Bai Lian lazily tilted her head, her left hand grasping her hair faintly revealed a streak of crimson, the smoky haze softly blurring her exquisite and radiant features.
It was a kind of breathtaking beauty.
Yet reflected in the eyes of the man in the white tank top was Bai Lian's quasi-smiling face, and he could no longer harbor any other desires.
He couldn't speak, only shook his head frantically in terror.
"Is that so?"
Bai Lian let go of his hair.
The smell of smoke was not to her liking.
She lazily tossed the cigarette on the ground and stamped it out, "Know how to clean up a scene?"
Her polite demeanor genuinely frightened others.
They nodded obediently.
Bai Lian dusted off her sleeves, glancing at them before leaving, and said lightly, "What are you scared of, it's not like I chopped off your heads."
Her attitude was very laid-back.
Of course, only if she hadn't spoken with the same tone one would use when chopping up cabbages.
Only after she left did the man in the white tank top slump against the corner of the wall, fearfully moving his numb fingertips.
It took his younger brother a long time before he dared to quietly move over, squatting at his feet, and lighting a cigarette to quell the shock, "Why did you provoke her?"
The man in the white tank top: "..."
Fifteen minutes later.
When two patrollers came back around, they stared dumbfounded at the entrance of the small store on Purest Street. The rather troublesome gang leader with some backing was nursing an injury, diligently helping the shopkeeper—
Sweep the floor, move objects around.
The other lackeys were also busily engaged in work.
"What are you looking at?" The man in the white tank top, clutching a cigarette, glanced at the two officers and grumbled irritably, "Damned cops!"
After cursing, he continued moving boxes.
The shopkeeper standing nearby, trembling with fear, was just about to lend a hand.
The man in the white tank top returned the money he owed the shopkeeper for cigarettes, looking fierce and menacing, "Did I ask you to clean up?"
He continued unloading the goods, unable to understand even after a puff on another cigarette.
What, is she crazy??
How can she smile so sweetly and fight so savagely?!
The man in the white tank top thought expressionlessly, she even wanted to chop off his head!
Not far away.
"Hello? Captain." The young officer watched the small shop warily, took out his walkie-talkie with a grave expression, "Yes, request a thorough check on the owner of the small store at 112 Purest Street, no, I'm not joking!!!"
**
It wasn't yet dark when Bai Lian got back, Ji Shaojun was just stepping out to look for her.
He noticed that after a short outing, Bai Lian seemed to be in a better mood again.
Ji Shaojun felt a bit more at ease, knowing life in Xiangcheng Beicheng varied greatly, he truly feared Bai Lian might struggle to adjust.
Bai Lian sat at the stone table, her hand lazily propping up her chin, watching Ji Shaojun make several trips to fill the home's water tanks, then suddenly spoke up, "Uncle."
Ji Shaojun set the water bucket next to the well, startled by Bai Lian's voice, he paused.
Bai Lian had only visited Xiangcheng twice with Ji Mulan before, and this was the first time she had called him uncle.
"Yes," his voice suddenly rose, "what is it?"
Bai Lian blinked her large eyes, looking very docile, "I want to switch to science."
She didn't say I think.
She said I want.
"Ah," Ji Shaojun picked up the rope for drawing water, his thoughts turning over, "Can you tell your uncle why?"
He knew Bai Lian was studying liberal arts. The gap between the liberal arts and science courses was vast. Science was especially brutal with logical reasoning and clearly defined difficulties, where not knowing one thing meant not knowing it entirely.
Bai Lian smiled.
Ji Shaojun and Ji Heng did not talk much, but in their treatment of Bai Lian, there was a distinct sense of caution and probing. This gave her a sense of acceptance and recognition in a strange world.
She didn't dislike it; she even felt a bit of belonging.
Of course, she didn't understand why the original host abandoned such good family members and died in the lake for a few unrelated people.
"No particular reason," Bai Lian titled her head and asked again, "Can't I, uncle?"
Ji Shaojun: "Good, you can... Leave it to me!"
Watching Ji Shaojun's retreating back as he went to find Ji Heng, Bai Lian withdrew her docile gaze and smiled lazily with her chin propped up.
Being alive, seemed not too bad after all.
**
"That's your reason for agreeing?" Ji Heng held a bolt of fabric, looking at Ji Shaojun, his deeply lined face showing a look of incomprehension.
There weren't many people in the courtyard, besides the kitchen to the left, there was also a small storeroom, filled with brightly colored fabric despite being somewhat aged.
Ji Shaojun would help Ji Heng clean whenever he had time.
He let out a sheepish laugh, adjusted a dust cover, and muttered quietly, "But she called me uncle."
"Nonsense," Ji Heng's face tightened with sternness, his authority undiminished, "She's in her third year of high school and knows no better, do you not? Switching from liberal arts to science at this stage, is that a joke?"
Switching subjects in the senior year of high school was quite an absurdity indeed.
His son was highly intelligent, so why be so muddled on this matter?
Ji Shaojun was also puzzled by Bai Lian's sudden change of heart. She had been out, came back in a good mood, and then suddenly wanted to switch subjects.
He silently continued with the task at hand, then suddenly recalling something, he hesitantly spoke up, "The two illegitimate sons from the Bai family, aren't they all studying science?"
Bai Shaoke became the top scholar in the city last year and was admitted to Jiangjing University. The Bai family had made quite a stir online, even here in Xiangcheng the news spread, and people said the illegitimate daughter was exceptionally good in the sciences.
As Ji Heng caressed a piece of fine satin, he heard this but didn't immediately respond.
His hands were already lined with deep, rugged wrinkles. After a long while, he said, "Her temperament..."
"Dad," Ji Shaojun had some regrets about bringing it up, "I think Alian has become more sensible this time, she's thoughtful, a late bloomer. You should give her a chance, let her retake the exam next year, she might still achieve an ideal score."
Of course, he was just casually mentioning it.
He knew what his niece was like; if she could quietly finish her senior year, that would be quite an achievement. Their family didn't expect her to come back with any top scholar honours for them. If she was happy, then they would let her be.
Whether she studied literature or science didn't matter.
Ji Heng turned around and cautiously pulled out a small oil paper package from the cabinet behind him. He then opened the package and drew out a slender needle.
He didn't argue any further.
Ji Shaojun could tell he had agreed when he saw this. As he put away the fabric, he looked at Ji Heng with the needle in hand, "Shall I help you bring out the embroidery frame?"
Ji Heng did not immediately answer.
After a good while, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod, "Go ahead."
Ji Shaojun's eyes lit up, "OK! I'll go right now."
It was already dark; Ji Shaojun called Shen Qing to say he'd be home late and stayed to help Ji Heng tidy up the warehouse. They took out things like the embroidery frame, cleaned them, and then set them out to dry in the courtyard.
He hummed a tune as he wiped down the dark-colored embroidery frame.
The light in Bai Lian's room was also on; he could see her reflection in the window, reading at her desk.
Bai Lian was different, Ji Shaojun felt it. Even today, when she stepped into the dark water on the cobblestones, she didn't frown at all.
She was different from her mother.
Suddenly, Ji Shaojun felt that Bai Lian being sent back by the Bai family might not be such a bad thing after all.
**
Ji Shaojun was helping Bai Lian contact schools and teachers.
Additionally, there was the matter of her household registration, which needed to be transferred to the Ji Family.
These past days, Bai Lian had been in the library; the astonishments of this era were not just limited to mobile phones and computers, but included the library too.
She had never seen a library with such an extensive collection that was also open to the public.
This really was a wonderful era.
There was just one problem—
Bai Lian looked down at the physics book beside her, then at the physics problems. After writing a couple questions, she put down her pen and murmured softly, "Now... am I finally going to start tarnishing my teacher's reputation?"
She wouldn't dare to claim a deep mastery over the refined arts and sciences expected of a scholar as in the past, but at least she had become proficient.
As for the knowledge in the modern era of rapid technological advancement, the original owner of the body had a mind completely empty of information. She had been reading books in the library for a few days now, and could understand most of it.
She felt the books she was reading were not necessarily difficult, but...
The problem was this—
The knowledge and examples she studied: [1+1=]
The questions she was doing: [Prove e(iπ) + 1 = 0]
Bai Lian idly pondered—
Would the teachers forgive her for disgracing them in the modern world if she burnt a few more incense sticks for them when she returned?
The library had a vast collection of books, but there were shortcomings.
For instance, the depth of knowledge and the volume of problem sets were lacking.
She hadn't come across them.
Hearing her sigh, the child next to her with a paintbrush turned his head, looking at her with big, clear, sparkling eyes.
"Choose C."
He suddenly spoke.
Bai Lian paused, she flipped to the answer key; C was correct.
So she turned to him, "Mental calculation?"
On her first day at the library, she had seen this kid, a little friend who had followed her from the train station to the city gates since her arrival in Xiangcheng, quite a fate.
In the days following, both of them would appear right on time at eight o'clock when the library opened. They studied and read together, not much for talking.
The little brat shook his head.
After a pause, he explained, "My brother created a rapid recollection model for these kinds of questions, using a special algorithm."
Whose ordinary kid memorizes rapid recollection models?
Yet Bai Lian accepted this readily, "Really? Do you want some milk tea?"
"No..."
Bai Lian didn't give him a chance to object. She leaned on the desk with a smile light as spring rain, "Oh by the way, I've always considered you a good friend—"
She hesitated for a moment, "What's your name?"
Jiang He: "..."
"Jiang He, as in the crane that leaves for the lone mountain and has yet to return."
"Ah, Jiang He, I've always considered you a good friend." Bai Lian crumpled the piece of paper in her hand and threw it casually behind her, tapping his head, "Come on, let's go outside."
The two left their seats.
The paper ball smoothly landed in a red hollowed-out wastebasket in the corner.
A ring came from the mobile phone in her pocket; an unlisted number. Bai Lian casually answered, "Hello?"
The person on the other end hadn't expected her voice to be so calm; there was a pause before the dispassionate voice said, "It's me."
"Who?" Bai Lian wasn't very patient.
"Bai Lian, I have more in common with Bai Shaoqi. Even without her, our relationship wouldn't change," on the other end of the phone, Song Min didn't believe that Bai Lian didn't have his number, he just thought she was pretending. Pressing the center of his forehead, his voice was cold and exasperated, "You think it's very childish to take the master's token to Xiangcheng because of this?"