ATLAS TRANSLATES

Chu Zhi had imagined that Lu Jiaheng might have other romantic interests.

What she hadn’t expected was that his roommate would turn out to be interested in him.

In all the time she had known him, through their daily interactions, she had never noticed any indication that he might appeal to men. She had almost forgotten about it, thinking it was just joking talk between him and Cheng Yi.

She hadn’t expected this topic to resurface after so many years.

Chu Zhi felt her memory was quite good, clearly remembering things from long ago.

She sat quietly on the shoe cabinet, not paying attention to what he was doing, feeling a bit dazed as she sorted through her thoughts.

After all this fuss, she wondered what all her recent unease and unspoken overthinking had been about.

Chu Zhi let out a long sigh, suddenly feeling foolish.

Meanwhile, Lu Jiaheng continued methodically removing her coat.

Chu Zhi sat with her hands braced on the edge of the shoe cabinet, sleeves still on, the long coat partially trapped beneath her.

Coming back to her senses, she looked up at him: “Does your roommate like men?”

Lu Jiaheng made a sound of agreement, eyes down as his fingers gripped the edge of her coat, carefully working it over her shoulders.

Chu Zhi licked her lips: “Does he have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

Her coat was now halfway off, the collar hanging limply at her elbows: “Does he like someone?”

“Yes, but it’s a straight man who likes women.”

Chu Zhi blinked and made a soft sound: “Oh… so he’s experiencing unrequited love?”

“That’s why he’s changed his style now, doing his makeup like a professional artist.”

Love really was powerful.

Chu Zhi mused.

For a moment, neither spoke. There was only the soft rustle of fabric.

After three seconds of silence, Chu Zhi suddenly spoke: “Lu Jiaheng.”

Still looking down, he made a low sound of acknowledgment.

Chu Zhi lowered her head, watching his lowered lashes, pressing her lips together: “Why are you taking off my clothes?”

At this moment, his long, elegant hands were at her collar, fingertips holding her shirt buttons, slowly undoing them.

Her buttons had originally been done up to the very top. The top two were already undone, revealing the graceful line of her neck and pretty collarbones.

His movements were gentle, his knuckles occasionally brushing against her neck unintentionally, making that spot burn like it had been scalded.

Chu Zhi hunched her shoulders and tried to retreat.

As she moved back, he moved forward, like they were dancing the tango, until her back met the cold wall. She raised her hands to push him away, but they were trapped by the half-removed coat, stuck at a fifty-degree angle.

Lu Jiaheng finally raised his eyes, his dark peach blossom eyes containing something else entirely.

That something was like a magnet, attractive, spreading deep layer by layer. Chu Zhi couldn’t even react for a moment, just staring at him blankly with a somewhat dazed expression.

His fingers were still at her collar, where three buttons were now undone. His fingers moved slightly, fingertips barely grazing the delicate skin of her chest.

That touch was clear and fine, making Chu Zhi’s whole body tremble uncontrollably.

Lu Jiaheng let out a deep laugh, finally leaving her buttons alone. His fingers moved slightly upward, fingertips pressing against her collarbone as he leaned in, their lips almost touching: “Finished with your questions?”

Chu Zhi swallowed, nodded, then shook her head, her voice soft and tender: “No…”

His lips were already pressed against hers.

Carefully and restrainedly holding her lips, his moist tongue swept across them as he mumbled: “Then what else do you want to ask…”

She couldn’t speak at all.

Her lips were caught by his, and just as they parted slightly, he dove in as if he’d been plotting it all along, tangling with her in light bites and suction, taking even her breath away, let alone words.

Chu Zhi tilted her head back slightly, her neck forming an elegant line as she inexperiencedly but submissively accepted his kiss.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the shoe cabinet tightly, her body unconsciously leaning forward slightly.

At first, his movements were gentle and restrained, but later, as if he couldn’t hold back anymore, he pressed between her legs, drawing her tongue into his mouth.

Chu Zhi’s tongue went numb, something threatening to spill from the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes reddened as she opened them wide, struggling to swallow.

The next second, his hands gripped her waist, pulling her shirt from her jeans, his burning palms against her waist, fingertips slowly and meticulously trailing up along the curve of her spine.

The young girl, small in his grasp, was perched on the shoe cabinet, trapped before him, her whole body trembling slightly, making small sounds like a young beast, her body so delicate it seemed it would shatter with just a bit of force.

She looked utterly pitiful, eyes red, staring at him in a daze.

Lu Jiaheng gently bit her lip, withdrawing his tongue, his hands stopping their movement.

She desperately breathed in fresh air, going soft as he held her neck, lifting her slightly. The next moment, his wet, warm lips pressed against the delicate skin of her neck, his teeth leaving light marks.

The pain was tingling, and Chu Zhi whimpered as she felt his lips and teeth gently sucking and kissing the thin layer of skin covering her arteries.

It was like a medieval vampire’s lubrication before feeding, and she was about to be sacrificed as the freshest food for the demon.

The entrance space was completely silent. His head was buried in her neck, moving downward, the slight pain accompanied by other unfamiliar sensations. Chu Zhi’s eyes were hazily open, her gaze scattered on the dim ceiling light.

Lu Jiaheng paused, his lips and tongue moving down inch by inch, biting her delicate collarbone, his nose brushing downward.

His breath was scalding against her chest. At some point, the fourth button of her shirt had come undone.

Below was the rounded soft swell, the pink lace edge of her undergarment barely visible through the disheveled collar.

Until the fabric rustled, the final layer beneath her shirt was fully exposed to the cool air.

The fifth button.

His lips touched that tender flesh, the slight stubble he hadn’t shaved on his chin reddening a patch of skin. His hand, which had been roaming her back, slowly moved down, around her waist, resting on her flat stomach. His nimble fingers slipped slightly into the edge of her jeans, touching the metal button.

With a light click, her waist loosened.

The man’s long fingers hooked into the waistband of her jeans, pulling them down, his movements slow and drawn out, like torture. His fingertips brushed down her thighs then back up, his fingerpads pressing against the soft flesh of her stomach through the thin fabric.

In that moment, something came crashing down.

The blank space in Chu Zhi’s mind suddenly ignited.

She trembled all over, throwing her head back, her whole body shrinking away uncontrollably, her eyes glistening with moisture, a low moan of sobbing escaping her throat.

She was exposed before him in disarray, while he remained fully clothed, only his breathing ragged and hot enough to make her feel like she was about to burn up.

The unequal shame, accompanied by fear, and something else unclear and difficult to articulate, an unfamiliar desire.

She trembled with tear-filled eyes, her soft voice calling his name with a crying tone like a plea: “Lu Jiaheng… don’t…”

The man before her suddenly stopped moving.

His head was buried against her, his fingertips pressing against the wet fabric, completely still, leaving only his scalding breath burning against her: “Scared?”

Her whole body had turned red, her small frame shrinking back slightly, the soft parts quivering like milk pudding with her restless movement.

Chu Zhi lifted her head, looking confused and naive as she cried, seeking him with tear-filled eyes.

No.

Still too young.

Lu Jiaheng suddenly raised his free hand and covered her eyes.

He let out a low sigh, his voice terrifyingly hoarse: “Don’t move.”

With her vision in darkness, Chu Zhi tilted her head back slightly, not daring to move at all.

She felt his burning lips slowly move away, his fingertips withdraw, felt the scattered edges of her shirt being pulled up to cover her, and could even seem to feel his gaze sweeping over every inch of her skin, his breathing heavy and rapid.

With her vision taken away, her remaining senses seemed infinitely amplified, becoming extraordinarily sensitive.

Chu Zhi’s feet were stretched taut, her shoes long since fallen off, her legs unconsciously gripping him tightly, her lips swollen, her voice choked, both dependent and helpless: “Lu Jiaheng…”

The veins on Lu Jiaheng’s hand covering her eyes bulged as he clenched his jaw tightly, his breathing becoming even heavier, “Don’t call me either…”

He grabbed a piece of clothing at random to wrap her up, pulling her out of the tangled coat. As soon as her arms were free, her soft little arms actively wrapped around his neck, her head buried in the crook of his neck.

Even now, she still trusted him completely.

Lu Jiaheng patted her back soothingly as he walked towards the bedroom.

She was still trembling, curled up small in his arms, all the exposed parts red, the marks he had just left on her neck varying in depth, extending downward and disappearing into the clothes wrapped around her.

Lu Jiaheng sat on the edge of the bed with her in his arms. After a while, Chu Zhi slowly moved, her small hands fumbling around.

Lu Jiaheng lowered his eyes: “What are you doing?”

Chu Zhi hung her head, her voice as quiet as a mosquito: “My pants…”

She pressed one hand against his chest and moved back slightly, her other hand pressing against his leg. As her bottom moved back just a bit, it pressed against something hard.

Such a soft bundle sitting on it made Lu Jiaheng let out a muffled groan.

It was a sound caught in his throat, low and hoarse, making one’s scalp tingle.

Chu Zhi froze, having just barely recovered, her whole body trembling again as she quickly shrank back, not daring to move at all, the receded redness rushing back to her face.

She kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look at him, stammering: “I’m sorry…”

Lu Jiaheng’s arms holding her were tightly tensed, though his force remained gentle. He silently stood up, placed her on the bed, pulled up the blanket to wrap her in it, then stood up and turned toward the bathroom.

Chu Zhi hid under the covers, staring at the ceiling.

The house had been empty for too long, yet the room didn’t have that dusty smell of long abandonment, suggesting someone must clean regularly.

She buttoned up her shirt while hidden under the covers, then poked her head out again.

The bathroom was quiet, with only bright warm light behind the frosted glass, and slight rustling sounds.

After a moment, the sound of rushing water started.

Chu Zhi’s face burned red as she quickly ducked back under the covers.

She wasn’t a child anymore, she certainly knew what he was doing.

Everything that had just happened was so clear, she could even still feel the tingling pain on her body.

His stubble really hurt.

Chu Zhi pouted as she rubbed her chest through her clothes, then suddenly realized what she was doing and jerked her hand away as if electrocuted.

Actions that had seemed normal before now felt wrong in every way.

Chu Zhi turned over to lie on her stomach, burying her head deep in the pillow, hugging it as she rolled around.

She rolled for a long time before Lu Jiaheng came out.

The young girl was completely hidden under the covers, only her pair of dark eyes visible, watching him anxiously and carefully.

He appeared to have taken a shower, one hand rubbing a towel over his head as he walked to the bedside and looked down at her: “Are you uncomfortable? Want to take a shower?”

“…”

With a whoosh, the covers were pulled up high over her head again as Chu Zhi kicked her legs frantically under the blanket, looking like she had a very strong desire to kick him flying.

Lu Jiaheng laughed softly, pulling at the edge of the blanket to dig her head out.

Sure enough, the young girl’s face was red again as she lay flat on the bed, both hands pulling at her soft earlobes as she bit her lip and glared at him: “Bastard…”

Lu Jiaheng looked down, very calmly stating the fact: “Chu Chu, you were wet just now.”

Chu Zhi: “…”

If she were a teapot, she would have exploded by now.

Chu Zhi felt as if steam was puffing out of her ears as she screamed, diving back under the covers, curling into a round ball, her voice muffled as she cursed at him: “Are you a pervert?! Lu Jiaheng, you bastard! Pervert! Psycho!”