Bailian lazily tilted her head to the side. The hand grabbing his hair revealed a hint of scarlet, the wisps of smoke lightly blurring her exquisite, alluring features.
It was a kind of breathtaking beauty.
But reflected in Bai Dexin’s pupils was Bailian’s seemingly smiling yet not smiling face. He couldn’t have any other desires arise.
He couldn’t speak, only shook his head frantically in fearful panic.
“I see.”
Bailian released her hand.
The smoke wasn’t a scent she liked.
She lazily tossed the cigarette at her feet and stamped it out: “Clean up the aftermath. Got it?”
She was perfectly polite and the others truly feared her too.
They obediently nodded.
Bailian lightly patted her sleeves before leaving, casting them an idle glance: “What’s there to be scared of? I didn’t even chop off your head.”
A very casual attitude.
Of course, if her tone didn’t sound like she was chopping up cabbage.
Only after she left did Bai Dexin slide down against the wall. Still frightened, he stiffly moved his numb fingertips.
After a while his lackey finally dared to quietly shuffle over, squatting by his feet and lighting a cigarette to calm down: “Why’d you have to provoke her?”
Bai Dexin: “……”
Fifteen minutes later.
The two patrolling officers turned back again. They gaped dumbfoundedly at the small vendor’s entrance. That very hard to deal with hoodlum boss from Azure Waters Street who had some background forces. Right now sporting injuries as he obediently helped the shop owner—
Sweep, move things…
The other lackeys were also bustling about busily.
“What’re you looking at?” Bai Dexin bit down on a cigarette, shooting the two patrol officers an annoyed glance. Irritably he said, “F**king cops!”
After cursing them out he continued moving boxes.
The nearby shop owner wanted to help carry things but didn’t quite dare to.
Bai Dexin paid back the owed cigarette money. Glowering fiercely: “Did I tell you to clean up?”
He lowered his head continuing to move goods downstairs. After smoking a whole pack he still didn’t understand.
No way. Was she sick or something??
Why the h*ll was she so demure when smiling yet so vicious when fighting?!
Bai Dexin thought expressionlessly. She even wanted to chop off his head!
Not far away.
“Yo, Captain.” The young patrol officer warily watched the small vendor. He took out his transceiver, solemn faced. “Right. Requesting thorough investigation of the shop owner at 112 Azure Waters Street. No, I’m not joking!!!”
**
The sky hadn’t darkened yet when Bailian returned.
Ji Shaojun had just gone out to look for her.
He noticed after being out for a bit Bailian seemed to be in an even better mood than before.
Ji Shaojun felt more at ease. The difference between lifestyles in Xiangcheng versus North City was huge. He truly feared Bailian wouldn’t adapt.
Bailian sat at the stone table lazily propping her chin in a hand. Watching Ji Shaojun make several trips to fill the household water tanks. She suddenly spoke up, “Uncle.”
Ji Shaojun placed the buckets by the well upon hearing Bailian’s voice. He froze blankly.
Before when Bailian followed Ji Mulan she only came to Xiangcheng twice. This was her first time calling him uncle.
“Oh!” His voice abruptly went shrill. “What is it?”
Bailian blinked her big eyes, looking extremely demure: “I’m switching to science track.”
She didn’t say I want to.
But I am going to.
“Ah,” Ji Shaojun picked up the rope for drawing water. His thoughts spun before asking: “Can you tell Uncle why?”
He knew Bailian was in liberal arts. The divide between liberal arts and science curriculums was too vast. Choosing science was brutal. Logical reasoning, clear difficulties, emphasis on not understanding meaning not understanding.
Bailian smiled.
Ji Shaojun and Ji Heng’s interactions with Bailian clearly carried a probing cautiousness. This gave her a feeling of acceptance and approval for the first time after transmigrating to this different world.
She didn’t dislike it. Rather, she even felt a trace of belonging.
Of course she didn’t understand why the original host abandoned such good family to die in a lake for some irrelevant people.
“No reason,” Bailian tilted her head and asked again: “Not allowed? Uncle?”
Ji Shaojun: “Okay, can…leave it to me!”
Watching Ji Shaojun’s retreating back as he left to find Ji Heng after putting down the buckets, Bailian withdrew her demure gaze. Lazily propping her chin she smiled softly.
Perhaps living on wasn’t so bad after all.
**
Ji Heng held a length of cloth looking at Ji Shaojun. On his wrinkled face appeared an incomprehensible expression.
No one else was in the yard at the moment. Besides the kitchen there was also a small storage room filled with bolts of cloth.
The colors were still vibrant despite their age.
Whenever Ji Shaojun had time he would come help Ji Heng tidy up.
He awkwardly laughed and pulled a dust cover straight asking softly: “This is the reason you agreed to her request?”
Ji Heng turned around taking out a small oil paper package from the cabinet behind him very carefully. He opened it and took out a slender needle from inside.
Not rebutting anymore.
Ji Shaojun understood he acquiesced upon seeing this. After putting the cloth away properly he said: “Should I carry out the embroidery stand for you?”
Ji Heng didn’t respond right away.
After quite a while he indifferently nodded his head, “Go on.”
Ji Shaojun’s eyes lit up instantly, “Oh! I’ll go get it now.”
The sky had already darkened. Ji Shaojun called his wife Shen Qing saying he’d be late getting back. He stayed to help Ji Heng organize the storeroom. After washing and wiping down the embroidery stand and everything else, he took them out to the yard to air out.
He hummed a tune while wiping the dark embroidery stand.
The light in Bailian’s room was on too. He could see the reflection in the window as she sat at the desk reading.
Bailian was different. Ji Shaojun could sense it. When she returned today her brows didn’t even furrow after stepping into the muddy water puddle.
She was different from her mother.
Ji Shaojun suddenly felt perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing Bailian got sent back by the Bais.
**
Ji Shaojun was helping Bailian contact the school and teachers.
Additionally, her household registration also needed transferring over to the Jis.
Bailian spent her days at the library recently. What surprised her about this era wasn’t merely the cell phones and computers, but also the libraries.
She had never seen such rich collections open to public view before.
Truly a rather wondrous era.
There was just one issue—
Bailian lowered her head looking at the physics textbook before her then the practice questions. After writing two problems she set down her pen with a soft sigh: “Am I finally going to start tarnishing my teachers’ reputations?”
She wouldn’t boast about profound mastery, but she could say she graduated in the six arts and eight scholarly pursuits of the past.
Yet for the modern era’s rapid scientific developments, the original host’s mind had not one bit of foundation. After reading books at the library for several days she could comprehend most of it.
She felt what she read wasn’t very difficult but…
The problem was this—
What she studied: ?1+1=?
The problems she had to solve: ?Prove e(i?)+1=0?
Bailian slowly thought—
Wouldn’t know if burning a couple more incense sticks for the teachers back then would earn their forgiveness for embarrassing them so much in the modern times.
The library’s collections were substantial but also insufficient in some areas.
Like deeper knowledge for instance. More extensive question banks and such.
She hadn’t come across those here.
Hearing her sigh the child next to her holding a paint brush tilted his head. Staring at her unblinkingly with black and white distinct eyes.
“Choose C.”
He suddenly said.
Bailian paused briefly flipping to the answer in the back. C was correct.
So she turned to face him, “Mental math?”
That first day she arrived at the library she saw this kid who followed her from the train station all the way to the city gates. They were fated it seemed.
Afterwards they appeared at the library right when it opened at 8 every day. Reading and studying together without really conversing much.
The brat shook his head.
After quite a while he explained: “My brother set up a speed encoding model for these kinds of problems. There’s an algorithm.”
What ordinary child would remember speed encoding models?
Yet Bailian accepted it readily: “I see. Want bubble tea?”
“No…”
Bailian didn’t give him a chance to refuse. Grinning she casually leaned on the table, gentle as the spring rain: “Oh right. I’ve always treated you as a good friend—”
She faltered briefly, “What’s your name?”
Jiang He: “……”
“Jiang He. He—the crane that flew towards Lonely Mountain but never returned.”
“Oh, Jiang He. I’ve always treated you as a good friend.” Bailian crumpled the papers on hand into a ball and casually lobbed it backwards. She knocked his head, “Let’s go outside.”
The two left their seats.
The paper landed neatly into a red hollow waste basket in the corner.
A phone in her pocket rang from an unknown number. Bailian easily picked up, “Hello?”
The other side clearly hadn’t expected her to sound so calm. They paused briefly before tonelessly opening: “It’s me.”
“Who?” Bailian didn’t have much patience.
“Bailian. My conversations with Bai Shaoqi merely have a few more common topics. Even without her our relationship wouldn’t change at all,” on the other end Song Ming didn’t believe Bailian didn’t have his number saved. He could only assume she deliberately pretended not to recognize his voice. Pressing his brow he said coldly, already annoyed: “Don’t you think it’s very childish to bring the apprenticeship letter to Xiangcheng because of this?”
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