《THE LEGEND AND THE SUNLIGHT》


 Chapter 1

    CHAPTER 1:


    Protagonist:


    - Van Thac: About 1m7 tall, normal figure, short hair, no outstanding facial features. The back is usually kept straight to play the trumpet well. Simple mind and personality, enthusiastic but a bit clumsy. When confused, he will use his thumb to gently scratch behind the ear.


    - Ngoc Lam: About 1.55 meters tall, with a thin body, and slightly curly shoulder-length hair. Her face looks calm, but her eyes have slightly dark circles due to studying too much. Quiet, modest personality, does not like being touched and crowds. When sad or thinking, she will tilt her head slightly to the left, ambidextrous. Sometimes reacts unconsciously to musical instruments.


    ---------------


    C. high school, the lunch break.


    Usually, grade 10 and 11 students only study a session a day, except for Monday, with two sessions. Meanwhile, grade 12 students have to be at school in two sessions on weekdays.


    It''s a cool day today. On the schoolyard under the golden light of autumn, a few students are lying on the bench, some others are sitting under the trees, and some are playing basketball. Inside the classrooms, a few are studying or taking a nap.


    A male student is slightly running to the back of a building. He''s holding an old wooden box. The name tag on his chest is written "Van Th?c- Class 10D5" on it. He''s running toward the lobby behind the building where his class is located. That was a narrow lobby between the building and the 2-metre brick fence. Two lines of short trees are planted on two edges of the walkway. Class 10D5 is on the ground floor with three doors, and one faces the lobby. The class has an afternoon session today, but Van Thac came too early. It''s two hours before the time.


    Van Thac is about 170cm, he''s got the typical short hairstyle of male students. His face looks ordinary, but there is some kind of enthusiasm and positivity in his aura. he puts the wooden box of the brick-raised bed and takes a trumpet out of it. Van Thac is instructed to play the trumpet by teachers from the Conservatory, so now he''s going over the lesson he had this morning.


    When he is immersing himself in music, suddenly, a voice interrupts his mood.


    "Too noisy!"


    Van Thac stops to look around. It turns out the complaint is from his class. A girl walks out of the class. He recognizes her- Ngoc Lam, one of the best students in grade 10. It''s rumoured that she had her hair cut to save time for studying, and her eyes always look sleepy. She doesn''t have many friends in the class because she''s timid and cold. He usually sees her study most of the time she has. Ngoc Lam has a brother. He is also a student of this school, grade 11. Her dad is a master of a martial class, and her brother is his assistant.


    Van Thac doesn''t care about her family background. After all, Ngoc Lam is modest and calm. She never picks up an argument with anyone. However, he doesn''t like being interrupted.


    "No!"- He said promptly- "You''d better go to the school''s napping room to take a nap. I''m practising."


    There are two large vacant rooms in the school, so they use them for students to take a rest at noon- one is for female students, another is for males. A lot of students use those rooms, so Van Thac sees no problem if Ngoc Lam uses the female napping room. Let alone grade 10 and 11 students don''t have the morning session. He answers Ngoc Lam, then gets back to practising.


    Ngoc Lam stares at his gestures with the trumpet. At first glance, she knows he is well-schooled, but after a while, she starts to frown. The melody is like a drone with its monotone at every bar he plays. Each second passes, and even when Van Thac is immersed in the song, Ngoc Lam has to raise her voice in two minutes.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Hey" - She calls


    "What else?" Van Thac gets annoyed


    "You play it wrong."


    Ng?c Lam''s words make Thac feel insulted.


    "What''s wrong with you? Lam?" - He says "If you want to shoo me off to continue your nap, you should say it! But I''m not going anywhere! How can I find a play to practise in this school?"


    "You play it wrong" - Ngoc Lam repeats, slow and clear.


    "What''s wrong here? Why don''t you play it correctly?"- Says Van Thac, then he shows the trumpet in front of her.


    While Van Thac is thinking Ngoc Lam will give up and stop bothering him, suddenly, she takes the trumpet, wipes the mouthpiece, and plays.


    It''s the same La Vie En Rose though, Ngoc Lam''s techniques make it more lively and touchy, yearning at some notes, and smoother with the melody. The song turns out a real story about love and hope.


    Ngoc Lam stops immediately after 45 seconds of playing the first verse as if she just realised what she''s done. She wipes the mouthpiece again then gives the trumpet back to Van Thac when he''s shocked. At the moment she is going to move away, Van Thac is wide awake, so he chases after her.


    "Lam! Ngoc Lam!" he''s calling and trying to catch up with her "You are so good at trumpet! When did you start playing it?"


    Ngoc Lam doesn''t answer him. She keeps walking as fast as possible, but a 155-centimetre girl like her cannot walk faster than a 170-centimetre boy.


    "You can even play the trumpet for an orchestra with that level! My teacher will help introduce you to them!" Van Thac tries to stand in front of Ngoc Lam.


    "Or you''re working somewhere else? Can you teach me how to ..."


    Before Thac can finish his sentence, Ngoc Lam opens a door and creates a wall between them. After she enters the room and closes the door, Van Thac looks at the name board and recognizes he''s in front of the Female''s Napping Room.


    Languidly, he gets back to the empty lobby. Even though he tries to copy Ngoc Lam''s style, he can''t create the same sound. An hour later, Van Thac can feel the pain, which he barely has, inside his throat. So he just stops to take a sip of water.


    "I have to strike up a conversation with Ngoc Lam on break time" - Thought Van Thac with great determination.


    Unfortunately, his determination cannot get over her brother. Van Thac feels ''threatened'' whenever he sees the brother. That boy is about 10 centimetres higher than him, and he is well-built with stone-like arms. Van Thac''s survival instinct switches on a red light. During the break time, Ngoc Lam runs to her brother''s class before he has a chance to talk to her. The siblings have a conversation. Since then, Ngoc Lam''s brother always waits for her at the canteen when the recess bell rings and stands in front of the 10D5 class at the depart time. Van Thac is a simple person, but he understands that Ngoc Lam is avoiding him. He just doesn''t understand why.


    ------------


    A few days later, Van Thac tries to follow Ngoc Lam''s skills, but he no progress makes but gets worse.


    His trumpet teacher at Conservatory finds out about the problem for the first time in the following week since the day he met Ngoc Lam.


    "What''s wrong with you, Thac?"- the teacher, Mr Woods, stares at him- "This part needs more air and force, but you''re like out of breath. You usually play the trumpet loudly!"


    Van Thac puzzledly scratches his ear, a habit he has when he''s unconfident. "I''m trying some new techniques."


    "Give it up!" - Said Mr Woods "You''re not skilled enough to follow them. Focus on improving gradually."


    "Yes, sir."


    Van Thac gets back to his old style. It makes him more comfortable, but he''s confused sometimes thinking of Ngoc Lam''s words: "You play it wrong."


    Van Thac takes a rest and ducks down. It''s obvious that Ngoc Lam is much better than him, but he regressed when he did as same as she did. He really wants to ask her the reasons and suggests she instruct him. However, Ngoc Lam avoids him, while Mr Woods refuses to reveal anything.


    Van Thac shakes his head as if he is shaking off the confusion. Promptly, he pulls himself together and practices again.


    The other side of the closed door of the 10D5 class witnesses a girl looking at him. That''s Ngoc Lam. Through the glass door, under brilliant sunlight, he''s sparkling with his music. The girl stays there for a while and then leaves the class. It''s not the first time she watches him play the trumpet.

 Chapter 2

*Note:


    <div>

 Chapter 3

    ¡°It''s not¡­ it''s not¡­ no¡­¡±


    Luyen, Thuyen, and Thac are staring at their phone and laptop screens, looking for pictures of trumpet musicians one by one after zoning in. If this "master''s master" musician were not in the five most famous symphony orchestras in the world, Ngoc Lam would have an extremely solid reputation. However, even if they search in English or Vietnamese for the phrase "The best trumpeter", they still cannot find anyone who is female, 15 years old as described by Thac.


    After a few hours of searching, Luyen and Thuyen continue a series of words


    "I''m"


    "Ready"


    "To"


    "Drop"


    Thac scratches his ear for a few seconds, his mind is full of questions. Suddenly his eyes light up, and he calls his two friends


    ¡°I''ll try typing people''s names with ''trumpet''.¡±


    Doing what he says, he grabs his laptop and types "Ngoc Lam Trumpet" into the search bar. Immediately, a series of images and videos appear. Thac clicks on a video that seems the clearest, showing a little girl playing the trumpet with another pianist.


    The video was recorded about 8 years ago, at that time the girl called Ngoc Lam was only 7 years old, wearing a light red dress, her hair tied in a high bun, and her lipstick made her face look very pretty. At first glance, it is impossible to tell if the girl and her classmate Ngoc Lam are the same. Even though she was so young, she performed as skillfully as any veteran musician. Thac and his two friends seem hypnotized by the girl''s music.


    "The pianist who was accompanying this child in the video is..." Luyen whispers to her friend


    ¡°Top 9 pianist in the world. That year he was already in the top 14.¡± Thuyen replies in surprise.


    After the group finishes talking for a while, the video shows Ngoc Lam beginning to demonstrate the technique she had performed before Van Thac''s eyes.


    "Here it is!" Thac exclaims.


    Ngoc Lam was performing a piece called Moto Perpetuo, Op.11. The original was performed on the violin with extremely skilful fingers, but switching to the trumpet was even more challenging, yet the girl in the video still did not flinch. Faced with a series of continuously rising and falling notes, Van Thac almost holds his breath for 4 minutes. Only after she blew the last bass note does he feel like he is breathing again.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.¡°Not many people can do this.¡± Luyen comments, "The trumpet''s sound is clear in every note but not harsh. I''ve heard many artists try their hand at this version, but..."


    Luyen pauses for a moment then continues.


    ¡°Rarely have I seen someone perform as gently as this child. Everything was so natural that I thought she was acting instead of actually playing.¡±


    Thuyen and Thac are silent. This is also the rare time Luyen speaks continuously for a long time without Thuyen continuing.


    ¡°Why do I not know such a talented person?¡± Thuyen clicks back on the search page and searches for some information surrounding the name Ngoc Lam.


    Each time they scroll down, the three''s expressions become more and more serious. It turns out that they cannot find Ngoc Lam in the list of Trumpet artists because she was not only good at this instrument. Ngoc Lam was good at every musical instrument she had ever tried! The two musical artists that brought her name to the art world are a pianist and a violinist, the two instruments Ngoc Lam first played. Later, she tried most of the instruments in the symphony, except those that were too big for her. Besides, guitar and Eastern music instruments were also not out of her reach. On the internet, there is still a series of newspapers praising Ngoc Lam as a genius of geniuses, a unique legend (Vietnamese One-of-a-kind Legend).


    Thac still cannot believe that his classmate was such a once-in-a-lifetime genius. He brings his questions to Luyen and Thuyen.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Luyen starts the sentence first


    ¡°Very high possibility¡­¡± Continues


    ¡°Your friend Ngoc Lam¡­¡±


    ¡°Retired!¡±


    Thac is stunned by their speculation just now, he immediately types into the search bar "Ngoc Lam last performance", and a series of videos and a few discussion posts on Reddit appear, including a video of her last performance five years ago.


    Ngoc Lam stood frozen in the middle of the stage, tears streaming down her face. The girl trembled as she played the violin, but after only a few minutes, a string broke. Tears fell, and Ngoc Lam quickly ran off the stage. The performance was interrupted.


    In the comments section, many people expressed their regret to the girl in many different languages. Some people even maliciously scolded the child for not working properly, and others accused her parents of creating the image of a prodigy to make money. Still, in reality, she had no talent.


    Thac quickly clicks back to find Reddit''s top discussion about Ngoc Lam, in which a person who claimed to play in the orchestra where she performed that last performance recounted: After the violin string broke, Ngoc Lam Lam ran off the stage. Maybe because she was so panicked, she tripped somewhere as the hollow ceramic prop statue fell on her. The statue shattered and the family rushed to carry the bleeding child to the hospital. From then on, they no longer saw Ngoc Lam on stage.


    Van Thac and his two friends continue to look for more information. They only obtain a few more pieces of information. The most valuable thing is Ngoc Lam, whose talent was discovered by someone at the Conservatory and, was given the special opportunity to play for the orchestra just half a year later.


    "According to you two, does Mr Woods know Ngoc Lam?" Thac looked at his two friends


    ¡°Definitely yes!¡± Both say in unison.


    ¡°I think so too!¡± Thac agrees, "Maybe he even taught Ngoc Lam."


    Seeing that it''s almost 8 pm, Luyen and Thuyen decide to leave, not forgetting to send Van Thac''s parents 3 tickets to the symphony next Friday night. Van Thac sits in his room doing homework, occasionally looking out at the grey sky signalling tomorrow''s rain. In his mind, he constantly remembered the image of Ngoc Lam shedding tears next to a violin with a broken string.


    "I must ask Mr Woods tomorrow," Van Thac thinks to himself.

 Chapter 4

    Characters:


    - Ngoc Lam family:


    + Mother: Works as a government servant, likes to listen to music and tell stories, knows how to cook but is not good but has magical abilities with household appliances. Likes to laugh


    + Dad: Martial arts master, has a dojo training ground behind the house, still works for the national traditional martial arts team, knows how to cook and cooks the best in the family, no matter how unsatisfied he is about his wife, he only complains to Ngoc Lam.


    + Older brother: In 11th grade, his father''s teaching assistant, and a member of the school''s martial arts team, his goal is to get into a sports university. Not knowing how to cook, most housework takes on washing dishes. Open-minded and sociable personality.


    Van Thac family:


    + Mother: Sales manager, workaholic. Likes to organize weekend cooking parties with family and friends.


    + Father: Freelance writer, who specializes in writing scripts for television series and spends most of his time taking care of Van Thac and his younger sister.


    + Younger sister: In 7th grade, has a gentle personality, likes literature and art due to her father''s influence, and likes to hang out with her mother and cook with her on weekends. Since Van Thac started playing the trumpet, he has loved listening to classical music even more.


    The morning is dim with rainfall. The weather forecast on Ng?c Lam''s phone predicts rain for the morning. It''s already 6 a.m., and Ng?c Lam, after checking the time and weather on her phone, sits up, picks up her uniform from the chair, and goes downstairs.


    "Good morning, dear!" greets her mother, sitting at the table and fiddling with a portable radio. There''s a pile of cups and chopsticks on the table. Ngoc Lam''s father is busy stir-frying food on the stove.


    "Morning, Mom" Ngoc Lam answers briefly and walks into the bathroom.


    About ten minutes later, the whole family gathers at the table to start their breakfast. However, Lam''s mother is still fiddling with the old radio.


    ¡°The radio is old,¡± Lam''s father says as soon as he sees his daughter sitting at the table, ¡°But your mother refused to buy a new one. She even likes to listen to late-night stories, so she keeps switching channels. She might torture that old thing until it''s fully broken.¡±


    Upon hearing her husband talking about her, Lam''s mother pouts. She is already annoyed because the radio cannot adjust the channel. She impatiently taps the top of the poor radio. Unexpectedly, it works again, but it switches to symphonic music. The mother quickly changes the channel again to the morning news.


    The mother appears to be confused as she mutters, "Who plays ''it'' in the morning?" while glancing over at Ngoc Lam.


    "Mom." Ngoc Lam''s brother quickly changes the subject. ¡°I have to practice with the school''s martial arts team. I''ll be home late tonight.¡±


    "Really?" Dad also chimes in, "You will stop by the school this noon and pick up Lam, won''t you?" directing his inquiry to the mother.


    "After school, just stand next to the security post and wait for me!" The mother smiles as she looks at her daughter and then turns to her husband, "Go to the market and buy some food to keep in the refrigerator. I will cook for lunch."


    Breakfast passes quickly, and about half an hour later, Ngoc Lam gets on his brother''s motorbike to take her to school. It is a 50cc bike bought by his parents as a gift for him after entering 10th grade.


    The motorbike ride takes about 10 minutes, and eventually, it stops in front of the school gate. The gate is packed with groups of students. Ngoc Lam joins the flow of people heading towards her classroom. She walks to her seat, which is located in the first row, close to the right corner. Ngoc Lam opens her bag and takes out the pencil case and the first subject''s book. She sets them on the table, like a model student.


    As she sits neatly, Ngoc Lam feels someone staring at her intensely. She guesses it is a classmate who plays the trumpet, but this time, he looks for longer than usual. Ngoc Lam turns her head and sees Van Thac looking at her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    When he''s caught, he scratches behind his ear in confusion and looks away. It''s not normal, as he usually uses his eyes to beg for a chance to talk to her, but she often ignores him. Ngoc Lam is a bit confused when she sees that, but she dismisses it quickly. As long as Van Thac doesn''t bother her, she doesn''t mind.


    Van Thac casts occasional glances at Ngoc Lam, who is seated at a table up front. He had wanted to ask her for tips on playing the trumpet well for the past few days. However, since last night, he has also been curious about the reason she retired. Thac thinks it would be such a shame if a talented musician like Ngoc Lam had to leave her career so early.


    During recess, Ngoc Lam doesn''t go to her brother''s class, as he has to practice for the school team. Van Thac is unaware of this fact, but he feels that this could be a perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation.


    "Ngoc Lam!"


    Van Thac calls out to her, but she pretends not to hear him, focusing intently on solving the previous class''s exercises. Despite her efforts to ignore him, Thac walks over to her and starts talking again.


    "Are you free, I-?"


    "I''m not," Ngoc Lam responds firmly, though she can''t help but feel regret for ever letting her friend know about her exceptional abilities. It seems like Thac still hasn''t given up on pursuing her, but Ngoc Lam remains resolute in her decision to ignore him until he gives up and stops bothering her.


    She continues to look at her notebook, tilting her head slightly as she contemplates the possibilities. She even considers asking her brother to "threaten" Thac in order to help her if he continues to bother her too much. Ngoc Lam knows that she needs to stand her ground and make it clear to Thac that she is not interested in anything about music.


    ¡°Lam is a ''prodigy'', right?¡±


    As a piece of paper is held out in front of Ngoc Lam''s eyes, she comes to a sudden stop. For a moment, time seems to freeze around her. The word "prodigy" strikes a chord deep within Ngoc Lam''s heart, tightening it and making it difficult for her to breathe. She clenches her teeth, trying to remain composed so her hands won''t crumple the paper. Ngoc Lam realizes that Van Thac is not as foolish as she thought he was. He had taken the time to learn a little about her and knew that she did not like discussing her past. There are always students in the class, at least Thac is sensible enough not to let anyone else know about this.


    Despite her efforts to calm down, Ngoc Lam is still deeply upset. In an attempt to regain her composure, she reaches for a nearby pencil and starts scribbling in her notebook. As she finishes writing, she turns the notebook towards Van Thac, her classmate, with a stern look on her face.


    "Thac, please stop prying into my affairs. It''s not something I''m comfortable with," she says firmly, before quickly erasing her words and returning to her homework.


    Van Thac knows that he has crossed a line and that any further attempts to engage Ngoc Lam in conversation would only make things worse. He recalls Luyen''s warning about the last time Ngoc Lam performed, and he realizes that his stubbornness in talking to her about music has only pushed her away. He stands there awkwardly for a moment, watching as Ngoc Lam continues to focus on her work before returning to his seat.


    ----------------


    The Conservatory campus is bustling with activity as Thac''s trumpet teacher, Mr Woods, supervises the orchestra practising in the theatre. The sound of instruments fills the air as Mr Woods listens intently, conversing with other lecturers about the performance. On stage, Luyen and Thuyen are fully immersed in following the conductor''s direction, their passion evident in every note they play. Suddenly, Mr Woods is interrupted by the ringing of his phone, which vibrates on the nearby chair. He calmly stands up and walks to a corner to answer the call, his relaxed demeanour indicating it may be a call with some good news. The call coincidentally ends just as the orchestra finishes playing a piece of music. Mr Woods returns to the group, clapping his hands twice to get everyone''s attention.


    ¡°Trumpet, you play too loudly! The sound of this trumpet is already so loud. Please restrain yourself!¡±


    His phone rings out again from his seat.


    ¡°The clarinet,¡± the teacher points at Luyen''s, ¡°Practice the intro carefully again! This piece really needs a clarinet to start perfectly; otherwise, it will affect the entire orchestra later. Are you clear?¡±


    Luyen also quickly replies: "Got it."


    Other instructors also step up and give comments to other players they are in charge of. The orchestra''s conductor is also a very young man, being guided by a female lecturer. Halfway through, Mr Woods'' phone rings again.


    ¡°Hello¡±


    The voice of a man on the other side makes the teacher extraordinarily serious. The teacher turns towards the orchestra, answers a few questions in French and then hangs up.


    The orchestra continues to practice again. From their seats, Luyen and Thuyen see Mr Woods gradually move towards the audience seats and then disappear behind the auditorium door.


    Looks like he¡¯s going to welcome a very special guest.

 Chapter 14

    Autumn leaves its traces more and more clearly through the trees. The colours red, yellow, and brown gradually replace the green colour of the leaves. The sunlight becomes more and more gentle, embracing each tilted roof. The sky seems bluer, and the buzzing sound of cicadas has long been silent. There is only the quiet sound of falling leaves on the asphalt. The hustling flow of people through the streets seems slower than before, along with the flow of time.


    Luyen and Thuyen gradually adjust to the time zone after a long time touring abroad. The two enthusiastically tell Van Thac the strange things they had experienced in foreign countries - including the funny and sad stories, the artists they had the opportunity to meet, and the new knowledge they learned that would be difficult to know if they studied and worked in the Conservatory only. Thac, persistently, sits and listens to them attentively as if he is going to swallow all those stories. He is like a Little Mermaid listening to her sisters'' experiences outside the ocean, waiting for her turn to be able to take her own adventures.


    He shows his friends the music sheets he had composed for the school play. Before that, he also gave it to Mr Woods. The teacher asked if he could sell this piece to the Conservatory''s orchestra, and he would discuss with Thac''s mother how to pay for it. Thac and other students in his age are not capable enough to deal with this complicated arrangement.


    "But Ngoc Lam can do it."- Thac blurts out to Luyen and Thuyen


    "Are¡­"


    "You"


    "Obsessed"


    "By"


    "Ngoc Lam"


    "Or"


    "Not?"


    Luyen and Thuyen take turns speaking until the end of the question.


    ¡°Oh, Ngoc Lam¡±


    ¡°Wherefore art thou Ngoc Lam?¡±


    The two friends continue to imitate the play Romeo and Juliet to tease Thac. Thac''s ears turn red from being teased. He keeps denying it, but the two friends never give up their silly jokes. When verbal words become useless, he picks up the trumpet and immediately plays a random piece of music in his head. It happens to be the climax of Vivaldi''s Summer Symphony.


    ¡°Autumn is almost over, but you still play the summer part?¡±


    ¡±Let''s fight!¡±


    The music stimulates the strong musical spirit of Luyen and Thuyen. In the blink of an eye, a violin, trumpet, and clarinet ensemble is formed. The hail of sounds representing falling rain, thunder, and storms resound one after another and stir up the atmosphere of a peaceful afternoon.


    When the music ends, all three friends sit down to rest. Luyen and Thac even have to cough a few times. Playing such a "heavy" piece of music in the cold and dry autumn weather is probably not a good idea for people like them.


    ¡°Thac.¡± Luyen takes a sip of water and calls out to his friend


    ¡°We sincerely ask you this question,¡± Thuyen says


    ¡°Do you think you can convince Ngoc Lam¡±


    ¡°To play for your school''s performance?¡±


    Thac makes a face. Of course, he has already known the answer himself. These past few days, he didn''t even dare to talk to Ngoc Lam, let alone convince her.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Why are you?¡±


    ¡°So stubborn?¡±


    ¡°She retired a long time ago¡±


    ¡°There must be a reason.¡±


    "Being reluctant"


    "Is unhappy!"


    Thac scratches his ears for a moment, silently looking down at the cement floor.


    "Now let me ask you guys," Thac says, "Thuyen, provided that you are walking on the street and see a Strad, do you want to try it?"


    ¡°... Yes¡± Thuyen hesitates for a moment then says decisively.


    ¡°What about Luyen?¡± Thac turns to the other person, ¡°Now you see someone playing Shostakovich ''s Walz No.2 on the piano, do you want to join in?¡±


    "Of course!" Luyen replies without thinking.


    "Why?" Thac looks straight into the eyes of his two friends


    ¡°That''s¡­¡± Luyen rubs his chin and is thoughtful for a moment and then turns to look at Thuyen


    ¡°I think it''s in my blood,¡± Thuyen says, turning to look back at Luyen


    "Right." Luyen seems to be enlightened, "Think about it, we have spent our lives following this career and putting in so much effort into practising, not to mention having passion."


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thuyen agrees. ¡°I think if I didn''t play music anymore I''d have to work a desk job, but I guess I couldn''t stand it every time I saw something related to music.¡±


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡­¡± Thac says ¡°is the same¡±


    Thac still remembers the first time he met Ngoc Lam, she unconsciously played music. In the afternoons when he sat alone playing the trumpet, he always felt that Ngoc Lam was listening even though she always appeared indifferent. The times she coldly gave him some advice, it was only a few words, but he still felt the care in each sentence she said; otherwise, each word wouldn''t have been to the point of his improvement.


    From that first meeting, Thac could not imagine if, when he grew up, Ngoc Lam would no longer play a note of music. He could see that she exuded the aura of a great artists. It''s too painful to bear with the image of her trying to put it out.


    If Ngoc Lam can play music as a professional again, Thac thinks, will there be any chance to see her perform on a professional stage? He can even play with her.


    Her passion for music is still desirable, so why should she give up?


    Seeing the stubborn determination radiating through every cell of Thac, Luyen and Thuyen have to surrender.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Luyen says


    ¡°We have a way.¡± Continues Luyen


    They understand that Thac will never stop until he finds some solutions, so the two friends decide to give him a hand. But whichever the results will come, Thac has to take it by himself and learn about it.


    In the evening, Luyen and Thuyen need to stay at the school to practice with the orchestra. Joining them is also Mr Woods'' teaching assistant, who often helps him guide them along with Thac. They simply greet each other and then take their seats.


    While the tour commemorating Chopin''s death that Luyen and Thuyen participated in is an opportunity for the Conservatory to introduce new faces, the teacher assistant is finding another chance to promote his career in a tribute event to Felix Mendelssohn, a genius of classical music, who miserably passed away in November.


    This session is a special occasion to prepare for the International Music Competition from January to April next year. The two friends'' performances during the recent tour helped them get approval for the list of musicians in the competing orchestra. In addition, each of them also has an individual contest in the Competition. Both are trying their best to seize the opportunity to shine.


    The Conservatory rector walks out from the audience seats, which are already filled with subject teachers, and claps his hands to ask everyone to be quiet.


    ¡°Dear my students and teachers,¡± the rector puts his hands in his pockets, and his body moves slightly with each word, making his bald forehead shine under the light. ¡°Today, our Conservatory of Music is very honoured to welcome two special guests who will support our students for next year''s competition. Let me introduce¡­ "


    As he is speaking, one of his hands draws a beautiful curve swinging to the back, where two silhouettes are moving forward gradually.


    Mr Woods sees the two people and immediately smiles.


    The entire orchestra simultaneously stares at those guests, with their eyes opening wide and jaws dropping.

 Chapter 17

    "Mr Woods told me to take you back to the Conservatory, teachers."


    Ngoc Lam is calmly talking to K and M, but the couple pout for about 2 seconds.


    ¡°We have no interest in that place!¡±


    As they are speaking, they both make grimaces and wave their hands.


    ¡°It''s more fun to watch Thac playing music.¡± M looks at Thac and smiles affectionately.


    The couple sit hugging their knees, simultaneously turning towards Thac


    ¡°You play music very well, Thac! Bis bis!¡± K gives him a thumbs up.


    Ngoc Lam looks at the warm scene like their family of three, feeling like she has nothing to do with them right now. When she is about to withdraw herself quietly, M calls her.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam will stay too! I heard Thac asked you to look at the sheet, didn''t he?"


    Initially, Ngoc Lam intended to find her two eccentric old teachers and then wait for her brother to finish practising in the martial arts club, so he could take her home later. She has informed her parents already. Now, she knows that if she refuses them, M will immediately stick with her everywhere until her brother arrives. Ngoc Lam, finally, gives in and stays in the Music Room.


    There are four people in the room at this moment. K accompanies the piano to help Thac play the trumpet. Under the guidance of the teacher he has just met for a few hours, Thac''s trumpet skills gradually improve. Luyen and Thuyen probably also had this feeling when they were interacting with K. He is truly an extraordinary artist and a great teacher, despite his somewhat freaking behaviours.


    M slides photos she took of Thac''s music sheets and talks and laughs non-stop next to Ngoc Lam. Ngoc Lam listens to her silently. Sometimes she hums in response. She understands the praise that K and M give to Van Thac. He is like a stone in the process of turning into jade. Mr Woods has been keeping the rough stone like him in subduction zones for a long time, waiting for it to be polished when the transformation completes. But if he encounters a better opportunity, he may shorten the jade-forming process, and his talent will shine brighter than ever.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡± M calls her again


    "Yes?"


    ¡°Van Thac does care about you.¡± M points at the trio rearrangement, ¡°Look! This violin piece suits you very well.¡±


    Ngoc Lam does not respond but she silently focuses on the screen M is showing to her.


    ¡°That boy, even when he got frightened, he did not abandon you to find a safe place alone.¡±


    Ngoc Lam hears that and recalls the time he was holding her hand. She feels a bit awkward, and her head tilts slightly, thinking, not knowing how to react to what M says.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡± M calls again, pulling Ngoc Lam out of her vague thoughts. ¡°Do you want to play music with Van Thac?¡±


    Ngoc Lam sits still for a moment. The sound of Thac''s freestyle trumpet awakens her from her thoughts. She turns to look and sees K excitedly playing an impromptu Jazz rhythm on the keyboard, while Thac, who always interacts with her with reservation, becomes extremely liberal.


    ¡°Good job, son!¡±


    K keeps praising Thac whenever he can. It''s been many years, but Ngoc Lam''s old teachers are still the same. They are passionate about music and enjoy it with all their souls. Everything in her sight reminds Ngoc Lam of happy moments following spontaneous melodies with K and M. There is an unfamiliar feeling fueling inside her heart. For a moment, she has the illusion that she is standing with them again, holding the violin in harmony without hesitation.


    M also joins K and Thac, with her violin. They are in a fervent love of music. Ngoc Lam stays in her seat quietly, but in her ears, the music is around, but her heart is filled with chaos of emotions.


    About half an hour later, Ngoc Lam''s brother comes to find her. Ngoc Lam and Van Thac then lead the couple out of school. K and M have been with Van Thac for a few hours, but they are loath to say goodbye to him.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°See you later, son!¡± K holds Thac''s hand with tears in his eyes, and M standing beside him is dabbing tears in her eyes as a supporter of the touching scene.


    Thac, after experiencing countless times of laughing and crying at once, gradually turns numb to the couple. He maintains simple responses like smiling or giving a simple "yes".


    Thac returns home and continues texting Luyen and Thuyen


    Thac: Ngoc Lam seems to be conciliated


    Luyen: Pendulum oscillation


    Thuyen: Modified harmonic oscillation


    Thac: *angry face*


    Luyen: Just kidding


    Thuyen: Tell us


    Thac: The homeroom teacher told me she talked to Ngoc Lam''s parents yesterday.


    Looks like they are considering it.


    Today both K and M came


    When sending those two people home


    It seems Ngoc Lam is also affected.


    Luyen: The story between K and M was truly unexpected


    Thuyen: But the results were beyond expectations.


    Luyen: The rest


    Thuyen: Let it be


    -------------


    In the following days, Thac and his classmates practise more often with K and M. Ngoc Lam refuses to stay with them, but Mr Woods tells her to watch them (so that they won''t wander somewhere he can''t find). She does nothing there but sit still with her homework. Meanwhile, sometimes K points out Thac''s mistakes with his part, and sometimes M gives pieces some advice to the classmate who plays the piano.


    Ngoc Lam remains unchanged, which makes Van Thac impatient. The deadline to adjust the performance registration list is approaching, and he doesn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    Time keeps flying, and the weather is getting colder. The breath begins to turn into thin white smoke. This winter will probably be a little harsher.


    Thac carefully wraps the scarf over his nose. He knows the requirements of being a trumpet player, so he has to be even more careful to take care of his health. To protect his respiratory system when the temperature is falling, he has asked for the key to the Music Room, so Thac no longer practises at noon outside of the classroom. Lunch breaks suddenly become strangely quiet.


    Ngoc Lam has a routine of coming to class early and taking a nap in the school''s designated napping room before entering the classroom fifteen minutes earlier. She finds herself alone in the classroom. It has been a while since Van Thac discovered her talent. Ngoc Lam is accustomed to the image of Van Thac always practising outside the class and then eagerly walking in to say hello whenever he sees her. Ngoc Lam is wondering what she needs to do now. She tries to resist the overwhelming feeling of loss that has taken over her limbs. Her mind keeps repeating the word "study" repeatedly. Ngoc Lam follows it and takes out each book from her bag, but she then sits dazed in front of the pages.


    When Van Thac enters the classroom five minutes later, Ngoc Lam feels a sense of comfort and relief. She responds to him softly when he calls her name. Her heart unexpectedly anticipates him to stop by and say something to her.


    Thac does stop in front of her with his usual reserved attitude. He looks like a mine detector meticulously taking every step forward. Ngoc Lam feels a bit ironic. It seems like her coldness and the aggression of his father and brother have made him so scared all the time, but he has never run away. Even though it annoys her several times, his persistence is worth her appreciation.


    As expected, the discussion is mainly focused on the performance participation list. Van Thac expresses his desire to win the first prize, not just for the reward that comes with it, but also because he has never qualified to participate in professional music competitions. He is not yet a student of the Conservatory of Music, and he is not old enough to go abroad to take part in any contests without a guardian. Mr Woods does not want him to participate, and his parents and other teachers at the Conservatory are on the old man''s side. Van Thac hopes that if he wins first prize, the school will run a media campaign. Maybe he will gain recognition and support from the audience. With more conditions to develop his career, he will not have to watch his peers, Luyen and Thuyen, get farther and farther away from him.


    Above all, Van Thac wishes he could play music with Ngoc Lam.


    While discussing this topic, he raises his hand to scratch his red ears, not sure whether it''s due to the cold or not.


    Ngoc Lam notices that Van Thac is wearing a scarf to cover his nose, so she understands his effort and determination to participate in the upcoming school-level competition. A thought of compromise flashes through her mind. She is able to help him a little. She realizes the competition doesn''t require too much professionalism, so she can adjust herself to match her co-stars'' level. It won''t be a serious issue since there are many actors in the play. She plans to dress simply and blend in with the background to let Thac shine. She believes no one will pay attention to her as long as she stays hidden.


    But at the same time, fears also arise in her heart. If things don''t go as expected, what should she do?

 Chapter 18

    Ngoc Lam did not answer Van Thac.


    On that night, Ngoc Lam is diligently supervising her two former music teachers in the Music Room with books in her hands. She is undoubtedly the best student in her grade. As she is engrossed in studying, M approaches her and rests her hand on Ngoc Lam''s shoulder. It causes Ngoc Lam to pause from reading her book and turn her gaze towards M.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± she asks


    ¡°Have you thought about Thac''s proposal?¡±


    Hearing what the teacher has said, Ngoc Lam immediately turns to look at Thac, just in time he happens to look at her and M. Thac suddenly turns away when their eyes catch, not realizing that K is smiling at him.


    ¡°You''re thinking about it, right?¡± M has been with Ngoc Lam long enough to understand her student, "What makes you feel so difficult? Could you share with me?¡±


    Ngoc Lam never wants to lie to M, nor could she bear to go against the compromises she has come up with. She takes a breath and responds.


    ¡°I can help, but I only help.¡±


    That''s the best solution for all of them. If Thac wants to take this opportunity to be recognized, she can support a little, as long as she is not the star of the performance.


    Ngoc Lam offers two conditions for her participation.


    First, she requests to wear men''s clothes and stand behind Thac and the pianist classmate, as hidden as possible. It will be best if everyone in the instrument player group wears masks.


    Second, if there is any problem that Ngoc Lam is not comfortable with, she will have the right to withdraw from the list right then.


    Both conditions meet the homeroom teacher''s acceptance. She is happy that Ngoc Lam finally agrees to participate. Thac is even happier. He immediately gives her the trio sheets of music which are full of notes that he carefully marked for Ngoc Lam. Thuy is also told about this by Thac, the friend''s eyes light up with sincere joy.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam, you are wonderful! Do you know how to play the violin? For real?¡±


    Ngoc Lam looks at the admiration on her face and replies humbly.


    ¡°I only support the trumpet and piano. I''m not the main player.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that''s great after all! I heard that the violin is very difficult to play. On the rehearsal day, I will cheer for you!" Thuy says excitedly.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.Everything goes smoothly beyond Thac''s expectations.


    K found Ngoc Lam a mid-class violin, just as she wanted to not stand out. The group practices the piano-trumpet-violin trio together. There aren''t many changes with the notes, and with the addition of Ngoc Lam, the practice is giving positive results. K and M keep refusing to return to the Conservatory every time Mr Woods reminds them. M complains that they are there just for show. There''s no shortage of lecturers there. M said she and her husband have already known the rector''s intentions. He wanted to take advantage of their presence to make a sign to the International competition''s judges to gain their respect. Therefore, he may secretly arrange for the Conservatory to gain some considerable achievements. For a long time, since Ngoc Lam retired, no contestant from the Conservatory of Music has won first prize.


    Feeling that it doesn''t matter whether they stay or not, and that some bad people will make the best of exploiting their names, K and M prefer to be with Van Thac. The young boy has a pure passion for music and is untainted by calculating benefits.


    ¡°You are also attracted to Thac because of that, right?¡± M asks Ngoc Lam


    Ngoc Lam does not respond, but it could be true.


    Thac''s music is always as radiant as the sun.


    There are approximately ten days until the rehearsal, and the musical group is starting to rehearse with the drama group. Some classmates, including Thuy, stay to watch the play. She often helps Ngoc Lam by giving her water or holding her camera. Everything goes so smoothly that it feels surreal. After the session, Thuy and the group take a selfie together.


    Van Thac looks at the picture of himself and Ngoc Lam standing in the frame with his friends, including K and M, and his heart blooms.


    At that same moment, a sense of foreboding flashes across my mind. Thac quickly shakes his head with the thought that he can shake the premonition away from reality. He tells himself everything is going well, and he shouldn''t think too much.


    Two days later, the rain is pouring in the morning.


    The cold rain is falling on the people on the streets. The morning is as crowded as always, but the visibility is reduced because of the rain and cold. Thac is riding his bike to school today when his teeth are chattering. That''s why when a motorbike rushes out recklessly from a corner, Thac cannot react and fall. Luckily, because of the rain and the city being crowded in the morning, the vehicles slow down. Some passersby proactively stop to help him and the careless motorcyclist. The elders even forced the person who caused the accident to give Thac his name and phone number. If anything happens, his parents can contact him to demand compensation.


    Thac receives the piece of paper with information, but he feels it is unnecessary. He only has a scratch on his knee, and the rest is fine. In his mind, he is only concerned about getting to school on time, so he quickly cycles away. Yet, the bad luck still seems to be following him. Just as he approaches the school gate, a car overtakes him, accidentally splashing water all over his body. If he weren''t wearing a set of raincoat with a separate shirt and pants, he would be soaking wet right now. He grimaces and runs into the parking lot, not noticing that the luxury car is stopping in front of the school gate. From the inside of the car, there is the silhouette of a woman he once met.


    Students stay in classrooms instead of lining up to salute the flag and sing the National Anthem on Monday morning. They are talking about gossip and stories from their school life. Thac is also sitting in class, telling his friends about the accident earlier and the hasty car, not realizing that in the counselling room, Mr Woods is glaring at the woman from that car.


    It''s November, but the storms haven''t passed yet.

 Chapter 19

    Despite the bad weather that can somewhat affect the studying atmosphere, the youth''s passion for gossip and fun remains unaffected. During recess, the classrooms tend to become noisier as students cannot go out to engage in outdoor activities. Amidst all the noise, Thuy strikes up a conversation with her friend Ngoc Lam as she often does. During their conversation, Ngoc Lam learns that Thuy has set a new goal for herself - to improve her English skills.


    Yesterday, Thuy was an eyewitness to Ngoc Lam''s impressive communication skills in English. She saw her friend talking to two foreign teachers, K and M, in English and was completely amazed. The experience was completely different from the usual listening and speaking lessons in class. Thuy was unable to understand anything, but she was in awe of Ngoc Lam''s fluency.


    Apart from her impressive language skills, Thuy admires another aspect of Ngoc Lam. She has a unique ability to be kind and empathetic towards others, which Thuy finds truly inspiring.


    Ngoc Lam writes down a few English channels on YouTube for Thuy to practice her English. Thuy happily smiles from ear to ear, and Ngoc Lam''s eyes become warmer. In the meantime, Van Thac captures those heartwarming moments while chatting with his friends from the back of the class.


    Contrasting with the vibrant energy of the students, Mr Woods is pouring a cup of hot tea to give to the woman - the same person who splashed water on Van Thac earlier while driving her luxury car.


    ¡°Drink this cup of tea and then go home.¡± The teacher says coldly.


    ¡°Have you just chased me away? It''s still raining like cats and dogs outside.¡± The woman laughs.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You reduced your workload at the Conservatory of Music to come here to be a school performance judge. K and M also determined not to accept money from the rector to give free guidance here. I''m curious, so I come here to see.¡±


    ¡°K and M are not here.¡±


    "I know."


    Mr Woods frowns and looks at the woman.


    ¡°Leave her alone. She and her family have nothing to do with you guys anymore."


    ¡°A lot of people have noticed that. The photos updated on Social media by students in this school soon revealed where she was."


    ¡°You must stop, now! Ngoc Lam only participates in the school''s performance."


    ¡°Yet K and M are not afraid to show up with her? Today it''s a school performance, but who knows tomorrow it''s-"


    BAM! Mr Woods slammed his hand on the table.


    ¡°I warn you and your husband not to cause any harm to her! Haven''t you two done enough?"


    The woman glares at Mr Woods with eyes full of hatred.


    ¡°She is your student. Of course, you will try to defend her! I also have a son! Is it wrong for me to stand up for my child?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°That''s not how you stand up for him! All that you are doing is venting your anger on another kid!¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about us!¡±


    Seeing that he cannot continue this conversation, Mr Woods waves his hand.


    ¡°You should go home!¡±


    The woman withdraws her hostile attitude towards Mr Woods and smiles calmly.


    ¡°I can''t go back yet. Today I come here on behalf of my husband to survey and then propose to the Ministers to invest in art facilities for high schools. I am about to see the principal."


    ¡°If you say so!¡± Mr Woods takes a deep breath, "Go ahead and take care of your work. But you need to know this: Never exploit the power in your hands to harm any child! Or I will not let you flee that easily!¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± The woman shrugs her shoulders ¡°But you should remember this, too: She is not a child!¡± She turns her back to Mr Woods and grits her teeth, "She is a monster!"


    Once the woman gets out of the room, Mr Lam picks up the phone and quickly dials the number.


    ¡°Hello, son? It''s me, Dad... I have a favour to ask. Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ can you arrange it? Yes... Call me back if anything happens."


    As soon as he hangs up, the teacher immediately makes another call.


    ¡°Teaching assistant, right? I have this task for you. Please investigate further on this issue... that''s right... don''t forget to let me know as soon as you find something."


    -----------


    There''s only one week left until the rehearsal, and the next day will be the performance day.


    The spirit of Teacher''s Day is increasingly higher. The rooms are full of pictures, banners, posters, etc. for this occasion. Competitions are also organized one after another. Tonight, there will be a flower arrangement and art competition with teachers registering to participate. Teachers can invite family and friends to watch. And because there will be strangers entering the school premises, as soon as the class bell rings, students quickly clear their seats. This allows teachers and supervisors to lock the classroom doors. Closets, storage rooms, music rooms, laboratories, etc. are all carefully sealed. The class''s drama team quickly asks to take the digital piano out early to practice in a spacious hallway corner.


    The hallway and outdoor lights have been turned on for the event, and supervisors and security guards are mobilized to monitor and ensure order. Thuy is roaming around taking pictures of the flower vases created for the competition and the teachers'' performances to show them to the drama team during the break. Some of the students admire and applaud the performances and then invite each other to go out and take a look around before they get back after the break to practice again.


    Meanwhile, the group of musicians must stay to look after the electric piano. In the hallway, only Van Thac, Ngoc Lam and the piano player remain.


    ¡°Are Mr K and Ms M not coming today?¡± The pianist starts a conversation. Over the past time, they have also actively helped him.


    ¡°Looks like they are tired up with work today, right, Ngoc Lam?¡± Van Thac turns to Ngoc Lam


    "They are" Ngoc Lam replies.


    Van Thac and his friend are engaged in a conversation while Ngoc Lam carefully reviews the videos of their group''s practice progress. After a few minutes, she wants to use the restroom and informs her friends before walking down a deserted hallway. She does not realise that someone is following her quietly.


    After using the restroom, Ngoc Lam washes her hands and heads back to Van Thac''s place. Suddenly, she encounters someone waiting for her outside, completely unaware of his presence. She stops abruptly and looks at the person in disbelief, as it''s been an incredibly long time since she last saw him.


    "... Are you?" Ngoc Lam cannot believe in her eyes.


    "Long time no see." The stranger grins


    As soon as the voice is spoken, Ngoc Lam looks at the person in front of her in surprise.


    ¡°Thanh? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so shocked right now?¡± A stranger named Thanh walks up to Ngoc Lam, caressing his face as he moves. ¡°Since the day he passed away, we have all suffered. His mother was seriously depressed. It''s inconsolable.¡±


    He continues to look straight into her eyes.


    ¡°We have never forgotten. I have to live for him. I live his life. Every time I look at this face, I can''t forget the last moment we met."


    He leans into Ngoc Lam''s ear.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Pause for a moment, he says.


    "Why? Why can you move on so easily as your soul has set in peace?¡±


    ¡°You are a murderer!¡±


    As the man finishes his sentence, he gently places his hand on Ngoc Lam''s shoulder, offering her a reassuring touch. With his parting gesture, he turns and strides away, leaving Ngoc Lam standing motionless in the long hallway.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    The students in class 10D5 performed exceptionally well, achieving almost perfect scores. All judges, except Mr Woods, did not hesitate to give a score of ten out of ten. They assumed that Mr Woods was a professional, so it was normal for him to judge a little more strictly and not pay much attention. The average score of this class is still the highest. When the results are announced, the entire class 10D5 bursts into tears. Thuy happily hugs Ngoc Lam. The homeroom teacher is also happy because this result will be recorded in her teachers'' emulation process. Rewards are given immediately afterwards. The class treasurer deducts reward money as the homeroom teacher says to buy milk tea for the whole class.


    Thac plans to refuse to go with the class, for he is afraid his bad mood may affect the general atmosphere. As soon as he lifts his feet, K and M call him back, asking the teacher for permission to talk to him. Ngoc Lam and other classmates leave together, and she intentionally ignores M looking at her. M smiled sadly. Really? Ngoc Lam? She knew that K and M wouldn''t let Van Thac completely collapse, so she dared to act so harshly on him.


    -------


    Mr Woods also returns to the Conservatory of Music. As soon as he steps into the hallway, Luyen and Thuyen are standing there waiting.


    ¡°Hello, teacher.¡± Both greet simultaneously.


    Mr Woods clearly understands what they are here for. Before either of them can open their mouths, the man orders, "You two, come with me."


    Luyen and Thuyen go to the opera department with him. At this time, a woman is accompanying a male singer on the piano in the theatre room. Mr Woods secretly tells the two friends to stay outside and find a private place to hide. After giving instructions, the teacher opens the door. He stands quietly to one side, staring at the male singer''s face. No one knows what is in his mind.


    As soon as the male singer finishes, Mr Woods steps up. At this moment, we can see that the singer''s face is the person named Thanh who met Ngoc Lam the day before and called her "Murderer".


    ¡°Phuong, I need to talk to you.¡± Mr Woods says it directly.


    The woman is called Phuong, who once went to Ngoc Lam''s school and had an argument with Mr Woods, using her eyes to signal Thanh to leave. Mr Woods keeps waiting silently, his eyes following Thanh''s every step until he leaves the room.


    ¡°Are you here to blame me for what happened at that high school? At that time, I was-" Mrs Phuong stands up and speaks to Mr Woods in a very confident manner.


    ¡°It was you who did it!¡± Mr Woods is sick of hearing her beating around the bush, so he claims the fact.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mrs. Phuong sneers, "I left that morning and never came back to do anything!"


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    ¡°I didn''t do it yourself, but you threw the stone and hid your hand.¡± Mr Woods affirms straight away. ¡°Ngoc Lam school''s camera has recorded everything. You sent Thanh to torture her. Am I right?


    Ms Phuong sees that she cannot deny it; certainly, Mr Woods has something up his sleeve. The woman just stands still there smiling.


    ¡°Too many people have been hurt.¡± Mr Woods softly, "Do you still want to cause more damage?"


    ¡°Hurt? Who was hurt? The woman peels off her elegant appearance and looks at Mr Lam distortedly, "While we have not overcome this pain, are there people preparing to reappear as if nothing had happened?"


    The woman takes out a piece of paper from the piano and shows it in front of Mr Woods.


    ¡°By the way, the Rector has approved your job transfer. You want to be a hero, don''t you? In the remotely mountainous areas, all the children do not have enough food to eat. They will be extremely happy if a good man like you shows up!¡±


    Teacher Lam suppresses his anger and gets the decision. The woman smirks at him and then walks out of the room.


    ¡°Hola¡±


    ¡°The cuckoo calls the eagle.¡±


    Luyen and Thuyen wait until Mrs Phuong is not around, then sneakily poke into the theatre room. Mr Woods gazes at the two of them and immediately calls them in.


    Thuyen studied piano before playing the violin. He quickly sits in front of the piano and plays a few notes. Luyen brings out two chairs, one for the teacher, and one for him.


    "That old woman is afraid that you will destroy the dictatorial plot of her and her husband, that''s why she is trying her best to push you away." Luyen looks at the paper in Mr Woods'' hand.


    ¡°What is in that old hag''s mind that she forces an old man like you to climb the mountains and wade through the streams to school there? She is killing you without a sword." Thuyen says while he is playing the piano.


    ¡°Have you recorded it?¡± Mr Woods asks


    Luyen and Thuyen look at the teacher and smile "he he" then quickly take out the cell phones from their pocket.


    Before entering the room, Mr Woods called Luyen''s number, reminding Luyen to put it on recording mode. Thuyen stood next to him and also turned on the camera to record. The entire content of the recent conversation is saved.


    ¡°Are you going to use this¡±


    ¡°To ovethrow that despicable couple?¡±


    Mr Woods shakes his head. During the conversation, Ms Phuong did not admit or confirm anything, so this recording has no value to be trustable evidence. But he still needs it. Mr Woods tells Luyen to send it to his phone and then looks at the two friends.


    ¡°You two, I have a favour to ask.¡±


    ---------------


    Van Thac sits huddled on a stone chair. K and M seemed to have something to do, so they told him to wait.


    The aftereffects of the last stage are in his mind. Now he realizes how stubborn and stupid he was. The things that once made him believe suddenly are now crumbled. Now, he doesn''t know what to do.


    ¡°I''m so bad.¡± Van Thac says to himself.


    A head appears under the seat of the stone bench he is sitting on.


    ¡°You''re not, son.¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡±


    K squeezes his way out from under the bench, and in the one next to him, M is doing the same.


    Thac clutches his heart. Thac is in pain. Thac collapses.


    ¡°Don''t scare me anymore. I will have a heart attack and die.¡±


    K smiles and gives Thac a bottle of water. Thac politely receives it.


    ¡°How do you feel now, son?¡±


    It''s true that after shouting, Thac feels a little relieved.


    "I''m sorry." After calming down, Thac seriously admits his mistake to his teacher. ¡°I shouldn''t be too complacent. I- I''m so stupid.¡±


    K pats Thac''s shoulder gently and sits next to him. In the opposite row of benches, M is sitting there.


    ¡°You are kind-hearted and want to help Ngoc Lam,¡± M says. ¡°Unfortunately, her situation is a bit particular.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, M continues.


    ¡°Thac, do you want to listen to the story from the past?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Ngoc Lam, no, back then she should have been called The Little Sapphire. Just like that name implies, she was the gem of all the teachers who have taught her.


    The story began when the girl turned six years old when her parents took her to the park beside the Conservatory of Music.


    That afternoon, the sun was not too hot. Ngoc Lam and her parents browsed a musical instrument store right next to the Conservatory. It was also rush hour. The streets were crowded with people and cars. Two young men who looked like university students of the Conservatory entered.


    ¡°Let me try this piano!¡± One of them talked to the salesperson when he saw the white piano.


    ¡°Why do you need to buy a new one? Didn''t you buy the grey piano last month, Minh?" The friend next to him asked.


    ¡°I gave it to my cousin.¡± The boy named Minh replied.


    Minh''s long fingers lightly glided across the keys of Chopin''s Fantaisie Impromptu-third stage. Among the noisy streets with traffic and laughter, from inside the store, the music from a piano resounded, separating itself from the hustle and bustle outside.


    About five minutes later, the last note was played. Minh looked at the piano a bit. When he intended to talk more with the store owner, his eyes accidentally met a short-haired child.


    That was the first meeting of Minh and Ngoc Lam.


    Ngoc Lam, at that time, had no idea about her musical talent. No one in her entire family knew how to play the piano. The little girl was only attracted by Minh''s music and ran in to see. Ngoc Lam''s parents, seeing their child running away, got panicked as she ran into the store.


    Minh waved at Ngoc Lam to ask her to come and then looked at her parents, smiling politely.


    ¡°Are you her parents?¡±


    Ngoc Lam saw that her parents were also there, so she ran out and hugged her mother''s legs.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I want to play the piano.¡±


    The couple was confused and struggled to find some words to talk to their daughter. They didn''t know much about music, but they knew that each musical instrument here costs several times their monthly salary. They were worried if Ngoc Lam broke something, they would have no money to compensate.


    "It''s ok. Let the girl come up here to play for a bit.¡± Minh smiled and told Ngoc Lam, "After playing, you have to listen to your parents, OK?"


    Because of Minh''s suggestion, Ngoc Lam''s parents finally let her enter the store. She sat next to Minh behind the white piano. Minh considered Ngoc Lam as a curious kid, so he intended to introduce basic knowledge of music first, starting with the notes C-D-E-F-G.


    ¡°Do you know how to play the piano?¡±


    "Yes."


    Having finished speaking, Ngoc Lam stretched out her tiny fingers and repeated the entire Fantaisie Impromptu she had listened to. She had no techniques for playing the music, and the rhythm was chaotic. The notes, which were so far apart that her short fingers couldn''t reach them, took her a few seconds to press, but she repeated all the notes without missing a single one with both hands.


    All the witnesses couldn''t believe in their eyes. Ngoc Lam''s parents were astonished by their little daughter.


    Minh happily called his mother, Mrs Phuong, a pianist and lecturer at the Conservatory of Music, who had not yet become the head of the subject like she is now. Unfortunately, Mrs Phuong was busy teaching, so she asked another teacher to come and check on the situation. The teacher arrived ten minutes later and hurriedly called the current head of the subject. In a few hours, Ngoc Lam''s life changed completely.


    In half a year, Ngoc Lam was specially admitted to the Conservatory of Music, studying in the college building. The ability to play many different musical instruments was also gradually discovered. Mr Woods, who had been already the head of the subject, witnessed Ngoc Lam''s enormous potential. He was afraid that he would soon have nothing to teach her, so he contacted Karcsi and Emmy. The two people who had just seen Ngoc Lam''s talent immediately poured out a bunch of beautiful words like ''wonderful'', ''great'', or ''excellent'' in every language they knew. The couple offered to take Ngoc Lam abroad to study under their tutelage. As soon as the Rector of the Conservatory heard the news, he immediately protested. He said that he was afraid that Ngoc Lam would be far away from his parents when she was too young and that if something happened to her in a foreign land, it wouldn''t be as secure as in a country full of fellows there for her like the leaves protecting tattered ones.


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    K got furious. He was no stranger to the hypocrisy of this old dean. That bald man was just afraid that Ngoc Lam would leave and have no one to polish the reputation of his Conservatory. Ngoc Lam deserved to go out there and receive guidance from the best artists. The dean immediately showed the admission papers with the red seal in front of K, saying that if he didn''t sign, it would be a long time before K could withdraw her transcript from his school. The two had a fierce conflict, causing many lecturers there to reconcile for a long time. Finally, the most optimal solution was for Ngoc Lam to follow K and M abroad as an exchange student. She was still a student of the Conservatory of Music, and all of her activities abroad would be under the name of the Conservatory. After a period of training, K and M had to take her back.


    Ngoc Lam did not know about adult disputes. The girl sat attentively listening to Minh and his friend, Thanh, whose face was different from his now, practising playing the piano and singing opera together.


    Thanh, that year, was only 21 years old, was a student in the vocal department at the Conservatory of Music and was in the same situation as Ngoc Lam, no one in his family was active in the art world. Thanh''s family discovered his talent in middle school and under the recommendation of his music teacher, Thanh passed a few aptitude tests and was given special admission to the Conservatory of Music. Since then, Thanh has known and befriended Minh.


    Minh, the same age as Thanh, had a family of artists. His mother was a very prestigious lecturer at the Conservatory of Music. She did not only teach at the school but also became a mentor of top singers. Minh''s father was a member of the National Music Association. Minh himself was also very talented, had won dozens of awards from leading music competitions, and had had quite a few vinyl records released under his name.


    He looked at Ngoc Lam with a feeling of pride because he was the one who discovered her talent. The head of the subject also assigned Minh to be a teaching assistant for this little genius.


    When Thanh finished his part, Minh waved at Ngoc Lam, telling her to sit next to him, and spoke gently.


    ¡°I''ll practice with you.¡±


    Their hands glided quickly across the keys. Compared to half a year ago, Ngoc Lam had made incredible progress. She had almost caught up with Minh, who had been playing the piano since he was three years old.


    ¡°You''re so good!¡± Minh praised the girl. ¡°Do you want to perform with me later?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ngoc Lam politely replied.


    A month later, Ngoc Lam was taken abroad by K and M. Her parents were so scared that they could not bear to leave their daughter. Minh was also a bit sad. On the day they said goodbye at the airport, he patted Ngoc Lam''s head and told her to study well, and when she returned, she would play a duet with him.


    During two years of studying abroad, Ngoc Lam had gone to many places and made many friends. Her personality became more liberal. On her return, the Rector and a few head teachers of the subjects came to the airport to welcome her. Ngoc Lam''s reputation, thanks to the help of the Moreau couple and many leading artists abroad, had extended beyond their imagination. Receiving from The Moreaus not only a precious gem but also a polished and honed one, the Rector smiled from ear to ear.


    When Ngoc Lam was abroad, many people called her The Little Sapphire.


    Returning to the Conservatory, Ngoc Lam had to take exams and perform more than go to school. Worried about their child''s situation, her parents took M''s advice and hired a tutor to teach her general knowledge at home. During her time abroad, Ngoc Lam was also greatly shaped by K and M in her way of life and behaviour. She understood that learning knowledge was as crucial as playing music. Even though she did not have much time, she tried to maintain her studying with a tutor.


    One day, Ngoc Lam went to find Minh. The girl happened to open the door of the singing practice room and saw Minh and Thanh kissing each other. Being discovered, the two boys were startled and panicked, not knowing what to do. Minh quickly came to her and asked softly.


    ¡°Did you see everything?¡±


    ¡°Are you and Thanh in love?¡± Ngoc Lam comfortably asked again.


    The two boys looked at each other not knowing how to answer.


    ¡° When I was abroad, I saw many couples of boys.¡± The girl said innocently.


    Minh and Thanh breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps during her time away from the country, Ngoc Lam witnessed many different perspectives and gradually accepted them as a part of this world.


    ¡°But,¡± Minh asked, ¡°Can you keep it a secret for us?¡±


    Ngoc Lam immediately made a zip-lock sign on her mouth, then an OK hand sign, nodding like a chicken pecking rice.


    Minh and Thanh''s story was kept secret. Thanks to this secret, Ngoc Lam also became even closer to the two of them.


    No one expected that not long after, an event occurred that would completely disrupt their lives.

 Chapter 24

    Ngoc Lam had been on a whirlwind of activities for over a year and a half, garnering the attention of the media that had come to call her a one-of-a-kind legend. She often took rare chances when she went on tours to meet artists who were her teachers, interact with other talents, visit old friends, and make new ones. Her talent had made many experts take off their hats in admiration, and her popularity was growing by the day as more vinyl records were sold under her name. Though she could play most musical instruments fluently, the Rector had advised her to focus more on the violin and piano, which he believed were the most popular instruments and would bring her more fame and benefit the Conservatory''s reputation.


    Ngoc Lam recently won first prize in the Mozart piano competition for group A, which is for children aged 7 to 9 years old. Meanwhile, Minh was preparing for an upcoming competition featuring the works of Chopin. However, while Ngoc Lam''s talent was blossoming, Minh''s progress seemed to be slowing down. Over the past three years, Minh had hardly won any tournaments, and he was getting older. Mrs. Phuong impatiently suggested that Minh should study abroad. After all, Minh was already a professional artist, so joining a good orchestra shouldn''t be difficult. Minh, however, kept procrastinating and even suggested staying at the Conservatory of Music to become a lecturer.


    Ngoc Lam, one day, saw him sitting next to Thanh, their hands clasped together.


    Minh''s slowdown was becoming more and more noticeable. There was a lot of gossip behind his family''s back. Mrs Phuong was furious and forced her son to start his career abroad right then. Minh firmly refused. The mother and the son argued. When Mrs Phuong pressed for the reason, Minh was so confused that he used Ngoc Lam as a shield. Mrs. Phuong was even more angry. She shouted.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam what? That girl is a legend now! You are lucky enough that she hasn''t stepped on you. Why do you still want to stay for her? Look at yourself right now! You''re almost 25 years old! And you still want to hang around this village pond! Sooner or later, you will sink! The next generation is growing very strongly. Have you seen that?"


    Knowing that dragging on like this was not a good way, Minh and Thanh started looking for opportunities to go abroad together.


    The opportunity had finally come. A large orchestra from Czechoslovakia offered to recruit some of the Conservatory''s talents for its ongoing tour. The position for the lead piano was vacant, and several places for the choir were looking for singers, too.


    Ngoc Lam was performing abroad, so this chance couldn''t be more ideal.


    Minh talked to Mrs. Phuong. Seeing that her son began to understand his situation, she immediately agreed. The audition went smoothly for him. The conductor was very satisfied with Minh, but Thanh had not received any response yet. Minh promised that after being selected, he would ask them to promote Thanh, even if a reserve position was acceptable, as long as they could be together.


    Unexpectedly, a change happened before the time. Ngoc Lam''s overseas concert was wildly successful. The girl herself played most of the instruments used in the orchestra and received huge acclaim from music lovers and professionals. The Rector grinned and couldn''t stop talking about the girl to the orchestra''s leaders from Czechoslovakia. They asked when Ngoc Lam would return home. Knowing she would return two days before their performance, they asked the director to change the lead pianist to her.


    When he heard the news, Minh felt like he was struck by lightning. He couldn''t have imagined that all the hopes he had placed in this time would be so blatantly taken away. The whispering behind him became louder and louder. They laughed at him because even a little kid like Ngoc Lam could snatch a job out of his hand. Thanh also distanced himself from Minh. The eyes of the students sticking on his back made Minh feel like they were looking down on him. Mrs Phuong knew what happened and was infuriated. She shouted at Minh.


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    ¡°Look! You could have gone abroad years ago. What are you staying here for? Now, no one wants to choose you anymore! How could you be so stupid?¡±


    When Minh''s busy father found out about it, he was also extremely mad. He called him and scolded him.


    Minh felt extremely depressed. He arranged to meet some friends at the club to relieve his sadness.


    Unexpectedly, before finishing his drink, Minh witnessed another shocking scene.


    Thanh was wearing a tight t-shirt and low-waisted pants, his arm around the waist of a Western man. Minh recognized him from the orchestra''s leadership team. The two of them touched intimately while they were laughing and talking. Minh was so shocked that his whole body stiffened. Before Minh''s friends could ask him anything, he ran to Thanh.


    ¡°Thanh¡± Minh shouted amid the loud music, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Thanh was a bit startled when he was caught cheating, but looking at Minh''s dispirited appearance, he saw no need to feel guilty anymore.


    ¡°You promised me that if you were recruited, you would help me get into the orchestra. Now that you have been eliminated, so I have to find another opportunity. Why are you questioning me?¡±


    ¡°So you''re going without me?¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Thanh lost patience, "I can''t stay in one place forever. How long will I have to wait for you?¡±


    ¡°I turned down the opportunities to work abroad to stay here with you! What do you mean by saying that to me?¡±


    ¡°That''s your problem! You chose to stay, and now you blame me? If you can''t take it then break up!


    Having finished speaking, Thanh hugged the man''s waist and walked into the crowd, leaving Minh standing motionlessly alone.


    Minh almost collapsed after that day.


    A person born into the spotlight like Minh realized for the first time that he had been abandoned. The compliments around him were gradually replaced by words of sarcasm, pity, or hate. His vivid world is like a water-soaked wall of which each piece was peeling off to reveal its ugly original.


    Minh suddenly realized how lonely he was those days.


    --------


    Ngoc Lam returned home without knowing what had happened. As soon as she landed, she was surrounded by reporters. The Rector did not miss the opportunity, stepped up to give her a bunch of flowers, and stood next to her in the same frame of the photos. Luckily, Ngoc Lam''s family quickly picked her up and took her home before the Rector dragged her into his fame game.


    On the way home, Ngoc Lam borrowed her mother''s cell phone to text Minh


    ¡°Hello Minh, it''s me, Ngoc Lam. I''m back. Tomorrow I''ll go to the Conservatory, and let''s play a duet together!"


    When she got home, Mr Woods had been waiting for her and her family. Before that, the teacher mentioned the situation to the girl''s parents. He advised Ngoc Lam not to accept the piano position of the Czechoslovakian orchestra. Mr Woods suggested that the family first use the reason that Ngoc Lam had to complete her elementary school program and then quickly find a way to withdraw Ngoc Lam''s school records so that she could study abroad as soon as possible. In the worst case, let her take the entrance exam to a public secondary school. At this point, the principal will no longer have a reason to keep her. Ngoc Lam can escape the risk of unintentional conflict with any prominent figure at the Conservatory.


    Ngoc Lam''s family went to the dean''s room to request that Ngoc Lam would withdraw from the Western Orchestra participation list. The director had no choice but to negotiate with the orchestra''s leaders. They agreed to let Minh replace her. Mrs Phuong was complacent when she heard about it. At the same time, she was applying to nominate herself for the position of the subject head to replace the head who was about to retire. That was not only good for Minh but also helped improve her reputation. She told Minh to work seriously without noticing that her son''s face was no longer as bright as before.


    Recently, Minh had to go to the hospital to treat depression. He didn''t know how to talk about this with his mother when he heard that he was accepted into that orchestra. In order not to affect his work, Minh kept his matter a secret. Mrs Phuong knew that her son had been going to the hospital often, but she only heard him say he was not feeling well.


    The first performance went positively. Minh always tried to take antidepressants regularly. His spirit had not fully recovered, but it improved a lot. After the performance, Minh received the decision to tour with the orchestra. Many bouquets were sent to congratulate him. He took out his phone and replied to Ngoc Lam''s text message from three days ago. He sent the message while smiling.


    Not long after, the smile suddenly disappeared. In front of him, Thanh was coming.

 Chapter 25

    WARNING:


    This chapter contains suicide, violence, and oppression.


    Thanh decided to ''come in through the back door'' with one of the leaders of the Orchestra. He would never thought that the more considerate he was, the more that man talked him out of his position in the choir. Thanh lost his temper. He argued with that man but got nowhere. Anyway, the way that he chose wasn''t clean. So, even if he wanted to say anything, he was putting his foot in his mouth. While falling in despair, he heard that Minh had been recruited again. That was the reason Thanh tried to return to flatter him.


    ¡°Minh, how have you been these past few days?¡± Thanh pretended to be concerned and approached him.


    Minh looked at Thanh, and his face turned cold. It turned out that the person he loved with all his heart was such a brazen one. He didn''t want to talk to Thanh, so he quickly left.


    "Minh!" Thanh chased after him and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°You weren''t accepted? The Orchestra doesn''t have only one leader, or you can wait for another orchestra. It''s easy!¡±


    Minh yanked Thanh''s hand away, turned around and walked straight.


    Unable to accept being humiliated like that, Thanh shouted behind him.


    ¡°Do you think you are more noble than me? If that kid, Ngoc Lam, didn''t withdraw from that position, how could it be your turn then? She''s better than you, more famous than you, more enthusiastic than you. Do you think she suddenly withdrew for nothing?


    Minh stopped when he heard those words. Seeing that his words had an impact on him, Thanh was on a high.


    ¡°She was afraid of your parents! In the morning she returned to the airport, Mr Woods was not at school. In the afternoon, her parents came to the Conservatory and asked for her withdrawal. Do you think that was a coincidence?"


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Minh turned to argue with Thanh. ¡°I was recruited from the beginning. If it weren''t for the Rector, why would there be a replacement?"


    ¡°Is that so? So that means if there''s someone a little bit better than you, you can be replaced, right? You thought your mother didn''t have her hand in the rehearsal list?" Thanh looked at Minh''s sceptical expression and continued, "If you don''t believe me, ask all students in the Conservatory how many students have been informed about the rehearsal. Your mother has hidden most of the information. If all piano students and junior students participate, do you think the audition time will be that fast?¡±


    Minh turned pale and couldn''t say a word.


    ¡°Do you think you are worth that much?¡± Thanh gained momentum and said more forcefully, "Everything you have ever had comes from your parents. Your whole life is just a worthless thing that your parents built up for you! Do you know that to help you be on the list of participants in major competitions, your parents secretly oppressed students from poorer families?"


    Thanh enjoyed looking at Minh''s increasingly shocked, a feeling of pride rose in his heart. He took a breath and gave him the final blow.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam, too. That child is the one with self-worth. She doesn''t thirst for performing with that Czechoslovakian group. People with real talent always have many opportunities, if they don''t have this one, they will have another. She''s not like you ... Well if it wasn''t you discovering her talent on that day but someone else on some other days, Mr Woods, for example, why would she have conceded her opportunities like that? Did you not pay attention, or did you purposely ignore it? Never once have she and you competed in the same tournament! Thanks to your parents, otherwise you wouldn''t even have a belt! You thought you were the god who blessed that girl, but in reality, you were the one who interrupted her career! Why did Ngoc Lam, who had become famous in foreign countries for two years, come back to this village pond? It''s all because of you! It''s your fault!¡±


    --------------


    Ngoc Lam had been obediently studying at home with her tutor these past few days. Even a one-of-a-kind music legend must participate in all semester exams under the Ministry of Education''s program framework. Ngoc Lam would have to go to the building for elementary school students to take the exams four times for each school year. Her parents saw their daughter''s situation and were even more determined to find a way to withdraw her academic transcript after she finished elementary school. The so-called ''special privilege'' with no limit on days off is just a way to exploit a child''s talent to the maximum. Ngoc Lam hardly had much contact with other people her age, and her personality was somewhat more mature and understanding. No wonder every time she went abroad, she was always happy because she met many old friends. Two years abroad were truly two years for Ngoc Lam to develop her talent and personality according to her age.


    Ngoc Lam''s father talked to M on the phone, discussing how to let Ngoc Lam enjoy all her childhood until 9th grade. When she went to high school, she would go abroad again.


    As usual, Mr Woods often spent his free time inviting a few artists he knew to visit Ngoc Lam''s house and play music together. No longer burdened with the pressure of performing perfectly in front of an audience, Ngoc Lam''s music was much more freedom. Every time the music stopped, her parents and brother watching would applaud. The little girl confidently received the applause of hundreds, thousands of spectators. Now she was embarrassed and told the whole family to stop clapping with a happy smile on her face.


    While everyone was enjoying the amusing atmosphere, a call came to Mr Woods. The teacher turned pale, immediately greeted the whole family and left with his friends.


    Minh committed suicide.


    No one knew why a man with a hopeful career like Minh did that.


    But it was unexpectable that when Ngoc Lam and her family came to visit Minh, Mrs Phuong pointed straight at her and shouted "Murderer!"


    It turns out that after Minh''s death, Thanh was afraid that people would know he was involved, but also afraid that he would have no one to cling to. He remembered the last time he talked to Minh he briefly saw the phone screen on Minh''s hand texting Ngoc Lam. Just out of luck when Minh was distraught, he deleted all his phone and computer data. Mrs Phuong did not know what happened. She only knew that Minh had been treating depression through the prescription he left behind after his death. She called Thanh to talk. He took advantage of the situation and made up a story about Minh committing suicide after texting with Ngoc Lam. Before that, he had been depressed when Ngoc Lam stole his performance. Based on those words, Mrs Phuong pieced together the events she knew, including the day Minh said he did not want to go abroad because of her. The anger in her heart billowed like a column of volcanic smoke. She believed that Ngoc Lam killed her son.


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    Through Mrs Phuong''s attitude at Minh''s funeral, one word is ten, ten is a hundred. People talked about Ngoc Lam indirectly causing Minh''s death. The whispering became louder and louder, just like it had happened with Minh. The prying eyes glued behind Ngoc Lam''s back made her scared. The people around her began to change their attitude towards her - some hated her, and some feared her. No one cares who participated in the conversations that made Minh collapse, but they just needed to know that the ''culprit'' - Ngoc Lam must receive exactly what Minh had suffered, even double.


    Ms. Phuong was successfully appointed head of the subject shortly after Minh passed away. Having little power, she openly oppressed and made things difficult for Ngoc Lam. Sometimes, she picked on Ngoc Lam''s smallest mistakes, sometimes claimed her to play too emotionally, and sometimes said she played too technical and flat. Ngoc Lam didn''t understand what was going on at first. She just tried to please her teacher, but a few months later, she became more and more confused and didn''t know what to do. The initial confidence was gradually replaced by timidity and fear.


    The teachers and teaching assistants on the same side as Mrs Phuong and other students did not hesitate to participate in the bullying. They followed Ngoc Lam and backbit behind her back by saying loudly Mrs. Phuong''s criticisms of her, repeating statements like "The kind of person with a little talent who thinks she''s a real legend. "Her skills are so terrible that she will humiliate the Conservatory if she attends any contests!" "You monster!" "Murderer!". The teachers joined together to bring charges against her and criticize her in front of other students.


    As for Thanh, after confessing to Minh''s parents about their relationship, he voluntarily had plastic surgery to make his face look as similar to Minh''s as possible. He was also the most active person participating in the brutal violence against Ngoc Lam.


    After a period of cold violence, mental violence, criticism and hate for no reason: musical instruments being destroyed, and occasionally having the words "Murderer" stuck on her backpack, Ngoc Lam''s spirit deteriorated day by day. It gradually turned into mental illness. Her parents felt furious when they found out and went to meet the Rector to question him. No one would have expected that the bald man would cover up that Ngoc Lam was having badly due to megalomania that she got insulted easily by some gentle comments from her teachers. He constantly told how much he had invested in Ngoc Lam, and he also assigned Mrs Phuong, the head of the subject, to carefully tutor her. Then he blamed Ngoc Lam''s parents for not knowing how to raise their child, allowing her to cause more and more trouble for the Conservatory of Music. The Rector also conveniently followed Mrs Phuong''s words and took away the ''privilege'' of unlimited days off so that Ngoc Lam had to go to school or she would not be able to graduate from elementary school.


    Mr Woods and other teachers who were dissatisfied with the work of Mrs Phuong and the dean were transferred, sent on business trips, or assigned to work from beginning to end. Many people could not stand it and, under the pressure at work and in their lives, have to turn a blind eye. The director wanted to please Mrs Phuong and her husband because shortly, their reputation would soar like a rocket, and she was also being considered for Elite Artist status by the Arts Council.


    Ngoc Lam''s parents were helpless to ask for Mr Woods'' help because he himself was being oppressed. They could not even complain to the authorities because there was no evidence. The Rector used the excuse of upgrading the security system to turn off all surveillance cameras, partly afraid that the incident would affect the chair he was sitting on.


    The bullying reached its peak when Ngoc Lam did not come home one day. Her parents made a big deal out of it and then asked an acquaintance to lead the police to the Conservatory. They discovered that the girl was locked in the bathroom and fell ill a week later. At this time, the Rector got panicked, and he had to discipline the students who locked Ngoc Lam in the bathroom. Ngoc Lam''s older brother said nothing. Thanks to his acquaintance through the students of his father''s dojo, he identified a few other people who had also bullied his sister, so he waited for the opportunity to beat those people up. Only then did the violence decrease.


    But it turned out those people were just temporarily hibernating, waiting for an opportunity to destroy her spirit.


    Since becoming mentally ill, Ngoc Lam began having nightmares and hallucinations. She always felt fear for no reason behind her. Since Thanh''s face turned into Minh''s, the slimy monster with Minh''s face often appeared in her dreams.


    Ngoc Lam had the opportunity to perform abroad again. K and M also know how horribly the girl was bullied and abused, but water which is distant is no good for a fire which is near. They had to stay abroad to find ways to make a chance to take Ngoc Lam away. The problem is that Mrs. Phuong refused, she found all kinds of reasons, found all kinds of mistakes, and used the excuse that the girl had been negligent recently and needed time to rest and rebalance. Finally, another chance had come. There was an international music exchange festival. K created a cake for the Conservatory to be recognized as an Asian-class music training school to convince the Rector, and with the advice of Mr Woods, Ngoc Lam finally had a chance to escape this place.


    Mrs Phuong, of course, felt that her last chance to ''kill'' Ngoc Lam''s spirit had come.


    As Ngoc Lam''s supervising teacher, she called her into a hall, under the pretext of rehearsing for the festival event. Ngoc Lam was now so depressed that she didn''t dare touch the piano anymore. Mrs Phuong showed ''understanding'' and gave the girl a violin, but she forced her to face the stage, her back to the audience.


    With each tune Ngoc Lam played, the sound of people entering the hall became louder. They didn''t seem to care about what she was playing. They whispered to each other, sometimes laughing carelessly. Gradually, among those mixed sounds, the words ''Murderer!'' emerged, over and over again, increasing in frequency. Finally, when she finished the song, everyone fell silent. That terrifying silence was like a black monster slowly approaching the poor girl from behind.


    Suddenly, everyone in the audience burst into laughter. Laughter was like a drill going straight into Ngoc Lam''s head. The girl couldn''t bear it anymore. She fell and passed out.


    Ngoc Lam was no longer able to perform confidently under the spotlight. Her last performance turns out to be a disaster. A child with a bloody head and body was taken to the hospital by her parents.


    After this incident, the Rector of the C¨®nevatory deflected his responsibility, Mrs Phuong''s husband used his power to block the media, Thanh colluded with bullies to fake the story about Ngoc Lam, and Mrs Phuong used Minh''s death to threaten Ngoc Lam family. They choose a low-key teacher to push all the responsibility, manipulate and threaten that person, then fire him and get it over with. The Rector, who was afraid of trouble from the consequences, quickly agreed to let Ngoc Lam''s family withdraw her transcripts and no longer have anything to do with the Conservatory of Music.


    What happened in the conference room was known by Ngoc Lam''s brother. He used the old way of calling people he had beaten up to ask about it.


    Mr Woods came to her house to apologize for not being able to protect her. Ngoc Lam''s mother looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes. Her father calmed down and asked Mr Lam if there was any way to get justice for his daughter. Teacher Lam honestly replied that chance would be a fine thing because those people on Mrs Phuong''s side had already prepared for that situation. At first, the teacher did not expect Mrs Phuong to act so cruel and cold-blooded. When he discovered the trick, it was too late. But he promised, as long as he was still there in the Conservatory, he would collect all the pieces of evidence, and wait for the opportunity to expose all the truth. If the family had any clues, they could contact him.


    Only poor Ngoc Lam could no longer play music.

 Chapter 26

    At night, the temperature is getting lower and lower. Thac wears gloves and wraps a thick scarf around his neck to cycle home. On both sides of the road, the shops are still open, and a few are placing some panels for sale. Leaves have fallen all over the road, and the sound of them being crushed under the rolling wheels resonant with the chilling winds.


    When Thac arrives home, he sees his mother waiting in the living room. He greets his mother and is about to go upstairs when his mom calls him.


    "Are you hungry? I''ll cook some instant noodles for you."


    Thac initially has no appetite, but when his mother mentions noodles that makes his stomach growl. Thac nods.


    His mother does not do much but mixes a packet of noodles with soft-boiled eggs and puts some pickled cabbage in a bowl as a side dish. A simple dinner suddenly becomes strangely delicious. Van Thac opens the lid of the bowl and digs in to eat. The sound of him eating noodles rustling in the quiet space.


    In just a few minutes, Thac finishes his late dinner. He voluntarily washes dishes. After washing, he returns to the table and sits opposite his mother.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Thac starts the conversation.


    ¡°Do you feel better?¡±


    Thac nods. Today is indeed a long day for him. Many things have happened, too many to know in just one day. His heart is heavy. For a moment, he feels incompetent and useless in this vast and complicated world.


    Seeing that her son remains silent, the mother strikes his hair.


    ¡°Today, your Dad and I went to see you perform. You did play the trumpet very well! Mr Woods also praised you have been making unexpectedly fast progress."


    Thac never thinks his mother would say that. All his pent-up emotions are like a valve being completely opened.


    ¡°No,¡­ it''s¡­Mom.... I¡­¡±


    Thac cannot hold back anymore. He bows his head and cries. Thac feels that it''s not very reasonable for a son to cry in front of his mother when he''s big. But the more he tries to refrain, the more tears fall. His mother still gently comforts him.


    After crying for a while, his heart feels lighter. He uses a tissue to wipe all the tears and drivel on his face.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Thac''s voice is still a bit muffled and shaking after crying, ¡°Can I ask you this?¡±


    ¡°Okay, say it.¡±


    ¡°Mom, is the reason I cannot join the Orchestra ¡­ because you told Mr Woods to do so?¡±


    The mother smiles and nods with a "You''re right." confirming the question in his heart.


    Van Thac was accidentally discovered by Luyen and Thuyen when the two were being chased by a villager whose guavas had been stolen by those naughty boys. At that time, he was only eight years old, and he and his family were on a trip to visit his parent''s hometown in the summer. He was unlucky to be pulled in by two mischievous kids, who were roaming around to play tricks and cause trouble everywhere in the village. Thac was hanging out on the road, and he didn''t have any idea about the situation. He ran because he noticed Luyen and Thuyen running toward him. After a while, realizing that no one was chasing him, he turned around and saw the house owner who had his guavas robbed, pinching the ears of two boys about his age and complaining to their families. The two boys'' parents had to go out to apologize and force them to return the stolen guavas. The two were then scolded by their parents. When they were so upset, they happened to see the kid who had run with them. The two immediately started a fight. The three of them argued for a long time, and then Thuyen noticed that the strange guy not only ran further than them and cursed at them harder, but his face also showed no tiredness. Luyen quickly gave his clarinet to Thac and told him to give it a try. Discovering that Thac''s breath was incredibly strong, Luyen dragged him into the house and immediately introduced him to the old man who was drinking tea with his parents.


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    It turned out that Luyen and Thuyen were not from the same hometown as Thac. The two of them followed their families here because the two groups of parents were once students of a retired teacher who was living in his hometown. The old man also saw Thac''s ability, so he asked about his family and then went with him to his grandparents'' house, which was only a few doors apart. In the countryside, everyone knows each other. Thac''s relatives all came out to greet the old man. The man mentioned sending him to some lecturers at the Conservatory of Music.


    ¡°Originally, I didn''t want you to pursue art, but the old man lived in the same neighbourhood as your grandparents and was also an acquaintance. Seeing his enthusiasm, I agreed with him to let you learn music, but I thought of it as entertaining after class.¡± The mother reminisces.


    So, according to the old man''s recommendation, Mr Woods agreed to give Thac a few trial lessons. During that time, he started to gradually get acquainted with the instruments and make friends with Luyen and Thuyen. Seeing that Thac had the ability to play brass and woodwinds, Mr Woods suggested his family let him go to the Conservatory and study with his elementary school friends there. However, Thac''s father did not want to. After all, his father was working in the art world, and he had known many things in the dark that not everyone knew. The couple discussed together and then refused the proposal, as they wanted for their son to be old enough. Mr Woods understood their concern and suggested that he would teach Thac after school and wait until he was 16 years old before being accepted into the Orchestra. Faced with the teacher''s enthusiasm, Thac''s father replied that he would let his son decide for himself.


    But that plan was broken when Thac was ten when the accident of Ngoc Lam happened. Although his mother did not understand the story in detail, she, as a businesswoman, who had interacted with all kinds of people and experienced all kinds of things, could imagine the dirty truths hiding behind that luxurious stage curtain.


    ¡°Your father knows more about Ngoc Lam than me. He said that even a genius like that is being pushed to the limit, so how can our family protect you when something goes wrong? Dad only works as a freelancer, and I work in business, and you don''t have a background to support you at that Conservatory. The two children, Luyen and Thuyen, were prepared by their parents, but no one dared to say that if someone more powerful than them tried to bully them, they could still be at peace. What should we do if our child encounters the same thing as Ngoc Lam does?


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°We know, we can''t protect you forever. There will come a time when you have to experience it yourself. At least we still want our children to have a peaceful childhood, staying away from the gossip of adults. We desire to wait until you are strong so that no matter what will happen in the future, your spirit is mature enough to withstand it. Ngoc Lam encountered problems when she was very young. That''s how life is that people never care how old you are or how much your parents love you."


    ¡°Mom, I didn''t know anything. I was so stubborn about Ngoc Lam. I didn''t pay attention to your advice. I was wrong.¡± Thac confesses to his mother.


    ¡°I know you have good intentions. But Thac, there are many things in this life that kindness alone is not enough. If you want to help others, you must be competent yourself. You must cultivate yourself first. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    "Yes."


    Seeing that her son seems to have understood, the mother continues.


    ¡°Do you still want to help Ngoc Lam?¡±


    Looking at her son''s hesitation to say his thoughts, the mother smiles affectionately.


    ¡°I want to wait until you''re really grown up, but if you want to walk on your own path and have considered it carefully, we will support your decision."


    After a few days off, the school became crowded again. Ngoc Lam is still on time, as usual, arriving at class 15 minutes before. She stayed alone in the room. The hallway is quiet without the noisy classmates with his trumpet.


    When there are only five minutes left, the students have already filed into the classroom, and Van Thac is still nowhere to be seen.


    The bell rings, and the class is crowded again. Thuy is the first person to whisper in Ngoc Lam''s ear, "Why hasn''t Thac come to class yet?"


    Ngoc Lam follows Thuy''s words and turns to see that Thac''s seat is empty.


    The homeroom teacher enters the classroom, interrupting her thoughts. She congratulates the whole class on the amazing results of the recent Teachers'' Day event. Those who participated and won high prizes will have their achievements recorded on their school transcripts. They will also receive scholarships and commendations at the flag salute session next Monday.


    After that, she tells the class monitor to change the number of students, for Van Thac is now studying abroad.


    The news is so sudden that all the students cannot digest it. Everyone gasp. A student speaking up, "So, is he studying in some foreign country?" pulls other classmates'' consciousness back. The class is loud enough to wake the dead when discussing Thac''s abrupt journey.


    Ngoc Lam is sitting motionless without a word.

 Chapter 14

    Autumn leaves its traces more and more clearly through the trees. The colours red, yellow, and brown gradually replace the green colour of the leaves. The sunlight becomes more and more gentle, embracing each tilted roof. The sky seems bluer, and the buzzing sound of cicadas has long been silent. There is only the quiet sound of falling leaves on the asphalt. The hustling flow of people through the streets seems slower than before, along with the flow of time.


    Luyen and Thuyen gradually adjust to the time zone after a long time touring abroad. The two enthusiastically tell Van Thac the strange things they had experienced in foreign countries - including the funny and sad stories, the artists they had the opportunity to meet, and the new knowledge they learned that would be difficult to know if they studied and worked in the Conservatory only. Thac, persistently, sits and listens to them attentively as if he is going to swallow all those stories. He is like a Little Mermaid listening to her sisters'' experiences outside the ocean, waiting for her turn to be able to take her own adventures.


    He shows his friends the music sheets he had composed for the school play. Before that, he also gave it to Mr Woods. The teacher asked if he could sell this piece to the Conservatory''s orchestra, and he would discuss with Thac''s mother how to pay for it. Thac and other students in his age are not capable enough to deal with this complicated arrangement.


    "But Ngoc Lam can do it."- Thac blurts out to Luyen and Thuyen


    "Are¡­"


    "You"


    "Obsessed"


    "By"


    "Ngoc Lam"


    "Or"


    "Not?"


    Luyen and Thuyen take turns speaking until the end of the question.


    ¡°Oh, Ngoc Lam¡±


    ¡°Wherefore art thou Ngoc Lam?¡±


    The two friends continue to imitate the play Romeo and Juliet to tease Thac. Thac''s ears turn red from being teased. He keeps denying it, but the two friends never give up their silly jokes. When verbal words become useless, he picks up the trumpet and immediately plays a random piece of music in his head. It happens to be the climax of Vivaldi''s Summer Symphony.


    ¡°Autumn is almost over, but you still play the summer part?¡±


    ¡±Let''s fight!¡±


    The music stimulates the strong musical spirit of Luyen and Thuyen. In the blink of an eye, a violin, trumpet, and clarinet ensemble is formed. The hail of sounds representing falling rain, thunder, and storms resound one after another and stir up the atmosphere of a peaceful afternoon.


    When the music ends, all three friends sit down to rest. Luyen and Thac even have to cough a few times. Playing such a "heavy" piece of music in the cold and dry autumn weather is probably not a good idea for people like them.


    ¡°Thac.¡± Luyen takes a sip of water and calls out to his friend


    ¡°We sincerely ask you this question,¡± Thuyen says


    ¡°Do you think you can convince Ngoc Lam¡±


    ¡°To play for your school''s performance?¡±


    Thac makes a face. Of course, he has already known the answer himself. These past few days, he didn''t even dare to talk to Ngoc Lam, let alone convince her.


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    ¡°Why are you?¡±


    ¡°So stubborn?¡±


    ¡°She retired a long time ago¡±


    ¡°There must be a reason.¡±


    "Being reluctant"


    "Is unhappy!"


    Thac scratches his ears for a moment, silently looking down at the cement floor.


    "Now let me ask you guys," Thac says, "Thuyen, provided that you are walking on the street and see a Strad, do you want to try it?"


    ¡°... Yes¡± Thuyen hesitates for a moment then says decisively.


    ¡°What about Luyen?¡± Thac turns to the other person, ¡°Now you see someone playing Shostakovich ''s Walz No.2 on the piano, do you want to join in?¡±


    "Of course!" Luyen replies without thinking.


    "Why?" Thac looks straight into the eyes of his two friends


    ¡°That''s¡­¡± Luyen rubs his chin and is thoughtful for a moment and then turns to look at Thuyen


    ¡°I think it''s in my blood,¡± Thuyen says, turning to look back at Luyen


    "Right." Luyen seems to be enlightened, "Think about it, we have spent our lives following this career and putting in so much effort into practising, not to mention having passion."


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thuyen agrees. ¡°I think if I didn''t play music anymore I''d have to work a desk job, but I guess I couldn''t stand it every time I saw something related to music.¡±


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡­¡± Thac says ¡°is the same¡±


    Thac still remembers the first time he met Ngoc Lam, she unconsciously played music. In the afternoons when he sat alone playing the trumpet, he always felt that Ngoc Lam was listening even though she always appeared indifferent. The times she coldly gave him some advice, it was only a few words, but he still felt the care in each sentence she said; otherwise, each word wouldn''t have been to the point of his improvement.


    From that first meeting, Thac could not imagine if, when he grew up, Ngoc Lam would no longer play a note of music. He could see that she exuded the aura of a great artists. It''s too painful to bear with the image of her trying to put it out.


    If Ngoc Lam can play music as a professional again, Thac thinks, will there be any chance to see her perform on a professional stage? He can even play with her.


    Her passion for music is still desirable, so why should she give up?


    Seeing the stubborn determination radiating through every cell of Thac, Luyen and Thuyen have to surrender.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Luyen says


    ¡°We have a way.¡± Continues Luyen


    They understand that Thac will never stop until he finds some solutions, so the two friends decide to give him a hand. But whichever the results will come, Thac has to take it by himself and learn about it.


    In the evening, Luyen and Thuyen need to stay at the school to practice with the orchestra. Joining them is also Mr Woods'' teaching assistant, who often helps him guide them along with Thac. They simply greet each other and then take their seats.


    While the tour commemorating Chopin''s death that Luyen and Thuyen participated in is an opportunity for the Conservatory to introduce new faces, the teacher assistant is finding another chance to promote his career in a tribute event to Felix Mendelssohn, a genius of classical music, who miserably passed away in November.


    This session is a special occasion to prepare for the International Music Competition from January to April next year. The two friends'' performances during the recent tour helped them get approval for the list of musicians in the competing orchestra. In addition, each of them also has an individual contest in the Competition. Both are trying their best to seize the opportunity to shine.


    The Conservatory rector walks out from the audience seats, which are already filled with subject teachers, and claps his hands to ask everyone to be quiet.


    ¡°Dear my students and teachers,¡± the rector puts his hands in his pockets, and his body moves slightly with each word, making his bald forehead shine under the light. ¡°Today, our Conservatory of Music is very honoured to welcome two special guests who will support our students for next year''s competition. Let me introduce¡­ "


    As he is speaking, one of his hands draws a beautiful curve swinging to the back, where two silhouettes are moving forward gradually.


    Mr Woods sees the two people and immediately smiles.


    The entire orchestra simultaneously stares at those guests, with their eyes opening wide and jaws dropping.

 Chapter 28

    The performance started, and its Conductor was M. The head violinist, someone Ngoc Lam had never met but is a close friend of Van Thac, is Thuyen. Van Thac holds the solo trumpet position in some performances.


    The music catches the audience''s attention. The Orchestra does a great job. The artists, under M''s guidance, complete their tasks well or even excellently. Ngoc Lam recognizes many of them. Over the past nine years, they have continued to move forward. They- M, K, Fabian, Van Thac, and the artists are working hard in this world, except her.


    Ngoc Lam knows she is agitated. But does it matter? Nothing has changed here. She needs to keep her distance from them and listen to their music like an ordinary music lover. When the performance ends, she will go home and go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day. She will walk on the streets, go to school, and study hard until graduation day, as she always does. Despite whispering comments about the Orchestra around her, Ngoc Lam sits up straight like a marble statue, her hands clutching the ticket stub tightly, repeating her determination in her head.


    The concert is about to end. There is one more performance. Van Thac steps closer to M, and the two nod to each other. In the performance list, this is the most special repertoire. Except for information about Van Thac''s solo performance, there is no other, even the name of the song. The guests all curiously focus on the stage. Ngoc Lam closes her eyes, trying not to look at the boy, who has grown much taller after four years. In just a few more minutes, she tells herself she will leave this place and never try to look for Van Thac. He will also leave for a new destination. Today will be like an intersection between two lives, which will soon separate.


    M''s baton swings up. From the very first notes, some audience members recognize that mysterious music. There is a faint buzzing sound from the stands. The Conductor sitting next to her is looking down at the artists. The ticket stub Ngoc Lam is holding fell. Her hands were shaking. Ngoc Lam can hear each heartbeat ringing in her ears, coinciding with the rhythm of the music. The conductor observes her, smiles, and then looks back to the stage, enjoying the music.


    -----------


    ¡°... Sapphire! Sapphire! Ngoc Lam!"


    The voice of the conductor calling wakes Ngoc Lam from her reverie. She is startled to see that the curtain has been down and covered the stage. And around her, the audience is also leaving.


    "I''m sorry." She answers. Her voice is slightly trembling.


    The conductor notices Ngoc Lam''s slightly wobbly legs and extends his arm to her, "Allow me!"


    Ngoc Lam holds the Conductor''s arm and walks with him out of the theatre. On the way, he reminisces old stories.


    ¡°At the first time we met, you were eight years old, right? You were much shorter than you are now. But the little you insisted on tiptoeing while holding my arm rather than holding my hand to walk out onto the stage. More than ten years have passed. You have grown much taller."


    Ngoc Lam listens and says nothing.


    ¡°You realize that right? The impression you have left was much bigger than you thought.¡±


    ¡°I have retired, Conductor.¡±


    ¡°A legend retired. Well! So how long will it take for that person to play music as skillfully as before, or even better than before?"


    As soon as the two walk out of the theatre, heavy snowfalls, accompanied by rain. The cold this year will surely be harsh.


    An assistant quickly runs over and covers the two with an umbrella. The Conductor asks him to give Ngoc Lam another one. He holds the umbrella himself with both hands and gives it to her.


    ¡°I wish this umbrella were a Strad¡­¡± The Conductor laughs and says, ¡°For pragmatic people, this umbrella is more necessary than an instrument they don''t know how to play. They can be easily sued for theft if they take a Strad roaming on the street. But what about you?¡±


    Ngoc Lam politely accepts the umbrella, still saying nothing.


    The conductor shows no displeasure, but he still speaks slowly.


    ¡°You deserve the best Orchestras, Sapphire. It''s a pity that my Orchestra that day..." Silent for a moment, he moves on, "Next July, my Orchestra will undergo an evaluation. I hope you will come. This is a business. I will wait for an answer. At that time... don''t kick Fabian''s ass that hard! My Orchestra still needs him for future projects.¡±


    After saying goodbye, Ngoc Lam returns to her accommodation with the umbrella given to her. People pass by bustlingly, and their breath turns into clouds of smoke. Ngoc Lam looks at the smoke from her breath and decides to stop by the coffee shop to buy a cup of hot cocoa.


    The warmth from the cup warms her cold hands because of the rain and snow. Ngoc Lam sits holding a glass of water, wondering what she is expecting. If it were Van Thac four years ago, would he rush to find her after the show, constantly talking about his love for music with her? The present Van Thac is the grown man in a trench coat the day the two of them met by chance. He is no longer the boy who is clumsy with musical notes. His trumpet playing has reached an amazing level. He easily handles difficult techniques. His skill, perhaps, is equal to Mr Lam, or even better. That special performance and Van Thac''s eyes overshadow Ngoc Lam''s original thoughts. When Van Thac looked up at her in the VIP row, his eyes were full of determination, no longer the pleading and confusion of the past. For what? Ngoc Lam sobs softly. We won''t meet again.


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    At night, Ngoc Lam lay awake in bed. She tilted her head and looked towards the closet. In a corner there, just a few feet away, she may touch the violin. Musical instruments also have their souls. She remembers K''s words the other day. When an artist plays a musical instrument, it is also when two souls interact and shine. Without the artist, the soul of the musical instrument would be imprisoned in its form, waiting alone year after year. Without musical instruments, an artist cannot turn music into a voice that represents their years of hard work and aspirations.


    Van Thac, she thinks of him again, has become one with his instrument and radiated beautiful light like a combination of billions of molecules of a mysterious self-luminous material dancing in the air.


    The call from her mother startles Ngoc Lam. She quickly reaches for the nightstand.


    ¡°Hello, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Hello, I can''t sleep, so I call you. Are you sleeping?¡±


    "Not yet. It''s only 10 o''clock here. Is there anything?


    ¡°It''s nothing... I just miss you.¡±


    "I see. I''m fine here.¡±


    The conversation stops for a moment before Ngoc Lam''s mother speaks.


    ¡°Have you been to the concert yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    The mother and her daughter continue to be silent for a while longer.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I said when I sent you off at the airport?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I always respect every decision you make, but no matter what you do, just remember, it''s not your fault. My daughter did nothing wrong.¡±


    Ngoc Lam greets her mother and hangs up the phone. The day she said goodbye to her family to study abroad, her mother touched her cheeks with her palms, leaned her forehead against hers and said, "It''s not your fault. You''ve been working so hard.¡±


    Remembering her mother''s words at that time, Ngoc Lam also places her hands on her cheeks and keeps her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes, a black sticky thing with Minh''s face is floating in front of her. It doesn''t scream or move. It just hovers in one place. Ngoc Lam looks straight at it.


    ¡°Minh, I¡­¡±


    The alarm bell wakes Ngoc Lam up. She prepares a simple breakfast and packs her lunch in a thermos box. She repeats her usual routines: walking out of the house and heading towards the University. In her hand, there is the umbrella given to her yesterday.


    Today is the last day before winter break. The atmosphere in the classroom was busier than usual. The students are talking about their plans. Most of them choose to return home to reunite with their families. International students from Asia, like Ngoc Lam, have different plans. Some will return home, some will take advantage of the vacation to go to tourist or shopping areas to take a seasonal part-time job, and some will travel or visit their friends'' families in Europe and celebrate Christmas and New Year with them.


    Ngoc Lam''s living expenses are covered, so she does not need to find a part-time job. Usually, during the winter break when the boarding house she lives in is empty and quiet, Ngoc Lam often borrows more books from the library, taking advantage of the time to cultivate her knowledge. The landlady also sometimes invites her to their main house to have dinner with her family and sometimes takes her to the countryside to meet the elderly there to play cards, cook, and clean together.


    Unfortunately, the owner is sick this winter, and she may not be able to leave the hospital until Christmas. Ngoc Lam comes to visit her often. The old lady holds her hand and leans into her ear to say.


    ¡°In the new year, we will make a pot of delicious soup together.¡±


    The landlady turns 70 years old this year. She lives with her husband and has rented their house for more than 40 years. The large house used for rent did not belong to the spouse at first. However, its previous owner had no relatives but her as his distant relative, so before he passed away, he let her inherit. Thanks to that house, the couple had money to pay living expenses for the whole family and tuition fees for their three children. When their children grew up, they all went to work far away and had their own lives. The landlady and her husband have relied on each other and slowly lived together.


    When she is sick, he stays by her side and takes care of her, and then he returns to take care of the boarding house. Ngoc Lam every day, except for studying, will come over to greet the old man and take him to the hospital to take care of the lady.


    In the hospital, other than being examined and doing physical activities for a while, the landlady has nothing else to do. She often lies down and watches classical music on YouTube. Ngoc Lam and the landlord have just arrived when she is watching a ''fan cam'' of Van Thac''s concert before the holiday.


    ¡°I want to come see it directly. I didn''t expect to get sick that day." She is still glued to the phone screen, lamenting as soon as she sees her husband and Ngoc Lam enter.


    ¡°What can I do, my wife?¡± The old man sweetly comforts her. ¡°They have many more concerts. As long as they are in Europe, I''ll take you to see it, okay!¡±


    The two old people are so sweet to each other that they almost forget that Ngoc Lam is standing next to them. She greets the girl, and with the aura of love, she looks younger than her age.


    ¡°This guy,¡± the old lady points at Van Thac in the final performance, ¡°reserved the most special part to wait for someone.¡± She smiles, turns to look at her husband, then looks at Ngoc Lam. "Its perfection is waiting for someone to break it and lead it to a new horizon. I wonder if he will meet someone like that at the next concert?¡±


    ----------------------


    Ngoc Lam runs as fast as she is flying. In her mind, Van Thac''s music and the landlady''s words keep repeating. She does not know if she is doing right or wrong, but she just cannot stop herself.


    Ngoc Lam quickly opens the wardrobe, pulls out the violin, plays the video of Van Thac''s latest performance, and starts harmonizing with her violin.


    The sound of her heart pounding in her ears covers the rhythm. The melodious sound seems to blend with Thac''s trumpet sound. Each finger trembles along with the vibration of the strings. The world around suddenly turns into nothingness. In front of Ngoc Lam, there is no one else except Van Thac. The two people are standing in two worlds, with only the sound of music reaching each other. Ngoc Lam is like a moth rushing to follow the melodies. Van Thac''s eyes look at her like he did on that day- from the stage towards the stands. Ngoc Lam frantically plays the violin as an answer. She is afraid if she doesn''t respond promptly, her world will fall into despair.


    The music ends, and Van Thac''s image is no longer in her sight. The surroundings return to the room. But the tips of her fingers clearly feel every beat, and her tears flowed down from the corner of her eyes to her chin.

 Chapter 29

    Ngoc Lam goes to the hospital to say goodbye to the landlady and her husband. The woman cannot hold her regret.


    "So, I can''t cook soup with you for the New Year."


    But she still encourages her.


    ¡°Just go where your heart goes. Whenever you want soup, don''t forget to call me!¡±


    -----------------------


    Ngoc Lam embarks on a train journey to Germany.


    As the Christmas season sets in, from the outside, the snow, wind, and rain are wildly dancing, while inside, houses are warmly lit with white and yellow lights, and entire families are gathered together in a cosy atmosphere.


    Karsci and Emmy''s daughter, Lina is playing music with her little sister and two older brothers, waiting eagerly for the duck roasting in the oven to be ready for dinner. Lina''s wavy blonde hair is tied simply at the nape of her neck, and she resembles M. She has been playing the cello professionally for six years, and her music fills the room with a soulful melody.


    Suddenly, the doorbell sound interrupts their music, and Lina rushes to open the door. Her eyes light up as she sees the person standing outside, and she quickly embraces the visitor with a warm hug.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, Edgar, Amald, Fanny! Ngoc Lam is here!¡±


    The members of the house rush out simultaneously, each person giving Ngoc Lam a tight hug.


    ------------


    Van Thac gets back to Europe after winter break. His reunion with Ngoc Lam at the Moreaus'' house is not as emotional as people thought. Van Thac''s expressions are unreadable, and he does not seem excited about meeting Ngoc Lam again either. Meanwhile, Ngoc Lam devotes herself to her musical instrument from early day to night. Whenever he visits the Moreaus, Van Thac often sits in one place, looking at Ngoc Lam immersing herself in the music. He is probably the last to see Ngoc Lam''s focused appearance in this house. It feels like when she focuses on the lesson, but with music, Ngoc Lam also exudes the beauty of passion and pure love.


    ¡°Why don''t you come over and practice with her?¡± Edgar, the eldest son of the Moreaus, sits down opposite Van Thac.


    "Maybe, I will do it next time, Ed," Thac replies.


    ''Next time'' in his words is when Ngoc Lam has fully grasped the feeling of music. She has been away from it for too long, nine years. Even if she is gifted, it is challenging to return to music after such a long period.


    Ngoc Lam''s winter break has almost ended, so it''s time for her to leave. Van Thac goes to K and M''s house as usual because the next concert needs some modifications after reviewing and learning from the mistakes of the previous one. The Moreaus, with Ngoc Lam and Van Thac, have a cosy dinner before saying goodbye.


    The weather is still terrible these days. The cold wind blows against them, while the house they are staying in is in the suburbs. Afraid of being blown down by the wind when they are walking and waiting for the bus takes a lot of time, K gives Van Thac his car keys and asks to take Ngoc Lam to the train station. Fanny and Lina also want to go with them, but M stops the girls. She winks and tells her two daughters that they have been practising with Ngoc Lam during the vacation. It''s time to let the two of them, her and Van Thac, alone.


    In fact, throughout the journey, ''the two of them'' do not say a word to each other. Even if they are waiting for the train, they both sit silently waiting. Around them, there is the noise of laughter, the sound of the wind whistling through the gaps, and the sound of the train stopping and leaving accompanied by deafening whistles.


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    A strong wind suddenly blows in the station, dragging snow particles into Ngoc Lam''s eyes. She quickly closes her eyes. Snow accumulates on her long eyelashes. Ngoc Lam blinks. She tries to open her eyes to look at the upcoming train number, and she suddenly realizes that Van Thac is leaning forward as if he is trying to block the wind blowing towards her. Snow follows the wind and clings to his hair, his scarf, and all over his coat.


    The waiting Turquoise train has arrived. She stood up and left Van Thac with a few words.


    ¡°I need to go. Thank you for sending me off, Thac.¡±


    Dozens of people board the train one after another. Ngoc Lam walks to the crowd and enters the train compartment.


    "Ngoc Lam!" Van Thac calls.


    Ngoc Lam quickly turns back.


    Van Thac looks at her with those determined eyes that make Ngoc Lam''s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I will never stand still or wait for you.¡±


    After saying that, he smiles, and his steadfast eyes shine with gentleness.


    ¡°Let''s do a duet next time!¡±


    As soon as Master finishes speaking, the door is closed. Ngoc Lam does not answer. Her silhouette is covered by other passengers. The train, again, sounds its deafening whistle, moving away in the darkness with the sound of howling wind and scattering snowflakes.


    ----------------------


    Returning to the boarding house, where the kind-hearted landlord and his wife live, Ngoc Lam comes over to greet them and bring them some speciality from Germany. Besides studying, she spends more time practising music diligently to quickly return to the best form she used to have.


    The information that the music legend- Ngoc Lam is on her way to return has been spread by people in the music world. On social networks, every weekend, there is a new video of an Asian girl playing a musical instrument in a restaurant in a rural area. Each time, she plays a different type of instrument that makes the rumour more authentic.


    The videos are subjectively recorded and posted by the daughter of the chef to advertise her family''s traditional restaurant. Ngoc Lam often comes to this place on weekends with the landlady and her husband. Ngoc Lam only started playing musical instruments here after the winter break as a way to appreciate the lady and ease her regret of missing Van Thac''s concert.


    Sure enough, in the following weeks, the number of diners coming to the restaurant increases. Some musicians also bring musical instruments to perform with Ngoc Lam. Some of them are strangers, but some used to work with her, and some have been defeated by her. They come to find the feeling of meeting the gifted girl again and testing themselves to see if they have overcome that wall- Ngoc Lam''s music level.


    In June, Ngoc Lam sends a letter to refuse the Austrian Conductor''s offer and an umbrella. Besides, she sends an invitation note to Fabian to play a song with her at the rural restaurant.


    That June evening, when the heat begins to cover the peaceful countryside, lightning cut a deep mark in the sky, threatening the trees to tremble, Ngoc Lam and Fabian have a competition. According to the critics who are there because of her reputation, she''s very talented! Also after that time, Fabian learns that in the past, when he was defeated by Ngoc Lam, she only used less than half of her abilities. And now, when Ngoc Lam has only returned 70% to her form, she is still strong enough to knock him out. The next day, the Conductor calls and complains to Ngoc Lam. He has told her not to kick Fabian''s ass because she will not have worked for him at the evaluation anyway.


    Summer vacation is coming. Ngoc Lam successfully completes her university credits and takes the train to Germany. K and M are so busy that they rarely get to meet Ngoc Lam in person, but their four children and other colleagues take turns supporting Ngoc Lam in her practice. For two long months, she practises so hard that she often forgets to eat or sleep, and her skills become more and more impressive. One day, Fanny talked on the phone with her parents, "Now I understand why Thac said he would never wait for Ms. Lam. Seeing her practice like that, it won''t be long before she''s overtaken all of us."


    At the end of August, Ngoc Lam''s two videos cause a tremor in the entire music world.


    One video of Ngoc Lam playing Niccolo Paganini''s God Save The King, the other is Bach''s Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 played over 10 minutes, assembled from 10 different videos with different types of instruments played by herself. The two videos are a strong affirmation of the return of a genius.


    Just one day later, as music lovers have been expecting, K and M''s Orchestra make an official announcement on their website and all mass media that Ngoc Lam will return with a duet with Van Thac this coming October. The newly announced information has become the centre of discussion. If the show is successful, the opportunities for everyone will be too great to measure.

 Chapter 17

    "Mr Woods told me to take you back to the Conservatory, teachers."


    Ngoc Lam is calmly talking to K and M, but the couple pout for about 2 seconds.


    ¡°We have no interest in that place!¡±


    As they are speaking, they both make grimaces and wave their hands.


    ¡°It''s more fun to watch Thac playing music.¡± M looks at Thac and smiles affectionately.


    The couple sit hugging their knees, simultaneously turning towards Thac


    ¡°You play music very well, Thac! Bis bis!¡± K gives him a thumbs up.


    Ngoc Lam looks at the warm scene like their family of three, feeling like she has nothing to do with them right now. When she is about to withdraw herself quietly, M calls her.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam will stay too! I heard Thac asked you to look at the sheet, didn''t he?"


    Initially, Ngoc Lam intended to find her two eccentric old teachers and then wait for her brother to finish practising in the martial arts club, so he could take her home later. She has informed her parents already. Now, she knows that if she refuses them, M will immediately stick with her everywhere until her brother arrives. Ngoc Lam, finally, gives in and stays in the Music Room.


    There are four people in the room at this moment. K accompanies the piano to help Thac play the trumpet. Under the guidance of the teacher he has just met for a few hours, Thac''s trumpet skills gradually improve. Luyen and Thuyen probably also had this feeling when they were interacting with K. He is truly an extraordinary artist and a great teacher, despite his somewhat freaking behaviours.


    M slides photos she took of Thac''s music sheets and talks and laughs non-stop next to Ngoc Lam. Ngoc Lam listens to her silently. Sometimes she hums in response. She understands the praise that K and M give to Van Thac. He is like a stone in the process of turning into jade. Mr Woods has been keeping the rough stone like him in subduction zones for a long time, waiting for it to be polished when the transformation completes. But if he encounters a better opportunity, he may shorten the jade-forming process, and his talent will shine brighter than ever.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡± M calls her again


    "Yes?"


    ¡°Van Thac does care about you.¡± M points at the trio rearrangement, ¡°Look! This violin piece suits you very well.¡±


    Ngoc Lam does not respond but she silently focuses on the screen M is showing to her.


    ¡°That boy, even when he got frightened, he did not abandon you to find a safe place alone.¡±


    Ngoc Lam hears that and recalls the time he was holding her hand. She feels a bit awkward, and her head tilts slightly, thinking, not knowing how to react to what M says.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡± M calls again, pulling Ngoc Lam out of her vague thoughts. ¡°Do you want to play music with Van Thac?¡±


    Ngoc Lam sits still for a moment. The sound of Thac''s freestyle trumpet awakens her from her thoughts. She turns to look and sees K excitedly playing an impromptu Jazz rhythm on the keyboard, while Thac, who always interacts with her with reservation, becomes extremely liberal.


    ¡°Good job, son!¡±


    K keeps praising Thac whenever he can. It''s been many years, but Ngoc Lam''s old teachers are still the same. They are passionate about music and enjoy it with all their souls. Everything in her sight reminds Ngoc Lam of happy moments following spontaneous melodies with K and M. There is an unfamiliar feeling fueling inside her heart. For a moment, she has the illusion that she is standing with them again, holding the violin in harmony without hesitation.


    M also joins K and Thac, with her violin. They are in a fervent love of music. Ngoc Lam stays in her seat quietly, but in her ears, the music is around, but her heart is filled with chaos of emotions.


    About half an hour later, Ngoc Lam''s brother comes to find her. Ngoc Lam and Van Thac then lead the couple out of school. K and M have been with Van Thac for a few hours, but they are loath to say goodbye to him.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°See you later, son!¡± K holds Thac''s hand with tears in his eyes, and M standing beside him is dabbing tears in her eyes as a supporter of the touching scene.


    Thac, after experiencing countless times of laughing and crying at once, gradually turns numb to the couple. He maintains simple responses like smiling or giving a simple "yes".


    Thac returns home and continues texting Luyen and Thuyen


    Thac: Ngoc Lam seems to be conciliated


    Luyen: Pendulum oscillation


    Thuyen: Modified harmonic oscillation


    Thac: *angry face*


    Luyen: Just kidding


    Thuyen: Tell us


    Thac: The homeroom teacher told me she talked to Ngoc Lam''s parents yesterday.


    Looks like they are considering it.


    Today both K and M came


    When sending those two people home


    It seems Ngoc Lam is also affected.


    Luyen: The story between K and M was truly unexpected


    Thuyen: But the results were beyond expectations.


    Luyen: The rest


    Thuyen: Let it be


    -------------


    In the following days, Thac and his classmates practise more often with K and M. Ngoc Lam refuses to stay with them, but Mr Woods tells her to watch them (so that they won''t wander somewhere he can''t find). She does nothing there but sit still with her homework. Meanwhile, sometimes K points out Thac''s mistakes with his part, and sometimes M gives pieces some advice to the classmate who plays the piano.


    Ngoc Lam remains unchanged, which makes Van Thac impatient. The deadline to adjust the performance registration list is approaching, and he doesn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    Time keeps flying, and the weather is getting colder. The breath begins to turn into thin white smoke. This winter will probably be a little harsher.


    Thac carefully wraps the scarf over his nose. He knows the requirements of being a trumpet player, so he has to be even more careful to take care of his health. To protect his respiratory system when the temperature is falling, he has asked for the key to the Music Room, so Thac no longer practises at noon outside of the classroom. Lunch breaks suddenly become strangely quiet.


    Ngoc Lam has a routine of coming to class early and taking a nap in the school''s designated napping room before entering the classroom fifteen minutes earlier. She finds herself alone in the classroom. It has been a while since Van Thac discovered her talent. Ngoc Lam is accustomed to the image of Van Thac always practising outside the class and then eagerly walking in to say hello whenever he sees her. Ngoc Lam is wondering what she needs to do now. She tries to resist the overwhelming feeling of loss that has taken over her limbs. Her mind keeps repeating the word "study" repeatedly. Ngoc Lam follows it and takes out each book from her bag, but she then sits dazed in front of the pages.


    When Van Thac enters the classroom five minutes later, Ngoc Lam feels a sense of comfort and relief. She responds to him softly when he calls her name. Her heart unexpectedly anticipates him to stop by and say something to her.


    Thac does stop in front of her with his usual reserved attitude. He looks like a mine detector meticulously taking every step forward. Ngoc Lam feels a bit ironic. It seems like her coldness and the aggression of his father and brother have made him so scared all the time, but he has never run away. Even though it annoys her several times, his persistence is worth her appreciation.


    As expected, the discussion is mainly focused on the performance participation list. Van Thac expresses his desire to win the first prize, not just for the reward that comes with it, but also because he has never qualified to participate in professional music competitions. He is not yet a student of the Conservatory of Music, and he is not old enough to go abroad to take part in any contests without a guardian. Mr Woods does not want him to participate, and his parents and other teachers at the Conservatory are on the old man''s side. Van Thac hopes that if he wins first prize, the school will run a media campaign. Maybe he will gain recognition and support from the audience. With more conditions to develop his career, he will not have to watch his peers, Luyen and Thuyen, get farther and farther away from him.


    Above all, Van Thac wishes he could play music with Ngoc Lam.


    While discussing this topic, he raises his hand to scratch his red ears, not sure whether it''s due to the cold or not.


    Ngoc Lam notices that Van Thac is wearing a scarf to cover his nose, so she understands his effort and determination to participate in the upcoming school-level competition. A thought of compromise flashes through her mind. She is able to help him a little. She realizes the competition doesn''t require too much professionalism, so she can adjust herself to match her co-stars'' level. It won''t be a serious issue since there are many actors in the play. She plans to dress simply and blend in with the background to let Thac shine. She believes no one will pay attention to her as long as she stays hidden.


    But at the same time, fears also arise in her heart. If things don''t go as expected, what should she do?

 Chapter 18

    Ngoc Lam did not answer Van Thac.


    On that night, Ngoc Lam is diligently supervising her two former music teachers in the Music Room with books in her hands. She is undoubtedly the best student in her grade. As she is engrossed in studying, M approaches her and rests her hand on Ngoc Lam''s shoulder. It causes Ngoc Lam to pause from reading her book and turn her gaze towards M.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± she asks


    ¡°Have you thought about Thac''s proposal?¡±


    Hearing what the teacher has said, Ngoc Lam immediately turns to look at Thac, just in time he happens to look at her and M. Thac suddenly turns away when their eyes catch, not realizing that K is smiling at him.


    ¡°You''re thinking about it, right?¡± M has been with Ngoc Lam long enough to understand her student, "What makes you feel so difficult? Could you share with me?¡±


    Ngoc Lam never wants to lie to M, nor could she bear to go against the compromises she has come up with. She takes a breath and responds.


    ¡°I can help, but I only help.¡±


    That''s the best solution for all of them. If Thac wants to take this opportunity to be recognized, she can support a little, as long as she is not the star of the performance.


    Ngoc Lam offers two conditions for her participation.


    First, she requests to wear men''s clothes and stand behind Thac and the pianist classmate, as hidden as possible. It will be best if everyone in the instrument player group wears masks.


    Second, if there is any problem that Ngoc Lam is not comfortable with, she will have the right to withdraw from the list right then.


    Both conditions meet the homeroom teacher''s acceptance. She is happy that Ngoc Lam finally agrees to participate. Thac is even happier. He immediately gives her the trio sheets of music which are full of notes that he carefully marked for Ngoc Lam. Thuy is also told about this by Thac, the friend''s eyes light up with sincere joy.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam, you are wonderful! Do you know how to play the violin? For real?¡±


    Ngoc Lam looks at the admiration on her face and replies humbly.


    ¡°I only support the trumpet and piano. I''m not the main player.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that''s great after all! I heard that the violin is very difficult to play. On the rehearsal day, I will cheer for you!" Thuy says excitedly.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.Everything goes smoothly beyond Thac''s expectations.


    K found Ngoc Lam a mid-class violin, just as she wanted to not stand out. The group practices the piano-trumpet-violin trio together. There aren''t many changes with the notes, and with the addition of Ngoc Lam, the practice is giving positive results. K and M keep refusing to return to the Conservatory every time Mr Woods reminds them. M complains that they are there just for show. There''s no shortage of lecturers there. M said she and her husband have already known the rector''s intentions. He wanted to take advantage of their presence to make a sign to the International competition''s judges to gain their respect. Therefore, he may secretly arrange for the Conservatory to gain some considerable achievements. For a long time, since Ngoc Lam retired, no contestant from the Conservatory of Music has won first prize.


    Feeling that it doesn''t matter whether they stay or not, and that some bad people will make the best of exploiting their names, K and M prefer to be with Van Thac. The young boy has a pure passion for music and is untainted by calculating benefits.


    ¡°You are also attracted to Thac because of that, right?¡± M asks Ngoc Lam


    Ngoc Lam does not respond, but it could be true.


    Thac''s music is always as radiant as the sun.


    There are approximately ten days until the rehearsal, and the musical group is starting to rehearse with the drama group. Some classmates, including Thuy, stay to watch the play. She often helps Ngoc Lam by giving her water or holding her camera. Everything goes so smoothly that it feels surreal. After the session, Thuy and the group take a selfie together.


    Van Thac looks at the picture of himself and Ngoc Lam standing in the frame with his friends, including K and M, and his heart blooms.


    At that same moment, a sense of foreboding flashes across my mind. Thac quickly shakes his head with the thought that he can shake the premonition away from reality. He tells himself everything is going well, and he shouldn''t think too much.


    Two days later, the rain is pouring in the morning.


    The cold rain is falling on the people on the streets. The morning is as crowded as always, but the visibility is reduced because of the rain and cold. Thac is riding his bike to school today when his teeth are chattering. That''s why when a motorbike rushes out recklessly from a corner, Thac cannot react and fall. Luckily, because of the rain and the city being crowded in the morning, the vehicles slow down. Some passersby proactively stop to help him and the careless motorcyclist. The elders even forced the person who caused the accident to give Thac his name and phone number. If anything happens, his parents can contact him to demand compensation.


    Thac receives the piece of paper with information, but he feels it is unnecessary. He only has a scratch on his knee, and the rest is fine. In his mind, he is only concerned about getting to school on time, so he quickly cycles away. Yet, the bad luck still seems to be following him. Just as he approaches the school gate, a car overtakes him, accidentally splashing water all over his body. If he weren''t wearing a set of raincoat with a separate shirt and pants, he would be soaking wet right now. He grimaces and runs into the parking lot, not noticing that the luxury car is stopping in front of the school gate. From the inside of the car, there is the silhouette of a woman he once met.


    Students stay in classrooms instead of lining up to salute the flag and sing the National Anthem on Monday morning. They are talking about gossip and stories from their school life. Thac is also sitting in class, telling his friends about the accident earlier and the hasty car, not realizing that in the counselling room, Mr Woods is glaring at the woman from that car.


    It''s November, but the storms haven''t passed yet.

 Chapter 19

    Despite the bad weather that can somewhat affect the studying atmosphere, the youth''s passion for gossip and fun remains unaffected. During recess, the classrooms tend to become noisier as students cannot go out to engage in outdoor activities. Amidst all the noise, Thuy strikes up a conversation with her friend Ngoc Lam as she often does. During their conversation, Ngoc Lam learns that Thuy has set a new goal for herself - to improve her English skills.


    Yesterday, Thuy was an eyewitness to Ngoc Lam''s impressive communication skills in English. She saw her friend talking to two foreign teachers, K and M, in English and was completely amazed. The experience was completely different from the usual listening and speaking lessons in class. Thuy was unable to understand anything, but she was in awe of Ngoc Lam''s fluency.


    Apart from her impressive language skills, Thuy admires another aspect of Ngoc Lam. She has a unique ability to be kind and empathetic towards others, which Thuy finds truly inspiring.


    Ngoc Lam writes down a few English channels on YouTube for Thuy to practice her English. Thuy happily smiles from ear to ear, and Ngoc Lam''s eyes become warmer. In the meantime, Van Thac captures those heartwarming moments while chatting with his friends from the back of the class.


    Contrasting with the vibrant energy of the students, Mr Woods is pouring a cup of hot tea to give to the woman - the same person who splashed water on Van Thac earlier while driving her luxury car.


    ¡°Drink this cup of tea and then go home.¡± The teacher says coldly.


    ¡°Have you just chased me away? It''s still raining like cats and dogs outside.¡± The woman laughs.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You reduced your workload at the Conservatory of Music to come here to be a school performance judge. K and M also determined not to accept money from the rector to give free guidance here. I''m curious, so I come here to see.¡±


    ¡°K and M are not here.¡±


    "I know."


    Mr Woods frowns and looks at the woman.


    ¡°Leave her alone. She and her family have nothing to do with you guys anymore."


    ¡°A lot of people have noticed that. The photos updated on Social media by students in this school soon revealed where she was."


    ¡°You must stop, now! Ngoc Lam only participates in the school''s performance."


    ¡°Yet K and M are not afraid to show up with her? Today it''s a school performance, but who knows tomorrow it''s-"


    BAM! Mr Woods slammed his hand on the table.


    ¡°I warn you and your husband not to cause any harm to her! Haven''t you two done enough?"


    The woman glares at Mr Woods with eyes full of hatred.


    ¡°She is your student. Of course, you will try to defend her! I also have a son! Is it wrong for me to stand up for my child?¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°That''s not how you stand up for him! All that you are doing is venting your anger on another kid!¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about us!¡±


    Seeing that he cannot continue this conversation, Mr Woods waves his hand.


    ¡°You should go home!¡±


    The woman withdraws her hostile attitude towards Mr Woods and smiles calmly.


    ¡°I can''t go back yet. Today I come here on behalf of my husband to survey and then propose to the Ministers to invest in art facilities for high schools. I am about to see the principal."


    ¡°If you say so!¡± Mr Woods takes a deep breath, "Go ahead and take care of your work. But you need to know this: Never exploit the power in your hands to harm any child! Or I will not let you flee that easily!¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± The woman shrugs her shoulders ¡°But you should remember this, too: She is not a child!¡± She turns her back to Mr Woods and grits her teeth, "She is a monster!"


    Once the woman gets out of the room, Mr Lam picks up the phone and quickly dials the number.


    ¡°Hello, son? It''s me, Dad... I have a favour to ask. Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ can you arrange it? Yes... Call me back if anything happens."


    As soon as he hangs up, the teacher immediately makes another call.


    ¡°Teaching assistant, right? I have this task for you. Please investigate further on this issue... that''s right... don''t forget to let me know as soon as you find something."


    -----------


    There''s only one week left until the rehearsal, and the next day will be the performance day.


    The spirit of Teacher''s Day is increasingly higher. The rooms are full of pictures, banners, posters, etc. for this occasion. Competitions are also organized one after another. Tonight, there will be a flower arrangement and art competition with teachers registering to participate. Teachers can invite family and friends to watch. And because there will be strangers entering the school premises, as soon as the class bell rings, students quickly clear their seats. This allows teachers and supervisors to lock the classroom doors. Closets, storage rooms, music rooms, laboratories, etc. are all carefully sealed. The class''s drama team quickly asks to take the digital piano out early to practice in a spacious hallway corner.


    The hallway and outdoor lights have been turned on for the event, and supervisors and security guards are mobilized to monitor and ensure order. Thuy is roaming around taking pictures of the flower vases created for the competition and the teachers'' performances to show them to the drama team during the break. Some of the students admire and applaud the performances and then invite each other to go out and take a look around before they get back after the break to practice again.


    Meanwhile, the group of musicians must stay to look after the electric piano. In the hallway, only Van Thac, Ngoc Lam and the piano player remain.


    ¡°Are Mr K and Ms M not coming today?¡± The pianist starts a conversation. Over the past time, they have also actively helped him.


    ¡°Looks like they are tired up with work today, right, Ngoc Lam?¡± Van Thac turns to Ngoc Lam


    "They are" Ngoc Lam replies.


    Van Thac and his friend are engaged in a conversation while Ngoc Lam carefully reviews the videos of their group''s practice progress. After a few minutes, she wants to use the restroom and informs her friends before walking down a deserted hallway. She does not realise that someone is following her quietly.


    After using the restroom, Ngoc Lam washes her hands and heads back to Van Thac''s place. Suddenly, she encounters someone waiting for her outside, completely unaware of his presence. She stops abruptly and looks at the person in disbelief, as it''s been an incredibly long time since she last saw him.


    "... Are you?" Ngoc Lam cannot believe in her eyes.


    "Long time no see." The stranger grins


    As soon as the voice is spoken, Ngoc Lam looks at the person in front of her in surprise.


    ¡°Thanh? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so shocked right now?¡± A stranger named Thanh walks up to Ngoc Lam, caressing his face as he moves. ¡°Since the day he passed away, we have all suffered. His mother was seriously depressed. It''s inconsolable.¡±


    He continues to look straight into her eyes.


    ¡°We have never forgotten. I have to live for him. I live his life. Every time I look at this face, I can''t forget the last moment we met."


    He leans into Ngoc Lam''s ear.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Pause for a moment, he says.


    "Why? Why can you move on so easily as your soul has set in peace?¡±


    ¡°You are a murderer!¡±


    As the man finishes his sentence, he gently places his hand on Ngoc Lam''s shoulder, offering her a reassuring touch. With his parting gesture, he turns and strides away, leaving Ngoc Lam standing motionless in the long hallway.

 Chapter 33: Reborn From The First Death

    "NG...O...C... L...A...M¡­"


    The head roars and rushes towards her. Its rear is long and slimy, slithering like a snake. Its mucus tightly wraps around Ngoc Lam''s legs, making it impossible for her to run away.


    Ngoc Lam struggles violently, trying to lean away from that disgusting monster.


    The monster loses its momentum and crashes into a black wall behind her. Because it is so painful, it writhes and rolls. Taking advantage of the moment when the body that is binding her loosens, Ngoc Lam quickly runs away.


    The monster sees Ngoc Lam running away, so it immediately and frantically chases after her. Ngoc Lam runs into the small alley, following her instinct. The monster stubbornly pursues her, crashing into one wall and the other. Piece by piece, the wall gradually collapses behind her heels.


    ------------------


    On stage, Van Thac is still playing his part. Ngoc Lam''s part is about to come, but it seems like she has no reaction to M, just like she cannot hear the music in her ears. The audience is curious about Ngoc Lam''s strange expression. It seems like she is locked in her own subconscious. Ngoc Lam''s parents hold their breath while they are watching their daughter. Behind them, the smiles of Thanh and Mrs Phuong and her husband become more and more triumphant.


    -----------


    Ngoc Lam continues to run. When the monster sees that he is close to catching her, he opens his hideous mouth wide. Ngoc Lam tilts her body to avoid it every time it is about to bite her. She does not know when this chase will end. However, just as she is thinking about it, Ngoc Lam crashes into the black wall in front of her. She uses her hands to feel around, but they are all walls. It turns out she has run herself into a dead end.


    Ngoc Lam cannot find a way to escape, so she has to turn around and look towards the monster.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡­ you monster¡­ you murderer¡­¡± The monster screams and curses her.


    Ngoc Lam takes a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Her hands are shaking. She waits for the monster to rush towards her, calculating in her head that she will avoid it as quickly as possible, hoping that it will destroy the walls behind her. But surprisingly, it doesn''t move at all. It just stays there, blocking the exit, and its mouth constantly repeating the curses.


    Its screams are similar to thousands of knives tearing through Ngoc Lam''s eardrums. They are curses that banish her to the depths of suffering and deadlock. Ngoc Lam stands close to the black wall, trembling as she looks at Minh''s face, which is tormenting her.


    ------------------


    With only a few more parts left, Ngoc Lam''s immobility makes the audience stir more sounds. M feels uneasy when the words begin to reach her ears. Although she and the entire Orchestra are mentally prepared for the worst situations, and the backing orchestra below also includes Thuyen, who is ready to replace Ngoc Lam at any time, the whispers behind her back make M even more worried and scared. She cannot imagine how much pressure Ngoc Lam, a 10-year-old child, had to endure that day from the torture of Mrs Phuong and her husband.


    M takes a deep breath to stay calm. She glances at Thac and Thuyen sitting behind her. Both are looking at M as a signal that they understand. They all maintain their composure, mentally starting the countdown to the decisive moment.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ----------------


    Ngoc Lam leans close to the wall behind her. She feels like she has something that needs to be done, but she cannot remember. The curses make her mind chaotic and unable to concentrate. Ngoc Lam lowers her head. Suddenly, amidst the curses ringing in her ears, there is the sound of music. The sound is very quiet, and it has been obscured by the monster''s screams, the sound of her footsteps running in panic, and her breathing heavily due to fear. Ngoc Lam regains consciousness so that she can listen to the music. It''s a trumpet sound. Van Thac''s words from earlier echo in Ngoc Lam''s mind. She can''t be stuck here. He is waiting for her. Mom and M both said it wasn''t her fault. She needs to go.


    Ngoc Lam tries to muster all her strength, and in response to the monster''s harsh words, she screams.


    "I AM NOT! STOP!"


    Tears well up in her eyes, and her lips tremble as she looks at Minh''s face. The cursing stops, but the monster doesn''t move an inch.


    ¡°Everyone says I''m a monster. Everyone said they were afraid of my abilities. Minh, that day when you found me, did you ever think of me as a monster?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°People always say you have to try your best, but for someone like me, trying is wrong, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I used to believe that. I constantly torment myself. But¡­ but¡­ I want to play music. I only want to play music¡­ with you¡­ Minh, tell me, I was wrong, wasn''t I?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There are always people telling me it''s not my fault. Even so, how can I not be sad when you are not with me anymore?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡° Minh, he is waiting for me on stage. He... Van Thac... told me that I could play the music with all my ability. He said that I was his motivation. Minh,  I''m not a monster."


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I also want to be like you, be someone''s inspiration. His music is as beautiful as the sun. He said I was his motivation, but he was also my strength.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    "Minh,


    Thank you."


    -----------


    Ngoc Lam''s stiff, motionless body suddenly moves. She looks like she has completely lost herself to her instincts. The violin is already on her shoulder, and the bow is on the string.


    In the blink of an eye, the buzzing audience falls into silence. The sound of the violin soars in the air like thousands of wings reaching out, like withered flower petals being revived and blooming splendidly. The music replaces the cry of a child reborn from wounds that are still bleeding, replacing all the feelings that cannot find a place to be expressed.


    Van Thac listens to the sound of the instrument he has been waiting for so long, straightens his chest, focuses on the music in his ears, and plays a duet with Ngoc Lam.


    The two sounds that have just met blended. Every time the violin takes the lead, the trumpet follows. From the supportive sounds of the two people and the Orchestra, some people feel like seeing a sparkling fabric embroidered with intricate patterns by a delicate hand. Some people seem to see themselves lost in a maple forest before dawn. The dark and quiet space is gradually illuminated by the sun rising from the east. Some people have an illusion of two streams of white and black matter in the form of two swans flying around entwined together. They spread their wings to embrace, becoming one, then stretch themselves and fly higher and higher.


    Ngoc Lam and Van Thac play the duet until the last notes. The music ends, and the conductor stops swinging her baton. The whole Orchestra sits holding their breath, looking at the silent stage.


    Ngoc Lam looks like she is still lost after all the recent experiences. It''s like a whole life has just happened in just a few short minutes. Her body falls into the same motionless state as before.


    ¡°BRAVO!¡±


    From the stands, a man shouts and claps his hands. The entire theatre wakes up. Everyone consecutively stands up and applauds vigorously.


    ¡°BRAVO!!!¡±


    Ngoc Lam also wakes up from her daze. She stares at the stands filled with cheers. The aura of the stage completely embraces her. In the blink of an eye, all of Ngoc Lam''s feelings on stage return like a flood. Her tears flow down her cheeks.


    In an emotional state, Ngoc Lam feels warmth on her hand. She looks around and sees Van Thac holding hers, with his affectionate eyes. M walks towards the audience with the whole Orchestra, and everyone bows together in endless applause.


    The stage curtain slowly lowers. Ngoc Lam is on the stage to greet the audience, one of her hands is completely in Van Thac''s hand.


    Ngoc Lam


    Van Thac


    I like your music


    And¡­ you too.


    [MAIN STORY: FINISH]

 SIDE STORY 1: VAN THAC

    On the first day since Van Thac chose to go abroad to focus on music, he arrived in France.


    Winter in Europe was cold and miserable, perhaps, it was a little similar to his mood at that moment. When he decided to go with K and M to Europe to pursue a musical career, his emotions were still strong and decisive. After a few hours on the plane, those emotions had subsided, and currently, new insecurities filled his chest.


    Van Thac missed his parents and younger sister at home. He thought of his two friends, Luyen and Thuyen, at the Conservatory of Music. He sighed for the school days when his classmates and schoolmates occasionally called each other out to play video games or basketball. He thought about the cold girl sitting at the head of the table, Ngoc Lam...


    After two months abroad, with the sudden change in the environment, the unfamiliar food, and his unfluent foreign language, Van Thac felt homesick. Sometimes, when an Asian family passes by, a familiar scent of food accidentally leaks through unfamiliar door frames or a familiar melody like the one from his father''s radio could also make Thac cry.


    Amald, the second son of the Moreau family, was 5 years older than Thac, had become a professional Clarinet artist, noticed his hidden feelings, often found some reasons to take him to meet many friends and reminded his father about Thac''s issues. M, his mother, sometimes called him to have meals with the family. There, Van Thac first heard more stories about Ngoc Lam.


    Amald first encountered Ngoc Lam when he was 13 years old. At that time, as the son of the powerful and talented Moreau couple, he demonstrated his talent from a young age, in addition to being in the age of puberty and rebellion. Amald lived very proudly and was a bit vainglorious of himself. One day, he even argued loudly with the instructor because he believed his way of playing was correct. The angry teacher picked up the phone to call his parents, who were abroad. K and M returned to see their son, but they did not say a word of reproach to him. They even praised the freshness of Amald''s new style. Hearing his parents'' encouragement, Amald became more negligent in his training, often finding ways to skip school. Until one day, K called him to announce that he had composed a piece of music based on his new technique and hoped he would play with the orchestra.


    When Amald arrived, M suddenly announced that there would be a small contest between him and a girl named Ngoc Lam to win the solo position. Amald had known Ngoc Lam for a long time but had never competed with this girl because she became a professional player right after following his parents back to Europe. Ngoc Lam usually practised with him and his other two siblings, except for Fanny, who is only 3 years old. His older brother Edgar had been playing the violin professionally for several years, he was 2 years older than him, and 7 years older than Ngoc Lam. Edgar often praised this girl''s talent with the violin. He had also seen her play the clarinet in videos taken from competitions, but Amald did not take this girl seriously. Because she kept studying under old, old-fashioned teachers, her technique and style were as old as theirs, and she could not be like him with a much more creative style. Moreover, this song was written by his father himself in his own style, and Amald was confident of winning.


    He lost.


    Unconvinced, he angrily accused Ngoc Lam that she must have been exposed to this style by K and M. Obviously, this was his creative work, yet a child like her blatantly stole it.


    "No, I didn''t!" Ngoc Lam immediately denied, "This style has been around for a long time, it''s just that not many people followed it because it was not suitable for playing in classical orchestras."


    The older artists in the orchestra also nodded in agreement. Amald stared wide-eyed, and his confidence over the past few days shattered.


    It turned out that maybe at some point, Amald accidentally heard that strange style, but he didn''t pay attention and accidentally let it enter his subconscious. The ''creative process was ultimately just the ''recreating process'', something that already existed and had been dismissed for a long time.


    ¡°Did Dad and Ngoc Lam do that to teach me a lesson?¡± Amald disheartenedly asked M.


    ¡°Not really,¡± M replied, ¡°He liked your idea for a new style, for real, so he called Ngoc Lam to help him. Some styles might not be well received at the era of their release, but that doesn''t mean they can''t become a new trend later."


    ¡°So you mean I was wrong?¡± Amald felt a bit unwilling.


    ¡°Your teacher constantly informed us about your truancy. Can you tell me what''s the matter with you?¡± M looked at her son seriously.


    Amald was speechless, not knowing how to answer M.


    ¡°I have known that you feel bored in his class. But the problem that we can see here is that our son skipped class without any effort in practice."


    M looked at his son for a while, observed the changes on his face, and then continued.


    ¡°What you called a new style, we had noticed where it came from. But Dad hoped you would develop it yourself, from the old into something different and even newer. But it cannot be done in a month or two. It takes a lot of time, or it can take your whole life to create something new.¡±


    "If you''re still negligent in practising, how will you get the ability to create new things?"


    Only then did Amald come to his senses. Ngoc Lam just did what he used to do - practice diligently. Thanks to her innate talent and effort, she grasped the essence of that style and developed a feeling for it. Meanwhile, he, who had the illusion of being a creator, neglected to practice, causing skills to atrophy, emotions and body not being able to synchronize with musical notes.


    In the end, Ngoc Lam did not perform the new piece. K appointed an older Clarinetist in the orchestra to take the solo position. With the old style revived as Amald''s idea, K received a lot of praise from critics. Amald agreed to return to the clarinet class and apologized to his teacher. After the class, he had to sit with Ngoc Lam and practice extremely attentively. Not much later, Ngoc Lam returned to the Conservatory and continued her career until tragedy occurred.


    When Ngoc Lam retired, Amald became a professional artist at the age of 15, the same as Ngoc Lam now. When the girl left in pain, Amald didn''t even have time to see her.


    ------------------


    Van Thac enrolled at an Academy of Arts in France. At this time, he realized that many classmates his age had become professional artists or were preparing to become professional artists. Their level is equivalent to Ngoc Lam''s in the performance at school. When he sent the performance video to a Violin professor at the Academy because he seemed to know Ngoc Lam, this teacher pondered for a moment and then turned sharply to him.


    ¡°Boy, what did you do to anger Sapphire?¡±


    Van Thac was stunned by the professor''s question. It could be easily seen that in the past, Ngoc Lam always tried to reveal her full potential and was the fear of many artists. Even when she later tried to restrain herself, like when she competed with Fabian for the lead violinist position, she was still another horrible nightmare to him. Yet in a simple school-level performance like this, while adjusting herself to suit the level of two other players, Ngoc Lam suddenly raised her level to a professional one to overwhelm Van Thac. If she hadn''t been provoked, there was no way she would have done that. With his experience working in music and his astuteness, the professor quickly realized where the problem was.


    Van Thac nodded and told the professor the story of that day''s performance. He listened carefully then spoke.


    ¡°You should focus on yourself more. Maybe Karsci also wanted you to reach the professional level that brought you here. For now, forget about that Sapphire girl and try to keep up with the students here first."


    The learning process is really intense. Van Thac had to wake up early in the morning, practice, go to school, practice, finish classes, practice, do homework, and practice. In the early days, with Van Thac''s average level, many students in his class refused to talk to him. They didn''t understand why a student like him was placed in their school halfway like that. They thought he used tricks to receive special treatment.


    Their coldness also hurt Van Thac for some time. Edgar knew about it, he visited him and talked to him. Although he knew that the only solution was to catch up with his classmates'' level, Van Thac felt like something was separating him from everyone else.


    ¡°Sapphire, that girl,¡± Edgar exclaimed, ¡°Why was she so harsh on you?¡±


    ¡°You should forget about Sapphire for now.¡±


    Edgar also said the same thing to Van Thac.


    --------------------


    Luyen and Thuyen participated in the International Music Competition. One week before the day, the two bought tickets to fly to France to visit Van Thac. After several months of not seeing each other, the once simple and carefree friend, after several months in France, suddenly became reserved and reticent to the point that they could not understand. Asking about him also gave them a general understanding of the boy''s situation: Not keeping up with the class level, no friends, homesickness, and even Ngoc Lam.


    ¡°Listen¡± Thuyen, as usual, spoke first.


    ¡°You -,¡± Luyen continued.


    "Don''t be afraid of your own shadow"


    "Don''t make a mountain out of the molehill"


    ¡°The story with Ngoc Lam has been going on for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Stop obsessing over yourself.¡±


    The two sat down to analyze for Van Thac to understand that the problem in his mind was due to the fear from that performance. But at that time, his level was semi-professional. After a period of serious practice in an artistic environment like he had the past few months, there was no way his level could remain stagnant.


    Feeling that verbal conversations were not enough, Luyen and Thuyen contacted the Moreau couple, asking for permission to take Van Thac to Austria with them.


    Thanks to M''s help, Luyen and Thuyen collected a long list of people who were Ngoc Lam''s opponents six years ago. Luckily, there were a few people who would participate in the International Music Competition in the same batch as them. The triplet chose a young pianist, only a year older than them, to meet. They walked to a large hotel in the city and asked about that person, but the receptionist replied that she had gone out. Not knowing what to do, the three chose a chair in the lobby to wait.


    Because they had just finished practising and went out to find the pianist, they still had their musical instruments with them. Luyen pulled out his clarinet, cleaned and wiped it while talking.


    ¡°Let''s try to find a second person.¡±


    ¡°But that person is not staying at a hotel but at a villa in the suburbs,¡± Thuyen said.


    Thac didn''t say anything, he silently scrolled through the list. The reason for choosing this pianist is not only because she was close to their age, but also because she was one of Ngoc Lam''s biggest rivals before retiring.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I wonder how she will react when she hears Ngoc Lam''s name again?¡±


    "Ngoc Lam?" A female voice resounded beside Thac, "I didn''t hear wrong, right? You mentioned Ngoc Lam?¡±


    All three boys turned to look. That was a girl with dark brown hair and green eyes. She spoke to them with a thick Italian accent. Based on the videos they had looked for, the three realized it was the person they were waiting for, Chiara the pianist.


    ¡°That''s right, it''s Ngoc Lam,¡± Thuyen responded quickly.


    ¡°Are you Chiara?¡± Thuyen asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am. What do you guys have to do with Ngoc Lam?¡±


    ¡°It''s not me and this guy,¡± Luyen said, pointing to himself and Thuyen.


    ¡°But this guy,¡± Thuyen continued, pointing at Thac, ¡°was once a classmate with Ngoc Lam.¡±


    ¡°He used to play trio with her in the school performance,¡± Luyen said.


    ¡°And was knocked out, and got obsessed.¡± Thuyen ended the story.


    "Understood." Chiara said coldly, then pointed at the piano in the hotel lobby, "I won''t answer any questions until I understand your levels. Tchaikovsky, piano concerto no.1, Andantino semplice. So?"


    Music echoed in the hotel lobby. Surrounded by curious people. Because it was the time of the International Music Competition, there were many musicians and artists surrounding them, and some curious guests stayed to listen to the instrumentation of the four young people. Surely, in their minds, they were evaluating the qualifications of the four, but on their face, they were listening attentively and politely. When the music ended, everyone applauded the performance. Some people proactively came to talk to Luyen, Thuyen and Chiara, but no one stepped forward to ask about Van Thac.


    "Don''t be surprised." Chiara came to talk to Thac after he chose a quiet corner to sit alone. ¡°They know your level is not good enough to achieve any success, so they did not come to talk to you. As for your other two friends, they''re pretty good. The people who came to start a conversation were probably rivals who wanted to test the two of them out.¡±


    After a few short conversations, Luyen and Thuyen also came to sit with Thac and Chiara.


    ¡°Miss Emmy introduced you to us,¡± Luyen said.


    ¡°Among Ngoc Lam''s old rivals, you are one of the most successful.¡± Thuyen continued.


    "That''s right," Chiara admitted right away. ¡°So Ngoc Lam, in Vietnam, is playing music again?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. She has been retiring.¡± Thac spoke.


    ¡°Your level is like this¡­¡± Chiara looked at Thac suspiciously ¡°When were you defeated?¡±


    ¡°November last year,¡± Van Thac said honestly.


    "Huh?" Chiara was even more sceptical.


    ¡°You should have a look at this first,¡± Luyen quickly gave the video of the performance to Chiara.


    Like the violin professor, Chiara watched the performance until the end and then looked at Thac.


    ¡°What did you do to anger her?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Thac bowed his head and replied.


    ¡°With that ability of yours,¡± Chiara suddenly raised her voice, ¡°you did infuriate her? Do you know how many idiots had to retire after competing against her?¡±


    ¡°What about retirement?¡± Luyen asked.


    ¡°What is it like?¡± Thuyen said.


    ¡°It''s no big deal.¡± Chiara leaned back against the sofa, "All those stupid frogs in the well went to challenge Ngoc Lam. After being defeated, they were afraid and cowardly and did not dare to play music again. A bunch of failures in every aspect!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Thac asked.


    ¡°What about me? Ha ha ha¡± Chiara faced up to the sky and laughed, ¡°They also thought I would retire soon. Now look! I successfully reached the top 15 best pianists last year, while prodigy Ngoc Lam had to retire early. Damn it!"


    Chiara recalled the past.


    ¡°It is true that day Ngoc Lam overthrew my title of child prodigy. She was too strong. Do they think I wasn''t afraid? I Was! I was haunted for several months. The losers saw that I was defeated, so they flattered her, leaning on her to insult me. I hated her! I detested her! Really!¡±


    Chiara called her assistant to bring her her favourite bottle of mineral water and then got back to talking.


    ¡°I was only eight years old at that time. I hated Ngoc Lam. But what could I do? K and M had her back, and their three children were also around her. I couldn''t even touch a strand of her hair. But luckily, those bastards couldn''t cling to her. She took them all down. One-by-one.¡±


    "Idiots. Ha ha ha¡± the girl burst out laughing ¡°A prodigy who is encouraged by adults to play at her best is like a flamethrower with a broken valve. No one could stay in the orchestra when Ngoc Lam appeared. She was the one who had never known what mercy was. At that time, I looked at the losers falling like autumn leaves and was extremely happy. It turns out I was the one who stayed until the end. It turns out that being defeated by Ngoc Lam is not such a terrible thing. I''m not the first and certainly not the last.¡±


    ¡°Once I got the hang of it, I practised like crazy. I think I was crazy. Every time we faced each other, I lost. But you know what?¡± Chiara leaned forward ¡°I was always the second best. What do you Asians say? You are under one person, but you are over ten thousand people. Then, she retired. I was so mad. I practised non-stop, trying all kinds of styles. Yet she disappeared like that. Later, I continuously won first prize. Still, I didn''t see her. It''s been six years. Unbelievable. Yet she didn''t bother to show up."


    At this time, the assistant brought the bottle of mineral water Chiara requested. The girl took it and opened the lid to drink.


    ¡°After hearing about Ngoc Lam''s retirement, have you ever considered finding her?¡± Thac asked.


    "For what?" Chiara let out a refreshing breath after drinking the water. ¡°It was her choice to disappear. It doesn''t matter whether she''s a prodigy or not. I only believe in the last person standing. I will be that person. Instead of looking at one person forever, I have dozens of people who are already stronger than me in the world, and a dozen more people ready to overthrow me in the next generation, like Ngoc Lam did that year. I can lose at any time. I must stand firm. I must move forward. I don''t have time to think about someone who gave up. Do you understand? I have my own fight. I have no duty to save an opponent like her.¡±


    All three boys listened silently to Chiara. Although her opinion was different from his, what she said made Thac think a lot.


    ¡°That doesn''t mean I never thought about the day I would see her again.¡± Chiara''s voice was now calming down, "If you are a music lovers and meet someone with such talent, you will naturally be attracted."


    ¡°The boy playing the trumpet,¡± Chiara tilted her chin towards Thac, ¡°You also have potential. I kind of like your trumpet sound. But your mentality is so poor. It makes me annoyed. If you are defeated by her miserably like that, I have advice for you: Forget Ngoc Lam.¡±


    This was the third time Thac had heard such advice. It all seemed to be pointing him towards an answer he didn''t really want.


    ¡°Don''t you understand?¡± Chiara was annoyed, ¡°You want to help others, right? Do you want to be a saviour? Or what do you want? Having left everything at home to move to Europe to study, your spirit must be here. Do you understand?"


    ¡°Even the contestants just now didn''t even bother to talk to you, how are you going to get her looking at you? A loser, who she defeated with less than 1/10 of her real talent continues to drag on the ground, unable to raise his head?¡±


    Having finished speaking, Chiara leisurely left. All three boys felt like they had just experienced a tornado.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Luyen laughed.


    -------------


    That evening, Van Thac and two friends walked around the streets of Austria, chatting about all kinds of things in the world like they used to do in their homeland. Luyen and Thuyen brought many instant food packages. The three decided to eat pho together.


    The appearance of Luyen and Thuyen helped Van Thac feel much more elated. He seriously looked back at everything that had happened to him. When he reflected on the attitudes people had towards him, Van Thac realized the true meaning behind their advice.


    It turned out that it wasn''t until he came to Europe that Van Thac realized how deep Ngoc Lam''s impression was on people in the music world. Many of them still missed and waited for her, but at the same time, they still had to compete fiercely with other talents to set a place in their career.


    Immediately, he bought a plane ticket to fly back to France early tomorrow morning. Luyen and Thuyen strongly supported that decision.


    ¡°Someday, we will play in an orchestra together.¡± Luyen patted his shoulder.


    ¡°We will stay in Europe shortly later. If you need anything, don''t forget to call." Thuyen said.


    ------------------


    Silently but firmly, Van Thac''s ability was increasingly improving. His classmates'' views of him also gradually changed. By the end of the semester, Van Thac began to make new friends.


    He proactively contacted Chiara, inviting her to perform a song together at the train station in Germany, close to the location of the Music competition in September she was about to participate in. Chiara was surprised by his progress. It turned out that he had also signed up for the competition in the trumpet category.


    Sure enough, after the collaboration ended, many people took the initiative to talk to Van Thac. Chiara enjoyed looking at the scene before her eyes.


    ¡°What made you so confused about before? Looks like you''ve come to your senses now? Is it thanks to me? Ha ha ha.¡±


    ¡°I also want to thank you.¡± Van Thac politely replied.


    ¡°No need to say thank you,¡± Chiara waved her hand, ¡°You''ve made progress, but you are still too far to win first prize. Do not be complacent, boy!"


    After that, she left with the same whirlwind-like personality. Van Thac thought about himself again. His hands firmly grasped the trumpet. He could never give up no matter what obstacle he would face.


    Another year passed, and Van Thac finished 11th grade, which was also the time he started winning prizes in major competitions and was a member of the Institute''s Orchestra. Mr Woods announced that Ngoc Lam had also gone to Europe to study as a scholarship student.


    The teacher asked him if he wanted to meet Ngoc Lam. He said no. He hadn''t won any first prize yet.


    In grade 12, Van Thac finally took the first prize. K and M welcome him to their orchestra. After two years of constant experiencing, cultivating, and thousands of hours of non-stop practice, he gradually received the recognition he had always wanted.


    Luyen and Thuyen were accepted into the orchestra of K and M. All three participated in the orchestra conducted by M at the conductor contest the teacher had registered for.


    M officially became a conductor in his third year in Europe.


    Teacher Woods asked again if he wanted to meet Ngoc Lam.


    Van Thac answered consistently that he was not good enough.


    Van Thac graduated from grade 12 and was admitted directly to the University of the Institute.


    He started his first solo tour.


    In the winter of his fourth year, Van Thac decided to have a concert with M in the city where Ngoc Lam lived.


    He gave Mr Woods the invitation ticket, asking him to give it to Ngoc Lam. He wanted the next reunion to be when Ngoc Lam witnessed his growth on stage.


    Van Thac did not expect that their reunion would be on a busy street. Neither of them said a word but instinctively looked for each other.


    Van Thac lost sight of Ngoc Lam when a horse carriage passed by and blocked his view. The orchestra assistant called him over and conveyed K''s words telling him to return early to avoid getting sick in the cold weather.


    Ngoc Lam came to see the performance as he expected. She was indifferent like she used to be. When the show ended, she didn''t linger at all, nor did she go looking for him. Van Thac knew, and he didn''t look for her either. He did his best. If his music could not make Ngoc Lam change her mind, he would have to respect that. Above all, he also had a career that he chose to leave his hometown to cling to distant Europe.


    He wanted her to be back to music, but he also had to focus on himself.


    Ngoc Lam returned to the Moreau family home at Christmas.


    She played music in a country restaurant.


    Among the old opponents who were active in the music world coming to meet Ngoc Lam, it was impossible not to include Chiara. The two had a breathtaking competition.


    ¡°You''ve gone backwards, haven''t you?¡± Chiara asked, squinting her eyes.


    "That''s right. I''m trying to get back in form.¡± Ngoc Lam said.


    "Great." Chiara said, ¡°Remember not to be too slow!¡± and then went straight away.


    When Van Thac heard the story, he laughed. That was so Chiara.


    Ngoc Lam finally regained her form.


    K said that was just hers before she retired, which was ten years ago. The whole orchestra was sweating at the same time. But some people couldn''t hide their regret for the young girl. She endured violence from adults and missed ten years of her life. If the incident had not happened, they could not imagine how far she would have gone by now.


    Ngoc Lam began to open up to people, including Van Thac. He began to notice her other facial expressions. The psychiatrist said she was in the process of self-healing to face the pain from ten years ago. She gradually learned how to seek help, learned how to express her emotions, and learned how to face the bullies.


    Teacher Woods used the evidence of Thanh''s previous actions and his lies about Minh and Ngoc Lam to ask that man not to cause trouble anymore.


    Ngoc Lam was no longer targeted, but Van Thac has become a new target.


    Thanh learned the trick from Mrs Phuong and her husband, throwing stones and hiding their hands. He found the opponents who cowardly gave up music after being defeated by Ngoc Lam but still held a grudge against her and asked them to meet Van Thac. On the one hand, threatened him that Ngoc Lam would take him down with her enormous talent; on the other hand, they said that to keep the performance successful, Ngoc Lam would have to restrain herself, and Van Thac would be the one dragging her feet.


    Van Thac had already known about it. He looked at them calmly and asked them to leave a message for Thanh: Van Thac would let them see with their own eyes, with an outstanding talent like Ngoc Lam, what his and her performance would be like.


    Van Thac knew he could never catch up to Ngoc Lam. But it was not like he did not have any way to get along with her.


    The lessons he realized on his own with La vie en Rose, the lessons he learned from Amald''s story, the advice of his teachers, Chiara''s beliefs, the times he performed with Luyen and Thuyen, the countless times he played for The Orchestras, the basic lessons of Mr Woods, and the instructions of K and M, all of them have contributed to Van Thac''s music.


    Van Thac''s beautiful timbre was finally able to blend with Ngoc Lam''s outstanding talent.


    That''s thanks to tireless efforts.


    Thanks to hard work and creativity from the most basic lessons.


    Van Thac can never reach Ngoc Lam''s realm, but it''s okay. He will always chase after her with everything he has, with his strong passion for music, which Van Thac is confident he will never be inferior to Ngoc Lam.


    He will show the world how someone like him can stand on the same stage with a legend.


    He will become her sunshine.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    The students in class 10D5 performed exceptionally well, achieving almost perfect scores. All judges, except Mr Woods, did not hesitate to give a score of ten out of ten. They assumed that Mr Woods was a professional, so it was normal for him to judge a little more strictly and not pay much attention. The average score of this class is still the highest. When the results are announced, the entire class 10D5 bursts into tears. Thuy happily hugs Ngoc Lam. The homeroom teacher is also happy because this result will be recorded in her teachers'' emulation process. Rewards are given immediately afterwards. The class treasurer deducts reward money as the homeroom teacher says to buy milk tea for the whole class.


    Thac plans to refuse to go with the class, for he is afraid his bad mood may affect the general atmosphere. As soon as he lifts his feet, K and M call him back, asking the teacher for permission to talk to him. Ngoc Lam and other classmates leave together, and she intentionally ignores M looking at her. M smiled sadly. Really? Ngoc Lam? She knew that K and M wouldn''t let Van Thac completely collapse, so she dared to act so harshly on him.


    -------


    Mr Woods also returns to the Conservatory of Music. As soon as he steps into the hallway, Luyen and Thuyen are standing there waiting.


    ¡°Hello, teacher.¡± Both greet simultaneously.


    Mr Woods clearly understands what they are here for. Before either of them can open their mouths, the man orders, "You two, come with me."


    Luyen and Thuyen go to the opera department with him. At this time, a woman is accompanying a male singer on the piano in the theatre room. Mr Woods secretly tells the two friends to stay outside and find a private place to hide. After giving instructions, the teacher opens the door. He stands quietly to one side, staring at the male singer''s face. No one knows what is in his mind.


    As soon as the male singer finishes, Mr Woods steps up. At this moment, we can see that the singer''s face is the person named Thanh who met Ngoc Lam the day before and called her "Murderer".


    ¡°Phuong, I need to talk to you.¡± Mr Woods says it directly.


    The woman is called Phuong, who once went to Ngoc Lam''s school and had an argument with Mr Woods, using her eyes to signal Thanh to leave. Mr Woods keeps waiting silently, his eyes following Thanh''s every step until he leaves the room.


    ¡°Are you here to blame me for what happened at that high school? At that time, I was-" Mrs Phuong stands up and speaks to Mr Woods in a very confident manner.


    ¡°It was you who did it!¡± Mr Woods is sick of hearing her beating around the bush, so he claims the fact.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mrs. Phuong sneers, "I left that morning and never came back to do anything!"


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    ¡°I didn''t do it yourself, but you threw the stone and hid your hand.¡± Mr Woods affirms straight away. ¡°Ngoc Lam school''s camera has recorded everything. You sent Thanh to torture her. Am I right?


    Ms Phuong sees that she cannot deny it; certainly, Mr Woods has something up his sleeve. The woman just stands still there smiling.


    ¡°Too many people have been hurt.¡± Mr Woods softly, "Do you still want to cause more damage?"


    ¡°Hurt? Who was hurt? The woman peels off her elegant appearance and looks at Mr Lam distortedly, "While we have not overcome this pain, are there people preparing to reappear as if nothing had happened?"


    The woman takes out a piece of paper from the piano and shows it in front of Mr Woods.


    ¡°By the way, the Rector has approved your job transfer. You want to be a hero, don''t you? In the remotely mountainous areas, all the children do not have enough food to eat. They will be extremely happy if a good man like you shows up!¡±


    Teacher Lam suppresses his anger and gets the decision. The woman smirks at him and then walks out of the room.


    ¡°Hola¡±


    ¡°The cuckoo calls the eagle.¡±


    Luyen and Thuyen wait until Mrs Phuong is not around, then sneakily poke into the theatre room. Mr Woods gazes at the two of them and immediately calls them in.


    Thuyen studied piano before playing the violin. He quickly sits in front of the piano and plays a few notes. Luyen brings out two chairs, one for the teacher, and one for him.


    "That old woman is afraid that you will destroy the dictatorial plot of her and her husband, that''s why she is trying her best to push you away." Luyen looks at the paper in Mr Woods'' hand.


    ¡°What is in that old hag''s mind that she forces an old man like you to climb the mountains and wade through the streams to school there? She is killing you without a sword." Thuyen says while he is playing the piano.


    ¡°Have you recorded it?¡± Mr Woods asks


    Luyen and Thuyen look at the teacher and smile "he he" then quickly take out the cell phones from their pocket.


    Before entering the room, Mr Woods called Luyen''s number, reminding Luyen to put it on recording mode. Thuyen stood next to him and also turned on the camera to record. The entire content of the recent conversation is saved.


    ¡°Are you going to use this¡±


    ¡°To ovethrow that despicable couple?¡±


    Mr Woods shakes his head. During the conversation, Ms Phuong did not admit or confirm anything, so this recording has no value to be trustable evidence. But he still needs it. Mr Woods tells Luyen to send it to his phone and then looks at the two friends.


    ¡°You two, I have a favour to ask.¡±


    ---------------


    Van Thac sits huddled on a stone chair. K and M seemed to have something to do, so they told him to wait.


    The aftereffects of the last stage are in his mind. Now he realizes how stubborn and stupid he was. The things that once made him believe suddenly are now crumbled. Now, he doesn''t know what to do.


    ¡°I''m so bad.¡± Van Thac says to himself.


    A head appears under the seat of the stone bench he is sitting on.


    ¡°You''re not, son.¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡±


    K squeezes his way out from under the bench, and in the one next to him, M is doing the same.


    Thac clutches his heart. Thac is in pain. Thac collapses.


    ¡°Don''t scare me anymore. I will have a heart attack and die.¡±


    K smiles and gives Thac a bottle of water. Thac politely receives it.


    ¡°How do you feel now, son?¡±


    It''s true that after shouting, Thac feels a little relieved.


    "I''m sorry." After calming down, Thac seriously admits his mistake to his teacher. ¡°I shouldn''t be too complacent. I- I''m so stupid.¡±


    K pats Thac''s shoulder gently and sits next to him. In the opposite row of benches, M is sitting there.


    ¡°You are kind-hearted and want to help Ngoc Lam,¡± M says. ¡°Unfortunately, her situation is a bit particular.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, M continues.


    ¡°Thac, do you want to listen to the story from the past?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Ngoc Lam, no, back then she should have been called The Little Sapphire. Just like that name implies, she was the gem of all the teachers who have taught her.


    The story began when the girl turned six years old when her parents took her to the park beside the Conservatory of Music.


    That afternoon, the sun was not too hot. Ngoc Lam and her parents browsed a musical instrument store right next to the Conservatory. It was also rush hour. The streets were crowded with people and cars. Two young men who looked like university students of the Conservatory entered.


    ¡°Let me try this piano!¡± One of them talked to the salesperson when he saw the white piano.


    ¡°Why do you need to buy a new one? Didn''t you buy the grey piano last month, Minh?" The friend next to him asked.


    ¡°I gave it to my cousin.¡± The boy named Minh replied.


    Minh''s long fingers lightly glided across the keys of Chopin''s Fantaisie Impromptu-third stage. Among the noisy streets with traffic and laughter, from inside the store, the music from a piano resounded, separating itself from the hustle and bustle outside.


    About five minutes later, the last note was played. Minh looked at the piano a bit. When he intended to talk more with the store owner, his eyes accidentally met a short-haired child.


    That was the first meeting of Minh and Ngoc Lam.


    Ngoc Lam, at that time, had no idea about her musical talent. No one in her entire family knew how to play the piano. The little girl was only attracted by Minh''s music and ran in to see. Ngoc Lam''s parents, seeing their child running away, got panicked as she ran into the store.


    Minh waved at Ngoc Lam to ask her to come and then looked at her parents, smiling politely.


    ¡°Are you her parents?¡±


    Ngoc Lam saw that her parents were also there, so she ran out and hugged her mother''s legs.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I want to play the piano.¡±


    The couple was confused and struggled to find some words to talk to their daughter. They didn''t know much about music, but they knew that each musical instrument here costs several times their monthly salary. They were worried if Ngoc Lam broke something, they would have no money to compensate.


    "It''s ok. Let the girl come up here to play for a bit.¡± Minh smiled and told Ngoc Lam, "After playing, you have to listen to your parents, OK?"


    Because of Minh''s suggestion, Ngoc Lam''s parents finally let her enter the store. She sat next to Minh behind the white piano. Minh considered Ngoc Lam as a curious kid, so he intended to introduce basic knowledge of music first, starting with the notes C-D-E-F-G.


    ¡°Do you know how to play the piano?¡±


    "Yes."


    Having finished speaking, Ngoc Lam stretched out her tiny fingers and repeated the entire Fantaisie Impromptu she had listened to. She had no techniques for playing the music, and the rhythm was chaotic. The notes, which were so far apart that her short fingers couldn''t reach them, took her a few seconds to press, but she repeated all the notes without missing a single one with both hands.


    All the witnesses couldn''t believe in their eyes. Ngoc Lam''s parents were astonished by their little daughter.


    Minh happily called his mother, Mrs Phuong, a pianist and lecturer at the Conservatory of Music, who had not yet become the head of the subject like she is now. Unfortunately, Mrs Phuong was busy teaching, so she asked another teacher to come and check on the situation. The teacher arrived ten minutes later and hurriedly called the current head of the subject. In a few hours, Ngoc Lam''s life changed completely.


    In half a year, Ngoc Lam was specially admitted to the Conservatory of Music, studying in the college building. The ability to play many different musical instruments was also gradually discovered. Mr Woods, who had been already the head of the subject, witnessed Ngoc Lam''s enormous potential. He was afraid that he would soon have nothing to teach her, so he contacted Karcsi and Emmy. The two people who had just seen Ngoc Lam''s talent immediately poured out a bunch of beautiful words like ''wonderful'', ''great'', or ''excellent'' in every language they knew. The couple offered to take Ngoc Lam abroad to study under their tutelage. As soon as the Rector of the Conservatory heard the news, he immediately protested. He said that he was afraid that Ngoc Lam would be far away from his parents when she was too young and that if something happened to her in a foreign land, it wouldn''t be as secure as in a country full of fellows there for her like the leaves protecting tattered ones.


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    K got furious. He was no stranger to the hypocrisy of this old dean. That bald man was just afraid that Ngoc Lam would leave and have no one to polish the reputation of his Conservatory. Ngoc Lam deserved to go out there and receive guidance from the best artists. The dean immediately showed the admission papers with the red seal in front of K, saying that if he didn''t sign, it would be a long time before K could withdraw her transcript from his school. The two had a fierce conflict, causing many lecturers there to reconcile for a long time. Finally, the most optimal solution was for Ngoc Lam to follow K and M abroad as an exchange student. She was still a student of the Conservatory of Music, and all of her activities abroad would be under the name of the Conservatory. After a period of training, K and M had to take her back.


    Ngoc Lam did not know about adult disputes. The girl sat attentively listening to Minh and his friend, Thanh, whose face was different from his now, practising playing the piano and singing opera together.


    Thanh, that year, was only 21 years old, was a student in the vocal department at the Conservatory of Music and was in the same situation as Ngoc Lam, no one in his family was active in the art world. Thanh''s family discovered his talent in middle school and under the recommendation of his music teacher, Thanh passed a few aptitude tests and was given special admission to the Conservatory of Music. Since then, Thanh has known and befriended Minh.


    Minh, the same age as Thanh, had a family of artists. His mother was a very prestigious lecturer at the Conservatory of Music. She did not only teach at the school but also became a mentor of top singers. Minh''s father was a member of the National Music Association. Minh himself was also very talented, had won dozens of awards from leading music competitions, and had had quite a few vinyl records released under his name.


    He looked at Ngoc Lam with a feeling of pride because he was the one who discovered her talent. The head of the subject also assigned Minh to be a teaching assistant for this little genius.


    When Thanh finished his part, Minh waved at Ngoc Lam, telling her to sit next to him, and spoke gently.


    ¡°I''ll practice with you.¡±


    Their hands glided quickly across the keys. Compared to half a year ago, Ngoc Lam had made incredible progress. She had almost caught up with Minh, who had been playing the piano since he was three years old.


    ¡°You''re so good!¡± Minh praised the girl. ¡°Do you want to perform with me later?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ngoc Lam politely replied.


    A month later, Ngoc Lam was taken abroad by K and M. Her parents were so scared that they could not bear to leave their daughter. Minh was also a bit sad. On the day they said goodbye at the airport, he patted Ngoc Lam''s head and told her to study well, and when she returned, she would play a duet with him.


    During two years of studying abroad, Ngoc Lam had gone to many places and made many friends. Her personality became more liberal. On her return, the Rector and a few head teachers of the subjects came to the airport to welcome her. Ngoc Lam''s reputation, thanks to the help of the Moreau couple and many leading artists abroad, had extended beyond their imagination. Receiving from The Moreaus not only a precious gem but also a polished and honed one, the Rector smiled from ear to ear.


    When Ngoc Lam was abroad, many people called her The Little Sapphire.


    Returning to the Conservatory, Ngoc Lam had to take exams and perform more than go to school. Worried about their child''s situation, her parents took M''s advice and hired a tutor to teach her general knowledge at home. During her time abroad, Ngoc Lam was also greatly shaped by K and M in her way of life and behaviour. She understood that learning knowledge was as crucial as playing music. Even though she did not have much time, she tried to maintain her studying with a tutor.


    One day, Ngoc Lam went to find Minh. The girl happened to open the door of the singing practice room and saw Minh and Thanh kissing each other. Being discovered, the two boys were startled and panicked, not knowing what to do. Minh quickly came to her and asked softly.


    ¡°Did you see everything?¡±


    ¡°Are you and Thanh in love?¡± Ngoc Lam comfortably asked again.


    The two boys looked at each other not knowing how to answer.


    ¡° When I was abroad, I saw many couples of boys.¡± The girl said innocently.


    Minh and Thanh breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps during her time away from the country, Ngoc Lam witnessed many different perspectives and gradually accepted them as a part of this world.


    ¡°But,¡± Minh asked, ¡°Can you keep it a secret for us?¡±


    Ngoc Lam immediately made a zip-lock sign on her mouth, then an OK hand sign, nodding like a chicken pecking rice.


    Minh and Thanh''s story was kept secret. Thanks to this secret, Ngoc Lam also became even closer to the two of them.


    No one expected that not long after, an event occurred that would completely disrupt their lives.

 Chapter 24

    Ngoc Lam had been on a whirlwind of activities for over a year and a half, garnering the attention of the media that had come to call her a one-of-a-kind legend. She often took rare chances when she went on tours to meet artists who were her teachers, interact with other talents, visit old friends, and make new ones. Her talent had made many experts take off their hats in admiration, and her popularity was growing by the day as more vinyl records were sold under her name. Though she could play most musical instruments fluently, the Rector had advised her to focus more on the violin and piano, which he believed were the most popular instruments and would bring her more fame and benefit the Conservatory''s reputation.


    Ngoc Lam recently won first prize in the Mozart piano competition for group A, which is for children aged 7 to 9 years old. Meanwhile, Minh was preparing for an upcoming competition featuring the works of Chopin. However, while Ngoc Lam''s talent was blossoming, Minh''s progress seemed to be slowing down. Over the past three years, Minh had hardly won any tournaments, and he was getting older. Mrs. Phuong impatiently suggested that Minh should study abroad. After all, Minh was already a professional artist, so joining a good orchestra shouldn''t be difficult. Minh, however, kept procrastinating and even suggested staying at the Conservatory of Music to become a lecturer.


    Ngoc Lam, one day, saw him sitting next to Thanh, their hands clasped together.


    Minh''s slowdown was becoming more and more noticeable. There was a lot of gossip behind his family''s back. Mrs Phuong was furious and forced her son to start his career abroad right then. Minh firmly refused. The mother and the son argued. When Mrs Phuong pressed for the reason, Minh was so confused that he used Ngoc Lam as a shield. Mrs. Phuong was even more angry. She shouted.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam what? That girl is a legend now! You are lucky enough that she hasn''t stepped on you. Why do you still want to stay for her? Look at yourself right now! You''re almost 25 years old! And you still want to hang around this village pond! Sooner or later, you will sink! The next generation is growing very strongly. Have you seen that?"


    Knowing that dragging on like this was not a good way, Minh and Thanh started looking for opportunities to go abroad together.


    The opportunity had finally come. A large orchestra from Czechoslovakia offered to recruit some of the Conservatory''s talents for its ongoing tour. The position for the lead piano was vacant, and several places for the choir were looking for singers, too.


    Ngoc Lam was performing abroad, so this chance couldn''t be more ideal.


    Minh talked to Mrs. Phuong. Seeing that her son began to understand his situation, she immediately agreed. The audition went smoothly for him. The conductor was very satisfied with Minh, but Thanh had not received any response yet. Minh promised that after being selected, he would ask them to promote Thanh, even if a reserve position was acceptable, as long as they could be together.


    Unexpectedly, a change happened before the time. Ngoc Lam''s overseas concert was wildly successful. The girl herself played most of the instruments used in the orchestra and received huge acclaim from music lovers and professionals. The Rector grinned and couldn''t stop talking about the girl to the orchestra''s leaders from Czechoslovakia. They asked when Ngoc Lam would return home. Knowing she would return two days before their performance, they asked the director to change the lead pianist to her.


    When he heard the news, Minh felt like he was struck by lightning. He couldn''t have imagined that all the hopes he had placed in this time would be so blatantly taken away. The whispering behind him became louder and louder. They laughed at him because even a little kid like Ngoc Lam could snatch a job out of his hand. Thanh also distanced himself from Minh. The eyes of the students sticking on his back made Minh feel like they were looking down on him. Mrs Phuong knew what happened and was infuriated. She shouted at Minh.


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    ¡°Look! You could have gone abroad years ago. What are you staying here for? Now, no one wants to choose you anymore! How could you be so stupid?¡±


    When Minh''s busy father found out about it, he was also extremely mad. He called him and scolded him.


    Minh felt extremely depressed. He arranged to meet some friends at the club to relieve his sadness.


    Unexpectedly, before finishing his drink, Minh witnessed another shocking scene.


    Thanh was wearing a tight t-shirt and low-waisted pants, his arm around the waist of a Western man. Minh recognized him from the orchestra''s leadership team. The two of them touched intimately while they were laughing and talking. Minh was so shocked that his whole body stiffened. Before Minh''s friends could ask him anything, he ran to Thanh.


    ¡°Thanh¡± Minh shouted amid the loud music, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Thanh was a bit startled when he was caught cheating, but looking at Minh''s dispirited appearance, he saw no need to feel guilty anymore.


    ¡°You promised me that if you were recruited, you would help me get into the orchestra. Now that you have been eliminated, so I have to find another opportunity. Why are you questioning me?¡±


    ¡°So you''re going without me?¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Thanh lost patience, "I can''t stay in one place forever. How long will I have to wait for you?¡±


    ¡°I turned down the opportunities to work abroad to stay here with you! What do you mean by saying that to me?¡±


    ¡°That''s your problem! You chose to stay, and now you blame me? If you can''t take it then break up!


    Having finished speaking, Thanh hugged the man''s waist and walked into the crowd, leaving Minh standing motionlessly alone.


    Minh almost collapsed after that day.


    A person born into the spotlight like Minh realized for the first time that he had been abandoned. The compliments around him were gradually replaced by words of sarcasm, pity, or hate. His vivid world is like a water-soaked wall of which each piece was peeling off to reveal its ugly original.


    Minh suddenly realized how lonely he was those days.


    --------


    Ngoc Lam returned home without knowing what had happened. As soon as she landed, she was surrounded by reporters. The Rector did not miss the opportunity, stepped up to give her a bunch of flowers, and stood next to her in the same frame of the photos. Luckily, Ngoc Lam''s family quickly picked her up and took her home before the Rector dragged her into his fame game.


    On the way home, Ngoc Lam borrowed her mother''s cell phone to text Minh


    ¡°Hello Minh, it''s me, Ngoc Lam. I''m back. Tomorrow I''ll go to the Conservatory, and let''s play a duet together!"


    When she got home, Mr Woods had been waiting for her and her family. Before that, the teacher mentioned the situation to the girl''s parents. He advised Ngoc Lam not to accept the piano position of the Czechoslovakian orchestra. Mr Woods suggested that the family first use the reason that Ngoc Lam had to complete her elementary school program and then quickly find a way to withdraw Ngoc Lam''s school records so that she could study abroad as soon as possible. In the worst case, let her take the entrance exam to a public secondary school. At this point, the principal will no longer have a reason to keep her. Ngoc Lam can escape the risk of unintentional conflict with any prominent figure at the Conservatory.


    Ngoc Lam''s family went to the dean''s room to request that Ngoc Lam would withdraw from the Western Orchestra participation list. The director had no choice but to negotiate with the orchestra''s leaders. They agreed to let Minh replace her. Mrs Phuong was complacent when she heard about it. At the same time, she was applying to nominate herself for the position of the subject head to replace the head who was about to retire. That was not only good for Minh but also helped improve her reputation. She told Minh to work seriously without noticing that her son''s face was no longer as bright as before.


    Recently, Minh had to go to the hospital to treat depression. He didn''t know how to talk about this with his mother when he heard that he was accepted into that orchestra. In order not to affect his work, Minh kept his matter a secret. Mrs Phuong knew that her son had been going to the hospital often, but she only heard him say he was not feeling well.


    The first performance went positively. Minh always tried to take antidepressants regularly. His spirit had not fully recovered, but it improved a lot. After the performance, Minh received the decision to tour with the orchestra. Many bouquets were sent to congratulate him. He took out his phone and replied to Ngoc Lam''s text message from three days ago. He sent the message while smiling.


    Not long after, the smile suddenly disappeared. In front of him, Thanh was coming.

 Chapter 25

    WARNING:


    This chapter contains suicide, violence, and oppression.


    Thanh decided to ''come in through the back door'' with one of the leaders of the Orchestra. He would never thought that the more considerate he was, the more that man talked him out of his position in the choir. Thanh lost his temper. He argued with that man but got nowhere. Anyway, the way that he chose wasn''t clean. So, even if he wanted to say anything, he was putting his foot in his mouth. While falling in despair, he heard that Minh had been recruited again. That was the reason Thanh tried to return to flatter him.


    ¡°Minh, how have you been these past few days?¡± Thanh pretended to be concerned and approached him.


    Minh looked at Thanh, and his face turned cold. It turned out that the person he loved with all his heart was such a brazen one. He didn''t want to talk to Thanh, so he quickly left.


    "Minh!" Thanh chased after him and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°You weren''t accepted? The Orchestra doesn''t have only one leader, or you can wait for another orchestra. It''s easy!¡±


    Minh yanked Thanh''s hand away, turned around and walked straight.


    Unable to accept being humiliated like that, Thanh shouted behind him.


    ¡°Do you think you are more noble than me? If that kid, Ngoc Lam, didn''t withdraw from that position, how could it be your turn then? She''s better than you, more famous than you, more enthusiastic than you. Do you think she suddenly withdrew for nothing?


    Minh stopped when he heard those words. Seeing that his words had an impact on him, Thanh was on a high.


    ¡°She was afraid of your parents! In the morning she returned to the airport, Mr Woods was not at school. In the afternoon, her parents came to the Conservatory and asked for her withdrawal. Do you think that was a coincidence?"


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Minh turned to argue with Thanh. ¡°I was recruited from the beginning. If it weren''t for the Rector, why would there be a replacement?"


    ¡°Is that so? So that means if there''s someone a little bit better than you, you can be replaced, right? You thought your mother didn''t have her hand in the rehearsal list?" Thanh looked at Minh''s sceptical expression and continued, "If you don''t believe me, ask all students in the Conservatory how many students have been informed about the rehearsal. Your mother has hidden most of the information. If all piano students and junior students participate, do you think the audition time will be that fast?¡±


    Minh turned pale and couldn''t say a word.


    ¡°Do you think you are worth that much?¡± Thanh gained momentum and said more forcefully, "Everything you have ever had comes from your parents. Your whole life is just a worthless thing that your parents built up for you! Do you know that to help you be on the list of participants in major competitions, your parents secretly oppressed students from poorer families?"


    Thanh enjoyed looking at Minh''s increasingly shocked, a feeling of pride rose in his heart. He took a breath and gave him the final blow.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam, too. That child is the one with self-worth. She doesn''t thirst for performing with that Czechoslovakian group. People with real talent always have many opportunities, if they don''t have this one, they will have another. She''s not like you ... Well if it wasn''t you discovering her talent on that day but someone else on some other days, Mr Woods, for example, why would she have conceded her opportunities like that? Did you not pay attention, or did you purposely ignore it? Never once have she and you competed in the same tournament! Thanks to your parents, otherwise you wouldn''t even have a belt! You thought you were the god who blessed that girl, but in reality, you were the one who interrupted her career! Why did Ngoc Lam, who had become famous in foreign countries for two years, come back to this village pond? It''s all because of you! It''s your fault!¡±


    --------------


    Ngoc Lam had been obediently studying at home with her tutor these past few days. Even a one-of-a-kind music legend must participate in all semester exams under the Ministry of Education''s program framework. Ngoc Lam would have to go to the building for elementary school students to take the exams four times for each school year. Her parents saw their daughter''s situation and were even more determined to find a way to withdraw her academic transcript after she finished elementary school. The so-called ''special privilege'' with no limit on days off is just a way to exploit a child''s talent to the maximum. Ngoc Lam hardly had much contact with other people her age, and her personality was somewhat more mature and understanding. No wonder every time she went abroad, she was always happy because she met many old friends. Two years abroad were truly two years for Ngoc Lam to develop her talent and personality according to her age.


    Ngoc Lam''s father talked to M on the phone, discussing how to let Ngoc Lam enjoy all her childhood until 9th grade. When she went to high school, she would go abroad again.


    As usual, Mr Woods often spent his free time inviting a few artists he knew to visit Ngoc Lam''s house and play music together. No longer burdened with the pressure of performing perfectly in front of an audience, Ngoc Lam''s music was much more freedom. Every time the music stopped, her parents and brother watching would applaud. The little girl confidently received the applause of hundreds, thousands of spectators. Now she was embarrassed and told the whole family to stop clapping with a happy smile on her face.


    While everyone was enjoying the amusing atmosphere, a call came to Mr Woods. The teacher turned pale, immediately greeted the whole family and left with his friends.


    Minh committed suicide.


    No one knew why a man with a hopeful career like Minh did that.


    But it was unexpectable that when Ngoc Lam and her family came to visit Minh, Mrs Phuong pointed straight at her and shouted "Murderer!"


    It turns out that after Minh''s death, Thanh was afraid that people would know he was involved, but also afraid that he would have no one to cling to. He remembered the last time he talked to Minh he briefly saw the phone screen on Minh''s hand texting Ngoc Lam. Just out of luck when Minh was distraught, he deleted all his phone and computer data. Mrs Phuong did not know what happened. She only knew that Minh had been treating depression through the prescription he left behind after his death. She called Thanh to talk. He took advantage of the situation and made up a story about Minh committing suicide after texting with Ngoc Lam. Before that, he had been depressed when Ngoc Lam stole his performance. Based on those words, Mrs Phuong pieced together the events she knew, including the day Minh said he did not want to go abroad because of her. The anger in her heart billowed like a column of volcanic smoke. She believed that Ngoc Lam killed her son.


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    Through Mrs Phuong''s attitude at Minh''s funeral, one word is ten, ten is a hundred. People talked about Ngoc Lam indirectly causing Minh''s death. The whispering became louder and louder, just like it had happened with Minh. The prying eyes glued behind Ngoc Lam''s back made her scared. The people around her began to change their attitude towards her - some hated her, and some feared her. No one cares who participated in the conversations that made Minh collapse, but they just needed to know that the ''culprit'' - Ngoc Lam must receive exactly what Minh had suffered, even double.


    Ms. Phuong was successfully appointed head of the subject shortly after Minh passed away. Having little power, she openly oppressed and made things difficult for Ngoc Lam. Sometimes, she picked on Ngoc Lam''s smallest mistakes, sometimes claimed her to play too emotionally, and sometimes said she played too technical and flat. Ngoc Lam didn''t understand what was going on at first. She just tried to please her teacher, but a few months later, she became more and more confused and didn''t know what to do. The initial confidence was gradually replaced by timidity and fear.


    The teachers and teaching assistants on the same side as Mrs Phuong and other students did not hesitate to participate in the bullying. They followed Ngoc Lam and backbit behind her back by saying loudly Mrs. Phuong''s criticisms of her, repeating statements like "The kind of person with a little talent who thinks she''s a real legend. "Her skills are so terrible that she will humiliate the Conservatory if she attends any contests!" "You monster!" "Murderer!". The teachers joined together to bring charges against her and criticize her in front of other students.


    As for Thanh, after confessing to Minh''s parents about their relationship, he voluntarily had plastic surgery to make his face look as similar to Minh''s as possible. He was also the most active person participating in the brutal violence against Ngoc Lam.


    After a period of cold violence, mental violence, criticism and hate for no reason: musical instruments being destroyed, and occasionally having the words "Murderer" stuck on her backpack, Ngoc Lam''s spirit deteriorated day by day. It gradually turned into mental illness. Her parents felt furious when they found out and went to meet the Rector to question him. No one would have expected that the bald man would cover up that Ngoc Lam was having badly due to megalomania that she got insulted easily by some gentle comments from her teachers. He constantly told how much he had invested in Ngoc Lam, and he also assigned Mrs Phuong, the head of the subject, to carefully tutor her. Then he blamed Ngoc Lam''s parents for not knowing how to raise their child, allowing her to cause more and more trouble for the Conservatory of Music. The Rector also conveniently followed Mrs Phuong''s words and took away the ''privilege'' of unlimited days off so that Ngoc Lam had to go to school or she would not be able to graduate from elementary school.


    Mr Woods and other teachers who were dissatisfied with the work of Mrs Phuong and the dean were transferred, sent on business trips, or assigned to work from beginning to end. Many people could not stand it and, under the pressure at work and in their lives, have to turn a blind eye. The director wanted to please Mrs Phuong and her husband because shortly, their reputation would soar like a rocket, and she was also being considered for Elite Artist status by the Arts Council.


    Ngoc Lam''s parents were helpless to ask for Mr Woods'' help because he himself was being oppressed. They could not even complain to the authorities because there was no evidence. The Rector used the excuse of upgrading the security system to turn off all surveillance cameras, partly afraid that the incident would affect the chair he was sitting on.


    The bullying reached its peak when Ngoc Lam did not come home one day. Her parents made a big deal out of it and then asked an acquaintance to lead the police to the Conservatory. They discovered that the girl was locked in the bathroom and fell ill a week later. At this time, the Rector got panicked, and he had to discipline the students who locked Ngoc Lam in the bathroom. Ngoc Lam''s older brother said nothing. Thanks to his acquaintance through the students of his father''s dojo, he identified a few other people who had also bullied his sister, so he waited for the opportunity to beat those people up. Only then did the violence decrease.


    But it turned out those people were just temporarily hibernating, waiting for an opportunity to destroy her spirit.


    Since becoming mentally ill, Ngoc Lam began having nightmares and hallucinations. She always felt fear for no reason behind her. Since Thanh''s face turned into Minh''s, the slimy monster with Minh''s face often appeared in her dreams.


    Ngoc Lam had the opportunity to perform abroad again. K and M also know how horribly the girl was bullied and abused, but water which is distant is no good for a fire which is near. They had to stay abroad to find ways to make a chance to take Ngoc Lam away. The problem is that Mrs. Phuong refused, she found all kinds of reasons, found all kinds of mistakes, and used the excuse that the girl had been negligent recently and needed time to rest and rebalance. Finally, another chance had come. There was an international music exchange festival. K created a cake for the Conservatory to be recognized as an Asian-class music training school to convince the Rector, and with the advice of Mr Woods, Ngoc Lam finally had a chance to escape this place.


    Mrs Phuong, of course, felt that her last chance to ''kill'' Ngoc Lam''s spirit had come.


    As Ngoc Lam''s supervising teacher, she called her into a hall, under the pretext of rehearsing for the festival event. Ngoc Lam was now so depressed that she didn''t dare touch the piano anymore. Mrs Phuong showed ''understanding'' and gave the girl a violin, but she forced her to face the stage, her back to the audience.


    With each tune Ngoc Lam played, the sound of people entering the hall became louder. They didn''t seem to care about what she was playing. They whispered to each other, sometimes laughing carelessly. Gradually, among those mixed sounds, the words ''Murderer!'' emerged, over and over again, increasing in frequency. Finally, when she finished the song, everyone fell silent. That terrifying silence was like a black monster slowly approaching the poor girl from behind.


    Suddenly, everyone in the audience burst into laughter. Laughter was like a drill going straight into Ngoc Lam''s head. The girl couldn''t bear it anymore. She fell and passed out.


    Ngoc Lam was no longer able to perform confidently under the spotlight. Her last performance turns out to be a disaster. A child with a bloody head and body was taken to the hospital by her parents.


    After this incident, the Rector of the C¨®nevatory deflected his responsibility, Mrs Phuong''s husband used his power to block the media, Thanh colluded with bullies to fake the story about Ngoc Lam, and Mrs Phuong used Minh''s death to threaten Ngoc Lam family. They choose a low-key teacher to push all the responsibility, manipulate and threaten that person, then fire him and get it over with. The Rector, who was afraid of trouble from the consequences, quickly agreed to let Ngoc Lam''s family withdraw her transcripts and no longer have anything to do with the Conservatory of Music.


    What happened in the conference room was known by Ngoc Lam''s brother. He used the old way of calling people he had beaten up to ask about it.


    Mr Woods came to her house to apologize for not being able to protect her. Ngoc Lam''s mother looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes. Her father calmed down and asked Mr Lam if there was any way to get justice for his daughter. Teacher Lam honestly replied that chance would be a fine thing because those people on Mrs Phuong''s side had already prepared for that situation. At first, the teacher did not expect Mrs Phuong to act so cruel and cold-blooded. When he discovered the trick, it was too late. But he promised, as long as he was still there in the Conservatory, he would collect all the pieces of evidence, and wait for the opportunity to expose all the truth. If the family had any clues, they could contact him.


    Only poor Ngoc Lam could no longer play music.

 Chapter 26

    At night, the temperature is getting lower and lower. Thac wears gloves and wraps a thick scarf around his neck to cycle home. On both sides of the road, the shops are still open, and a few are placing some panels for sale. Leaves have fallen all over the road, and the sound of them being crushed under the rolling wheels resonant with the chilling winds.


    When Thac arrives home, he sees his mother waiting in the living room. He greets his mother and is about to go upstairs when his mom calls him.


    "Are you hungry? I''ll cook some instant noodles for you."


    Thac initially has no appetite, but when his mother mentions noodles that makes his stomach growl. Thac nods.


    His mother does not do much but mixes a packet of noodles with soft-boiled eggs and puts some pickled cabbage in a bowl as a side dish. A simple dinner suddenly becomes strangely delicious. Van Thac opens the lid of the bowl and digs in to eat. The sound of him eating noodles rustling in the quiet space.


    In just a few minutes, Thac finishes his late dinner. He voluntarily washes dishes. After washing, he returns to the table and sits opposite his mother.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Thac starts the conversation.


    ¡°Do you feel better?¡±


    Thac nods. Today is indeed a long day for him. Many things have happened, too many to know in just one day. His heart is heavy. For a moment, he feels incompetent and useless in this vast and complicated world.


    Seeing that her son remains silent, the mother strikes his hair.


    ¡°Today, your Dad and I went to see you perform. You did play the trumpet very well! Mr Woods also praised you have been making unexpectedly fast progress."


    Thac never thinks his mother would say that. All his pent-up emotions are like a valve being completely opened.


    ¡°No,¡­ it''s¡­Mom.... I¡­¡±


    Thac cannot hold back anymore. He bows his head and cries. Thac feels that it''s not very reasonable for a son to cry in front of his mother when he''s big. But the more he tries to refrain, the more tears fall. His mother still gently comforts him.


    After crying for a while, his heart feels lighter. He uses a tissue to wipe all the tears and drivel on his face.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Thac''s voice is still a bit muffled and shaking after crying, ¡°Can I ask you this?¡±


    ¡°Okay, say it.¡±


    ¡°Mom, is the reason I cannot join the Orchestra ¡­ because you told Mr Woods to do so?¡±


    The mother smiles and nods with a "You''re right." confirming the question in his heart.


    Van Thac was accidentally discovered by Luyen and Thuyen when the two were being chased by a villager whose guavas had been stolen by those naughty boys. At that time, he was only eight years old, and he and his family were on a trip to visit his parent''s hometown in the summer. He was unlucky to be pulled in by two mischievous kids, who were roaming around to play tricks and cause trouble everywhere in the village. Thac was hanging out on the road, and he didn''t have any idea about the situation. He ran because he noticed Luyen and Thuyen running toward him. After a while, realizing that no one was chasing him, he turned around and saw the house owner who had his guavas robbed, pinching the ears of two boys about his age and complaining to their families. The two boys'' parents had to go out to apologize and force them to return the stolen guavas. The two were then scolded by their parents. When they were so upset, they happened to see the kid who had run with them. The two immediately started a fight. The three of them argued for a long time, and then Thuyen noticed that the strange guy not only ran further than them and cursed at them harder, but his face also showed no tiredness. Luyen quickly gave his clarinet to Thac and told him to give it a try. Discovering that Thac''s breath was incredibly strong, Luyen dragged him into the house and immediately introduced him to the old man who was drinking tea with his parents.


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    It turned out that Luyen and Thuyen were not from the same hometown as Thac. The two of them followed their families here because the two groups of parents were once students of a retired teacher who was living in his hometown. The old man also saw Thac''s ability, so he asked about his family and then went with him to his grandparents'' house, which was only a few doors apart. In the countryside, everyone knows each other. Thac''s relatives all came out to greet the old man. The man mentioned sending him to some lecturers at the Conservatory of Music.


    ¡°Originally, I didn''t want you to pursue art, but the old man lived in the same neighbourhood as your grandparents and was also an acquaintance. Seeing his enthusiasm, I agreed with him to let you learn music, but I thought of it as entertaining after class.¡± The mother reminisces.


    So, according to the old man''s recommendation, Mr Woods agreed to give Thac a few trial lessons. During that time, he started to gradually get acquainted with the instruments and make friends with Luyen and Thuyen. Seeing that Thac had the ability to play brass and woodwinds, Mr Woods suggested his family let him go to the Conservatory and study with his elementary school friends there. However, Thac''s father did not want to. After all, his father was working in the art world, and he had known many things in the dark that not everyone knew. The couple discussed together and then refused the proposal, as they wanted for their son to be old enough. Mr Woods understood their concern and suggested that he would teach Thac after school and wait until he was 16 years old before being accepted into the Orchestra. Faced with the teacher''s enthusiasm, Thac''s father replied that he would let his son decide for himself.


    But that plan was broken when Thac was ten when the accident of Ngoc Lam happened. Although his mother did not understand the story in detail, she, as a businesswoman, who had interacted with all kinds of people and experienced all kinds of things, could imagine the dirty truths hiding behind that luxurious stage curtain.


    ¡°Your father knows more about Ngoc Lam than me. He said that even a genius like that is being pushed to the limit, so how can our family protect you when something goes wrong? Dad only works as a freelancer, and I work in business, and you don''t have a background to support you at that Conservatory. The two children, Luyen and Thuyen, were prepared by their parents, but no one dared to say that if someone more powerful than them tried to bully them, they could still be at peace. What should we do if our child encounters the same thing as Ngoc Lam does?


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°We know, we can''t protect you forever. There will come a time when you have to experience it yourself. At least we still want our children to have a peaceful childhood, staying away from the gossip of adults. We desire to wait until you are strong so that no matter what will happen in the future, your spirit is mature enough to withstand it. Ngoc Lam encountered problems when she was very young. That''s how life is that people never care how old you are or how much your parents love you."


    ¡°Mom, I didn''t know anything. I was so stubborn about Ngoc Lam. I didn''t pay attention to your advice. I was wrong.¡± Thac confesses to his mother.


    ¡°I know you have good intentions. But Thac, there are many things in this life that kindness alone is not enough. If you want to help others, you must be competent yourself. You must cultivate yourself first. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    "Yes."


    Seeing that her son seems to have understood, the mother continues.


    ¡°Do you still want to help Ngoc Lam?¡±


    Looking at her son''s hesitation to say his thoughts, the mother smiles affectionately.


    ¡°I want to wait until you''re really grown up, but if you want to walk on your own path and have considered it carefully, we will support your decision."


    After a few days off, the school became crowded again. Ngoc Lam is still on time, as usual, arriving at class 15 minutes before. She stayed alone in the room. The hallway is quiet without the noisy classmates with his trumpet.


    When there are only five minutes left, the students have already filed into the classroom, and Van Thac is still nowhere to be seen.


    The bell rings, and the class is crowded again. Thuy is the first person to whisper in Ngoc Lam''s ear, "Why hasn''t Thac come to class yet?"


    Ngoc Lam follows Thuy''s words and turns to see that Thac''s seat is empty.


    The homeroom teacher enters the classroom, interrupting her thoughts. She congratulates the whole class on the amazing results of the recent Teachers'' Day event. Those who participated and won high prizes will have their achievements recorded on their school transcripts. They will also receive scholarships and commendations at the flag salute session next Monday.


    After that, she tells the class monitor to change the number of students, for Van Thac is now studying abroad.


    The news is so sudden that all the students cannot digest it. Everyone gasp. A student speaking up, "So, is he studying in some foreign country?" pulls other classmates'' consciousness back. The class is loud enough to wake the dead when discussing Thac''s abrupt journey.


    Ngoc Lam is sitting motionless without a word.

 Chapter 27

    Time flies, and four years have passed.


    During this time, many things have happened. Ngoc Lam was able to meet the criteria to study abroad as expected after completing the 11th-grade program and is currently in a second year of college.


    The Moreau couple continued to develop their careers. M became a conductor three years ago. Ngoc Lam learned about this through her family. After meeting her four years ago, the couple contacted her parents again. During the holidays, they usually talk to each other.


    Mr Woods was lucky not to be transferred to the mountainous area. Since Ngoc Lam retired, he has continuously promoted his reputation and built his power, secretly opposing Mrs Phuong and her husband. Besides the supporters in the Conservatory of Music, Luyen''s and Thuyen''s parents were able to capture the recording of the teacher confronting Mrs Phuong. They decided not to let Mrs Phuong and her husband continue to rampage, resolutely protesting the decision to push Mr Woods away.


    Ms Phuong''s career was also affected after that. The application to renew the title of Meritorious Artist was rejected. There are some suspicions of her grafting some officials, just no evidence of bribery. The two families of Luyen and Thuyen realized that letting the Rector and Mrs Phuong cause more violations would negatively affect the development of their sons, so they asked to withdraw their transcripts early and arrange for both of them to develop their careers abroad.


    As for Thac, under the direction and help of K and M, he made rapid progress. Not only did he become well-known as a trumpeter, but also as a composer for competitions. The name Van Thac often appears in the list of re-compiled orchestral concertos by the Moreau couple. He also cooperated with filmmakers and wrote instrumental background music. As for trumpet, his achievements and awards have increased in the past four years. Most recently, Thac won first prize for Trumpet at the International Music Competition in Austria.


    Winter in Europe often has short days and long nights. It''s not five o''clock in the afternoon yet, but the street lights are already bright. Ngoc Lam passes through brightly lit windows, splendidly decorated for Christmas. On her shoulder-length hair, there are a few first snowflakes of the season. Through the years, Ngoc Lam seems to have never changed.


    Walking to a crowded street, looking up at the surrounding advertising panels, Ngoc Lam is startled to see the familiar face there, Van Thac. On those panels, it is written that Van Thac will perform with the orchestra on a special program during Christmas, in the city where Ngoc Lam lives. Tickets for the live performance are on sale now.


    Ngoc Lam realizes her heart was beating harder than usual at the image of Van Thac. Four years have passed, and the teenager has become much more mature. The boy chasing her music has become a man shining on the stage. Ngoc Lam wants to walk, but her feet seem glued to the ground, in front of the advertising board. A part of her mind is yelling that a parade will pass here in a few minutes. If she doesn''t hurry, she will have to wait for the procession to pass so that she can cross the street to get home.


    Ngoc Lam steps back. When she takes her eyes off Van Thac''s image, she suddenly sees the real one standing on the other side of the street. It takes a long time for her to fully recognize that the person standing opposite her is Van Thac. The man cannot believe his eyes either. He smiles at Ngoc Lam and is about to cross the street to meet her when a stream of people pours towards them. The parade is coming. The sound of trumpets, drums, and music is so loud that Ngoc Lam''s ears tingle. Through the parade, she can see Van Thac, who is standing on his tiptoe, looking at her. Both of them say nothing, but as if urged by an invisible force, they simultaneously run in the opposite direction of the parade. Ngoc Lam tries to squeeze past people, and on the other side, Van Thac is also walking and leaning up to look at her. When Ngoc Lam almost reaches the intersection, a row of large carriages pass by, blocking both of their sights. Ngoc Lam can''t help but persistently walk in the initial direction, but when her vision returns, she can no longer see him. The crowd is bustling with movement leaving Ngoc Lam standing on her feet looking around, trying to find a familiar figure.


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    At night, Ngoc Lam returns to her familiar room. She looks at her reflection in the glass window. The snow is falling more heavily. Groups of people outside are laughing and talking to each other. Ngoc Lam has never felt so lonely like this before.


    The phone vibrates, it''s her dad calling. The family often calls Ngoc Lam at this time, for they are afraid that their daughter will feel sorry for herself in a foreign land. Through the conversation with her family, apart from regular regards, her father also informs her that Mr Woods is in the same city as her. The teacher got his father to ask Ngoc Lam if she agreed to give him his contact information. Ngoc Lam spends a few minutes considering before she accepts. Less than ten minutes later, Mr Woods calls her.


    The next morning, at 9 a.m., it is still not quite dawn, Ngoc Lam meets Mr Woods at a roadside cafe as scheduled. Through conversation, it turned out that the reason he is here is because of the request of the Rector. Many years have passed, but the vanity of that bald man is the same. In the past, he looked down on Van Thac, thinking he was just an ordinary student who learned trumpet as an extra subject. Van Thac had been studying for a long time, but he had not yet found a reserve position in the Orchestra. Who would have thought that recently, his reputation has skyrocketed, and the Recto started to reveal his greed, requiring Mr Woods to meet Van Thac and persuade him to do artistic activities as a student at the Conservatory of Music? The bald man used the excuse that Thac had previously studied privately with Mr Woods as a ''preparatory student'', and he would now be ''specialized'' as an official student with many opportunities to perform on big stages. The teacher sarcastically says that as if Van Thac is still unfamiliar with the ''big stages'' that the contemptible man thought he could use the same trick.


    The teacher asks Ngoc Lam if she has ever met Van Thac. She honestly replies that she has, but she did not have time to talk to him. Mr Woods immediately gives her a violin box and a concert ticket.


    ¡°M asked me to send the violin to you,¡± the teacher says. ¡°And this ticket was asked by Van Thac.¡±


    After the conversation with Mr Woods, Ngoc Lam walks to the University. Her mind is focused on the lecture, but her heart keeps fluttering.


    The performance date is a few days before Christmas. The two-hour-long concert will be recorded, and some of the best parts will be shown on TV. Ngoc Lam has to struggle fiercely with herself before deciding to go. She consoles herself that she will only come to watch and support her old classmate, that''s all. Ngoc Lam intentionally leaves the violin in her room, storing it in the deepest corner of the closet. It will be best if she ''accidentally'' leaves it there on graduation day and then checks out.


    Outside, snow is falling in thick layers on the road. Pedestrians must walk carefully to avoid slipping and falling. Snowflakes fall on earth, making the busy streets less noisy. Ngoc Lam follows the crowd and walks to a long-standing theatre in the city. The ticket she is given is VIP, so quickly, a theatre staff member leads her to the area with the best view and helps her find her seat.


    Around Ngoc Lam, there are also many famous musicians, artists, music critics, and journalists. A few people in designed outfits curiously look at her, a young girl with a slightly gloomy appearance and simple clothes. Some people are interested, and some have scrutinizing eyes. From the left, she heard someone gasp. They whisper to the person next to them "Sapphire?". Some older artists hear this word, so they startle and look towards her. Four years ago, a photo of Ngoc Lam with her class''s drama team members and the Moreau couple along with a video of the play Romeo and Juliet was secretly spread in the music world, sparking rumours that The Little Sapphire would return with K and M. But when the other two returned, that was Van Thac with them, the child who was completely overwhelmed by Ngoc Lam on the theatre stage. Today, they see her again in the audience.


    "Long time no see." The elderly guest sitting next to her starts talking to her


    ¡°Long time no see, Mr Conductor.¡± Ngoc Lam recognizes the person next to her and greets him back


    The Austrian Conductor is happy that Ngoc Lam remembers him.


    ¡°I heard rumours that you wanted to retire forever. I didn''t expect you to be here.¡±


    ¡°I was invited. Is Fabian still in your orchestra now?


    Fabian is the head violinist who talked to Luyen and Thuyen abroad.


    ¡°It''s still there,¡± the Conductor replies, ¡°The year you defeated him, his ability was not enough, so he was so scared of your level that your name has haunted him until now. Over the years, Fabian has never been negligent. His skills have improved to a very high level, but every time your name is mentioned, he is horrified. Haha.¡±


    Close to performance time, the lights in the stands turn off, and the lights in the stage area are on.


    Before the stage curtain raises, Ngoc Lam hears the Austrian Conductor say, "When will you compete with Fabian again? Even though he''s scared of you, he''ll be happy to meet you, for sure!"


    Ngoc Lam is about to say something to the Conductor, but he calmly points at the stage, "It''s starting."

 Chapter 28

    The performance started, and its Conductor was M. The head violinist, someone Ngoc Lam had never met but is a close friend of Van Thac, is Thuyen. Van Thac holds the solo trumpet position in some performances.


    The music catches the audience''s attention. The Orchestra does a great job. The artists, under M''s guidance, complete their tasks well or even excellently. Ngoc Lam recognizes many of them. Over the past nine years, they have continued to move forward. They- M, K, Fabian, Van Thac, and the artists are working hard in this world, except her.


    Ngoc Lam knows she is agitated. But does it matter? Nothing has changed here. She needs to keep her distance from them and listen to their music like an ordinary music lover. When the performance ends, she will go home and go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day. She will walk on the streets, go to school, and study hard until graduation day, as she always does. Despite whispering comments about the Orchestra around her, Ngoc Lam sits up straight like a marble statue, her hands clutching the ticket stub tightly, repeating her determination in her head.


    The concert is about to end. There is one more performance. Van Thac steps closer to M, and the two nod to each other. In the performance list, this is the most special repertoire. Except for information about Van Thac''s solo performance, there is no other, even the name of the song. The guests all curiously focus on the stage. Ngoc Lam closes her eyes, trying not to look at the boy, who has grown much taller after four years. In just a few more minutes, she tells herself she will leave this place and never try to look for Van Thac. He will also leave for a new destination. Today will be like an intersection between two lives, which will soon separate.


    M''s baton swings up. From the very first notes, some audience members recognize that mysterious music. There is a faint buzzing sound from the stands. The Conductor sitting next to her is looking down at the artists. The ticket stub Ngoc Lam is holding fell. Her hands were shaking. Ngoc Lam can hear each heartbeat ringing in her ears, coinciding with the rhythm of the music. The conductor observes her, smiles, and then looks back to the stage, enjoying the music.


    -----------


    ¡°... Sapphire! Sapphire! Ngoc Lam!"


    The voice of the conductor calling wakes Ngoc Lam from her reverie. She is startled to see that the curtain has been down and covered the stage. And around her, the audience is also leaving.


    "I''m sorry." She answers. Her voice is slightly trembling.


    The conductor notices Ngoc Lam''s slightly wobbly legs and extends his arm to her, "Allow me!"


    Ngoc Lam holds the Conductor''s arm and walks with him out of the theatre. On the way, he reminisces old stories.


    ¡°At the first time we met, you were eight years old, right? You were much shorter than you are now. But the little you insisted on tiptoeing while holding my arm rather than holding my hand to walk out onto the stage. More than ten years have passed. You have grown much taller."


    Ngoc Lam listens and says nothing.


    ¡°You realize that right? The impression you have left was much bigger than you thought.¡±


    ¡°I have retired, Conductor.¡±


    ¡°A legend retired. Well! So how long will it take for that person to play music as skillfully as before, or even better than before?"


    As soon as the two walk out of the theatre, heavy snowfalls, accompanied by rain. The cold this year will surely be harsh.


    An assistant quickly runs over and covers the two with an umbrella. The Conductor asks him to give Ngoc Lam another one. He holds the umbrella himself with both hands and gives it to her.


    ¡°I wish this umbrella were a Strad¡­¡± The Conductor laughs and says, ¡°For pragmatic people, this umbrella is more necessary than an instrument they don''t know how to play. They can be easily sued for theft if they take a Strad roaming on the street. But what about you?¡±


    Ngoc Lam politely accepts the umbrella, still saying nothing.


    The conductor shows no displeasure, but he still speaks slowly.


    ¡°You deserve the best Orchestras, Sapphire. It''s a pity that my Orchestra that day..." Silent for a moment, he moves on, "Next July, my Orchestra will undergo an evaluation. I hope you will come. This is a business. I will wait for an answer. At that time... don''t kick Fabian''s ass that hard! My Orchestra still needs him for future projects.¡±


    After saying goodbye, Ngoc Lam returns to her accommodation with the umbrella given to her. People pass by bustlingly, and their breath turns into clouds of smoke. Ngoc Lam looks at the smoke from her breath and decides to stop by the coffee shop to buy a cup of hot cocoa.


    The warmth from the cup warms her cold hands because of the rain and snow. Ngoc Lam sits holding a glass of water, wondering what she is expecting. If it were Van Thac four years ago, would he rush to find her after the show, constantly talking about his love for music with her? The present Van Thac is the grown man in a trench coat the day the two of them met by chance. He is no longer the boy who is clumsy with musical notes. His trumpet playing has reached an amazing level. He easily handles difficult techniques. His skill, perhaps, is equal to Mr Lam, or even better. That special performance and Van Thac''s eyes overshadow Ngoc Lam''s original thoughts. When Van Thac looked up at her in the VIP row, his eyes were full of determination, no longer the pleading and confusion of the past. For what? Ngoc Lam sobs softly. We won''t meet again.


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    At night, Ngoc Lam lay awake in bed. She tilted her head and looked towards the closet. In a corner there, just a few feet away, she may touch the violin. Musical instruments also have their souls. She remembers K''s words the other day. When an artist plays a musical instrument, it is also when two souls interact and shine. Without the artist, the soul of the musical instrument would be imprisoned in its form, waiting alone year after year. Without musical instruments, an artist cannot turn music into a voice that represents their years of hard work and aspirations.


    Van Thac, she thinks of him again, has become one with his instrument and radiated beautiful light like a combination of billions of molecules of a mysterious self-luminous material dancing in the air.


    The call from her mother startles Ngoc Lam. She quickly reaches for the nightstand.


    ¡°Hello, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Hello, I can''t sleep, so I call you. Are you sleeping?¡±


    "Not yet. It''s only 10 o''clock here. Is there anything?


    ¡°It''s nothing... I just miss you.¡±


    "I see. I''m fine here.¡±


    The conversation stops for a moment before Ngoc Lam''s mother speaks.


    ¡°Have you been to the concert yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    The mother and her daughter continue to be silent for a while longer.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I said when I sent you off at the airport?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I always respect every decision you make, but no matter what you do, just remember, it''s not your fault. My daughter did nothing wrong.¡±


    Ngoc Lam greets her mother and hangs up the phone. The day she said goodbye to her family to study abroad, her mother touched her cheeks with her palms, leaned her forehead against hers and said, "It''s not your fault. You''ve been working so hard.¡±


    Remembering her mother''s words at that time, Ngoc Lam also places her hands on her cheeks and keeps her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes, a black sticky thing with Minh''s face is floating in front of her. It doesn''t scream or move. It just hovers in one place. Ngoc Lam looks straight at it.


    ¡°Minh, I¡­¡±


    The alarm bell wakes Ngoc Lam up. She prepares a simple breakfast and packs her lunch in a thermos box. She repeats her usual routines: walking out of the house and heading towards the University. In her hand, there is the umbrella given to her yesterday.


    Today is the last day before winter break. The atmosphere in the classroom was busier than usual. The students are talking about their plans. Most of them choose to return home to reunite with their families. International students from Asia, like Ngoc Lam, have different plans. Some will return home, some will take advantage of the vacation to go to tourist or shopping areas to take a seasonal part-time job, and some will travel or visit their friends'' families in Europe and celebrate Christmas and New Year with them.


    Ngoc Lam''s living expenses are covered, so she does not need to find a part-time job. Usually, during the winter break when the boarding house she lives in is empty and quiet, Ngoc Lam often borrows more books from the library, taking advantage of the time to cultivate her knowledge. The landlady also sometimes invites her to their main house to have dinner with her family and sometimes takes her to the countryside to meet the elderly there to play cards, cook, and clean together.


    Unfortunately, the owner is sick this winter, and she may not be able to leave the hospital until Christmas. Ngoc Lam comes to visit her often. The old lady holds her hand and leans into her ear to say.


    ¡°In the new year, we will make a pot of delicious soup together.¡±


    The landlady turns 70 years old this year. She lives with her husband and has rented their house for more than 40 years. The large house used for rent did not belong to the spouse at first. However, its previous owner had no relatives but her as his distant relative, so before he passed away, he let her inherit. Thanks to that house, the couple had money to pay living expenses for the whole family and tuition fees for their three children. When their children grew up, they all went to work far away and had their own lives. The landlady and her husband have relied on each other and slowly lived together.


    When she is sick, he stays by her side and takes care of her, and then he returns to take care of the boarding house. Ngoc Lam every day, except for studying, will come over to greet the old man and take him to the hospital to take care of the lady.


    In the hospital, other than being examined and doing physical activities for a while, the landlady has nothing else to do. She often lies down and watches classical music on YouTube. Ngoc Lam and the landlord have just arrived when she is watching a ''fan cam'' of Van Thac''s concert before the holiday.


    ¡°I want to come see it directly. I didn''t expect to get sick that day." She is still glued to the phone screen, lamenting as soon as she sees her husband and Ngoc Lam enter.


    ¡°What can I do, my wife?¡± The old man sweetly comforts her. ¡°They have many more concerts. As long as they are in Europe, I''ll take you to see it, okay!¡±


    The two old people are so sweet to each other that they almost forget that Ngoc Lam is standing next to them. She greets the girl, and with the aura of love, she looks younger than her age.


    ¡°This guy,¡± the old lady points at Van Thac in the final performance, ¡°reserved the most special part to wait for someone.¡± She smiles, turns to look at her husband, then looks at Ngoc Lam. "Its perfection is waiting for someone to break it and lead it to a new horizon. I wonder if he will meet someone like that at the next concert?¡±


    ----------------------


    Ngoc Lam runs as fast as she is flying. In her mind, Van Thac''s music and the landlady''s words keep repeating. She does not know if she is doing right or wrong, but she just cannot stop herself.


    Ngoc Lam quickly opens the wardrobe, pulls out the violin, plays the video of Van Thac''s latest performance, and starts harmonizing with her violin.


    The sound of her heart pounding in her ears covers the rhythm. The melodious sound seems to blend with Thac''s trumpet sound. Each finger trembles along with the vibration of the strings. The world around suddenly turns into nothingness. In front of Ngoc Lam, there is no one else except Van Thac. The two people are standing in two worlds, with only the sound of music reaching each other. Ngoc Lam is like a moth rushing to follow the melodies. Van Thac''s eyes look at her like he did on that day- from the stage towards the stands. Ngoc Lam frantically plays the violin as an answer. She is afraid if she doesn''t respond promptly, her world will fall into despair.


    The music ends, and Van Thac''s image is no longer in her sight. The surroundings return to the room. But the tips of her fingers clearly feel every beat, and her tears flowed down from the corner of her eyes to her chin.

 Chapter 29

    Ngoc Lam goes to the hospital to say goodbye to the landlady and her husband. The woman cannot hold her regret.


    "So, I can''t cook soup with you for the New Year."


    But she still encourages her.


    ¡°Just go where your heart goes. Whenever you want soup, don''t forget to call me!¡±


    -----------------------


    Ngoc Lam embarks on a train journey to Germany.


    As the Christmas season sets in, from the outside, the snow, wind, and rain are wildly dancing, while inside, houses are warmly lit with white and yellow lights, and entire families are gathered together in a cosy atmosphere.


    Karsci and Emmy''s daughter, Lina is playing music with her little sister and two older brothers, waiting eagerly for the duck roasting in the oven to be ready for dinner. Lina''s wavy blonde hair is tied simply at the nape of her neck, and she resembles M. She has been playing the cello professionally for six years, and her music fills the room with a soulful melody.


    Suddenly, the doorbell sound interrupts their music, and Lina rushes to open the door. Her eyes light up as she sees the person standing outside, and she quickly embraces the visitor with a warm hug.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, Edgar, Amald, Fanny! Ngoc Lam is here!¡±


    The members of the house rush out simultaneously, each person giving Ngoc Lam a tight hug.


    ------------


    Van Thac gets back to Europe after winter break. His reunion with Ngoc Lam at the Moreaus'' house is not as emotional as people thought. Van Thac''s expressions are unreadable, and he does not seem excited about meeting Ngoc Lam again either. Meanwhile, Ngoc Lam devotes herself to her musical instrument from early day to night. Whenever he visits the Moreaus, Van Thac often sits in one place, looking at Ngoc Lam immersing herself in the music. He is probably the last to see Ngoc Lam''s focused appearance in this house. It feels like when she focuses on the lesson, but with music, Ngoc Lam also exudes the beauty of passion and pure love.


    ¡°Why don''t you come over and practice with her?¡± Edgar, the eldest son of the Moreaus, sits down opposite Van Thac.


    "Maybe, I will do it next time, Ed," Thac replies.


    ''Next time'' in his words is when Ngoc Lam has fully grasped the feeling of music. She has been away from it for too long, nine years. Even if she is gifted, it is challenging to return to music after such a long period.


    Ngoc Lam''s winter break has almost ended, so it''s time for her to leave. Van Thac goes to K and M''s house as usual because the next concert needs some modifications after reviewing and learning from the mistakes of the previous one. The Moreaus, with Ngoc Lam and Van Thac, have a cosy dinner before saying goodbye.


    The weather is still terrible these days. The cold wind blows against them, while the house they are staying in is in the suburbs. Afraid of being blown down by the wind when they are walking and waiting for the bus takes a lot of time, K gives Van Thac his car keys and asks to take Ngoc Lam to the train station. Fanny and Lina also want to go with them, but M stops the girls. She winks and tells her two daughters that they have been practising with Ngoc Lam during the vacation. It''s time to let the two of them, her and Van Thac, alone.


    In fact, throughout the journey, ''the two of them'' do not say a word to each other. Even if they are waiting for the train, they both sit silently waiting. Around them, there is the noise of laughter, the sound of the wind whistling through the gaps, and the sound of the train stopping and leaving accompanied by deafening whistles.


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    A strong wind suddenly blows in the station, dragging snow particles into Ngoc Lam''s eyes. She quickly closes her eyes. Snow accumulates on her long eyelashes. Ngoc Lam blinks. She tries to open her eyes to look at the upcoming train number, and she suddenly realizes that Van Thac is leaning forward as if he is trying to block the wind blowing towards her. Snow follows the wind and clings to his hair, his scarf, and all over his coat.


    The waiting Turquoise train has arrived. She stood up and left Van Thac with a few words.


    ¡°I need to go. Thank you for sending me off, Thac.¡±


    Dozens of people board the train one after another. Ngoc Lam walks to the crowd and enters the train compartment.


    "Ngoc Lam!" Van Thac calls.


    Ngoc Lam quickly turns back.


    Van Thac looks at her with those determined eyes that make Ngoc Lam''s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I will never stand still or wait for you.¡±


    After saying that, he smiles, and his steadfast eyes shine with gentleness.


    ¡°Let''s do a duet next time!¡±


    As soon as Master finishes speaking, the door is closed. Ngoc Lam does not answer. Her silhouette is covered by other passengers. The train, again, sounds its deafening whistle, moving away in the darkness with the sound of howling wind and scattering snowflakes.


    ----------------------


    Returning to the boarding house, where the kind-hearted landlord and his wife live, Ngoc Lam comes over to greet them and bring them some speciality from Germany. Besides studying, she spends more time practising music diligently to quickly return to the best form she used to have.


    The information that the music legend- Ngoc Lam is on her way to return has been spread by people in the music world. On social networks, every weekend, there is a new video of an Asian girl playing a musical instrument in a restaurant in a rural area. Each time, she plays a different type of instrument that makes the rumour more authentic.


    The videos are subjectively recorded and posted by the daughter of the chef to advertise her family''s traditional restaurant. Ngoc Lam often comes to this place on weekends with the landlady and her husband. Ngoc Lam only started playing musical instruments here after the winter break as a way to appreciate the lady and ease her regret of missing Van Thac''s concert.


    Sure enough, in the following weeks, the number of diners coming to the restaurant increases. Some musicians also bring musical instruments to perform with Ngoc Lam. Some of them are strangers, but some used to work with her, and some have been defeated by her. They come to find the feeling of meeting the gifted girl again and testing themselves to see if they have overcome that wall- Ngoc Lam''s music level.


    In June, Ngoc Lam sends a letter to refuse the Austrian Conductor''s offer and an umbrella. Besides, she sends an invitation note to Fabian to play a song with her at the rural restaurant.


    That June evening, when the heat begins to cover the peaceful countryside, lightning cut a deep mark in the sky, threatening the trees to tremble, Ngoc Lam and Fabian have a competition. According to the critics who are there because of her reputation, she''s very talented! Also after that time, Fabian learns that in the past, when he was defeated by Ngoc Lam, she only used less than half of her abilities. And now, when Ngoc Lam has only returned 70% to her form, she is still strong enough to knock him out. The next day, the Conductor calls and complains to Ngoc Lam. He has told her not to kick Fabian''s ass because she will not have worked for him at the evaluation anyway.


    Summer vacation is coming. Ngoc Lam successfully completes her university credits and takes the train to Germany. K and M are so busy that they rarely get to meet Ngoc Lam in person, but their four children and other colleagues take turns supporting Ngoc Lam in her practice. For two long months, she practises so hard that she often forgets to eat or sleep, and her skills become more and more impressive. One day, Fanny talked on the phone with her parents, "Now I understand why Thac said he would never wait for Ms. Lam. Seeing her practice like that, it won''t be long before she''s overtaken all of us."


    At the end of August, Ngoc Lam''s two videos cause a tremor in the entire music world.


    One video of Ngoc Lam playing Niccolo Paganini''s God Save The King, the other is Bach''s Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 played over 10 minutes, assembled from 10 different videos with different types of instruments played by herself. The two videos are a strong affirmation of the return of a genius.


    Just one day later, as music lovers have been expecting, K and M''s Orchestra make an official announcement on their website and all mass media that Ngoc Lam will return with a duet with Van Thac this coming October. The newly announced information has become the centre of discussion. If the show is successful, the opportunities for everyone will be too great to measure.

 Chapter 30

    As September arrives, the weather gradually becomes cooler, and autumn sets in.


    The streets, which were somewhat empty during the summer vacation, are now filled with students wearing their white shirts. The Conservatory of Music, like many other schools, also holds an Opening Ceremony. The Rector steps up and takes centre stage to read a long speech with all kinds of extra content that he adds himself, every time he remembers something. Pupils and students stand in the courtyard of the Conservatory, listen involuntarily, and almost fall asleep when luckily, the school drum starts its loud sound. Excitedly, every student disperses.


    The Rector is also sure that the opening day of school is when Mr Woods must return. There is no longer any reason for him to be in any Competition, take care of students, or go on business trips abroad. He immediately calls Mr Woods and forces him to appear in the Principal''s office.


    The Rector, Mrs Phuong, and her husband, Mr Hieu, wait less than five minutes before Mr Lam knocks on the door, but Karsci and Emmy also enter after him.


    After a few words of greeting, the Rector cannot help but get some crazy lips on him. The bald man makes a preemptive attack against Mr Woods with a series of blaming arguments, saying that the teacher was so selfish that he let two talented people, Ngoc Lam and Van Thac, become famous abroad without knowing how to convince them to work for the Conservatory. The salary Mr Woods has earned is from the Conservatory of Music, and the reputation he has gained is partly thanks to the Conservatory, but he keeps nourishing a snake in the Conservatory''s flower. He would rather let foreigners benefit than think about the common interests of the Conservatory. The man also threatens to report this matter to the Government for leaking brain matter, affecting the country''s development. After blaming, he turns to complain about the money he had invested in Ngoc Lam and the loss to the Conservatory when Van Thac''s tuition money from the beginning did not go to the Conservatory but only went into Mr Woods'' pocket, along with the potential profits that can be earned from the two of them.


    "What you have just said sounds reasonable," Mr Woods speaks up after patiently listening to all the false words. ¡°So, I want to ask Ms Phuong and Mr Hieu, how do you plan to let Ngoc Lam develop her career if she returns to the Conservatory of Music?¡±


    ¡°Of course, professional support and opportunities for her to develop.¡± Mrs. Phuong lies without blinking her eyes. ¡°If a genius like her has passion, she has nothing to fear from difficulties, right?¡±


    ¡°What about Mr Hieu?¡± The teacher glances at Mrs Phuong''s husband, "I heard that you are applying to be appointed vice president of the National Music Council. You need to know for yourself that the higher you go, the colder the wind gets. What you did yesterday no one knows, but tomorrow, with the same thing, everyone will surely know.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Mr. Hieu sees that his career is being mentioned, so he immediately roars.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam has escaped your influence.¡± K raises his voice, "Don''t you dare to hurt her like you did before!"


    ¡°What joke are you talking about, Mr Karsci?¡± Mrs Phuong sneers, "Apparently, in the past, she had megalomania. She refused to strive and ran away from the show on her own and had an accident. It''s been a long time, so you think you can cover the truth?"


    ¡°Is severe depression and post-traumatic disorder a megalomania, Mrs Phuong?¡± Mr Woods'' voice is cold. His eyes look at the dirty people as if he wants to crush them. ¡°I think you should temporarily reserve your job and receive professional training before speaking ignorantly again.¡±


    Mrs Phuong is somewhat speechless. She grits her teeth and takes a deep breath. Just as she curls her mouth to say something, Mr Woods speaks first and blocks her words.


    ¡°In short, Ngoc Lam and Van Thac have their own path. I will never ask them to join the Conservatory. You guys must leave those young people alone, too.¡±


    Mr Hieu does not want to give in and immediately moves forward.


    ¡°Mr Woods, you are a bit mistaken about this. That girl is not any child. but she is a monster. She stole my son''s position.¡±


    ¡°Hieu¡± M cannot stand it anymore and has to join in. ¡°Since when is talent synonymous with monsters? You and I used to compete for the position of head violin, in case you have not forgotten. It was I who took that position and defeated you. I''m much better than you. Do you dare call me a monster?¡±


    M couldn''t help but raise her voice in the last sentences. Mrs Phuong bursts into tears when she hears that.


    ¡°My son, Minh, is dead, and you guys can be heartless like that? That monster texted him while he was being treated for depression. If it weren''t for that girl, how could my son have been so desperate that he left us?"


    Mrs Phuong glares back, each tear rolling down, filled with indignation.


    Faced with her emotions, Mr Woods remains calm.


    ¡°First, when Minh was selected, Ngoc Lam was abroad. The Rector was the one who bragged about her to his partners, causing them to change their minds.¡±


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    The Rector hears Mr Woods pointing him out, his face turns pale, and he is about to stand up and scold him. K is faster. He runs towards the Rector and uses his one hand to press down on the man''s shoulder. The edges of K''s eyes turned red as if he wanted to cut him into a million pieces. For a moment, the Rector has no choice but to stay quiet.


    ¡°Second, at that time, did you and your husband know that Minh had had a boyfriend?¡±


    This sentence simultaneously makes Ms Phuong and Mr Hieu silent and look at each other.


    ¡°Did you two know that the boy was being treated for depression?¡±


    The couple begin to turn pale.


    ¡°You two didn''t even know, even if you are his parents! What do you expect from a ten-year-old child who had just returned from abroad? What evidence is there that she was the cause of that?¡±


    Looking at the two people''s pale faces but their eyes still struggling stubbornly, Mr. Lam says.


    ¡°We are all at fault. We are adults but only worry about pursuing our own interests and fame. But you all colluded together to torture a child. You did it not for Minh, for justice, or anything. You attacked Ngoc Lam because you could. Being parents in your way is not worthy of Minh''s soul in heaven! You are a vile, despicable bunch!¡±


    In France, Ngoc Lam and Van Thac are practising together with the Orchestra. From that moment on, Ngoc Lam began to encounter many problems. She still hasn''t gotten over her obsession with the stage. Every time she stands there, no matter which direction her back is facing, she always feels anxious and afraid that someone is stalking her from behind.


    Some older members suggested letting Ngoc Lam sit on a chair. Having something to support her back gave her peace of mind, but still, it didn''t improve her condition. She even experienced hallucinations while trying to concentrate on playing music.


    ¡°I saw Minh''s face close to mine. The mucus from his body squeezed me tightly. I can''t play the piano.¡±


    Ngoc Lam tells the psychiatrist about her hallucinations.


    M went to France with her husband and Mr Woods right after the Opening Ceremony. Now, when she hears those words, her eyes turn red. The child that she and her husband had trained and cared for was being abused to such an extent. Her heart aches.


    After hearing the story over the phone, Ngoc Lam''s mother cannot hold back her tears. The two mothers talk, advise, and care for each other for a long time before finally hanging up.


    K gives M a handkerchief. She smiles at her husband and uses the handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face. Not knowing whether Ngoc Lam will be able to go on stage or not, they decide to temporarily keep this a secret, while she persists in receiving psychological treatment. Anyway, it''s still lucky because Ngoc Lam doesn''t hide when she feels unstable. She is learning to speak up about her problems and seek help.


    Contrary to their intentions, the rumour that Ngoc Lam has PTSD to the point that she cannot stand on stage is spreading at breakneck speed. Some of the Orchestra''s sponsors call K and M out to talk about this. The media apartment is struggling to find a way to make an announcement when the tabloids are updating photos of Ngoc Lam being accompanied by Van Thac to see a psychiatrist. K and M immediately require them to take down the picture, but the next day, there are photos of Ngoc Lam going to a psychological examination with the couple on other tabloid pages.


    Someone suggests they make a general announcement and promise to compensate if something goes wrong, but the media department immediately dismisses it. Doing so is like who makes excuses, himself excuses. Emergency meetings made K and M feel haggard. One morning, when Van Thac is working in the theatre, he goes to the bathroom to wash his face and keep himself awake when a dark shadow appears behind him through the bathroom door.


    ¡°Van Thac¡­ let''s escape¡­ together.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaa¡±


    The Moreau couple did an escape, for real. They also dragged Van Thac, Ngoc Lam, Mr Woods, Luyen and Thuyen into the forest to play a survival game there.


    "Mom"


    "I"


    ¡°Want¡±


    "To"


    "Go"


    ¡°Home ~~~~¡±


    After a day of climbing passes, wading streams, chopping wood, and setting up camp, Luyen and Thuyen''s spine is no longer stable. The two decidedly throw themselves on a tarpaulin and lay down completely. It is dark already. The sky is full of stars, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky. Confronting nature and the universe, Humans are very small and helpless.


    Mr Woods and K also unceremoniously lay down on the canvas together. After many stressful days, K is finally able to temporarily let go of everything.


    "Thac" Luyen calls out to Thac, who is preparing food with Ngoc Lam and M.


    ¡°Why the hell are you?¡± Thuyen asks.


    ¡°So strong?¡± Luyen completes the question.


    The food in the outdoor grill is steaming. The sky is above, and the forest is under the sky. On the right, there is an SUV; on the left, there is a tent, and the food is served in front. The scene is truly peaceful and desirable.


    Everyone gathers to eat dinner together. K and Mr Woods clink their beer cans, take a sip, and then let out a refreshing ''huff'' sound.


    ¡°Living like this is truly living.¡± K picks up a piece of grilled meat and puts it in his mouth, "I''ve been so miserable these past few days!"


    ¡°I thought after the teachers talked to them, they would stop playing tricks,¡± Thac asks. He is referring to the meeting on the first day of school between Mr Woods''s group and Ms Phuong and her husband.


    ¡°They are arrogant people,¡± M replies, ¡°They will never take back the arrow they shot.¡±


    Everyone implicitly understands that Mrs. Phuong''s ''arrow'' is Thanh, who is in Minh''s face.


    ¡°What a terrible old hag,¡± Luyen exclaimed.


    ¡°Stretching her arms all the way here.¡± Thuyen continued.


    ¡°The long-armed monster.¡± Both said in unison.


    Everyone burst out laughing at the image of Luyen and Thuyen described.


    The happy and comfortable atmosphere continues for a few minutes, then Mr Woods clears his throat and becomes serious again.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam''s treatment still needs to continue. But the sponsors need to be appeased first. Does anyone have any suggestions?¡±


    "My wife and I can handle the matter with the sponsors," K says. "There''s no need to hide her treatment, just say it''s a normal psychological counselling session because she''s preparing to return to the stage."


    ¡°It''s not a problem with the paparazzi,¡± M continues. ¡°Currently, the person who took those photos has been identified. If I investigate further, there will definitely be many clues.¡±


    ¡°The concern is¡±


    ¡°Thanh is hiding in the dark.¡± Luyen and Thuyen follow each other.


    "It''s not difficult to show him off." Thac says, ¡°His goal is Ngoc Lam and the October concert. Just show that everything is fine, and he will lose patience.¡±


    ¡°But if we do that,¡± Van Thac hesitantly looks at Ngoc Lam, ¡°Lam will have to confront him head-on. He will find any way he can to assault her mentally.¡±


    ¡°My Little Sapphire¡± M holds Ngoc Lam''s hand ¡°We will always respect your decision, no matter what. Just understand that what happened was not your fault. You deserve to shine on stage whenever you are ready.¡±

 Chaptedr 31

    After eating and drinking, everyone cleans up and rests together. Men sleep in tents, and women sleep in SUVs.


    Ngoc Lam cannot sleep, so she climbs to the top of the car to watch the stars. The night sky is clear without a single cloud or moon. The quiet night becomes mysterious and scary with the rustling sounds in the bushes, the chirping of night-hunting birds, and the flapping of wings passing over her head.


    For humans, night is a quiet time to rest, but in the world of nature, the struggle for survival is moving on.


    Ngoc Lam sits and savours her solitude in nature. It''s so strange that she can sit here alone without feeling threatened, but she panics when she steps onto a crowded stage.


    ¡°Lam¡± calls softly from the side of the car.


    ¡°Thac?¡±


    ¡°Can I come up there with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Van Thac climbs onto the roof of the car and sits next to Ngoc Lam. On the ground, a fire is burning, and the sound of wood is crackling below. Small sparks from the bonfire shoot up in the hot air. And above Van Thac''s head, shooting stars have just passed by.


    ¡°You can''t sleep, Thac?¡±


    "Yeah."


    "Ngoc Lam"


    "Huh?"


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Ngoc Lam is confused.


    ¡°It happened the other day. The Teachers'' Day. The performance. I was wrong."


    ¡°Ah, that''s ...¡±


    "But thanks to you, I realized many things and learned many things to become myself today."


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡­ thank you.¡±


    Ngoc Lam looks at Van Thac.


    ¡°I know that no matter how hard I try, I cannot be as good as you, but I will never give up. I will never stop to wait for you, nor will I let myself too far behind you. In the upcoming performance, you only need to give your best, and I will get closer to you at all costs."


    Ngoc Lam''s eyes sparkle with tears, reflecting the stars in the sky. She smiles gently under the dim starlight as if the light of the night is embracing the girl in her twenties. Van Thac seems to be immersed in that dreamy light, like a beautiful, peaceful dream.


    Crack! The sound of a dry branch breaking in half behind them, followed by an artificial ''hoot hoot hoot'' sound cannot have been more obvious.


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Van Thac lowers his head and sighs. Hearing their voice, he knows that Luyen and Thuyen are sneaking under the SUVs to eavesdrop.


    Ngoc Lam laughs at the current situation. She feels a little regretful in her heart but also feels lucky.


    Van Thac wishes Ngoc Lam good night and climbs down to the ground. From the top of the car, she hears quiet grumbling sounds, and it''s like there are silent intense physical impacts between the boys. Waiting for the three of them to fully enter the tent, Ngoc Lam climbed down. In the SUV, the queen-sized bed has M sitting there waiting.


    ¡°Ouch¡± M winks at Ngoc Lam.


    She pretends not to understand what her teacher is implying, climbs into bed, covers herself with a blanket, wishes M good night, and quickly closes her eyes. M laughs at her trying to act as if nothing happened, says goodnight and turns off the lights in the car.


    Tomorrow morning, the whole group returns to the theatre. The closer the performance date gets, the more actively updated photos of practice sessions and selfies of orchestra members become. The sponsors are reassured, and public opinion also calmed down. M, from the paparazzi, finds out who is behind this and decides to keep it a secret temporarily until the opportunity comes.


    A week before the performance, the Orchestra teases part of the practice session. Ngoc Lam holds the position of the lead violinist. The video makes music lovers even more impatient to wait for the official date.


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    Among those impatient people, Thanh is absolutely on the list.


    Ngoc Lam is still actively undergoing psychological treatment while practising with the Orchestra. At noon, when everyone is taking a break, she receives a call from an unknown number. Recognizing the voice, she knows the person on the other side is Thanh. He calls her out for a private meeting, fearing she would refuse, so he talks about Minh''s relics left for her. Ngoc Lam understands she cannot hide forever, so she gives him the address, informs M that she has to go out, puts on a long coat, and gets ready to fight.


    ¡°The cuckoo calls the eagle! The subject has begun to move!¡±


    Luyen and Thuyen are already sitting at the cafe opposite the theatre, calling Mr Wods, who is sitting in a hidden corner of the designated cafe that Ngoc Lam suggested Thanh. The teacher takes a sip of coffee and asks again.


    ¡°Have you informed Thac yet?¡±


    ¡°DONE, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Come over here!¡±


    The two guys immediately leave the cafe, take a taxi and race to the meeting point. The cafe is located on the ground floor of a shopping mall, half an hour by bus from the theatre. The reason for choosing such a place is not only to avoid attracting attention near the theatre if something unwanted happens but also to embarrass Thanh.


    Menus in this cafe right in the shopping centres are unbelievably costly. While Thanh is worried while looking at the list of food and drinks, Ngoc Lam quickly orders a cup of milk coffee and a simple lunch. Over the past time, while sticking around in a foreign land and following Mrs Phuong and her husband''s orders to connect with the media and hire paparazzi, there is not much money left in his pocket and yet to see results. The couple begins to lose patience and cut some of the financial support to him. Finally, Thanh has to order a glass of water with his face lost.


    Looking at Ngoc Lam having better mental health, eating and drinking without looking at the price, and her life sails with the wind, Thanh cannot hold the bitterness in his heart.


    ¡°You''ve had a good life lately, haven''t you?¡± Thanh raises his voice sarcastically.


    Ngoc Lam is eating less than 1/3 of her lunch. Hearing Thanh''s sarcasm, knowing she cannot continue her lunch anymore, she asks the waiter to pack the rest. Looking at Ngoc Lam acting naturally like she is in her homeland, proving that she is used to expensive restaurants like this, Thanh becomes even angrier.


    ¡°Even the Heavenly Lord knows better not to strike at mealtime. I have to eat to continue practising.¡± Ngoc Lam pretends not to know that Thanh is mad, using a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. ¡°You said you had Minh''s relics for me. Can you give it to me early so I can get back to the theatre?"


    Thanh looks at the confident expression from Ng?c Lam, different from when she was scared and stammering in the past, he smirks. Later, he places a folded piece of paper on the table.


    Ngoc Lam looks at him suspiciously. Thanh raises his eyebrows to signal that it is for her, so she takes the paper and opens it. That is a prescription.


    ¡°That''s Minh''s prescription for depression.¡± Thanh smiles proudly, "Aren''t you coming back soon? You are a depression patient like him, so maybe it will help you.¡±


    Ngoc Lam remains silent as she carefully reads through each medication listed on the prescription. Although she is familiar with the names of the chemicals, memories of her last conversation with Minh through text message flood her mind. After receiving his response, he suddenly passed away, leaving her heartbroken and in pain.


    Seeing Ngoc Lam''s pained face, Thanh becomes sure that what he did has worked, so he speaks again.


    ¡°You deserve to experience the feeling that Minh had to endure. Without him, you wouldn''t be where you are now. While I lose him forever, you are living your good life, aren''t you? Why is everything so easy for you? You have so many people supporting you, and you have the talent without any effort-"


    ¡°Thanh¡± Ngoc Lam interrupts, ¡°Why do you say I need no effort?¡±


    Nearly a year of active psychological treatment and rushing like a moth into music has helped Ngoc Lam realize many things and remove the obstacles in her thinking. Except for being too haunted by the PTSD on the stage, Ngoc Lam no longer considers herself a sinner when facing the man with Minh''s face, who is gradually showing complications from surgery aesthetics and age.


    ¡°It took me half a year to learn music theory and practice basic piano lessons over and over again to be able to master Chopin''s Impromptu that Minh used to play. I haven''t been able to make the violin sound like I wanted for many months. I couldn''t play the trumpet the first time, nor did I know how to control my fingers on different parts of the accordion. The gift I have is the ability to perceive music perfectly and remember music well. To stand on stage, I practised more than ten hours a day. I had arthritis and had to take medicine for a long time. My face was also swollen because of an allergic reaction to the chemicals on the violin. Fractured leg bones from falling while trying to reach the farthest string of the harp. My fingers are so full of calluses that my fingerprints are blurred from playing guitar and string instruments. I have worked so hard just to be called a monster? A murderer?¡±


    Not expecting that Ngoc Lam would oppose him, Thanh is so shocked that he is speechless. After a few seconds of being shocked, he feels that the person who should have obediently endured his torment dared to resist to the point that his position changes from superior to inferior. Unwillingness and helplessness make Thanh angry, so he begins to act aggressively and violently.


    "Minh is gone, do you still dare to say those words?" Thanh shouts, holding a glass of filtered water and intending to throw it at Ngoc Lam.


    The intention of violence against Ngoc Lam fails. As quickly as it happens, a steady hand holds Thanh''s wrist. When he looks up, Van Thac''s eyes fill with murderous intent causing his previously fierce aura to deflate like a deflated tire.


    ¡°Don''t shame your people abroad! A man who is stunned into silence by trenchant arguments starts to commit physical violence on a woman. Have you gotten used to living brazenly and then become numb to self-humiliation?"


    Mr Woods slowly approaches along with Luyen and Thuyen.


    Ngoc Lam stands up from the chair and makes room for the teacher. Only then does Van Thac release Thanh''s hand and stand covering her from the sight of the bullier. Luyen and Thuyen stand next to Thanh, staring at him, causing him to feel pressured not to dare say anything. Seeing that the situation is settled down, Mr Woods tells Van Thac to escort Ngoc Lam back to the theatre. Waiting for the two to leave, the teacher turns to stare at Thanh.


    ¡°You keep mentioning ''Minh, Minh'' whenever you open your mouth. Mr. Thanh''s will for justice seems very strong?" The teacher says sarcastically.

 Chapter 32

    No one knows what Mr Woods said to Thanh that made him stop trying to contact or appear in front of Ngoc Lam. Van Thac is also temporarily reassured to keep his friend safe from that man, Mr Hieu, and Mrs Phuong. However, he is more worried about Ngoc Lam''s feelings. That day, her shoulders kept shaking. She must have mustered up so much courage to face the abuser who always oppresses her with the death of Minh. And the death of him, Ngoc Lam''s beloved senior, always torments her.


    Several times while waiting for Ngoc Lam to return from treatment, he sees her eyes are red and watery with tears. The doctor said that all the emotions that had been bottled up for so long were trying to come out. She needs time to relax and rebalance. The performance will likely be a pivotal moment in her therapy.


    The day of the performance has arrived.


    From behind the scenes, Luyen and Thuyen constantly exclaim about the guests. Not only are they great names in the music world, but K and M also did not hesitate to invite Mrs Phuong and her husband. Thanh also had a ticket, of course, but his face and identification were sent to all the bodyguards, in case this guy tried to sneak in and attack Ngoc Lam. The families of Van Thac and Ngoc Lam were also sent invitations. Ngoc Lam did not forget to prepare two more tickets to send to the kind-hearted landlady and her husband. The two of them immediately went to France the day before the show. When she met Ngoc Lam, the old lady held her hand and smiled.


    ¡°The sound of his trumpet finally could wait for the day to be with your music. How lucky I am!¡±


    The artists backstage are all prepared and ready to take their positions. Emmy is the conductor, and Ngoc Lam steps on stage to shake hands with her as the lead violinist. Sitting behind her is Thuyen. Luyen plays the clarinet in the orchestra, and not far from him is Van Thac with the trumpet.


    The performance remains similar to last year''s pre-Christmas performance. There are a few changes in arrangement and personnel to help make the ensembles more impressive, the members'' skills are also enhanced with the appearance of Ngoc Lam. The guests and audience all nod at M''s maturing ability, a new face proving to the music world that she is not only an excellent violinist but can also become a musician. A trustworthy leader who does not rely on her husband''s position.


    In the first half of the show, everything is pretty good. Ngoc Lam, following M''s words, focuses on her teacher and tells herself at this stage here, the teacher can protect her. She is determined to play well and helps lead the violin ensemble to perform excellently in front of the critics. But in the second half, when the lineup changes with a performance dedicated to strings, woodwinds, and brass, Ngoc Lam gradually feels uncomfortable with the haunted feeling behind her. She tries to suppress that feeling of horror and continues to complete the string performance. However, her instability does not escape the eyes of observant people. Some of them start repeating rumours about her mental illness. Mrs Phuong and her husband hear those discussions and smile triumphantly. Putting a girl with mental illness and stage phobia on stage to be the main star. They''d better believe that K and M have lived on fame for so long that they want to self-destruct to experience the feeling of their prestige falling to the bottom. Mrs Phuong and Mr Hieu are so confident that they don''t need to spend any more effort on ruining the performance, but Ngoc Lam and the Moreau couple will dig their own grave.


    After the performance for strings is one for woodwinds. As soon as Ngoc Lam enters backstage, Van Thac is there to support her. He also realizes that Ngoc Lam is becoming unstable. He quickly helps her back to the dressing table, calls the makeup artist to wipe away the sweat and apply another layer of makeup on her face.


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    "It''s OK!" Van Thac puts a coat on Ngoc Lam''s shoulders, "You have tried very hard. You did a great job. Everything is fine."


    "Sorry." Ngoc Lam cannot stop herself from trembling and sobbing. Her tears almost fall from her eyelids.


    "Don''t cry." Van Thac put his hands on her shoulders, trying to help her calm down. ¡°This foundation on your face is very expensive.¡±


    Ngoc Lam is unable to control her emotions when she hears that and bursts out laughing. The makeup artist standing nearby laughs, too. Because she cannot handle her emotions and expressions in time, two large drops of tears fall from her eyes.


    ¡°My tears have just fallen.¡± Ngoc Lam whimpers slightly.


    "No problem." Van Thac uses a tissue to carefully wipe away the tears on her face. "After the show, your income is enough to buy a dozen bottles of foundation."


    Ngoc Lam cannot help but laugh.


    A moment later, the melodious sound of the music on stage echoes backstage, and Ngoc Lam gradually calms down, although her hands are still shaking a bit.


    ¡°Thac.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What if I cannot continue on stage?¡±


    ¡°There will be next time. This time, I can play as a soloist.¡±


    ¡°But what about the reputation of the Orchestra?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has prepared for the worst-case scenario. Do you know what it is?¡±


    "What''s that?" Ngoc Lam tilts her head to look at Van Thac.


    ¡°You run away from the stage right at the start. Look, you have been staying until the end of the string performance. So, it''s not the worst, isn''t it?¡±


    Ngoc Lam listens and laughs again.


    Van Thac has been observing Ngoc Lam all this time. He realizes that at the performance five years ago, Ngoc Lam was able to play professionally because she had previously asked to stand in the back, hidden in the dark, got covered by two other players. In the first half of today''s performance, there were many people on stage. The audience was already more focused on the conductor, and other artists were distracting spectators'' attention towards her. But when only the strings performance, of which she was the head violin, the increased attention towards her made Ngoc Lam feel insecure. It won''t be surprising if she cannot hold on as the people''s concentration is at its peak as she performs with Van Thac as a duo, standing forward, completely dominating the stage.


    Van Thac gently touches Ngoc Lam''s fingertips. He remembers what she told Thanh and feels the calluses as proof of the hard training she has gone through. It''s obvious that she always puts effort into anything she does without negligence.


    "Ngoc Lam." Van Thac gently holds her fingertips, "If there ever comes a time when you are ready to duet with me, I hope you will only listen to my trumpet. Behind you, there will always be me. You can borrow my back to lean on whenever you feel insecure, okay?"


    Before Ngoc Lam can answer Van Thac, his assistant calls him to prepare for the brass performance.


    ¡°I will always be waiting for you on stage.¡±


    Van Thac quickly leaves. Only then does Ngoc Lam feel a bit of emptiness at her fingertips. She takes the violin, hugs it tightly, and closes her eyes. The music of the brass band sounds. Ngoc Lam lets herself be immersed in those sounds and searches for the sound of Thac''s trumpet, mentally repeating what her mother and M had said, and also Van Thac''s words earlier.


    -----------------


    The performance of the brass is complete. The audience is curiously waiting for announcements about the upcoming duet. Many people predict it will change from a duet to a solo and then the conductor will issue a press release about the incident and compensate the audience. For a mentally ill person like Ngoc Lam, she may have been hospitalized by now.


    Contrary to their expectations, Ngoc Lam shows up on stage with a violin. She and Van Thac walk forward, both facing away from each other. Upon receiving Ngoc Lam''s nod, M begins swinging the baton.


    Van Thac starts first. The trumpet''s sound begins, carrying a brilliance similar to his passion and soul. Ngoc Lam closes her eyes, feeling the music from behind her.


    When she opens her eyes, Ngoc Lam sees Minh in monster form.

 Chapter 33: Reborn From The First Death

    "NG...O...C... L...A...M¡­"


    The head roars and rushes towards her. Its rear is long and slimy, slithering like a snake. Its mucus tightly wraps around Ngoc Lam''s legs, making it impossible for her to run away.


    Ngoc Lam struggles violently, trying to lean away from that disgusting monster.


    The monster loses its momentum and crashes into a black wall behind her. Because it is so painful, it writhes and rolls. Taking advantage of the moment when the body that is binding her loosens, Ngoc Lam quickly runs away.


    The monster sees Ngoc Lam running away, so it immediately and frantically chases after her. Ngoc Lam runs into the small alley, following her instinct. The monster stubbornly pursues her, crashing into one wall and the other. Piece by piece, the wall gradually collapses behind her heels.


    ------------------


    On stage, Van Thac is still playing his part. Ngoc Lam''s part is about to come, but it seems like she has no reaction to M, just like she cannot hear the music in her ears. The audience is curious about Ngoc Lam''s strange expression. It seems like she is locked in her own subconscious. Ngoc Lam''s parents hold their breath while they are watching their daughter. Behind them, the smiles of Thanh and Mrs Phuong and her husband become more and more triumphant.


    -----------


    Ngoc Lam continues to run. When the monster sees that he is close to catching her, he opens his hideous mouth wide. Ngoc Lam tilts her body to avoid it every time it is about to bite her. She does not know when this chase will end. However, just as she is thinking about it, Ngoc Lam crashes into the black wall in front of her. She uses her hands to feel around, but they are all walls. It turns out she has run herself into a dead end.


    Ngoc Lam cannot find a way to escape, so she has to turn around and look towards the monster.


    ¡°Ngoc Lam¡­ you monster¡­ you murderer¡­¡± The monster screams and curses her.


    Ngoc Lam takes a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Her hands are shaking. She waits for the monster to rush towards her, calculating in her head that she will avoid it as quickly as possible, hoping that it will destroy the walls behind her. But surprisingly, it doesn''t move at all. It just stays there, blocking the exit, and its mouth constantly repeating the curses.


    Its screams are similar to thousands of knives tearing through Ngoc Lam''s eardrums. They are curses that banish her to the depths of suffering and deadlock. Ngoc Lam stands close to the black wall, trembling as she looks at Minh''s face, which is tormenting her.


    ------------------


    With only a few more parts left, Ngoc Lam''s immobility makes the audience stir more sounds. M feels uneasy when the words begin to reach her ears. Although she and the entire Orchestra are mentally prepared for the worst situations, and the backing orchestra below also includes Thuyen, who is ready to replace Ngoc Lam at any time, the whispers behind her back make M even more worried and scared. She cannot imagine how much pressure Ngoc Lam, a 10-year-old child, had to endure that day from the torture of Mrs Phuong and her husband.


    M takes a deep breath to stay calm. She glances at Thac and Thuyen sitting behind her. Both are looking at M as a signal that they understand. They all maintain their composure, mentally starting the countdown to the decisive moment.


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    ----------------


    Ngoc Lam leans close to the wall behind her. She feels like she has something that needs to be done, but she cannot remember. The curses make her mind chaotic and unable to concentrate. Ngoc Lam lowers her head. Suddenly, amidst the curses ringing in her ears, there is the sound of music. The sound is very quiet, and it has been obscured by the monster''s screams, the sound of her footsteps running in panic, and her breathing heavily due to fear. Ngoc Lam regains consciousness so that she can listen to the music. It''s a trumpet sound. Van Thac''s words from earlier echo in Ngoc Lam''s mind. She can''t be stuck here. He is waiting for her. Mom and M both said it wasn''t her fault. She needs to go.


    Ngoc Lam tries to muster all her strength, and in response to the monster''s harsh words, she screams.


    "I AM NOT! STOP!"


    Tears well up in her eyes, and her lips tremble as she looks at Minh''s face. The cursing stops, but the monster doesn''t move an inch.


    ¡°Everyone says I''m a monster. Everyone said they were afraid of my abilities. Minh, that day when you found me, did you ever think of me as a monster?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°People always say you have to try your best, but for someone like me, trying is wrong, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I used to believe that. I constantly torment myself. But¡­ but¡­ I want to play music. I only want to play music¡­ with you¡­ Minh, tell me, I was wrong, wasn''t I?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There are always people telling me it''s not my fault. Even so, how can I not be sad when you are not with me anymore?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡° Minh, he is waiting for me on stage. He... Van Thac... told me that I could play the music with all my ability. He said that I was his motivation. Minh,  I''m not a monster."


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I also want to be like you, be someone''s inspiration. His music is as beautiful as the sun. He said I was his motivation, but he was also my strength.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    "Minh,


    Thank you."


    -----------


    Ngoc Lam''s stiff, motionless body suddenly moves. She looks like she has completely lost herself to her instincts. The violin is already on her shoulder, and the bow is on the string.


    In the blink of an eye, the buzzing audience falls into silence. The sound of the violin soars in the air like thousands of wings reaching out, like withered flower petals being revived and blooming splendidly. The music replaces the cry of a child reborn from wounds that are still bleeding, replacing all the feelings that cannot find a place to be expressed.


    Van Thac listens to the sound of the instrument he has been waiting for so long, straightens his chest, focuses on the music in his ears, and plays a duet with Ngoc Lam.


    The two sounds that have just met blended. Every time the violin takes the lead, the trumpet follows. From the supportive sounds of the two people and the Orchestra, some people feel like seeing a sparkling fabric embroidered with intricate patterns by a delicate hand. Some people seem to see themselves lost in a maple forest before dawn. The dark and quiet space is gradually illuminated by the sun rising from the east. Some people have an illusion of two streams of white and black matter in the form of two swans flying around entwined together. They spread their wings to embrace, becoming one, then stretch themselves and fly higher and higher.


    Ngoc Lam and Van Thac play the duet until the last notes. The music ends, and the conductor stops swinging her baton. The whole Orchestra sits holding their breath, looking at the silent stage.


    Ngoc Lam looks like she is still lost after all the recent experiences. It''s like a whole life has just happened in just a few short minutes. Her body falls into the same motionless state as before.


    ¡°BRAVO!¡±


    From the stands, a man shouts and claps his hands. The entire theatre wakes up. Everyone consecutively stands up and applauds vigorously.


    ¡°BRAVO!!!¡±


    Ngoc Lam also wakes up from her daze. She stares at the stands filled with cheers. The aura of the stage completely embraces her. In the blink of an eye, all of Ngoc Lam''s feelings on stage return like a flood. Her tears flow down her cheeks.


    In an emotional state, Ngoc Lam feels warmth on her hand. She looks around and sees Van Thac holding hers, with his affectionate eyes. M walks towards the audience with the whole Orchestra, and everyone bows together in endless applause.


    The stage curtain slowly lowers. Ngoc Lam is on the stage to greet the audience, one of her hands is completely in Van Thac''s hand.


    Ngoc Lam


    Van Thac


    I like your music


    And¡­ you too.


    [MAIN STORY: FINISH]

 SIDE STORY 1: VAN THAC

    On the first day since Van Thac chose to go abroad to focus on music, he arrived in France.


    Winter in Europe was cold and miserable, perhaps, it was a little similar to his mood at that moment. When he decided to go with K and M to Europe to pursue a musical career, his emotions were still strong and decisive. After a few hours on the plane, those emotions had subsided, and currently, new insecurities filled his chest.


    Van Thac missed his parents and younger sister at home. He thought of his two friends, Luyen and Thuyen, at the Conservatory of Music. He sighed for the school days when his classmates and schoolmates occasionally called each other out to play video games or basketball. He thought about the cold girl sitting at the head of the table, Ngoc Lam...


    After two months abroad, with the sudden change in the environment, the unfamiliar food, and his unfluent foreign language, Van Thac felt homesick. Sometimes, when an Asian family passes by, a familiar scent of food accidentally leaks through unfamiliar door frames or a familiar melody like the one from his father''s radio could also make Thac cry.


    Amald, the second son of the Moreau family, was 5 years older than Thac, had become a professional Clarinet artist, noticed his hidden feelings, often found some reasons to take him to meet many friends and reminded his father about Thac''s issues. M, his mother, sometimes called him to have meals with the family. There, Van Thac first heard more stories about Ngoc Lam.


    Amald first encountered Ngoc Lam when he was 13 years old. At that time, as the son of the powerful and talented Moreau couple, he demonstrated his talent from a young age, in addition to being in the age of puberty and rebellion. Amald lived very proudly and was a bit vainglorious of himself. One day, he even argued loudly with the instructor because he believed his way of playing was correct. The angry teacher picked up the phone to call his parents, who were abroad. K and M returned to see their son, but they did not say a word of reproach to him. They even praised the freshness of Amald''s new style. Hearing his parents'' encouragement, Amald became more negligent in his training, often finding ways to skip school. Until one day, K called him to announce that he had composed a piece of music based on his new technique and hoped he would play with the orchestra.


    When Amald arrived, M suddenly announced that there would be a small contest between him and a girl named Ngoc Lam to win the solo position. Amald had known Ngoc Lam for a long time but had never competed with this girl because she became a professional player right after following his parents back to Europe. Ngoc Lam usually practised with him and his other two siblings, except for Fanny, who is only 3 years old. His older brother Edgar had been playing the violin professionally for several years, he was 2 years older than him, and 7 years older than Ngoc Lam. Edgar often praised this girl''s talent with the violin. He had also seen her play the clarinet in videos taken from competitions, but Amald did not take this girl seriously. Because she kept studying under old, old-fashioned teachers, her technique and style were as old as theirs, and she could not be like him with a much more creative style. Moreover, this song was written by his father himself in his own style, and Amald was confident of winning.


    He lost.


    Unconvinced, he angrily accused Ngoc Lam that she must have been exposed to this style by K and M. Obviously, this was his creative work, yet a child like her blatantly stole it.


    "No, I didn''t!" Ngoc Lam immediately denied, "This style has been around for a long time, it''s just that not many people followed it because it was not suitable for playing in classical orchestras."


    The older artists in the orchestra also nodded in agreement. Amald stared wide-eyed, and his confidence over the past few days shattered.


    It turned out that maybe at some point, Amald accidentally heard that strange style, but he didn''t pay attention and accidentally let it enter his subconscious. The ''creative process was ultimately just the ''recreating process'', something that already existed and had been dismissed for a long time.


    ¡°Did Dad and Ngoc Lam do that to teach me a lesson?¡± Amald disheartenedly asked M.


    ¡°Not really,¡± M replied, ¡°He liked your idea for a new style, for real, so he called Ngoc Lam to help him. Some styles might not be well received at the era of their release, but that doesn''t mean they can''t become a new trend later."


    ¡°So you mean I was wrong?¡± Amald felt a bit unwilling.


    ¡°Your teacher constantly informed us about your truancy. Can you tell me what''s the matter with you?¡± M looked at her son seriously.


    Amald was speechless, not knowing how to answer M.


    ¡°I have known that you feel bored in his class. But the problem that we can see here is that our son skipped class without any effort in practice."


    M looked at his son for a while, observed the changes on his face, and then continued.


    ¡°What you called a new style, we had noticed where it came from. But Dad hoped you would develop it yourself, from the old into something different and even newer. But it cannot be done in a month or two. It takes a lot of time, or it can take your whole life to create something new.¡±


    "If you''re still negligent in practising, how will you get the ability to create new things?"


    Only then did Amald come to his senses. Ngoc Lam just did what he used to do - practice diligently. Thanks to her innate talent and effort, she grasped the essence of that style and developed a feeling for it. Meanwhile, he, who had the illusion of being a creator, neglected to practice, causing skills to atrophy, emotions and body not being able to synchronize with musical notes.


    In the end, Ngoc Lam did not perform the new piece. K appointed an older Clarinetist in the orchestra to take the solo position. With the old style revived as Amald''s idea, K received a lot of praise from critics. Amald agreed to return to the clarinet class and apologized to his teacher. After the class, he had to sit with Ngoc Lam and practice extremely attentively. Not much later, Ngoc Lam returned to the Conservatory and continued her career until tragedy occurred.


    When Ngoc Lam retired, Amald became a professional artist at the age of 15, the same as Ngoc Lam now. When the girl left in pain, Amald didn''t even have time to see her.


    ------------------


    Van Thac enrolled at an Academy of Arts in France. At this time, he realized that many classmates his age had become professional artists or were preparing to become professional artists. Their level is equivalent to Ngoc Lam''s in the performance at school. When he sent the performance video to a Violin professor at the Academy because he seemed to know Ngoc Lam, this teacher pondered for a moment and then turned sharply to him.


    ¡°Boy, what did you do to anger Sapphire?¡±


    Van Thac was stunned by the professor''s question. It could be easily seen that in the past, Ngoc Lam always tried to reveal her full potential and was the fear of many artists. Even when she later tried to restrain herself, like when she competed with Fabian for the lead violinist position, she was still another horrible nightmare to him. Yet in a simple school-level performance like this, while adjusting herself to suit the level of two other players, Ngoc Lam suddenly raised her level to a professional one to overwhelm Van Thac. If she hadn''t been provoked, there was no way she would have done that. With his experience working in music and his astuteness, the professor quickly realized where the problem was.


    Van Thac nodded and told the professor the story of that day''s performance. He listened carefully then spoke.


    ¡°You should focus on yourself more. Maybe Karsci also wanted you to reach the professional level that brought you here. For now, forget about that Sapphire girl and try to keep up with the students here first."


    The learning process is really intense. Van Thac had to wake up early in the morning, practice, go to school, practice, finish classes, practice, do homework, and practice. In the early days, with Van Thac''s average level, many students in his class refused to talk to him. They didn''t understand why a student like him was placed in their school halfway like that. They thought he used tricks to receive special treatment.


    Their coldness also hurt Van Thac for some time. Edgar knew about it, he visited him and talked to him. Although he knew that the only solution was to catch up with his classmates'' level, Van Thac felt like something was separating him from everyone else.


    ¡°Sapphire, that girl,¡± Edgar exclaimed, ¡°Why was she so harsh on you?¡±


    ¡°You should forget about Sapphire for now.¡±


    Edgar also said the same thing to Van Thac.


    --------------------


    Luyen and Thuyen participated in the International Music Competition. One week before the day, the two bought tickets to fly to France to visit Van Thac. After several months of not seeing each other, the once simple and carefree friend, after several months in France, suddenly became reserved and reticent to the point that they could not understand. Asking about him also gave them a general understanding of the boy''s situation: Not keeping up with the class level, no friends, homesickness, and even Ngoc Lam.


    ¡°Listen¡± Thuyen, as usual, spoke first.


    ¡°You -,¡± Luyen continued.


    "Don''t be afraid of your own shadow"


    "Don''t make a mountain out of the molehill"


    ¡°The story with Ngoc Lam has been going on for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Stop obsessing over yourself.¡±


    The two sat down to analyze for Van Thac to understand that the problem in his mind was due to the fear from that performance. But at that time, his level was semi-professional. After a period of serious practice in an artistic environment like he had the past few months, there was no way his level could remain stagnant.


    Feeling that verbal conversations were not enough, Luyen and Thuyen contacted the Moreau couple, asking for permission to take Van Thac to Austria with them.


    Thanks to M''s help, Luyen and Thuyen collected a long list of people who were Ngoc Lam''s opponents six years ago. Luckily, there were a few people who would participate in the International Music Competition in the same batch as them. The triplet chose a young pianist, only a year older than them, to meet. They walked to a large hotel in the city and asked about that person, but the receptionist replied that she had gone out. Not knowing what to do, the three chose a chair in the lobby to wait.


    Because they had just finished practising and went out to find the pianist, they still had their musical instruments with them. Luyen pulled out his clarinet, cleaned and wiped it while talking.


    ¡°Let''s try to find a second person.¡±


    ¡°But that person is not staying at a hotel but at a villa in the suburbs,¡± Thuyen said.


    Thac didn''t say anything, he silently scrolled through the list. The reason for choosing this pianist is not only because she was close to their age, but also because she was one of Ngoc Lam''s biggest rivals before retiring.


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    ¡°I wonder how she will react when she hears Ngoc Lam''s name again?¡±


    "Ngoc Lam?" A female voice resounded beside Thac, "I didn''t hear wrong, right? You mentioned Ngoc Lam?¡±


    All three boys turned to look. That was a girl with dark brown hair and green eyes. She spoke to them with a thick Italian accent. Based on the videos they had looked for, the three realized it was the person they were waiting for, Chiara the pianist.


    ¡°That''s right, it''s Ngoc Lam,¡± Thuyen responded quickly.


    ¡°Are you Chiara?¡± Thuyen asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am. What do you guys have to do with Ngoc Lam?¡±


    ¡°It''s not me and this guy,¡± Luyen said, pointing to himself and Thuyen.


    ¡°But this guy,¡± Thuyen continued, pointing at Thac, ¡°was once a classmate with Ngoc Lam.¡±


    ¡°He used to play trio with her in the school performance,¡± Luyen said.


    ¡°And was knocked out, and got obsessed.¡± Thuyen ended the story.


    "Understood." Chiara said coldly, then pointed at the piano in the hotel lobby, "I won''t answer any questions until I understand your levels. Tchaikovsky, piano concerto no.1, Andantino semplice. So?"


    Music echoed in the hotel lobby. Surrounded by curious people. Because it was the time of the International Music Competition, there were many musicians and artists surrounding them, and some curious guests stayed to listen to the instrumentation of the four young people. Surely, in their minds, they were evaluating the qualifications of the four, but on their face, they were listening attentively and politely. When the music ended, everyone applauded the performance. Some people proactively came to talk to Luyen, Thuyen and Chiara, but no one stepped forward to ask about Van Thac.


    "Don''t be surprised." Chiara came to talk to Thac after he chose a quiet corner to sit alone. ¡°They know your level is not good enough to achieve any success, so they did not come to talk to you. As for your other two friends, they''re pretty good. The people who came to start a conversation were probably rivals who wanted to test the two of them out.¡±


    After a few short conversations, Luyen and Thuyen also came to sit with Thac and Chiara.


    ¡°Miss Emmy introduced you to us,¡± Luyen said.


    ¡°Among Ngoc Lam''s old rivals, you are one of the most successful.¡± Thuyen continued.


    "That''s right," Chiara admitted right away. ¡°So Ngoc Lam, in Vietnam, is playing music again?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. She has been retiring.¡± Thac spoke.


    ¡°Your level is like this¡­¡± Chiara looked at Thac suspiciously ¡°When were you defeated?¡±


    ¡°November last year,¡± Van Thac said honestly.


    "Huh?" Chiara was even more sceptical.


    ¡°You should have a look at this first,¡± Luyen quickly gave the video of the performance to Chiara.


    Like the violin professor, Chiara watched the performance until the end and then looked at Thac.


    ¡°What did you do to anger her?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Thac bowed his head and replied.


    ¡°With that ability of yours,¡± Chiara suddenly raised her voice, ¡°you did infuriate her? Do you know how many idiots had to retire after competing against her?¡±


    ¡°What about retirement?¡± Luyen asked.


    ¡°What is it like?¡± Thuyen said.


    ¡°It''s no big deal.¡± Chiara leaned back against the sofa, "All those stupid frogs in the well went to challenge Ngoc Lam. After being defeated, they were afraid and cowardly and did not dare to play music again. A bunch of failures in every aspect!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Thac asked.


    ¡°What about me? Ha ha ha¡± Chiara faced up to the sky and laughed, ¡°They also thought I would retire soon. Now look! I successfully reached the top 15 best pianists last year, while prodigy Ngoc Lam had to retire early. Damn it!"


    Chiara recalled the past.


    ¡°It is true that day Ngoc Lam overthrew my title of child prodigy. She was too strong. Do they think I wasn''t afraid? I Was! I was haunted for several months. The losers saw that I was defeated, so they flattered her, leaning on her to insult me. I hated her! I detested her! Really!¡±


    Chiara called her assistant to bring her her favourite bottle of mineral water and then got back to talking.


    ¡°I was only eight years old at that time. I hated Ngoc Lam. But what could I do? K and M had her back, and their three children were also around her. I couldn''t even touch a strand of her hair. But luckily, those bastards couldn''t cling to her. She took them all down. One-by-one.¡±


    "Idiots. Ha ha ha¡± the girl burst out laughing ¡°A prodigy who is encouraged by adults to play at her best is like a flamethrower with a broken valve. No one could stay in the orchestra when Ngoc Lam appeared. She was the one who had never known what mercy was. At that time, I looked at the losers falling like autumn leaves and was extremely happy. It turns out I was the one who stayed until the end. It turns out that being defeated by Ngoc Lam is not such a terrible thing. I''m not the first and certainly not the last.¡±


    ¡°Once I got the hang of it, I practised like crazy. I think I was crazy. Every time we faced each other, I lost. But you know what?¡± Chiara leaned forward ¡°I was always the second best. What do you Asians say? You are under one person, but you are over ten thousand people. Then, she retired. I was so mad. I practised non-stop, trying all kinds of styles. Yet she disappeared like that. Later, I continuously won first prize. Still, I didn''t see her. It''s been six years. Unbelievable. Yet she didn''t bother to show up."


    At this time, the assistant brought the bottle of mineral water Chiara requested. The girl took it and opened the lid to drink.


    ¡°After hearing about Ngoc Lam''s retirement, have you ever considered finding her?¡± Thac asked.


    "For what?" Chiara let out a refreshing breath after drinking the water. ¡°It was her choice to disappear. It doesn''t matter whether she''s a prodigy or not. I only believe in the last person standing. I will be that person. Instead of looking at one person forever, I have dozens of people who are already stronger than me in the world, and a dozen more people ready to overthrow me in the next generation, like Ngoc Lam did that year. I can lose at any time. I must stand firm. I must move forward. I don''t have time to think about someone who gave up. Do you understand? I have my own fight. I have no duty to save an opponent like her.¡±


    All three boys listened silently to Chiara. Although her opinion was different from his, what she said made Thac think a lot.


    ¡°That doesn''t mean I never thought about the day I would see her again.¡± Chiara''s voice was now calming down, "If you are a music lovers and meet someone with such talent, you will naturally be attracted."


    ¡°The boy playing the trumpet,¡± Chiara tilted her chin towards Thac, ¡°You also have potential. I kind of like your trumpet sound. But your mentality is so poor. It makes me annoyed. If you are defeated by her miserably like that, I have advice for you: Forget Ngoc Lam.¡±


    This was the third time Thac had heard such advice. It all seemed to be pointing him towards an answer he didn''t really want.


    ¡°Don''t you understand?¡± Chiara was annoyed, ¡°You want to help others, right? Do you want to be a saviour? Or what do you want? Having left everything at home to move to Europe to study, your spirit must be here. Do you understand?"


    ¡°Even the contestants just now didn''t even bother to talk to you, how are you going to get her looking at you? A loser, who she defeated with less than 1/10 of her real talent continues to drag on the ground, unable to raise his head?¡±


    Having finished speaking, Chiara leisurely left. All three boys felt like they had just experienced a tornado.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Luyen laughed.


    -------------


    That evening, Van Thac and two friends walked around the streets of Austria, chatting about all kinds of things in the world like they used to do in their homeland. Luyen and Thuyen brought many instant food packages. The three decided to eat pho together.


    The appearance of Luyen and Thuyen helped Van Thac feel much more elated. He seriously looked back at everything that had happened to him. When he reflected on the attitudes people had towards him, Van Thac realized the true meaning behind their advice.


    It turned out that it wasn''t until he came to Europe that Van Thac realized how deep Ngoc Lam''s impression was on people in the music world. Many of them still missed and waited for her, but at the same time, they still had to compete fiercely with other talents to set a place in their career.


    Immediately, he bought a plane ticket to fly back to France early tomorrow morning. Luyen and Thuyen strongly supported that decision.


    ¡°Someday, we will play in an orchestra together.¡± Luyen patted his shoulder.


    ¡°We will stay in Europe shortly later. If you need anything, don''t forget to call." Thuyen said.


    ------------------


    Silently but firmly, Van Thac''s ability was increasingly improving. His classmates'' views of him also gradually changed. By the end of the semester, Van Thac began to make new friends.


    He proactively contacted Chiara, inviting her to perform a song together at the train station in Germany, close to the location of the Music competition in September she was about to participate in. Chiara was surprised by his progress. It turned out that he had also signed up for the competition in the trumpet category.


    Sure enough, after the collaboration ended, many people took the initiative to talk to Van Thac. Chiara enjoyed looking at the scene before her eyes.


    ¡°What made you so confused about before? Looks like you''ve come to your senses now? Is it thanks to me? Ha ha ha.¡±


    ¡°I also want to thank you.¡± Van Thac politely replied.


    ¡°No need to say thank you,¡± Chiara waved her hand, ¡°You''ve made progress, but you are still too far to win first prize. Do not be complacent, boy!"


    After that, she left with the same whirlwind-like personality. Van Thac thought about himself again. His hands firmly grasped the trumpet. He could never give up no matter what obstacle he would face.


    Another year passed, and Van Thac finished 11th grade, which was also the time he started winning prizes in major competitions and was a member of the Institute''s Orchestra. Mr Woods announced that Ngoc Lam had also gone to Europe to study as a scholarship student.


    The teacher asked him if he wanted to meet Ngoc Lam. He said no. He hadn''t won any first prize yet.


    In grade 12, Van Thac finally took the first prize. K and M welcome him to their orchestra. After two years of constant experiencing, cultivating, and thousands of hours of non-stop practice, he gradually received the recognition he had always wanted.


    Luyen and Thuyen were accepted into the orchestra of K and M. All three participated in the orchestra conducted by M at the conductor contest the teacher had registered for.


    M officially became a conductor in his third year in Europe.


    Teacher Woods asked again if he wanted to meet Ngoc Lam.


    Van Thac answered consistently that he was not good enough.


    Van Thac graduated from grade 12 and was admitted directly to the University of the Institute.


    He started his first solo tour.


    In the winter of his fourth year, Van Thac decided to have a concert with M in the city where Ngoc Lam lived.


    He gave Mr Woods the invitation ticket, asking him to give it to Ngoc Lam. He wanted the next reunion to be when Ngoc Lam witnessed his growth on stage.


    Van Thac did not expect that their reunion would be on a busy street. Neither of them said a word but instinctively looked for each other.


    Van Thac lost sight of Ngoc Lam when a horse carriage passed by and blocked his view. The orchestra assistant called him over and conveyed K''s words telling him to return early to avoid getting sick in the cold weather.


    Ngoc Lam came to see the performance as he expected. She was indifferent like she used to be. When the show ended, she didn''t linger at all, nor did she go looking for him. Van Thac knew, and he didn''t look for her either. He did his best. If his music could not make Ngoc Lam change her mind, he would have to respect that. Above all, he also had a career that he chose to leave his hometown to cling to distant Europe.


    He wanted her to be back to music, but he also had to focus on himself.


    Ngoc Lam returned to the Moreau family home at Christmas.


    She played music in a country restaurant.


    Among the old opponents who were active in the music world coming to meet Ngoc Lam, it was impossible not to include Chiara. The two had a breathtaking competition.


    ¡°You''ve gone backwards, haven''t you?¡± Chiara asked, squinting her eyes.


    "That''s right. I''m trying to get back in form.¡± Ngoc Lam said.


    "Great." Chiara said, ¡°Remember not to be too slow!¡± and then went straight away.


    When Van Thac heard the story, he laughed. That was so Chiara.


    Ngoc Lam finally regained her form.


    K said that was just hers before she retired, which was ten years ago. The whole orchestra was sweating at the same time. But some people couldn''t hide their regret for the young girl. She endured violence from adults and missed ten years of her life. If the incident had not happened, they could not imagine how far she would have gone by now.


    Ngoc Lam began to open up to people, including Van Thac. He began to notice her other facial expressions. The psychiatrist said she was in the process of self-healing to face the pain from ten years ago. She gradually learned how to seek help, learned how to express her emotions, and learned how to face the bullies.


    Teacher Woods used the evidence of Thanh''s previous actions and his lies about Minh and Ngoc Lam to ask that man not to cause trouble anymore.


    Ngoc Lam was no longer targeted, but Van Thac has become a new target.


    Thanh learned the trick from Mrs Phuong and her husband, throwing stones and hiding their hands. He found the opponents who cowardly gave up music after being defeated by Ngoc Lam but still held a grudge against her and asked them to meet Van Thac. On the one hand, threatened him that Ngoc Lam would take him down with her enormous talent; on the other hand, they said that to keep the performance successful, Ngoc Lam would have to restrain herself, and Van Thac would be the one dragging her feet.


    Van Thac had already known about it. He looked at them calmly and asked them to leave a message for Thanh: Van Thac would let them see with their own eyes, with an outstanding talent like Ngoc Lam, what his and her performance would be like.


    Van Thac knew he could never catch up to Ngoc Lam. But it was not like he did not have any way to get along with her.


    The lessons he realized on his own with La vie en Rose, the lessons he learned from Amald''s story, the advice of his teachers, Chiara''s beliefs, the times he performed with Luyen and Thuyen, the countless times he played for The Orchestras, the basic lessons of Mr Woods, and the instructions of K and M, all of them have contributed to Van Thac''s music.


    Van Thac''s beautiful timbre was finally able to blend with Ngoc Lam''s outstanding talent.


    That''s thanks to tireless efforts.


    Thanks to hard work and creativity from the most basic lessons.


    Van Thac can never reach Ngoc Lam''s realm, but it''s okay. He will always chase after her with everything he has, with his strong passion for music, which Van Thac is confident he will never be inferior to Ngoc Lam.


    He will show the world how someone like him can stand on the same stage with a legend.


    He will become her sunshine.

 SIDE STORY 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (END)

    SIDE STORY 2


    Is it true that Ngoc Lam can only perceive music with absolute pitch and has the ability to remember music exactly every note?


    Of course not, because her ability is even greater than that.


    The problem that Ngoc Lam always believes in comes from Ms. Phuong''s criticism. Gradually, it was deeply ingrained in her thoughts, making her believe she had little ability.


    If it weren''t for her hard work and love for music, Ngoc Lam might have lost her music career forever after prolonged abuse and a 10-year hiatus.


    The scars from that year will continue to affect Ngoc Lam for a very long time, even for the rest of her life.


    -------------


    SIDE STORY 3


    Ngoc Lam was not a good student. When she was a young kid, her biggest ambition in studying was trying to get scores of five out of ten or above.


    When Van Thac heard these words, he looked at his girlfriend in disbelief.


    All the academic achievements she has achieved so far were thanks to her hard work.


    For the first five years after retiring, she studied because she wanted to forget the music. Four years later, she studied because she wanted to forget Van Thac.


    ¡°What about after that? How did you study music and graduate from university with second-class honours?"


    ¡°Because¡­ I like it. I guess."


    Van Thac felt like he was no different from a potato.


    ¡°There are geniuses who have an amazing ability to concentrate. Don''t belittle yourself, son."


    K''s voice rang out from the bushes right behind the park bench Thac was sitting on.


    ¡°Aah Aah Aah¡±


    ----------------------


    SIDE STORY 4


    Van Thac still felt like he was a potato.


    He could not reach Ngoc Lam''s level in music because she was a genius, but even in studying, something she wasn''t good at from the beginning, just through hard work and concentration, she overshadowed him.


    ¡°What is she not good at?¡± Thac mumbled.


    "Hey, you." Luyen laughed.


    "Are you crazy?" Thuyen asked.


    ¡°How can you compare a qualified person like you¡±


    "With a gifted person like Ngoc Lam?"


    ¡°And now,¡±


    ¡°You break yourself down.¡±


    Shortly after that, Van Thac finally discovered something Ngoc Lam was not good at doing. She didn''t know how to sing.


    Not long after, Van Thac learned she did not know how to draw.


    ¡°Gosh-¡±


    ¡°Look at his happy face.¡±


    Luyen and Thuyen pouted at their friend.


    ---------------------


    SIDE STORY 5


    Thuy was also invited to the concert by Ngoc Lam. When she met her old friend backstage, Thuy began to cry and hugged her. Thuy was a girl with a will. She went to school and worked to save money to travel domestically. Every place she went to, she made a blog post. In those past months, the number of followers had increased, and Thuy had also received advertising contracts.


    The semester exams had just ended, and she immediately went to see Ngoc Lam.


    Ngoc Lam was in no hurry to sign a long-term contract with any orchestra. After the show, she said goodbye to everyone and returned to school as usual.


    She went back from being a legend to being an ordinary person so quickly that her friends at school were so confused about the person in the newspaper and the person sitting in class with them.


    Ngoc Lam returned to her ordinary life, going to the University, and practising music, and on weekends, she and the the spouse of the landlady went to the countryside to play music in a familiar restaurant.


    The restaurant was in the countryside, but it was packed with people. Ngoc Lam told the owner to give Thuy a place close to the piano where she often played music for everyone, whatever instrument she had.


    That day, there was another person playing music with Ngoc Lam, Van Thac.


    The two of them playing music together looked and sounded so great. However, Thuy noticed that the atmosphere around them seemed to sparkle more than usual.


    "Oh, why am I so lonely?" Thuy thought.


    But the trip wasn''t too bad. The two girls often hung out and went shopping because Van Thac was busy with his career.


    Two years passed quickly, and Thuy graduated. She travelled everywhere, talked about her experiences on social networks, was invited to talk shows and podcasts, wrote books, and sold photos she took herself.


    She and Ngoc Lam often contact each other. There are stories Thuy told that also inspired Ngoc Lam to compose music.


    One day, they met to sign a copyright contract for Thuy''s story, Thuy told Ngoc Lam that she once felt a little self-conscious because Ngoc Lam and Van Thac were both ambitious with their passion. An ordinary person like Thuy was lost in the world of them. But then, it was different. Thuy understood what she wanted to do and was always steadfast towards it. An ordinary person like Thuy can also become the inspiration for a genius like Ngoc Lam.


    Thuy told her that she was gradually learning how to love herself.


    -------------------


    SIDE STORY 6:


    At the age of 15, his father smiled at Van Thac and asked the girl named Ngoc Lam in Thac''s story if she was pretty. Thac didn''t know how to answer.


    After the duet, his parents and younger sister hugged Thac to congratulate him. His dad looked at Ngoc Lam and said.


    ¡°She''s really pretty.¡±


    Van Thac looked at Ngoc Lam, recalling the moments the two of them were together. He remembered when she always ignored him when she was young; when her face was surprised when the two reunited on both sides of the street; when the crystal-clear tears fell on her cheeks when she was weak; when snowflakes fell on her eyelashes the day he saw her off at the train station. She had now stepped away from the burden of the past, her face was bright and relieved, her hair was in a high bun, and she was wearing a silver fishtail dress, shaking hands and chatting with everyone.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Dad, you''re right.¡±


    Van Thac replied.


    SIDE STORY 7


    After the duet of Ngoc Lam and Van Thac, Mr Woods returned to Vietnam. He first submitted a job transfer application to the Rector and the Department of Education for him to move to the mountainous area.


    He was determined to leave the Conservatory, moved to the mountainous area to teach, and lived a daily life of climbing hills and wading streams, following Mr Hieu''s and Mrs Phuong''s plans in the past.


    He did not care about fame or power and was not afraid of threats from the Rector. That bald man felt like he could not grab the hair from a hairless man''s head. He became disappointed and unwilling, so he cursed loudly. Mr Woods ignored it, said goodbye to his students and colleagues, and sat still to wait for the decision above and then left.


    At the Conservatory of Music, there was an opera teacher who really liked Van Thac. She discovered his singing talent and kept looking for ways to teach him. Unfortunately, Mr Woods refused and held him tight. The two teachers argued back and forth. They had been fighting like that for more than ten years.


    Mr Woods had been a widower for more than twenty years. The day he was about to go up the mountainous area, he told the opera teacher that living there would be boring because he wouldn''t have her to argue with him, so she packed her bags and went up the mountain without a second to consider. The auntie, whom everyone believed would be alone all her life, suddenly sent them a wedding announcement on a beautiful day.


    After Mr Woods went to the mountain, Mr Hieu was rejected in his application to be appointed Vice President of the National Music Association.


    Mrs Phuong was unable to renew her title as a Meritorious Artist, and her husband''s application was rejected. The couple was suspicious about the reasons behind it, so they asked everywhere and found out there was evidence proving they were not morally qualified to be approved. What was the evidence? They had no idea. They could not find the one who sent the letter of rebuke, either.


    The couple was upset about their promotion when someone sent them a message. That was a screenshot of Ngoc Lam''s mother''s phone, the time was the last message Minh texted the little girl - ten years ago.


    Ngoc Lam: Hello Minh. It''s me, Ngoc Lam. I''m back. Tomorrow I''ll go to the Conservatory, and let''s play a duet together.


    Me (three days later): I have to go on tour. Wait for me to come back. We will have a duet on a grand stage together.


    Ngoc Lam''s parents always lived modestly and humbly. Luckily, because of that lifestyle and her uncanny ability to repair electronics, her mother kept the old phone until then.


    The message also included a compressed file containing the testimony of Minh''s friends and the leader of the Czechoslovakian orchestra that year. All clues about Minh''s death led to Thanh, the last person to see Minh before his death.


    Thanh had the support of Mr Hieu and Mrs Phuong. When his career life was going smoothly, the couple started to turn against him.


    Without the support, Thanh had his position replaced in the city''s choir by a new person, and his career became much more difficult. He found two people to confront, but he did not expect his dirty secrets to be exposed by the couple. Thanh could not accept the reality because he had lived like their henchman for years. They also threatened his biological parents and forced him to leave the city. A month later, Thanh sent a complaint denouncing the couple''s abuse of power. He started entering showbiz, learning all kinds of tricks to attract attention.


    The buzz about Ngoc Lam''s return was echoed in daily conversations in Vietnam. A prodigy at the Conservatory of Music retired for ten years before returning with a foreign orchestra. She was used as an example of the National issue of ''brain drain''. Based on anonymous denunciations and Thanh''s, the Government quickly sent inspectors to the Conservatory of Music. The scandals surrounding the school and Mrs Phuong-Mr Hieu were gradually revealed.


    Thanh took advantage of the media to pre-empt the couple, causing public opinion to believe the story about the deceased child''s boyfriend being used and exploited by the couple. He did not expect that Mr Hieu-Mrs Phuong would not try to cover up their crimes but directly posted evidence of his involvement in Minh''s illness and death on social networks.


    The two sides denounced each other on social media, there was a lot of drama, and public opinion was divided into many factions that argued with the others for days. The investigation process was extended due to its complications. Every now and then, a new detail was revealed. The most shocking information that journalists collected was their mental abuse of Ngoc Lam, forcing her to retire for ten years and develop her own career abroad.


    Since then, the story of their collusion with powerful authorities to cover the eyes of outsiders, the story of oppressing other artists to gain advantages for their people, and the story of bribery and taking bribes have become even more exposed. Ngoc Lam''s case was just the most serious among dozens of mental abuse of students who were not pleasing to them.


    The Women''s Union and Children''s Rights Organizations also spoke up to demand justice for Ngoc Lam. The issue of child abuse was gradually being recognized by the community. Many people were investigated to be involved in this incident. Some had even become professionals, some were teachers, and some had positions in Government offices. Thanh was the most active bully. The evidence that he helped Mr Hieu and Mrs Phuong do immoral and illegal things was listed in the files of the report.


    For a long time, Mr Woods continued to climb hills and wade streams with his wife each day to teach children in the highlands. There were a few inspectors who came to see him. Mr Woods declared whatever he knew, sometimes secretly suggesting new sources of information that they could exploit.


    Luyen and Thuyen also went up the mountain to stay with the teachers for a few days. The two guys knew that Mr Woods was more or less involved in the matter in the city, and the Government knew even more. What happened to Ngoc Lam changed his perception of power and influence in that artistic environment. He had to build his own power, contact journalists, and quietly investigate the Conservatory''s scandals. K and M helped collect stories about Mr Hieu and Mrs Phuong using unfair competition practices abroad, information that caused Mr Hieu''s appointment application to be rejected.


    Even though he knew that Luyen and Thuyen hated power games in the music world, he could not stand the two students clinging to his house, outstaying his welcome. Mr Woods wanted to kick them out of his house.


    ¡°But it''s so chaotic down there, teacher!¡± The two guys grumbled.


    ¡°Chaos is chaos, but people who have to live still have to live. I''ve been through enough struggles. Now, it''s your turn."


    Luyen and Thuyen intended to return to the Conservatory of Music according to their initial wishes. But as soon as they reached the city, the situation was a filthy mess. The boys wanted to escape to the mountains, but they did not expect that Mr Woods was going to chase them away.


    "Go," Mr. Lam patted the two boys'' shoulders, "Remember to keep your mind clear and steady, then you won''t be afraid of encountering troubles like those two old people down there."


    ''Those two old people'' implied Mrs Phuong and Mr Hieu.


    At this point, the two guys had to leave.


    Sometime later, Mr Hieu, Msr Phuong, and Thanh were all sentenced to prison. Luckily, the couple had their sentence considerably reduced due to the relationships they had established during their career, so only Thanh received the heaviest sentence. The story also stirred up public opinion for a while.


    The teacher''s wife looked at Thanh''s outcome and pitied him. In his early days in the Conservatory, he was also a talented person, but she didn''t understand why he let himself fall into this situation. Mr Woods said that everyone needed moral and conscious cultivation. Unfortunately, from the beginning, Thanh chose to live like mistletoe, clinging to Minh to promote himself for too long to remember how to stand on his own feet.


    The Rector was dismissed and given a suspended sentence. The newly appointed person seems to be wise. Hopefully, he would run the Conservatory right.


    A few more years passed, and Luyen graduated with excellent results from the Conservatory of Music and was recruited as a lecturer there. Thuyen did not stay in the city, but he chose to go back to his hometown in the countryside, gather people in the village, and create a country music orchestra. Everyone said Thuyen was not a direct student of Mr Woods, but he influenced his way of life the most.


    Ngoc Lam and Van Thac became lovers and worked abroad. Mr Woods and his wife, in the mountainous area, not only taught the children but also travelled everywhere to collect local musical instruments and music as research topics. The teachers sent the documents to Ngoc Lam. Three people researched together. Later, Ngoc Lam''s projects were successfully defended, she earned a doctorate degree, and Mr Woods and his wife were named in these projects. The house of the teachers had become one of the destinations for tourists who wanted to learn about highland music and culture.


    Van Thac became a composer and trumpeter. He was striving to become a conductor like K and M.


    The next few years passed.


    Mr. Lam was still healthy. His wife often teased him that in the past, Mr Hieu and his wife intended to send him to the mountain to make him suffer. Now seeing him like that, they must be angry to death.


    Luyen married a woman outside the industry but had a passion for art and music.


    Thuyen was single, making friends with the fields, trees and music. He uses his social network account to share about his country music band, which also had a few achievements.


    Occasionally, Luyen, Thuyen, and Thac returned with the National Orchestra to perform state-level performances. Their childhood dream of playing in the same orchestra was also considered fulfilled.


    One afternoon, when clouds spread across the mountain, Mr Woods and his wife received a group of tourists. The tour guide asked them to help him catch chickens and cook rice, which reminded the teacher of the beggar-like appearance of K and M in the past.


    The smiling commune official drove an old motorcycle and parked it in front of the teacher''s house, giving him an envelope. That is the wedding invitation of Van Thac and Ngoc Lam.


    Teacher Lam looked at his wife and smiled happily, then he turned to the tourists sitting cross-legged around the rice tray, raising the wine cup above his head.


    ¡°Apple Meow Meow!¡±


    ¡°Apple Meow Meow!¡±


    [END]