ATLAS TRANSLATES

For just a few seconds, the air around them seemed to freeze.

The skating rink was crowded with men and women, filled with laughter and screams as everyone excitedly counted down together.

Zeng Qilin leaned on the railing, his gaze passing over two people entangled together not far away, and casually asked the person beside him: “Does Ah Ci have a new girlfriend?”

A male student said: “Don’t you know your own brother?”

“Hmph, how would I have time to keep track? He’s just bored all day.”

“But Ah Ci is more impressive than you, quite popular with girls.”

“He’s good-looking, just like his dad.”

Zeng Qilin turned his head forward, suddenly raising his eyebrows and exclaiming, “Oh ho, are they fighting over there?”

Xie Ci was sitting on the ground, rubbing his shoulder in pain with furrowed brows.

“Damn!”

Xu You didn’t know where she got such strength from just now. When Xie Ci wouldn’t let go of her, in her panic, she turned sideways and bit down hard on his arm.

The moment the person behind her felt the pain, she used almost all her strength to quickly push him away.

The ice was different from solid ground, balance was harder to maintain.

Caught off guard, Xie Ci, with his tall frame, was suddenly knocked to the ground, looking somewhat dazed.

“You’re crazy!”

Xu You cursed, raising her hand to her cheek, rubbing it hard again and again.

“Look here,” Xie Ci lowered his head, rolling up his sleeve to look at the neat, deep teeth marks, and couldn’t help shouting: “Damn, you sure didn’t hold back with that bite, huh, Xu You?”

Xu You glared at him, gathering her courage to say: “You deserved it, you bit me first.”

She wanted to leave in anger, but having been brought to the center of the rink, she couldn’t skate and couldn’t take steps. In her anxiety, she felt completely helpless.

Xie Ci remained calm. He sat there casually, supporting himself with one hand behind him, looking up at her playfully, “Where did I bite you?”

“”

Pervert.

A pervert with skin thicker than a city wall’s corner.

Xu You bit her teeth and remained silent, crouching down to untie her skates.

Xie Ci continued: “You know what flirting is?”

Since she wasn’t responding to him anyway, he just kept talking to himself.

After a while.

Xie Ci licked his lips and smiled, either savoring the memory or something else, carelessly saying: “Hey, your face is quite soft. I didn’t bite you, I just gave you a little kiss…”

“Can you stop talking?”

Xu You couldn’t take it anymore, really wanting to explode just once and throw the skate at his face.

She had already taken off one shoe, making the other easier.

When her sock touched the ice, a chill ran up her body, making Xu You shiver instantly.

She was wearing short cotton socks with little rabbits on them, and couldn’t help stamping her feet in place while looking around for where to change shoes.

“What are you doing?” Xie Ci stared at her socks for a while, lazily getting up from the ground.

Xie Ci was already much taller than her, and he was still wearing ice skates.

Face to face.

The height difference was like between a giant and a dwarf.

The lights were too dim, and Xu You could barely see the way. She roughly judged a direction and wanted to walk away carrying her pair of shoes.

Xie Ci blocked her path, “Aren’t your feet cold?”

Xu You walked around him, keeping her head down as if she hadn’t heard, still walking on the ice.

Being deliberately ignored, Xie Ci wasn’t angry, just laughed and chased after her from behind.

He stretched out his arms, bent slightly, and easily lifted Xu You horizontally into the air.

???!!!!

Xu You suddenly found herself airborne, reflexively wrapping her arms around his neck. When she realized what had happened, Xie Ci’s face was inches away, his breath perceptible.

The two shoes in her hand fell with a clatter.

Being lifted up in public without any warning, her first reaction was shock, followed by complete mortification.

“You- put me down right now!” Xu You kicked her legs in the air, struggling constantly, trying to pinch Xie Ci’s arms.

She was small and light, her movements like mere tickles to him.

Xie Ci lowered his head slightly, sniffing her scent, and suddenly laughed: “I knew you smelled like milk.”

His arm was under her knees, his other hand at her waist. It felt like Xu You was completely nestled in his embrace.

The white hem of her dress hung over his arm, swaying in the breeze.

Their commotion had already caught the attention of some observant onlookers.

Xie Ci carried a girl slowly across half the skating rink.

Whistles and laughter followed them all the way.

Although this was supposed to be a joint class activity between Class 9 and Class 4, some students from other classes had come too. But basically everyone knew Xie Ci.

After all, they were all high school students at the age of youthful restlessness. Seeing this scene, everyone understood implicitly, exchanging knowing smiles.

Someone in the crowd secretly took out their phone to take pictures.

Someone asked: “Isn’t that the handsome guy from your Class 9?”

“Yeah, damn,” a Class 9 student shook his head in amazement, “We thought he never dated girls from our class…”

“Is this girl from your class?”

“Yeah, she just transferred here not long ago.”

“Lucky her, getting Xie Ci’s attention right after arriving…”

“”

In the rest area.

Fu Xueli was sitting on Xu Xingchun’s lap drinking juice, chatting with him casually. When she caught sight of this scene from the corner of her eye, she immediately stood up, taking two steps as one to run forward, eyes wide: “Damn, are you two filming a romance drama?”

Xie Ci had already skated to the edge, head lowered whispering something to Xu You, a smile playing on his lips.

Probably some inappropriate teasing words.

Xu You’s face was already bright red.

Most likely from anger.

Seeing a familiar face, Xu You let out an “ah,” wishing she could bury her face in the ground.

“We’re here already, put me down quickly.”

She couldn’t bring herself to look at Fu Xueli, keeping her head down and urgently whispering, constantly urging him.

Xie Ci maintained a completely natural demeanor, unhurriedly clicking his tongue, saying to Fu Xueli: “Help get her shoes.”

When Xu You’s feet finally touched the ground and she had crouched down to put on her shoes, she looked up to find Xie Ci had already left.

Fu Xueli watched her, “He was called away for something.”

After a pause of two seconds, she couldn’t help pulling Xu You aside, her gaze falling on her fair, flushed cheeks as she asked in a low voice: “You and Xie Ci…”

Before she could finish, Xu You was already shaking her head like a rattle drum, “There’s nothing between us.”

Since she said that, Fu Xueli didn’t feel right asking more.

The skating rink was connected to a KTV and restaurant, offering standard one-stop service. Since this was just an impromptu class gathering, everyone was too lazy to book another place and decided to have dinner right there. It was free anyway.

These gatherings were just about eating, drinking, and having fun.

Xu You was exhausted after a long day and didn’t want to continue. She went to the bathroom, came out and packed up her things, planning to say goodbye to Fu Xueli before leaving.

But she couldn’t find her anywhere after searching for a long time. She just wandered around aimlessly.

There were many people there to play, both boys and girls, but she didn’t know most of them.

As she was standing on tiptoes looking around, someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

Xu You turned around to see an unfamiliar girl.

She smiled cheerfully, pointing to a direction slightly to the right in front, “Look, your friend is over there.”

Xu You looked in the direction she was pointing.

There was a circle of small sofas at the entrance of the hall, where a group of unfamiliar boys sat, smoking and chatting.

Xie Ci was among them.

He wasn’t smoking, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, his legs lazily propped up on the coffee table, supporting his head as he talked to the person beside him.

Xu You withdrew her gaze and walked in another direction.