CH 9

Favouring You?

The Premio Paganini is an international violin competition named after the famous Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini and is one of the most important violin competitions internationally. The semi-finals were held at the Carlo Felice Theatre in Genova.

With the personal guidance of Shu Jingzhi and his own excellent skills and techniques, Ying Ruoyun qualified for the final. In the ensuing final, although he did not win the first prize, he did achieve a good result.

Upon his return, he placed the Premio alla memoria del Renato e De Barbieri on his art shelf in his bedroom, next to a picture of him and Shu Jingzhi. (Angel: The Premio alla memoria del Renato e De Barbieri is a special award offered by the cultural and charitable association in the same name to the Italian finalist competitor for the best interpretation of Paganini’s Caprices.)

While he was lost in thought, his phone vibrated, and he received a call.

It was Shu Jingzhi.

When he picked up the phone, his pleasant voice flowed in his ears, "Ruoyun."

“Mmm."

"Jet lagged?"

"No, I'm sorting things out."

"Now, come to my house."

"But Conductor, we just got back from the airport together a little while ago..."

"I want to see you."

"It's already late."

"There is a reason why I must see you."

"It's... what?"

"The position of principal second violin, if you are interested, right now, come and see me."

The principal second violin, it is the most important role outside the principal first violin.

Ying Ruoyun didn't even think twice before hanging up the phone, leaving the house, going downstairs and turning left.

The door to Shu Jingzhi's room was ajar, with a warm light peeking through.

Ying Ruoyun kept wondering, why on earth did he move here?

Shu Jingzhi actually did not like living in a dense neighbourhood, let alone a high-rise, as he was extremely sensitive to sound and had unusually strict requirements for a quiet environment.

When they were together before, they lived together within a villa in the coastal district of A City. There was a piano in the living room, and the sun often shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows on his face as he played the piano, while behind them was the endless blue sea and sky.

Ying Ruoyun liked the ambience of the world, so he chose to live here after returning to China.

What he hadn't expected was that Shu Jingzhi would move in below his house.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought of asking why, but he always felt he was in no position to do so.

Entering the door, Shu Jingzhi was sitting on the sofa in the living room, his eyes downcast as he read a book.

Ying Ruoyun did not make any noise, but Shu Jingzhi seemed to sense his arrival and closed his book at the right time.

Ying Ruoyun sat down beside him: "Where's Milky?"

Shu Jingzhi poured him a glass of water: "I accompanied you abroad for some time and temporarily sent it back to the coastal district, the housekeeper is taking care of it."

In the end, Ying Ruoyun couldn't hold back and asked, "Why did you move here from the coastal area?"

"Is the reason important?"

"Not really, I'm just curious."

"Think about it yourself."

"Is this place closer to work?"

"No."

"The feng shui is better here?"

"It sucks."

"You just have too much money and no place to spend it, I guess."

"I'm not that bored."

“It couldn't be because you moved here so you could enslave me, could it?"

Shu Jingzhi changed the subject, "Zhao Runfei is going abroad and will be leaving the orchestra next week. At that time, there will be a vacancy for the principal second violin, with three to four candidates, and the promotion test will be scheduled for next week."

"How do I qualify as a candidate?"

"It requires an A+ in the previous year's appraisal performance and a letter of recommendation from two or more professionals."

"I can do the latter, but I haven't been in the orchestra for a full year yet."

"That's the reason I wanted to see you tonight." Shu Jingzhi looked at him, "The orchestra has the 'Regulations on Exceptional Nominations', which states that if the orchestra's conductor and concertmaster unanimously agree, additional candidates can be nominated on an exceptional basis."

"You are willing to give me this opportunity?"

"I did have the idea. But even before I approached Tan Xiaoshi to discuss it, she made a point of calling me and highly recommended you." Shu Jingzhi's expression was a little gloomy: "You and she... have a good relationship?"

"Sister Xiaoshi is really great, she takes care of me and is exceptionally kind!" Ying Ruoyun was about to continue with his praise, but looking at Shu Jingzhi's increasingly gloomy expression, he could only swallow his words and add in a small voice, "But we don't really know each other very well, it's just a pure colleague relationship..."

"What about Zhao Runfei?" Shu Jingzhi looked at him critically, "He recommended you to me as well."

"Huh?" This was completely beyond his expectations, and Ying Ruoyun spoke haphazardly, "Our relationship is purer than pure, maybe it's because I subbed in for him last time?"

"I see, you're purely collegial with everyone."

“Absolutely true."

"What about with me?"

Ying Ruoyun's brain went blank for a moment.

Shu Jingzhi looked at him tenderly, and the night was quiet, as if it was waiting for his answer.

Ying Ruoyun didn't know how to answer at all.

Shu Jingzhi let out a soft sigh, "Every time you bite your lip, you are preparing to lie."

Ying Ruoyun swallowed nervously, "I'm not."

"You're biting your lip again."

Ying Ruoyun was so embarrassed that his ears flushed red, "I did bite my lip, but I didn't..."

"Yun Yun," Shu Jingzhi smiled at him, "I know you better than you think I do."

Ying Ruoyun became lost in thought at his address.

Shu Jingzhi continued, "After you are nominated, you should prepare well for the promotion assessment next week, the other candidates are all the best in the orchestra and the final result is still unknown."

"I know, I will do my best." Ying Ruoyun said sincerely, "Thank you, and Principal Tan, and Principal Zhao. It's late at night, so I won't continue to bother you..."

"Wait," Shu Jingzhi took out a piece of manuscript paper from his book, "here's a piece of music for you."

Ying Ruoyun took the sheet music and found that it was familiar.

"I was sorting through the manuscripts two days ago, and I found this piece of music."

The more he looked at it, the more familiar it became, and Ying Ruoyun suddenly remembered that it was the first piano piece he had written during his university days.

To be more precise, it was the first piano piece that Shu Jingzhi had guided him to write, and the first piano piece he had written for Shu Jingzhi.

Since piano was not his speciality, after finishing it, Ying Ruoyun always felt unsatisfied with it and thought that he would revise it later, before throwing it into Shu Jingzhi's study to collect dust.

It was never titled, never officially played, and had even been drowned in his memories.

"I revised the whole piece and adjusted some details."

Ying Ruoyun looked down to read it and saw, at a glance, that the title read: Redamancy.

His heart beat extremely fast.

In English, redamancy was a word that was no longer used. It simply stands for 'love', but unlike other words for love, it emphasises the 'interaction' of love. (Angel: In other words, it means a love returned in full; an act of loving the one who loves you; the act of loving in return.)

When you love someone, the person is in love with you.