ATLAS TRANSLATES

In the story, Lu Shaoyou attempts to drown himself, so Fu Junyan has to act out a diving scene.

The diving scene was filmed at the Humble Administrator’s Garden. While waiting, Fu Junyan and I had already changed into our ancient costumes. Instead of gathering with the other staff, we walked a bit further and sat in the “With Whom Shall I Sit” pavilion to rest. This pavilion is also known as the “Fan Pavilion,” but most people prefer the name “With Whom Shall I Sit.” It comes from Su Shi’s famous line: “With whom shall I sit? The bright moon, the cool breeze, and me.”

This pavilion is particularly exquisite, built by the water in the shape of a folding fan. I lazily rested on the stone table in the pavilion, pointing left and right, raising my eyebrows and asking Fu Junyan in a pretentious manner: “For whom does this fan blow a cool breeze?”

He smiled softly. Already dressed in a narrow-sleeved crimson robe, he looked graceful and charming. Pointing his folding fan at me, he answered gently: “Of course, for the one whom Junyan loves.”

I smiled. If I were a bit less composed, seeing him in this elegant attire and that warm, loving gaze, I might truly believe this man was the most devoted noble young master in the world, crossing thousands of years of time just to meet me.

I shook my head, pushing away these wild thoughts, and reached out to touch his face. The real, warm sensation under my hand reassured me. He nuzzled his cheek against my hand like a child, his eyes full of laughter as he asked me: “Who shall we sit with in the ‘With Whom Shall I Sit’ pavilion?” I pointed my index finger, tilting my head, and gently poked his cheek, answering: “Of course, with the one whom Baobei loves.” We both looked at each other and laughed.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is a scenic area, so the lake water is naturally clean. But no matter how clean it looks, it’s still a murky green, and no matter how clean, it’s certainly not bath water. I knew Fu Junyan had a cleanliness obsession, so getting into that water would definitely be uncomfortable for him. Moreover, the weather was getting cooler, and the lake water was even colder. I even bent down to test the water with my hand, and as soon as my fingertips touched the surface, I shivered from the cold. In this weather, the temperature of the water was clearly quite chilling. I stood up, supported by Fu Junyan who had been standing behind me protectively. I pouted at him, who looked completely calm, not saying a word, just unhappy.

He smiled, leaned down to kiss me, and immediately saw through my hidden concerns. He pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back as if comforting me, saying: “It’s alright, don’t worry.” I couldn’t help but think to myself, who’s the one going into the water? Comforting me… who’s comforting you…

When filming began, Fu Junyan didn’t hesitate or make excuses. As soon as the camera started rolling, he was in character. You could see his expressions and movements were vivid and on point, jumping when he was supposed to jump. I had hidden towels and blankets on the side long ago. On the way here, I had even asked the car to stop, went into a supermarket to buy ginger candy, and tried brewing it with hot water in a thermos, wanting to give Fu Junyan a loving surprise later. However, when the costume designer who was traveling with me saw me trying the ginger tea in the car, she sighed and said: “Xiao’ai, is it that time of the month?” At that moment, I felt so conflicted…

Because they were shooting on film, they didn’t stop between takes. I was even more determined to perform well, holding my breath thinking I couldn’t let Fu Junyan down, I absolutely couldn’t mess up. But after all that mental preparation, it turned out that the opera actress playing Lu’s mother messed up. She saw Fu Junyan in the middle of his performance and forgot her lines, just staring at him blankly. And her line was so simple, just: “My son…” How could she forget even that…

When I heard the director call “Cut,” I turned to look at the dripping wet Fu Junyan, then back at the lake. My heart suddenly felt uneasy. Fu Junyan saw my expression change and quickly squeezed my hand as he got up. I knew he wanted me to be good, so I could only nod obediently, not getting angry.

While Fu Junyan went to change clothes and dry his hair, the makeup artist came to fix my hair. She looked at me curiously and asked: “Xiao’ai, why are your ears red?” My heart was pounding, from anger!…

Afterwards, I still had to go comfort the auntie playing Lu’s mother. I smiled very fakely, being as gentle as possible, saying: “Auntie, the water is quite cold today. It’s not easy for Fu Junyan to go in even once. Do you think we could try our best to get it in one take? Or, how about we rehearse first? I can practice the scene with you, Auntie. What do you think?” So, I ended up rehearsing with that auntie until Fu Junyan returned, looking graceful and distinguished.

Later I found out that this auntie was a famous Peking opera performer. She really liked Fu Junyan a lot. It was her first time being so close to him, which is why she got too excited and blanked out. After that, whenever she met people or appeared on shows, she loved talking about this incident, saying how kind and gentle I was, how friendly and professional Fu Junyan was, how likable he was. Their image was portrayed as perfectly upright and exemplary. Every time I heard about it, my heart would shed bitter tears. I really couldn’t bring myself to reveal the truth. Auntie, when I was smiling at you, gently cooperating with you, in my heart I really wanted to stab you…

After filming, I quickly changed clothes and hurried to Fu Junyan’s trailer. Without knocking, I directly pushed open the door while holding the thermos. I caught Fu Junyan with his clothes half undone, revealing his undergarments and beautiful collarbone. I froze, instinctively feeling that I had really given a treat to the few women behind me. Subconsciously, I was about to close the door from outside, but Fu Junyan pulled me into the car, and I fell directly into his arms.

Hearing him close the door, I poked my head out from his embrace while still holding the thermos. Not caring about anything else, I looked up and asked him directly: “Fu Junyan, are you cold?” As I spoke, I reached out to feel his forehead.

He blinked his eyes, looking at me innocently, and held out both hands in front of me saying: “Warm them for me.” His tone was like a child’s.

When I heard this, thinking he was really frozen, I hurriedly got up from his embrace, held his hands and rubbed them in my palms, occasionally blowing on them. His hands did feel less warm than usual. When I looked up at him again, whether it was because the light in the car was too dim or for some other reason, I even felt that his face looked a bit pale. I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that being too conscientious and responsible wasn’t always good.

With this in mind, I quickly took out the thermos, opened the lid and held it in front of him expectantly, too shy to speak, just looking at him with wide eyes. Fu Junyan was stunned for half a second, took the thermos with both hands, and asked a very silly question: “Is this for me?”

I nodded, and with some coyness, buried my head and said: “I tried brewing a cup on the way here, the taste is okay. Fu Junyan, this counts as ginger tea, right? Although there’s brown sugar and stuff…”

Fu Junyan didn’t say anything, just lifted the thermos and drank it all in one go. Then, he carefully put the lid back on the thermos and set it aside, then held out his hands in front of me again. I silently went to hold his hands, to warm them up. Fu Junyan just looked at me with half-closed eyes, lazily leaning back in his seat, but suddenly gripped my hands and chuckled: “Silly child.” Then he leaned on my shoulder, nuzzling my face. His warm breath fell on my neck, intimate and lingering, even making my skin tingle slightly. I heard him sigh softly: “Baobei, do you know? It feels so good to have someone care for you…”

My heart inexplicably felt heavy, and I stroked his hair gently, mimicking his habit.

In the story, after Lu Shaoyou failed the imperial exam, his mother wanted to choose an auspicious date to quickly marry Qingqing. But Lu Shaoyou firmly rejected this. He even asked his parents to break off the engagement, saying he was useless and couldn’t drag down such a good girl.

Lu’s mother was worried. After much thought, she remembered how clever and gentle Qingqing was that day, and couldn’t bear to let her go. So she had an idea and sent a servant to the Mu family to invite the ninth young miss to come.

When Mu Qingqing saw Lu Shaoyou again, he was playing the zither in the Liuyin Pavilion. His smile was clear then, like spring smoke through willows, or like ripples on a clear lake. Behind him was green grass and bamboo shadows, an indescribable elegance and purity.

Mu Qingqing lifted her skirt, her willow waist swaying gracefully as she walked towards Lu Shaoyou. Lu Shaoyou’s fingers didn’t stop playing the zither. He looked up to see Mu Qingqing in a moon-colored gauze dress, her hair piled high, beautiful gold ornaments jingling with her steps. She met his gaze, curled her lips, and bowed: “Qingqing greets the Third Young Master.”

“Why has the Ninth Young Miss come?” Lu Shaoyou furrowed his brow slightly, his tone and manner full of confusion. The next moment, he seemed to realize something and laughed lightly, the music stopping. He seemed to ponder for a while before speaking slowly: “Shaoyou is untalented and failed to pass the exam. Shaoyou’s shallowness and lack of talent mean that even years later, there’s no hope of passing. The Ninth Young Miss should know all this. Although Shaoyou is foolish, he knows he cannot hold back the Ninth Young Miss. If the Ninth Young Miss is willing, we can break off the engagement, and Shaoyou will kneel in front of the Mu family gate for three days and nights, letting the world know the cause, not ruining the Ninth Young Miss’s reputation, and allowing the Ninth Young Miss to find a better match and live without worries.”

Hearing this, Mu Qingqing’s gaze froze, feeling somewhat angry inside. But remembering Lu’s mother hiding nearby, she didn’t dare to act rashly. She secretly pinched herself to squeeze out a few tears, suddenly looking pitiful with tears in her eyes. Even Lu Shaoyou was mesmerized by this sight. Who had ever seen such beauty? One moment she was as gorgeous as a peony, the next as pure as a lotus, and then as shy as a pear blossom.

Mu Qingqing’s nose turned red, and she said softly: “Qingqing is unworthy. I once heard my father and brothers talk about how when Su Dongpo had a son, he was so happy he wrote a poem: ‘Everyone raises children hoping for intelligence, but I’ve been harmed by intelligence all my life. I only wish my son to be foolish and slow, to reach high office without disaster or difficulty.’ My mother also likes Buddhist teachings, reciting sutras daily. When I was young, I often heard my mother say: ‘Do not distinguish between poor and rich, do not abandon the lowly to follow the noble, great compassion is equal, all beings are safe and well.’ Qingqing doesn’t know much, but I know that from the moment we were engaged, Qingqing is a person of the Lu family in life and a ghost of the Lu family in death. Third Young Master, don’t talk about being untalented or not passing the exam. Qingqing is only a woman, not seeking wealth or fame, only wishing the young master to be free from difficulties and disasters.” As she spoke, she curtsied slightly and began to sob quietly, appearing completely pitiful.

Lu Shaoyou lowered his eyes, not knowing how to respond to her words.

But suddenly, Mu Qingqing’s sobs stopped abruptly, and her attitude changed dramatically. She suddenly put down the handkerchief she was using to wipe her tears, her face still bearing traces of pearl-like tears, but her deep eyes rolled mischievously. Her lips curled into a smile, and her voice was no longer weak as she snorted lightly at him: “Now it’s fine, your mother has left.”

After saying this, Mu Qingqing laughed coldly, stepped forward, placed her hands on the zither strings, and leaned close to Lu Shaoyou’s face, scolding: “Fool! Did I ever say I wanted to break off the engagement? And who gave you the courage to do this? You fool! Listen well, if you mention breaking off the engagement again, I won’t let you off easy!” After saying this, she straightened up, but still felt upset inside. Mu Qingqing casually sat on a nearby stone chair, glancing at Lu Shaoyou from the corner of her eye. After a pause, she said: “You listen carefully. Since I was little, my mother told me that I, Mu Qingqing, was destined to marry you, Lu Shaoyou. Seeing how foolish you are, unable to memorize books well or pass the imperial exam, I’ve reluctantly accepted it. What other reason do you have to push me away?” As Mu Qingqing spoke, her eyes were clever, her whole being full of fiery charm.

She then glanced at the seven-stringed zither in front of her, her slender fingers stroking the strings, and said matter-of-factly: “You fool, you may not be good at memorizing books, but you play the zither extremely well.” She then looked up at Lu Shaoyou again, her eyes now calm and composed. Lu Shaoyou listened attentively, his face showing no impatience, truly good-natured. He lowered his head slightly, skillfully using the tea set, adding water, pouring tea, and serving it. Soon, the fragrance of tea wafted through the air, and a cup of tea was presented to Mu Qingqing.

Mu Qingqing accepted it, holding the cup with both hands and bringing it to her nose to smell the tea fragrance. She smiled and praised: “The tea is also good.” After taking a small sip, she spoke to Lu Shaoyou in an unusually pleasant tone: “Don’t think about breaking off the engagement anymore, I won’t agree to it. Although you may not have much success in official careers, I see that you’re good at other things. Besides, my fourth brother was also like you before he passed the imperial exam, not very good at memorizing books. But he specialized in policy essays and wrote them extremely well. I think you should try this approach too, it should be effective. I’ll also come often to supervise you. How does that sound?”

Hearing this, Lu Shaoyou turned to look at her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said: “The Ninth Young Miss doesn’t know, but Shaoyou made a vow when he was young. If he couldn’t achieve success in this life, he wouldn’t marry or have children, preferring to grow old alone as punishment. How could Shaoyou implicate the Ninth Young Miss in this way?”

Even Mu Qingqing, with her lively personality, was stunned by these words. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip before finally saying with some nonchalance: “It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll wait.”

After this, both openly and secretly, Mu Qingqing often visited the Lu mansion, watching her fiancé study and compose essays. She often left angrily, her ears red. But the next day, she would eagerly return. Lu Shaoyou gradually understood her temperament; she just needed to vent her anger, and then everything would be fine. It was quite adorable.

Days passed like this, and two years went by. Mu Qingqing was now eighteen, waiting to be married, and could be considered an old maid. But she wasn’t worried at all, focused only on waiting for Lu Shaoyou. She thought that although Lu Shaoyou was a bit slow in memorizing books, he was clear-minded in other matters. She was willing to wait for him, thinking that even if he got the lowest passing rank, it would be good.

Unexpectedly, that year Lu Shaoyou suddenly fell ill and missed the imperial exam.

That night, Mu Qingqing secretly came to Lu Shaoyou’s bedroom. She stood by his bed, looking at him for a long time, then sighed softly: “Fool.” Then she left. Her beautiful silhouette had lost the vivacity of her younger years, gaining a touch of loneliness and sorrow. After she left, Lu Shaoyou slowly opened his eyes. He sat up in bed, eyes wide open, and remained seated until dawn.

After this, Mu Qingqing still visited frequently, and the Mu family still had no complaints. Days passed like this, and when Mu Qingqing turned twenty, it was again time for the imperial exams in the capital. Before Lu Shaoyou set out, Mu Qingqing snuck into his room. Her eyes were still as bright as water, wearing a bright red dress, leaning against the door and just watching Lu Shaoyou in a daze.

Although the saying goes “poor at home, rich on the road,” traveling was still fraught with unknown dangers. Even with a good family background, one should be cautious when traveling. By now, Lu Shaoyou had changed into a half-worn but clean robe. His black hair wasn’t fully combed, casually tied at his back, giving him a fresh and unrestrained look, with a hint of otherworldly charm.

Mu Qingqing curled her lips and, still with a hint of mischief, threw a sachet from her sleeve at Lu Shaoyou. She tilted her head, her eyes full of joy, but her words were complaining: “With your looks, you really shouldn’t be so foolish.” Her words were teasing but without any ill intent. At the end, she giggled a few times, then suddenly looked up very seriously and said: “Lu Shaoyou, that year when you failed the exam and wanted to end your life, my mother returned home sighing, ‘Who would have thought this Third Young Master looks so good but is talentless and spineless.’ But I thought you were just not good at studying, everything else about you was good. Later, when the Lu family wanted to break off the engagement, I refused. My mother then said I was foolishly stubborn too. Two years ago, when you fell ill just before the exam, I thought it was just bad timing. My mother counted my age then, shaking her head repeatedly. She mentioned that some young man was interested in me, asking if I was willing to break off the engagement. She said that as a woman, I couldn’t afford to waste any more time. That night I tossed and turned, and eventually snuck into your bedroom. I just looked at you, looked at you. I thought, in this world, which man could tolerate my childish temper in private like you do every day? So the next day, when my mother brought up breaking off the engagement with you again, I refused.”

She paused, her voice already a bit choked up. She sighed and continued: “As you go to the capital this time, I don’t know what lies ahead. That year you told me if you couldn’t pass the exam, you’d never marry. I’ve thought about it over and over these years, and I’ve finally come to terms with it. If you don’t marry, then so be it… I’ll wait for you, even if I end up wasting my life on you. This time you go, don’t force yourself. If it doesn’t work out, just come back. We can just be like this, without name or status, and that’s fine too.”

Hearing this, Lu Shaoyou looked up at her in surprise, his heart seemingly greatly shocked. His bright eyes just stared straight at Mu Qingqing, for the first time, not looking away for a long time.

In the group sending off Lu Shaoyou, Mu Qingqing supported Lu’s mother, standing at the very front. She only gently waved her hand at him, elegant as always. In front of others, she always maintained the image of a virtuous and well-mannered young lady, the very picture of a proper young woman from a good family. Lu Shaoyou couldn’t help but think of her private, lesser-known side, and unconsciously smiled.