13: The Sound of Falling Snow

Beta'd by SnowyEgrett

The next day Lin FenXiang awoke earlier than usual. Having nothing better to do, he resorted to standing by the window to admire the modern scenery.

Although it couldn't compare to his time, it had a beauty of its own, a decaying and desolate but futuristic beauty.

Lin FenXiang sighed softly, sipping tea from the cup in his hand. He didn't know how he would face his paintings. He had once created them with his own hands and yet, yet now neither the name nor those paintings would ever be associated with his new identity.

Did he feel dissociated with this future world? Of course he did, but he was somehow managing the dysphoria.

He was, he knew he would be able to do it.

It didn't matter. Acting in order to make people believe he was fine was his strong suit.

Drystan Meyer had done it throughout his life and Lin FenXiang would do it this time as well.

He was, after all, the same person.

Lin FenXiang sighed again. Pursing his lips together he walked to his suitcase and took out the clothes he was going to wear today.

Something simple, something low-key would be better.

Going through his clothes, he finally took out something that was simple and artistically pleasing enough to fit his aesthetics.

Slowly trudging into the bathroom, he changed into the clothes he'd chosen.

Standing in front of the mirror, Lin FenXiang inspected himself casually. He wore a creamy brown button down under a beige safari field jacket reaching just above his mid-thigh. Below his torso, a pair of white trousers fit perfectly against his long legs.

Nodding in satisfaction, Lin FenXiang quickly wore a white face mask and a brown beret to suit his look.

Double-checking his mobile phone, his room key and wallet, he quickly made his way down the stairs of the hotel and saw a man standing at the bottom of the stairs.

As soon as the man heard him approach, he looked up and his eyes met with Lin FenXiang's. The latter gave him a polite nod and hurried downstairs.

"Are you Mr. Michael Lin?" The man asked with an Irish lilt to his words. "I'm Mitch, Mr. Bai XiNian's assistant. I'm going to escort you to the exhibit.” Lin FenXiang nodded slightly.

"I am. Sorry for the trouble," he answered politely as they made their way out of the hotel. Mitch chuckled breathily.

"It's no trouble, Mr. Lin, this is a part of my job."

Lin FenXiang offered him a calm nod and busied himself with looking out of the window. Before long, the rental car drove into Beaumont Street and soon Oxford University came into his sight.

Unable to withhold the sigh that escaped him, Lin FenXiang allowed himself to smile just a little at the sight of his alma mater.

Lin FenXiang might not have gone to Oxford University, but Drystan Meyer did.

Thus, as an alumni of this university, Lin FenXiang was honestly glad to have his alma mater be the one to hold his paintings.

Even if it did hurt to return here as an outsider.

Lin FenXiang bit his lips as he followed Mitch who was leading him around the university.

The different yet familiar University was mostly as he remembered it. His eyes darted around the entire place and suppressed another sigh.

They were considerably early when the two of them made it to the museum. All the paintings were yet to be uncovered as they hung on the walls.

At a distance was Bai XiNian, fussing over the people who were transporting the paintings and artworks by him.

To Lin FenXiang's surprise, not only were his paintings here for the exhibition but also the sculptures — statues —he'd made, they, too, were covered like the paintings.

The official unveiling was yet to be done.

Lin FenXiang stood at the door, staring at the picture of the past merging with the future in front of his eyes, in silence.

When his impassioned best friend finally noticed his presence, the man promptly turned his attention to him.

"FenXiang!" Bai XiNian waved to him, his steps light and cheerful. "You're here! Wait for a bit, yeah? The exhibit will start soon, this is going to be really beautiful. I can't wait for the world to see Drystan Meyer's brilliance." He sounded so excited.

Lin FenXiang smiled slightly, feeling the excitement radiating off his best friend, and nodded indulgently.

"True brilliance cannot be hidden for long, XiNian," he answered faintly. "I'm sure your efforts will be worth it."

Bai XiNian nodded gratefully, after a period of silence with Mitch having excused himself, he spoke somewhat regretfully. "Unfortunately, not all of his works are here. It's such a pity that some of his creations are damaged enough for the restorers to raise their hands in defeat."

Lin FenXiang bit his lips to stop himself saying that he wanted to see them for himself. Maybe he could help.

But then again, in Bai XiNian's eyes, he was probably just a layman who couldn't do it, especially when even the most experienced professionals had given up.

There was no way Lin FenXiang wanted to draw suspicion to himself.

So he caught himself before he could do something he would come to regret.

Lin FenXiang shook his head as he remarked. "You can't save everything, XiNian." Bai XiNian sighed in response.

"I know," he muttered in a low whisper. "But I can't help but feel regret."

"Don't regret something you have no power to change."

Lin FenXiang slowly broke away from the curator and wandered his way around the campus.

His eyes held nostalgia and a soft, reminiscent look in them. Oh, how he missed being back in his timeline.

He gently bit down on his lower lip and suppressed a scoff. What was the use of reminiscing about something that was impossible to go back to?

Lin FenXiang sucked in a harsh breath, forcing himself to press down the storm of emotions in his heart.

As he wandered through the desolate hallways, he came across the music room. It was about the same as he remembered, the same room where he'd first seen the love of his life, his insufferable rival, his muse.

Adrastus Esmeray.

Against his better judgement, Lin FenXiang couldn't stop himself from walking into the room, his feet automatically carrying him to the grand piano in the corner.

The piano was open, clean as it had been in his time. It wasn't quite the same as the one back then, but it was still beautiful.

He could almost see Adrastus sitting in front of the piano. His slender, elegant and far too beautiful fingers poised on the black and white keys. The beautiful nobleman sat there, ready to play the melody he'd created. The song Lin FenXiang remembered and was intimately familiar with the very first time Drystan had seen him.

Subconsciously, his fingers touched the keys and against his own will, his fingers moved, dancing across the piano keys the same way he'd seen Adrastus playing time and time again.

More than a thousand times, different songs, different melodies. Yet the complex emotions were as easy to discern as painting was for Drystan.

Among all those musical pieces, one has stood out to him the most.

And it was the one Adrastus had played the first time they'd spent their time together, as lovers.

Their trysts were secretive. Sometimes harsh, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes heated and sometimes grief-laden but more often than not, full of love.

Away from the judgemental eyes, scornful disgust of the society.

Hence, before he knew it, Lin FenXiang was already playing a song he'd listened to Adrastus play.

He didn't know how much time had passed since then, but by the time he returned to himself, Lin FenXiang was not alone in the music room.

—Tristan Fletcher was there as well, listening to him play Adrastus' song.

Their song.

Lin FenXiang pulled away from the piano with a jerk. As the music abruptly cut off, Tristan also drew closer to him.

With a contemplative look in his eyes, the young man spoke softly.

"I didn't know you had a talent for music as well. You played this quite well, 'The Sound of Falling Snow', that is."

"The Sound of Falling Snow?" Lin FenXiang echoed in confusion.

"Yeah, a beautiful piece created by none other than the Duke of Yorkshire, Adrastus Esmeray." Tristan smiled. "You didn't know?"

"No," Lin FenXiang shook his head. "I didn't know it had a name. I just heard it from a… someone I cherished."

Tristan gave him an inquisitive look, their lips pulling into a smile as they said. "Not so straight are you?"

Lin FenXiang finally laughed. "I wouldn't claim to be." He shrugged. "Really, far from that."

Tristan flashed a smile at him. "Then let's go," he said. "The exhibition has already started. Maybe we could do exactly what we are here for."

Lin FenXiang nodded and made an 'After you' gesture at him.

As Tristan drifted farther away from him, Lin FenXiang stepped out of the room.

Pausing just before he, too, walked away, Lin FenXiang looked at the music room, at the piano, over his shoulder and then walked away.

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Author has something to say:

Adrastus: [/smiling/] so you do remember me.

Author: [Sweatdrop.jpg]

Additionally:

I do not know how many of you are willing to read this novel and stick to this journey but I'll be glad to have you with me. To whoever is reading this, I give you a <3

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AND VERY IMPORTANT NEWS

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