ATLAS TRANSLATES

Bai Lian’s demeanor almost made Sister Xin think they were the same age.

When she heard Bai Lian mention the college entrance exam, she suddenly realized that Bai Lian was only in her third year of high school and still needed to take the exam.

After listening, Sister Xin only said one thing seriously: “You will surely ride the wind and waves, soaring straight to the heavens.”

After hanging up the phone, she stood there in a daze.

Beside her, Yan Lu, who was flipping through a script, looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yan Lu was going to a new production crew for a period drama. After trying on the makeup, she had dyed her smog-blue hair back to black to make it easier to wear wigs.

“Miss Bai said she sent the new song to Dean Jian,” Wang Xin came back to her senses. She put down her phone and looked at Yan Lu, “Also, she’s going into seclusion to prepare for the college entrance exam. Online they’re saying Ning Xiao has a good chance of placing in the national top ten. Yan Lu, do you remember how Ning Xiao often asked Miss Bai questions?”

Yan Lu pressed her hand on the script, “Yes.”

“That means Miss Bai’s grades might be even better than his…” Wang Xin’s gaze turned toward the window.

Having spent so much time together, Sister Xin understood Ning Xiao and his group’s attitude toward Bai Lian.

Like her and Yan Lu, they deeply respected her.

Just with Ning Xiao alone, netizens had opened many threads discussing hot topics. If Bai Lian was added to the mix, Xiangcheng might produce two students in the national top ten.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see ten such students emerge from Jiangjing, but this was Xiangcheng.

The rarity was comparable to finding two gold ingots in the desert.

Wang Xin felt this year’s college entrance exam would definitely be more lively than previous years.

“Your Xiangcheng is really becoming exciting, producing extraordinary talents,” Wang Xin sighed sincerely, then remembered something: “Do you know about that Strawberry Ice Cream person?”

Yan Lu frowned, knowing this was the person who had started the rumors before.

“She’s been getting a lot of attention these past few days. After unfollowing you, she became Miss Bai’s biggest fan,” Wang Xin was also surprised. “She established a fan support club for Miss Bai, though she’s still your anti-fan.”

Yan Lu: “…”

This was normal. Yan Lu didn’t have any signature works, and compared to professional singers, her singing skills were average.

Her songs were popular only because of Bai Lian and Dean Jian.

The next day.

After school in the afternoon, when Bai Lian and Wen Qi’s group arrived at the Zhang house, they saw Mr. Zhang, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, moving flower pots.

Seeing this group of students, Mr. Zhang put down the flower pot: “I’ll have no work for these two months, rest time. You all focus on preparing for the college entrance exam. After the exam, I’ll treat you all to a big feast!”

As he spoke, he brought out lots of fruit for the students to eat.

During his time away, he was thankful for these students; otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt at ease with Mrs. Zhang alone at home.

“Okay, Uncle.” Wen Qi took the watermelon and moved close to Bai Lian, curiously watching Mr. Zhang lifting a person-high potted landscape. “Haoren’s dad is amazing, lifting such a heavy flower pot with one hand.”

He was very impressed.

The others nodded in agreement. Bai Lian looked at the calluses on Mr. Zhang’s hands and took a bite of watermelon without saying anything.

With Mr. Zhang’s return, the students from Class 15 no longer needed to check in at the Zhang house every day.

Bai Lian and Lu Xiaohan returned to the milk tea shop to do homework.

Someone with money had expanded the shop, and at this hour, many students were doing exercises inside.

Jian Zhe sat beside Bai Lian, listening to her revise his article.

“Known by name and emulating it… this narration is too general and empty,” she marked Jian Zhe’s writing, her pen tip pointing at his sentence: “Confucian outside and Legalist inside, Taoism isn’t empty; he maintains balance, openly Confucian but secretly Taoist.”

In just a few months, Jian Zhe’s impetuousness had disappeared. Now he could not only read a boring biography all night but could also discuss it with Bai Lian.

As the two were talking.

At the next table, Tang Ming, who studied science, finally couldn’t help but say quietly to Lu Xiaohan, “Brother Jian is planning to take the civil service exam in the future, right?”

The Calligraphy Association had always had many people who went into politics.

Although Tang Ming studied science, his liberal arts weren’t bad, and he could understand some of what they discussed daily.

“Don’t you think Sister Lian is more impressive?” Lu Xiaohan hit the nail on the head.

“That’s true.” Tang Ming recalled how the liberal arts teachers would often wander outside Class 15’s door and had been caught by the head teacher several times.

After finishing their discussion, Jian Zhe remembered something and reported to her: “The Calligraphy Association’s evaluation in North City is in June, around the 10th.”

Chou Xuezheng was already preparing the materials, but with Bai Lian’s college entrance exam approaching, he hadn’t disturbed her.

Bai Lian estimated the timing would be just after the college entrance exam, when she would have time.

Dean Jian’s message came just then: [[Recording.mp3]]

Dean Jian: [Going into seclusion?]

He was concise, probably having heard from Sister Xin about her not considering new songs before the college entrance exam.

Bai Lian wrote down a line, then took out her earphones and connected them to Bluetooth to listen to Dean Jian’s arrangement.

This song was different from her previous style, more traditional Chinese—

“Winter Fluff.”

Dean Jian started with a pipa solo, the curtains half-raised, classical and steady yet with an exotic feeling. In the first second, Bai Lian saw images of yellow sand and bleached bones.

She listened for a while before remembering to reply to Dean Jian.

Baijian: [1]

On the other end of the phone.

Dean Jian looked at this “1” and for the first time felt the same helplessness as Jiang Fuli.

Dean Jian directly sent the message to Jian Zhe, asking about Bai Lian’s situation. Jian Zhe very honestly told him about Bai Lian’s activities—nothing but studying, everything waiting until after the college entrance exam.

As for after the exam…

Bai Lian would first go to North City.

Dean Jian: [….]

Dean Jian: […What date are you going to North City?]

Jian Zhe: [Calligraphy Association evaluation, we should set out on the 9th]

Dean Jian: [Got it]

Jian Zhe looked at Dean Jian’s reply and scratched his head, wondering what he meant—was he also going to North City?

Three days later.

Afternoon, Jiangjing.

A postal worker stopped his bike at the entrance of Changping Street. He put one foot on the ground, looked up at the ancient and dignified buildings on both sides, then looked down to confirm the address on the worn box in his hand.

29 Changping Street.

He hesitantly rode his bike onto the main road, finally stopping in front of the Guangliang mansion gates, where there was a pair of two-meter-high stone lions, imposing without being fierce.

Two security guards stood at the gate.

The postal worker had just nervously stopped his bike when one of the guards walked over from afar, “Hello, do you have a delivery for our Third Young Master?”

The delivery man handed the worn delivery box to the guard.

The guard hesitantly accepted it, looking down at the address field where the sender’s handwriting was neat and beautiful. His eyes fell on the recipient’s name—

Xu Nanjing.

Indeed, it was for the Third Young Master.

His gaze moved forward to the sender’s name, which was two characters—

Bai Lian.

Bai? The guard couldn’t think of any family surnamed Bai that was close to the Xu family.

He took the worn paper box back, just running into Xu Jueming coming out of the house. He quickly took off his hat: “Second Master.”

Xu Jueming wore a long robe and slightly nodded, his gaze falling on the box in his hands.

The guard quickly explained, “This is Third Young Master’s delivery, I was about to take it to him.”

For Xu Nanjing?

Xu Jueming reached out, and the guard handed over the delivery.

Xu Jueming looked down at the sender’s name, his gaze falling on the place it was sent from.

Seeing it was sent from Xiangcheng, Xu Jueming casually threw the box back, not looking at it again.

The guard breathed a sigh of relief. He knew about the open and hidden conflicts in the Xu family and couldn’t afford to offend any of them. If Xu Jueming had insisted on looking at Xu Nanjing’s delivery, he would have had no choice.

In front, Xu Jueming walked up the steps, talking with someone beside him, “Nothing in the black market either?”

“The CIA people have investigated. Before the invitations were sent out, they were divided up by those people in international circles,” the person lowered his voice to explain. “The invitations that leaked to the black market were bought up as soon as they appeared, but you needn’t worry, I heard the Third Young Master’s side also has no news…”

Jiangjing Sigui Club.

The club had high standards, and Qi Shuyun was visiting such a place for the first time. She followed Liu Shuhe into the private room, which was very spacious with men and women sitting together.

Some were playing cards, some were chatting.

But most people were somewhat distractedly looking toward a sofa at the far end.

A young man sat there, having taken off his coat and wearing only a light blue hoodie, leaning against the sofa, his fingers casually holding what looked like a worn paper box.

“Young Master Xiao.” Up front, Liu Shuhe greeted Xiao Bingwen, then introduced Qi Shuyun beside her, “This is a former teacher’s daughter.”

The gathering was organized by Xiao Bingwen, who was holding a small pair of scissors and walked with swagger.

He still paused when Liu Shuhe spoke to him, nodding to her, “Xu Feng, show Liu Miss and her friends a good time.”

Then he immediately walked over to Xu Nanjing’s side.

Xu Feng stood up from the card game, cigarette in mouth, coming to receive Liu Shuhe and company.

Seeing Qi Shuyun looking toward the corner, Xu Feng smiled: “Ladies, that ancestor hasn’t been in a good mood lately, better not provoke him.”

His words made Qi Shuyun pull her coat closer and withdraw her gaze.

She silently wondered who exactly that was.

In the corner.

Xu Nanjing lowered his head to methodically examine the paper box that had just been delivered from the Xu household, rather silent.

“She hasn’t seen her teacher for several days.” Xiao Bingwen looked at the paper box in Xu Nanjing’s hands.

“Forget it, I’ll get the old man a different birthday gift,” Xu Nanjing clicked his tongue. The auction was in two days; there wasn’t time to find anything now.

Xiao Bingwen casually handed the scissors to Xu Nanjing, “What’s this?”

He stared at the worn delivery box in Xu Nanjing’s hands, feeling very incongruous about this tape-covered paper box appearing in his possession.

“Little Sister Lian sent me some local specialties. It’s so light, is there really anything inside?” Xu Nanjing looked at the doubly-wrapped paper box, taking the scissors handed to him.

Xu Nanjing wasn’t like Jiang Fuli; he couldn’t easily change flight routes, so he had flown from North City.

The old master Xu was urgent, and he left in a hurry to catch the flight, not having time to say goodbye to Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli, only messaging them briefly on WeChat.

“Did she write this?” Xiao Bingwen lowered his head to look at the neat handwriting, smiling: “I’ve never seen your name written so neatly.”

He had thought it was something important, but it turned out to be a delivery from Bai Lian.

Xiao Bingwen withdrew his gaze, leisurely pouring himself a drink.

He wasn’t very curious anymore.

Xu Nanjing methodically cut a slit along the edge.