ATLAS TRANSLATES

After a long day, Chu Zhi was exhausted from everything that had happened. Though she said she wouldn’t sleep, she quickly drifted off.

The young woman had one arm raised high above her head as she slept peacefully, like a kitten lying on its back showing its fluffy white belly.

When she was awake, her pajama collar had been pulled to the back. Now asleep, her clothes were disheveled from her movements, with the collar hanging off her rounded shoulder.

She slept soundly curled up in his embrace.

Her entire being carried his scent.

Lu Jiaheng furrowed his brows, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath.

Lu Jiaheng found her truly fascinating – how could there be such a girl who would cling to her boyfriend saying she wanted to sleep together, only to then insist that nothing could happen?

She trusted him completely, entirely unguarded, not knowing that certain improper thoughts had played through his mind countless times already.

It was truly a test of human nature.

Most terrifying was that he actually felt quite happy about it.

Just watching her lying beside him, breathing evenly while sprawled out in deep sleep, her slender legs draped over him, gave him an oddly satisfying feeling of life being complete – painful yet joyful.

Lu Jiaheng tugged her pajama collar back up and reached under the covers to pull down her riding-up shirt hem. He held her close and brought his lips to her ear, his tongue lightly grazing her soft earlobe as he murmured, “I really want to bite you to death for tormenting me like this…”

As if hearing him in her dreams, Chu Zhi made a low “mmm” sound, furrowed her brows, and shifted her body. Her other arm swung out randomly and landed heavily on his face with a “smack.”

Lu Jiaheng: “…”

Chu Zhi woke up early the next morning while Lu Jiaheng was still asleep.

She yawned, half-opening her bleary eyes, taking a moment to remember where she was.

Her feet shifted and she realized her legs were still draped over someone.

Chu Zhi blinked and turned her head.

Lu Jiaheng was in deep sleep. The thin morning light filtered through gaps in the curtains, catching on his eyelashes and giving the black lashes a faint golden-brown tint that made them look fluffy.

Chu Zhi licked her lips and raised her hand, gently poking at his eyelashes with her fingertip.

Observing his lack of reaction, she continued.

Using her thumb and forefinger, Chu Zhi pinched one of his eyelashes, wanting to pluck it out to compare whose were longer.

She was practically lying on his face, carefully and deliberately searching for the shortest one to pull on.

When she tugged, Lu Jiaheng’s eyelid came up with it, revealing the black pupils beneath.

Chu Zhi startled, thinking she had woken him.

When she let go, his eyelid closed again.

Chu Zhi sighed in relief and leaned in again.

Lu Jiaheng lay on his side with his eyes closed, appearing peacefully asleep, when he suddenly spoke: “Having fun?”

His voice was rough with the raspiness of morning.

Chu Zhi sheepishly withdrew her hand. Seeing his eyes still closed, she began making up stories: “Lu Jiaheng, there was just an earthquake, did you feel it? I was trying to wake you up so we could escape.”

Lu Jiaheng, eyes still closed, grabbed her head and ruffled it before pulling her back into his embrace. “Go back to sleep.”

“I’m already awake.”

“Then keep me company for a while longer.”

Chu Zhi said seriously: “I can’t, I need to get up and protect Earth.”

The man made a couple of noncommittal sounds, holding her close, clearly not wanting to respond as he hadn’t slept enough.

Chu Zhi became dissatisfied: “Lu Jiaheng, why aren’t you reacting? There was an earthquake! Do you not know what an earthquake is?”

Lu Jiaheng paused, finally opening his eyes to look down at her, his almond-shaped eyes seeming misty as his deep, sensual voice replied: “If you keep making things up, I’ll show you what a bed-quake is.”

Chu Zhi: “…”

Chu Zhi had a multi-entry visa that hadn’t expired yet. After Lu Jiaheng finally got enough sleep, she snuck back home around the time her father and Ms. Deng had left. She stealthily retrieved her passport and other documents before sneaking back upstairs.

Chu Zhi, who had been a good girl for over a decade, felt that ever since meeting Lu Jiaheng, she’d been doing more and more questionable things, continuously heading down a wayward path.

Yesterday she even lied to her father about sleeping at a colleague’s house just to stay with Lu Jiaheng. Now even worse, she was planning to sneak out of the country.

Chu Zhi felt extremely guilty, feeling she had greatly let down her father and Ms. Deng. She sat dejectedly on the couch, leaning against the backrest as she looked at Lu Jiaheng: “Will my dad believe that my company is taking interns on a business trip?”

Lu Jiaheng thought about it seriously: “No.”

Chu Zhi nodded and called her father: “Hello, Dad.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, speaking slowly with a natural sweetness that made anything she said sound genuine, even when she was making things up.

At this moment, the young woman sat properly on the couch, one hand holding her phone while the other rested on her leg. She spoke as if in a video call, her voice careful and pitiful: “Dad, our supervisor needs to go on a business trip and can only take one intern. She asked if I wanted to go. I think I could learn a lot, but if you don’t want me to go I’ll turn it down. Even though I’m almost graduating, I’ll always listen to what you say.”

“…”

Lu Jiaheng thought Chu Zhi could be quite frightening sometimes.

Her father naturally had doubts and was reluctant, but Chu Zhi had always been so obedient and well-behaved that he couldn’t imagine she would tell such lies. In the end, he agreed with many reminders and cautions.

New York was thirteen hours behind China. Chu Zhi boarded her flight at noon, and after more than ten hours, landed on the other side of the globe where it was still bright noon, leaving her a bit disoriented.

It was already deep night in China by then. Though Chu Zhi was mentally exhausted, she remained excited. Since the Mount Cangyan trip, this was her first time traveling with Lu Jiaheng. She was clearly thrilled, chattering non-stop with questions along the way.

“Lu Jiaheng, do you have a lot of Wall Street alumni?”

“Mm.”

“Will you work on Wall Street after graduation?”

“No, I’m going back to China.”

“Can you get Warren Buffett’s autograph? You know, the investment guru who was really handsome when he was young.”

Hearing this, Lu Jiaheng raised an eyebrow: “How handsome was he when he was young?”

Chu Zhi ignored him, already drifting off to other thoughts: “When you come back you’ll be a prestigious returnee – rich, handsome, and from a top school. While I’ll still be this short after all these years. By then you won’t want me anymore, you’ll cheat, fall for someone else, have affairs with little roses and peonies.”

Speaking gloomily to this point, she suddenly remembered something and turned to ask: “Will Little Chrysanthemum be home today?”

Lu Jiaheng: “What chrysanthemum?”

“Your roommate.”

“…”

Lu Jiaheng’s place here was well-located, convenient for transportation with a large supermarket nearby. The small yard was nicely done up, even having a large swing.

When Chu Zhi first saw Little Chrysanthemum, she almost thought he was underage.

He looked about seventeen or eighteen, with skin white as snow, bright eyes and white teeth, black pupils sparkling like stars. Though he seemed over 1.7 meters tall, his proportions were good, making him appear even taller visually.

The handsome youth with delicate features came running over hugging a teddy bear when he saw Lu Jiaheng return, wailing dramatically: “Lu-ge! Ahhhhhh! He replied to my message! Is he hinting that he wants to have children with me? But what should I do? I can’t give birth! Maybe I should go adopt from an orphanage!”

Lu Jiaheng couldn’t be bothered to respond, pushing his suitcase inside before turning to look at Chu Zhi behind him: “Come in, want to wear my slippers?”

Only then did Little Chrysanthemum notice there was a girl behind him.

Little Chrysanthemum’s first impression of Chu Zhi was identical to hers of him – he almost thought Lu Jiaheng had solicited an underage girl.

The young woman had her long hair tied in a ponytail, soft bangs, red lips and a pert nose, her small face palm-sized with clear bright eyes that were now rolling around looking at him.

Lu Jiaheng helped Chu Zhi put on slippers and pushed her inside. His lips curved as he said to Little Chrysanthemum: “Call her sister-in-law.”

Chu Zhi: “Hey.”

Little Chrysanthemum: “Eh.”

Little Chrysanthemum confirmed that Lu Jiaheng was indeed a beast – he really had solicited an underage girl.

Lu Jiaheng had rushed back in time for afternoon classes. Chu Zhi was in his room unpacking her things one by one when she started yawning halfway through.

She hadn’t adjusted to the jet lag yet and was sitting listlessly on the bed when she thought about getting some water. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Little Chrysanthemum’s head poked in from behind the door, holding a glass of water: “Sister-in-law, want some water?”

Chu Zhi was sitting on the edge of the bed with clothes piled on her lap. Seeing this, Little Chrysanthemum came right in to hand it to her.

She thanked him and gulped down half the glass.

Little Chrysanthemum observed her curiously.

Watching as the glass was almost empty, he finally couldn’t help asking: “Sister-in-law, how long have you known Lu-ge?”

Chu Zhi counted: “Two… three years.”

Little Chrysanthemum’s eyes widened as he mentally cursed.

Lu Jiaheng was truly a beast – two or three years ago, how young must she have been?

He had gone abroad for high school and hadn’t returned to China for six or seven years. He had no idea Chinese men had become such beasts, suddenly feeling that sister-in-law seemed more pure and adorable the more he looked at her, their sense of distance rapidly diminishing.

Chu Zhi looked at him, also feeling he was different from what she had imagined.

The handsome man smiled, showing his white teeth, looking a bit shy: “Lu-ge has told me about you, said you’re super cute.”

Chu Zhi blushed, having trouble imagining what it looked like when Lu Jiaheng told others she was super cute. She embarrassedly scratched her chin: “He’s told me about you too.”

Little Chrysanthemum’s eyes lit up: “What did he say?”

“That you like a man but can’t have him.”

Little Chrysanthemum: “…”

Chu Zhi said: “Do you want to pursue him? I can help you!”

Little Chrysanthemum’s eyes shone brightly.

So when Lu Jiaheng returned from classes that evening and pushed open the door, he saw two people sitting cross-legged on his bed. Chu Zhi had a serious expression as she waved a clothes hanger while giving a lecture, while Little Chrysanthemum sat across from her holding a notebook, taking careful notes.

His eyes sparkled as he sought advice: “Sister-in-law, do you think he’d prefer someone sexier or more innocent?”

Chu Zhi looked at him disapprovingly: “Little Chrysanthemum, don’t force yourself for him. Even if you want him to like you, he should like you for who you really are! Whether it’s gender or anything else, you need to stay true to yourself!”

Little Chrysanthemum nodded vigorously: “Mm mm mm!”

Lu Jiaheng: “…”

Lu Jiaheng tossed his backpack onto a chair and dragged the frantically writing man sitting on his bed out the door. He looked down at the girl waving the clothes hanger: “You’re not tired?”

Chu Zhi blinked: “I was tired before, but I forgot about it now.”

Lu Jiaheng pressed his index finger against her forehead and pushed. Chu Zhi let out an “ah” as she fell back onto his bed, her ponytail spreading across his pillow. She blinked up at him from his pillow, grinning: “I fell down, I need Lu-gege to kiss me to get up.”

Lu Jiaheng looked up, his heart skipping a beat.

They had been together for so long, but she had never called him that before.

Every time he coaxed her, she would end up getting so embarrassed she’d throw a tantrum, her little palm meeting his face.

Lu Jiaheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he walked to the bedside and bent down, his knee between her legs as he lowered his head to bite her lips.

Chu Zhi made a soft “mm” sound, her eyelashes fluttering closed.

The room was completely silent except for the evening sun’s rays streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Just as Chu Zhi felt she was about to suffocate and raised her hands to push him away, Lu Jiaheng reluctantly released her.

She panted softly as he guided her arms to wrap around his neck, her bright eyes looking up at him.

Lu Jiaheng’s eyes darkened as he grabbed her wrist that was pushing against him and pinned it above her head. His arm bent slightly as he tilted his head to kiss her again.

As their lips met, the phone under Chu Zhi’s bottom began to vibrate.

Chu Zhi struggled with her hand and bumped her knee against him: “Phone…”

Lu Jiaheng let out a dissatisfied low grunt as he sat up and retrieved the phone from under her to hand it to her.

Chu Zhi looked at the caller ID and felt a bit panicked seeing the words “Dad.”

Chu Zhi swallowed nervously and carefully answered: “Hello, Dad.”

There was still unswallowed saliva glistening at the corner of her lips.

Lu Jiaheng leaned over, supporting himself on the bed, and turned his head to lick it off with the tip of his tongue.

Being so close, he could faintly hear her father’s questions.

Chu Zhi’s face turned bright red and her voice trembled slightly, but she forced herself to stay calm: “Mm, I arrived safely. Everything’s good, just resting today, we start being busy tomorrow.”

His lips moved to her ear, taking her burning red earlobe into his mouth.

Her eyes widened as she tried to shrink back: “No, with girls, yes, there’s another girl who’s an intern, we get along well, no boys.”

Lu Jiaheng paused his movements and glanced at her sideways, then suddenly bit down lightly on her earlobe in revenge as he sucked on it.

Chu Zhi quickly covered her mouth to keep from crying out and raised her foot to kick him.

Lu Jiaheng caught her leg with his long legs, mischievously continuing to bite and suck on her plump earlobe, trailing his tongue to the tip of her ear.

Chu Zhi’s mind was roaring like a passing train. She started trembling and could barely hold onto the phone, almost dropping it on the bed.

She glared at him, her fair face completely flushed. Being on the phone made her highly focused and tense, making all her senses seem more acute than usual.

This was Chu Zhi’s first time traveling far from home alone. Her father rambled on with many instructions on the other end. Chu Zhi responded with “mm”s, her voice tense as her expression looked like she might cry, yet she didn’t dare make any big movements to push him away for fear of making noise.

After finishing a long list of reminders, her father paused, suddenly remembering something else: “Oh right, is that girl who’s on the business trip with you there next to you? Let her take the phone for a moment, I want to say a few words to her.”

Chu Zhi: “…”

Lu Jiaheng: “…”