ATLAS TRANSLATES

Most internet users were just there to watch the drama unfold, as the vast majority didn’t know Dean Jian.

But professionals in the comments section provided context, along with vivid comparisons.

Those outside the arts might not understand the status of being the Dean of Jiangjing Music Academy, but when compared to the Chancellor of Jiangjing University, everyone got the picture.

Yan Lu had an upcoming 3S+ rated drama, and besides that, she had three breakthrough songs in the domestic music scene this year.

No one could have imagined that the unknown arranger would be someone like Jian Zhongyou, who was detached from the entertainment circle. Jian Zhongyou was a master who could perform at national concerts.

Many internet users still couldn’t grasp Dean Jian’s status in traditional Chinese music.

But An Qi and his team, who had attended classes at the Music Academy, understood clearly. An Qi’s manager was trembling with shock: “…Yan Lu’s arranger was him? From the very first song? Why didn’t Yan Lu’s team ever promote this?”

It defied common sense.

When An Qi attended one class at Jiangjing University, they had paid so many marketing accounts. Yet with Jian Zhongyou as the arranger, why didn’t Wang Xin promote it?

He felt the same as most internet users.

If Jian Zhongyou was the arranger, who could possibly match him in writing lyrics and composing? An Qi’s manager clicked on Dean Jian’s following list.

The short video app was suitable for elderly users, so Dean Jian was often active there. This was his first time registering on Weibo, where he only followed three accounts.

Yan Lu, Jiangjing Music Academy’s official account, and – An Qi looked at the last one –

An account with a grey system avatar named “Jian”.

The Weibo account was clearly newly registered with no posts, but already had 100,000 followers.

Beside him, An Qi also stood up in disbelief: “The arranger is Dean Jian…”

That explained everything.

“Yes, he also follows Yan Lu,” An Qi’s manager looked dispirited. “No wonder Wang Xin would rather let Yan Lu be suppressed than post a clarification, even letting her lose ‘Perfect Day’…”

This gamble had ended in their complete defeat, with their initial million-yuan investment turning into pure traffic for Yan Lu.

That was…

The leading figure in traditional Chinese music, an artistic height they could never reach in their entertainment careers.

Thinking about An Qi’s previous marketing about attending classes at Jiangjing Music Academy, the manager looked at Man Xi. Man Xi was a top star created by Shiguang Entertainment. Initially, he had chosen Man Xi over Yan Lu for An Qi because of Man Xi’s popularity.

Now, the manager was starting to regret it.

If they hadn’t betrayed Yan Lu back then, wouldn’t An Qi have shared in this popularity now?

Maybe there would have been a chance for Dean Jian to arrange music for An Qi too…

Once these thoughts emerged, they became unstoppable. Man Xi, standing to the side, also sensed this.

**

In Xiangcheng.

After finishing her call with Xin Jie and Mei Yi’s side, she confirmed the filming location and celebrity guests with the “Come On Friends” production team.

“With Teacher Mei Yi coming, there won’t be much pressure on you,” Xin Jie came back from the courtyard with her phone. “You can film here. The production team might need to set up a script for you.”

“A script?” Bai Lian was hearing about scripts for variety shows for the first time. She looked up, surprised.

Xin Jie was also helpless, “Mei Yi is the only celebrity guest, other groups have several industry friends. Yan Lu’s daily life is boring – other artists attend fashion shows, have many friends, talk about life. She just reads books and learns acting from teachers every day. I’m afraid if she invites Mei Yi over, they’ll just read books for two days. How can audiences watch two hours of them reading?”

Speaking of which, Xin Jie looked at Bai Lian. Since meeting Bai Lian, Yan Lu had been reading more diligently than most high school seniors.

In the “Da Yong” drama series preview, most shots of Yan Lu showed her reading books, scripts, and observing seniors.

“Take them to Wutong Street,” Bai Lian suggested.

However, as a phenomenal tourist street now, it was always crowded and might not be suitable for long-term recording.

Bai Lian tilted her head looking at Yan Lu, tapping her fingers on the table, slowly thinking.

Perhaps feeling guilty about not watching Zhang Shize properly during his year in prison, Bai Lian had become more caring towards Yan Lu and Zhang Ma.

Xin Jie’s phone rang again.

It was the CEO of Shiguang Entertainment. As soon as the call connected, his cheerful voice came through, “Xin Jie, why didn’t you tell us earlier that the arranger was Dean Jian…”

The CEO politely called her “Xin Jie.”

Wang Xin was stunned at this moment. She didn’t know about Jiang Fuli and Dean Jian’s plan, but hearing the CEO say this, she knew Dean Jian must have clarified things online.

She dealt with it briefly, then the CEO offered to introduce more industry “friends” to help Yan Lu record the show, but Wang Xin declined.

“Well then, I’ll talk to ‘Come On Friends’ about having Yan Lu appear in more episodes,” the CEO didn’t mind. “By the way, if Dean Jian is the arranger, who wrote the lyrics and composed the music?”

He was fishing for information.

Regardless of the upcoming drama, industry insiders knew Yan Lu could be famous just from her songs. With such quality in lyrics and composition, plus Dean Jian’s arrangement, no one in the recent music scene could compare.

Xin Jie’s gaze fell on Bai Lian as she skillfully changed the subject.

Shiguang Entertainment’s CEO was also tactful and didn’t pursue the matter.

While she was on the phone, Xiao Tian and Ah Huang hadn’t received Weibo notifications, but their WeChat was flooded with inquiries from friends.

As soon as Ah Huang opened his phone, he saw messages from his industry friend:

[Yan Lu’s arranger is the Dean of Jiangjing Music Academy? Damn, how could you keep such big news from me! I’ve been worried about you guys for two days!]

[Ah Huang, I’m really angry (smile)]

Ah Huang: “…??”

Huh???

**

At night, 10 PM.

Black Water Street bar.

Bai Lian sat on a high stool, leisurely working on her test papers.

“The first batch of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners will get their certificates soon,” Mao Kun tapped the bar counter, signaling the bartender for a cocktail. “Xiao Qi hasn’t returned yet, first-tier city pharmacies are all rejecting Gu Yuan Paste.”

Gu Ben Paste had low profits and faced market suppression, but it sold well in Xiangcheng thanks to locals and tourists.

The rest relied on Mao Kun’s selling power at the fighting arena, but the medicine used there was too strong for the regular consumer market.

“But he said he wanted to do something about sinking…” Mao Kun didn’t understand these things.

“The Luo family is the domestic pharmaceutical king, backed by R country funding, suppressing other Chinese medicine markets,” Xue Chun came over with a tray and explained. “So Mr. Xiao Qi decided to first open up the sinking market, only entering village pharmacies in eighteenth-tier cities. He’s already found dozens of distributors.”

Everyone knew about Xiangcheng’s large-scale purchase of Chinese herbs. Many people didn’t go out to work this year, staying in Xiangcheng to grow medicinal herbs instead.

Once the market opens up, everything else would fall into place.

Bai Lian listened from the side. Though she didn’t fully understand, after Xue Chun’s explanation she got it – this was a long-term battle.

Neither Bai Lian nor Mao Kun could help with this. Bai Lian just told them that after getting their Chinese medicine certificates, she would teach them her set of acupuncture techniques for myopia.

“I have a fighting match this Saturday,” Mao Kun waited for them to finish talking before telling Bai Lian. “Sis, want to come watch?”

Mao Kun didn’t fight much anymore, but the arena actively invited him because his popularity was too high.

“Fighting match…” Bai Lian wrote down a line under the light, remembering what Xin Jie said. “Aren’t tickets for your matches hard to buy?”

“That’s for outsiders. I’m practically part of the fighting arena.” Mao Kun took a sip of his cocktail.

He never went to high school but was very curious – do high school students really have this much homework now?

Every time Bai Lian was busiest, she was always writing test papers, nothing but test papers.

Bai Lian finished writing and didn’t check her work, casually turning a page. “Can you bring people in to film?”

She explained about Yan Lu’s show recording.

Wutong Street was too crowded and Yan Lu couldn’t stay long, but Black Water Street was full of international friends – no one would recognize a minor celebrity from China.

There were many interesting things too.

Xin Jie just thought Yan Lu was too boring and worried about the show’s effect.

Mao Kun wasn’t sure either. He spoke into his phone for a while, then told Bai Lian, “But they can only have five tickets. The final edit needs to be shown to the fighting arena because many things on Black Water Street can’t be exposed to the public. I’ll have Xiao Wu accompany them, they won’t get into trouble.”

Xiao Wu was now a well-known figure on Black Water Street.

Five tickets meant most of the variety show staff couldn’t come.

“Okay.” Bai Lian nodded.

Behind them, Xue Chun returned to the bar counter and picked up a lemon, thinking silently –

Bringing variety show filming crew here, aren’t they trying to scare them to death…

“Are you leaving soon?” Bai Lian suddenly remembered this and turned to look at Xue Chun.

Xue Chun took out a bottle from behind, very respectful towards Bai Lian. “Mr. Xiao Qi wants me to go to Jiangjing to learn bartending, learn some things.”

The bar had a branch in Jiangjing.

Bai Lian watched as Xue Chun rubbed lemon on the glass rim, smoothly turning it in the air. The bar’s lights reflected off Xue Chun’s charming face, her movements graceful and fluid.

Would drinks made like this taste better?

She picked up the drink Xue Chun made for her.

Very light, quite different from the drinks she had before.

Beside them, the male bartender handed his cocktail to Mao Kun, looking very dejected: “Young Master Mao, why does Miss Bai only drink Xue Chun’s cocktails? Are mine not good?”

Mao Kun looked at Xue Chun, then at Bai Lian. “No, maybe yours just don’t look as good.”

“…”

**

Thursday.

Xu Nanjing drove Bai Lian back to Qingshui Street.

In most cases, Xu Nanjing had replaced Ming Donghen as Bai Lian’s driver.

“We’re going to watch fights at Black Water Street this Saturday,” Xu Nanjing stopped the car at the intersection and looked at Bai Lian sitting in the back. “Little Sister Bai Lian, want to come? It’s a rare chance, I only got tickets through Charles.”

In the passenger seat, Xiao Bingwen looked up from checking Weibo, hesitating: “It’s too bloody, better not.”

That place was also messy.

Xu Nanjing realized this and looked at Bai Lian studying obediently in the rearview mirror: “You’re right, Little Sister Bai Lian, you should focus on studying.”

Bai Lian lazily made an “mm” sound.

The car was playing Yan Lu’s three songs on loop through Xiao Bingwen’s Bluetooth. Xu Nanjing started the car, “You like Yan Lu that much?”

Xiao Bingwen returned to WeChat to message Liu Shuhe.

Xiao Bingwen: [Your teacher actually participated]

Liu Shuhe: [She has the ability, not many people can get teacher to arrange music, don’t know who the composer is]

“You don’t understand,” Xiao Bingwen held his phone. “If you knew who the arranger was, you’d be shocked.”

Xu Nanjing wasn’t interested in entertainment circles. He’d been busy with Charles’s matter lately, or thinking about how to formally introduce Bai Lian to his family, or how to introduce his mother to Bai Lian.

There was an information barrier.

“Who is it?” Xu Nanjing responded casually.

“Dean Jian,” Xiao Bingwen lowered his voice mysteriously. “Shuhe’s teacher.”

“Ah?” Xu Nanjing had heard of these two but never met them. He was very surprised. “He arranged music for a celebrity?”

“Yes,” Xiao Bingwen sighed. “Everyone’s guessing who the mysterious composer is, definitely not inferior to Dean Jian. This has blown up in both traditional music and entertainment circles.”

Being close to Liu Shuhe, Xiao Bingwen naturally understood music. Yan Lu’s three songs being so popular already showed the composer’s ability.

After Dean Jian appeared, even Liu Shuhe and others were guessing which master wrote the lyrics and music, let alone others.

Xu Nanjing also found it unexpected. Remembering something, he explained to Bai Lian in the back, “Dean Jian, seems to be that very skilled guzheng teacher. Little Sister Bai Lian, when you go to Jiangjing, I have a surprise for you.”

He remembered something Gao Yan told him.

In the back seat, Bai Lian lazily turned a page.

The car arrived at Qingshui Street.

Bai Lian said goodbye to Xu Nanjing.

A yellow-haired guy smoking by the trash can at Qingshui Street stood up when he saw Bai Lian. With the cigarette in his mouth, he pulled some tickets from his pocket and gave them to Bai Lian.

Bai Lian reached out to take them.

In the car.

Seeing Bai Lian interact with a delinquent-looking yellow-haired guy, Xu Nanjing sat up straight, watching the yellow-haired guy hand something to Bai Lian.

“Hey,” Xu Nanjing sat up straight, eyes narrowing, patting Xiao Bingwen’s shoulder. “Doesn’t that thing in her hand look familiar?”