ATLAS TRANSLATES

His face was serious but his words were casual, as if asking about something ordinary.

The distance was too close. Xu You turned her head away, hastily putting the water cup aside saying, “No.”

She was still wearing her school uniform today, with just a short-sleeved shirt after taking off her jacket. A large portion of her elbow and wrist was exposed, seeming particularly white.

“Is that so? Li Jieyi lied to me.” Xie Ci gave her a silent glance, looking her up and down, about to say something more.

Xu You cut him off, pushing him away, “Stop being so silly, I have things to do.”

As they were talking, someone suddenly called from the classroom door: “Xie Ci, what are you doing? Hurry up, stop dawdling.”

Seeing he had business elsewhere, Xu You immediately felt relieved and quietly turned away.

She didn’t know why, but talking with Xie Ci made her uncomfortable, and she hardly dared to look him in the eyes.

Then she suddenly remembered something. She turned back and called out to stop him as he was leaving, somewhat hesitantly: “Um, Xie Ci, I have your jacket.”

“What?” He acted like he hadn’t heard, turning his head to look at her.

“You left your jacket in the exam room, I brought it back for you.” Xu You explained good-naturedly, head lowered as she reached into her drawer, feeling around for the jacket.

The people waiting outside saw Xie Ci still dawdling and couldn’t help but poke their heads in and shout again, “Bro! You can flirt with the girl later, hurry up.”

Xie Ci looked at her serious expression and suddenly smiled, saying in realization: “Oh, you’re secretly keeping my clothes?”

Xu You held out the black sports jacket, silently looking at him, not responding to those jokes.

But the exasperation in her heart showed on her face, just short of saying three words: You’re crazy.

Her hands were white, appearing especially clean and translucent against the black fabric, with faint blue veins visible on the back of her hand.

“If you don’t take your jacket, I’m going to throw it on the ground,” Xu You frowned, looking at the motionless person.

Though her soft voice carried no hint of threat.

“Alright, I’m leaving then.”

He lazily took the jacket, leaving as soon as he said so. With his usual indolence and a slightly frivolous tone, he drawled: “Heh, quite the temper you’ve got.”

The supposedly hot-tempered Xu You couldn’t be bothered with his teasing and turned away.

—

As the bell rang for the last exam, life gradually returned to the campus. The corridors were filled with students going up and down, buzzing with noisy chatter.

Classmates soon returned to the classroom with their papers, gathering in small groups to compare answers.

“Ah, so annoying, finally done with the English exam,” someone complained impatiently nearby.

Another said: “Don’t worry, Chicken Bro, you’ll always be the worst.”

Then came a chase and scuffle. Chairs and desks were knocked askew everywhere.

Zheng Xiaolin in front was checking answers with Xu You’s English paper, becoming dejected halfway through, pouting with sighs: “God, so many of my reading comprehension answers are different from yours.”

Xu You was amused by her sad expression, took back her paper to put it away, and comforted her: “It’s okay, I guessed on many questions.”

This was typically how top students downplayed their abilities.

So Zheng Xiaolin didn’t believe her, still feeling down: “I was still writing my essay in the exam room when I saw you turn in your paper early.”

“Wow, cutie, you actually turned in your paper early?” Fu Xueli said while sipping milk tea from somewhere, flipping through a magazine while talking to Xu You. She turned a page and yawned again.

For some reason, she seemed less energetic today, quite different from her usual vibrant self.

Xu You was a bit worried and felt her deskmate’s forehead, asking: “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, no.” Fu Xueli laughed and pulled down Xu You’s hand, “Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

After exchanging just a few words, the homeroom teacher came in through the classroom door and walked to the podium.

She didn’t say anything, but the classroom gradually quieted down, everyone returning to their seats.

“This monthly exam is over, and you all know your own level.”

Teacher Xu Huiru propped both hands on the podium, scanning the room, “Results will be out tomorrow, and I plan to change your seats next week. Anyone with preferences can find me privately.”

As expected, there was a chorus of sighs from below.

“Teacher, why are the results coming out so quickly this time?” someone asked loudly.

Various parts of the classroom began whispering again.

Xie Ci had switched seats with Song Yifan and now sat right behind Xu You, watching her search for something for a long time.

Absentmindedly observing her back.

Fu Xueli leaned over, asking curiously: “Cutie, what are you doing?”

“I’m looking for my key.” Xu You crouched down, taking out all the books from her drawer to check, but found nothing.

Then she unzipped her backpack and searched through it for a while.

Fu Xueli helped her look on the desk surface, asking while searching: “When did you lose it?”

“Don’t know.” Xu You continued searching with her head down.

Song Yifan joined in, hanging over the desk to watch them, “What’s up, what’s up, what happened?”

Xu You had turned her seat upside down but still couldn’t find it, saying dejectedly: “My key dropped.”

“If it dropped, just pick it up.” Song Yifan answered casually.

“But it dropped.” Xu You was confused for a moment, “How do I pick it up?”

Song Yifan said matter-of-factly: “Use your hands to pick it up.”

“But, the key dropped, it dropped.” Xu You didn’t understand why he didn’t get it.

Fu Xueli suddenly understood and said: “Xu You, you mean you lost your key, right?”

“Yes.” Xu You turned her face, asking puzzled: “What’s wrong?”

“Oh my god.” Song Yifan laughed, “So in your area ‘dropped’ and ‘lost’ mean the same thing?”

Xu You sat back in her seat, not wanting to deal with him.

At this moment she had no mind to care about differences between southern and northern expressions. She thought over and over in her mind, where could the key have gone?

It was definitely in her backpack… she remembered.

Then…

Oh! Right!

Xu You’s eyes lit up, she turned around, hands on the desk edge, asking: “Is my key in your jacket? Did I accidentally give it to you with the jacket just now?”

Xie Ci leaned slightly forward, raising his eyebrows, asking with interest in a low voice: “Want to guess?”

“I won’t guess.” Xu You flatly refused, saying: “Give me back my key.”

Xie Ci laughed, “You expect me to just give it back because you ask?”

Cheap and roguish. Looking quite punch-worthy.

On the side, the very tactless Song Yifan cut in, “Come on, A-Ci, look how long you’ve made the little girl worry, quickly give it back to her, aren’t you supposed to be a man?”

“What’s it to you?” Xie Ci asked coolly.

Xu You thought he really wasn’t going to return it, getting anxious, she held out her pale palm: “Xie Ci, quickly give it to me, my key.”

Xie Ci rested one hand on the desk spinning a pen, looking at her for a few seconds.

His skin was fair, pupils dark and bright, with good looks that were always accompanied by an unserious demeanor. Xie Ci tilted his head, thought for a moment, then said playfully: “Call me ‘gege’ (T/N: older brother) once and I’ll give it back?”

Song Yifan: ……

Fuck, are you a pervert? Who still plays the big brother/little sister game these days?

When Xu You heard this, her thin face immediately turned bright red.

“Are you going to say it? I’ll give you three seconds.” He was incredibly shameless as he started counting down.

“—3”

“—2”

“—1”

Xu You hadn’t reacted, but afraid he really wouldn’t give it back, in her panic she blurted out: “Gege.”

He seemed to freeze for a moment.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

Xie Ci was the first to laugh, making a sound of acknowledgment. He pressed his tongue against his teeth, turning it once, and said in a husky voice: “Xu You, why are you so coy?”

???