ATLAS TRANSLATES

Chu Zhi’s mind was blank as she stared at him dumbly, mouth slightly open, unable to speak for a long while.

Lu Jiaheng picked up a cup from beside him to rinse his mouth, spat out the toothpaste foam, and turned on the water. As he bent down, what had been mostly hidden behind him became fully visible.

A purple violet silk nightgown with beautiful draping, three-quarter sleeves, a deep V-neck with beads at the neckline.

He raised his head and looked back at his phone screen, water droplets hanging from his chin and dripping down: “What’s wrong?”

Everything Chu Zhi had wanted to say – all the excitement, anticipation, nervousness and eagerness – vanished.

She fell silent for a moment, gathering her courage to ask, when suddenly someone knocked on his bathroom door, calling for him urgently.

Lu Jiaheng turned his head and responded through the door.

Chu Zhi swallowed her words for the second time as she listened to him talk to his roommate. She bit her lip: “You should go first, isn’t someone waiting for you?”

Lu Jiaheng grabbed a towel to wipe his face: “It’s fine, you say what you wanted to say first.”

Chu Zhi remained quiet.

Her question had been interrupted earlier, and now trying to ask again somehow felt difficult.

Unease mixed with something else, making her both want to dig deeper for a clear answer and also strongly resist and avoid something.

Chu Zhi took a deep breath and tilted her head slightly, looking at him curiously: “Lu Jiaheng, does your roommate have a girlfriend?”

Lu Jiaheng had mentioned his roommate to Chu Zhi twice before, just in passing – another international student from a wealthy family, and they seemed to get along well.

Lu Jiaheng was a bit surprised and raised an eyebrow: “No, why do you suddenly ask?”

Chu Zhi’s expression seemed detached from the situation.

As if she had encountered something beyond her understanding, she appeared dazed, lost and confused.

Lu Jiaheng noticed her expression didn’t look quite right and frowned as he walked out: “What’s wrong?”

Chu Zhi quickly lowered her eyes: “Nothing.”

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing really…” she said softly, “I found an internship for winter break.”

Lu Jiaheng froze: “Internship?”

Chu Zhi nodded.

Without realizing it, his little girl had grown up.

He felt somewhat emotional, and also reluctant to let her go intern alone. After thinking for a moment, he said: “You’re still young, there’s no need to rush. You can think about internships in your senior year.”

Chu Zhi frowned, pressing her lips together: “But you also did an internship in your junior year.”

Lu Jiaheng smiled: “I’m me, you’re different from me.”

When he said this, his thoughts were simple – his family situation was complicated, many things he had no choice but to do, but she was different. She had such a wonderful family and could live freely as she wished. He hoped she could fully enjoy her student life during university and grow up without worries.

However, she didn’t understand his circumstances at all, and at first hearing, his words sounded like doubt in her abilities.

As if what he could do, she couldn’t.

A sudden inexplicable anger began to rise, mixed with her earlier emotions. Chu Zhi’s tone became a bit hard: “I’m almost twenty years old.”

Lu Jiaheng had already walked out and turned into his bedroom, tossing his phone on the bed.

The screen showed white ceiling, and there was the sound of rustling clothes – he was probably changing. He chuckled: “Mm, I remember, my baby’s grown up.”

Chu Zhi thought perhaps that nightgown was her birthday present.

Although it didn’t really match her style.

And it had been washed.

She buried the lower half of her face in her pillow, her voice sounding like she was holding her breath: “Lu Jiaheng, did you prepare a birthday present for me?”

“Yes, I did.”

Chu Zhi probed: “What is it?”

There was the light sound of a metal belt buckle from his end.

After a moment, he picked up the phone again.

He was fully dressed now, in a soft sweater, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, looking at her with amusement: “You’re really eager for presents this year?”

Chu Zhi seemed a bit distracted: “Mm, I want it.”

She lay on her soft bed in her boudoir, fresh from a shower, delicate and fair, hugging a pillow. Her neck was slender and white, the ruffle of her sleepwear revealing delicate collarbones.

The young girl’s voice was soft, like a rice ball filled with white sugar, a gentle “mm” that seemed to carry a hint of allure.

Lu Jiaheng’s movements paused as he listened.

A few seconds later, he pressed his lips together and muttered something under his breath.

It was past nine in the morning in America, and someone knocked on Lu Jiaheng’s bedroom door again. Chu Zhi ended the video call, tossed her phone aside, and rolled over.

She lay flat on her bed, eyes wide, raising her hands to pat her cheeks twice, talking to herself: “Chu Zhi, what do you think you’re doing, making a movie…”

On her first day of internship, Chu Zhi got up early.

The closest Chu Zhi had been to these steel and glass office towers was when she used to visit Lu Jiaheng every day. Now that she was going to work herself, she couldn’t help feeling nervous.

For the internship, Mrs. Deng had specially taken her shopping for several outfits. Chu Zhi usually dressed quite studently, but when she put on the mature-style little blouse, Xiao Yi almost didn’t recognize her.

Captain Xiao stared at her for quite a while before suddenly smiling.

Perhaps because of the environment, it was their first conversation outside of school. Chu Zhi claimed an empty cubicle, set up her computer, and received her work email.

The supervisor gave her a pile of company product and department-related manuals and materials. Chu Zhi spent the morning reading them, and in the afternoon, she was finally called over by the supervisor.

Xiao Yi was there too, and the three of them had a two-hour meeting in the small conference room. When they came out, Chu Zhi’s little notebook was filled with notes.

She was interning at a well-known advertising company in the industry. Although she had plenty of practical learning and exercises at school, this was her first time at a company of this scale.

Xiao Yi had been interning since freshman year and had much more experience than Chu Zhi. This time, an advertising planning project for a client was given to both of them to work on separately, with the better one to be chosen.

As the three came out of the conference room, Chu Zhi still seemed a bit confused. Xiao Yi found her looking both puzzled and eager to try amusing, and tilted his head slightly: “Find it difficult?”

Chu Zhi was still hugging her notebook, and nodded: “A little,” she paused, then shook her head, “But we did similar projects at school.”

Xiao Yi nodded with a smile: “You can ask me if you’re unsure about anything.”

Chu Zhi blinked, her big eyes looking at him, clear and frank: “We’re competitors now.”

Chu Zhi knew this company was considered one of the best in the industry.

And the supervisor had just subtly hinted that although they were only juniors, the company would consider long-term internships for outstanding performers, even direct employment after graduation.

It was something they both understood implicitly, but she brought it up so candidly as if it didn’t matter. Xiao Yi felt a bit awkward and smiled, rubbing his nose: “The most important thing during internship is still learning and experience, the result isn’t so important.”

Chu Zhi made a “wow” sound, feeling she was really too superficial compared to Captain Xiao.

Advertising was always a difficult field to discuss. Advertising students constantly complained about the industry’s decline, just like law students saying they couldn’t find jobs, accounting students saying they could only be cashiers after graduation, and language students becoming mere clerks – every industry seemed to see their future as bleak.

Chu Zhi approached her first advertising planning project like she was on steroids, thoroughly preparing everything from product understanding to market channels and media.

There was a lot she didn’t understand, and Xiao Yi was the only person she knew in the entire company, so they often had lunch together.

He shared his experience with her almost without reservation, and Chu Zhi would tell him her thoughts. She always had many strange ideas and questions, often leaving Xiao Yi speechless.

Later, Xiao Yi would actively pull her into discussions.

They often left work very late, and Chu Zhi thought Captain Xiao was really too nice – not only did he not mind her many questions, but he was also very patient in discussing with her.

She worked very meticulously, feeling pressed for time and struggling a bit, writing and revising over and over again before submitting the planning proposal right at the deadline.

As soon as she left the office, she ran into Xiao Yi. Chu Zhi was in a good mood after submitting her work and immediately called out to him: “Captain Xiao!”

But contrary to usual, Xiao Yi acted as if he hadn’t seen her and walked away around the other side.

Chu Zhi blinked, finding it a bit strange.

That evening, when Lu Jiaheng’s video call came through, Chu Zhi was doing a face mask.

She hesitated and didn’t answer for a long time.

Chu Zhi realized she hadn’t video called with Lu Jiaheng for a long time.

Before, she had more free time than him, so she would actively seek him out, but then they both got busy, and with the time difference, it became even harder to match their schedules.

Lack of time was part of it, but a bigger part seemed to be something else. Chu Zhi couldn’t explain clearly, just a tiny bit of restless unease in her heart.

He had been waiting for something, she didn’t know what, she only knew she hadn’t waited.

Chu Zhi sat on her bed holding her phone, spacing out for a while until the video call was disconnected.

She lowered her eyes to look at the screen and slowly typed: [I was just taking a shower, you’re up?]

Lu Jiaheng replied quickly: [Are you really busy lately?]

Chu Zhi froze.

She bit her lip, not knowing how to reply to him, rubbed her nose while holding the phone, and then his call came through again.

Chu Zhi answered with a soft “hello.”

Lu Jiaheng didn’t speak, and they fell into silence.

After a few quiet seconds, he spoke first, his voice deep and soft, familiar enough to make one’s nose tingle: “Is the internship keeping you busy?”

Chu Zhi quietly made an “mm” sound.

“Are you tired?”

“It’s okay.”

“Are the leaders even scarier than teachers?” he asked with a smile.

Chu Zhi paused, “That’s okay too.”

Lu Jiaheng fell silent, and no one spoke.

After a while, he said: “Do you not want to talk to me?”

Chu Zhi didn’t speak, remained silent for a moment, then said softly: “Not at all, it’s because I’m interning lately, I’m a bit busy.”

Lu Jiaheng sighed, his voice sounding a bit helpless: “Chu Chu, we already can’t meet in person, if anything happens you should tell me—”

Before he could finish, Chu Zhi gently interrupted him: “Isn’t this good too?”

Lu Jiaheng was stunned, not understanding: “What?”

Chu Zhi sat on the bed, eyes widened slightly, head tilted back looking at the ceiling: “You were busy before when I used to look for you too, only I was free, every time it was just me talking non-stop, now we’re both busy, and you don’t have to listen to me ramble about boring things until you fall asleep after being tired all day,” she bit her lip hard, emotions that had been bottled up for many days suddenly pouring out, though her voice remained soft, “This way, we each focus on our own things, isn’t that good too?”