Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  At the small villa.

  After getting permission from Gu Si and Jiangsui, Bai Sui called Old Master Bai to request a new cook.

  Bai Qingqing, on the other hand, only found out about this when the new cook had arrived. She could not help but feel that Bai Sui was excessively concerned about Gu Mang’s affairs and that he seemed more aloof than ever. They could exchange a word or two in the past, but now they could go for days without talking to each other.

  She watched him order someone to arrange a room for the new cook. When another subordinate and the new cook left, she asked curiously, “From what I remember, Young Lady doesn’t seem picky when it comes to food. Although the fish was indeed a little fishy today, it wasn’t bad.”


  Before Bai Sui and Bai Qingqing came over to serve Gu Mang, Old Master Bai had told them about his granddaughter’s temper and habits. Gu Mang was not a fussy person and was fine with eating at roadside stalls. Although she had a sweet tooth, she liked eating spicy food too. That was why Bai Qingqing found it strange that Gu Mang did not eat much of the sweet and sour fish that had been specially prepared for her.

  What Bai Qingqing said made Bai Sui look at her somewhat thoughtfully. He heard her continue speaking as she recalled Old Master Bai’s other instructions. “But Old Master Bai also said that Young Lady’s temper can be rather odd at times, so it could be that she disliked the dish.”


  Bai Sui recalled the earlier scene of Gu Mang eating her dinner.?

  Bai Qingqing did not dwell on the topic as she was just mildly curious. She turned to Bai Sui and said seriously, “You’ve trained at Base 102 before. Inform us immediately if you sense anything amiss when you go there with Young Lady tomorrow.”


  Bai Sui nodded.

  “I’m going to bed.” Bai Qingqing let out a yawn and then turned around to go back to her bedroom.

  Bai Sui stood there looking up the stairs for a long time. He suspected that something was wrong with Gu Mang and that it had something to do with Gu Si flaring up the other day, but he could not figure out what the cause was.

  …


  The next day.

  It was finally time for Gu Mang to enter Base 102 to take the assessment. When she came down with Lin Shuang, she noticed that the breakfast served was different from the usual.

  Jiangsui walked over and explained, “Bai Sui requested a new cook from the Bai family. I figured that it wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t go up to inform you.”


  Gu Mang hummed an acknowledgement.

  “Are you really taking Bai Sui to Base 102 with you?” Jiangsui asked hesitantly as he scratched his head while looking at her. For some reason, her attitude toward Bai Sui seemed to have changed lately.

  Lin Shuang found her friend’s behavior strange too but she had heard that Gu Si had briefly fought with Bai Sui and that the former had had no chance to retaliate at all. Gu Si had been especially agitated and furious when he recounted this to her and he felt particularly indignant that he could not even defeat a subordinate from the Bai family even after training at Red Flame for so long.

  As Gu Mang made her way to the dining room, she glanced at Jiangsui and said blandly, “You’re no match for him.”


  “But we haven’t even fought,” Jiangsui argued. “I think I have a chance of winning against him.”


  Gu Mang quietly shot him a side-look that said ‘No, you can’t.’


  Jiangsui choked when he saw her expression.

  Gu Mang then retracted her gaze. “Take Gu Si to my grandfather.”


  The heads of the four major clans and their successors would be watching the assessment.

  Jiangsui gave a dispirited reply…… “Okay.”