ATLAS TRANSLATES

Jiang Qi Huai sent this WeChat message to the group. A few seconds later, WeChat pinged again.

Ji Fan sent a friend request.

Jiang Qi Huai had some impression of this deskmate. This person was a friend of a friend of a friend — if he had to describe it, about as distant as a second aunt’s husband’s eldest cousin’s brother’s child. The two of them seemed to have fought once before.

Jiang Qi Huai accepted Ji Fan’s friend request. The young man sent four characters over: [Where are you.]

Jiang Qi Huai sent his location.

[Ji Fan]: I’ll be there in ten minutes.

Jiang Qi Huai looked up at Tao Zhi sitting beside him.

The young girl had finished her yogurt, the box placed on the table beside her. She was propping up her head, smiling at him while patting the spot next to her, indicating for him to sit there.

Jiang Qi Huai walked over, threw the empty yogurt box in the trash, and sat down beside her.

Tao Zhi craned her neck to look at his phone: “Did you see the photos we posted in the group?”

Jiang Qi Huai: “No.”

“You’re in them,” Tao Zhi yawned sleepily and rubbed her eyes, “You missed the fireworks at night. We watched them from the Ferris wheel. Everyone saw them except you, but we took photos.”

She rambled on to him: “You should look at them, they’re really nice.”

Jiang Qi Huai didn’t speak, his phone placed to the side with no intention of checking.

Tao Zhi watched him for a while, then lowered her head somewhat disappointedly, muttering in a voice only she could hear: “Zhi Zhi looks nice too.”

Ji Fan knew this area well and arrived in less than ten minutes.

Tao Zhi saw him as soon as he stepped into the convenience store. She was crouching on her chair drinking yogurt and waved to him.

Ji Fan walked over panting, supporting himself on the table edge while catching his breath, and looked at Jiang Qi Huai: “Didn’t she finish drinking?”

“Bought another box,” Jiang Qi Huai said.

Ji Fan: “…”

Ji Fan nodded and took out his phone: “How much in total? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“No need.”

Ji Fan didn’t insist, thanked him, then reached out to ruffle Tao Zhi’s head and pulled her arm to get her up: “Alright, stop drinking. Aren’t you afraid of getting a stomach ache from drinking so much yogurt? Let’s go home.”

Tao Zhi was pulled up and led out of the convenience store door, but before leaving she looked back.

Jiang Qi Huai sat at the table watching her, his gaze quiet.

He watched as the young girl passed through the store’s automatic doors, bouncing crookedly down the street, then being impatiently pulled back by the young man, finally disappearing at the street corner.

The National Day golden week passed quickly. Just when everyone felt the holiday had barely begun, seven days had already gone by. The longest holiday before winter break passed silently.

Tao Zhi’s last three days were also very boring. She spent one day sobering up and the remaining two reading books.

She declined all entertainment activities Song Jiang invited her to, reasoning that there would be too many people during National Day, and she didn’t want to deal with crowds.

“Not going.”

“Why aren’t you going again?”

“I have social anxiety, I’m a bit shy,” Tao Zhi said while sucking on a lollipop and flipping through physics papers at her bedroom desk, phone on speaker beside her, “I also don’t like crowded places, I’m quite introverted.”

Song Jiang: “…”

Song Jiang choked back a swear word, but finally couldn’t hold back: “What the hell social anxiety do you have, what the hell are you shy about! Why are you staying cooped up at home not going anywhere these days?”

Tao Zhi twirled her pen, stopping at the last multiple choice question and marking a letter, saying leisurely: “For a greater cause.”

“…”

Song Jiang hung up the phone feeling frustrated.

On the first day back at school, Tao Zhi finally finished the set of test papers Teacher Wang had given her specifically.

Although they were all basic questions, she still lost a handful of hair doing them. She barely managed to complete them with Fu Xi Ling’s notes, and since there were no answers, she didn’t know how many were correct.

Wrong is wrong, at least she got through them somehow.

Tao Zhi thought carelessly.

Early Monday morning when she arrived at the classroom, she saw Li Shuang Jiang and others busy at the blackboard. A small Black Forest cake sat on the podium, and a large calendar was drawn with chalk on the blackboard. Zhao Ming Qi and others each held a candle, standing in a row facing the calendar on the blackboard with serious expressions.

Li Shuang Jiang commanded: “First bow.”

The row of people bowed to the blackboard in unison.

As they were doing their second bow, Tao Zhi went over to look: “What are they doing?”

“Mourning their departed beautiful National Day holiday,” Fu Xi Ling said beside her, “They even specially went to buy a cake this morning.”

“…Weirdos.”

Tao Zhi couldn’t understand these boys’ performance art and rolled her eyes as she returned to her seat.

With the holiday over, the daily studying life restarted. After the second class, gossip expert Jiang Zheng Xun brought back the latest news.

The top student in the neighboring arts Class One had been caught cheating. All their test scores were canceled, and they were removed from the school’s top 100 rankings.

When Jiang Zheng Xun came to the class to talk about this, Tao Zhi was lying on her desk listening to Li Shuang Jiang argue with his deskmate. Zhao Ming Qi was adding fuel to the fire as the two argued red-faced over a math problem’s answer, escalating from the actual result to personal attacks.

“I just heard it when I went to get papers from the Chinese department. I’m not sure about the specifics, but apparently this Zhao something Qiao cheated on the comprehensive humanities test, and somehow got discovered and was anonymously reported,” Jiang Zheng Xun said while eating chips at his desk edge. “Then the school checked the surveillance cameras and stuff, called him in to question him, and confirmed he had cheated.”

“Zhao Bai Qiao,” Li Shuang Jiang said, “He used to be in our class. His grades were okay, but definitely not top of the grade level. I thought he had just improved rapidly recently. Plus isn’t he the grade director’s son?”

“Yeah yeah yeah, our grade level director,” Jiang Zheng Xun said, “They say the grade director slapped him right there in the office, with all the subject teachers present, really gave him a scolding. This Zhao whatever—”

Li Shuang Jiang: “Zhao Bai Qiao.”

“Zhao Bai Qiao,” Jiang Zheng Xun said, “was crying his eyes out.”

Although this happened in the arts track, it caused quite a stir.

Exam cheating happened occasionally, but having one of the top students in the grade achieve their position through cheating was a first at Experimental.

Generally, good students disdained getting scores through cheating, let alone becoming first in the grade.

Moreover, this person was the grade director’s son.

The grade director was a strict and harsh person who would call you to her office for a scolding over the smallest thing. Almost no one in the entire second year liked her. She liked to wear pink dresses, earning her the nickname Experimental Umbridge.

Experimental posted the top 100 scores after each monthly exam. That afternoon, Experimental Umbridge stood with a black face in front of the top 100 board on the first floor of the second-year teaching building, directing two students to tear down the rankings and put up new ones.

A crowd of people skipped lunch to gather and watch, chatting and laughing.

Li Shuang Jiang pulled Jiang Qi Huai and others to take a look as they passed by. Zhao Ming Qi clicked his tongue beside them: “This Umbridge has really lost face this time.”

Several Class One girls happened to be standing next to them, including Li Si Jia and Wu Nan. Wu Nan, always serious, frowned and said: “These cases of suddenly improving by dozens of points sound very suspicious. Learning is a step-by-step process, how could anyone soar up so quickly?”

Li Si Jia held her arm and said softly: “But doesn’t our class have someone like that too? Someone who doesn’t seem to study much normally but suddenly jumped from fifty or sixty points to over a hundred…”

Her voice wasn’t loud but was enough for those nearby to hear. Li Shuang Jiang and others were stunned.

Her words were too pointed — looking across their entire class, there was only one person who could fit that description.

Jiang Qi Huai, who had been looking at his phone, suddenly raised his head and gave her an unreadable look.

Li Si Jia’s gaze met Jiang Qi Huai’s, and she hurriedly looked away.

Another girl beside them made a meaningful “oh” sound: “That one paid to get in, can’t be compared to the grade director’s son, different levels entirely.”

Li Shuang Jiang frowned: “Boss isn’t that kind of person.”

The girl rolled her eyes: “How is she not? Doesn’t she copy homework every day? How could she suddenly become righteous during exams?”

Zhao Ming Qi made an “ay” sound beside them, saying with a grin: “That’s not right, I’ve copied Brother Huai’s homework too.”

“Homework is homework, that’s different,” Li Shuang Jiang was getting annoyed too, “Sometimes I copy when I haven’t finished too. By your logic, my 700 points must be from cheating too? Who in our class hasn’t copied homework during morning self-study? Haven’t you ever made up work?”

The girl looked disdainful: “For guys, looks are justice, right? As long as you’re good-looking, everything’s fine.”

Li Shuang Jiang couldn’t argue with her and got so frustrated his face turned red. After a long time, he couldn’t think of how to refute. Zhao Ming Qi pulled at him from the side: “Old Li, forget it.”

Jiang Qi Huai turned and walked upstairs.

He went up to the third floor against the crowd. Class One’s classroom was quiet with only a few people inside. Tao Zhi and Fu Xi Ling sat together eating boxed lunches, the two girls laughing together over some topic while holding their chopsticks.

Seeing him standing at the door, Tao Zhi raised her chopstick-holding hand to wave at him: “What’s up, Your Highness? Forgot something?”

Jiang Qi Huai didn’t speak, seemingly just checking if she was there, then turned and closed the back door and left.

Tao Zhi and Fu Xi Ling looked at each other bewildered.

Tao Zhi blinked twice: “What’s wrong with him?”

Fu Xi Ling also blinked: “The world of geniuses, we mortals don’t understand.”

Tao Zhi didn’t know what had happened downstairs at lunch, but she wasn’t stupid. Throughout the afternoon, she could feel that something was off.

For example, during class breaks, the frequency with which those groups of girls looked at her obviously increased. Every time they met her gaze they quickly looked away and continued talking.

Tao Zhi was long used to various stares and didn’t care about irrelevant people. She continued doing whatever she was doing, undisturbed by these busybodies.

Even Li Shuang Jiang and the others’ attitudes toward her became obviously more attentive.

Throughout the afternoon, Zhao Ming Qi came to bring her yogurt, Li Shuang Jiang brought soft candy, and even Jiang Zheng Xun, who usually was too lazy to move from his seat, came over to chat: “Monitor, you haven’t heard anything this afternoon, right?”

“Heard what?” Tao Zhi asked casually while playing mahjong.

Jiang Zheng Xun sighed in relief: “Nothing.”

Tao Zhi: “That I cheated on the monthly exam?”

Jiang Zheng Xun: “…”

Li Shuang Jiang, who had been eavesdropping in front, instantly turned around with a tense face to look at her.

Tao Zhi frowned thoughtfully for a moment, played a three of characters: “I’m not deaf. They were speaking so loudly, as if afraid someone in the class might not know. I heard half of it and guessed the other half.”

Jiang Zheng Xun awkwardly rubbed his nose: “Don’t listen to them.”

Tao Zhi looked up: “Why don’t you suspect me too? My score—” she paused, then said with a satisfied face, “mm, was quite good.”

Li Shuang Jiang: “…”

Fu Xi Ling beside her couldn’t help but press her lips together, secretly laughing.

Jiang Zheng Xun had a hard time finding words: “You’re too lazy to even think of class meeting themes, dumping all the class monitor duties on me. You’re probably too lazy to cheat.”

Just as Tao Zhi was about to speak, Zhao Ming Qi rushed into the classroom carrying a ball: “Monitor, Teacher Wang’s looking for you.”

Everyone in the class instantly turned to look.

Tao Zhi put down her phone, got up expressionlessly and went out. At the office door, she knocked.

Teacher Wang Wrinkles was sitting at his desk writing lesson plans. Hearing the knock, he looked up: “Come in.”

Tao Zhi walked in and stood obediently at the desk, waiting for the leader to speak.

Teacher Wang put down his mouse and turned in his chair: “Some students anonymously reported to me that they have doubts about your Chinese and English scores on the monthly exam.”

Tao Zhi nodded: “I know, they probably had doubts when the scores first came out, but only dared to speak up today because of what happened in the arts class.”

Teacher Wang looked at her somewhat surprised: “You could at least act a little wronged.”

Tao Zhi mimicked his expression: “Then you could at least suspect me a little, since you caught me copying homework on the first day of school.”

Teacher Wang couldn’t help but laugh: “Teacher believes in your character, and I’ve seen your previous grade reports and communicated with your father. I think these scores are within reason. I called you here to tell you not to be affected by some comments, and also—”

Teacher Wang’s expression changed as he slapped a stack of papers in front of her: “What kind of nonsense is this physics? How could you get basic questions wrong like this? Go back and correct them all, do the wrong questions ten times each in your error book, I’ll check tomorrow.”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Tao Zhi returned to class carrying the papers with a deathly pale face. As soon as she pushed open the classroom door, she saw Wu Nan and Li Shuang Jiang arguing about something.

Both were standing, Li Shuang Jiang red-faced with anger, Wu Nan calmly crossing her arms: “I’ve never talked behind people’s backs, but how many people in class think this situation is normal? Just because you’re friends with her means you can’t tell right from wrong?”

“I fucking when did I—” Li Shuang Jiang’s voice rose, and Fu Xi Ling patted his arm beside him.

Li Shuang Jiang turned his head, saw Tao Zhi at the door, and swallowed the unfinished words, frustratedly running a hand through his hair.

Wu Nan also turned to look, saw her come in, and gave a cold laugh: “Since the monitor is back, why don’t you prove your innocence? If we’ve misunderstood you, I’ll apologize.”

Tao Zhi put Teacher Wang’s physics papers on her desk and walked over.

She was about the same height as Wu Nan. Across a desk, she looked at her directly: “So were you the one who reported it?”

Tao Zhi naturally looked a bit fierce, but usually when she talked and laughed a lot she seemed clever and approachable, as if she didn’t care much about anything. Now that she was quiet, her deep black eye sockets staring straight at someone, the pressure came out.

Wu Nan didn’t speak.

The classroom was silent. Those who were interested in the drama watched quietly. After a while, the sound of chairs and desks lightly bumping into each other could be heard. Li Sijia stood up next to Wu Nan and whispered, “I told Teacher Wang.”

Tao Zhi turned her head.

“It wasn’t Wu Nan who said it. It was when I went to the English office last time to organize the grades, and I saw your English exam paper from last semester’s final exam,” Li Sijia pressed her lips together and looked at her, her eyes slightly red. “I think your progress is unreasonable.”

Everyone was a little surprised.

Wu Nan was the type of person who would speak out directly whenever she saw something she didn’t like, never indulging anyone. But Li Sijia was usually quiet and spoke very little, the class’s recognized good student.

Tao Zhi looked at her in surprise as well: “Li Shufei, why is it you?”

Li Sijia looked somewhat confused.

Li Shuangjiang also turned his head in confusion: “Boss, who are you calling?”

Jiang Qihuai sighed, rolled up the paper in his hand, and gently tapped her head from behind: “Speak properly.”

Tao Zhi made a hissing sound, raised her hand to rub her hair, and curled her lip: “Li Sijia, aren’t you the best at English?”

Fu Xiling tilted her head and whispered, “She’s the English class representative, ranked first in the grade last time for a single subject.”

Tao Zhi nodded: “Then let’s go with English.”

Li Sijia froze for a moment: “What?”

She was shorter than Tao Zhi by a head. Tao Zhi looked down at her and said slowly, “If I score higher than you in the English exam next month, you’ll go to the school broadcasting room and apologize to me over the mic.”

Tao Zhi thought for a moment, then felt it wasn’t enough, so she added, “Then write me an 800-word self-reflection and read it out loud during the class meeting.”