Chapter 40, Song 40...
Cai Rui went to Xia Xiaolei's office first. Even without any additional conditions, he was willing to help Qu Jiaying with this favor.
Unexpectedly, Xia Xiaolei was practicing the piano. Cai Rui casually asked, "Are you busy? Can we chat for a bit?"
"Yes, please come in." Xia Xiaolei still has quite a few performances to do, and no matter how skilled she is, she still needs to practice beforehand.
“We should collaborate more often,” Cai Rui said. Xia Xiaolei’s piano skills are among the best in the country. Even though she focuses most of her energy on teaching, her technique is flawless, and her musical interpretation is becoming more and more mature.
“If you stay here for too long, you’ll get tired of working with us,” Xia Xiaolei said with a smile. She put away her zither, and Cai Rui got down to business.
“As a conductor, I admire this concertmaster.” Cai Rui tried his best to teach Qu Jiaying performance techniques and the secrets of cooperating with the symphony orchestra. There is a difference between a concertmaster and a soloist.
Xia Xiaolei sighed helplessly: "I know she's a good person, but you should be aware of the difficulties she will face in the future."
Cai Rui is well aware that he was once very fortunate. When he participated in an international competition, a world-renowned conductor judge appreciated his unique style, which enabled him to stand out as a Chinese person.
However, after his mentor passed away a few years ago, Cai Rui's circumstances changed, which led him to accept the invitation from China.
“When you were studying in Germany, you must have encountered something similar, so you don’t want Qu Jiaying to repeat the same mistake, right? But times have changed. There are many Asian contestants participating in the competition now, and the probability of winning is higher. Not to mention, our generation is paving the way, so they will have an easier time than we did back then,” Cai Rui said.
Xia Xiaolei frankly said, "My lack of talent is the most crucial factor. I failed to integrate the Russian school and find my own style. The mix of schools, my uninteresting personality, and my ethnicity ultimately prevented me from succeeding. You are much better than me. You have the added advantage of nationality, and a very distinctive interpretation and conducting style."
“I also play the violin, and my skill level isn’t bad, but compared to conducting, it takes much more time. If we’re talking about talent, I think it’s just this thing—putting in the same amount of effort to get a higher return,” Cai Rui said.
Xia Xiaolei nodded: "However, Qu Jiaying relied more on her love for it. Compared to you and Qu Jiaying, I didn't have many other options back then."
Cai Rui had learned a bit about him. His upbringing was completely different from Xia Xiaolei's. Although his family was not well-off, they were still quite well-off, and it was relatively easy for them to support his music studies. However, Xia Xiaolei grew up on a farm with her parents who had been sent to the countryside. She either had her parents write down the scores from memory or secretly transcribed them from foreign radio broadcasts.
Xia Xiaolei had long accepted her fate. She smiled and said, "Speaking of which, there were more news reports about me in China back then than about Xiang Xiaojuan. The violin still has a wider audience than the cello. However, she was more talented than me. Although her family was a little better off than mine, her parents didn't know how to play musical instruments like my parents did. All her achievements were due to her talent and hard work."
“She really works very hard,” Cai Rui said in a low voice. He still remembered that Xiang Xiaojuan went to perform with a big belly before giving birth, and she was performing again not long after giving birth. He felt sorry for her, but she herself did not feel it at all.
Xiang Xiaojuan was the most passionate musician he had ever met. In that sense, Qu Jiaying's personality was indeed somewhat similar to hers. So, was that why Xiang Min had feelings for Qu Jiaying?
Xia Xiaolei laughed again: "I've heard some gossip. There was a time when you and Xiang Xiaojuan were very close. Is that true?"
Cai Rui admitted, "We used to be very close."
"Was it when she was studying abroad?" Xia Xiaolei guessed.
Cai Rui shook his head: "It was after she returned to China, but we first met at a music event abroad."
"Oh? I remember that was also the peak of your career, right? In those days when communication was inconvenient, you two had a long-distance relationship." Xia Xiaolei admired the two of them a little. After Xiang Xiaojuan returned to China, she joined the National Symphony Orchestra and performed continuously.
Cai Rui sighed. Although he was not Xiang Min's biological father, he had been by Xiang Xiaojuan's side since then and was almost regarded as her father by Xiang Min.
However, he and Xiang Xiaojuan were still separated because of the distance. He didn't want to make any more excuses. He never expected that Xiang Xiaojuan was seriously ill at the time. He was on tour in Europe that year and missed seeing her one last time. That's why Xiang Min has always hated him.
Cai Rui steered the conversation back on track.
Xia Xiaolei satisfied her gossipy curiosity and still stuck to her own ideas.
Meanwhile, Qu Jiaying contacted Xiang Min, but he didn't reply to her messages or answer her calls for a long time. She knew Xiang Min's schedule, and he didn't have any classes at the moment. She asked around, but she couldn't find him at the practice room either.
Qu Jiaying had no choice but to go to a place she hadn't visited in a long time—Xiang Min's rented apartment.
She knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Actually, she still had the key. She had wanted to return it before, but she could never find a suitable opportunity, so she just left it in her pocket.
She hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to Xiang Min before taking out her keys to open the door.
The room was dark, and the curtains were not yet drawn. Qu Jiaying glanced at the entrance hall, where Xiang Min's shoes were still outside. She called Xiang Min's name as she walked in.
Xiang Min lay on the bed, groggily opening his eyes: "...Jia Ying?"
"It's me. I called and texted you but didn't get a response, so I came over to check on you. Are you sick?" Qu Jiaying sat on the edge of the bed, turned on the bedside lamp, and touched his forehead. His palms were burning from the fever.
"Did you take your medicine?"
"...No, I'll just sleep a little longer."
"When did the symptoms start?" Qu Jiaying asked.
"I felt a little cold yesterday," Xiang Min replied weakly.
The temperature has dropped sharply these past two days, but Xiang Min seems to have never paid attention to the weather, only remembering what's fashionable. Qu Jiaying sighed and continued to ask, "Have you eaten anything?"
"I have no appetite and feel weak all over."
"I understand." Qu Jiaying got up to boil water and get him his medicine.
Xiang Min reached out from under the covers and grabbed Qu Jiaying's clothes: "Wait a minute, don't go."
"I'm not leaving. I'm just going to the kitchen to see what I can make for you. I'll be right back," Qu Jiaying comforted him. Looking at Xiang Min's sickly appearance, she wouldn't have known he was ill if she hadn't just happened to be looking for him. She was even less willing to force him to reconcile with Cai Rui.
In fact, Xiang Min was well prepared. He had many medicine bottles, including not only common treatment drugs but also many health supplements.
Qu Jiaying never expected that Xiang Min was someone who took good care of his body.
"With so many medicines, why did you make yourself look like this?" Qu Jiaying said helplessly.
"..." Xiang Min did not answer, but obediently took the medicine.
Qu Jiaying vaguely remembered something: Qiu Xue said she had run into Xiang Min when she went to the hospital. Now that she thought about it, maybe it was related to his mother, or maybe it was a hereditary disease, which is why he had to go to the hospital so often.
Qu Jiaying went to the kitchen again and made steamed egg custard with the little ingredients she had left. She didn't know how to cook at all, but she had no choice in Germany, so she honed her skills. However, it was only so-so and not particularly delicious.
Qu Jiaying put the used tableware in the kitchen and went back into the bedroom. Xiang Min, who had eaten something, was a little more energetic. She leaned against the headboard, smoothed her hair, and tidied up her blankets and pajamas.
"Why did you decide to come see me today?" Xiang Min knew Qu Jiaying's sense of propriety.
"It's nothing." Qu Jiaying really didn't have anything to discuss with Xiang Min lately, and couldn't find a good excuse for the moment.
So Xiang Min understood immediately.
His face darkened: "Cai Rui sent you to find me?"
"He just wanted you to hand in your homework so you wouldn't fail the course," Qu Jiaying took a deep breath and quickly added, "and also to apologize to you."
Xiang Min clenched his fists, his anger blazing: "Apologize? What a joke! Why didn't he say it to my face?!"
"Because you don't want to see him?"
"He always makes excuses."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken up for him," Qu Jiaying said.
"Why are you apologizing? It's his problem." Xiang Min softened his tone. "Can you stay with me a little longer?"
Qu Jiaying grasped his hand and nodded slightly.
Xiang Min was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you willing to listen to me?"
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