ATLAS TRANSLATES

The dim lights cast only the swaying shadows of the phoenix tree from the neighboring courtyard onto the wall.

Jiang Fuli slightly lowered his head, his voice carrying its usual coolness.

A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, and at this hour, faint voices could occasionally be heard from the nearby courtyard.

He gently pulled Bai Lian closer for a light embrace.

His gaze swept over her black hair ends, the wooden hairpin gleaming softly in the lamplight, her slender fair neck, and this time he rested his chin on Bai Lian’s shoulder.

He nuzzled her slightly.

The alley held only a hint of cool mint floating in the air, the atmosphere quiet yet somehow restless.

“Alright,” he released her and stepped back, looking at her for a moment, his beautiful phoenix-like eyes curving slightly, “Good night.”

In the courtyard.

Ji Heng sat at the stone table, drawing designs. Beside him, Jiang He held half an apple in one hand and a puzzle piece in the other, methodically working on the puzzle.

The nearby light stretched their shadows long.

Bai Lian opened the door and entered, her voice calm: “Grandfather, I’m back.”

She always told Ji Heng when she returned home and left, and no matter how late, Ji Heng would wait for her.

“There are still some small dumplings in the rice cooker,” Ji Heng said, lowering his head to study the paper carefully before making a stroke.

Bai Lian put her backpack in her room and served herself a bowl of dumplings while checking her phone.

Xu Wenyao’s message: [I got a friend to find some new practice questions] Xu Wenyao: [Picture] They were biology and chemistry questions. Thanks to Director Huang’s explanation, he understood Bai Lian’s weak subjects well, and these materials weren’t easy to find.

Xu Wenyao: [Should I send them to your school?] Xu Wenyao had been to Xiangcheng and knew Bai Lian attended Xiangcheng First High School.

Bai Lian: [I’ll have someone pick them up from you tomorrow] Yan Lu had finished filming her scenes in Xiangcheng and went to Jiangjing to film the final segment, which should take about another month to complete.

Xuechun and Xiao Wu went to Jiangjing these days, firstly to deliver contracts to Yan Lu, and secondly to explore Jiangjing’s traditional medicine market.

Traditional medicine was declining, but Xiao Qi had big ambitions.

Speaking of which, Bai Lian switched to Xuechun’s WeChat to ask her to find Xu Wenyao tomorrow.

While eating dumplings and constantly checking her phone, Ji Heng watched her for a while. He put down his pen, took out his pipe, and said: “If you’re eating, don’t study. Balance work and rest.”

Bai Lian took a sip of soup and looked up, “Grandfather, what does ‘wave-particle duality of light’ mean?”

Ji Heng: “…”

He lowered his head, pried out a puzzle piece Jiang He had just placed, and said seriously: “You put this piece in the wrong place.”

Jiang He, with a mouthful of apple, watched helplessly as Ji Heng removed his correctly placed puzzle piece and forcefully put it in the wrong spot.

Jiang He: “…”

Saturday.

Xu Wenyao found some free time to visit the Xu corporation.

On the way, he happened to meet Director Wang, who had rushed back from abroad. Upon seeing Xu Wenyao, Wang’s face wrinkled into a smile, “Ah, Wenyao.”

“Director Wang.” Xu Wenyao was polite but distant.

He went straight to the elevator, leaving Director Wang at the elevator door making a “Pah!” sound. Wang still had some business undone abroad but rushed back after hearing news about Master Chen.

However, the Xu family remained tight-lipped about this matter, and he couldn’t get anything out of even Mrs. Xu.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened, and a middle-aged woman came out.

“Oh, Director Wang,” the woman, followed by her secretary, looked energetic and capable, “When you have time, let’s have another drink. I need to report to our chairman now.”

Director Wang’s face darkened. He naturally recognized her as someone from the Ma family. She had previously lost a case to him, but unexpectedly found an opportunity at this wedding banquet to meet Shen Min.

Looking at the middle-aged woman’s back, his smile became quite twisted. Who knew that Xu En’s second marriage, and to someone from who-knows-where, could attract both Shen Min and the Chen family?

Upstairs.

Xu Wenyao was discussing the school laboratory situation with Xu En.

Ji Mulan stood beside Xu En. Though she studied design, she was trying hard to get close to the Xu family members. She could understand a bit of what Xu Wenyao was saying.

Outside the door, Old Mrs. Xu entered with her cane.

She knew Xu Wenyao would come to Xu Corporation today and came to see him directly. “Wenyao, what’s going on between you and Shu Jun lately?”

“I’ve made things clear with her,” Xu Wenyao didn’t want to discuss this with Old Mrs. Xu. He pressed his brow and stood up, “Grandmother, I still need to deliver exam materials to Ah Lian’s friend. I’ll head downstairs first.”

He left directly.

Xu En and Ji Mulan remained silent. Ji Mulan couldn’t interfere with Xu Wenyao’s matters, and Xu En never restricted Xu Wenyao, which greatly troubled Old Mrs. Xu.

The Qi family was the most suitable among those she had in mind.

“Isn’t Bai Lian also taking the college entrance exam this year?” Old Mrs. Xu brought up Bai Lian, looking at Xu En, “The Qi family says they can arrange a transfer to the affiliated middle school.”

The affiliated middle school wasn’t somewhere you could just attend as you wished. Even for the Qi family to get Bai Lian in would require considerable effort.

Hearing Old Mrs. Xu say this, Ji Mulan clasped her hands tightly, very excited, and quickly looked at Xu En.

Xu En pondered briefly, “I’ll ask Ah Lian.”

Bai Lian had no classes today and replied quickly. Seeing her answer, Xu En wasn’t surprised, “Mom, tell the Qi family not to trouble themselves.”

“She won’t come?” Old Mrs. Xu was very surprised.

However, she wasn’t really concerned whether Bai Lian came or not, and didn’t pursue the matter further. She just looked at Xu En, “There aren’t many days left until the college entrance exam. You two need to look after Zhiyue well.”

Xu Zhiyue was Old Mrs. Xu’s hope, with grades even better than Xu Wenyao’s back then.

“She’ll definitely be in the top three,” the Xu family butler chimed in appropriately.

“Ancestors bless us,” Old Mrs. Xu put down her cane and clasped her hands, “Let’s hope for second place nationally.”

Ji Mulan didn’t understand much about the affiliated middle school, but when Xu Zhiyue was mentioned, her smile grew: “What if she gets first place?”

At this, Old Mrs. Xu glanced at Ji Mulan, took a sip of tea, and said nothing.

“The national first place isn’t easy to achieve. Even North City’s first place only ranks around 50th nationally. Second place would be unprecedented for the Xu family – our highest was Young Master Wenyao’s twelfth place back then,” the butler smiled, “This year’s first place will definitely go to the Liang family’s candidate – 82% of the betting pool is on the Liang family.”

So North City’s first place isn’t worth much? And the Liang family? Betting pool? What’s that? Ji Mulan lowered her eyes – another thing she hadn’t heard of before.

Downstairs.

Xu Wenyao held his phone, sent someone a location, and waited by the sidewalk.

He wore a black long wool coat with a white sweater underneath, looking gentle and refined, tall with long legs, a black scarf around his neck, his gaze searching through the crowd.

He had met Bai Lian’s friends before – Ning Xiao and Tang Ming both had a scholarly air about them, this one should be similar.

Soon, a woman in black knee-high boots appeared in his view, wearing leather pants, a tight sweater, and a long cotton coat with the zipper undone, snow-white fingers holding a cigarette, wavy hair, red lips – a kind of decadent beauty.

Though it was a bold and bright beauty, it seemed as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

Beside her was a spirited youth with red hair.

Xu Wenyao hadn’t connected these two with Bai Lian’s friends yet.

Until the woman stopped in front of him, looked him up and down, then checked her phone to compare, and curved her lips at him, “Are you the friend bringing things for Miss Bai?”

Xu Wenyao looked at her once, then nodded: “Yes, Xu Wenyao.”

He extended his hand politely for a handshake.

Xuechun looked at the Jiangjing University logo on his envelope, then at his clean hands, smiled, and didn’t raise her hand.

Beside her, the red-haired youth quickly grabbed Xu Wenyao’s hand with both of his: “Young Master Xu, right? Hello, hello, just give me sister’s things.”

He took Bai Lian’s items.

These two friends of Bai Lian’s were quite strange, Xu Wenyao thought as he watched them leave.

“Screech—”

A red sports car stopped in front of him, and Qi Shujun got out of the driver’s seat. She removed her sunglasses, “Xu Wenyao, you want to break up with me because of that woman just now?!”

Xu Wenyao came back to his senses and looked at Qi Shujun, “Shujun,”

Xiangcheng.

At noon, in the coffee shop on the first floor of the library, there weren’t many people.

When Ming Dongheng came in, Bai Lian was unusually sleeping with her head on the table. He lightened his footsteps and stood two meters away from the table, hesitantly looking at Jiang Fuli.

Jiang Fuli sat beside Bai Lian, looking down at her.

After seeing Ming Dongheng, he gently moved his chair and walked over to him.

Ming Dongheng held his phone, trying to keep his voice down, “Young Master Xu has arrived in North City. The butler says you shouldn’t go to the experimental base for the next few days.”

Jiang Fuli stood by the door, his gaze directed towards Bai Lian.

From this angle, he could see her exposed profile. The coffee shop was on the inner side, the light wasn’t strong, her skin was excessively fair, long eyelashes casting shadows on her eyelids.

She clearly wasn’t sleeping peacefully, her brows constantly furrowed.

He wondered if she slept like this at night too.

Jiang Fuli thought quietly.

“What fragrance does Butler Jiang usually use?” Jiang Fuli looked at Ming Dongheng.

Ming Dongheng: “…?”

The topic changed too quickly – Jiang Fuli had started a new topic before responding to him. Ming Dongheng looked up blankly, “Should I ask?”

“Mm.” Jiang Fuli stood straight and sat back down beside Bai Lian.

Ming Dongheng curiously looked at Bai Lian. This was the first time he had seen her sleeping in public. Though Bai Lian appeared lazy and seemingly indifferent to everything, she was extremely strict about such etiquette in her bones.

He must have stared too long.

Ming Dongheng felt a cold gaze and suddenly looked up, meeting Jiang Fuli’s light but extremely dangerous eyes. He shuddered as he realized.

He quickly turned and fled.

What was he doing staring at Young Miss Bai?

“Young Master Ming,” Tang Ming had just brought two milk teas over and saw Ming Dongheng’s state, confused, “Do you… need me to call a doctor?”

Ming Dongheng wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, expressionless: “Not necessary.”

Tang Ming shrugged, and as he turned, he imitated Ming Dongheng’s “Not necessary,” then muttered quietly: “So cool.”

He went in and saw Bai Lian still sleeping, so he carefully placed the two milk teas beside Jiang Fuli.

Bai Lian was still sleeping. Since her father and brother’s death, she had barely slept well. In her dreams were those blood-stained hands crawling out of yellow sand, the unrestful faces of her father and brother, the isolated White family army all dying on the battlefield…

Since meeting Ji Mulan, she dreamed most often of her mother.

In her dreams, she tried repeatedly to recreate these scenes.

Ji Heng always thought she was just a young person with abundant energy who didn’t need sleep.

Bai Lian’s hand moved slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. Jiang Fuli’s slender fingers pressed on the book as he looked down at her, his brows slightly furrowed, his voice somewhat low: “Did my page-turning wake you?”

Her eyes were blurry for only a second before becoming clear again. She sat up straight, supporting herself on the table, unhurriedly rubbing her wrist, “No, I’m just a light sleeper.”

Her voice was as leisurely as ever.

Jiang Fuli tore open the milk tea straw’s plastic wrapper with one hand, pierced the milk tea lid with the straw, and elegantly pushed the milk tea towards Bai Lian, “Wake yourself up.”

Meanwhile.

At Qingshui Street, in Ji Heng’s courtyard, the door was open.

Ji Heng was drawing, and beside him, a woman in her thirties was embroidering – working on the flower pattern for Class 15’s girls’ skirt hems. The quantity was large, and Ji Heng, worried about missing the children’s deadline, had specifically asked Ms. Liu from next door.

The door was gently knocked two or three times, “Hello.”

Ji Heng looked up and saw two strangers standing at the door. He put down his pen and stood up, “Who are you looking for?”

The slightly older person on the left looked up and laughed, “Young Master, it’s been a long time.”