ATLAS TRANSLATES

The tree beside the bench stretched its branches, creating a scattered pattern that blocked the neon lights from the street.

His jacket carried a faint scent of tobacco. Moonlight cascaded down in layers, and all sightlines were swallowed by darkness.

Xu You didn’t dare move. She turned her face away, not knowing where to look, and simply kept her eyes tightly shut.

This feeling was too unfamiliar.

Her heart was racing, and she didn’t know what to do.

Xie Ci was breathing somewhat heavily, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

Despite the thick layers of clothing between them, her back pressing against the hard wood was still painful.

“Move up a bit, don’t press so hard, it hurts,” Xu You resisted slightly.

Xie Ci’s eyes curved as he smiled.

Then, in the next second, she was lifted up completely.

Her view flipped as their positions changed — now he was below, and she was on top.

“Is this better?” Xie Ci looked up and asked, his fair neck taut.

Before she could answer, her lips were captured again.

He seemed addicted, holding her close, repeatedly playing with her lips.

Faintly, she heard him sigh softly, “Damn… you’re so thin…”

He held her lips, gently sucking.

Xu You’s mind was unclear, thoughts blank, all strength drained from her body. “Get up…”

“Can’t get up.”

After what seemed like forever, his lips finally left that warmth.

“Do you like me?”

Xie Ci’s messy hair fell across his forehead as he asked repeatedly in a hoarse voice.

“Do you like me? Answer me.”

“I don’t,” she replied without hesitation.

“Do you like me?”

“I don’t!!!”

“Do you really like me or not? This is your last chance.” He gripped her chin with one hand, threatening.

“I don’t…”

“Fuck, you really don’t like me?”

“Really really, I don’t like you, don’t like you at all!”

Finally, Xu You got impatient. She shook her head forcefully, breaking free from Xie Ci’s grip.

She scrambled to the other end of the bench. She pulled up her hood, refusing to continue talking to him.

“Don’t run away.”

Before he could catch his breath, he scooted over, reached out, and tugged at the white fur on her hood.

“Do you like me?”

Xu You was quiet for a few seconds, then answered softly: “I don’t like you.”

“……”

Xie Ci smiled, pulled off her hood, and quickly leaned in to kiss her cheek again.

What was this obsession with liking someone? The sweetness never got tiresome.

He pulled back slightly, his gaze fixed on her face. “In all my life, I haven’t begged more than a thousand times. This time I’m seriously begging you, okay?”

Xu You looked away, trying not to smile.

She held it for a few seconds.

He said seriously: “Hey, I’m this handsome, if you don’t like me you’re not human.”

“Pfft.”

Xu You choked on her laugh, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Can you be any more narcissistic?”

Xie Ci tilted his head to watch her laugh.

The winter night’s road gradually grew quiet.

Time passed bit by bit.

They were both tired. Xu You curled up on the chair, eyes closed and drowsy, her head unconsciously leaning on Xie Ci’s shoulder.

Dawn was approaching in the early morning.

The gradually brightening daybreak appeared from the street ahead.

“Hey, it’s time for school.” Xie Ci’s hand brushed against Xu You’s cheek.

She woke up, blinked, and found a hand blocking her view.

She paused for a moment.

In that instant, golden sunlight fell from the distant horizon, passing through his fingers. The shadow blocked her eyes.

—

“Youyou, what’s wrong? You look so tired.”

Zheng Xiaolin came back with a cup of hot water and found Xu You sleeping on her desk again.

Zhu Xiaohao, who sat behind her, also noticed something was off with Xu You. He twirled his pen, “Is our top student sick?”

Xu You was a light sleeper, and the classroom was noisy, making it impossible to really sleep. She just couldn’t muster any energy.

She got up to let Zheng Xiaolin pass, rubbing her eyes, “No, I just had some insomnia last night…”

Just then, the English teacher suddenly appeared at the classroom door saying, “Group leaders, collect yesterday’s homework and have the class monitor put it on my desk before school ends!”

She paused, then pointedly said toward the back of the class, “Those who didn’t do their homework will stand at the back during afternoon class!”

Xu You had planned to rest a bit more, but now there was no time. She sighed, took out her homework from her bag, and started collecting from each desk.

Fortunately, she had found time to do the English homework yesterday.

When she reached the back rows, a sweet feminine voice suddenly rang out: “Xie Ci, your homework.”

Xu You paused for a moment in collecting homework, then continued to the next person: “Classmate, English homework please.”

Xu Xiaocheng was originally sleeping on his desk, half-awake, squinting as he searched his drawer.

After searching for a while without finding it, he looked down and searched his desk.

“Damn, where did my homework go?” Xu Xiaocheng cursed.

Song Yifan, sitting beside him playing with his phone, said lazily: “If you didn’t do it, just say so. No need to act.”

“I did do it, shit.” Xu Xiaocheng was frustrated. He looked up and said, “Wait a bit, I need to look properly.”

“Why can’t you be honest like me? Just admit you didn’t do it and copy.”

Song Yifan clicked his tongue twice, then turned to smile at Xu You, “Great scholar Xu, can we make a deal? Can I borrow your homework to copy?”

It was still the long break, and since it was Wednesday with no morning exercises, there was plenty of time before class.

Xu You nodded and handed him her homework.

It was just translating a few sentences, quite simple and not too long.

Watching Xu Xiaocheng frantically searching, Song Yifan scribbled away while joking, “Alright, alright, you’ve won this year’s Oscar, stop looking and just copy with me, Brother Cheng.”

Xu Xiaocheng didn’t look up, “I suggest you die immediately, Black Skin Song.”

“Hahaha, shit!”

Song Yifan laughed while copying, telling Xu You who was waiting: “Just a minute, just a minute, I’ll be done soon!”

“Also wait for me, I’ll find it right away.” Xu Xiaocheng immediately added.

Xu You stepped back, quietly saying: “It’s okay, take your time.”

Meanwhile.

Yuan Qianqian stood by Xie Ci’s desk, homework cradled in her arms.

“Xie Ci, wake up and hand in your homework.” She called out softly.

The person lying on the desk didn’t move at all.

Yuan Qianqian bit her lip, patiently tapping Xie Ci’s shoulder gently.

Xu Xiaocheng was still cursing while searching for his homework.

Li Xiaoqiang, sitting in front of Xie Ci, suddenly slapped his forehead, hurriedly putting away his gaming magazine and shouting backward, “Brother Cheng!! Your homework is with me!!!”

Yesterday Li Xiaoqiang had casually taken Xu Xiaocheng’s homework from his desk to copy, and after finishing, he’d just put it aside, forgetting to return it.

Oh man…

“Look at this mess.” Li Xiaoqiang laughed awkwardly, giving a couple of embarrassed chuckles.

“Damn, then hurry up and give it to me.” Xu Xiaocheng rolled his eyes, taking a breath as he sat back down.

Li Xiaoqiang found the homework and suddenly stood up, ready to hand it to Xu Xiaocheng.

He hadn’t noticed Yuan Qianqian standing nearby, and with one turn, unable to stop his momentum, he knocked the girl over hard.

“Ah!” Yuan Qianqian cried out in surprise.

Li Xiaoqiang quickly reached out to steady her.

He caught her, but a stack of homework books slipped from his hands.

With a clatter, they all fell on the head of the person sleeping.

If only time could flow backwards.

Li Xiaoqiang froze, watching as Xie Ci slowly raised his head from between his arms.

With his movement, there was a ‘pa’ sound as the homework book on his shoulder fell to his lap.

Yuan Qianqian’s face paled as she crouched down to pick up the books one by one.

She had just raised her hand to remove the homework book from Xie Ci’s body when he blocked her with his arm.

“What are you doing?” He frowned, leaning back in his chair, looking irritated from being woken up.

Li Xiaoqiang quickly explained calmly, “Homework, turning in English homework. If you don’t do it you’ll have to stand in the back this afternoon, Brother Ci.”

But Xie Ci had no time for him. His eyes had caught sight of Xu You standing to the side.

Despite the commotion, Xu You stood with her back to him, not looking this way at all.

Xie Ci lowered his head, running his fingers through his hair.

Yuan Qianqian was still standing beside him. She bit her lip and said softly, “Xie Ci, are you going to hand in your homework or not? If not, I’m leaving.”

“Huh?”

Xie Ci came to his senses and gave an “Oh.”

Yuan Qianqian couldn’t help saying, “You’ll have to stand in the back this afternoon if you don’t do it. Aren’t you going to write it?”

“Yeah.” He lounged there lazily, not even raising his eyes.

After Yuan Qianqian left, Li Xiaoqiang turned to Xie Ci with a complicated expression, “Brother Ci, shouldn’t we put some effort into treating beautiful girls well?”

Before he could say anything else, someone nearby said: “If he had to put effort into every beautiful girl, Ci probably ran out of effort long ago.”

Xu Xiaocheng immediately realized his mistake after speaking.

Damn.

Xu You was still standing nearby waiting.

He coughed awkwardly, trying to cover it up.

Song Yifan glanced to the side, “Look at you, why can’t you control that cheap mouth of yours.”

After a while.

“Hey, where’s the English homework supposed to be?” Xie Ci pulled out his homework from his desk, pretending to ask.

The person beside him was about to answer when they saw him turn his head and reach out to tug at Xu You, “Where is it? Tell me?”

Xu You turned around, meeting his eyes directly.

“The translation sentences in the book,” she said.

“Which page?”

“……”

Xu You sighed, took a couple steps to his front, and used one hand to flip open the English book, pointing at the book, “This question.”

Xie Ci looked at her, raising an eyebrow slightly, “Let me copy yours, I don’t know how to do it.”

Why didn’t you copy earlier, now you’re acting up.

Xu Xiaocheng rolled his eyes.

Xu You’s expression faltered, she looked back and said, “My homework is with Song Yifan.”

She didn’t have the right to just let Xie Ci copy someone else’s homework, it would be too impolite.

“Oh.”

Xie Ci closed his book languidly, “Fine, then I’ll just stand in the back this afternoon.”

As if you’ve ever honestly stood punishment before.

Xu You said silently in her heart.

“It’s fine, I just wasn’t at school yesterday, just spent a night in the wind…”

He spoke very quietly, only the two of them could hear.

Xu You looked at Xie Ci, finding it amusing. She shook her head slightly and picked up the textbook on his desk.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a smile, pretending not to know.

Xu You answered patiently: “I’ll help you write it later.”

Song Yifan was sitting right there and heard their entire conversation. He had actually finished copying long ago. But he didn’t dare return it to Xu You right now.

If he did that…

Song Yifan figured.

Probably.

Xie Ci would have someone take care of him that afternoon.