Follow the sound and follow the way

The little birthday star couldn't put it down for the gifts from the three "Susu". After the meal, he hastily finished the process of blowing out the candles and cutting the cake, and couldn't wait to hold the new toy and drag his mother to run back to the room.

As soon as the two ladies left, the atmosphere at the meeting changed abruptly, and the four of them split up.Guan Xiao took out a bottle of 15-year-old Macallan hidden in the corner of the refrigerator, Qiu Liming set out wine glasses, Mu Kang prepared water, Lu Xifeng opened the window a crack, and the children's birthday party suddenly became a home version of the boiling point wine party.

"Group L arrives on the 19th." Qiu Liming took a sip of whiskey, "The performance is scheduled for the 22nd."

Holding his wine glass, Mu Kang asked, "Who refers?"

Guan Xiao whispered, "Boss Zhang."

Mu Kang was taken aback: "Huh?"

"It's true." Lu Xifeng took a sip of his wine, "I didn't believe it at first."

"It shouldn't be." Mukang said, "Didn't you tell Steve about the situation?"

"Reflected." Qiu Liming said, "But Yusheng Music Company is the biggest sponsor of this performance."

Lu Xifeng shook his head and said, "I see the show is coming to an end."

"It can't be." Mu Kang, a non-staff member of the orchestra, asked, "Is Boss Zhang really that bad?"

Lu Xifeng and Guan Xiao smiled wryly while holding their wine glasses. Qiu Liming drank half of the whiskey in the glass and said to Mu Kang, "Boss Zhang has a famous saying that resounds throughout the conductor world."

"Don't tell Lin Zhi." Guan Xiao warned, "It will damage the image of J Academy."

"He said it in a lecture once." Lu Xifeng vividly imitated Zhang Yusheng's full-bodied tone, "'The conducting work is actually very simple...'"

He made a gesture similar to stir-frying: "'As soon as the score is opened - where is the black, go there.'"

Mu Kang: "..."

Qiu Liming couldn't bear to look back and covered his face, while Guan Xiao looked up and drank the wine in one gulp.

"Fuck me." Mu Kang was dumbfounded while holding the wine glass, "Is he joking?"

"We were all there at the time." Guan Xiao said, "It's not like a joke."

Qiu Liming said helplessly: "It's not a joke, it's just his experience."

Mu Kang sighed: "I... really didn't expect it."

"Boss Zhang has always been like this." Guan Xiao said, "At that time, Su Qing's matter involved him, so I wasn't too surprised."

Lu Xifeng ordered the dining table a few times: "You said that the performance of the master and the others is about to end."

"Not necessarily." Qiu Liming glanced at Mu Kang, hesitantly said, "After all, it is a top group, maybe..."

"It's nothing 'maybe'." Mu Kang said in a deep voice, "The resident conductor is Lin Yan. The gap is too big. They must not be able to adapt to Boss Zhang."

Several people looked at each other for a while, feeling that the situation was quite serious, but they didn't know how to intervene.

"Forget it, leave it to the master." Guan Xiao got up to refill the drinks for everyone, "It's useless for us to worry about here."

The wine game ended on time at 09:30 in the evening under the sharp eyes of Guan Xiao's wife.After Mu Kang got home, he spent an hour packing his luggage, took a bath for another 10 minutes, and did not hesitate to call Wang Junfeng before going to bed.

Manager Wang said worriedly, "Drink less alcohol."

Mu Kang: "I can't sleep well without drinking."

"Drinking too much is bad for your brain." Wang Junfeng said earnestly, "You rely on your brain for food."

Mu Kang: "Who doesn't rely on brains for food?"

Wang Junfeng: "..."

Mu Kang said again: "That's right, there are some people who don't rely on their brains for food."

Wang Junfeng was speechless for a moment, then asked, "When will you be back?"

Mu Kang: "I don't know, it depends on the situation over there."

"Okay, keep in touch at any time." Wang Junfeng instructed, "Don't go missing again!"

As soon as Mu Kang heard the word "missing", he felt uncomfortable, and said angrily, "Understood, that's it, bye."

Wang Junfeng: "...bye."

After hanging up the phone, Mu Kang didn't take Wang Junfeng's exhortation to "drink less wine" to heart, and quickly opened a bottle of the same Macallan that he had just had at Guan Xiao's, filling one-third of the classical glass, All I wanted was a good night's sleep.

He was lying naked on the sofa, and halfway through drinking, the symptoms of lovesickness were temporarily relieved, and the long-silent desire gradually climbed and lingered.

Mu Kang thought of Lin Yan through his drunkenness, closed his eyes and relieved the anxiety in his lower body with his bare hands.

He has a lot of experience with himself, and it won't take long to masturbate, but at the moment of ejaculation, Mu Kang didn't feel much happiness.

Compared with the extreme orgasm of that night, the living room at this time is dark and cold, there is no white and soft bed, no vague ebony fragrance, no hot and tight hugs, no wanton dripping sweat, no overbearing and strong The penetration, no...

No.

No? ?

Mu Kang suddenly realized an unusual detail, and sat up quickly despite his hands full of semen.

He frowned and recalled in the dark for a long time, hesitating, not sure if he forgot, or Lin Yan really...didn't kiss him well from the beginning to the end that night?

Most of the surrounding areas around the equator are hot all year round, but the eastern plateau of country C has a cool climate, and it is the Coron Islands in the tropical human gathering area.

The tenth rainstorm in October arrived as promised.

The rain soaked the soil, and the foundation was crumbling. The rehearsal hall, which had just been built for two months, was lingering in the mud, and it seemed that it would not last long.

Standing barefoot in the dirty mud, Lin Yan braved the rain to repair the outer wall of the rehearsal hall together with local residents. He knew that this kind of repair would not cure the root cause. After two or three rains at most, the rehearsal hall would collapse.

He can't remember how many times this is the first time he has repaired the outer wall, nor can he remember how many collapsed rehearsal halls this is, and he can't remember how many young lives he has bid farewell to in the heavy rain.

Mia, who was sitting in the rehearsal hall, was about to become one of the countless innocents kissed by death.

She has just turned 12 years old, and she plays the French horn very well, with a beautiful and gentle timbre, and her breath is more delicate than that of boys.Lin Yan likes to use her French horn and woodwind to play lyrical passages. Mia can find the most accurate breathing and rhythm almost without Lin Yan's hint every time.

Lin Yan did not expect that when he set off from Johannesburg and crossed the mountains and came to the slums on the plateau in central Africa, he would be greeted by the chief horn who was already in danger.

Not seeing her for more than half a year, the girl was skinny and skinny, and her dark skin, where her clothes were exposed, was covered with dark red sores.

For a child born with HIV, surviving to the age of 12 is a fluke.The moment Lin Yan saw Mia, she knew that her time was almost up.

In the evening before the heavy rain, Mia stood in the dimly lit bungalow and said in French with a strong accent: "Evan, you are finally here!"

Lin Yan accompanied many AIDS patients when they were dying.The world is tragic and shocking, forcing the self-sacrificing Lin Yan to become half an AIDS expert.

Lin Yan tried hard to hide the sadness in his eyes, and said to Mia: "I brought a new song."

Mia said weakly: "Great, but I... can't participate in the rehearsal."

Her whole body festered and her symptoms were severe. If she was in a developed country, she would be a patient who would need to be isolated in depth.

"It's okay." Lin Yan said, "I'll take you to practice alone."

For every child who is about to die and cannot participate in rehearsal, Lin Yan will try his best to provide one-on-one guidance, and today's rain is the witness of the last class between him and Mia.

The rehearsal hall temporarily survived with the concerted efforts of everyone.Lin Yan was drenched by the cold rain, put on a towel whose original color could not be seen, went in and continued to give Mia a lecture.

On the music stand in front of Mia was the first horn part of "Elf in the Forest". Seeing Lin Yan coming in, she immediately pointed to the score and said, "I want to try this part."

Lin Yan walked over and took a look: "This section depicts a stream."

"I've never seen a stream." Mia coughed, "Is it all right?"

"No problem." Lin Yan sat down opposite Mia, "Come on."

Mia slowly picked up the French horn. The beloved instrument weighed a thousand pounds to her at this time, but she firmly expressed to Lin Yan that she didn't need help.

The breath of this young player's playing has been slackened, and the vibration of his lips cannot be in place, but the emotion of the music has not been erased, and the tone is still the delicate and gentle sound that Mia is good at, like a gurgling underground stream in the jungle.

It's a pity that the lonely horn sound only managed to last ten bars.

Panting, the girl handed the French horn to Lin Yan tremblingly and said, "Evan, can you hold it for me?"

Lin Yan took it steadily: "Does it sound good?"

"It sounds good." Mia whispered, "Is the composer your friend?"

"It used to be." Lin Yan smiled wryly, "but now...not anymore."

Mia looked at Lin Yan in surprise, and the excitement of a girl flashed in her gray eyes.

Like a ray of life.

The helpless Lin Yan caught it, and wanted to say something in an instant, so as to catch the light of life that was about to go out.

After hesitating for a while, he said, "Mia, let me tell you a secret."

"Okay!" Mia's eyes lit up, "I'm listening, Evan."

Lin Yan: "It's about this composer.

Mia: "Yeah."

Lin Yan calmly said to the girl: "I love him."

"Ah!" Mia exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the composer?"

Lin Yan: "Yes."

Mia asked curiously: "Why are you not friends now?"

"I did something wrong." Lin Yan whispered, "I don't know what to do to make him forgive me."

"I know." Mia said immediately, "Go and apologize!"

Lin Yan looked at Mia sadly: "He won't forgive me."

Mia blinked and said, "Let me tell you a secret too, Evan."

Lin Yan: "Okay."

Mia showed an innocent smile, and said with some embarrassment: "I love you too, Evan."

Lin Yan smiled softly: "Well, I know."

Mia: "Will you forgive me if I do something wrong?"

Lin Yan said pitifully, "Of course."

"That's it." Mia nodded, trying to sit up straight, "He will forgive you too."

Lin Yan was stunned.

A life that is about to end is comforting a soul in pain with its meager power that seems to be the finale.Lin Yan stared into Mia's eyes, her heart beating violently.

At this moment, two fully armed doctors pushed the door open and entered.The appointed time has come, and Mia will be taken to the quarantine area for a final round of medical examinations, and then spend the end of her short life there.

Lin Yan retreated to a safe distance, quietly watching the doctors put on Mia's patient clothes.The girl was docilely at the mercy of others, and was supported to stand up after getting dressed.

Two doctors supported Mia and walked out. A volunteer came to hold an umbrella for Mia, and Lin Yan followed silently.The heavy rain did not stop, the ground sewage flowed across the ground, and the rehearsal hall was full of people.

Except for Mia, everyone was drenched in the rain, and everyone was silent.

Mia walked slowly to the front of the car, turned her head, and said something to Lin Yan through the rain curtain.

The sound of the rain pouring down ruthlessly overwhelmed the girl's weak voice, but Lin Yan understood it immediately.

That was Mia's silent encouragement to herself.

"He will forgive you" were the last words that the African Horn Princess Mia said to Lin Yan in her short life.

______________

Note:

Dedicated to Mia, the BGM of this chapter is Mozart's "Requiem" (Mozart: RequieminDMinor). "Requiem" is the last work of Mozart, who died young. Mo Tiancai passed away at the age of 35 before he finished writing it.The playlist contains a live recording version of Celibidak conducting the Munich Philharmonic.