When Shi Yu heard a sound, he stopped. Still wearing his glasses, he stood at the door and turned to look at the butler, not remembering him: “You are…?”
The butler had graying hair and wrinkled skin, with cloudy, unfocused eyes that showed little spirit.
“Our young master was once your student,” the butler said respectfully, unsurprised that Shi Yu didn’t remember him. “I’ve met you before.”
Shi Yu had seen many students and parents over the years. It was natural that he wouldn’t remember unimportant people he’d met over a decade ago.
Hearing this, he just nodded slightly at the butler before taking a phone call and leaving.
The butler stood at the elevator for a long while before lowering his gaze and walking in.
“You know him?” Little Jie asked curiously, looking at the butler in the elevator.
“Yes,” the butler replied without much interest, answering casually, “He’s the chancellor of Jiangjing University.”
The butler had met Chancellor Shi before.
Back when Mu Qiong was still around, Shi Yu was the vice chancellor of Jiangjing and had visited the Mu family. The butler had been by Mu Qiong’s side since she was young and had met Shi Yu then.
Jiangjing University doesn’t have a rule about promoting people from other locations, so after all these years Chancellor Shi must have been promoted to full chancellor.
Chancellor of Jiangjing?
Little Jie regretted not looking more closely earlier. “Why would he come here?”
The butler was lost in memories and didn’t reply.
At 303, Lu Xiaohan opened the door. She was holding a black Go piece and took the thermos the butler handed her. “Sister Lian went out. Would you like to come in for some tea?”
“No need.” The butler shook his head, vaguely seeing what looked like a young man in the living room.
He turned and left with Little Jie.
When they got to the elevator, Little Jie held the door and suddenly remembered – hadn’t Chancellor Shi also come down from the third floor?
**
At the Jiang Yin Arts Building.
Bai Shaoqi was studying with her teacher in the office. The teacher usually gave one-on-one private lessons.
“Shaoqi.” The handsome young man outside came very early today.
The girl next to Bai Shaoqi stood up and whispered in her ear.
Bai Shaoqi turned her head and saw Song Min waiting at the door. He wore a white T-shirt and was casually scrolling on his phone with lowered eyes. He had always been cold and didn’t talk much.
Lately it was even more so, with his expression tinged with coldness that made him hard to approach.
He barely spoke to Bai Shaoqi either.
Song Min had just arrived in Jiangjing a few days ago. He had a driver’s license, so Madam Song had him come pick her up.
Bai Shaoqi left with the girl, and the three of them entered the elevator together.
During summer break many Jiang Yin students went abroad to study, so the arts building was quiet. They were the only ones in the elevator. When the doors closed, Bai Shaoqi, standing by the door, reached out to press the first floor button.
The arts building had seven floors, and they were on the sixth.
She noticed a “Forbidden” sign posted on the third floor button and looked puzzled.
“Oh, that,” the girl next to Bai Shaoqi explained with a smile. “The third and fourth floors are recording studios. The third floor studio must be in use by some bigshot. Usually when that happens no one’s allowed in. I wish I could use it for solo recording someday.”
The girl’s voice was filled with longing.
Jiang Yin had the best recording studios in all of Asia, and they ranked highly internationally as well.
Not just domestically, but many people from abroad came to Jiang Yin specifically for these recording studios.
Both Bai Shaoqi and Song Min glanced at the restricted third floor.
**
On the third floor, in the recording studio.
Dean Jian had four fingers of his right hand on one string, letting the melody flow naturally like echoing mountain peaks.
Bai Lian stood beside him, head lowered as she methodically put on her tortoiseshell finger picks.
After finishing that section, Dean Jian stood up and moved aside. “That’s roughly the tune, you try it.”
Bai Lian sat down and lifted her hands to replicate the section Dean Jian had just modified. She raised her arm, directing force straight to her fingertips. Though it was the same melody, her playing had more vigor than Dean Jian’s.
Dean Jian stepped back to the next room to listen to the recording with the staff.
“Dean Jian, is this your student?” The recording engineer hadn’t met Dean Jian’s students before and was amazed by Bai Lian’s musical sense. “How come we’ve never heard of her?”
The school had many guzheng students, with Dean Jian being the most outstanding, followed by his three disciples.
Only Liu Shuhe was female and quite famous in Jiangjing, so naturally the engineer thought of her.
Hearing this, Dean Jian looked up at the girl still practicing on the guzheng through the window. Bai Lian always said her guzheng skills weren’t as good as her teacher’s or her mysterious senior sister’s. With such strong musical sense, who were these other two people?
He had searched through all the guzheng masters but couldn’t find any teacher from the same school as Bai Lian.
“No, it’s not her. Shuhe’s musical sense isn’t as good,” Dean Jian replied.
What a waste of such musical talent if she didn’t study music.
What were the chances of poaching her from Jiangjing University?
Dean Jian pondered this internally.
Beside him, the recording engineer was surprised – if not Liu Shuhe, then who was this girl?
Through the window, he watched as Bai Lian pressed her hands against the strings, slightly lifting her head to speak to the man beside her.
The young man wore a snow-white shirt and, seeming to sense the gaze, turned cool eyes toward the window. The recording engineer quickly lowered his head when their eyes met.
Dean Jian finished listening to all the recordings. “That should do it. Thank you for your hard work, Engineer Zhao.”
The recording engineer wore headphones – the top-tier recording studio combined with Bai Lian and Dean Jian’s powerful collaboration made this a feast for his ears.
“Miss Bai,” the recording engineer approached Bai Lian while she was removing her picks, braving Jiang Fuli’s chilly aura to take out his phone and add her on WeChat. “If you ever want to record anything, just contact me directly.”
Bai Lian took out her phone and let him scan her code.
She soon received his friend request notification – Zhao Jianxin.
Bai Lian accepted it.
After Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli left with the dean, Zhao Jianxin looked at the tall, cold figure beside Bai Lian and finally let out a breath.
After they left, a staff member came up. “Mr. Zhao, the chancellor is still waiting for you.”
“Mm,” Zhao Jianxin packed up his things to leave. “Your school’s equipment is really excellent. Maybe someday you could let our music station borrow it…”
**
Around 8 PM.
Dean Jian led Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli through the pomegranate grove to an octagonal two-story pavilion on the south side, surrounded by a covered corridor.
By this time it was dark, and the path lights were on.
The security guard at the pavilion entrance stood up when he saw Dean Jian. “Dean Jian.”
“Open the door,” Dean Jian looked at the closed wooden doors, hands at his sides. “We’re here to pay respects to the founding master.”
The security guard had already taken out an old-fashioned long key to open the doors.
Dean Jian went up the steps first. Stepping into the entrance corridor, he noticed no one had followed and stopped at the doorway, turning back to look at Bai Lian. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“Mm.” Bai Lian came back to her senses and walked up the steps.
Jiang Fuli remained outside, just lifting his head to look at the pavilion without entering.
The pavilion wasn’t large. Walking in, you could see a memorial tablet with statues and incense in front of it.
There was a staircase behind the statues.
Bai Lian took the incense Dean Jian handed her, lit it and stood before the memorial tablet. Her gaze lingered on the numbers there, looking somewhat dazed.
Master Qin Jiu had died of natural causes – it seemed Jiang Ye hadn’t mistreated him.
Compared to Bai Lian, Dean Jian was much more reverent. From the moment he stepped into the pavilion, his expression was solemn. He bowed respectfully three times before placing his incense.
Qin Jiu was revered by all guzheng students and teachers at Jiang Yin. Whether for exams or work matters, people would come to pay respects to the founding master.
In the massive guzheng school, Qin Jiu alone occupied half the field.
After paying his respects, he noticed Bai Lian was still staring motionlessly at the memorial tablet.
Her dark eyes were fixed on the tablet but seemed somewhat unfocused.
A few minutes later, Bai Lian came back to herself and inserted her partially burned incense.
**
At Mountain Sea Apartments.
When Jiang Fuli and Bai Lian returned to 303, Lu Xiaohan and Jiang He were playing Go in the living room.
Jiang He sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding white stones across from Lu Xiaohan.
Seeing Lu Xiaohan place a stone, he placed a white stone without thinking.
“Wait…” Lu Xiaohan picked up his white stone and gave it back, then picked up her own black stone. “Bird Brother, give me another chance. I made a mistake just now.”
She put the black stone where Jiang He had just placed his white one.
Jiang He: “…”
The papers on the table were untouched. Lu Xiaohan couldn’t understand any of them. In 303, besides Jiang Fuli, no one dared help Bai Lian organize things, afraid they might accidentally lose her important documents.
“Oh right,” Lu Xiaohan took back another stone, then looked up at Bai Lian. “Chancellor Shi came looking for you earlier, and an elderly person brought you some soup.”
She pointed at the thermos on the table.
Bai Lian knew about it, but was curious why Chancellor Shi had come looking for her.
She took out her phone and sent Chancellor Shi a message.
Shi Yu replied quickly: [The dean of the Chinese department is looking for you. When can you come to school? He waited all afternoon today, has an academic conference tomorrow, and returns the day after.]
Bai Lian didn’t understand why someone from the Chinese department would look for her—
[I have to go to my uncle’s house the day after tomorrow]
Shi Yu was frustrated on the other end, why was it the uncle again: [We’ll reschedule then]
Just then she saw Xu Wenyao’s message updating about the people who went to the Xu house today—
[Besides them, there were also people from the Yu family.]
The Yu family?
Bai Lian’s fingers tapped the screen as she silently pondered that uncomfortable gaze she’d sensed at the doorway this afternoon, wondering who it was.
Beside her, Jiang Fuli glanced at the thermos and sent a message asking Ming Donghen to reheat it in 301.
“Ah no,” Lu Xiaohan stood up, having been dominated by Jiang He all evening. “Sister Lian, help me get revenge.”
Bai Lian raised an eyebrow and casually sat cross-legged.
Her pale fingers picked up a black stone as she gave Jiang He a bland look.
With that look, Jiang He knew he was in trouble.
Lu Xiaohan stood beside Bai Lian, massaging her shoulders. “Go Sister Lian!”
One minute later.
White lost.
Thirty seconds later.
White lost again.
White lost yet again.
Lu Xiaohan massaged more vigorously: “Sister Lian is amazing!”
Jiang He: “…”
He couldn’t help looking up at Jiang Fuli who sat to the side with crossed legs watching the entertainment.
Jiang Fuli held his teacup, lowering his head to gently blow on the tea leaves before taking a sip. Then he unhurriedly gave Jiang He a glance, appearing both lazy and noble.
But Jiang He could clearly see the undisguised mockery in his eyes.
Not only did he not help, he even mocked him!
**
On the 17th, Bai Lian went to Ji Shaojun’s house.
“You haven’t lost weight,” Shen Qing had bought lots of groceries. As soon as Bai Lian arrived, she looked her up and down before nodding: “You look well too.”
Her physical condition clearly looked better than Tang Ming and Ning Xiao.
Those two guys couldn’t last one night of overtime at Boyuan.
Shen Qing felt reassured.
Bai Lian stayed there one night and didn’t leave the next day either.
In the afternoon. Little Jie drove Ji Shaojun back.
After getting out of the car, Ji Shaojun looked at the butler inside. “Would you like to come up for dinner? Ah Lian came yesterday.”
He and Shen Qing usually ate simply, but when Bai Lian came they both became master chefs.
“No, but I’ll come up for a look.” The butler’s face showed exhaustion. Running into Chancellor Shi inevitably made him think of Young Master Mu Qiong – the butler had been his personal attendant since Mu Qiong was born.
After Mu Qiong passed away, Old Master Mu was devastated, and how could the butler not be as well?
“You need to prepare for the banquet at the end of the month,” the butler walked to the elevator with Ji Shaojun. “The young miss will bring you.”
Ji Shaojun hadn’t met Mu Yining many times.
The two discussed company and banquet matters all the way until Ji Shaojun opened the door, when the butler finally stopped.
Inside, Bai Lian sat on the sofa.
She wore casual clothes and was slightly bent over her phone, doing practice questions on the Jiangjing app. Seeing Ji Shaojun return, she lazily greeted him.
Then she continued unhurriedly answering questions.
A WeChat message notification flashed across her phone.
Xu Zhiyue: [as5slo’k]
Bai Lian didn’t understand and clicked to look—
[?]
The other party didn’t reply. Just then, her phone rang – it was Chancellor Shi.
Nearby, the butler and Ji Shaojun were still chatting.
The butler glanced at Bai Lian, saw she went to the balcony to take the call, and didn’t ask further.
“The Chinese department dean made time to come back, are you home?” To avoid another wasted trip looking for Bai Lian, Shi Yu had learned to call her in advance.
“At uncle’s house.” Bai Lian leaned on the balcony, brief and to the point.
On the phone, Shi Yu paused, looking at the people in his office. “Can you come to school?”
Bai Lian’s fingers tapped the balcony as she considered briefly. “Then I’ll head to school first.”
“Good.” Shi Yu was very excited.
Bai Lian hung up and pushed open the balcony door to come out and say goodbye to Ji Shaojun.
“Leaving now?” Hearing Bai Lian was leaving, Ji Shaojun quickly stood up.
It was quite sudden.
“Mm,” Bai Lian bent slightly to pick up her books, straightening as she explained unhurriedly, “Something came up, and Xiaohan is still at my place.”
The butler held his teacup, glancing at the books.
Just two basic music theory books. He lost interest and looked away, taking a sip of tea.
That sip made the butler pause.
He could naturally tell the quality of tea, and Ji Shaojun wasn’t particular about tea. Previous visits here usually involved common market teas.
This tea…
It was somewhat like what he’d had at Ji Heng’s place. The butler found it strange.
Ji Shaojun knew Lu Xiaohan was staying with Bai Lian. “I told you to bring her for meals too. Her parents visit your grandfather every week.”
He walked Bai Lian out.
Little Jie also stood up, taking his car keys: “Miss Bai, where are you going? I’ll drive you.”
“No need,” Bai Lian held her books, saying unhurriedly: “I’ll take the bus.”
She always maintained clear boundaries.
After Bai Lian left, the butler looked at Ji Shaojun. “Xiaohan?”
“Ah Lian’s classmate.” Ji Shaojun smiled mentioning Lu Xiaohan.
Bai Lian’s classmate? The butler nodded without asking more, just looking at Ji Shaojun… he was the hope of the Mu family now, wasn’t he.
**
At the bus stop, Bai Lian looked down at practice questions while waiting.
Another WeChat message came, this time from He Wen—
[The whole group got chewed out because no one could write it.jpg]
[Not a day goes by without getting scolded.jpg]
[Moldy mushroom.jpg]
Bai Lian could tell he must have been scolded.
Bai Jian: [Use your brain]
She closed the chat window, and Xu Zhiyue’s message flashed again—
[rtbp, qw/]
[bvsmklopseudaodx]
[…]
Like random letters from a face rolling across the phone. Bai Lian paused—
[Where are you?]
This time, the reply was quick and clear.
Xu Zhiyue: [[Location]]
Xu Zhiyue: [Room 207]
Bai Lian clicked to look – it was an unknown club in the Yunxiao district. Xu Zhiyue didn’t seem like someone who would go to clubs. Bai Lian remembered the outfit Xu Zhiyue wore last time at the Xu house, which also didn’t match her usual style.
Probably because of Jiang He, Bai Lian had always been friendly to Xu Zhiyue.
Bus 71 stopped in front of Bai Lian.
Bai Lian looked up but didn’t board, instead hailing a taxi.
**
Yunxiao District Paradise Club, Room 207, not a VIP room.
The server opened the door.
Inside was dim, with young men and women partying together.
Hearing the sound, they looked toward the door and immediately saw the girl standing behind the server.
She wore casual white clothes, extremely plain, her black hair loosely tied up, revealing strikingly beautiful features without any makeup.
Though the room was dark, this girl seemed wrapped in light. Her left arm held two thick books, her expression lazy, black pupils reflecting the room’s lights, carrying an elegant artistic air.
In this den of debauchery, she had a strangely pure presence.
Like a deer walking into a wolf pack.
The whole room went quiet for a moment.
A man in a black tank top with a cigar lounged with his feet on the table. He whistled at Bai Lian, “Young Master Yu, where’d you find this art student?”
The “Young Master Yu” he addressed sat with his back to Bai Lian, one hand gripping a girl’s chin, the other holding a wine glass.
Hearing this, he released his grip and turned to look at the door.
He wore a blue shirt with several buttons undone, appearing refined yet dissolute. Seeing Bai Lian, his eyes narrowed, unable to hide the determination in his gaze: “Xu Zhiyue’s sister? Perfect, since she won’t drink, you can drink for her.”
He held out his wine glass toward Bai Lian.
Hearing this, Xu Zhiyue beside him quickly looked up. Her face had an unnatural flush as she stumbled to her feet. “I-I’ll drink!”
She reached for Young Master Yu’s wine glass.
When she lifted her head, clear bruises showed on her chin.
The lazy expression slowly faded from Bai Lian’s face.
“Miss Xu, don’t rush,” Young Master Yu’s gaze didn’t leave Bai Lian. “If you want to drink, there’ll be plenty of chances.”
He held the wine glass out to Bai Lian.
Bai Lian reached out to take it.
The others in the room laughed, unsurprised.
Young Master Yu stared at Bai Lian as he undid another button, licking his lips. “You’re much more sensible than your sister.”
“Don’t drink…” Xu Zhiyue hadn’t expected Bai Lian to take the wine. She grabbed Bai Lian’s arm, black eyes terrified. “Why did you come here…”
She reached for Bai Lian’s right hand holding the glass, gripping the stem, but the glass didn’t budge.
Xu Zhiyue blinked in confusion.
Bai Lian saw her consciousness seemed unclear, then casually tossed her books onto the coffee table.
She lowered her head as if smelling the wine – as expected, it was drugged.
She looked up, took two steps forward, and in the heavy shadows, poured the entire glass over Young Master Yu’s head. Some wine splashed on her hand, and she distastefully grabbed a tissue.
Methodically wiping her hand, she looked down at Young Master Yu and asked unhurriedly: “Want more to drink?”
No one in the room had expected someone would dare pour wine on Young Master Yu’s head.
The lively room instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Young Master Yu wiped the wine from his face. Having always been pampered, this was the first time someone had disrespected him. His expression was extremely ugly. “Good, very good!”
Several lackeys immediately brought over three bottles of wine and moved to grab Bai Lian.
They planned to force her to drink.
Before their hands could touch Bai Lian’s collar, she kicked them aside.
The huge noise momentarily cleared Xu Zhiyue’s mind. She shook her head urgently at Bai Lian, voice trembling: “You leave first, don’t worry about me. This is Yu Pengjing, his sister Yu Hongyi is close to the Chen family, he’s Yu Hongyi’s only brother…”
“Pah,” Yu Pengjing wiped his face, staring hard at Bai Lian’s face. “Now you’re scared? Let me tell you, it’s too late. Grab her…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked onto the coffee table behind him.
“BANG—”
Wine glasses and bottles scattered everywhere.
Yu Pengjing immediately coughed up blood. He hadn’t expected someone would still dare to attack him after hearing his name.
“You, you really are…”
Yu Pengjing felt his ribs break. He braced himself on the ground, retreating two steps.
With just a wooden hairpin in her hair today, which had come loose from fighting, Bai Lian pulled it out and methodically redid her hair.
Head slightly lowered, black hair falling casually, a drop of Yu Pengjing’s blood stained her white pant leg.
Besides Xu Zhiyue, most people lay scattered on the ground, yet she casually fixed her hair in such a place.
The people here were all rich or noble. The club members couldn’t afford trouble and immediately called the police when things went wrong.
This was near the bar street, and police had set up posts nearby to prevent incidents.
In less than five minutes, police sirens sounded outside.
Yu Pengjing stared at her with terrifying hatred. Hearing the sirens, he staggered to his feet: “It’s over. No matter who you are, I’m telling you, you’re finished!”
Bai Lian’s eyelashes lowered carelessly. Having fixed her hair, she played with a lighter, pressing the button to release blue flames.
Jiangjing, someone Xu Zhiyue called close to the Chen family…
Bai Lian listened to the sirens and looked down at Yu Pengjing. “Chen family? Chen Ye’s descendant?”
What Chen Ye? Yu Pengjing hadn’t thought of anything else, assuming Bai Lian meant “Master Chen”. He sneered: “Even if you find Master Chen it’s useless!”
Jiangjing University.
Shi Yu sat at his desk in the office. The middle-aged man beside him paced, checking his watch: “Chancellor, shouldn’t she be here by now?”
Having interacted with Bai Lian twice, she was an extremely courteous person.
Shi Yu looked at the sky, also finding it strange. He picked up his office phone: “I’ll call her.”
In the underworld, Chen Ye: How did you die? Yu Pengjing: Got in a fight with Bai Lian.
Chen Ye: …6
Leave a Reply