Chasing You and I’m Home Chapter3
Mu Kang has known Lin Yan for about two years. Though they don’t spend a lot of time together, they seemed born for each other, which made them good friends for now. People already said “soulmates” in front of Kang for thousands of times, but no one dared to say that to Lin yet.
After all, as an outstanding conductor, everyone in the orchestra is a bit afraid of him.
Kang, the outsider of the orchestra, doesn’t give a shit though. He took Yan with him conspicuously and talked with him all night. He doesn’t feel anything wrong, but the others were worrying about them.
At 1a.m., Lu Xifeng breaks into Kang’s piano room alone, with a food box in hand which contained a plate of spicy crayfish.
Yan is listening to Kang’s talking with all his mind, sitting in front of the piano. The picture is too beautiful to be break.
Lu Xifeng ought to do that though. “Come on, come on. Spicy crayfish.”
Kang stands up to grab the box, “Its name is taste shrimp.”
Yan: “Taste … shrimp?”
Kang take out a pair of gloves from it, passing it to Yan. “Ah, a kind of spicy crayfish originating from my hometown.”
Xifeng: “Bullshit.”
The three then suck the crayfish without caring about their appearance. Kang teaches Yan how to eat it patiently, “See, here’s the tail, you just stripe it from the mid to two sides … yup, suck here first, the meat is there instead …”
Yan drinks the spicy oil in the crayfish. His eyes lit up. “Delicious.”
Kang shows no expression. “Just so-so. Too plain.”
“You fucking perv. I ordered the most spicy ones.” Xifeng eats a few, and finds it too spicy to eat, “I don’t want to eat anymore.”
Kang: “Please yourself.”
Xifeng takes out the gloves, drinking coke fiercely and looking upon at the other two’s heads. They are eating enjoyably. He hesitates, finally saying, “Well, it’s almost … time for bed. About 2.”
Yan paused, “Yeah? Already so late?”
Kang: “Hm?”
Xifeng: “We dismiss after eating?”
Kang thinks for a moment, “… Okay.”
Xifeng reliefs, admiring his own wisdom in mind. He was so terrified when he got the task to “take Yan away from Kang” a few hours ago at the dinner table.”
Qiu Liming: “I’ve already been for it for 5 times.”
Guan Xiao: “Four.”
Li Zhongyuan: “Three.”
Zhimu: “Even I have been there one time…”
Liming: “You have to do it for the rehearsal tomorrow.”
Boss Zhang’s face rushed into his mind. He drunk up the bottle of beer, finally compromised.
And now Kang finished his part of the crayfish while Xifeng finished his task. Both of them are satisfied.
Kang and Xifeng pack up the leftovers quickly. Yancloses the piano cover, dealing with the music score on the table well, then he puts on his coat and turns off the light. The whole process of actions flowedi naturally l as if at home.
Xifeng can almost see the eight-letter word “soulmate” floating in front of him.
The three men walk in the campus in the wee hours. The wind in January is cold. Trees by the roadside are covered with dirt, showing laziness. Yan tightens his coat. Half of his face is behind the collar, just showing his beautiful eyes.
Kang finally lights up his cigarette because of the fierce cold wind. The fire flickers faintly under the street lamps. He breathes in deeply, sighing comfortable, “Damn good.”
Yan doesn’t say anything, but you can tell he is smiling by his eyes.
Xifeng: “Conducter Lin, well, tomorrow, no, no no, in the morning today, remember to rehearse.”
Kang narrows his eyes like a cat defending his own land.
Yan looks at Xifeng, smiling happier, “I know.”
His mouth is in the collar, which hides his voice. He even sounds a bit naïve, nothing like an unbelievable amazing conductor.
Kang: “I figured it out … you little bastard … are playing tricks with me …”
Xifeng: ……
Yan: “What?”
Kang points at Xifeng fiercely. Xifeng seems to have a strong interest in the sky suddenly, “Lin, it is so cold outside, isn’t it? Is it going to snow?”
They say goodbye at the door of the building, Yan goes back to the teachers’ apartment, Kang and Xifeng to the student dorms. Liming and Xiao are waiting for them.
Once they see Kang and Xifeng, they feel relievedat first, then walk away without saying a word.
Xifeng: ……
How can there be no compliment?
Kang: “Jerks … I tried to tell them in advance …”
Xifeng: “Tell what?”
Kang points at him fiercely again, then leaves without looking back.
Qiu Liming is the first to come to the rehearsal hall early the next morning. He is surprised to find out that Kang is sitting in his chief seat. Deep-fried dough stick on left hand, music score on right hand. Shining through and through.
“Morning. Did you eat breakfast?” Kang raises his head.
Liming: “What are you doing here?”
Kang: “Well, what does it have to do with you?”
Liming: “I’m the chief of the orchestra. Everythingthat happens here has something to do with me.”
Kang: “Fine.”
Liming: ……
Kang: ……
Liming tries to use a softer tone. “Well …”
Kang finishes eating, lifting a soybean milk, “At least I can watch A-Yan rehearsing here, right?”
It takes a while for Liming to figure out who is “A-Yan”.
He looks at Kang with suspicion, sitting at the vice chief’s seat and begins to sort out the music scorefor the rehearsal.
Kang is looking at the score seriously. Liming glances and finds out that it is a symphony.
“New work?” he approaches curiously.
“Yup.” Kang puts the score on the stand, “Play this part with your violin.”
Members of the orchestra arrive continuously. They all ask Liming whether Lin would come and all show relief when they got a yes.
Adjusting the rosin and correcting the intonation, Liming hit Kang’s seat. “Off.”
He returns to his own seat, watching the score with full attention. Kang stands beside to tell him the emotions in it.
Liming holds his violin, nodding, “Got it.”
Contrary to his ordinary appearance, Liming’s music is full of emotion, bold and daring, frank and honest like a love poem.
People in the rehearsal hall all slow their breath right after few notes.
Afraid to disturb him. Afraid of him stopping.
Well, they are not Kang.
“Don’t roll in these bars.” He says plainly while turning a page.
The breath of the music is disturbed for a second, then is adjusted soon. Liming looks straight, letting the music to be smooth.
After five pages, Kang raises his hand, “OK, stop.”
Liming put down his violin, “How was it?”
Kang: “Ideal.”
Almost everyone is here except Lin. Xifeng andGuan Xiao are playing the bars Liming was playing just now without given any instruction. A few notes are wrong. People are laughing.
Zhongyuan sits opposite to Liming without smiling, saying to Kang, “Symphony again?”
Kang: “Un huh, symphony poem.”
Zhongyuan: “What for? Who will rehearse? Whowill play it for you?”
Kang is adjusting on his score, “It just makes me happy. Mind your own fucking business.”
Zhongyuan stares at Kang for some time, saying slowly, “Really … none of my business?”
Kang raises his head to look at him. His expression is mysterious.
Zhongyuan still wants to ask more. Suddenly the gate of the hall is pushed open, some cold air goes in.
Everyone stops talking while Lin walks in quickly. Kang stands beside the podium, catching the slight scent of ebony at the first time. They look at each other and smile.
Lin’s face is a bit red due to the wind. He seems to be innocent with his pale skin and sincere smile. He takes out coat, sitting on the stage and looking around the orchestra, “Seems everyone is here. Have you tuned already?”
Liming: “Yes, conductor.”
Lin: “I’m going to say something first.”
Kang suddenly shows some strange pride.
“Besides The Firebird, we’re going to rehearse a new one. We will change the concerto into a symphony poem in next week’s concert.”
Kang wants a cigarette unconsciously but he suddenly remembers that the hall is a 'No Smoking’ area. He rolls his fingers anxiously.
Lin: “I made a deal with the dean. We’ll play Kang’s new work in the first half.”
Everyone: ……
The orchestra falls into a strange silence. Some are looking at Lin, the others at Kang beside him.
Kang nods theatrically.
“Are you kidding?” Xifeng asks loud.
Lin smiles, “No kidding.”
Kang: “Don’t panic. It's just a symphony, no more than half an hour.”
Zhongyuan murmurs, “I know …”
Lin: “Now Kang will give out the score. Practice for an hour. We rehearse it this morning. The Firebird will be on afternoon.”
Kang takes out score from nowhere like a magician. The chiefs of the parts take it like sleepwalkers and give them out as one. Then they start playing like one as well after the command of Lin.
The symphony is called Le Renegat on un Esprit Confus. The inspiration comes from an afternoon when Kang read Albert Camus. The preacher in the story changed belief and had his tongue cut off by his new belief. Though he was confused after reading it, but it didn’t matter. Inspiration and understanding aren’t the same thing at the first place.
Like he admires Camus so goddamn much but still has no clue whether he is an existentialist.
The symphony has a confusing name but it is easy to understand itself. Kang has put Camus’ humanity and sensibility in his music and everything becomes romantic and reasonable.
No one argues about playing Kang’s work, instead, they read the score seriously. Kang sits in a chair on the side, checking the score for the last time.
Lin follows.
Kang: “Don’t. Let me check it through once more.”
It is the first time that he let a full orchestra play his own work. He isn’t as calm as he looks.
Lin: “I checked a few times last night. It is more than perfect.”
Kang pauses, looking right into Lin’s eyes. He opens his mouth but cannot say a word.
Lin says, “It is true. It's perfect.”
Kang stares at Lin, asking suddenly, “Why is your face still so red?”
Lin: ……
Kang: “Too hot?”
Lin: “… Yes.”
Kang closes the score and passes it to Lin, “I feel hot as well. I feel great relief as you say that. Then I'll just go out for a cigarette.”
Kang almost runs out without looking at Lin. He has been nervous for a whole night, but his heart rateseemed to peak when he and Lin were looking into each other’s eyes.
The cold wind makes him sober. He lights up acigarette, the nicotine calming him down. He stares at the faint light, a bit confused.
Confused about his own cluelessness.
It is just a symphony poem. That’s all.
Thinking for a while and figuring out nothing, Kang comes back to the hall.
Facts have proven that Conductor Lin is always right. They finish smoothly more than half within 3 hours. Genius Mu shocks everyone one more time. They are all sighing after rehearsing.
“The jerk can actually write everything.” Liming says to Zhongyuan.
Zhongyuan shrugs, watching Lin and Kang talking beside the podium.
Most of the time, Kang is in a I-don’t-really-fucking-care mode to communicate with people. But he does care about Lin. His eyes are shining when he talks to Lin.
Lin obviously knows that. He talks a bit different when he is with Kang as well. But Zhongyuan is not sure about how much does Lin know about Kang’s “care”.
Does he know that Kang has never cared foranyone like this much?
Zhongyuan stares at Lin’s handsome face for some time then looks away.
Not even a slight crack on it. He cannot read Lin.
TBC
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