Old-time musicians

"Teng" sound.

Sheeran stood up from the office chair, her voice trembling, but she kept the rise and fall of her chest relatively steady:

"How long has it been? I don't believe it."

"Just a simple 'back'?"

"How to prove that you are him?"

Fan Ning, who had just placed his hat and cane against the wall, raised his right hand.

A baton that looked like ebony and surrounded by pale golden spiral patterns slowly took shape in his hand.

""

"Really you?" Suddenly, a cold and boundless starry void appeared in front of Xilan's eyes. After passing through a dim background of cold light, the figure sneaked out of the darkness out of thin air and stood in front of him.

"It's guaranteed to be replaced if it's fake." Fan Ning smiled.

Bang--

The girl put her arms and legs together and hugged Fan Ning, who was all wet, and rested her chin on the other person's shoulder.

"I'm very happy." Her voice choked up.

"It's been too long."

"Maybe you don't think it's particularly long, but it's really too long for me."

As the fresh and elegant fragrance lingered, Fan Ning's originally relaxed expression and body suddenly became unusually restrained, but he did not make any evasive or resisting movements.

"sorry."

Fan Ning stretched out a hand and gently placed it on her vest.

The late night air was quiet for a few seconds, and the warm feeling lasted for a few seconds.

In the next moment, Sheeran quickly pushed himself away from Fanning.

A few people stepped forward, tightened the curtains, and quickly closed the door with a "bang".

Then he turned around and leaned against the door, looking at Fan Ning again:

"Who do you need to meet with right away? Music Director Mr. Walter? Several deputy directors? Or Sir Viadrin? Do you need me to contact Senior Sister Roy who is still in San Pelto right away?"

A look of solemnity and worry appeared on her face.

"The protective effect of closing the door and drawing the curtains may be useful tonight. As time goes by, it will be better than a whole public art facility. Although the front of the Special Patrol Office still needs to take into account the two schools of thought and cannot go too far, but the secret surveillance You should be here all the time. I don’t know how long you plan to stay this time. If you visit us for a little longer, confidentiality measures may have to be carefully discussed. It is not easy to completely cover up the traces under the noses of those people."

Sheeran's choking tone soon disappeared completely.

Fan Ning heard that there was a hint of resilience and calmness in her gentle voice that clearly meant "persistence".

"How long are you going to stay? Ha"

A complicated look flashed in Fan Ning's eyes.

He walked inside step by step, slowly leaned back on the office chair, and picked up a large black-and-white photo stuck on the desk and embedded in the pen holder.

Xilan frowned and didn't understand why Fan Ning didn't immediately prioritize the things to be dealt with and the people to be met, but she still helped him turn on the small gas writing lamp very considerately. He stood quietly behind him again.

The orange light is soft, warm and bright.

Fan Ning brought the photo close to him and looked at it carefully.

The stage of the symphony hall, the echo wall, flowers on the ground, brass decorations and music stands looming in the distance

In the group photo, Master Schillings is in the center, Master Nieman is on the left, and Fanning himself is on the right.

Further to the left, Kaplan and Olga are smiling side by side. Little Irene is being held in Olga's arms. She is not looking at the camera. Her chubby little face is looking up into the air. She doesn't know what attracted her attention; further down. On the right, the old lady from Hamilton is leaning on a crutch in one hand and holding a thick stack of various blessing cards in the other hand, her eyes completely narrowed in laughter.

In addition, there is Miss Roy dressed up in costume, the singers, musicians and chorus members include Sir Viadrin and several of his old branch members. There are more than a dozen well-dressed and standing straight members. Among the dignitaries were several painters dressed in distinctive clothes and bearded figures, and Marais also held a sketch on his chest showing the exaggerated performance postures of a pianist and conductor.

"This is, which time, which scene, when."

Fan Ning, who was trapped in vague memories, felt a vague pain in the back of his head again.

"The conductor is Master Schillings. Did I have a performance myself? I don't remember clearly that I went on stage as an audience member to commemorate it, but it is inexplicably nostalgic. I had many friends here, but now, many of them are no longer here. , some are no longer around, and some have completely abandoned the world.”

After Fan Ning's eyes swept over the conductor Kaplan, the old lady Hamilton and others, they stopped at some details in the photo that made people smile for no reason:

Joan stood on tiptoes and waved her flute excitedly; at the back of the crowd, Lu opened his arms upward and stretched out two timpani sticks high

"Why can't you remember clearly? It seems that your condition is not as good as I thought. What happened next is very worrying." Xilan's expression became more complicated. He pursed his lips and told him directly, "914 New Year's concert, the premiere of your "Choral Fantasia".

"You play the piano very well. At the annual meeting banquet after the show, you announced the year-end bonuses, clinked glasses with us one by one, and said something about 'joy without regrets.'"

"During that time, you have been writing 'Resurrection', and you have written 'Primary Light'. Later that year, I went out with you, Ms. Hamilton's funeral, and later on, you were busy conceiving the final chapter, Turner Art Hall. My career is also advancing by leaps and bounds, and my leisure time is becoming less and less. This continues until the rainy season in summer."

Fan Ning leaned on his seat and listened, feeling a little enlightened several times in succession.

"I've remembered a lot, and my thoughts have become smoother. I'm sorry. Originally, I shouldn't have forgotten these things, but that damn place messed up people's brains. Now every night when I fall asleep, I have to spend the whole night sorting it out. Sorting out memories."

Sheeran's hand was supporting the back of Fanning's chair. Halfway through, it moved to his shoulder and placed it on his shoulder for a moment, then quickly put it back.

"The last day was here, that night. I remember it very clearly." He slowly stood up with a smile and looked at the furnishings in the room one by one. "First of all, I contacted Olga and asked Kaplan to come. Kangli My husband came to me again to report something about the premiere, but I didn't hear a word he said. Then, Joan knocked on the door and said she wanted me to practice "Sicilian Dances" with her. Unexpectedly, she came to ask me for leave, and she almost missed me. So angry"

"Then I called you over. We talked a lot. Maybe the 'birthday gift' I gave you almost pissed you off. Later, I still couldn't sleep. I stayed up all night long, looking around for things. Until dawn, a group of guys came uninvited, yes, this is where——"

Fan Ning opened the office curtains with a swipe and stood directly on the balcony on a rainy night.

"Carolne!?" Sheeran was listening attentively and thinking about memories. Now he was shocked and pulled up his sleeves. "This place is really not as confidential and safe as you think. Come in quickly."

"I really want to stay with you for a while, and there are many things I want to ask you and tell you. However, there are too many important things. You'd better figure out which people to meet first. I can arrange it and then if There is still time, so I will stay with you for a while, and you can tell me what tasks you have."

"What if there is still time?" Fan Ning smiled and repeated what she said, "Sheeran, what I just said is that I'm back. It's not a 'visit', a 'confession', or a 'stay for a while'."

"What do you mean? You're not afraid."

Xilan opened her eyes wide and still tried to drag him into the room.

"As for tasks, there are indeed them, and there are quite a few. I will assign one to you first."

Fan Ning pulled out his arm and patted her shoulder gently.

"In seven days, there will be a comeback concert, a commercial performance, normal ticket sales, normal publicity, and a press conference in advance. I will personally conduct the Old Symphony Orchestra. As for the repertoire——"

He directly put his hands on the balcony railing and looked down at the courtyard garden below.

"Symphony No. 2 in C minor, 'Resurrection'!"