Ren Wanxuan never liked to speculate maliciously about others. But–
She knew what kind of place Xiangcheng was. The teaching quality at Xiangcheng High was just average, but the Rens could get her the best private tutors.
Most people with some connections had already transferred to schools in places like North City.
Who would want to come back here?
Just as Ren Wanxuan finished typing, Ji Heng suddenly looked towards the courtyard gate, “Lian’s back.”
Ji Shaorong paused. He turned to look at the gate.
A girl entered.
With her entrance, it was as if a flash of lightning had cut through the gloomy sky.
She wore a light blue top. Orderly rows of khaki buttons fastened neatly to the collar. The slightly wider cuffs were trimmed with white lucky cloud edges. Below were calf-length khaki casual pants. Lifelike pink peach blossoms were embroidered around the ankles. Ripples of pink crashed with every step.
In one hand she absently toyed with a pair of white earbuds. A hint of red around her wrist was like a red plum in the snow.
Ji Shaorong’s gaze fell upon her clothes. With one look he could tell–the meticulous stitches were Ji Heng’s handiwork…
So Ji Mulan’s daughter had turned out well-behaved.
“This is your second uncle,” Ji Heng introduced Ji Shaorong to Bai Lian with his pipe.
Ren Wanxuan didn’t look at the so-called cousin. She was still thinking about other things so her expression was a bit indifferent.
She saw Ji Heng use his pipe to point at Ji Shaorong again and lightly frowned.
She had been trained in noble Jiangjing etiquette by tutors hired by the Rens since young. Using a pipe to point at someone was just too uncouth. Such crude behavior wouldn’t even be seen from the servants at the Rens.
When she first saw Ji Heng take out a porcelain bowl with a chip many years ago, Ren Wanxuan had told him it was too dirty and unsanitary.
Ji Shaojun severely reprimanded her then.
After that Ji Heng stopped using that bowl when she visited. He bought a clean white porcelain one.
But Ren Wanxuan didn’t dare speak out of turn again. Today she could only swallow her discontent and complain to her mother later. Her mother rarely let her visit the Jis.
Bai Lian clenched the earbuds in her palm. She looked at the second uncle Ji Heng had spoken of and smiled charmingly, “Hello.”
She didn’t call him second uncle.
Her voice was like a light piano key being pressed. Clear, transparent, and ethereal. Ren Wanxuan unconsciously turned to look.
She saw an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes. Black and white distinctly separated like clear, cold ink.
Her gaze moved down. The old-fashioned clothes, before seeing the person wearing them, Ren Wanxuan had not thought such unfashionable clothes could look so good.
Even if Ren Wanxuan didn’t want to admit this.
She clenched her phone.
**
“A rare visit,” Ji Heng didn’t say much. He broke the silence, addressing Ji Shaorong, “Stay for dinner tonight.”
Ren Wanxuan withdrew her gaze. She stood up, graceful in her bearing. “Dad, I still have private lessons so I can’t stay too late.”
From the corner of her eye she looked towards the well in the courtyard.
The water the Jis used all came from there. Although the well looked clean, she really didn’t want to touch the water here.
So every time she visited she wouldn’t stay too long and hadn’t drank the water Ji Heng poured for her before.
Even though Xiangcheng was somewhat remote, most places near the city had undergone re-development long ago and plumbed disinfected running water to residents. But Qingshui Street looked just the same year after year with no construction. The residents were still using well water.
Ren Wanxuan had never seen people still relying on well water in this day and age.
Ji Shaorong glanced at her. “Then you can go back first. The driver is still outside waiting for you.”
“Right,” Ji Shaorong also remembered something else. “Xuanxuan, this is your cousin. She’s also in 12th grade. About to switch from liberal arts to sciences. You two should exchange contacts.”
As he spoke he looked towards Bai Lian. “Lian, Xuanxuan studies sciences and does very well. If you don’t understand anything you can ask her.”
Bai Lian lowered her head. She was studying the earbuds, deciding to take them apart and see how they worked once she got back to her room.
Called out, she raised her head slightly to look at Ren Wanxuan. And ponderously took out her phone, seeming wanting to add Ren Wanxuan.
Ren Wanxuan squeezed her phone for a bit, then did a long press to shut it off.
“Dad, I’m two years younger than her. I’m only 17 this year,” she paused before continuing, “I was playing mobile games just now so my phone ran out of battery.”
“Hello,” Ren Wanxuan looked directly at Bai Lian, very polite. She took out a fruit brand* phone, elegant demeanor. “Then let’s add each other as friends next time.”
Bai Lian’s eyebrows quirked up. She put away the hand that was about to take out her phone.
“Sorry,” Ji Shaorong was also silent for a bit before gently saying to Ren Wanxuan again, “You’re in 12th grade now. Don’t play games every day.”
Ren Wanxuan didn’t reply, just nodding absently. Then she bid Ji Heng goodbye. The moment she turned, her smile disappeared. Irritable and impatient.
Anyone off the streets could be called the Rens’ relatives?
**
Since Ji Shaorong was here today he was the one to wash the bowls after the meal instead of Bai Lian.
Ji Heng watched his back as he looked for the wash tub. “The tub is in the storeroom. Forgot again?”
Ji Shaorong just smiled, then looked around the courtyard for a bit before going to the storeroom.
Ji Heng sat on the stool by the door. Paper and a pen were arranged on the table.
Bai Lian had just taken apart the earbuds. She saw Ji Heng wearing glasses while sitting alone under the yellow lamplight. His silhouette was stretched long.
She closed her palm around the earbuds and walked over, squatting by his feet. She looked up, “Grandfather.”
Ji Heng’s hand paused. He looked down at her. “What is it?”
“For you,” she opened her palm to show him a blue toy rabbit. “Given to me today for buying bubble tea.”
Ji Heng looked at the blue bunny rabbit in her palm before picking it up.
“See this pattern? Do you like it?” He showed Bai Lian the painting on the table.
Bai Lian glanced at it. It was exquisite gongbi style painting of plum blossoms. The yellow stamens of each flower were vivid and lifelike, meticulously detailed. “It’s pretty.”
“Mm. Then I’ll submit this to publish tomorrow.” Ji Heng withdrew his gaze and waved Bai Lian away. “Go back to your room to read. Remember to get up early tomorrow. Your uncle will take you to register at school.”
He meant Ji Shaojun. The school transfer was done.
“Oh,” Bai Lian got up while requesting as she walked back to her room, “Will I get a vest after you submit to publish then? I also like peony blossoms. Make me an embroidery of that next time.”
“Picky, aren’t you?” Ji Heng glowered at her.
After she entered her room Ji Heng remained seated there for a long time without moving.
A vest…
How long had it been since Ji Heng last heard this term?
He seemed to have grown accustomed to modern people liking fashionable styles–haute couture dresses and clothes. No one liked the flowers he embroidered anymore or looked twice at the clothes he made. The ones he had made for Ji Mulan she didn’t bring a single one when she left home.
He looked towards Bai Lian’s back view, then lowered his eyes again to the blue bunny rabbit toy in his palm.
**
Inside the room
With no need to wash dishes Bai Lian was in a good mood. She went back to her room and put the disassembled earbuds on the desk. The first thing she did was search for the book Jiang He had given her.
She opened Baidu and searched:
?Jiangjing University Physics?
But the results were ridiculous. All sorts of stuff showed up–except any book by that name or even a Jiangjing University Physics. As she looked at the webpage, there was even a result saying:
?Got a 17 for Physics?
Bai Lian: “…”
Good job friend.
She returned to WeChat and poked Jiang He’s avatar to politely say hi–
[.]
On the other side of the phone, Jiang He was sitting on the carpet hugging a plush cabbage pillow. In his hand he held a 7-step 5-sided magic cube that he slowly twisted. The watch on his wrist chimed.
He glanced over and his eyes lit up seeing the sender was someone with a Xiangcheng skyline avatar. He tossed aside the pillow and tapped the watch face. A floating translucent 3D page appeared with Bai Lian’s message.
Bai Qian*: [.]
Jiang He replied character by character: [Ms. Bai]
Bai Qian: [I won’t go to the library tomorrow. Have to go to class.]
Jiang He: [Okay]
Bai Qian: [Can’t find the book you sent me. Not on JD.com either.]
Jiang He rested his chin on his knees as he blinked.
Jiang He: [I’ll ask brother]
He got up from the carpet and went to the study.
Jiang Fuli was on a video conference call wearing white loungewear, slightly loosely sprawled against the back of his chair. Pale fingers rested languidly on the desk. Light phoenix eyes were lazy as they drooped indifferently–looking dignified yet aloof.
Seeing Jiang He, only then did he slowly sit up straight and mute the call camera. “What is it?”
Jiang He walked over to show him the page on his watch.
“Helping her ask?” Jiang Fuli raised a brow. The soft home clothes seemed to soften his indifference somewhat.
Jiang He nodded.
Jiang Fuli took from him the half solved 7-sided 5-cube magic puzzle he was playing with. “I heard you want to go back with her?”
Jiang He nodded again.
Jiang Fuli methodically restored it to original state. Sparing him a glance, “You can’t.”
Jiang He eyed his magic cube but didn’t nod this time.
“Go to sleep,” Jiang Fuli returned the puzzle to him. “I’ll get someone to send the book over tomorrow.”
His lab sensor’s acceptance check this time didn’t meet his requirements. He needed detectors that could sensitively sense recoil nuclei.*
But the size of current lab detectors was insufficient.
So he was modifying blueprint designs to ensure scaled up detectors that also had extremely low detection energy limits. He was pressed for time.
Coincidentally Jiang He had recently found someone to play with so he didn’t need to worry about looking after him.*
After Jiang He left, Jiang Fuli withdrew his attention. He casually tapped the table and calmly yet aloofly turned his camera and mic back on, “Continue.”
**
The next day, Xiangcheng High
Xiangcheng’s largest high school. Bai Lian followed Ji Shaojun into an office.
Wearing glasses, the short haired Lu Lingxi inside the office had some undisguisable white strands in her hair. She regarded Bai Lian gently, “Student Bai, can you share with teacher why you want to transfer to sciences?”
Why transfer to sciences?
Bai Lian half lowered her eyes. Long curled lashes drooped slightly, veiling the gloom in the dark pupils. If she had to say, it started out from not wanting to see history initially. But now…
“Curiosity,” she answered quietly.
“Curiosity?” That wasn’t the answer Lu Lingxi expected.
“Mm,” Bai Lian looked at the computer on the next desk over. “For example I really want to know how computers transfer information.”
Sunlight coming in through the windows reflected in her black pupils like a lazy white cat.
Even though she was frightened and anxious coming over to this world when she transmigrated. She was making an effort to explore this era. Undeniably she was now full of curiosity towards this time period.
This was Ji Shaojun’s first time hearing Bai Lian’s reasons. He couldn’t help but turn to look at his demure niece’s face brimming with seriousness.
He was silent for a moment, recalling how she had fobbed him off last time. Oh right–
So?
Hmph. Brushing him off?
“Alright,” Lu Lingxi quietly looked at Bai Lian, seeing she was very earnest. “Do a practice test for me to see.”
She found a science practice test on the desk for Bai Lian.
Bai Lian took 20 minutes and returned it to Lu Lingxi.
As the Chinese teacher, Lu Lingxi put the test away and handed it to the physics teacher in the same office to help grade. Then gently told Bai Lian, “Come. I’ll take you to our class. There’s 20 classes in Grade 12. Ours is Class 15.”
Ji Shaojun followed along too.
Grade 12 had its own 5 story building. 4 classes per floor with a staircase and office in the middle.
Teacher Lu’s office was on 2nd floor and Class 15 in the middle of 3rd floor.
On the way upstairs they ran into a female student carrying a stack of homework to turn in. “Teacher Lu.”
“Student Ren,” Lu Lingxi supported her glasses frame and stopped, voice gentle. “Leave the homework on my desk. Wait a moment. I have something to say to you.”
“Okay.” Ren Wanxuan lifted her head. Her gaze caught Ji Shaojun.
She hadn’t seen Ji Shaojun too many times but could recognize him since he resembled her dad.
Yet her attention was instead on the person beside Ji Shaojun–
It was her. Bai Lian.
Ren Wanxuan blanked for a moment, then thought of many things in a flash. She had actually transferred over?
Had the Jis mentioned the Rens at all to her?
Ji Shaojun saw Ren Wanxuan looking. From her gaze he already understood what she was thinking so he calmly averted his eyes.
He had treated Ren Wanxuan very well before. Once he had something he hoped to ask Ji Shaojun for help with. He went through great difficulties to enter the Ren estate’s door.
Only to later find the paintings he gifted Ren Wanxuan in the Ren trash can.
Ever since then he never visited the Rens again.
Lu Lingxi was still smiling gently as she quietly explained to Bai Lian and Ji Shaojun. She sighed with emotion, “That is Ren Wanxuan. This child truly, truly clever. Skipped two grades in middle school and went straight to high school. Bai student, after you spend two days at school you’ll know who she is. Take the chance to ask her for advice if you can.”
Ren Wanxuan didn’t pay Ji Shaojun any mind. She smiled at Lu Lingxi before withdrawing her gaze and going into the office.
After putting the homework on Teacher Lu’s desk her eyes landed on a science test paper.
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