Chapter 5: Switching from Liberal Arts to Science, Witnessing the Rise to Godhood

Bai Lian tilted her head lazily. A sliver of crimson was faintly visible in her left hand, which was gripping his hair, and a thin haze of smoke blurred her exquisite and beautiful face.

It was a breathtaking kind of beauty.

But in the reflection of the White Vest’s pupils, he saw Bai Lian’s half-smiling face, and he could no longer summon any other desires.

He couldn't speak; he only shook his head in frantic terror.

“Is that so.”

Bai Lian let go.

She didn't like the taste of the cigarette.

She lazily threw it under her feet and crushed it: “Clean up the battlefield. Can you do that?”

She was polite, and the others were truly terrified.

They nodded obediently.

Bai Lian brushed off her sleeves. Before leaving, she glanced at them, her tone light and casual: “What are you afraid of? I didn't cut your head off, did I?”

It was a very easygoing attitude.

Of course, that would be true if she hadn't used the same tone one might use to talk about chopping a head of cabbage.

It wasn't until she left that the White Vest slid down to sit in the corner, his paralyzed fingertips trembling with fear.

It took a long time for his lackey to dare to move over silently. He squatted by his feet and lit a cigarette to calm his nerves: “Why on earth did you provoke her?”

White Vest: “……”

Fifteen minutes later.

Two patrolling officers turned back around. They stared, dumbfounded, at the entrance of the convenience store. The notoriously difficult gang leader of Qingshui Street, who had some influence behind him, was currently nursing his injuries while obediently helping the shopkeeper—

Sweeping the floor and moving goods.

The other lackeys were also working hard, huffing and puffing.

“What are you looking at?” White Vest bit down on his cigarette, glanced at the two patrolmen, and said irritably, “Damn cops!”

After grumbling, he continued moving boxes.

The shopkeeper nearby was trembling, just about to reach out to help move something.

White Vest paid back the cigarette money he owed the shopkeeper, looking fierce: “Did I tell you to clean up?”

He continued to bury his head in moving the goods, but even after smoking a pack of cigarettes, he still couldn't figure it out.

No, is she sick or something??

How can someone who smiles so innocently fight so viciously?!

White Vest thought expressionlessly, she even wanted to cut his head off!

Not far away.

“Hello? Captain.” The young officer looked at the convenience store vigilantly. He took out his walkie-talkie, his expression serious, “Yes, I’m requesting a strict investigation into the shopkeeper of the convenience store at 112 Qingshui Street. Yes, I’m not joking!!!”

**

Before it was dark, Ji Shaojun was just about to go out to look for her when Bai Lian returned.

He noticed that after her trip out, Bai Lian’s mood seemed to have improved again.

Ji Shaojun felt a little more at ease. The gap in living standards between the north and south of Xiang City was vast, and he was truly afraid that Bai Lian wouldn't be able to adapt.

Bai Lian sat by the stone table, her chin resting lazily on her hand, watching Ji Shaojun make several trips to fill the water vat in the house. Suddenly, she spoke, “Uncle.”

Ji Shaojun placed the bucket by the well. Hearing Bai Lian’s voice, he was stunned.

Bai Lian had only been to Xiang City twice before with Ji Mulan, and this was the first time she had called him uncle.

“Hey,” his voice rose suddenly, “what is it?”

Bai Lian blinked those large eyes of hers, looking very well-behaved: “I want to switch to the science track.”

She didn't say "I would like to."

She said "I want to."

“Ah,” Ji Shaojun picked up the rope for drawing water, his thoughts swirling, “can you tell your uncle why?”

He knew that Bai Lian was a liberal arts student. The gap between arts and science courses was too large; the science track was cruel—logical reasoning, clear-cut difficulty, and the main point was that if you didn't know it, you just didn't know it.

Bai Lian smiled.

Ji Shaojun and Ji Heng were both men of few words, but they treated Bai Lian with obvious caution and care, which gave her a sense of being accepted and recognized upon her arrival in this strange world.

She didn't dislike it; she even felt a little bit of belonging.

Of course, she didn't understand why the original owner would abandon such good family members and die in a lake for the sake of a few irrelevant people.

“No reason,” Bai Lian tilted her head and asked again: “Is it not allowed? Uncle?”

Ji Shaojun: “Fine, it’s allowed… leave it to me!”

Watching Ji Shaojun put down the bucket and head off to find Ji Heng, Bai Lian withdrew her obedient expression and smiled, lazily resting her chin on her hand.

Being alive, it seems, is not too bad.

**

“This is the reason you agreed to her?” Ji Heng held a bolt of fabric and looked at Ji Shaojun, an expression of incomprehension appearing on his wrinkled face.

There weren't many people in the courtyard. Besides the kitchen on the left, there was a small warehouse filled with bolts of fabric.

Although they were old, the colors were still bright.

Whenever Ji Shaojun had time, he would come to help Ji Heng clean.

He gave a sheepish laugh, smoothed out a dust cover, and muttered softly: “But she called me uncle.”

“Nonsense,” Ji Heng said with a stern face, his authority undiminished, “She doesn't know any better, but do you? A-Lian is already in her third year of high school; is switching from arts to science a joke?”

Transferring schools in the third year of high school was already quite ridiculous.

His son was quite intelligent, so why was he so muddled about this matter?

Ji Shaojun also didn't understand why Bai Lian had returned in such a good mood, only to suddenly want to switch tracks.

He worked silently on the task at hand, then suddenly remembered something and spoke hesitantly: “Those two illegitimate children of the Bai family, do they both study science?”

Bai Shaoke had been admitted to Jiangjing University as the city’s top scorer last year. The Bai family had hyped it up online for a long time, and even people in Xiang City had heard of it. It was said that the illegitimate daughter was also excellent at science.

Ji Heng stroked a piece of top-quality silk, but didn't speak immediately.

His hands were already covered in deep wrinkles. After a long while, he said, “Her temperament…”

“Dad,” Ji Shaojun regretted bringing it up, “I think A-Lian is sensible this time. She has her own ideas. Late bloomers are common; you should give her a chance. If she repeats the year, she might be able to get an ideal score.”

Of course, he was just saying that.

He knew what his niece was like; it would be good enough if she could just finish her third year of high school quietly. Their family didn't expect their niece to bring home a top-scorer title or anything like that. If she was happy, let her be.

Whether she studied arts or science didn't matter.

Ji Heng turned around, carefully pulled a small oil-paper packet from the cabinet behind him, opened it, and took out a long, thin needle.

He didn't argue further.

Ji Shaojun knew immediately that he had acquiesced. He put away the fabric and watched Ji Heng take the needle: “Shall I bring out the embroidery frame for you?”

Ji Heng didn't answer immediately.

After a long while, he gave a noncommittal nod, “Take it.”

Ji Shaojun’s eyes lit up, “Hey! I’m on it.”

It was already dark. Ji Shaojun called Shen Qing to say he would be home late, then stayed to help Ji Heng clean the warehouse. He took out the embroidery frames and other items, washed them, and left them in the courtyard to dry.

He hummed a tune while wiping down the dark embroidery frame.

The light in Bai Lian’s room was also on. He could see her silhouette reflected on the window; she was reading at her desk.

Bai Lian was different. Ji Shaojun could feel it. When she came back today, even though she had stepped into the black water in the stone cracks, she hadn't even frowned.

She was different from her mother.

Ji Shaojun suddenly felt that Bai Lian being sent back by the Bai family might not be a bad thing.

**

Ji Shaojun was helping Bai Lian contact schools and teachers.

In addition, there was her household registration, which needed to be moved to the Ji family.

Bai Lian had been in the library for the past few days. What surprised her about this era wasn't just the mobile phones and computers, but the library itself.

She had never seen a collection of books so rich and open to the public.

This was truly a wonderful era.

There was just one problem—

Bai Lian looked down at the physics book in her hand, then at the physics problems. After writing two, she put down her pen and whispered, “Am I… finally going to start ruining my teacher’s reputation?”

In the past, she wouldn't dare claim to be an expert in the Six Arts of a gentleman or the Eight Elegances of life, but at least she had completed her apprenticeship.

With the rapid development of modern technology, the original owner’s brain was empty, devoid of any knowledge. She had spent a few days reading in the library, and she could understand most of it.

She didn't think the books she was reading were difficult, but…

The problem was this—

The knowledge and examples she studied: [1+1=]

The problems she had to solve: [Prove e^(iπ)+1=0]

Bai Lian thought gloomily—

I wonder if I burn a few more sticks of incense for my teacher when I go back, will he forgive me for embarrassing him in the modern era?

The library had many books, but it also had its shortcomings.

For example, deeper knowledge, or more extensive problem sets.

She hadn't seen any of those.

Hearing her sigh, the child next to her holding a paintbrush turned his head, his black-and-white eyes blinking as he looked at her.

“Choose C.”

He suddenly spoke.

Bai Lian paused. She flipped to the answer key. C. It was correct.

She turned her face, “Mental math?”

When she first came to the library on her first day, she had seen this child who had followed her from the train station to the city gate when she arrived in Xiang City. They had quite a connection.

For the past few days, both of them had appeared at the library promptly at eight o'clock when it opened. They read and studied together, neither of them liking to talk much.

The little brat shook his head.

After a while, he explained, “My brother has a shorthand model for this kind of problem. There’s an algorithm.”

What kind of ordinary child memorizes shorthand models?

Bai Lian accepted it well: “I see. Want some milk tea?”

“No…”

Bai Lian didn't give him a chance to refuse. She leaned on the table and smiled, as gentle as a spring breeze: “By the way, I’ve always considered you my good friend—”

She stumbled, “What’s your name?”

Jiang He: “……”

“Jiang He. The crane that flies toward the lonely mountain and has yet to return.”

“Oh, Jiang He, I’ve always considered you my good friend.” Bai Lian crumpled the paper in her hand into a ball, threw it behind her, and tapped his head, “Let’s go, let’s go out.”

The two left their seats.

The paper landed steadily into a red hollow wastebasket in the corner.

The phone in her pocket rang. It was a number without a name. Bai Lian answered it casually, “Hello?”

The person on the other end clearly didn't expect her voice to be so calm. They paused, then spoke coldly, “It’s me.”

“Who?” Bai Lian had no patience.

“Bai Lian, I have more in common with Bai Shaoqi. Even without her, the relationship between us wouldn't change in the slightest.” On the other end of the phone, Song Min didn't believe that Bai Lian didn't have his number; he just assumed she was doing it on purpose. He pressed his brow, cold and annoyed: “Don't you think it’s childish to bring the apprenticeship letter to Xiang City because of this?”