ATLAS TRANSLATES

The last time Ji Fan saw Jiang Qi Huai was a year ago in America.

He actually didn’t know why Jiang Qi Huai left back then, but sometimes he would feel that maybe it had something to do with him punching him and saying those things. He felt somewhat guilty about it.

So during the years Jiang Qi Huai was gone, Ji Fan maintained contact with him.

Whether for compensation or comfort, Ji Fan would sometimes tell him about Tao Zhi’s situation. He would talk, and Jiang Qi Huai would just listen, never asking more.

And on Tao Zhi’s side, there weren’t any post-breakup symptoms. As time passed, Ji Fan thought both of them had probably moved on.

Sometimes, just liking each other wasn’t enough.

Fate and timing seemed more important.

And Tao Zhi and Jiang Qi Huai probably just had the fate to meet but not to be together, and not being together was just a regret.

Ji Fan had always thought this way.

But now, watching the two of them standing in front of him, arm in arm, exchanging glances endlessly and playing along with each other.

What regret!

Jiang Qi Huai, that bastard, was just putting on an act with him! Pretending to be indifferent and honest for six years, he was waiting for this all along!

And he had actually felt guilty and sympathetic towards him, even willing to voluntarily tell him about Tao Zhi.

Isn’t this just leading a sheep to the tiger’s den?

Ji Fan felt used.

He took a deep breath and calmed down. He looked at Tao Zhi and said seriously like a guardian: “Come in.”

Tao Zhi looked at him, thought for a moment, and decided to cooperate and first calm down this bristling person.

She gently tugged at Jiang Qi Huai’s coat sleeve and went inside.

Ji Fan watched her go in, then shifted his gaze to Jiang Qi Huai: “You get lost first.”

After saying this, he slammed the door in his face with a “bang.”

When the door made a huge sound, Ji Fan suddenly felt an indescribable satisfaction.

From first year of high school until now, eight years had passed.

This was the first time he had ever given Jiang Qi Huai such a satisfying comeuppance.

He turned around with his hands behind his back. Tao Zhi was taking off her coat while Fu Xi Ling was talking to her quietly.

“What did you talk about for so long?” Fu Xi Ling asked.

“Just chatted about random things,” Tao Zhi hung her coat aside, smiling.

“Ahem,” Ji Fan cleared his throat.

Fu Xi Ling sat next to Tao Zhi and nodded knowingly: “You two made up.”

Tao Zhi: “We still—”

She paused, leaned to her ear, and whispered a few words very quietly.

Ji Fan: “Hey, hey—”

After hearing what Tao Zhi said, Fu Xi Ling blinked: “The academic god’s efficiency really surprises me.”

Tao Zhi’s eyes curved: “I quite like him being this way.”

Ji Fan was ignored for five minutes, just standing in the middle of the living room, and said helplessly: “Ladies, pay attention to me?”

Fu Xi Ling looked up with a strange expression: “Why haven’t you left yet?”

“Didn’t drive here?” Tao Zhi jutted her chin outward, “If you hurry down now, Jiang Qi Huai probably hasn’t left yet. You can ask him to take you home.”

“No,” Ji Fan irritably ran his hands through his hair, “What’s going on with you and Jiang Qi Huai, you made up?”

“Yes,” Tao Zhi said, “Why can’t we make up?”

Her expression was calm and composed, as if this was the most natural and normal thing, which actually made Ji Fan choke for a moment: “But you two haven’t seen each other for so many years.”

Tao Zhi: “Does he have a girlfriend?”

“No…” Ji Fan paused, “I think?”

“And I happen to not have a boyfriend,” Tao Zhi spread her hands, “Single man and woman dating, is that illegal?”

Ji Fan stared at her, and for a moment really couldn’t think of any reason why Jiang Qi Huai wasn’t suitable.

But some things, even if he didn’t care, doesn’t mean everyone else wouldn’t care.

After a while, Ji Fan sighed, rubbed his nose, and leaned against the wall saying: “You can date whoever you want, I can’t control you and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but what about Uncle Tao’s side?”

Tao Zhi’s expression froze for a moment, and she tentatively said: “I see that Mr. Tao seems to have become more open-minded lately, isn’t he watching dating shows every day and shipping other people’s daughters?”

Ji Fan sneered: “Try it then, see if he can still ship when it’s his own daughter.”

Before Tao Zhi had time to investigate Tao Xiu Ping’s current thoughts, the next morning, just as she arrived at the studio, she received a call from the deputy editor of the magazine she knew from her college internship.

The other party got straight to the point, without any beating around the bush, directly inviting her to shoot the March cover of “SINGO” magazine.

The March issue was during the season change and was second only to the September issue in importance. The cover person would usually be selected half a year in advance, with the remaining time used for creative design, and enough time left for reshoots.

For “SINGO’s” March issue cover this time, Tao Zhi was their third photographer.

Because time was tight, after Little Jin confirmed there were no problems with the contract they sent over, Tao Zhi requested the cover model’s photos and information that evening, and went to the magazine office the next day.

Deputy Editor Ren Ying was already waiting at the photo studio entrance. They had a good relationship, and Ren Ying hugged her as soon as they met.

Tao Zhi followed her in, whispering: “What’s going on? How can they change photographers? If the photos aren’t good, just reshoot them, isn’t this offending people?”

“They got a young master who just graduated from America in charge, though they didn’t openly drive people away, the photographers left on their own,” Ren Ying said helplessly, “Anyway, you’ll know in a bit.”

As she spoke, they had already walked into the photo studio.

“SINGO’s” photo studio was very professional, with all professional equipment available inside. A man sat at the white tea table to the side, wearing a pink shirt with a perm. Ren Ying had probably already told him about who Tao Zhi was, because as soon as Little Jin put down her bag behind them, his gaze swept over: “Teacher Tao? Looking very young.”

Tao Zhi pretended not to hear his implications, unzipped her bag to take out her camera, and calmly said: “Young and talented.”

Perm guy: “…”

The perm guy was shocked, having never met someone who would praise themselves so openly.

He turned his head and asked very loudly: “How many years has Teacher Tao been in this industry? I’ve never heard of you before.”