ATLAS TRANSLATES

“Why would they handle this matter?” Chen Luping’s hands were trembling as he looked at Chen Beixuan.

It wasn’t even about Jiang Fuli. Even Chen Beixuan was startled when she learned who was taking over this case.

She looked at the two of them and explained, “Both students are from Jiang University. You know how protective the university is of its students, right? One of them is this year’s top scorer in the college entrance exam, and the other girl who drank is second only to Liang Wuyu. Especially Student Bai – she’s personally guaranteed by the university president this year, and basically secured for the Tongfeng class. Have you heard about what happened on Snow Mountain fifteen years ago?”

Many professors and academicians died fifteen years ago, and several promising young people from Jiang University were buried in the snow mountain.

Scientific research was severely impacted and development stagnated.

It caused major upheaval in the research community, and after that, the CLA specially assigned people to protect these individuals.

“Yu Hongyi, your brother dared to do such things in Jiangjiang under these circumstances – it’s like trying to uproot Jiang University! How could they not get involved?” After speaking, Chen Beixuan left the break room.

When Yu Hongyi heard Chen Beixuan say that Bai Lian was this year’s top scorer, her expression became bewildered.

She had initially thought the Chen family was making such a big fuss because of Xuan Kang and Jiang Fuli.

Who knew there was this reason behind it.

“Yu Hongyi, you’ve really ruined me this time,” Chen Luping said, cold sweat streaming down his back.

[Continuing with the translation…]

The two of them hadn’t had an easy journey to get where they were.

Especially Yu Hongyi, who had moved out of Mingfeng District.

Like a fish leaping over the dragon gate.

But now…

Being watched by the CLA meant the Chen family would never trust them again, and moreover, wherever they went afterward, they might be under constant surveillance.

** Mountain Sea Apartments.

When Jiang Fuli returned, Ji Shaojun was looking at the environment of apartment 303.

Lu Xiaohan was showing Ji Shaojun Bai Lian’s study.

Bai Lian was on the balcony taking Tang Ming’s call.

She leaned against the balcony, reaching out to touch the flowerpot planted with cabbage seeds. The seeds had already sprouted, growing about five centimeters tall.

“Sister Lian,” Tang Ming had just gotten off the plane and was heading to baggage claim, “Uncle Zhang came with us too.”

“Uncle Zhang?” Bai Lian’s hand paused over the cabbage, her pale fingers lightly tapping the tender green seedling head as her eyes narrowed, “Is he coming to Jiangjiang on business?”

Everyone in Class 15 knew that Zhang Shize’s father often went on business trips.

Each trip lasted more than half a month.

“Yeah, we just happened to meet him, he seems to be going to Xingjiang District…” Tang Ming’s end was quite noisy as he was still walking, “Sister Lian, Ning Xiao and I will get our luggage first.”

In the living room.

Jiang Fuli saw she was on the phone, so he didn’t go to the balcony to find her.

“Little Jiang, you live next door?” After hearing that Jiang Fuli lived next door, Ji Shaojun asked him to show him 302.

The door was open, and Jiang Fuli took him directly to 302.

302 was fully carpeted to allow Jiang He to build with blocks anywhere.

Jiang He was sitting alone on the carpet playing with blocks. Seeing someone come in, he tried to hide the blocks behind his back.

When he saw it was Ji Shaojun and Jiang Fuli, he blinked blankly.

Then slowly brought out the blocks from behind his back.

He had been hanging around at Bai Lian’s place the past two days, and now remembered he hadn’t finished assembling her gift, so he was working overtime.

“For Ah Lian?” Ji Shaojun looked at the things on the ground and squatted down to pat Jiang He’s head.

Jiang He nodded.

Ji Shaojun chatted with Jiang He for a while and looked around 302. Before leaving, he noticed the music room in the middle and his steps paused.

There were two guzheng in the middle of the music room, and several simplified notation sheets were scattered on the table behind them.

Thanks to Bai Lian’s education, Ji Shaojun could now recognize these as characters she used to record music scores, written in neat and obedient handwriting.

Ji Shaojun hadn’t expected 302 to have a music room.

He and Ji Heng had thought about finding a teacher for Bai Lian and knew she could play the guzheng, but hadn’t considered a music room.

He took a photo and sent it to Ji Heng.

After seeing Bai Lian, Ming Donghen drove Ji Shaojun home.

** Mu Family.

When Mu Yining returned home, it was almost eleven at night. “Is Shaojun home?”

“He’s back,” Butler Lou followed behind her, hesitating before speaking, “Miss, I heard some news tonight.”

“What news?”

Butler Lou pondered, “I heard the incident in Yunxiao District is related to CLA.”

CLA?

Having experienced the Mu Qiong incident, Mu Yining knew what organization CLA was. Back then because of Mu Qiong, CLA’s people had investigated the entire Mu family thoroughly.

“Which professor did they offend?” Mu Yining was surprised.

Butler Lou hadn’t found out about that.

Mu Yining didn’t ask further, as this matter, no matter how big it got, had nothing to do with the Mu family.

Her gaze just looked at the small courtyard ahead that was still lit – that was Old Master Mu’s Jinzhu Garden. Old Master Mu hadn’t come out all day today.

As expected, the lights in Jinzhu Garden were still on.

Butler Lou stood in place, “Miss, why don’t you go see the Old Master?”

Mu Yining walked to Jinzhu Garden, stopping at the door curtain. From inside came the faint sound of wooden fish.

This sound made Mu Yining recall fifteen years ago, when Mu Qiong and various Mu family descendants were still alive, Old Master Mu was also in high spirits, and the Mu family could compare with the Xu family.

But after Mu Qiong and the others passed away, the Mu family fell from grace.

Old Master Mu never recovered, only living in the Buddhist hall.

[Original content can be found at 69shu.ba]

“Dad,” Mu Yining said softly.

Old Master Mu didn’t speak.

“I want to hold a ceremony for Shaojun, formally handing over the branch to him,” Mu Yining spoke.

“Mm.” Old Master Mu finally responded.

A casual response.

Mu Yining looked at the door curtain being blown by the wind, but ultimately said nothing more and turned to leave.

Outside the door, Butler Lou saw Mu Yining’s expression and knew she had hit a wall too. “The Old Master was too heavily impacted.”

“I know, it’s just…” Mu Yining looked at Jinzhu Garden, recalling the Old Master’s previous strategic planning, “The Mu family is surviving in the cracks now, we’ve even found Shaojun and the others, why won’t he come out of seclusion?”

Old Master Mu used to be a figure comparable to Old Master Chen.

“If the Old Master would reinvigorate himself,” Butler Lou also looked back, muttering, “Our Mu family… should at least produce someone like Young Master Mu Qiong, right?”

Unfortunately, for such a person to appear, it would take at least a hundred years.

“Never mind,” Mu Yining didn’t want to mention these things, “Butler Lou, give them the things tomorrow.”

Mu Yining had prepared gifts for both Ren Wanxuan and Bai Lian.

** The Next Day.

Early in the morning, Tang Ming rang the doorbell of 303.

He left his suitcase in the hallway.

Ning Xiao stood beside him with one hand in his pocket, his expression gloomy.

Jiang Fuli opened the door from inside, glancing at the two with a relaxed posture and cool demeanor.

Tang Ming quickly stood straight, and Ning Xiao also pulled out his hand, “Brother Jiang.”

The two greeted Jiang Fuli.

Jiang Fuli gave an “mm” and let them in.

The usually chatty Tang Ming finally fell silent. His eyes lit up when he saw Ming Donghen taking out food boxes.

“Hello.” Lu Xiaohan sat at the table, picking up a soup dumpling, raising her hand to wave at the two in between bites.

Bai Lian sat beside Lu Xiaohan, her wrist resting on the table as she pulled out a pair of chopsticks, her posture lazy.

“Sister Lian.” Tang Ming and Ning Xiao’s faces showed subtle excitement upon seeing Bai Lian.

Finally reunited.

“Oh right,” Tang Ming remembered something, “Uncle Zhang said Haoren will be studying at Jiangjiang Affiliated Middle School.”

“Huh? Can the student registration be transferred?” Lu Xiaohan opened her mouth, “And, can he handle it?”

Tang Ming didn’t know how Zhang Shize’s studies were going.

He glanced at Jiang Fuli, who was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine, but didn’t dare to ask him.

“Don’t know,” Tang Ming thought about what Zhang Shize’s father said, also finding it strange. He instinctively lowered his voice, “Chi Lu said he might have to go back to Xiangcheng to supervise Haoren’s classes.”

Yet Zhang’s father said his registration had been transferred to Jiangjiang.

Bai Lian didn’t care what they were discussing. She didn’t understand much about student registration matters and didn’t find it strange that Zhang Shize, who previously had poor grades, could study at the Affiliated Middle School.

In her eyes, Zhang Shize was doing okay.

The phone beside her rang, and she looked down to see it was a call from Academician Ma.

She finished her bun and answered.

On the other end of the phone, before she could speak, Academician Ma took the initiative to say wistfully: “Student Bai, are you still not done? Not planning to come see my research institute?”