On a rare morning without early self-study, Lin Qingqing slept until the sun was high in the sky before finally crawling out of bed in a daze.
The young girl yawned as she walked out of her room, only to see Lin Murun putting on his shoes at the entryway.
"Brother, are you going out?" Lin Qingqing asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Yes, I’m heading to the music school," Lin Murun replied.
"Then stay safe on the road. Bye-bye!" Lin Qingqing waved at him.
"See you tonight." Lin Murun stepped out with his violin case on his back.
The weather was sweltering. By the time Lin Murun reached the bus stop, a thin layer of sweat had already formed at his temples. He checked the estimated arrival time of the bus on his phone and opened an app to start practicing some problems.
Last night, Lin Murun had returned a call to the owner of the Star-Moon Music School.
The school was located on a street near No. 1 High School. The owner, a man surnamed Yuan, was a high school classmate of Lin Murun's uncle.
In July of this year, one of the violin teachers hired by the school had resigned due to family matters. A teacher resigning wasn't the end of the world, but the problem was that the enrolled students now had no one to teach them. Boss Yuan was frantic with worry. By chance, he heard Lin Qingqing mention that her cousin played the violin exceptionally well, so he found a way to contact Lin Murun and hired him as a part-time summer teacher.
In the blink of an eye, the school semester had begun, but Boss Yuan still hadn't found a suitable replacement. Knowing that high school coursework was demanding, he felt it was inappropriate to ask Lin Murun to stay, so he had called Lin's uncle instead.
Lin Murun knew that Boss Yuan was a long-time friend of his uncle. After some consideration, he decided to stay on as a part-time teacher until Boss Yuan could find a suitable candidate.
Fifteen minutes later, the bus wobbled to a stop. Lin Murun scanned his QR code and boarded.
The bus's air conditioning was running at full blast. Since it was the weekend, there were no seats left. The crowded carriage felt stifling, and the occasional sound of a toddler crying made several passengers knit their brows in annoyance.
Lin Murun found a spot to stand and opened his question bank to continue studying.
A pair of small hands suddenly tugged at the hem of his T-shirt. He looked down and met the clear, dark eyes of a young child.
The child wasn't shy at all. Seeing him look over, the toddler let out a happy, gurgling laugh.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." The child's mother, who had been resting with her eyes closed, woke up and quickly grabbed the child's mischievous hands.
"Apologize to the big brother, quickly!" she said to the child.
The child let go of Lin Murun's clothes and turned to bury their face in the mother's arms.
"I'm sorry, little brother. The child doesn't know any better," the young mother apologized softly to Lin Murun.
She looked exhausted, with heavy dark circles under her eyes despite being only in her early twenties.
"It's alright," Lin Murun replied with a gentle smile.
Half an hour later, the bus reached his stop. Lin Murun followed the flow of people off the bus, crossed a street, and pushed open the glass doors of the Star-Moon Music School.
"Teacher Lin is here?" The girl at the front desk poked her head out. "There are still fifteen minutes before class. Why don't you have some water and rest for a bit?"
Lin Murun nodded. He set down his violin and went to get some water, only to unexpectedly find an acquaintance in the waiting area.
"Brother Bin" was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt today. His long hair was tied back with a hair tie. He held a book in his hand, his lips slightly pursed. At first glance, he looked like someone who was difficult to approach.
Hearing the movement, he looked up and glanced toward Lin Murun.
This man's features were each superior when viewed individually, but together they formed a cold, aloof expression. However, his eyes were truly beautiful. When he looked at someone quietly, the light shimmering in them was like the ripples created by the long tail of a spring carp brushing the water's surface—clear and somehow deeply affectionate.
"Hello," Lin Murun took the initiative to greet him.
"Hello," the "Brother Bin" sitting on the sofa responded politely before withdrawing his gaze.
Lin Murun took his water cup upstairs. He waited in the classroom for nearly forty minutes before the first student knocked on the door, panting for breath.
"I'm sorry, Teacher! I woke up late from my nap."
The student's parent also apologized profusely to Lin Murun, not forgetting to urge the child to practice diligently before leaving.
"Wipe your sweat first," Lin Murun handed a tissue to the little girl.
The girl nodded and hurriedly wiped her face.
"Play the etude I taught you last time first." Lin Murun opened the sheet music and placed it on the stand.
"Okay!" the little girl nodded frantically.
Hearing the faint sound of the violin from upstairs, Si Bin looked up and asked the front desk, "How much are the violin lessons?"
"Huh?" The girl at the front desk was in the middle of contacting a parent. She froze for a moment before immediately pulling out a price list. "Generally, it's 6,999 yuan for 25 lessons. But if the student requires high-quality instruction, we also have one-on-one VIP customized classes."
Si Bin nodded.
The girl quietly observed his expression and asked tentatively with a smile, "Are you looking to sign up, handsome? Teacher Gao works here, and the boss said we can give internal discounts for friends and family of the staff."
The "Teacher Gao" she mentioned was one of Si Bin's many childhood friends.
"Can you specify a teacher for the VIP customized classes?" Si Bin asked, seemingly nonchalant.
"Yes, you can choose from any of our full-time teachers." The girl found a brochure and handed it to him. "The violin teachers the boss finds are all famous instructors with teaching experience. We guarantee you'll learn!"
Si Bin took the brochure and scanned it quickly. "Only full-time teachers take VIP students?"
The girl nodded. "That's right. Only full-time teachers can take one-on-one VIP courses."
Just then, a student finished a guitar lesson. Gao Yuan saw the student off and then wandered over to the lounge area with his water cup.
"What are you guys talking about? You're even handing out brochures now?" He was sharp-eyed and saw the pamphlet in Si Bin's hand from a distance.
"Teacher Gao, you're just in time! Your friend wants to sign up for the violin VIP class and is currently choosing a teacher," the girl replied with a laugh.
"Oh ho?" Gao Yuan walked over and patted Si Bin on the shoulder. "Is the sun rising from the west? Back then, when I asked you to learn guitar with me, you complained it was too noisy. Today you're actually signing up for a class on your own?"
"The violin isn't noisy," Si Bin replied.
"Who says! Who says!" Gao Yuan said indignantly. "Let me tell you! The violin is incredibly hard to learn. When a beginner plays, it sounds exactly like sawing wood. I'm afraid you'll run away before you even finish learning the sheet music!"
Si Bin glanced at him. "Oh."
Gao Yuan nodded solemnly. "Really! I'm not lying to you."
"If you really want to learn an instrument, come learn guitar with me. You'll get VIP treatment at an internal price! I know you're not short on cash, but every little bit saved counts. Life is all about careful planning."
He rambled on, but Si Bin didn't react.
"I've given you such a hard sell, aren't you even a little tempted?" he asked.
"Maybe next time." Si Bin set down the brochure.
Gao Yuan stared at his face for a moment, then signaled the girl standing nearby to go back to work.
"Tell me the truth, why do you suddenly want to learn the violin?" Gao Yuan lowered his voice. "Before, when I asked you to come to the music school with me, you were so reluctant. Now, you're actually coming here every weekend of your own accord?"
Si Bin didn't answer.
"Did you take a fancy to a student? Or a teacher?" Gao Yuan guessed in a whisper. "Wait, that's not right. The youngest full-time violin teacher is already thirty-two. Most of their students are kids under fourteen."
Gao Yuan hissed, rubbing his chin as he analyzed. "Or do you want to learn an instrument to chase a girl at your school?"
Si Bin raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"
"Then why do you suddenly want to learn the violin?"
At that moment, Lin Murun led a student down the stairs. Si Bin caught a glimpse of him from afar, then withdrew his gaze and said, "It's nothing. I just asked on a whim. I don't want to learn anymore."
Gao Yuan had a look that said "I think you're hiding something from me," and he kept pestering Si Bin, trying to pry even a tiny clue out of him.
Si Bin picked up his book and ignored him, no matter how much he guessed.
At six o'clock in the evening, Lin Murun saw off his last student. As he walked down the stairs with his violin on his back, he found "Brother Bin" still sitting on the sofa reading.
He seemed to have been sitting there for a long time. When his long-jointed fingers turned the pages, he was so quiet that he seemed out of place with the noisy sound of the rain outside.
"Teacher Lin, it's raining," the girl at the front desk said. "Did you bring an umbrella?"
Lin Murun shook his head.
The street was already soaked. Rain fell on the umbrellas of passersby, splashing into a white mist.
Lin Murun looked up at the sky and felt that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon.
"Oh dear! What should we do?" the girl fretted. "I only have one umbrella too."
"It's okay, the rain isn't that heavy." Lin Murun took off his violin and handed it to her. "Can I store my violin here today?"
"Of course." The girl took the violin and nodded. "Are you going to walk back in the rain? Why don't you have your family pick you up? It's not good to catch a cold."
"It's fine," Lin Murun said. "I'm leaving. See you tomorrow."
"Ah... see you tomorrow then." The girl waved at him and went back to her work.
Lin Murun walked to the glass door and pulled it open. A wave of heat, carrying the damp scent of rain, rushed toward him. Just as he was about to leave, a blue plaid folding umbrella suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"Take it."
He heard "Brother Bin's" voice.
Lin Murun didn't take the umbrella. "What about you?"
"My friend brought a car," Si Bin said. "I'll be taking his car back in a bit."
He placed the umbrella in Lin Murun's hand.
"Does your friend work at the music school?" Lin Murun asked.
"Yes," Si Bin grunted. "Just take it."
Lin Murun accepted the umbrella. "Thank you. I'll return it to you tomorrow."
"No need. I have something to do tomorrow, so I won't be coming to the music school. I just checked the weather forecast; there will be more showers tomorrow, so there's no rush to return it." Si Bin looked at the leaden sky and said, "I remember you're a student at No. 1 High School."
"Yes," Lin Murun nodded.
"Then return it to me on Monday. My name is Si Bin, from Grade 11, Humanities Class 1."
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
星月琴行 | Star-Moon Music School | The name of the music school where Lin Murun works.
司彬 | Si Bin | The full name of "Bin-ge".
高远 | Gao Yuan | Si Bin's friend and a guitar teacher at the school.
文科一班 | Humanities Class 1 | The specific academic track and class Si Bin belongs to.
