ATLAS TRANSLATES

Madam Song tightened her vest. “What phone call?” she asked in surprise as she walked down, pouring a cup of water for Director Yin. “Brother, have some water and tell me slowly.”

Director Yin held the cup but didn’t drink, just staring at her: “A call from the Chen family.”

“You mean… that Chen family?” Madam Song’s heart skipped a beat.

Others might not know, but Madam Song did.

Xingjang District was small, with most land being either public or leased. Only a few families could live there, and the Chen family was one of them.

Director Yin nodded, gripping his teacup, his voice tinged with jealousy: “The Xu family’s wedding reception has everyone talking. I just found out the Chen family was there today. Didn’t you receive an invitation too?”

He remembered Madam Song came to Jiangjing for the wedding.

“Many people tried to get the Chen family’s contact,” Director Yin looked hopefully at Madam Song, “What about you?”

“The Chen family?” Madam Song’s mind went blank, “They really got the Chen family to attend?”

The Chen family…

Was Ji Mulan really that lucky?

“You mean…” Director Yin saw her expression and knew something was wrong.

Madam Song looked up dazedly, “Brother, the wedding clashed with Shaoqi’s performance. I discussed it with Ming two days ago – we decided to skip the Xu family’s wedding to watch Shaoqi perform.”

“What?! You…” Director Yin stood up, looking down at Madam Song, wanting to scold her but not knowing where to start. “You… how foolish! Do you know how rare this opportunity was?!”

Madam Song knew exactly how rare the opportunity was. She sat there, regretting deeply. It would have been different if she hadn’t received an invitation, but she had one and still missed it – this was what troubled her most.

Even in ten years, the Yin family might not get another chance like this.

**

The next day.

Before 5 AM, Shen Qing pulled Jiang He out of bed and helped him put on a coat.

Jiang He hadn’t even opened his eyes, just following Shen Qing’s movements.

“You’ll get airplane food later on the flight,” Shen Qing told Jiang He. She was looking forward to the airplane food herself.

Ji Shaojun was outside urging them to hurry.

The Xu family was already waiting at the hotel entrance. Seeing Jiang He’s eyes still closed, Ji Heng told Ji Shaojun: “You wait for them, I’ll go down first.”

They couldn’t keep the Xu family waiting.

Ji Heng took the elevator down. At this hour, the hotel was quiet, with almost no wait for elevators. One arrived within minutes.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened.

Inside were two people – an elderly man with a white beard and a middle-aged man beside him.

They were frowning and discussing something.

Ji Heng didn’t clearly see who was inside. Since there were people in the elevator, he stepped aside to let them exit first, his right hand carrying a bag, his left holding a pipe.

The white-bearded old man stepped out.

As Ji Heng walked past him into the elevator, the old man suddenly stopped, turned back trembling, his lips quivering, pointing at the person in the elevator: “You… Mu…”

Ji Heng didn’t stop walking. He frowned at the old man and pressed the button for the first floor.

“Wait…” The old man reached out to stop the closing elevator doors, breathing heavily.

But the doors closed anyway.

Beside the old man, the middle-aged man supported him, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

He helped the old man sit down, took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket, and gave him a pill.

Meanwhile, the elevator display showed “L1”.

Downstairs.

Xu En happened to be waiting by the stairs. Seeing the elevator doors open, he went to take Ji Heng’s bag, “Why didn’t you wait for me to come up and get you?”

“It’s not much stuff.” Ji Heng took out his lighter and lit his pipe.

He lowered his head and smoked silently.

Xu En looked at Ji Heng in surprise. Although Ji Heng liked tobacco, he never smoked in public places, usually only in hotel rooms with open windows.

What was wrong today? Though it seemed strange, Xu En didn’t ask.

All the Xu family members were waiting in the first-floor lobby.

Hearing that the Ji family was leaving at five, Old Madam Xu insisted on coming to see them off, waiting in the lobby since four.

“It’s really strange,” Butler Xu supported her, “I checked today’s flight tickets – the plane is at 9:30 AM. Even leaving at 8 would be fine. Why make everyone get up so early?”

Butler Xu frowned.

Originally, the Xu family had booked tickets for the Ji family last night, but they didn’t leave then, only saying they’d leave early today.

“Let them leave whenever they want,” Old Madam Xu pressed her temples, “Is Bai Lian really at the Boyuan Base?”

Butler Xu nodded, “Yes, I heard she’s very good at mathematics.”

“That’s unexpected,” Old Madam Xu nodded, “No wonder… Xu En wants to acknowledge her. It wouldn’t be bad to bring her back, but…”

Old Madam Xu glanced at Butler Xu, “Zhiyue was raised by me since childhood. Even if Bai Lian returns, she shouldn’t be treated better than her.”

She knew Xu En had kept a room for Bai Lian.

“Don’t worry about that,” Butler Xu lowered his head, “Everyone knows Miss Zhiyue was raised by you. Although Bai Lian has good grades, they’re not better than Miss Zhiyue’s.”

At the airport.

Mr. Qi and Qi Shuyun were already waiting at the entrance.

“Old Madam, Mr. Xu,” seeing Old Madam Xu’s group, Mr. Qi smiled and went forward, “Wenyao, finally we’ve been waiting for you all. Mr. Ji, hello.”

Mr. Qi wore gold-rimmed glasses and shook hands with Ji Heng, his gaze discreetly moving over Ji Heng, Ji Shaojun, and Shen Qing. Shen Qing didn’t dare meet his eyes and sheepishly retreated behind Ji Shaojun.

After the Chen family incident yesterday, the Qi family had gone to the Xu family that afternoon.

Everyone in Jiangjing knew how to read the situation.

Director Shen, the Chen family – the Qi family couldn’t reach either of them.

After shaking hands with Ji Heng, Mr. Qi couldn’t understand – only Ji Heng looked steady, but even he didn’t seem like someone from the Chen family’s circle. What was really going on?

Qi Shuyun wore a black coat with knee-high boots, her sunglasses tucked in her collar. She glanced at Xu Wenyao, then turned away.

The Qi family also regretted – that ticket could have been a good opportunity to bond with the Xu family, but instead it became a sore point between the two families.

“Shuyun, don’t be difficult.” Mr. Qi thought, looking down at Qi Shuyun warning her.

Qi Shuyun then raised her head to greet Ji Heng and the others.

**

Bai Lian was waiting for Ji Heng at security with Ning Xiao and Tang Ming.

“Look, Ah Lian is over there,” Xu En spotted Bai Lian from afar.

He introduced her to Mr. Qi.

Mr. Qi was seeing Bai Lian for the first time. He and Qi Shuyun both instinctively looked in that direction.

Since they were going to Xiangcheng, Bai Lian was wearing the gold-threaded horse-face jacket from her speech day. She stood at security, wooden hairpins lazily woven in her hair, her eyes and brows showing unrestrained spirit, truly youthful and striking. Only the white bluetooth earphones in her ears seemed out of place.

She was very good-looking. Qi Shuyun looked over: “So that’s her.”

Mr. Qi fell behind the group. Being a scholarly man with strong pride, he didn’t interact much with the other Ji family members, but he could see something special in Bai Lian’s bearing. He lowered his head to ask Old Madam Xu: “Is this the ‘Miss Bai’ they mentioned?”

Old Madam Xu gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Just her alone?” Mr. Qi looked up again, scanning around Bai Lian but not seeing anyone like Director Chen.

“Don’t know, maybe they haven’t arrived yet?” Old Madam Xu was also surprised. She had expected Director Chen to come see Bai Lian off, but he wasn’t here.

Xu En didn’t think as much as the other two.

He quickened his pace to the front, “Ah Lian, good morning. Have you eaten?”

He was carrying Ji Heng’s bag and pushing Jiang He’s large cabbage box.

“We’ll eat later,” Bai Lian was listening to something, looking up at Xu En.

Her gaze swept over the Xu and Qi families, finally giving just a slight nod to Xu Wenyao.

Bai Lian made no effort to hide her dislike. Old Madam Xu had never seen someone so bold and careless about consequences. Her smile became somewhat stiff.

**

“You two know where to go, take my grandfather and the others to rest first,” Bai Lian carelessly turned her head to speak to Ning Xiao and Tang Ming.

They had both come on Young Master Jiang’s plane before. Although they’d only walked through the airport once, the route was complex, but for Ning Xiao with his library memory method, it wasn’t a problem.

Tang Ming went to take the things from Shen Qing and Xu En’s hands.

When he saw Jiang He’s box, he paused, thinking this box should probably go to cool guy Ning Xiao instead.

Tang Ming took Ji Heng’s bag, leaving Ning Xiao looking at the cabbage box: “…”

Jiang He looked up blankly at Ning Xiao, slowly blinking once.

Ning Xiao: “…”

He silently picked up the box and went through security.

Ji Shaojun, who had wanted to switch boxes with Ning Xiao, quietly withdrew his hand.

“You’re not going?” Xu En watched them go through security, then looked at Bai Lian who remained standing.

Bai Lian lazily scrolled through her reading, stopping to check definitions when she encountered new words: “No, I’m waiting for someone. He’s coming to see us off.”

“Who?” Old Madam Xu’s heart stirred.

Beside her, Mr. Qi also looked at Bai Lian.

Bai Lian glanced at her, “An old man who likes shopping and morning runs.”

Shopping, old man.

This clearly didn’t match Director Chen’s description. Old Madam Xu smiled and said nothing more.

“You all should head back first.” Bai Lian scrolled past another word, looked up at Xu En, telling them to go ahead.

Xu Wenyao stood to the side. He took off his down jacket, wearing only a gray sweatshirt, and said to Xu En: “Dad, you go back first, I’ll stay here.”

It was the second day after his wedding, and Xu En had many things to handle.

Xu En didn’t refuse: “Alright then, Ah Lian, I’ll head back first. We’ll come see you in Xiangcheng after the New Year.”

Old Madam Xu had originally hoped to see Director Chen, but since he wasn’t here, she didn’t want to stay either.

Xu En looked at Mr. Qi, asking, “Shall we go together?”

“Let’s go,” Mr. Qi was also disappointed. He looked at Qi Shuyun, “Xiaojun, stay with Wenyao…”

“Dad, I’ll go with you all,” Qi Shuyun still remembered that Xu Wenyao hadn’t apologized to her. She put on her sunglasses, “I have an unfinished paper.”

Mr. Qi smiled at Xu En, “You know I only have this one daughter who I spoil. She’s writing a paper for Dr. Zuo, helping with one of his projects. She needs to rush to his lab early now.”

Xu En knew the Qi family always spoke with purpose: “Dr. Zuo?”

“Yes, Dean Huang’s student,” Mr. Qi glanced briefly at Xu Wenyao, then smiled, “Not many people know, but Dean Huang studied under Professor Ma…”

His gaze moved from Xu Wenyao to Bai Lian.

Bai Lian was looking down listening to vocabulary, her expression as casual as ever, eyelashes lowered – she probably hadn’t heard, or didn’t know Dean Huang.

However…

Mr. Qi saw Xu Wenyao’s somewhat surprised expression and finally felt relieved.

After the Chen family incident came out, he had been thinking about how to repair relations with the Xu family. Now there was finally a turning point. Although they hadn’t seen Mr. Chen, it was still one worry resolved.

“No wonder…” hearing Mr. Qi’s words, Old Madam Xu smiled and patted Qi Shuyun’s hand, “I knew Xiaojun had talent. Wenyao, why don’t you go with Xiaojun to see the lab?”

“Yes,” Mr. Qi smoothly looked at Xu Wenyao, “Go with Xiaojun, you young people.”

Qi Shuyun also looked at Xu Wenyao.

Xu Wenyao was talking to Bai Lian and only turned his head slightly. His features were gentle and polite as he said: “This is Ah Lian’s first time here, we still have many things to discuss.”

He politely declined.

No one had ever seen him angry.

Xu En put his hands in his coat pockets. He couldn’t figure out Xu Wenyao’s feelings toward Qi Shuyun, “Shuyun, stay with Wenyao and wait for Ah Lian?”

Bai Lian was leaving at 6, whoever was seeing her off wouldn’t be that late.

“Never mind, the lab won’t wait.” Qi Shuyun pressed her lips, glanced at Xu Wenyao, and left.

Mr. Qi didn’t speak up either. Unable to meet that Mr. Chen, even Old Madam Xu was leaving – he didn’t want Qi Shuyun to stay and keep company.

Everyone left.

**

After everyone had gone.

“These are the notes we organized,” Xu Wenyao chatted with Bai Lian about the Boyuan Base for a while, then took out three notebooks, “One is Liang Wuyu’s, it’s Yueyue…”

He didn’t know how to say the word “stole,” so he glossed over it.

“Take a good look when you get back.” Xu Wenyao handed the notebooks to Bai Lian. He had heard from Xu Zhiyue that Bai Lian wasn’t very good at comprehensive science subjects.

Ah—

Bai Lian took the three notebooks, her nerves jumping violently.

Especially seeing that one was a physics notebook – what if Jiang Fuli saw this…?

“Has the person seeing you off not arrived yet?” Xu Wenyao looked at the time – 5:40 already, “Will you make it?”

Bai Lian looked toward the entrance.

A tall, somewhat cold figure wearing a baseball cap walked unhurriedly, cold and noble, the flow of people around him instantly becoming mere backdrop.

Behind him followed an old man who seemed quite nimble while shopping.

Warning bells went off in Bai Lian’s head as she stuffed the notebooks back into Xu Wenyao’s hands—

“You hold these first.”