ATLAS TRANSLATES

Tang Ming and Yang Lin’s group all left through the back door.

“You guys go ahead,” Lu Xiaohan said to Yang Lin. “I still need to stay with Niao Ge and Grandfather to watch the performance.”

It was quite special to be able to attend tonight, and Ji Heng and Shen Qing were still watching the program.

Lu Xiaohan didn’t leave with Tang Ming’s group. As a media student with a successful career already, she didn’t have as much academic pressure as the others.

—

The people around Ding Wenyang heard the sounds and came back to their senses. “Brother Ding, should we leave?”

The Tongfeng class schedule was always tight. Ding Wenyang and his group came today to keep their promise with Tang Ming. They originally came to watch Bai Lian, not expecting such a shocking opening performance.

Ding Wenyang had wanted to watch more, especially since the Finance College had put up such extensive publicity with banners even reaching the Tongfeng class area.

But after hearing Tang Ming’s words, he lost interest. “Let’s go back and do homework instead.”

In these few weeks, Tang Ming and Ning Xiao’s progress had been too fast. At first, only Bai Lian and Liang Wuyu could keep up with Tongfeng class’s four-hour lectures.

Now Ning Xiao and Tang Ming were like fish in water in the Tongfeng class.

This adaptability put immense pressure on Ding Wenyang and others in their group.

Since Tang Ming’s group decided to leave to study, Ding Wenyang’s group unanimously decided to return to the study room.

With nearly ten people leaving at once, the previously crowded back area suddenly felt empty.

“Why did everyone leave?” Kong Wei, being part of the student council, had to stay until the end of the show to clean up and handle props and backstage matters.

Yu Simin couldn’t leave either. “Let’s keep watching and look forward to the Finance College’s performance.”

As they talked, the boy doing the livestream in front tried to retain viewers, “The opening was so exciting, just think about it, the later performances will definitely be even better…”

—

Outside the auditorium.

Yang Lin went to wait for the school bus at the station with Ning Xiao and others. Ding Wenyang’s group followed, and an elderly professor carrying books stood straight as a rod by the bus stop sign.

Today was Jiang University’s holiday, so there were fewer people on campus.

The elderly professor’s gaze swept across and landed on Yang Lin at the back of the crowd, causing him to squint.

Yang Lin was checking job messages on her phone when she noticed the gaze. She recognized him, “Professor Xia.”

He was the old professor who taught biology to freshmen, only introducing himself as “Xia” in class, without giving his full name.

Yang Lin wore the Jiang University uniform and pants. She never tried to hide herself at school, having applied for financial aid right after entering the class.

Professor Xia, typically stern-faced, casually asked Yang Lin, “Are you busy during the break?”

“I have two part-time jobs,” she replied respectfully, as even Yang Lin, who usually ignored everyone, showed great respect to teachers and professors. “Morning and evening.”

Yang Lin lowered her eyelashes, her long bangs covering her pale forehead, occasionally revealing a pair of intensely dark eyes.

“I’ve seen your submitted assignments. They’re very well done.” The school bus arrived, and Professor Xia boarded with her. On the bus, Ning Xiao’s group gave up their seats to the elderly professor, who thanked the students.

Yang Lin just held her phone. She had always been serious about homework, never being careless.

This summer, while Bai Lian was reading professional papers, Yang Lin had also read many biological engineering literature and biology textbooks at the Jiang University library.

This summer, Yang Lin had already surpassed her fellow freshmen.

It was normal to catch the professor’s attention.

Professor Xia only rode for two stops. Before getting off, he gave Yang Lin a business card, “If you finish your part-time work, you can come help at my laboratory.”

Yang Lin looked down at the card, which showed a name—

Xia Zhuoyu.

Below that was a laboratory address and contact number.

—

Ming Dongheng was still waiting for Jiang He and Ji Heng at the auditorium.

Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli headed back to Shanhai Apartments first. Jiang Fuli came in Dean Huang’s car, so they didn’t wait for the school bus, walking out through the west gate.

It was just 5:30 PM, still bright outside.

Jiang Fuli was scrolling through his phone. Xu Nanjing seemed to have come across Jiang University’s video and was carefully asking on WeChat why nobody told him about Bai Lian’s freshman welcome performance.

Jiang Fuli glanced at it but didn’t respond.

He was carrying the bag with Bai Lian’s performance costume.

Bai Lian walked on the left, checking her WeChat. Little Seven had just sent her a message—

[Sister, I’ve sent the Wen family’s information to your email]

Since messages get archived on WeChat, and Bai Lian now communicated more with Academician Ma, she had learned to use Jiang University’s email for receiving files and sending materials. Little Seven sent the information directly to her dedicated email after completing the research.

Bai Lian replied with a number and lazily returned to the Jiang Preparatory Camp app, scrolling through challenge questions: “Xu family’s second child is having their one-month celebration.”

She spoke first.

Her tone was casual and light.

Jiang Fuli, carrying her clothes and several Tongfeng class textbooks, walking in the shadow of the sunset, heard her calm words: “Are you going?”

Bai Lian had long deleted Ji Mulan.

Ji Mulan never hid her ulterior motives, using children as tools to prove herself.

As for Ji Heng, before Bai Lian went to Xiangcheng, he had already decided to take her back to that small courtyard.

For Ji Heng, not knowing the previous Bai Lian might not be a bad thing.

“I’ll probably go,” Bai Lian tapped her screen, “but I need to see Academician Ma’s project during National Day.”

Though Xu En didn’t look like the Bai family, Ji Mulan looked just like her mother. She hadn’t seen that child yet, wondering if he would look a bit like Bai Zhongyu?

Jiang Fuli nodded slightly, unsurprised. Walking on Bai Lian’s right, his eyes deep and cold, his tone lazy: “Go after you’re done, it’s fine if you can’t make it.”

He didn’t say anything else, which made Bai Lian turn her head.

Jiang Fuli always gave Bai Lian the feeling that she still had an escape route.

In both her lives, the only time she was pushed to the brink was during that final battle in Xiangcheng. But even then, she managed to plan an escape route for Chen Ye and the Bai army, letting them seek refuge with Jiang Ye.

Though not familiar with Jiang Ye, she had studied music with Jiang Suyi at Qin Jiu’s place back then, knowing that next door lived the renowned and noble Seventh Prince, who was about her age.

After Bai Li went to the battlefield and never returned, and Bai Zhongyu and Chen Ye went to war, no one came to take her back to the General’s mansion.

She had received a lamp from his servant.

She was still afraid of the dark then.

Later, he was banished to his fief by Emperor Jiang, and Bai Zhongyu never returned. By then, Bai Lian was no longer afraid of the dark.

At the desperate moment in Xiangcheng, she remembered this Seventh Prince whom she had never met. The Bai family was a thorn in Emperor Jiang’s side, and wasn’t this prodigious Seventh Prince also Emperor Jiang’s greatest concern?

She had Chen Ye take Bai Li’s token to find him, and fortunately, these two didn’t disappoint her.

Bai Lian unhurriedly withdrew her gaze, speaking calmly: “No, if I can’t go, Grandfather will overthink and be sad.”

Having recalled this, she grew somewhat quiet.

The two walked towards the university gate, the sunset casting a golden light on Jiang Fuli’s profile. His features were like jade, a cold and noble young master, though his words were somewhat sarcastic: “Your grandfather is watching the performance now, not sad at all.”

He took out his phone to show Bai Lian that Ji Heng had just liked Shen Qing’s moments.

Bai Lian looked down as Jiang Fuli spoke, his long, pale fingers unhurriedly giving Shen Qing’s post a like too.

Shen Qing had posted a photo of Bai Lian’s performance.

Bai Lian looked at Jiang Fuli. In the dim sunset, even his breathtaking features were slightly blurred.

She couldn’t help but smile, the melancholy from thinking about Bai Zhongyu and Chen Ye dissipating somewhat.

—

6:30 PM, Grand Auditorium.

Ji Heng had just finished watching the middle recitation. Beside him, Jiang He had been solving a Rubik’s cube with his head down. Apart from Bai Lian’s performance and one skit, he had kept his head down working on the matrix cube during all other performances.

Ji Heng also had a Rubik’s cube, scrambled into a particular state.

Jiang He had already learned how to restore the matrix cube to its original state. He had just restored his matrix cube and was now comparing it with Ji Heng’s cube, step by step recreating Ji Heng’s scrambled pattern from his solved cube.

“Wow, little brother,” a Jiang University student beside them gaped, “you’re incredible!”

Jiang He expressionlessly put the cube into his cabbage bag and tugged at Ji Heng’s sleeve.

Ji Heng held his cube and pipe, looking down at him: “Want to leave?”

Jiang He blinked and nodded.

Ji Heng was actually getting bored too. After Bai Lian’s performance, there hadn’t been many good acts. He hadn’t smoked in the auditorium, and seeing Jiang He didn’t want to watch anymore, he stood up to leave with him.

Shen Qing was also tired of sitting and left with Lu Xiaohan.

Meanwhile.

In front, Dean Huang couldn’t sit still after two hours and started wondering why he was sitting here watching performances instead of working in his office.

Past 7 PM, Dean Huang stood up.

Bai Shiming had been attending to Dean Huang, occasionally refilling his cup and asking if he needed anything.

Seeing him stand, he hurried forward, “Dean, are you leaving? The Finance College has a student performing guzheng later, would you like to stay and watch?”

“No need, your performances this time were very good,” Dean Huang praised Bai Shiming, “I’ve seen what I wanted to see.”

He came today specifically for Bai Lian’s performance, which opened the show.

It was already quite something that Dean Huang stayed until now.

Bai Shiming saw Dean Huang off, wondering what he had wanted to see.

Less than ten minutes after he left, Dean Feng also stood up, preparing to leave.

The three eye-catching seats in the middle of the first row suddenly became empty.

Bai Shaozhi had been preparing for her guzheng performance backstage, with Song Min and others helping with props. Yan Zhiming reminded Bai Shaozhi, “Our dean is watching below, perform well and make our Finance College proud.”

The arrival of the two deans had energized the Finance College student council members from top to bottom.

There were three more acts before Bai Shaozhi, and she was testing the guzheng backstage.

Yan Zhiming came out from behind the curtain and immediately saw Dean Feng at the main door, preparing to leave, with their president seeing the dean off.

“Dean,” Yan Zhiming went over, “you’re leaving already? Our college’s freshman Bai Shaozhi hasn’t performed yet, won’t you stay to watch?”

The auditorium now had far fewer people than at the opening.

Previously packed at the back, now there were many empty seats visible.

When Dean Huang left, he took many students with him.

Dean Feng looked at Yan Zhiming and sighed, “I heard Dean Huang and… well, that Physics College valedictorian is indeed exceptional. Their college is lucky. Your welcome party is well organized.”

With that, he walked out the door.

Yan Zhiming and the Finance College students looked at each other, bewildered. They had feared this situation, which was why they made Bai Shaozhi the finale.

“Director Yan, many livestream viewers are waiting for our finale,” a Finance College student council member suddenly spoke up, “Should we have… made Bai Lian the finale instead?”

Bai Lian had been trending for three hours.

But before this, who could have known Bai Lian’s performance would be so explosive?

Yan Zhiming also felt uneasy.

The second to last performance.

Bai Shaozhi put on her finger picks and went on stage.

Sitting at the guzheng, she naturally noticed the three empty seats in the first row, and her fingers tensed slightly.

In the last row, the boy who had been livestreaming perked up, “Look, everyone’s anticipated Bai Shaozhi performance is here!”

Bai Shaozhi played “Revisiting Old Days.” She followed the beat, her fingers touching the strings.

This song was originally inspirational, and the venue’s sound effects were good, but—

[I waited so long, but why doesn’t it feel as good as the opening background music?]

[As a professional, don’t compare this guzheng piece with the opening dance BGM, they’re not comparable.]

Taking Bai Shaozhi’s performance alone, it was quite good, but in comparison, not to mention Bai Lian’s spear dance, just her opening music was arranged by Jian Zhongyou himself, with flute and xiao… all recorded by Jiang Music teachers.

Do you understand the value of these Jiang Music masters collaborating on one piece?