ATLAS TRANSLATES

She said nothing, then suddenly sat up from the soft couch cushions, looking at him with an annoyed expression.

Ji Fan laughed: “Why are you glaring at me? Glaring won’t help.”

Tao Zhi continued glaring at him without speaking.

Ji Fan leaned closer: “Really have someone you like?”

Tao Zhi let out a sigh, frustrated as she tugged at her hair, her expression still somewhat confused: “I don’t know.”

She also didn’t know if she truly didn’t know, or if she was subconsciously pretending not to know.

Earlier on the roller coaster, and when getting off the roller coaster, she only had one thought in her mind.

It’s over.

Perhaps it started from that instant, or maybe even earlier than that.

In any case, by the time she realized it, her feelings for that person were no longer just the simple relationship of desk mates.

She would be happy to see him, curious about what he was doing when she couldn’t see him. Even when she heard others mention him in conversation, she wanted to go listen.

When he was helping her correct papers these days, sometimes when she looked at him, the thought would suddenly pop into her head: This person is really good-looking.

— Thoughts like these would come.

Tao Zhi lowered her eyes, looking at the papers spread all over the coffee table, each one bearing the same two people’s handwriting, one black and one red.

This person wasn’t even in this house, but his presence seemed to be overwhelming her senses right now, brazenly flaunting his existence.

She frustratedly fell back onto the sofa, grabbed a paper from beside her, and covered her face again.

The red writing on the paper softly touched her lips.

Tao Zhi jerked as if electrocuted, quickly pulling that paper away. She scrambled up from the sofa, tumbling into the bathroom without even putting on slippers.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, accompanied by the young girl’s frustrated wailing.

Ji Fan sat on the sofa, completely bewildered as he listened to her splashing around like a madwoman inside.

Tao Zhi came out after washing her face, now calmed down. Ji Fan sat at the dining table, watching a livestream while eating lunch.

She went upstairs, pinched her cheek with cold fingertips, took a deep breath, and sat at her desk to start working on a set of test papers.

After finishing one set, she took out her English book and began memorizing vocabulary.

She learned things quickly, holding a pen to write words several times on scratch paper before crossing them off. After memorizing several pages, the sun was already sinking into the horizon.

Tao Zhi put down her books, leaned back, and closed her eyes to massage her sore neck.

She got up and went downstairs.

In the kitchen, Zhang Auntie was making dinner, humming as she moved between the refrigerator and counter. Seeing her come down, she called out: “Zhi Zhi’s come down? Dinner will be ready soon.”

Tao Zhi responded, her gaze uncontrollably moving to the pile of papers on the coffee table.

She stood there for two seconds, almost without thinking, walked to the entrance, casually grabbed a coat, and called to the kitchen: “Auntie Zhang, I won’t be eating dinner at home!”

Zhang Auntie poked her head out: “What’s wrong? Meeting classmates?”

“Mm.” Tao Zhi put on her shoes, left home, walked through the neighborhood to the main street, and raised her hand to hail a car.

She got off at the street where she had eaten late-night snacks with Song Jiang last time, right in front of the convenience store where she had encountered Jiang Qi Huai working.

The sky was dark and reddish, street lights were lit, and Tao Zhi walked forward along the street following her own dim shadow.

The convenience store’s lights were bright ahead.

Tao Zhi suddenly came to her senses, realizing what she was doing.

Just now she hadn’t even thought much, just looked at the papers on the coffee table, thought of this person, and rushed out the door almost without thinking.

She wanted to see him with her own eyes, as if seeing him would somehow confirm something.

She suddenly regretted not bringing the test papers she had just finished.

Now she had no excuse at all.

Tao Zhi stood frustrated at the street side, stopping her steps.

Maybe she should just ask him directly.

Your Highness, are you still taking concubines?

You see how empty your harem is now, we’re both royalty — a princess and a prince — why don’t we make do with each other?

That’s too stupid.

She stood at the roadside with her head down and sighed, paused, then continued walking forward.

All the way to the convenience store entrance.

Tao Zhi tiptoed to the wall by the window, then like a thief, stuck out her head to secretly peek inside, quickly withdrawing.

The convenience store hadn’t changed much from before, with a young woman standing behind the counter, but no sign of Jiang Qi Huai.

She had only run into him working here once, only knowing that he worked here.

She stood back a bit, leaned against the glass to look inside again, searching thoroughly for quite a while, almost pushing her head through the glass.

Behind her, traffic came and went, night gradually descended, and Tao Zhi caught a glimpse in the convenience store window’s reflection of a car stopping behind her, its door opening and someone getting out.

She paid no attention, her forehead pressed against the glass, examining the store staff one by one, trying to see if there were any blind spots she had missed.

Just as she was thinking about whether to check the café in the city center where Jiang Qi Huai had worked before, there was a “bang” of a car door closing behind her.

She scanned the glass surface again, seeing two figures standing by the road — one taller, with broad, straight shoulders, a somewhat familiar figure.

Tao Zhi paused.

She completely withdrew her gaze from inside the store, watching that figure slowly walk over.

As the distance closed, his features gradually became clear in the window glass.

Black short hair, high straight nose, lean angular jawline.

And that familiar long coat he had worn to the amusement park last time.

The person came closer, then stopped.

Tao Zhi’s entire body froze. She remained standing stiffly in her previous position, all her blood rushing from her feet straight to her head, bringing with it the panic and guilt of being caught, her ear tips burning hot.

Jiang Qi Huai stood behind her, his cold voice sounding calmly by her ear: “What are you looking for?”