Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Lin Qi repeated himself.

  He saw the girl in front of him become silent for a moment.

  Lin Qi thought about it for a while. What was with Qin Ran’s expression just now when he mentioned the violin?

  Qin Ran returned to her senses a minute later and said emotionlessly, “There’s no need.”


  Qin Yu had still been potty training when she started playing the violin.

  Lin Qi looked up at Qin Ran and seemed surprised by her choice.

  It was a surprise he hadn’t expected.

  “Then…… I heard from your mom that you have a bit of knowledge about computers. The Lin family also has several computer industries. You can come to our company to explore.” Lin Qi proposed again.

  “Thank you uncle, but there’s no need.” Qin Ran rejected him again.

  “You don’t have to hurry to reject me, this is a good choice for you.” Lin Qi’s expression was a little complicated and he paused for a few seconds. “I will give you a few days. If you change your mind, call me.”


  Then, Lin Qi took out his business card and handed it to Qin Ran.

  Qin Ran looked down and reached out to take it slowly.

  Lin Qi usually spoke well in the business field, but now, he looked at the girl with her hand in her pocket and half-lowered his eyes. The girl was trying to keep a distance from him and he couldn’t find a topic to talk about.

  He took his phone and went downstairs.

  Downstairs, Li Airong, who had been standing by the windows watching the situation, saw Lin Qi coming down and squinted slightly, thinking that he seemed very familiar.

  **

  Qin Ran returned to class 3.9 and found that class was almost over.

  Qiao Sheng had changed seats with the classmates in front of her. When she came back, he leaned sideways and said in a low voice, “What did Boss ask you to do?”


  Qin Ran raised her hand and dropped the business card on the table, then leaned against the wall lazily. “He encouraged me to study hard.”


  At the thought of Qin Ran’s results, Qiao Sheng stifled a laugh. “He actually told you to study hard?”


  He suddenly found it interesting and stopped talking to the person in front of him. Then, he asked if Gao Yang had said anything curiously.

  After talking for a while, he saw the business card that Qin Ran had thrown aside.

  Qiao Sheng picked it up and looked at it for a moment, shocked. “Lin Qi came to find you?”


  “Yeah.” Qin Ran slowly began to take her book out from under her table.

  “Why?”


  Qin Ran told him briefly.

  “Wait, you’ve learned the violin before?” Qiao Sheng was stunned. “Why haven’t I heard you say that you know how to play the violin, nor seen you play it before?”


  “I learned it when I was a kid,” Qin Ran supported her chin and said in low spirits.

  Qiao Sheng automatically interpreted this to mean that she wasn’t good at the violin, which was a normal reaction for humans.

  It was because she had never mentioned it before, and if she had learned it well, she would have said something.

  “Then why didn’t you promise him?” Qiao Sheng laid his hands on the table, took the English book, and covered the side of his face with it. “Actually, what Uncle Lin said does make a lot of sense. It’s much better than you finding a job elsewhere. Uncle Lin has already made some concessions so that you can repair your relationship with the Lin family.”


  After a pause, Qiao Sheng continued to say, “Furthermore, what will you do in the future if you reject him? The Lin family is pretty big in Yun Cheng. Don’t you think Uncle Lin will think that you don’t know what’s good for your own good if you do this?”


  Qiao Sheng’s concerns and doubts also made sense.

  Qin Ran was now Lin Qi’s stepdaughter, but in reality, she simply couldn’t compare to Qin Yu. Qin Yu had grown up in the Lin family and they were naturally biased towards her.

  With the Lin family’s guidance in Yun Cheng, it was clear that their life would be good, especially people like Qin Ran who had no background.

  Lin Qi’s two proposals had been made from the perspective of Qin Ran, and Qiao Sheng didn’t see any harm in it.

  Qin Ran didn’t know that Qiao Sheng had thought so much. She just reached out to turn her book, glance at Qiao Sheng, and smiled slowly. “Who told you that I would stay in Yun Cheng and rely on the Lin family?”


  Qiao Sheng froze and his heart jumped. He seemed to have noticed something and asked, “Wait, what did you say?”


  Qin Ran shook her head and continued reading. “Nothing.”


  Qiao Sheng: “.…… Don’t act like your IQ is higher than mine.”


  But of course, he didn’t dare to say this sentence out loud.

  **

  The following day after class.

  Qin Ran and Lin Siran went to the bookstore in the city after school.

  Li Airong had arranged a new exercise book and it would be discussed tomorrow.

  “We have to transfer another bus,” Qin Ran held her phone to her ear and said to Cheng Juan while getting off the bus. “Wait for me for another twenty minutes.”


  The two of them had to turn a corner to reach another bus stop.

  While walking in front, Lin Siran suddenly stopped.

  Qin Ran hung up the phone and raised an eyebrow. There was a group of seven or eight strong men in front.

  It was nearly November and wasn’t so hot anymore, so people basically wore coats.

  But these men only wore vests and had large tattoos on their exposed arms and shoulders, making them look very sinister and scary.

  They were even holding steel knives and sticks in their hands and looked like gangsters at first glance.

  Lin Siran paused and took a step back involuntarily.

  She felt slightly uneasy as she turned to look at Qin Ran.

  “Our young master wants to see you.” The man in front bit his cigarette and stared at Qin Ran casually. “This chick is even from First Middle School, what a good student.”


  “I don’t want to see him. Make way, thank you,” Qin Ran said as she tucked her phone in her pocket. She stared at the gangsters, lowered her voice, and replied very concisely.

  She saw that Lin Siran was nervous, so she reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

  “It’s the car just in front of the street.” The gangster took a step forward and pointed to a sports car parked at the street imposingly.

  Qin Ran looked up and clenched her fists. Her voice was very gentle as she said, “It seems like you don’t understand me.”


  **

  Yun Cheng’s bookstore.

  It occupied several floors of the mall.

  Cheng Mu was standing by a row of bookshelves, holding a cell phone, and talking to the person on the other end. “I’m not sure about the 129 case. I just came to Yun Cheng not long ago, you’ll have to ask Young Master Lu.”


  The other end replied.

  Cheng Mu’s face was stiff as he looked at Cheng Juan’s direction.

  Cheng Juan was standing in front of a row of shelves, looking seriously at some high school revision materials. Occasionally, he would even take one out and flip through it.

  He was quiet and focused, and a few girls who had been shopping here still hadn’t left.

  “What’s Master Juan doing?” The person on the other end asked. Cheng Mu wiped his face and said in despair, “Old Jin, trust me, you don’t want to know.”


  Cheng Mu said a few more words before hanging up.

  Then, he picked up the basket on the side, followed respectfully behind Cheng Juan, and put his selected books into the basket.

  Cheng Mu stared at the pile of things in the basket.

  He thought to himself expressionlessly, who knew that his Master Cheng who was almost omnipotent in the capital was now in a bookstore in Yun Cheng, seriously choosing materials for the college entrance examination?

  “Cheng Jin?” Cheng Juan put a book into the basket and asked.

  Cheng Mu nodded. “He wanted to inquire about the Lone Wolf. When the Lone Wolf took our order last time, there was a big wave over the capital.”


  “Only our order was taken?” Cheng Juan looked over expressionlessly.

  “That’s what Cheng Jin said. He has been hiding for a year and only took our order.” Cheng Mu lowered his voice and continued, “Many people in Beijing are investigating us now.”


  However, 129 had done well and had not leaked any information.

  “Hmm.” Cheng Juan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

  He picked up another college entrance exam review book, glancing through the content page. The bookstore was full of lights, but it wasn’t glaring on his cold white fingers.

  He looked down and flipped through the book casually, looking very lazy. However, he exuded a sense of elegance that made people stay a distance away.

  This was one of the reasons why the girls from not far away didn’t dare come forward to flirt with him.

  Cheng Juan didn’t have to wait long before Qin Ran and Lin Siran arrived.

  “I got the two review books for you.” Cheng Juan motioned to the basket that Cheng Mu was holding and said to Qin Ran. Then, he paused and continued, “I got you other review books as well.”


  Qin Ran stared at the “Mathematics Advanced Plan” book that was placed on the top of the basket. After a while, she said tiredly, “Okay.”


  Cheng Juan had already walked around the bookstore and was done, so he turned and asked, “Is there anything you two want to buy?”


  When he turned, his eyes naturally flickered past Qin Ran, and he noticed her wrinkled sleeve.

  “Siran still wants to get two more books. Wait here for a while, I’ll go and get them with her.” Qin Ran didn’t let Cheng Juan follow them.

  Cheng Juan was cold, and like most people, Lin Siran felt nervous when she saw him.

  “Okay, I’ll go to the cash register first.” Cheng Juan nodded and led Cheng Mu away.

  Cheng Mu put the basket in his hand on the cash register and waited for Lin Siran and Qin Ran.

  “Cheng Mu, find a way to ask Lin Siran.” Cheng Juan leaned lazily against the cash register, his hand pressed against his lips as he said softly, “Did anything happen to them when they came here?”


  “Okay.” Cheng Mu nodded and didn’t doubt Cheng Juan’s instructions.

  **

  On the other side.

  Lin Siran turned and looked at the books on the bookshelf. She pursed her lips and couldn’t hold back. “Ran Ran, what’s your relationship with Mr. Cheng?”


  Qin Ran thought for a while and said, “He’s my employer.”


  Lin Siran: “.……” It didn’t seem like so.

  But she kept quiet.

  Lin Siran took two of the books she wanted, and Qin Ran also took a few foreign language books.

  Master Cheng obviously wouldn’t pay at the cash register himself, so Cheng Mu just stayed stiffly there. But he was extremely serious.

  Otherwise, Cheng Juan wouldn’t take him out on business trips anymore.

  Cheng Mu took Qin Ran and Lin Siran’s books and paid for them.

  When he handed the last few books to the cashier, Cheng Mu paused.

  He glanced at the book in his hand. It was in German. Because he minored in German at Cheng Jin University, he recognized the language and realized it was a book of poems.

  He looked down and there was another English book.

  “Ms. Qin, did you take the wrong book?” Cheng Mu pulled out the books and asked Qin Ran.

  Qin Ran glanced at them. “No, I didn’t.”


  “Okay.” Cheng Mu nodded. He wasn’t much of a talker.

  He guessed that Qin Ran probably bought these for someone else, or to pretend to use it.

  **

  Almost at the same time.

  In a restaurant in Yun Cheng.

  “Chairman Feng, this is our proposal.” The old man’s face was gentle, and his slightly cloudy eyes still shone slightly as he pushed a folder to him. “Take a look.”


  The woman on the opposite side wore a black suit. She had short hair and was dressed meticulously.

  She was Feng Loucheng’s sister, Feng Loulan.

  She put her hands on the document but didn’t read it. Instead, she looked up and said, “Mr. Lin, you should know that I talked to your son two days ago. There are so many enterprises in Yun Cheng, but I still like the Lin family……”


  The two of them conversed.

  There was a knock on the door.

  It was Feng Loulan’s secretary. She was holding Feng Loulan’s private phone with a look of panic.

  Feng Loulan’s secretary had been selected through several interviews. This secretary had followed her for nearly ten years and was extremely used to her.

  Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be so reckless as to barge in when she was talking about business.

  “My apologies.” Feng Loulan smiled.

  Old Master Li picked up his tea and smiled. “No worries.”


  “Chairman Feng.” The secretary didn’t say much, but her expression was bad as she directly handed the phone to Feng Loulan. “Young Master Qian is in the hospital!”


  Bang—


  Feng Loulan pulled her chair back immediately and stood up, her expression drastically changed. “What?!”


  She grabbed her bag and rushed out.

  They had just been talking about cooperation, and it wasn’t suitable for Old Master to just leave at this time, so he also followed her to the hospital.

  **

  After an hour.

  The Lin family sat at the dining table.

  They had been extremely quiet these days.

  Ning Qing was in a trance and was thinking about something.

  The phone in the living room rang.

  This was strange, as the Lin family had their individual phones and very few people called their house number.

  Aunt Zhang wiped her hands, looked at the caller ID, and picked up politely. “Old Master.”


  Aunt Zhang’s expression changed gradually.