.

Some blonde lady excitedly exclaimed, "Ohhhhhh Gooood, it's him! Shu! Can't believe my eyes, he is more handsome than I imagined!"

Next came the sound of a flash, and then, "Could I take a photo with you?"

Shu Jingzhi doesn't like to be photographed and always politely refuses.

Then, nine times out of ten, someone would notice Ying Ruoyun and say, "Wooow, a cute creature, no offence, but I have a feeling, you guys a couple?"