ATLAS TRANSLATES

In just the few minutes that Jiang Qi Huai was checking WeChat, less than ten minutes, his Moments post had already gathered many more comments.

For someone who usually preferred that the whole world leave him alone, his Moments post was surprisingly lively.

Tao Zhi pressed down her raised lip corner, pointing at the cover photo he had just set for his Moments: “Director Jiang, are you being this showy?”

Acting completely innocent, as if she hadn’t just done something equally showy herself.

Jiang Qi Huai stared at that cover photo, his fingertip tapping the screen to refresh it a couple times before saying: “I see everyone doing this.”

Tao Zhi didn’t catch on: “Who’s everyone?”

Jiang Qi Huai: “People with girlfriends.”

He said this seriously yet casually, as if regarding relationships, he had observed something from others that seemed correct and was now diligently following suit.

Tao Zhi held back her laugh and nodded solemnly: “Indeed, and you need to add some words up here too.”

Jiang Qi Huai glanced sideways at her: “Hmm?”

Tao Zhi pointed at the empty space above the photo: “Here needs to be edited to say — Don’t casually look at my boyfriend’s Moments.”

Jiang Qi Huai: “…”

As the two went back and forth, Ji Fan watched until his eyes were about to pop out. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes: “I must have been really bored to come for this meal.”

“Well, it’s good you came. I didn’t particularly want to eat alone with just the two of them either,” Fu Xi Ling said quietly beside him. “Would have been awkward being the third wheel.”

The meal was enjoyable for some and nauseating for others. Ji Fan’s eyes were nearly blinded by disgust, but finally, dinner was over.

The men had cooked, so Tao Zhi and Fu Xi Ling took the dishes to the kitchen to wash. After finishing up with all the bottles and containers, they came out of the kitchen to find Ji Fan and Jiang Qi Huai sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, each commanding half the territory — one watching TV, the other on his phone. The atmosphere was as solemn as if they were sitting in the Great Hall of the People.

Hearing people coming out, Jiang Qi Huai put down his phone and looked up. As Tao Zhi walked past, she accidentally caught a glimpse of his screen.

Although he switched screens very quickly, Tao Zhi still vaguely saw her selfie from earlier flash by.

So that’s what he was looking at.

Tao Zhi raised her eyebrows, feeling like she had discovered something interesting.

Fu Xi Ling brought over some washed fruit, while Tao Zhi, who still had a bit of work left, sat nearby with her laptop to finish her tasks.

Ji Fan sat on the sofa as if his bottom was glued to it, expressionlessly watching soap operas, seemingly determined not to leave as long as Jiang Qi Huai stayed put.

After struggling with post-production for a while and finding no inspiration, plus being annoyed by Ji Fan’s soap opera, Tao Zhi took her laptop and went to the bedroom.

Shortly after she went in, Jiang Qi Huai got up to use the bathroom. As soon as he stood, Ji Fan instantly reacted, watching him vigilantly: “Where are you going?”

“…”

For Tao Zhi’s sake, Jiang Qi Huai felt he could tolerate him for two more minutes.

He pointed at the bathroom door and coldly invited him: “Want to come along?”

Ji Fan choked for a moment before turning back to sit down again.

Fu Xi Ling watched his series of strange reactions and said, unable to understand: “They’re just dating, why do you need to watch them so closely?”

Ji Fan leaned back into the sofa without responding.

He didn’t really know why he was acting this way either.

Perhaps it was because he vaguely sensed how Tao Zhi had been drifting in that past relationship all these years, because of Jiang Qi Huai’s departure.

And now he watched as she seemed to finally recover, after many years, that most vibrant piece of her soul that had been lost for so long, also because of his return.

He had never gotten along well with Jiang Qi Huai to begin with, only reluctantly accepting him back then for Tao Zhi’s sake. As time passed, the two had managed to get along harmoniously. Though Ji Fan never said it, he had actually come to consider Jiang Qi Huai a friend.

I treated you like a brother, you acted all friendly with me on the surface, then turned around and became my sister’s boyfriend again.

And you once made her so sad.

Ji Fan wracked his brains but couldn’t find a suitable way to explain to Fu Xi Ling. Some things would just sound too sentimental coming from a grown man.

After a long while, he stiffly squeezed out a few words with a stern face: “I just can’t stand seeing Jiang Qi Huai happy.”

“…”

A hundred romance novels about possessive CEOs and love-hate relationships instantly flashed through Fu Xi Ling’s mind.

Fu Xi Ling muttered: “I don’t know if it’s you who’s weird or if it’s me.”

Around nine in the evening, Ji Fan and Jiang Qi Huai left. Before leaving, Ji Fan specifically reminded Tao Zhi to remember to go home for dinner with Tao Xiu Ping over the weekend.

Ji Fan hadn’t moved out, but when work got busy he would be away on business trips for several weeks. When he wasn’t in the capital, Tao Zhi usually went home three or four times a week to keep Tao Xiu Ping company over dinner. When he was back, Tao Zhi would still go home at least once a week for family dinner.

As Ji Fan was saying this, Tao Zhi unconsciously glanced at Jiang Qi Huai.

She had originally thought about bringing Jiang Qi Huai home for the New Year, not for any particular reason, just not wanting him to be alone during such occasions.

He had her now.

But meeting the parents and going home for New Year’s naturally brought a kind of invisible pressure.

Tao Zhi hadn’t had the chance to discuss it with Jiang Qi Huai, nor had she told Tao Xiu Ping.

In fact, Tao Xiu Ping didn’t even know that Jiang Qi Huai was back.

…

Tao Zhi kept thinking about this matter, and remained somewhat distracted for the next few days.

On Friday evening, she drove straight home from the studio. Zhang Ayi had resigned and returned to her hometown a few years ago, and the new ayi Tao Xiu Ping hired didn’t talk much but cooked just as well.

When Tao Zhi got home, dinner was almost ready. Tao Xiu Ping was sitting on the sofa watching his new reality show on his tablet.

It was about several single men and women living together in the same house for a period of time, cooking, doing housework, and chatting together before pairing up.

Tao Xiu Ping watched with great interest, pouring tea from his purple clay teapot with one hand while his eyes couldn’t bear to leave the screen, saying regretfully: “Why isn’t anyone choosing number three? She’s such a nice girl.”

Tao Zhi took off her coat and sat down, craning her neck to take a look: “You’re entering old age early — isn’t the company busy with the New Year coming up?”

“How can it be busy all the time? Got to balance work and rest,” Tao Xiu Ping said. “I missed two weeks of this show, finally got some free time now.”

“What happened to that dad’s discussion show you were watching last time?” Tao Zhi asked.

“It’s over, not a single couple formed, and one even broke up,” Tao Xiu Ping said with schadenfreude. “I knew that young man wasn’t good enough from the start.”

After enjoying that, he continued leisurely: “I see other people’s daughters in these shows have gone through several partners, but my daughter hasn’t had even one yet.”

Tao Zhi had been waiting for him to say this.

Before she could speak, Ji Fan came down from upstairs, heard this and rolled his eyes, shouting: “No need to rush, she’s got one now!”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Tao Xiu Ping was silent for a few seconds, turned his face to look at Tao Zhi and asked: “You’ve got what now?”

“…I have a boyfriend now.” Tao Zhi answered honestly.

After she finished speaking, she saw Tao Xiu Ping subtly let out a long breath.

Tao Xiu Ping’s heart finally dropped back down from his throat. He nodded and continued watching his show.

No one spoke for a moment. Tao Zhi sat with him watching for five or six minutes, then Tao Xiu Ping suddenly turned his head and said: “Actually, thinking about it carefully, you’re still young, there’s no rush to date.”

“…”

Tao Zhi blinked: “But weren’t you always rushing me?”

Tao Xiu Ping waved his hand: “Well, I was just bored with nothing else to do.”

Tao Zhi nodded, plucked a grape from the fruit plate on the tea table, and said with crossed legs: “So do you have any questions about my new boyfriend?”

“What would I have to ask about? What would I have to ask about?” Tao Xiu Ping waved his hand casually, “Your dating is your business, why should I be curious about your boyfriend?”

Tao Zhi: “Really no questions?”

Tao Xiu Ping: “How old is he, where’s he from, what does he do? What do his parents do?”

“…”

Tao Zhi didn’t want to keep him guessing anymore, and just said directly: “Dad, you know him.”

Tao Xiu Ping made a questioning sound.

“In my whole life, I’ve only had one boyfriend,” Tao Zhi looked at him, saying slowly, “Just, always only that one boyfriend.”

Tao Xiu Ping almost instantly understood her meaning.

He seemed to understand in a moment, and didn’t even show much surprise, only his expression was noticeably more subdued than before: “Still that young man?”

Tao Zhi pressed her lips together: “Mr. Tao, what era are we in now? You’re not going to hold his family background against him, are you?”

Tao Xiu Ping looked at her somewhat amusedly: “It’s starting already? I haven’t said anything yet, have I told you to break up or what?”

Tao Zhi pouted: “You won’t directly tell me to break up, you’ll just indirectly set up obstacles.”

Tao Xiu Ping made a “hey” sound, put down his teacup on the table, and raised his hand to tap her head: “Dad’s not holding his family background against him, I just want to ask you, what can you guarantee me with, that his family and growing environment haven’t affected his personality? And what can you guarantee that he definitely doesn’t have any bad sides that you don’t know about?”

“Zhi Zhi, Dad has always known you’re a child with a passionate nature,” Tao Xiu Ping sighed, “But you’re my daughter, and I have my own selfishness. Dad hopes you can be with a boy in the future who can give you warmth, not one where you still need to share your own warmth with him.”

“I’m willing to share with him,” Tao Zhi bit the flesh of her lip, stubbornly saying, “Besides, he changed me first. Because of him I wanted to study, wanted to work hard, wanted to become a better person — however you look at it, I’m the one who gained.”

Tao Zhi didn’t understand why everyone thought Jiang Qi Huai wasn’t good.

He was clearly warm and strong.

Even in those years without him, the warmth he brought continued to steadfastly and lastingly influence her. When she was lazy, when she wanted to give up, when she felt tired, when she almost couldn’t go on.

Tao Zhi once thought, standing lonely at the mountain top, that she would never find her endpoint.

It wasn’t until many years later that she understood — Jiang Qi Huai was never her endpoint, he was always that mountain that silently lifted her up, supporting her all the way as she climbed upward.

He didn’t make a sound or say a word, yet silently and heavily, became all of her strength.

Tao Zhi understood that without him, there probably wouldn’t even be any mountain top in the rest of her life.

After Tao Zhi finished speaking, Tao Xiu Ping didn’t respond. All the way until dinner was almost over, father and daughter tacitly avoided discussing this topic again.

Until Tao Zhi put down her chopsticks and pulled back her chair, preparing to go upstairs, Tao Xiu Ping suddenly spoke: “Bring him home for a meal when you have time.”

Tao Zhi’s movement froze in place. She turned her head back in a daze, slowly processing his meaning.

Then, she pressed her lips together, trying hard to maintain her expression as she looked at him.

“Don’t hold it in, your eyes are already curved so much they’re barely visible,” Tao Xiu Ping sighed, “And don’t get too happy too early, this isn’t me giving my approval, you know. I’ve got to meet him and get to know him first.”

Tao Zhi nodded vigorously with a beaming smile, then suddenly ran around the dining table and threw her arms around Tao Xiu Ping’s neck in a tight hug.

The force was so strong that Tao Xiu Ping almost couldn’t breathe.

“Dad’s the best!” Tao Zhi hugged him and said happily, then let go and bounced upstairs.

Tao Zhi returned to her bedroom delightedly, flopped onto the bed and eagerly opened WeChat to play with Jiang Qi Huai.

Even after the little girl’s shadow had disappeared up the stairs, Tao Xiu Ping still hadn’t recovered.

He turned his head to look at Ji Fan: “How many years has it been since she’s been like this?”

“About twenty years or so.” Ji Fan said.

Tao Xiu Ping rubbed his neck, savoring the memory of his cute daughter’s enthusiastic neck hug, and suddenly felt some regret: “You think, should I have agreed to this earlier?”

Ji Fan: “…”

Jiang Qi Huai had been working overtime for several days in a row.

With the New Year approaching, all industries were busy, and the office lights remained bright until nine or ten at night for several weeks.

When Tao Zhi’s message came, Jiang Qi Huai was in a meeting.

Lin Su Yan was standing in front of the projection, passionately presenting his PowerPoint, when Jiang Qi Huai’s phone vibrated several times continuously in his pocket.

At first, he ignored it, but after a few minutes without his response, the other party began to vibrate frantically and continuously again.

At this frequency, it could only be a certain princess.

Jiang Qi Huai discreetly took out his phone and opened the message to take a look.

What met his eyes was someone’s barrage of nine consecutive close-up selfies.

And they kept coming.

Photos with various poses and expressions kept flooding his chat screen — wearing long dresses, coats, jeans.

The latest one that popped up was a beach photo — the young girl wearing a white two-piece swimsuit lying on the beach, draped with a light-colored scarf, the half-wet fabric clinging to her body, the curves of her waist faintly visible.

Jiang Qi Huai: “…”

Up front, Lin Su Yan was seriously analyzing data, the secretary beside him typing away on the keyboard, professional terminology and a serious atmosphere filling the entire meeting room.

Meanwhile, their Investment Director was secretly looking at his girlfriend’s wet swimsuit photos under the conference table.

Jiang Qi Huai’s eyelid twitched, and he finally couldn’t help but send a question mark back.

Seeing his reply, Tao Zhi finally stopped sending photos.

[Peach Branch Grape]: Peach baby! You’re awake!

Jiang Qi Huai took three seconds to digest this name, then looked at his own new WeChat name and understood.

He hadn’t had time to type yet.

[Peach Branch Grape]: Next time, if you want to look at your girlfriend’s photos, you don’t need to secretly stare at just that one photo. I have 13,000 photos in my album, you can look at as many as you want.

[Peach Branch Grape]: There are ones with clothes on.

Jiang Qi Huai was still processing this sentence.

Tao Zhi continued typing.

[Peach Branch Grape]: And ones without clothes on.

Jiang Qi Huai: “…”