ATLAS TRANSLATES

Ji Shaoyun brought Bailian in.

Ji Mulan hadn’t seen Bailian for over two years now. At this moment, when she saw her again, she felt disoriented.

She was too different from Ji Mulan’s memories.

Her daughter walked in wearing a long white dress, with a green belt around her waist accentuating her figure. She walked gracefully.

In her hand was a cell phone, and she had a somewhat lazy demeanor. Under the bright lights of the private room, Bailian glanced over with pitch-black eyes, as if they had been smudged with ink, reflecting a sea of stars.

The man was also surprised. Based on Ji Mulan’s description of her daughter, he had always thought she was an unruly young lady.

He didn’t expect her to look so demure.

There was also Ji Shaoyun – the man had thought that Ji Shaoyun, who grew up in Xiangcheng, would be somewhat awkward.

But he was very composed.

The man stood up, looking at Ji Shaoyun in surprise and courtesy. He wore glasses, with distinct features, clearly well-maintained. Though nearly middle-aged, his figure was still trim. “Hello, my name is Xu En. I met Mulan at a maritime convention.”

Elegant, poised, and very polite.

It was clear he had a good family background and upbringing. The way he looked at people was not as piercing as the Ren family’s.

Ji Shaoyun glanced at Xu En, his expression much warmer than before. He shook Xu En’s hand. “I’m her brother, Ji Shaoyun.”

The two sat down.

Bailian looked at Ji Mulan without saying anything.

“Why do you keep playing with your phone?” Ji Mulan wore an exquisitely tailored dress, with a shawl over her shoulders. Her shapely eyes narrowed.

She watched as Bailian kept fiddling with her phone, her eyes dark.

Bailian was startled for a moment.

She looked up at Ji Mulan again.

And put away her phone.

“Ji Mulan,” Ji Shaoyun spoke up.

Ji Mulan withdrew her gaze, not looking at Bailian anymore. She said to Ji Shaoyun, “I’m taking her to Jiangjing. Xu En got her into an international private school there. Although it focuses on sciences, there are also liberal arts classes that transfer directly to overseas universities after graduation.”

It wasn’t a discussion.

It was a notice.

Before Ji Shaoyun could speak, Bailian slowly lowered her eyes and lazily said, “I’m not going.”

Ji Mulan looked like she was about to get angry. She glanced at Xu En, afraid he would laugh at her.

So she abruptly stood up and haughtily looked at Bailian, “Come outside with me for a moment.”

Bailian looked up. She pressed her hand on the table and stood up in one smooth motion.

Ji Shaoyun wanted to follow them outside, but Bailian glanced at him, and he realized she didn’t want him to go out. He hesitated for a moment.

Across from him, Xu En smiled and said, “Mr. Ji, let the mother and daughter talk. Tell me about Mulan’s childhood…”

Hesitating, Ji Shaoyun didn’t follow them outside.

Ji Mulan had already told him that Xu En was from Jiangjing.

He also knew that Bailian would have better opportunities in Jiangjing.

In the hallway.

Ji Mulan elegantly walked in high heels, just barely an inch taller than Bailian. “Do you know how much effort I spent getting you into that school? Your uncle said you’ve become much more obedient. From now on, don’t be so unruly anymore. The Xu family rules are much stricter than the Bai family’s. Listen carefully…”

After two years of not seeing Bailian, facing her again still left Ji Mulan feeling annoyed.

The Bai family kicking Bailian out was no doubt a slap in Ji Mulan’s face.

She couldn’t swallow this insult.

“Am I your possession?” Bailian turned off her phone and spoke.

She just looked at Ji Mulan like that, her dark eyes deep and vast, without any other emotions.

“What do you mean?” Ji Mulan looked at Bailian, her chest heaving violently. “Are you saying I don’t want the best for you? How much have I given for you? Hiring the best tutors, getting you into the best classes…”

Bailian quietly listened to her finish.

She didn’t feel much about what Ji Mulan said.

“Am I a tool for you to show off?” Bailian softly asked, “It’s been two years. You’ve only come back to see me now after two years. I was alone in the Bai house, facing Bai Qiming, facing Bai Shaoqi, facing Bai Shaokai. If you cared for me, why didn’t you take me away with you?”

Ji Mulan was startled, but quickly reacted, frowning, “You stayed with the Bai family to get the best education. I was thinking of what’s best for you.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. My household registration is with Grandpa now, so you don’t need to worry about my future life,” Bailian politely nodded at Ji Mulan and walked a few steps. Then she stopped and added, “Oh right-“

She turned back, a casual smile on her lips, “Go back and see Grandpa sometime.”

After saying that, Bailian left Wanhe Tower, texting Ji Shaoyun as she did.

She didn’t have much affection for Ji Mulan.

But the memories that surfaced were starting to burn her emotions little by little. As she walked out of Wanhe Tower, she squatted on the ground again and quietly looked up at the moon in the sky, her pitch black eyes reflecting the cold moon.

She wrapped her arms around her knees for a long time before taking out her phone again.

There was a photo on her phone that she had sneakily taken at the dinner table.

It was of Ji Mulan.

She looked at the photo, her fingertips lightly brushing over the face on the screen. Then, in a very soft voice, she said: “Mother…”

Ji Mulan.

She looked very much like her birth mother.

**

Jiang Fuli had just returned and was planning to take Jiang He to dinner.

But as the car drove down the street, he suddenly sat up and said, “Stop the car.”

The car slowly came to a stop.

Jiang Fuli was across the street. Through the window, through the sea of lights, across the vast river of time, he quietly watched Bailian, just like the first time, as she looked at the moon and he quietly looked at her.

She was dressed in white, squatting with her back to the street lamp. Her snowy skirt spilled on the ground, blossoming like orchids.

She didn’t seem to have much expression, just quietly looking in one direction.

Yet Jiang Fuli somehow felt she was shattered at this moment.

Shattered into pieces, scattered on the ground.

Jiang He also saw Bailian. He climbed down from his seat, about to get out of the car.

But Jiang Fuli coldly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

Jiang He widened his eyes in protest.

Jiang Fuli glanced at him and leisurely pushed him back into his seat. “You can’t even talk yet, let’s go.”

He got out of the car and shut the door.

Jiang He: “…”

Really, no police to come take care of this?

In the driver’s seat, Ming Donghang glanced at the rearview mirror.

His expression said he was powerless to help.

Jiang Fuli walked over to Bailian and squat down across from her, following her line of sight to the full moon.

After looking for a while, he commented, “Did you calculate that this angle gives the best view of the moon?”

Bailian came back to her senses. When she looked up, she saw that stunning face right in front of her, his phoenix eyes lightly narrowed as he arched a brow at her.

Even squatting, he had an elegant poise.

“Ah,” Bailian thought he wouldn’t be back so early today. She turned off her phone, “Why do you say that?”

“I used to like sitting in the last row of seats because of one particular spot,” Jiang Fuli looked at her. His eyes were extremely light and clear. “The school forums said that seat had the best lecture efficiency because I calculated it.”

“But actually,” Jiang Fuli slowly went on, “the professor said he didn’t dare speak when I sat in front, so he asked Dean Ma to have me sit in the back as much as possible.”

Bailian kind of wanted to laugh. She could imagine the professor not daring to speak yet not daring to confront him directly either. He could only silently ask someone else to pass on the message.

“You came out so early, have you eaten?” Seeing her expression, Jiang Fuli stood up.

Bailian shook her head.

As expected.

Seeing that she was still lazily squatting on the ground, not wanting to move, Jiang Fuli reached out a hand, his eyes lowered. “Come on, I’ll take you to eat something ordinary people can’t get.”

Bailian tilted her head up halfway.

She stared at that smooth, slender hand for a long time. In the air, there seemed to be a faint scent of silver lantern flowers. The street was filled with unceasing traffic, lit up behind them with thousands of lights.

She reached out.

And grabbed this little bit of Xiangcheng’s warmth.

**

Jiang Fuli took Bailian out to eat, but not to Wanhe Tower. Instead, it was a private residence down an alley.

When Ming Donghang knocked on the door, the person inside cursed and came out wielding a kitchen knife. “What’s with the knocking? Do you want me to knock you out with a hammer… a hammer…”

“Creak–“

The door opened.

The man’s gaze landed on the tall, slender figure behind Ming Donghang wearing an ink-colored coat. His shallow eyes briefly glanced over with a coldness like a spring.

The man’s mouth that had been rattling like a machine gun instantly shut up, as if someone had flicked an off switch.

He politely opened the door and stepped aside to let them in, a smile now on his face.

When his eyes fell on Bailian, they couldn’t help widening.

Then he grabbed Ming Donghang’s clothes tightly and used his eyes to signal Ming Donghang—

[How is there a girl here?]

Ming Donghang looked at him in bewilderment. “Lawyer Chi, why are you grabbing me?”

Chi Yundai: “…”

He tilted his chin up, sneaking glances at Bailian, desperately making eye signals. His eyes were nearly twitching.

Ming Donghang frowned. “Your eyes hurt?”

Chi Yundai: “…”

He was tired.

Chi Yundai suddenly let go and expressionlessly turned to close the door.

He went to the kitchen holding the knife.

**

Wanhe Tower.

Ji Mulan returned to the private room suppressing her anger. When Ji Shaoyun received Bailian’s message, he knew the mother and daughter hadn’t reconciled.

He wasn’t surprised. Ji Mulan had a strong personality and need for control.

Although Bailian was obedient, she had her own ideas, like squatting by Ji Xing’s bed every day.

“Brother, please persuade her for me,” Ji Mulan sat down and calmly said to Ji Shaoyun, “I must take her away.”

Ji Shaoyun didn’t speak.

Ji Mulan looked to Xu En.

Xu En gave her a “don’t worry” look, then smiled and threw out some bait. “Mr. Ji, you know as well the teachers in Jiangjing’s private schools are top-notch, with direct transfers overseas. Many future diplomats come out of there. If she studies there, it will definitely be better than other places in the future.”

Diplomat was a position beyond reach for Xiangcheng.

Ji Shaoyun didn’t answer Xu En.

He forcefully suppressed his anger, pressing his hand on the table as he stood up. “Ji Mulan, not only did you leave her alone in the Bai house, can you not force your own ideas on her? Dad and I don’t expect her to go to Beicheng University or get any particular grades. If she wants to study sciences, what’s wrong with that?”

“Also, Bailian has only learned the guzheng for a year, but she already plays so well. What else do you want?”