In late autumn in Beijing, ginkgo leaves covered East Chang'an Street. Lin Shen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the World Trade Center, gazing at the distant neon lights of the CBD, when the song "Belief" suddenly played in his earphones. The moment the prelude started, his hand holding the coffee cup trembled violently, and the scalding liquid spilled onto his cuff, yet it was not as hot as the chill rising from the depths of his heart.
Seven years ago in Shanghai, Lin Shen met Shen Nian in a practice room at the conservatory of music. That day, he was tearing his hair out over his graduation piece. Pushing open the door, he saw a young woman in a white dress asleep over the piano. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled light and shadow on her face, and a few cherry blossoms clung to the tips of her hair, making her look as breathtaking as a breathing painting. On an impulse, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. This gesture became the beginning of their half-lifetime entanglement.
Shen Nian was a musical genius. When her fingers danced across the keys, she seemed capable of making the entire world stand still. Lin Shen, on the other hand, was a poor student who quietly wrote songs and made a living by singing in bars. They often spent long afternoons in the practice room; Shen Nian played Chopin while Lin Shen wrote lyrics, and occasionally they would look at each other and smile, the air sweet with the scent of cherry blo…
Chapter 191