KOCM

56-60

Chapter 56

Paris, France's capital, was famous for being the world's most romantic capital.

This beautiful western city, like many of Europe's cities, had tall skyscrapers. From above, the city was built in rings, each carefully planned building part of this circle of rose and thorns, surrounding the Arc de Triomphe at the center.

After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Qi Mu took a taxi directly to the National Conservatory of Music.

Before, when he'd come to France with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, he had visited Paris many times, but if he was left alone in the city, he would get lost.

A handsome young man with dark hair and eyes was eye-catching at the Conservatory.

Several students laying on the lawn saw an Asian youth carrying a violin case and luggage, and they were eager to come up and show him the way. Soon, he found the university building.

To call it a building was too exaggerated. The three-story facility was made of creamy white marble and surrounded by a beautiful green lawn decorated sparsely with white.

Once he was through the doors, Qi Mu registered quickly. Due to the late hour, he went to an apartment arranged with the help of the school. The conservatory generally didn't provide accommodations, but they would often help students in need find places to rent.

Qi Mu's apartment was a little smaller than the one in B City. Its kitchen could only accommodate two people, but it was overall quiet and clean. Most of the previous residents were probably music students as a separate study had been opened in the apartment and could be used as a music room.

It took an hour to unpack the luggage he had brought with him and once everything was tidied up, went to stand by the quaint, delicately-patterned window and pushed it open.

A spring breeze off the Pacific Ocean brushed aside the fine black hairs against his forehead. Paris had a temperate climate, and while it was further north than B City, March was warm, and a simple coat was more than enough.

"So. . . I really am back, ah. . ."

He glanced down at the pedestrians coming and going on the street below, then the European architecture around him, the flow of the crowd, and it felt like he had returned home to Vienna--

All that it was missing was the statues of master musicians that were unique to the music capital.

Qi Mu chuckled. He shook his head and left the window open for ventilation then went back to work.

Once night fell and the stars were bright in the sky, moonlight shone down on the sleeping city and Qi Mu's first day in Paris was spent busy running around.

The next morning, Qi Mu brushed his hair, grabbed his violin case and cellphone, then hurried off to the conservatory.

The staff that sent him off to the apartment yesterday had said the violin department was holding a special admission exam for him at nine o'clock.

In Huaxia's terminology, this was called special treatment, or. . . entering through the back door.

Although the university didn't have a precedent for accepting a student months after the start of the year, Professor Akkad had insisted, and they naturally could not refute.

Therefore, when Qi Mu entered the building, after only a few steps, a teacher led him to an empty classroom. There should have been no tables or chairs, but literally in the center of the room, on a smooth desk, there was a pen and piece of paper waiting for him.