Chapter 203 - Remove the Seal, Guest Condolences

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Who was Chen Shulan?

Who were those people?

...

These were all questions that Old Master Lin desperately wanted to know the answers to.

If Old Master Lin didn’t know, Lin Qi naturally didn’t as well.

They sat in the back seat and a moment of silence fell.

“Call Yu’er.” After a long while, Old Master Lin finally returned to his senses and looked to the side.

Ning Qing was probably not in the right state of mind to inform Qin Yu.

Lin Qi nodded and took out his phone to call Qin Yu.

She had to be informed about Chen Shulan.

Dai Ran’s class had just ended when she received the phone call. Dai Ran’s class wasn’t simple at all, and even though she was a personal disciple, he still had many other students and everyone was competing with one another.

So, Qin Yu had to pull herself together and work harder than other people.

She had already been accustomed to this since young; in order to obtain more, she had to work harder than the average person.

“My grandma...” Qin Yu held her phone and walked out of Dai Ran’s class. The capital was far colder than Yun Cheng, so she was wrapped in a big scarf that still couldn’t block the cold wind. She said in an almost confused voice, “Dad, Dai Ran is bringing me to Country M tomorrow to participate in an exchange meeting...”

“An exchange meeting?” Lin Qi glanced at Old Master Lin.

Old Master Lin pondered for a long time before taking the phone and gently telling Qin Yu to attend the exchange.

Teacher Dai was now working hard to develop Qin Yu. If they missed the opportunity now, it was difficult to determine if he would continue to work hard to train her.

Old Master Lin was good at assessing the overall situation and helped her make a decision without hesitating.

He said a few words to Qin Yu and then hung up the phone.

Lin Qi was almost speechless. “Dad... this...”

Old Master Lin shook his head. “Chen Shulan has already passed...”

Over in Beijing, Qin Yu hung up the phone and pulled her scarf with one hand. She lowered her eyes and thought that she had never been close to Chen Shulan since young.

Chen Shulan didn’t like her either, so Qin Yu didn’t feel anything in her heart for her death. It was useless for her to go to Chen Shulan’s funeral. She would just be wasting her time instead. But Dai Ran, on the other hand, could bring her to Country M to participate in an exchange meeting...

There, she could meet many violin masters of the Palace-level.

Comparing Chen Shulan’s funeral to the exchange meeting, she didn’t even have to hesitate over which one to choose...

Qin Yu hardly thought about it and came to a decision.

**

At Yun Ding Hotel.

Master Wei had stayed in Yun Cheng recently. He had to deal with some matters at the Violin Association and also had tea with Principal Xu often.

The two of them were not in the same circle in Beijing.

Master Wei had always heard of Principal Xu’s legend in Beijing, but he rarely saw him in person and only met him on a few banquet occasions.

But thanks to Qin Ran, the two of them from two different circles had crossed paths.

They mostly roasted Qin Ran’s ruthless history.

“I didn’t expect you to choose Ran Ran in the end.” Master Wei shook his head and laughed.

At most, his apprentice would stir up a wave in the violin world in Beijing, and the media would probably spread it without restraint. But with Elder Xu... as soon as his heir was announced, the entire Beijing would be shaken to the core.

Elder Xu shook his head and glanced silently at Master Wei. Things had not begun to take shape for him yet, so he couldn’t be as joyful as Master Wei.

Uncle Hai brewed a pot of tea again and first poured a cup for Principal Xu. The green tea poured into the white porcelain cup and stopped before it was filled to the brim.

Not far away on top of a cabinet, Master Wei’s phone rang.

Uncle Hai poured tea for Master Wei and then walked over. “Old Master, it’s a number from Beijing.”

It was from an unknown number.

Countless people looked for Master Wei every day from all over the world.

Master Wei wasn’t surprised and just picked up after greeting Principal Xu.

It was Cheng Mu.

He explained Chen Shulan’s situation and told Master Wei about the time.

Then, he politely hung up.

Master Wei had expected this to happen when he came to Yun Cheng, but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon and was so shocked he even forgot to put his phone down.

“What’s wrong?” Principal Xu looked at Master Wei expectantly, but before he could continue, his phone also rang.

**

In the hospital.

Qin Ran was still there and had barely moved an inch.

Cheng Juan finished the phone call outside and came back in. He ignored Ning Qing, Ning Wei, and the others, and directly squatted next to Qin Ran. He asked in a gentle voice, “I didn’t let anyone touch your grandma’s ward. Do you want to come to keep her things with me?”

The group of bodyguards was still outside and Lu Zhaoying had taken a few to look around for suspicious figures in the hospital.

Qin Ran seemed to finally react and her pair of dark eyes finally focused. She tilted her head slightly and stared at Cheng Juan.

Her face was cold and her eyes were drooping. There was no breathtaking color like in the past and only seemed like a desolate desert.

Cheng Juan couldn’t bear to look and turned away.

He stood up and reached out to her. “Let’s go.”

Qin Ran finally raised her hand after a long while.

Cheng Juan led her slowly to Chen Shulan’s ward; it took almost ten minutes to arrive.

Chen Shulan didn’t have many things in her ward. She seemed to have a hunch before her death and had already distributed all her things to her four grandchildren. Mu Ying and Qin Yu looked down on her things, so she had given them to Qin Ran and Mu Nan.

The rest were her clothes and some of her old things, as well as her drinking glass and the coat she just wore outside today...

Qin Ran lowered her head and packed in silence.

Chen Shulan had lived in the ward for nearly a year and it was almost like living in a rented apartment.

She finally put away the cups that Chen Shulan drank most often from. The last hint of Chen Shulan was gone in the room.

Qin Ran surveyed the room again and a huge sense of panic bubbled in her heart.

Someone knocked on the door outside.

Cheng Mu came in.

He handed Cheng Juan a list. “Master Juan, everything has been arranged. The funeral parlor has also been notified about the cremation...”

Cheng Mu was methodical and had arranged the trivial things.

Cheng Juan nodded and asked him to go out first.

After Chen Shulan’s death, both Ning Qing and Ning Wei collapsed, so Cheng Juan handled all the follow-up matters and didn’t let the Lin family touch it.

Standing in the room, Qin Ran heard their conversation and blinked her eyes. She turned blankly to Cheng Juan and said in a hoarse and rough voice, “My grandma...”

Cheng Juan felt distraught at her frail appearance, so he reached out to bring her into his arms. He looked out the dark window, thinking of the person who had stopped the flight today. His eyes were extremely cold, but his voice was very soft and gentle as he said, “Your grandma has gone to find your grandpa.”

Qin Ran reached out and grabbed his lapel. The familiar, cold fragrance of him calmed her down and she seemed to return to her senses now.

Before long, Cheng Juan felt his shirt become wet.

Half an hour later, Qin Ran went out again. She took a piece of paper, a pen, and wrote down phone numbers one by one.

There were not many relatives in the Ning family.

Qin Ran had flipped through Chen Shulan’s phone and remembered most of the numbers. After writing them down, she went directly to Mu Nan upstairs.

“Mu Nan, notify these people.” She handed the paper to Mu Nan, her voice cold as always. Except for her pair of blood-red eyes, she almost seemed the same as before.

“Miss Qin.” Cheng Mu came in from outside and handed her a piece of data. “Master Juan told me to give this to you. Mr. Gu asked me to tell you to let him know if there is anything.”

Qin Ran reached for the paper and nodded. “Ask him to contact Yun Ding Hotel. The room from last time is still there, and...”

She instructed him one by one, her every movement as if she had always been in a high position.

Her pair of slightly-squinted eyes were extremely cold.

In Ning Qing’s eyes, Qin Ran had always been a poor student who didn’t study well, was confused, and didn’t have a goal in life. She was the same as Chen Shulan and had never been motivated.

This was the first time she saw Qin Ran behave like this.

“Ran Ran, you...” Ning Qing stared at Qin Ran, stunned.

Qin Ran ignored her and walked forward to instruct Cheng Mu.

Ning Qing stared at Qin Ran’s back and realized for the first time that Qin Ran seemed to have changed. She was completely different from what she imagined, especially... her attitude towards all of them had changed.

**

At the funeral.

Everyone had been notified about Chen Shulan.

Two of the Ning family saw that the organizer was Ning Wei and Mu Nan and didn’t come.

The address chosen was a cemetery on the outskirts of the city. Chen Shulan had already bought a spot for herself next to Qin Ran’s grandpa.

After a few days of snow, there was a white layer on the ground.

Qin Ran and Mu Nan stood on both sides of the funeral hall.

Bodyguards borrowed by Cheng Juan from Jiang Hui filled the room, wearing black suits with a white flower on their chests.

It was like the funeral of an important leader, the atmosphere solemn and heavy.

“Ran Ran, Mu Nan, don’t be too sad.” Lin Qi and Old Master Lin came over early, holding a white flower each in their hands.

Ning Qing’s voice was hoarse as she said, “Dad, this way.”

She took Lin Qi and Old Master Lin in.

Behind Old Master Lin and Lin Qi, two elderly men over the age of fifty also came in.