ATLAS TRANSLATES

Ji Shaojun observed the atmosphere in the hall.

He glanced at Jiang Fuli with surprise but didn’t say much, just asked them to sit down.

Earlier, Ji Heng had told Butler Lou to arrange a separate table for them.

Since Ji Heng was of a higher generation and the Mu family was particular about such things, Butler Lou arranged their table to the left of Ji Shaojun’s table, side by side, close enough to talk to the next table with just a turn of the head.

After greeting Ji Shaojun, Jiang Fuli’s gaze fell on the others at the dining table. His black windbreaker made his features appear particularly cold and distant.

Director Feng, including Chairman Liao and various business partners, began avoiding eye contact.

When Ji Shaojun arrived earlier, Shen Qing had felt relieved.

Now with Bai Lian’s arrival, Shen Qing felt even more at ease. Tang Ming was chatting cheerfully with Shen Qing about the speckled geese. In the quiet hall, only this table had a relaxed atmosphere.

Ji Heng, Jiang Fuli, and Ning Xiao sat down at the adjacent table.

Shen Qing was still talking to Bai Lian, “It’s all thanks to Mu Shao.”

She introduced them.

Bai Lian thanked Mu Shao, “Thank you.”

“It’s… it’s my duty,” he replied nervously. Seeing Bai Lian surprised him even more than seeing Jiang Fuli.

Mu Shao was a freshman at Jiang University. Currently, almost no freshman at Jiang University didn’t know who “Bai Lian” was.

In their dorm of four people, they discussed Bai Lian and Liang Wuyu’s group the most, especially Bai Lian. One person even had a video screenshot of her as their phone wallpaper.

Students have their idols too, especially in affiliated schools.

From junior high through high school, they had all been overshadowed by Liang Wuyu. Then suddenly, during the college entrance exam, a dark horse appeared, crushing Liang Wuyu’s score to become first.

During the Tongfeng class test at the start of school, those three people from Xiangcheng became famous across the entire forum.

Three students from Xiangcheng, in pure science tests, one scored higher than Liang Wuyu, and two were almost equal to Liang Wuyu – what more could be said? This class had already been dubbed the “Celebrity Class” by netizens.

Mu Shao was one of many students who looked up to this group. He never expected that one of them would turn out to be his relative – Mu Yinong’s mentioned Shen Qing’s other niece.

He was quite excited.

Bai Lian sat at the adjacent table, and Mu Yinong came over to ask Mu Shao to return to his seat.

Mu Shao nodded, but before leaving, he asked Shen Qing if he could add Bai Lian on WeChat.

“WeChat?” Shen Qing took out her phone and shared Bai Lian’s contact card with Mu Shao, just asking him not to share it online with others.

“I understand, thank you,” Mu Shao said, taking his phone back to his table.

—

As Bai Lian’s group sat down, fireworks started outside, and the quiet hall gradually filled with soft conversation.

Few people were moving around the venue.

The distant second uncle of the Mu family was now at Mu Youjun’s side, sitting uncomfortably, occasionally asking the Mu clan leader in a low voice, “Clan Leader, when should we go over?”

Earlier, when greeting Mu Youjun and Dong Chuan, it had been relaxed, but now going back would seem forced.

Besides, if they went back now, could they even make conversation with Ji Shaojun and the others? The clan leader was also helpless. If Director Chen and Director Feng’s appearance had already made them regretful, Jiang Fuli’s appearance had pushed their regret to the peak.

Mu Youjun stood in place for quite a while. When Jiang Fuli gave her just one cold glance from afar, she felt a chill run from her feet up, “Butler Gao…”

Seeing this person suddenly at the Mu family home, Mu Youjun found it inconceivable. She looked dazedly toward Butler Gao.

Butler Gao had seen Jiang Fuli more times than Mu Youjun, and he just now reacted, “It’s Young Master Jiang.”

Mu Youjun sat down absentmindedly, not even paying attention to Dong Chuan and the clan leader. She clutched her handkerchief tightly, “Why is he at the Mu family home?”

Jiang Fuli couldn’t even meet with Gao Jiazhen and Gao Yi. Apart from meeting alone during Old Master Xu’s birthday, he had almost never appeared in any public places. Yet today, at Ji Shaojun and the others’ clan entry ceremony, he showed up. And called Ji Shaojun “Uncle Ji.”

Chen Yongkun also coming to the Mu family at this time – everything was strange but traceable…

When dinner started, Mu Youjun picked up her wine glass and went to find Ji Heng.

After she left, Ren Wanxuan beside her could finally breathe. She looked at Dong Chuan, also realizing that Jiang Fuli’s status might be quite extraordinary, and turned to Dong Chuan in shock.

Dong Chuan was secretive and wouldn’t say much, only telling her to take her wine glass and go to Ji Shaojun’s table.

Ren Wanxuan quickly picked up her wine glass and followed Dong Chuan.

At Ji Shaojun’s table, Ji Heng and Jiang Fuli weren’t present, and he hadn’t said much.

As soon as Mu Yinong entered the hall and saw Mu Youjun’s area, she knew what was going on. She glanced at Dong Chuan and Ren Wanxuan, smiled and calmly introduced the people at the table, “Xiao Chuan, these are Director Feng and Chairman Liao, and this is President Xu…”

She introduced them one by one, and Dong Chuan finally realized who this Director Feng was.

Surprised inside, he immediately adopted an even more humble attitude.

Originally, he thought Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing were ordinary people, and they were – Ji Heng was originally born to a concubine, and later actively left the Mu family, having no contact with them for forty or fifty years, staying only in Xiangcheng. At first, Dong Chuan hadn’t paid much attention.

Who knew these relatives would play such a big card? Dong Chuan thought that this New Year, their grandfather and mother would have to come personally to pay New Year’s respects to the Mu family.

Dong Chuan had always held high status and position, even when facing Mu Youjun. This was the first time Ren Wanxuan had seen him lower himself so much.

As for the table behind, Dong Chuan didn’t dare to even look once.

Ren Wanxuan looked toward the back.

At Bai Lian’s table.

Director Chen left halfway through eating to drink with Ji Heng. Xu En and Ji Shaojun were discussing business at the back table. Among the toasts, even Shen Qing was repeatedly offered drinks. She didn’t understand the situation, just hazily drinking soft drinks with others. When others came to toast with full glasses of baijiu, she would take a sip of her soft drink, and no one dared say anything.

Tang Ming and Lu Xiaohan were chattering away. Lu Xiaohan was holding her phone, leisurely taking a short video of the serving process.

Ren Wanxuan watched Lu Xiaohan’s behavior with slightly furrowed brows. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Bai Lian beside Lu Xiaohan, and Jiang Fuli beside Bai Lian, making her heart skip again.

She really couldn’t understand it.

—

“Study God,” Tang Ming had to go back in the afternoon to watch Zhang Shize do homework. He had only drunk a few glasses of soft drinks when he suddenly remembered something, “When are you giving Uncle Ji your gift?”

Ning Xiao looked down at the paper box by his feet. The box was a fifty-centimeter square, quite large and had some weight to it.

He still didn’t know what was inside, but Wang Youfeng wouldn’t joke about this matter: “I’ll give it to him when we leave.”

Tang Ming nodded, wanting to see the gift in advance.

But the timing really wasn’t right.

Ji Heng was staying at the Mu family for dinner, and Ji Mulan would stay at the Mu family for several days.

Bai Lian and this group of students had to go back. Mu Yinong tried hard not to look at Jiang Fuli, only asking Bai Lian, “Ah Lian, the Mu residence has many animals and a diverted lake, won’t you stay one night to see the scenery?”

The Mu family’s scenery was indeed rare.

Others would definitely stay a night, but Bai Lian had previously lived in the General’s Mansion which far surpassed the Mu family, so she wasn’t curious about this.

“No,” Bai Lian lowered her eyes, methodically tying her cloak strings, making a loose bow, “I have something to do tonight.” “Alright.” Mu Yinong had no other options.

When Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli’s group were leaving, a bunch of people from the Mu family saw them out.

But among those who could actually speak with them, there was only Mu Yinong. The Mu clan leader wanted to add a word, but since they hadn’t conversed with Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing before, they weren’t familiar enough to speak.

Mu Shao was familiar with Shen Qing though. Bai Lian found Mu Shao in the crowd and raised her eyebrows, “Were you the one who added me earlier?”

Suddenly being called out, Mu Shao was quite surprised, “Yes, yes, it was me.”

Bai Lian nodded.

Hearing someone had added Bai Lian, Jiang Fuli, who had already walked to one side, also faintly raised his eyes and glanced at Mu Shao.

Mu Shao stood very straight under his gaze.

Ning Xiao timely handed the paper box to Ji Shaojun, saying concisely: “Uncle Ji.”

“This is for me?” Ji Shaojun had drunk some wine and was talking to Liao Guangxuan. Seeing the square paper box, he just thought it was a child’s gesture of goodwill, smiled and accepted it, “Thank you.”

Taking it, it weighed several jin, not too heavy, unknown what was inside.

A group of people stood at the Mu family’s main gate, waiting until Bai Lian and their cars left. Finally, the tension hanging over everyone’s hearts disappeared.

After Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli’s group appeared, Mu Youjun had become much quieter. She walked back with Mu Yinong for a while before speaking, “Why didn’t you say earlier?”

“I only just found out myself,” Mu Yinong shook her head, speaking seriously: “You can also see that he came because of Uncle and the others, with no direct connection to our Mu family.”

Mu Youjun fell silent.

There was still a family banquet in the evening, but Mu Youjun didn’t stay, hurriedly returning to the Gao family.

Mu Yinong watched her leave, slightly shaking her head, then returned to Lanling Pavilion where Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing were. Butler Lou had served them tea.

Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing were opening the box.

Mu Yinong sat in her seat, picked up her teacup, her gaze on the paper box.

Butler Lou spoke softly, “This is a gift from Miss Bai’s classmate.”

Today there were many gifts, with many treasures for Ji Shaojun stored in the warehouse. Mu Yinong thought college students were better, having no burden.

The paper box was opened, and Ji Shaojun picked up the vase inside with one hand.

It was an iridescent hollow rotating heart vase with peach blossoms and plums, the body gilded, showing some age, with exquisite craftsmanship.

“Cough cough,” Mu Yinong hadn’t finished drinking her tea. She put down her teacup and hesitantly asked Butler Lou, “This vase, haven’t I seen it in the auction house catalogue?”

Though not like the Chen family with their private museum, the Mu family also had many antiques.

Butler Lou could also see that this vase was no ordinary item.

—

In the afternoon, Ning Xiao went to school to help Zhou Wenqing.

Bai Lian had an appointment with Gao Shu in the evening.

Gao Shu usually lived in the apartment assigned next to the theater, a three-bedroom place, mostly just her living alone, very spacious.

Bai Lian brought a bouquet of flowers from Aunt Zhang’s.

When Gao Shu opened the door, she saw the two people outside. Bai Lian was holding a bright bouquet of flowers, wearing white clothes with a green cloak, extremely pure and elegant.

Then looking beside her, Jiang Fuli stood with one hand in his pocket, cold and indifferent, like winter sunlight, both clear and distant, “Aunt.”

Even his tone was casual.

Gao Shu was stunned, then smiled. She took the flowers from Bai Lian’s hands and stepped aside to let them in, “Lian Lian, you even brought flowers,” she put the flowers in a vase in a good mood, “You two sit with Yan Yan first, I’ll go to the kitchen to see if anything needs help, and add another dish.”

Last time when measuring Bai Lian’s size, Gao Shu left early without eating. Today she specially invited the two for dinner, not expecting Jiang Fuli to come too.

Gao Yan was sitting on the sofa choosing movies to watch. Seeing Jiang Fuli, she subconsciously stood up, her gaze falling on Bai Lian, “Lian Lian, come see if there’s anything you want to watch.”

As the deputy director of the theater, Gao Shu had many movie discs here.

Bai Lian also liked watching movies, but recently her hobby was theater.

Her gaze swept over these movie discs to two coverless discs on the side cabinet, with only a sticky note attached—

[“Flowers Blooming on Trees” Rehearsal]

“Can I watch this?” She bent down and picked up this disc.

“You can,” Jiang Fuli came over, took the disc, looked down at it, “But this kind of rehearsal has no editing or music, just wide-angle shooting.”

Bai Lian shook her head, “That’s fine.”

Alright.

Jiang Fuli reached out to open the player and put the disc in.

Gao Yan watched this scene, quietly returning to the kitchen to help the chef and Gao Shu.

The “Flowers Blooming on Trees” rehearsal was just as Jiang Fuli described – wide angle, no editing, but every theater actor performed well. The protagonist Bei Tong played the role of “Chen Ye,” which was considered unofficial history.

Another actress Qin Si was considered the second lead, with quite a lot of screen time.

The audio wasn’t very clear, but Bai Lian had read the script and remembered the lines, so watching was no obstacle.

Bai Lian lazily leaned against the sofa. She had already taken off her cloak, wearing only white clothes and dress, her slender fingertips tapping her knee occasionally.

She began thinking about the song’s direction and overall tone.

When the first part finished playing, Jiang Fuli, who was sitting on the armrest on her side, saw it was done and got up to help her change to the second disc.

Outside, the doorbell rang.

Gao Yan and Gao Shu were both in the kitchen, so Bai Lian got up to open the door.

The person outside, Bai Lian also knew – it was Secretary Xue.

Secretary Xue wasn’t surprised to see Bai Lian. Through Bai Lian, she could see that cold figure changing the disc. She immediately withdrew her gaze without daring to enter, handing a document to Bai Lian: “Miss Bai, these are the materials Deputy Director Gao wanted, please help me give them to her.”

Bai Lian looked down.

On the wood-colored folder, only one word was written in black pen: Bai.