The Chief Conductor’s Strange Lover

ue next to him kindly handed him the score for 'Symphonie Fantastique' by French musician Berlioz.
This symphony is masterful and a great example of musical romanticism.

Ying Ruoyun loves this piece, and in normal times he would never have made a mistake.
But this was a totally unfamiliar environment, he had joined an orchestra that was totally unfamiliar to him, not to mention that, looking at Shu Jingzhi's face, he was restless.

Momentarily lost in thought, he slowed down a beat.

Shu Jingzhi's tone was cold: “Get out.”

The music abruptly stopped.

Ying Ruoyun nervously said, “I'm sorry, please give me another chance.”

Shu Jingzhi looked at him and repeated, “Get out.”

There were whispers from the crowd, and Ying Ruoyun was so embarrassed that his ears turned red.
To be expelled by the conductor on the spot at a rehearsal would be an unbearable humiliation for any performer.

Ying Ruoyun could not understand it at all.
In the past, Shu Jingzhi would never have done such a thing.

In his memories, Shu Jingzhi was synonymous with being a calm gentleman, he never did anything embarrassing.

Why had he become like this?

———

During the afternoon practice, Ying Ruoyun returned to the second violin position.

This time he performed as usual and worked very smoothly with his colleagues.
During the intermission, the colleague beside him reassured him: “Conductor Shu's character is like that, somewhat arbitrary and maverick.
But he has no ill will towards you, you've just arrived and need a bit of time to adapt, you've done well.”

Ying Ruoyun smiled, showing his understanding, but his heart was still in turmoil.

He even thought about quitting the job, he still couldn't keep his mind off of Shu Jingzhi.

In order to get familiar with the orchestra as soon as possible, Ying Ruoyun did not leave work as scheduled.

He asked for all the scores that the orchestra had played and rehearsed recently and intended to spend the evening practising them over and over again.

At nine o'clock at night, he left the rehearsal hall and went to the lounge on the second floor, where he poured himself a glass of plain water.

Standing by the blue floor-to-ceiling window, the bright red roses in the courtyard appeared delicate and charming as they were drenched in rain.

It had been two years since he had left A City to study in New York, and two years since he had broken up with Shu Jingzhi.

He thought he had put himself back together and was able to embrace life again.

But the heavens just had to tease him, reuniting him with this man on his first day back here.

And it was, in fact, a very unpleasant reunion.

Ying Ruoyun looked gloomy at the thought.

It was raining outside, and the rain fell on the glass window, leaving pearly shadows.

Someone with a white umbrella was in the courtyard, picking a red rose.

It was Shu Jingzhi.

Ying Ruoyun watched him with rapt attention as he remembered the scene of their first encounter.

It was his third year of university, and it was also raining heavily.
He was suddenly inspired to compose in the rain, so he threw away his umbrella and stopped a passer-by to ask for a pen and paper.

The person he stopped was Shu Jingzhi.

This was the beginning of his downfall, but it was impossible to anticipate their separation.

Watching his figure disappear, Ying Ruoyun's heart was filled with an unspeakable melancholy.

Just as he was about to return to the rehearsal room, a deep voice rang out in his ears: “Why did you come back?”

Ying Ruoyun's breath trembled as Shu Jingzhi came very close to him.

His hair was damp with moisture, and he looked at Ying Ruoyun with eyes like deep pools.

Shu Jingzhi stepped closer to him, and Ying Ruoyun leaned against the glass window.

Outside was the summer rain, dense and flustered, as if it was pounding on his heart.

Ying Ruoyun could smell alcohol.

He had been drinking.

How could he drink?

He had never drunk alcohol before, because he was extremely self-disciplined and alcohol corrupted people.

These were the things he had told him.

Everything was different.

Ying Ruoyun looked at him.

Shu Jingzhi propped one hand on the glass window, his warm breath sprayed on the side of his neck, and the tingling sensation stirred up an electric current of excitement.

It reminded him of the first time they had kissed, on a similarly wet and rainy day.

Shu Jingzhi's lips were so close to his, if he tiptoed slightly, they could touch each other.

Their breath entwined, and the ambiguity festered in the silence of the night.

Shu Jingzhi wrapped his arms around his waist, and the heat of his palm was hot through his thin clothing.

Pushing him away, Ying Ruoyun left the concert hall and rushed into the rain.

The rain drenched his hair and lapels, flowing over every inch of his eyelashes and face, as if it could flow into his heart and quench the screaming restlessness.

Shu Jingzhi is my unspeakable past and the secret I keep in the bottom of my heart.

 

And this reunion, is it my destiny that I cannot escape?