ATLAS TRANSLATES

Chu Zhi had told them earlier she wouldn’t be eating at home tonight. Ms. Deng wasn’t coming home either, so Father Chu was alone and terribly bored. He asked if Chu Zhi wanted him to drive her but got a negative response.

Before she left, Lu Jiaheng sent Chu Zhi a text asking when she would finish tonight. Chu Zhi wasn’t sure exactly, but calculated the time needed for hotpot – starting at 5 PM, it would probably take over 3 hours, so it should end around 8-9 PM. Being conservative, she said around 9.

She arrived on time, when only a few people were there. Because of the large group, Octopus had booked a private room with wooden screens that weren’t completely enclosed, with latticed openings in the middle and red lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

When Chu Zhi passed by the sauce station, she couldn’t help but glance over, feeling a bit dazed. She had met Lu Jiaheng in early September, and almost half a year had passed since then. Half a semester was already over. Time really flew by.

She pressed her lips together and followed the server inside.

Octopus was already there. As soon as Chu Zhi entered, Octopus waved at her: “Ah, our little sister Zhi, come come, sit next to your big brother!”

Someone was sitting on his other side, leaving only one empty spot next to him. Octopus had always been outgoing and cheerful, so Chu Zhi didn’t think much of it. She responded with a sound and stood at the door to remove her coat and hang it on the rack, watching as the server put a cover over it.

The scarf was tied by Father Chu, wrapped around several times and even tied in a dead knot at the back. Chu Zhi tried to untie it with both hands behind her back for a while but couldn’t. Just as she was about to turn the scarf to the front to untie it, someone came in behind her.

Yuan Ci took two steps in, put the two sauce dishes he was holding on the table, then went back out, stood behind her, and helped her untie the scarf.

Chu Zhi was originally standing at the door. He had stepped outside now, standing behind her, tugging at her scarf for a while before undoing the knot she had been pulling at, then pulling the scarf edges to the front for her.

Chu Zhi felt a bit uncomfortable and slightly turned her body to create a small distance, thanking him.

She had never paid attention to such things before.

Maybe it was because she had to guard against Lu Jiaheng so many times that she started to realize it wasn’t appropriate for friends of the opposite sex to be too close.

Yuan Ci didn’t seem to notice, smiling as he lowered his hands: “If you pull it that way, it will only get tighter.”

Chu Zhi wanted to ask him what toothpaste he used – his teeth were so white.

She hung the scarf next to her coat and looked up, startled for a moment.

Through the latticed screen, she thought she saw a familiar figure flash by.

Chu Zhi thought she had seen wrong. Just then, Octopus called her again, so after hanging her scarf, she went over to sit down.

Yuan Ci came over too, pushing one of the sauce dishes toward her.

Inside was clean peanut sauce without any other ingredients.

Yuan Ci sat down beside her: “I didn’t know what sister likes to eat, but felt this wouldn’t be wrong. Girls don’t like garlic and such, right?”

Chu Zhi wanted to shout that of course not! What’s the point of eating hotpot without oil sauce, garlic, cilantro and chili oil!

But since he had specially prepared the sauce for her, she couldn’t say it wasn’t to her taste and that she didn’t like it.

She looked at the young man’s bright eyes and seriously accepted it, feeling somewhat touched: “I’m not really picky about food.”

Before long, the other drama club members arrived too.

Everyone was dramatic, and with winter break coming, enthusiasm was at an all-time high. Octopus ordered alcohol. Chu Zhi had never drunk alcohol in her life, and she was curious to try but didn’t quite dare.

Yuan Ci saw her eagerly eyeing the beer bottle in front of him and reached out to slap the bottle opening: “Sister, stop right there, no drinking for minors.”

Chu Zhi really couldn’t accept this: “You’re also underage, your birthday is even after mine.”

Octopus leaned over and laughed: “Little sister Zhi, the club president has been in these circles for many years, his mental age is already approaching thirty. You’re still young, wait for another chance in the future.”

Chu Zhi actually wanted to say that her birthday was tomorrow.

She stayed quiet, silently drinking her orange juice and eating shrimp balls.

After a while, her phone vibrated.

The phone was on Chu Zhi’s left side. She was listening to Octopus talk at the time and didn’t notice, but Yuan Ci looked down and happened to glimpse the contact name, tapping her: “Your brother’s calling.”

Chu Zhi was startled, not knowing when she had gained a brother, looked down and saw “Brother Lu” on the screen.

She almost spat out her orange juice, grabbed her phone and stood up to go answer it.

The hotpot restaurant was very lively. Chu Zhi stood at the entrance and said “Hello.”

Lu Jiaheng’s side also sounded faintly noisy, a bit echoing, she wasn’t sure where he was.

He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke coolly: “Where are you?”

“Eating, of course.”

“Full yet?”

Chu Zhi checked the time – it was only 5:30.

She covered one ear with her hand, and since she was already out, decided to get another sauce dish while walking over: “I just started eating.”

She walked to the sauce bar, just crouched down to get a dish when Lu Jiaheng suddenly said: “Forward.”

Chu Zhi was confused: “Hm?”

“Stand up, walk forward.”

She was a bit puzzled but still held her phone in one hand and the dish in the other as she stood up, turned her head to look forward and took two steps.

“More forward.”

Chu Zhi suddenly remembered the familiar figure she had seen flash by earlier and made a sound of surprise: “Are you at home right now?”

Though she asked this, she had already started looking around while walking.

Two more steps forward, Chu Zhi looked around and really did see him.

He was leaning against the entrance to the women’s restroom, holding his phone, looking in her direction.

They were quite far apart, she couldn’t see his expression clearly.

Chu Zhi hung up excitedly and bounced over to him, stopping in front of him with a smile, looking quite proud: “It really is you! I thought I saw you earlier.”

Lu Jiaheng didn’t speak, silently pressing his lips together.

His eyes were dark as he looked down at her.

Chu Zhi didn’t notice, holding an empty sauce dish, looking up at him.

She looked very happy, her black eyes bright and shining, the smile never leaving her lips as she chatted away endlessly.

She was the same way when helping him pick furniture, and after finishing final exams.

Lu Jiaheng noticed that she seemed to talk a lot when she was happy, bouncing around like the old man’s little parrot.

Only today, her happiness was because of someone else, for different reasons.

He remembered earlier, her standing at the private room entrance, the man bending down, standing behind her helping her untie her scarf.

And the way he looked at her, that gentle bright expression – she didn’t understand, but he knew clearly what it meant.

Lu Jiaheng’s first thought was to rush over.

But this was her club gathering.

Today she was meant to be with her friends, end of semester, she should go out with friends, she had her own social circle and private space, he shouldn’t disturb her.

But he had overestimated his patience, or rather underestimated the dark selfish possessiveness in his heart.

Thinking of her possibly sitting next to other men just now, and that man having the same feelings toward her as himself, while this silly girl remained completely oblivious, smiling with curved eyes calling “senior” – Lu Jiaheng fell into an almost violent irritation.

Lu Jiaheng looked at the small girl’s red little mouth opening and closing in front of him, made a low clicking sound, and pulled her toward the women’s restroom.

Chu Zhi let out a cry of surprise as he suddenly yanked her, stumbling as he dragged her inside.

His movements weren’t gentle at all, his grip on her wrist was very tight, holding her wrist painfully as he pulled her to the last stall in the back row.

With a huge bang, the stall door was roughly kicked open then kicked shut, followed immediately by someone grabbing and lifting her entire body.

Hot palms supported under her thighs and lifted up. Chu Zhi’s feet left the ground as she let out a soft cry, instinctively reaching up to hook her arms around his neck. The dish in her hand slipped – the white porcelain dish fell onto the mirror-bright marble floor with a crisp sound, shattering into pieces.

The man in front of her seemed not to hear, locked the stall door, one hand supporting her bottom, the other hand holding her leg, guiding her to wrap around his waist.

Chu Zhi’s lips went pale but her face and ears were burning red. Her back was pressed hard against the door panel, the bones aching sharply.

She let out a soft moan, her voice soft and tender, arms unconsciously tightening around his neck, body moving closer to his embrace, trying to get away from the hard door panel: “It hurts…”

The young girl’s soft body pressed against him, seemingly actively responding.

The next second, someone grabbed her chin and half-forcefully lifted her head, cold lips pressing against hers.

Chu Zhi’s eyes widened.

His lips were cold and soft, looking thin but supple like jelly.

Their lips and teeth met as he spoke hoarsely: “Already saying it hurts…”

After getting together with Lu Jiaheng, sometimes Chu Zhi would, like every girl, uncontrollably think about kissing.

Every time she thought halfway through she would bury her head deep in her pillow with a red face, wanting to scream from embarrassment.

She had imagined many scenarios, like at the highest point of a Ferris wheel, or in a quiet park lit by fireflies at night, where he would gently kiss her, then hug her, tenderly pat her head.

But she had never imagined a scene like this.

How could they kiss in this kind of place.

How could they do this kind of thing in this place.

Chu Zhi was so embarrassed she almost cried, her long lashes trembling violently. Her arms loosened and her back hit the door panel again with a light thump, but she didn’t feel any pain – his hand had already cushioned behind her at some point.

Their lips pressed together as she completely froze. As if to prove what he just said, he suddenly bit her lower lip. The sharp pain made her open her lips, but her sound of pain was muffled.

Then came his tongue.

His lips were cold but his tongue was burning hot, gently licking the lip he had just bitten, then heavily biting down again.

Both gentle and not gentle, delighting in repeatedly tormenting her with extremely contrasting actions.

Chu Zhi’s lips were numb with pain, she didn’t even know if there was blood or some other fluid on her lips from his bites. She whimpered softly, trying to struggle, her legs wrapped around his waist rubbing chaotically.

Her movements seemed to ignite something. He became more fierce, the hand supporting her thighs lifting higher, pressing against her as he entered her mouth. Low pants transmitted through their lips and teeth, fed into her mouth: “It’s because I’ve been holding back not wanting to hurt you…”

That he had endured even just kissing until now.

He didn’t finish, and Chu Zhi couldn’t hear. Her scalp tingled, her whole body went soft and trembling, quickly going limp.

Her consciousness was fuzzy, only unconsciously clinging tightly to him, head tilted back allowing his not-so-gentle taking.

Their tongues entangled, small sounds mixed with whimpers echoing in the quiet stall.

Chu Zhi’s entire vision was blurry. In the spinning world, all she could clearly see were his eyelashes as he closed his eyes to cover hers, and the dark turmoil in his eyes when they suddenly opened.