ATLAS TRANSLATES

The smile disappeared from Ren Wanxuan’s face as soon as Bailian was mentioned, her expression indifferent.

She could let it go that Ji Heng favored Bailian, after all she didn’t care about Ji Heng’s attitude towards her.

But why was Ren Qian also so attentive towards Bailian?

The Ren family had arranged to meet Dr. Gao for so long, giving him so many gifts before finally getting a dinner. Yet Ren Qian lightly said to also bring Bailian along.

“Grandpa, do you not know? Bailian got an 85 on liberal arts,” Ren Wanxuan spoke without much emotion, “Such an elite talent as Dr. Gao, could she even understand what he’s saying? We finally managed to invite Dr. Gao. What if she accidentally offends Dr. Gao? Who are we going to find then?”

One whole speech rendered the driver and front passenger afraid to even breathe loudly.

Beside her, Chen Zhuo also didn’t speak up for Bailian.

To him, what Ren Wanxuan said were facts without anything to refute.

Moreover, even taking a step back, he still wouldn’t choose to speak for Bailian at a time like this.

Ren Qian did hold Bailian in some esteem. He previously indeed looked down on the Ji family.

Seeing Ren Qian’s silence, Ren Wanxuan couldn’t help it, “Are you preparing to send the Ji family how much stuff? Stop the car, stop—”

She forcefully banged on the window.

Ren Wanxuan had always been doted on at home and used to having her way. The driver didn’t dare disobey and stopped at the roadside.

Ren Wanxuan directly got off the car and walked along the street herself.

She always did as she wished at home.

Chen Zhuo glanced at her before also taking out his phone, preparing to get off. Ren Qian sighed seeing him, “Excuse my laughter. Chen Zhuo, help me watch over her a bit.”

Chen Zhuo nodded, “I know.”

The car stopped there watching the two disappear into the night. In the front passenger seat, after some time the secretary finally asked, “Sir, should we still notify Miss Bai?”

“Forget it,” said Ren Qian.

“The young miss isn’t wrong,” said the secretary as he told the driver to drive off. Looking back at the two merging into the dark night, “Miss Bai going wouldn’t be very useful either, at most to broaden her horizons.”

Although Ren Wanxuan spoke out of her own emotions, she wasn’t speaking nonsense.

It was still a question whether Bailian could understand what these intellectuals said.

If a joke like “King Xiang praises Wei Zhang’s disciple”¹ came about, their goal of befriending the Gao family through the banquet wouldn’t be achieved. Instead it would become a laughing stock.

“If only she was as low maintenance as Bailian,” Ren Qian massaged his temples, “First confirm the time with Dr. Gao. Ask his teaching assistant. Best if we set it for tomorrow.”

“Xiangcheng No.1 High School’s recommendation selections for the Jiangjing Preparatory Camp is about to start.”

He could see that rebel spirit in Bailian, but she listened to Ji Heng very much.

Upon hearing Ren Qian’s perspective on Bailian, the secretary was shocked.

**

The next day.

Monday. Bailian came home late last night but still woke up before 6 am.

She was waiting for the bus on Qingshui Street before 7 am.

There were seats at the bus stop but Bailian didn’t want to sit. She leaned against the platform watching the traffic and passersby.

The nearby elders buying vegetables early in the morning were all used to the little girl often staring at the streets and crowds. An aunty even shoved an egg into Bailian’s hand.

Bailian didn’t decline and could only hold onto the egg.

When the aunty’s bus came, Bailian saw her off before continuing looking at the street.

Across the street an old granny held a bag in her hand. She slowly walked along the street picking up trash. She looked very old with white wispy hair, but her bearing was serene and unhurried.

Even so wizened, her back remained upright.

She wore camo clothing much bigger than her figure. The camo sleeves were embroidered with simple floral patterns.

These past two days there had been continuous drizzle. Moss had grown by the trash cans. Bailian had good eyesight and immediately spotted the moss under the granny’s feet.

Before she could call out a warning, the granny slipped.

“Are you alright?” Bailian jogged across to help pull her up.

The granny lifted her head slightly. Her face was very wrinkled with cloudy eyes, but she was very spirited with a gentle demeanor, “Little miss, thank you.”

Bailian helped her sit at the roadside.

Across the street, bus no. 12 arrived.

The granny recognized her uniform and sounded worried, “Your bus is here.”

But Bailian wasn’t anxious at all. She pinched the granny’s ankle and looked up. The rising sun shone on her pitch black hair, youthful and vibrant, “You sprained your foot.”

As she spoke, her hands continuously worked until the granny’s sprained foot was recovered.

“You’re so capable. Have you studied medicine?” Bus no. 12 had left. The granny watched her restore her sprained ankle in just a few moves, stunned for a bit before asking, “Are you from around here too? I’ve never seen you before.”

“Can’t say I formally studied it,” Bailian helped her stand up and patiently answered her questions, “I just moved in with my grandpa.”

**

Class 15, first period, 8:09 am.

Lu Lingxi glared at the two boys at the classroom door, angry beyond compare, “Zhang Shize, Wen Qi, you two just have to be a few minutes late every day huh? You’re seniors now. As soon as you open your eyes every morning you better—!”

Zhang Shize and Wen Qi lowered their heads letting Teacher Lu criticize away.

They had played games too late last night and couldn’t get up at all this morning.

Right as Teacher Lu was reprimanding them, a clear melodious voice sounded from behind the two, “Teacher.”

Bailian had missed a bus and arrived half an hour later than usual.

The school uniform looked extremely crisp on her slender figure. Pitch black pupils reflecting the morning light. Slender, cold white hands holding a vocabulary workbook. Pretty eyelashes demurely lowered half-mast. She obediently stood next to Zhang Shize and Wen Qi.

Lu Lingxi’s steps faltered before her sharp brows softened, “Bailian? Why so late?”

Bailian bowed her head admitting her mistake, “Read too late last night.”

“Although it’s senior year, we still need work life balance.” Teacher Lu didn’t doubt her at all. She knew Bailian would be seriously memorizing words and doing problems even during breaks.

She patted Bailian’s shoulder gently, tone kindly, “Don’t stay up too late at night. Pay attention to rest. Go on in.”

Zhang Shize and Wen Qi still standing by the door were dumbfounded.

Then they looked earnestly at Teacher Lu.

Teacher Lu turned around again meeting their gazes. She smiled coldly, “What, you two were also up late reading?”

The two: “……”

Didn’t have the nerve to claim that.

Muffled laughter sounded from Class 15.

Bailian returned to her seat resuming her usual state, slowly taking out a test paper roll during class looking completely unrushed uncapping her pen.

During break, Zhang Shize asked her, “Were you really up late reading last night?”

“Nope,” Bailian opened her workbook and lazily propped up her right leg, with complete nonchalance, “Just missed a bus.”

Zhang Shize: “……”

He angrily went to buy ice water to cool down.

The Cultural Committee member exchanged a look with Lu Xiaohan before following Zhang Shize.

“As a member of Class 15, shouldn’t you contribute something to our class?”

Zhang Shize opened the freezer. Not even blinking, “But I’m useless. For the school anniversary celebration, do I go on stage to play games?”

Next to him, Lu Xiaohan hugged the Cultural Committee member’s shoulder pointing at Zhang Shize, “Indeed useless. So we didn’t plan on having you do anything either. Just stand on stage then to be a mascot, that face of yours can still be looked at.”

“What do you mean I’m useless? You don’t need me during Sports Day?” Zhang Shize took a drink. “I really f*ck…”

“Oh shut it!” Lu Xiaohan couldn’t stand it anymore, “Why’d a decent guy end up with that mouth!”

They walked back with Lu Xiaohan and Cultural Committee member’s complaints the whole way.

Zhang Shize didn’t dare resist the two women.

Many boys from Class 15 were standing in the corridor.

A lot of them gave low whistles unintentionally looking towards the window.

Zhang Shize peeked over. From this angle one could see Bailian. She had her head lowered slowly and unhurriedly pulling out a test paper roll from her desk, lazily uncapping her pen.

He suddenly understood pointing at Lu Xiaohan’s group, “Why don’t you ask my front desk instead?”

As a mascot his front desk suited it more than him.

With that face, just sticking it outside would attract people.

“See, we’re trying,” the Cultural Committee member nodded. “Xiaohan and I were discussing how to trick—ah swindle—”

Lu Xiaohan hurriedly interrupted her, “How to persuade her to agree. Zhang Shize do you have any ideas?”

Zhang Shize scratched his nose, “I’d rather go to Syria.”

Don’t be fooled by his front desk’s normally indifferent and scholarly appearance, the very image of a good student.

As the deskmate behind her, he saw very clearly. That good student image only existed in front of Teacher Lu.

You can try letting the Class 8 people give it a go?

**

After the last afternoon class ended.

Lu Xiaohan still didn’t find an opportunity to persuade Bailian. Bailian listened attentively in class and did problems or memorized words during break. Almost identical to her deskmate Yang Lin.

In the end, Lu Xiaohan could only resignedly watch Bailian leave for cram school.

Today at cram school everyone sat in their assigned groups. Class 8’s homeroom teacher came over with a USB to play the video.

“Starting this week, the difficulty will increase,” Class 8’s homeroom teacher looked sternly at the group of elite students in the lecture hall, “We will confirm the final number of spots next week. So the daily scores these two weeks are very important.”

The students below all listened very attentively.

Only then did the homeroom teacher start the video.

Sitting in the same row, Chen Zhuo and Ren Wanxuan exchanged a look. The ambition in their eyes was evident.

Bailian attentively sat in her seat. Today’s content had gone past electromagnetics and into optics and dynamics, talking about polarization and uniaxial crystals for the entire lesson, also involving the Huygens principle and dispersion.

Bailian wrote everything down. She understood it quickly but didn’t get many formulas.

Because she hadn’t learned about dispersion curves yet.

The lesson was difficult. Everyone listened very carefully.

At 7:30 pm the video finished playing. Many students went up to copy today’s video. Class 8’s homeroom teacher started handing out today’s problems.

Bailian looked at the problems. A whole page on optical crystals.

She hadn’t learned the dispersion curve equation yet so as usual she put away the questions.

There were two new messages on her phone sitting on the desk.

She didn’t have many contacts added on her phone. She took a look after opening it.

Teacher Jiang: ?You didn’t give them the answers right??

Bailian: ?No?

Teacher Jiang: ?Bring them to the milk tea shop at the school gate tonight. I’ll teach them the problems?

Bailian looked at Jiang Fuli’s message feeling somewhat surprised.

On the right, the rare sight of Chen Zhuo and Ren Wanxuan not staying behind. The two glanced at each other before packing up and leaving the lecture hall.

Zhu Jiaran was also stumped by the problems. She had long been staring at Chen Zhuo’s group.

Seeing them leave so early today she couldn’t help but poke Tang Ming’s arm, “They must’ve gone to Wanhe Building again.”

Tang Ming was desperately tackling today’s problem. Hearing this, he glanced up, “Possible. Ren Wanxuan and Chen Zhuo’s families are rich.”

After Ren Wanxuan’s group disappeared from sight, Zhu Jiaran withdrew her gaze. Coincidentally seeing Bailian put away the teacher’s practice questions. She listlessly retracted her eyes.

Not surprised at all by Bailian’s actions. After all even she was struggling with this problem, let alone Bailian.

“Right,” the lecture hall was a bit hot. Bailian took off her uniform jacket, revealing a white blouse embroidered with black bamboo leaves. She slowly and unhurriedly uncapped a ballpoint pen, “Are you guys free tonight? I’ll go over the question I gave you last time.”

In front, Ning Xiao who had kept his head down the entire time was like a mechanism had been triggered.

He glanced back looking at Bailian, “Where?”

Bailian lazily opened her black notebook. Her fingertips pressed on the snowy pages, “Milk tea shop at the school gate.”

The milk tea shop at the school gate wasn’t far. Ning Xiao nodded, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Beside him Tang Ming scratched his head. He didn’t understand the problem from last time very well either, but tonight’s optical crystals problem left by the teacher was also hard.

Tang Ming kind of wanted to go back and tackle tonight’s optical crystals problem.

But since it was the new classmate’s first time asking them out, Tang Ming said, “Then I’ll go too.”

He didn’t have any thoughts about the new classmate teaching them. After all Bailian herself seemed to have struggled with today’s problem.

But Bailian had already become Xiangcheng No. 1 High School students’ goddess—

If his roommates knew Bailian asked him out and he didn’t go, then at night when sleeping he’d have to worry about his roommates beating him to death.

Zhu Jiaran glanced at Tang Ming and Ning Xiao. Then she smiled at Bailian very politely, “Classmate Bai, I live on campus. If I go back too late there won’t be any water left in the dorms. You guys go. I want to go back and wash my hair first.”

These cram school students were all top scorers. Let alone Bailian’s 85 marks, even 200 marks wouldn’t be anything to them here.

She would give up showering to follow Chen Zhuo and the others for tutoring.

As for Bailian—

Did this girl, who needed help herself, want to teach them problems?

Zhu Jiaran didn’t have time to play house with her.

1. A story mocking someone overpraising a person. ↩︎