ATLAS TRANSLATES

Tao Zhi felt her move was absolutely perfect.

Afraid Tao Xiu Ping wouldn’t believe her, she quickly struck while the iron was hot, bracing against the cabinet door to do two more, saying seriously: “It’s too tiring to do them lying on the floor, I can’t push myself up. Weibo says this can also train upper arm muscles, there are even video tutorials.”

Tao Xiu Ping still looked stunned. He found these strange artistic behaviors of kids nowadays very hard to understand, nodding half-believingly: “Alright, there’s nothing else bothering you?”

Tao Zhi shook her head like a rattle drum: “No, how could I have anything bothering me?”

Tao Xiu Ping kept nodding, his gaze sweeping across the room before pointing at the jacket Jiang Qi Huai had just placed on the sofa.

Tao Zhi followed his gaze, her heart suddenly jumping.

For all her calculations, she had forgotten to hide Jiang Qi Huai’s jacket too.

When he took off his jacket, she hadn’t thought about it. It hadn’t seemed like anything at first, but once she realized she was in puppy love, the guilty feeling naturally arose.

She pressed firmly against the cabinet door, wanting to get the jacket but afraid that if she let go, Jiang Qi Huai would fall right out.

“Hang up the jacket,” Tao Xiu Ping’s gaze didn’t linger on it too long. “Your room is quite clean today, but why are clothes still thrown around everywhere?”

Tao Zhi nodded vigorously without moving.

Tao Xiu Ping looked at her somewhat amused: “Alright, stop bracing against your cabinet door, you think your dad is doing a dorm inspection? Come down for dinner later, okay?”

“…”

Tao Zhi responded dryly.

Tao Xiu Ping walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Tao Zhi listened quietly for a moment with her ears perked up until the faint footsteps disappeared. She let out a long sigh of relief, her arms sliding down as she opened the wardrobe door.

The wardrobe carried the scent of laundry detergent and jasmine fragrance. The top rod was full of hanging dresses and coats. Jiang Qi Huai sat on folded pants below, surrounded by plush toys and buried in a pile of sweaters.

He leaned back into a brown teddy bear’s embrace, with the sweater she had thrown in this morning pressed under his left hand, a pair of track pants wrapped around his legs, a Peter Rabbit in his arms, and a pile of snacks by his side.

Hearing the cabinet door open, Jiang Qi Huai looked up, his eyes emerging from the darkness of the wardrobe to meet the outside light, squinting slightly to adjust before speaking: “Is this your secret base?”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Jiang Qi Huai tossed aside the rabbit’s ears he was holding and picked up a bag of chips nearby. The yellow packaging crackled as he held it up before his eyes, staring at it for a moment before saying unhurriedly: “You like eating snacks in the wardrobe?”

Tao Zhi looked down at him expressionlessly, swung her arm, and slammed the wardrobe door shut again.

She walked to the bed, sat down, and fell face-first into it, nearly resigned to her fate.

You always have to pay for what you do.

Tao Zhi didn’t know why she had bothered getting up early specifically to clean this room today.

There was a slight sound from the wardrobe as Jiang Qi Huai climbed out, casually removing the sweater that had fallen on his head and hanging it back up. Then he crouched in front of the cabinet, picking out all the plush toys and snacks one by one.

There were quite a few — over a dozen dolls, lots of snacks, and some figurines and other small items in the corner of the wardrobe.

Jiang Qi Huai turned back to look at the girl sprawled on the bed: “Do you have a bag?”

Tao Zhi kept her face buried in the pillow, refusing to look up, her legs hanging off the bed swaying reluctantly left and right.

Meaning no.

This scavenger’s work would have to be done by him after all.

Jiang Qi Huai reached out his long arm and swept out all the mess laid at the bottom of her cabinet. After looking around, he walked to the five-drawer chest by the bed and neatly arranged everything on top, then pulled out a small, flattened fabric storage basket from the corner and threw the snacks in, placing it in the corner.

Then, he walked to the bed with an armful of plush toys, looking down at the girl playing dead on the bed.

Jiang Qi Huai began placing the dolls on her one by one.

A rabbit on her head, a bear on her back, smaller ones on her legs — he arranged all dozen or so neatly across her body.

Even though the plush toys were all very light, being covered like a tablecloth made Tao Zhi feel somewhat stifled.

She turned over, causing all the toys to tumble down around her in a circle.

Tao Zhi lay among the dolls, feeling that since meeting Jiang Qi Huai, her image had probably been completely shattered.

She closed her eyes peacefully: “Just pretend I’m dead.”

Jiang Qi Huai stood by the bed and said leisurely: “Dating for a week, and my girlfriend is already making me a widower.”

“Don’t wait for me either,” Tao Zhi waved her hand, saying tiredly, “If you meet a nice girl, just marry her. Don’t waste your precious youth on a dying person like me.”

Jiang Qi Huai seemed to be seriously considering her suggestion, pausing before saying: “That works too.”

“Works my ass!” Tao Zhi’s eyes flew open as she sprang up from the pile of dolls, grabbing a small kangaroo and throwing it at him, glaring: “I knew it, you’re heartless.”

Jiang Qi Huai caught the small toy flying at his face and tossed it back on the bed: “Since you’ve come back to life, get up. Let’s go eat, then look at that math paper you couldn’t even write with your feet.”

Tao Zhi stood up reluctantly, then remembered something and turned back: “Have you eaten lunch?”

“No.”

Tao Zhi nodded and sat down at her desk: “Then I won’t eat yet either.”

She patted the chair beside her: “Sit?”

Jiang Qi Huai walked over and sat beside her. This chair was probably where Jiang He Sheng had sat while tutoring her, and in front were the papers he had just finished grading.

Jiang Qi Huai lowered his eyes to look at them, frowning slightly, feeling annoyed.

He raised his hand and swept all those papers aside, pulled out a new one, and pushed it to her: “Do this.”

Tao Zhi blinked: “We’re not going over those previous ones?”

“Your tutor gave those to you, why should I butt in?” Jiang Qi Huai said emotionlessly.

Tao Zhi nodded and obediently said “Oh.”

They did indeed have different methods and styles. It wouldn’t be good if Jiang He Sheng found out she had someone else explain the homework he assigned — it would seem like she didn’t trust his abilities.

Tao Zhi picked up her pen and diligently worked on the problems.

While she was doing the paper, Jiang Qi Huai had nothing to do, so he casually picked up an English composition book from the desk to read.

As he pulled it out, he felt it looked somewhat familiar.

The book had probably been frequently read, as its corners were a bit worn and the edges had started to fray from friction. Jiang Qi Huai opened the cover and looked at the title page.

In the blank space, written in black gel pen in a flowing style was one character.

— Jiang.

Jiang Qi Huai’s movements froze.

Tao Zhi finished one problem and looked up, just catching him staring blankly at the book.

She followed his gaze, her eyelid twitching as she immediately dropped her pen and reached over, her palm quickly covering that character.

Jiang Qi Huai looked up and raised an eyebrow.

Caught hiding someone else’s book by the owner himself, Tao Zhi uncomfortably looked away, muttering: “I already gave you an identical copy.”

Jiang Qi Huai remained silent.

Back then, she had hidden it secretly.

But now it was different — she could openly possess it.

Tao Zhi pressed her lips together, slowly pulling the composition book from Jiang Qi Huai’s hands and opening it before her eyes.

She picked up her pen, thought for a moment, and began writing on the title page.

Their handwriting styles were very different. Tao Zhi finished writing and held up the book to admire it before pushing it in front of him like showing off a treasure.

Jiang Qi Huai lowered his eyes.

On the title page, where there had only been the character “Jiang,” she had just added three characters in front.

— Zhi Zhi’s Jiang

Jiang Qi Huai’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked up, his gaze growing deep.

Tao Zhi propped her chin up as she looked at him, her eyes curving: “I’ve finished reading this book too,” she said, mimicking his earlier words, “If you want it, I can give it to you.”

She pointed at the “Zhi Zhi” characters at the beginning of the title page, her voice suddenly dropping, falling softly as she said quietly: “This too, is yours now.”

Jiang Qi Huai stayed until the afternoon.

They basically spent the entire afternoon doing papers from various subjects. Tao Zhi would finish one, and Jiang Qi Huai would explain it to her. They didn’t get distracted thinking about other things.

After several hours of continuous mental work, Tao Zhi finally started feeling hungry. She put down her pen and rubbed her eyes, leaning back in her chair and stretching broadly.

Downstairs was completely quiet. Tao Zhi secretly opened the bedroom door and peered down over the handrail — no one was in the living room.

Tao Zhi waved at Jiang Qi Huai, saying softly: “No one’s there anymore.”

Jiang Qi Huai picked up his jacket and was about to leave when Tao Zhi stopped him.

Tao Zhi looked at him puzzled: “Where are you going?”

Jiang Qi Huai was also puzzled: “I’m going home.”

“You’re leaving without eating?” Tao Zhi grabbed his jacket from his hands and threw it far onto the sofa. “Every time I go to your house, Grandpa Jiang cooks so many delicious things for me. I can’t let you go home hungry. Wait here.”

Jiang Qi Huai watched as Tao Zhi crouched down, vigilantly scanning both sides of the corridor while sneaking out in small steps: “What are you doing?”

“Keep your voice down, what if we get caught?” Tao Zhi glared at him dissatisfied, whispering, “I’m going downstairs to steal some food for you.”

Jiang Qi Huai: “…”

She really did use the word “steal.”

Jiang Qi Huai didn’t know why she could act like a burglar in her own home, nor did he know what he had come over for today.

What had he done? This whole afternoon besides explaining problems to her, doing papers, and reading the composition book, he hadn’t done anything else.

Very pure and positive puppy love interaction.

He stood at the door, watching as Tao Zhi moved nimbly and silently, almost without a sound as she went downstairs and slipped into the kitchen, then came back up shortly after with two cups of instant noodles.

Tao Zhi quickly returned to the bedroom, closed the door, and held up one cup of noodles in each hand, respectfully asking his preference: “Do you want seafood or braised beef?”

Jiang Qi Huai sighed: “Is there spare rib flavor?”

“There is, but I’d have to steal it now,” Tao Zhi said seriously. “The risk is very high. Just make do with these two choices.”

Jiang Qi Huai reluctantly made do, choosing the braised beef noodles.

Tao Zhi cleared the papers from the desk for the noodle cups. After they finished eating, she even poured the remaining soup into the toilet, destroying the evidence.

Jiang Qi Huai felt this little girl had gotten a bit carried away, deeply immersed in the “puppy love opposed by parents” scenario and unable to extricate herself.

He patiently played along with her.

Winter daylight was growing shorter. By the time they finished the two cups of noodles, it was starting to get dark. Jiang Qi Huai figured if he stayed any longer, he’d have to accompany Tao Zhi through dinner time too.

He stood up and picked up his jacket again, preparing to leave.

With the jacket draped over his arm, he paused: “Your uncle thought this was your jacket?”

Tao Zhi waved dismissively: “He probably doesn’t even know what grade I’m in, how would he know what jackets I have?”

They walked to the entrance, where Jiang Qi Huai prepared to put on his shoes.

Tao Zhi looked at his shoes sitting openly next to the shoe cabinet and suddenly stopped.

Ji Fan’s shoes matched his personality — almost all were flashy bright colors with various exaggerated decorations. Jiang Qi Huai’s clean white sneakers stood out conspicuously among them.

Anyone with a brain and working eyes wouldn’t think these shoes belonged to Ji Fan.

Jiang Qi Huai probably had the same thought, also pausing before saying quietly: “What about the shoes then.”

“…”

Tao Zhi raised her head, looking at him with a pale face.

The first floor wasn’t lit, with only the entrance light on, casting dim light. Jiang Qi Huai turned his head to look at her, his lips slightly curved, eyes crinkling.

“Look on the bright side,” he consoled her without any sympathy, “Uncle might think you have size 43 feet.”

Tao Zhi: “…”