ATLAS TRANSLATES

The warmth of his palm was scalding in the icy weather, like the only source of heat.

The warmth traveled through the nerve endings at her wrist to her brain. Despite the extremely warm touch, Tao Zhi trembled inexplicably.

She turned around completely, raising her downcast eyes slightly, her brain processing slowly as she tried to understand the meaning of his words.

Though years had passed, he hadn’t changed at all. His directness was as clean and decisive as when he had first straightforwardly questioned her feelings for him back then, after realizing she liked him.

After confirming she wasn’t just imagining things, she smiled: “Since high school, no matter how late I got home, I’ve always walked these night roads alone.”

Jiang Qi Huai’s grip on her fingers loosened.

“Later, someone walked a short stretch of road with me, but that’s in the past now, Jiang Qi Huai. I listened to you and moved forward,” Tao Zhi’s voice was flat, emotionless, “You can’t keep looking back either, right?”

His hand holding her wrist had lost its earlier strength. Tao Zhi gently pulled her hand away, glancing at the car that had been waiting by the roadside for a while.

She turned and walked over without looking back.

Sitting in the back seat, the car door closed with a “bang,” and the driver confirmed her booking number.

Tao Zhi made an affirmative sound, only then noticing her voice had become choked.

Tao Zhi didn’t look back – she was afraid if she turned to look at him once, her resolve would crumble.

She hadn’t planned on waiting for Jiang Qi Huai to return.

She hadn’t even thought she would see him again.

She hadn’t dated in university simply because she hadn’t met anyone she liked, and after graduating and starting work, she hadn’t developed anything beyond friendship with the opposite sex just because work was busy and it seemed troublesome. The boy she had liked in her youth was just a beautiful but wild dream – it was enough that it had dazzled that time. When the dream ended, it was time to return to reality.

Tao Zhi had thought that was all there was to it.

But why, when she met him again, at that instant of seeing him, did fireworks still explode in her heart and then bloom?

Why did hearing his voice, that moment of touch, the transfer of body heat, all make her eyes feel as if they were soaking in warm water, burning with an uncontrollable ache?

Only after the car had driven far did she turn to look through the rear window.

Jiang Qi Huai still stood motionless where he was. In the vast white snow, his tall, thin figure was stretched long and lonely by the warm lights.

Tao Zhi lowered her head and covered her eyes, tears silently sliding through her fingers onto her palm.

Tao Zhi had never felt that Jiang Qi Huai had done anything wrong. After growing up and seeing more, understanding more of the world, she clearly understood that back then, the differences in their personalities had destined them to walk different paths.

Jiang Qi Huai had always been a cautious perfectionist. His childhood environment had made him habitually consider consequences before acting. He wouldn’t irresponsibly take her down a path that even he had no certainty about.

They were too young then, both he and she were too young. They had no way to solve any problems, and objectively speaking, Jiang Qi Huai’s choice then was the right one.

He had sent her back to a safe path.

But Tao Zhi just wouldn’t accept it. She didn’t want to consider the consequences first. Even if the path ahead was tangled with thorns, even if she would be cut and bloodied, she wanted to push through it with him.

He wasn’t wrong.

He had just underestimated how much she liked him.

—

Tao Zhi didn’t sleep well that night.

Her mind was packed with chaotic dreams – someone reciting passionate poetry in a cold, calm voice, someone’s figure passing through classrooms with yellowed curtains flying, overlapping past and present, someone holding her hand under the dark, narrow desk saying, “For our Zhi Zhi.”

When she woke with a start, she remembered none of it.

Sunlight filtered through the curtain gaps into the bedroom. Tao Zhi pushed herself up, rubbed her aching head, and went to take a shower.

The warm water washed away her sleepy confusion. As she came out wrapped in a bathrobe, her phone was buzzing on the bed.

Tao Zhi grabbed a towel to catch her dripping hair and bent down to answer the phone.

As soon as she connected: “What are you doing!! Called three times, don’t tell me you’re not up yet? What time is it? Get up quick, it’s already—well, still time for lunch. Get ready and wait at home, I’ll come pick you up.”

Tao Zhi rolled her eyes. This guy used to play games until 4 AM every day – who knows where he got the nerve to now lecture others about not staying up late.

She tossed the towel on the bed: “You’re back?”

“Yeah, just landed.” Ji Fan’s side was very noisy with airport announcements in the background. After graduating, he had partnered with some friends to create an independent sports fashion brand, flying all over to visit factories, channels, investors and international fashion shows, often not seen for ten to fifteen days.

“Old Wan came up with some fun ideas in Spain this time. After the designs come out I’ll get some samples made first,” Ji Fan said, “If it works out you can come shoot a set of photos.”

Tao Zhi said directly: “Too busy.”

“Come on, might as well use family when you have them,” Ji Fan drawled, “Don’t worry, I know your price, there’s something in it for you.”

Hearing about benefits, Tao Zhi was somewhat tempted: “What benefits?”

“Fresh handsome men!” Ji Fan said excitedly, “A foreign friend I just met in Spain, he’s an amateur photography enthusiast. When I mentioned you he got super excited, said he’d seen some exhibition of yours and really admires you.”

After two seconds of silence, Tao Zhi hung up.

She slowly dried her hair, blow-dried it, applied skincare products layer by layer, put on light makeup, and was choosing lipstick when Ji Fan arrived.

Tao Zhi opened the door for him, holding two lipsticks at the doorway, asking: “Which color is better?”

Even though Ji Fan now dealt with fashion daily, he still couldn’t tell the minute differences between women’s lipstick colors. He randomly pointed at one: “This one, suits you, the case looks expensive.”

While speaking he squeezed past her into the house, scanning the living room: “Where’s Fu Xi Ling?”

“It’s the weekend, she went home,” Tao Zhi carefully outlined her lips in front of the entrance mirror, glancing at him, “The wine wasn’t your real purpose?”

“What wine what purpose, I can’t drink well,” he mumbled while rushing her, “Hurry up, finished getting ready? Old Tao is waiting at home.”

Tao Zhi’s current apartment wasn’t too far from home, about a ten-minute drive without traffic.

After picking up Tao Xiu Ping, Ji Fan opened the navigation and drove to the reserved Chinese restaurant.

Having worked too hard in his youth, Tao Xiu Ping was now much more relaxed about everything. Unless necessary, he rarely traveled for work. As soon as he got in the car, he held up his tablet to watch a currently popular reality show about fathers watching their daughters date.

Four or five celebrity dads sat in the studio, commenting while watching the daily trivial matters between their daughters and boyfriends.

Tao Xiu Ping was recently addicted to this show. Not only did he watch, he had to self-insert and express opinions along with the fathers. He propped his hand on the car window frame, frowning as he listened to one dad finish complaining, and agreed: “Indeed, this boy clearly won’t do, better break up quickly.”

While waiting at a red light, Ji Fan stretched his head over to look: “What’s so interesting about this show?”

Tao Zhi was holding her laptop, screening through photos she had taken earlier for that peony flower fairy, and responded without looking up: “It’s relatable, all old men love watching this now.”

Tao Xiu Ping said leisurely: “My own daughter and son both won’t date anyone, can’t I watch other people’s daughters date?”

“…”

Ji Fan immediately shut up, and Tao Zhi tried hard to sink herself into the back seat, pretending not to exist.

When they arrived at the restaurant it was just noon. As soon as Tao Zhi jumped out of the car, she saw Jiang He Sheng standing at the entrance.

Seeing her get out, the man smiled at her before walking over to greet Tao Xiu Ping.

Tao Zhi froze when she saw him, turned to look at Ji Fan, squinting her eyes.

Ji Fan tossed the car keys to the valet, looked up at the sky, whistling innocently.

This was a classical, quiet Chinese courtyard restaurant. Past a winding small path in the courtyard, the entrance had two rows of bamboo planted indoors, with square wooden tables visible behind them.

Tao Zhi walked at the back with Ji Fan through the elegant corridor, speaking softly: “What’s going on? Why is Jiang He Sheng here too?”

“I don’t know anything, I just followed Old Tao’s instructions,” Ji Fan said quietly, “Besides, it’s not just him who came.”

Before Tao Zhi could process what he meant.

The waitress in qipao smiled and pushed open the private room door, where a man was sitting inside.

Tao Xiu Ping saw him and smiled: “Old Jiang!”

Jiang’s father also looked up, smiling as he patted him: “I’ve been waiting so long my stomach’s gone flat. Haven’t seen you in ages, come, sit.”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Even if she was slow to react, she understood what was happening now.

She stood to the side, obediently calling out “Uncle Jiang.”

Jiang’s father smiled in response: “Come, all sit down, see what you’d like to eat.”

Tao Zhi sat next to Ji Fan, looked up and met Jiang He Sheng’s gaze across the table. The man also looked somewhat awkward as he rubbed his nose, smiling helplessly.

Tao Zhi sighed internally.

Tao Xiu Ping had always wanted to match her with Jiang He Sheng. Their families’ parents were familiar friends who knew each other well. The Jiang family had been doctors for three generations, and Jiang He Sheng himself was a top student at Second Medical University, working at the Provincial Hospital after completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

During Ji Jin’s situation before, he had also helped a lot running back and forth.

While waiting for dishes, Tao Zhi just listened to the two old men praising each other.

Jiang’s father poured some tea, smiling: “I hear Zhi Zhi is now a rising star in photography circles. He Sheng told me you won quite an impressive award recently.”

“Just a minor domestic award,” Tao Zhi said modestly.

Jiang’s father joked: “Having ability is good, young people should be a bit arrogant.”

Ji Fan watched the fun from the side, adding fuel to the fire: “My sister is just rather low-key.”

Under the table, Tao Zhi secretly stomped hard on his foot.

Throughout this meal, no one brought up any particular matters, but everything was understood. After eating, Ji Fan drove the two elders back. When getting in the car, Jiang’s father specifically mentioned: “There’s some tea house nearby, we old folks can’t keep up with your young people’s topics, you young ones have a good chat, ah.”

Tao Zhi smiled as she saw them off, and once the car disappeared, she let out a long breath: “My face is stiff from smiling.”

Jiang He Sheng watched her with amusement from the side: “Is it that exaggerated?”

“Of course, I’m supposed to have an ice queen image,” Tao Zhi said matter-of-factly. She turned to look at him dissatisfied: “Doctor Jiang, when are you planning to find someone? My dad and your dad keep pushing us together, aren’t you tired of it?”

“Hmm?” Jiang He Sheng said with a smile, “How is this tiring? Isn’t it quite fun?”

He pointed at the tea house nearby: “Want to go? Chat about some young people’s topics?”

Tao Zhi nodded, walking over while saying: “I really can’t chat about young people’s topics with you. The trauma from when you tutored me runs too deep – if we actually got together, it would feel like a teacher-student romance.”

Jiang He Sheng didn’t speak, the smile at his lips fading slightly.

They walked into the tea house. Tao Zhi watched him order a pot of Maojian tea and asked the server for a large serving of rock sugar.

Jiang He Sheng watched her use small tongs to drop several pieces into her teacup, shaking his head: “You can’t taste the tea itself this way.”

Tao Zhi took a sip – it was still bitter even with sugar. She wrinkled her face and stuck out her tongue: “Old Tao loves drinking tea at home too, what’s so great about this stuff?”

The girl’s expression became exceptionally animated in that moment, carrying a hint of childishness that reminded one of her teenage years.

Jiang He Sheng couldn’t help but laugh.

They had known each other for too many years and were very familiar, with nothing to be reserved about when chatting. They could talk about anything, from Jiang He Sheng’s patients to interesting local stories Tao Zhi encountered while traveling for photos. At some point, a figure brushed past her peripheral vision as the greeter’s gentle voice rang out: “Welcome, table for one?”

Inexplicably, Tao Zhi glanced at the entrance.

They hadn’t taken a private room, sitting at a window table for walk-in customers. Tao Zhi’s position was sideways to the door, giving her a clear view of the person standing there.

Her voice halted.

The man wore a dark coat with a gray cashmere scarf draped loosely, black hair neat and clean, lips straight, eyes fixed unblinkingly on her.

Jiang Qi Huai’s gaze fell on her, paused for several seconds, then saw Jiang He Sheng sitting across from her.

Just a moment ago, she had been talking and laughing while Jiang He Sheng quietly listened, one hand holding the teapot to refill her cup.

One speaking and one listening, their atmosphere was so harmonious it seemed impossible for a third person to intrude.

Jiang Qi Huai forcibly suppressed the urge to walk over regardless of everything. He moved his gaze away, walking through the hall into the first private room in the corridor.

Lu Jia Heng sat behind the tea table, hearing the sliding door: “That was quick.”

Jiang Qi Huai pressed his lips together, walking to sit on one side, casually tossing his coat aside with a dull thud: “How did you find her?”

Lu Jia Heng raised an eyebrow: “Is there anyone I can’t find if I want to? Didn’t I even dig up that hidden Japanese restaurant for you?”

“But today was coincidence,” he pointed at the tea table, “This tea house, I opened it for my wife.”

He paused, then pointed outside: “That private kitchen across the street belongs to Cheng Yi’s family. By the way, the two families had a meal there today, the kind with parents present, you’re welcome.”

Jiang Qi Huai fell silent again.

He lowered his eyes, his tense jaw moving slightly as if forcefully suppressing some emotion.

Seeing him like this, Lu Jia Heng’s mood immediately brightened, but he still kindly said: “Though from my observation, it probably hasn’t worked out yet – there’s absolutely no boyfriend-girlfriend atmosphere between them.”

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Qi Huai suddenly looked up.

Lu Jia Heng clicked his tongue: “Why are you all like this when you meet a girl? One gives up making money to come back and be a manga editor, another abandons Wall Street and acts like a stalker all day.”

He leaned forward with his arm on the tea table, speaking unhurriedly: “Let me tell you something, brother.”

Jiang Qi Huai: “?”

“If you trust my… let’s say, happily married person’s techniques for pursuing girls, brother will give you some advice.” Lu Jia Heng said.

Jiang Qi Huai: “…”