Merry Christmas!
Qi Feng suddenly realized he had accidentally called out “Uncle Pei” and looked at Pei Yan worriedly, afraid he might misunderstand. But Pei Yan either didn’t hear or didn’t take it to heart. He still had a smile on his face and shamelessly asked, “It’s so cold in my place. Can I stay over at yours tonight, considering we’re investor and endorser?” As he said this, he stood obediently outside without barging in, patiently waiting for Qi Feng’s heart to soften and give in.
Qi Feng closed the door bit by bit, his tone cold as he said, “Pei Yan, there’s no need for this anymore. Don’t mention me in public again or say things online, it makes me very uncomfortable.”
“Are you angry?” Pei Yan asked as the heavy iron door was about to close.
Qi Feng’s actions halted for a moment before he shut the door completely. As it locked, he seemed to hear the man’s low voice say, “I’m sorry…”
He leaned against the side of the door, listening for sounds outside for a while. In the end, he couldn’t resist and checked the security camera overlooking the front door. The cameras he had installed could see from the hallway outside his apartment to the elevators.
In the footage, Pei Yan was still standing outside his door. His rugged, handsome face showed uncharacteristic patience as if knowing Qi Feng was watching and expecting him to open the door.
Qi Feng pressed his lips together and turned away.
He put the large box of ice cream Pei Yan had brought into the fridge and poured himself a glass of water, drinking it in one go. As he set the glass down on the table, it made a loud ‘thud’, indicating he hadn’t controlled his strength well. He glanced at the monitor again – the man was still there.
Qi Feng only looked for a moment before going out to the balcony and sitting down to play the guqin.
But for some reason, City A was especially cold today. Even with a space heater on the balcony, his fingers still felt stiff, and he strummed the wrong strings several times. The originally melodious, smooth music now sounded disjointed and impatient. After a few songs, Qi Feng frowned and put away the brown wooden instrument.
He looked at the security camera on the living room wall again. Pei Yan was no longer in the footage.
Finally tired of waiting and went home?
He wouldn’t really sleep in that empty house tonight, would he?
What if he got sick…
Qi Feng quickly stopped that train of thought and scoffed at himself – Pei Yan was a grown man, an executive at a corporation. How could he not even manage basic health care? Those pitiful words earlier were just an attempt to cling to him, like that mischievous young general back at the Qi manor who always used excuses to play with his brother, who always went to the theater to pick fights and cause trouble just to make him step in and smooth things over.
—
The feedback from Qi Feng’s music show appearance over a week ago had been surprisingly positive. The production team received many compliments and requests from viewers who wanted to see Qi Feng on the show again.
Combined with Qi Feng’s unusually high popularity recently, the show invited him back after just a few days, hoping he would be a guest performer for their New Year Gala.
The show was called “Essence of Chinese Tradition” – a large-scale traditional instrument concert. The production team had gathered dozens of famous musicians to form a temporary orchestra for the gala, which would perform symphonic works on classical Chinese instruments.
The invited conductor and music director was none other than esteemed guqin master Wu Wenjun.
Today was Qi Feng’s first day joining the orchestra as one of its musicians. Fang Cheng picked him up early to go to the venue and check-in. As they left, Qi Feng’s footsteps halted, and he glanced at the tightly shut door next to his.
Fang Cheng pressed the elevator button for him, looking strangely at Qi Feng just standing there, and asked, “Xiao Feng, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, let’s go,” Qi Feng tore his gaze away and stepped into the elevator.
But before the doors could close, Pei Yan suddenly emerged from next door, half-dressed in his coat, running over to barge into their field of vision. The tall man forced the nearly shut elevator door back open and assertively squeezed into the not-very-spacious interior.
He positioned himself right next to Qi Feng, looking down at the startled boy and said, “Qi Feng, wait for me, I’m going down too.”
Fang Cheng: !!!
“M-Mr. Pei, what are you doing here?! Don’t tell me you’re the new neighbor who moved in next door…”
“You slept here last night?” Qi Feng interrupted Fang Cheng, tone unfriendly as he questioned Pei Yan.
“Mm,” Pei Yan finished putting on his coat and clicked his tongue grievously, “I went out in the middle of the night to buy a blanket and slept on the floor wrapped in it. Hard and cold, I’m sore all over.”
Qi Feng scoffed, “You’re so unreasonable!”
“I deserved it, don’t be angry,” Pei Yan laughed and said, “I’m strong and healthy, I won’t catch a cold, don’t worry…”
Qi Feng avoided his gaze, tone cold and indifferent, “None of my business.”
Fang Cheng was shocked for a moment before quickly realizing what was going on.
No wonder when some netizens had criticized Qi Feng the other day, Mr. Pei immediately came out strongly to defend him, and even openly declared he would keep shipping their CP.
This was what exactly? Wasn’t it taking advantage of public opinion to aggressively pursue someone! When Qi Feng was willing to accept Mr. Pei one day, and the two got together naturally, not only would people not scold and condemn them, but it would also even make the fans and netizens who shipped their CP squeal with joy. Their popularity and celebrations would skyrocket.
Then they wouldn’t have to hide anymore! Mr. Pei’s methods were brilliant.
Fang Cheng was excited inside but didn’t dare say a word in front of the frosty Qi Feng. He only secretly gave Pei Yan a thumbs up when they got off the elevator to show his admiration.
On the way to the parking garage, Pei Yan simply followed behind Qi Feng, not too close but not too far either. Only after seeing Qi Feng get in the car and leave did he go find his own car.
Watching Pei Yan’s departing car, Fang Cheng held back his delight and tried persuading Qi Feng in a roundabout way, “Mr. Pei even moved in next to you. I give him 100 points for persistence. Thank goodness he personally shut down the antis yesterday, I’m really grateful to him…”
Qi Feng: “Eyes on the road.”
“Oh!”
The rehearsal venue for “Essence of Chinese Tradition” was an auditorium provided by the TV station. Today was the first time the orchestra members met. After everyone had gathered, they started introducing themselves.
Everyone except Qi Feng was familiar with each other in the classical music scene, and they quickly became lively chatting away. But when they saw Qi Feng enter, the noisy conversations suddenly quieted as all eyes unconsciously turned to look at him. The harmonious atmosphere abruptly became awkward.
A woman in a cheongsam standing near Qi Feng lightly coughed and politely smiled, “You’re Qi Feng, right? I’ve heard you play guqin and guzheng, not bad.”
Qi Feng glanced at the pipa she held and nodded lightly in thanks.
She asked again, “Your fingering technique seems very good. Your guqin and guzheng must be the highest grade, right?”
Qi Feng shook his head, “No, I never got certified.”
“No certification?” Someone in the crowd echoed in surprise, followed by some laughter.
The woman had only been trying to ease the sudden tension, but her question had inadvertently put Qi Feng in an awkward spot instead. She apologized awkwardly, “Uh…the grades are just a formality, don’t mind it. I hope we can collaborate happily.”
Qi Feng looked around at the musicians keeping their distance from him and gave a light smile, “Thank you.”
The people gathered here were mostly young talents who had trained bitterly on their instruments since childhood, with true skills that could qualify them as masters of Chinese tradition.
In their eyes, Qi Feng was just a small entertainment artist relying on his looks to get by. But this man who depended solely on his face somehow had higher income and fame than them.
Some of them muttered disdainfully and sighed before the director and Master Wu arrived.
“The times nowadays are so superficial and flashy. Relying on looks and hype can make you famous instantly, sparing you many winding detours. We practiced painstakingly for ten years, motivated only by our passion to carry on musical culture, yet no one recognizes us.”
“And we can only play supporting roles to him. The production team is just trying to draw ratings by inviting a popular celebrity as the lead. Of course, they’ll arrange for him to be concertmaster and take the spotlight.”
“Concertmaster isn’t necessarily up to them you know. Master Wu isn’t someone you don’t know – he’ll immediately kick out anyone without true skill. The directors don’t dare offend Master either.”
“That’s right. Let’s just wait and see.”
……
The hall was not very big, so some words unavoidably floated into Qi Feng’s ears. The handsome boy’s expression was tranquil, calm as water. He carefully arranged the various instruments provided by the production team – guzheng, guqin, erhu, xiao, yangqin, bianzhong bells, and xiaogu1⦁ 二胡 (èrhú): a bowed string instrument with two strings and a soundbox covered with python skin. It is also known as the Chinese violin or fiddle ⦁ 箫 (xiāo): an end-blown flute with six finger holes and one blowing hole. It is also known as the Chinese vertical flute or bamboo flute ⦁ 扬琴 (yángqín): a hammered dulcimer with many strings stretched over a trapezoidal wooden soundboard. It is played by striking the strings with bamboo beaters. ⦁ 编钟 (biānzhōng): a set of bronze bells of different sizes and pitches, arranged in a wooden frame. They are played by striking them with wooden or metal mallets. ⦁ 小鼓 (xiǎogǔ): a small drum with a single skin stretched over a wooden or metal frame. It is played by hitting the skin with a wooden stick or the hand..
The role he accepted for this performance was not a solo, but rather all the musicians sitting together in harmony. He needed strong teamwork and rapport with these people to complete the job.
As for being the lead, since he was here, he would take up that role without question.
Soon, the director brought in Master Wu.
The old master wore a beige mandarin jacket, elegant and strict, walking in with spirit. The musicians put down their instruments and went up one by one to greet the old gentleman.
Qi Feng stood at the back, squeezed out by the crowd. But Master Wu’s eyes landed on him right away, and he suddenly asked in a deep voice, “Qi Feng? What are you doing here?”
The production team had invited Qi Feng because of his recent popularity and ability to play instruments. But the orchestra’s conductor was Master Wu, so they had to convince him first to keep Qi Feng.
The director quickly explained with a smile, “Master Wu, didn’t I already tell you? Qi Feng is also a member we invited for ‘Essence of Chinese Tradition.’ I hope that you can give this junior a chance and impart your teachings.”
Master Wu looked around at the dozens of young musicians with various expressions.
The old master humphed lightly, “I can’t teach just anyone. Besides, can you even read the sheet music for the ensemble?”
Qi Feng stepped out from the crowd, meeting everyone’s gaze as he politely replied, “Hello, Master. I can read some.”
Master Wu took out a thick stack of sheet music, flipped to a page, and handed it to Qi Feng. “Then try playing this.”
It was a random excerpt from the ensemble music.
Qi Feng glanced over it a few times before fluidly playing the melody on the prepared guzheng. He was skilled and graceful, allowing those who had doubted his abilities to see his true self.
Master Wu commented lightly, “Not bad.”
Qi Feng understood Master Wu was not deliberately making things difficult for him but rather giving him a chance. He had kept his talents concealed before, but now was the time to transform into music and walk down this path.
Qi Feng pressed down the guzheng strings and stopped the melody to say, “Actually, this part would sound better on pipa, wouldn’t it?”
“You can also play pipa?”
“A little.”
“Oh.” Master Wu narrowed his eyes. “Then play a little on pipa too, let’s hear it.”
The woman from earlier who had spoken to Qi Feng lent him her pipa.
“Thank you,” Qi Feng thanked her again. Taking the pipa, he continued sitting on the mahogany chair as he played the melody.
The same tune on the gentler, more graceful pipa, when played by this elegant youth, had a different charm. Just those few short phrases made the people around him more and more astonished.
This wasn’t just ‘able to play’ – his proficiency was simply exquisite. Even the pipa musician woman couldn’t help sincerely admiring him.
Those who had secretly criticized him just now flushed red with embarrassment. Everyone had thought Qi Feng was just showing off a bit online, an idol relying on his looks. They didn’t expect he truly knew several instruments, not only guqin and guzheng but even pipa!
Master Wu observed the faces of the musicians impassively, then asked, “Other than pipa, what else can you play?”
Qi Feng: “A little yueqin, sanxian, xiao, and some percussion, but not very proficient.”
The young musicians crowded over, continually asking in surprise, “Really? You know so many instruments? When did you learn?”
“You’re so talented. Why didn’t you pursue instruments from the start?”
Some joked, “It’s so funny, we musicians don’t make nearly as much as celebrities. Besides, he’s so damn good-looking.”
“From now on, our little orchestra’s image depends on Qi Feng to hold it up for us.”
With someone saying this, it was like acknowledging Qi Feng would be the lead concertmaster of their impromptu orchestra. Qi Feng heard it in his ears, face expressionless.
Master Wu was still stern. “Don’t get arrogant, young people. Instruments speak for themselves. Whether you’ve got skill will be revealed when you truly get on stage.”
“Don’t waste time. I’ve printed out several copies of the ensemble music. Let’s divide up the work now and start practicing your parts.”
Master Wu had brought music he arranged himself for the ensemble. Based on their specialties, he divided them into woodwind, percussion, and plucked string sections. Qi Feng was placed in plucked strings.
The first piece of the ensemble was “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River2春江花月夜 (Chūnjiāng Huā Yuèyè) is an ancient Chinese music piece that means ‘A Moonlit Night on the Spring River’. It is based on a famous poem by Zhang Ruoxu, a poet from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). The poem describes the beautiful scenery of the spring river and the moon, and also reflects on the meaning of life and the passing of time. The music piece can be played by different traditional Chinese instruments, such as the guzheng (a kind of zither), the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), the dizi (a transverse flute), and the pipa (a plucked lute). The music evokes the mood and imagery of the poem, and is often considered a masterpiece of Chinese classical music. You can listen to some examples of the music piece played by different instruments here: ⦁ Guzheng ⦁ Erhu ⦁ Dizi’.”
Master Wu’s arrangement was extremely ingenious – using pipa and guzheng together as leads, utilizing the different tones and strengths of the two instruments to make this classic piece as beautiful as possible.
It also required choosing pipa and guzheng musicians as leads.
As for who would be picked, everyone looked to Qi Feng without the need for discussion.
Aside from whether they acknowledged Qi Feng’s abilities or not, they understood clearly in their hearts – the reason the production team arranged for such a popular celebrity was precisely to raise the visibility and hype of this concert. Even if they wanted to compete, they couldn’t win against that.
But Master Wu did not state his stance. After dividing up the work, he had everyone start practicing their parts. He had always been stringent about music – even the slightest mistake required repetition, over and over.
He was especially strict with the pipa and guzheng lead parts. After being demanded of and criticized by the old master, the pipa and guzheng musicians played it again and again but still could not pass.
In the end, several people were scolded until red-faced and even wanted to just give up and leave. When it came to Qi Feng however, the boy steadily looked over the sheet music a few times and passed after one try.
On top of proficient technique and musical expressiveness, the refined and noble temperament and jade-like beauty of the boy made it hard to look away. The chaotic hall seemed to transform into a stage. The beauty of the artist was shocking.
Moreover, Qi Feng was younger than them, yet remained as steady as one who had experienced life and death and saw through the tribulations of the world, completely lacking the flamboyance of entertainers nowadays. His earnest and modest attitude made people like him more and more.
Someone couldn’t help volunteering, “Master Wu, let’s hand guzheng lead to Qi Feng, we can’t do it.”
The woman who had lent the pipa to Qi Feng had also been scolded miserably by Master Wu. She swung her pipa with complaints, “I think Qi Feng is way better than me. Give pipa lead to him too.”
Master Wu looked calmly at everyone, and upon obtaining an answer from their expressions, he asked Qi Feng solemnly, “Can you handle being the guzheng lead?”
Qi Feng’s heart finally settled. Standing in front of everyone, he said, “I will do my best.”
Master Wu humphed, “Then it’s up to you. Practice your parts properly, don’t disappoint.”
The pipa girl hurriedly asked, “What about me? Am I still lead?”
Master Wu scolded her, “You keep practicing. If you can’t play it well, keep practicing until your fingers bleed.”
Everyone around laughed. After sparse applause and simple congratulations, they went back to intense practice, the noisy sound of instruments filling the air. Amidst the noise, Qi Feng walked to Master Wu’s side and softly said, “Thank you, Master Wu.”
He wanted to be lead, but without convincing others first, he would only face doubts and attacks from behind. But Master Wu had subtly given him a chance, letting these musicians take the initiative to choose him.
Master Wu did this because he believed in Qi Feng’s abilities.
The old gentleman was taken aback at first. Then he snorted arrogantly, turned his head, and continued yelling at the others, “What tune are you playing? Again! And you, wrong string!”
Qi Feng smiled lightly. Turning around, he gazed at the rows of bianzhong bells on the stage, watching the musicians holding yueqins and pipas. Listening to the flute and drum sounds around him. He had once lamented falling to playing in theaters but had also gradually come to love these moving melodies.
This orchestra was his beginning and his destination.
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