“Let’s arrange it like this then,” Ye Jingxian noted down the rehearsal schedule with Bai Lian for the day after tomorrow in her notebook. “President?”
She sought Bai Shiming’s opinion.
Bai Shiming sat in front, wearing a neat shirt and casual pants, his fingers casually tapping the program list. “Yan Zhiming, does your Finance Department have any other requirements?”
Bai Lian would open, several others would perform in between, and Bai Shaoqi would close.
As long as Bai Shaoqi was the finale, there were no questions. Yan Zhiming expressed his thanks, “No more, President Bai. We’ll leave the auditorium arrangements to your Physics Department.”
After the Finance Department people left, Ye Jingxian and Bai Shiming still needed to discuss some details.
They walked behind the Finance Department group. While going downstairs, they happened to meet Dean Huang and Professor Zhou Wenqing who were just returning from the lecture hall.
“Dean Huang, Professor Zhou.” Bai Shiming and Ye Jingxian’s group stopped, standing on the right side of the stairs, making way for Dean Huang.
—
Seeing the student council members, Dean Huang stopped. He didn’t recognize Ye Jingxian, but he had met the Physics Department’s student council president before. “Student Bai, you’re still in meetings this late?”
“We’re discussing this year’s welcome party,” Bai Shiming showed the program list to Dean Huang.
Dean Huang took it and glanced at it. Bai Lian’s name was right at the front, very noticeable. “Student Bai Lian is participating too? When is your party?”
Surprised that Dean Huang would ask about this, Bai Shiming replied, “5 PM on the 30th, in the grand auditorium. Dean, would you like to come watch?”
“I’ll come,” Dean Huang handed the program list back to Bai Shiming.
After Dean Huang and Zhou Wenqing left, Ye Jingxian carefully spoke to Bai Shiming, “Dean Huang – I finally saw him in person instead of just in the news. He’s really coming to watch our welcome party?”
“Yes,” Bai Shiming rolled up his sleeves and said seriously, “Tell everyone to be on their best behavior. The Dean is coming to our party this year – we must show him the best of what our Physics Department has to offer.”
“You don’t need to tell me that,” Ye Jingxian had already taken out her phone and was spreading this news in the staff group chat.
Regular students might only see Dean Huang’s photos on the school website from freshman to senior year. Bai Shiming and his group never expected their department’s welcome party would catch the Dean’s attention.
—
Shanhai Apartments.
When Bai Lian returned to room 303, Zhang Shize was sitting in the living room working on test papers. He was still wearing his affiliated middle school T-shirt.
The affiliated middle school’s teaching intensity was much higher than Xiangcheng No. 1 High School, but he had gotten used to this intensity over the past year.
Seeing Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli, he stood up, “Sister Lian, Brother Jiang.”
He looked behind them but didn’t see Ning Xiao and Tang Ming return.
Jiang Fuli was still holding a nearly finished milk tea in one hand. His phoenix-like eyes swept casually over Zhang Shize as he handed a paper bag to Bai Lian with his other hand. “You have monthly exams next week, right?”
“Yes,” Zhang Shize sat back down and complained, “I ranked last in this small test. Everyone in my class is crazy good.”
Bai Lian took the paper bag Jiang Fuli handed her – these were the books Professor Ma had listed for her.
She couldn’t find them online or in the library, so she had Jiang Fuli buy them for her.
Bai Lian went to the study room. Jiang Fuli glanced at Zhang Shize and, maintaining his cold expression, stayed outside to help Zhang Shize with problems he didn’t understand during his week of boarding school.
In the study room.
Bai Lian put her computer on the desk and lazily opened the paper bag to take out the books, but unexpectedly found a flash of red inside.
She lowered her head slightly – two white books.
A rose lay diagonally across the white book covers, its red petals blooming in a spiral, red as the sunset clouds.
Bai Lian reached out, taking the rose from the bag at a leisurely pace.
There was no vase in the study room or in 303, so Bai Lian didn’t bother looking. She leaned against the window, casually holding the rose in one hand while using her phone to reply to her friend’s messages with the other.
Friend: [Dead tired dog.jpg] Friend: [Want to blow up Jing City] Friend: [Let’s go drinking this week]
They were both in Jing City, but it was clear her friend was also very busy, with no time to meet her.
Bai Lian: [1]
Friend: [You’re “1”-ing me again!]
Outside, Tang Ming and Ning Xiao had returned and taken over Jiang Fuli’s job of tutoring Zhang Shize.
Jiang Fuli threw the empty milk tea cup in the trash. Not seeing Bai Lian in the living room, Jiang He sat cross-legged beside Lu Xiaohan, watching Lu Xiaohan clumsily solve a Rubik’s cube.
He went to open the study room door.
Bai Lian was still lazily leaning against the window, squinting at the view outside.
The neighborhood lights were on. Being Friday, most student tenants were home. The street lights of Jing City Boulevard were as bright as day, all reflected in her pitch-black eyes at this moment.
A fresh red rose held loosely between her fair fingers, she looked like she was leaning over a city tower, gazing back at the lights of ten thousand homes.
Jiang Fuli rested his hand on the doorknob, quietly watching her.
Rivers and mountains stretched far, the human world a galaxy of stars.
“Just one,” Jiang Fuli turned sideways, closing the study room door, looking at the rose in her hand, suddenly smiling: “Good thing it wasn’t crushed.”
Bai Lian turned her head to look at him, “No vase.”
Jiang Fuli walked to her side, his tone light and casual, “Let Ming Donghe go buy one.”
—
Sunday.
When Ye Jingxian arrived at Jing University’s grand auditorium, there were already many people there.
The Finance Department had spent a lot on promotion. Media reporters from Jing City would come to film on the welcome party night, and the Physics Department’s dean would also attend. So people from both departments took this welcome party very seriously.
Ye Jingxian had arranged to rehearse with Bai Lian at 5:30 PM. Seeing many staff members on stage, she found Kong Wei to ask what was happening.
“Bai Shaoqi borrowed sound equipment from Jing Music,” Kong Wei explained to Ye Jingxian, “They’re testing it now, and later Bai Shaoqi needs to test the guzheng sound too.”
Pointing at the guzheng on stage surrounded by many onlookers, Kong Wei added, “I heard her guzheng costs 390,000 yuan.”
Ye Jingxian also glanced at the guzheng when she heard its price.
But the guzheng wasn’t important right now. She checked the time – 5:10 PM.
“Director Yan,” Ye Jingxian made her way through the crowd to find Finance Department’s Yan Zhiming to discuss Bai Lian’s rehearsal issue, “I arranged with her for 5:30.”
Bai Lian was from the Tongfeng class, and they couldn’t borrow the auditorium every day.
“Could Student Bai Lian change to another time?” Yan Zhiming exchanged glances with the Finance Department’s president. “Director Ye, you know stage sound effects are very important too. Student Bai Shaoqi went to great lengths to get professional staff from Jing Music for testing.”
In their eyes, Bai Lian could rehearse anytime, but Jing Music’s sound engineers weren’t easily available.
Seeing Ye Jingxian’s hesitation, Yan Zhiming quickly added, “Director Ye, you know how many people are coming to see Bai Shaoqi. Many will be livestreaming our two departments’ party.”
Compared to everything else, Bai Shaoqi’s sound effects were more important.
Jing Music’s people were already setting up, so Ye Jingxian could only take out her phone to call Bai Lian.
To tell her about this situation.
Nearby, Song Min came out from backstage, saw a group of people gathered together, and walked over. “Director, have the Physics Department people arrived?”
“It’s fine,” Yan Zhiming looked at him, “The Physics Department people wanted to rehearse, but I had them change to another time.”
—
Jing City Boulevard.
Bai Lian stood under a tree, taking Ye Jingxian’s call, one hand slightly cupped, her tone casual: “It’s fine, Senior. I don’t need to rehearse.”
Ye Jingxian sighed, “I wanted to let you try the props today too. Should we arrange another time?”
“No need.”
At past 5 PM, the sun hadn’t completely set in Jing City. Sunlight filtered through the tree gaps, falling in fragments.
Dazzling.
Bai Lian walked toward the bus stop across the street. Since she didn’t need to rehearse, she would take the bus directly to Yunxiao District.
Yunxiao District, Dragon Bar.
At the bar counter.
Xue Chun wore a silver spaghetti strap top, her lazy hair draped behind her head, very futuristic. She handed Bai Lian a blue gradient cocktail, “Why didn’t you say you were coming beforehand? Mr. Seven is out.”
Bai Lian sat on the high stool, looking down at Wen Zhixia’s message with lowered eyes, her leg casually propped up: “I made plans with a friend here.”
Her fingertips tapped the glass, the liquid inside flickering under the lights.
When Wen Zhixia arrived wearing a baseball cap, she saw Bai Lian sitting at the bar counter. Today Bai Lian wore a vintage diagonal-front top made of silk with delicate embroidery, paired with matching long skirt, and a white jade hairpin in her hair.
Ignoring the bar background behind her, at first glance she looked like a classical lady leaning against stone railings in a Jiangnan water town.
“Why are you sitting here?” Wen Zhixia took Bai Lian to their reserved booth, called servers to bring lots of drinks.
She also called over several servers to drink with them.
Bai Lian held her glass and sat beside Wen Zhixia.
Wen Zhixia seemed to be in a bad mood, drinking one glass after another. Seeing her drink more and more, Bai Lian stopped her, “Want to go drift instead?”
Xu Nanjing said he left her a car.
At the mention of drifting, Wen Zhixia’s expression worsened, “No more drifting, the old lady is controlling things too tightly.”
Bai Lian searched her memories, but had few memories about Wen Zhixia, mostly just them drifting together in North City, then drinking together and complaining about Song Min.
Nothing else.
“Now that you’re being serious, you really look the part,” Wen Zhixia looked at Bai Lian in her classical outfit, sitting quietly in the booth, expression lazy, while two good-looking young men beside her didn’t dare get too close.
Holding a wine glass, she gave off a confused sense of an ancient well-read young lady appearing in a nightclub.
Wen Zhixia pulled out a cigarette from the table and held it between her fingers. A boy immediately lit it for her. She slowly blew out a smoke ring, “Damn, this is crazy. My grandmother and them would definitely like your type. It’s so fucking exhausting pretending at home.”
Bai Lian knew Wen Zhixia pretended to be ladylike at home.
She slowly leaned back, seriously listening to Wen Zhixia talk.
Sure enough, after drinking half the alcohol, Wen Zhixia dropped a piece of news, “I’m getting engaged.”
As for who it was with, Wen Zhixia didn’t say, but it was just a business marriage anyway.
At eight o’clock, Jiang Fuli messaged asking where she was.
Bai Lian looked at the drunk Wen Zhixia and sent him the address.
She took Wen Zhixia outside.
The bar manager recognized Bai Lian and was about to ask if she needed help, but caught a glimpse of her cold eyes and didn’t dare speak, silently following behind Bai Lian.
Outside the bar.
A gust of wind blew past, and Wen Zhixia seemed to become slightly more sober. She tilted her head to look at Bai Lian and suddenly asked, “I could tell at first glance – are you an alternate personality?”
Bai Lian froze.
Wen Zhixia’s eyes were unfocused and she felt like throwing up, “Can she come back? Is she still inside your body? Is… is she okay?”
Ji Mulan, Bai Qiming, and even Ji Heng hadn’t noticed that she was no longer who she used to be.
Sometimes Bai Lian would think that besides herself, it seemed no one would remember who the previous Miss Bai was.
Wen Zhixia’s phone rang in her pocket, startling Bai Lian.
The caller was saved as “Butler” in Wen Zhixia’s phone.
Bai Lian sent him their current location.
The Wen family must be in Yunxiao District, as they arrived faster than Jiang Fuli. Butler Wen quickly came to pick up Wen Zhixia.
“Thank you.” Butler Wen had people help Wen Zhixia into the car. Seeing Bai Lian’s gentle attire, he was quite surprised, probably not expecting Wen Zhixia to have such a friend.
Bai Lian stood in place, watching the Wen family’s car leave. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she leisurely told the bar manager: “Tell Seven to investigate the Wen family.”
Wen Zhixia – the original owner’s only friend in this world.
—
September 30th.
Jing University still had one day of classes before the official holiday on the 1st.
Bai Lian returned to the dorm after her morning run. The other three roommates were already awake. Kong Wei was browsing forums in bed and greeted her roommate: “Morning.”
Though speaking, her eyes stayed fixed on her phone screen.
On the forum, Bai Lian’s speech from last week had been circulating for a week.
These past two days, the forum was discussing the two departments’ welcome party again. News of Bai Lian’s opening performance had spread—
[Heard Bai Lian is opening, I already changed my ticket!]
[I heard there’s also a viral guzheng player, I’m quite looking forward to this year’s joint party between Physics and Finance]
[Should say, mainly the Finance Department]
[I know, Finance Department’s twin stars. That guzheng player learned from Jing Music’s professor. Anything from Jing Music is top quality]
[…]
Today the two departments were holding their welcome party. Kong Wei didn’t stay in bed long – after breakfast she needed to help the student council. Yu Simin had 8 AM class and no time for student council.
After showering, Bai Lian went to the cafeteria for breakfast, and Kong Wei went with her.
At school, Tang Ming, Yang Lin, Ning Xiao and others all used Bai Lian’s meal card.
After getting her food, Kong Wei sat beside Yang Lin, “She still hasn’t rehearsed by today, I’m a bit worried.”
Across from them, Tang Ming took a bite of egg pancake, “What are you worried about?” He said unhurriedly, “Sister Lu’s shooting skills were all taught by her. What you should worry about is – after her opening, how will anyone else perform?”
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