ATLAS TRANSLATES

At nearly eleven o’clock, the plane landed smoothly at Hongqiao Airport.

The moment they landed and the announcement played, Chen Jinyao unbuckled her seatbelt and took out her phone from her bag. She immediately turned off airplane mode, connected to the internet, logged into WeChat, and quietly checked her Moments feed.

The group photo in her Moments had received countless likes. The comments below were varied and strange. Chen Jinyao lowered her eyelashes, quickly scanning through them. After thinking for a moment, she tilted her head to rest on Yan Cheng’s shoulder and said, “Yan Cheng, I feel like we’re doing something sneaky.”

People in the cabin were already standing up to get their luggage.

This self-incriminating behavior without any reason confused Yan Cheng. He didn’t even understand why she said that. “????”

Chen Jinyao handed him her phone to look at.

Finally understanding, the man pressed his lips together and quietly argued, “You’re overthinking it. Once we post more photos of us together, you’ll get used to it.”

Chen Jinyao: “…”

Yan Cheng put on a harsh expression: “Hold your head high, okay?”

“Okay, okay, okay,” she held back her laugh.

Yan Cheng glanced at her sideways and cleared his throat: “Now that you mention it, even the most innocent things feel somehow guilty.”

“…” Finding this description quite fitting, Chen Jinyao couldn’t hold back anymore. After letting out a laugh, she lost control and whispered in Yan Cheng’s ear: “Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.”

So, in the next moment, Yan Cheng pushed her away in disgust.

Even though he made such an annoying gesture, it couldn’t hide the deep-rooted anxiety in his heart.

As for where this anxiety came from…

Chen Jinyao frowned in speculation, probably because of a certain person they were about to meet, whom they had forcibly labeled as both a secret admirer and a love rival.

On the plane, she had told him many stories about her university days.

Those youthful years were perfect for reminiscing, and also perfect for exaggerating and boasting. However, before she could even boast much, the jar of vinegar had already been knocked over.

From getting off the plane to boarding the shuttle bus to the security exit, Yan Cheng held her hand continuously, not letting go for even a second.

“…” Chen Jinyao lowered her eyes to look at their hands for a while. Somehow, it felt like sweet spring water flowing through her heart, filling her chest with sweetness.

She couldn’t deny that her heart was uncontrollably rejoicing.

And the only thing she could control was maintaining her indifferent expression.

The shuttle bus was very crowded. Yan Cheng protected her behind him, still not letting go of her hand.

Chen Jinyao swayed, trying to break free, but failed. Instead, his grip grew tighter.

Yan Cheng turned back to look at her: “Be careful not to get lost when we’re out.”

Chen Jinyao: “…”

Afterward, Chen Jinyao resisted the urge to punch him to death and remained completely silent.

Honestly, although they had been clingy lately, they hadn’t reached this level yet. When they went out together, they rarely held hands like this. Either she would hold his arm, or they would simply walk separately, side by side or one in front of the other.

Moreover, and most importantly, as the weather got hotter, because of Yan Cheng’s constitution, Chen Jinyao was quite worried about his palms sweating.

It was from this moment that Yan Cheng’s behavior of marking his territory like a yellow dog urinating had quietly begun to unfold.

…

Gu Ci spotted Chen Jinyao the moment she came out.

The scene repeated itself, this moment was too familiar.

It was just like when she started her freshman year. She had arrived a day earlier than other classmates, and while the soon-to-be classmates were chatting enthusiastically in the group chat, still strangers to each other, she popped up saying she would arrive tomorrow. Gu Ci happened to see it, and in his capacity as their class assistant, thinking she might be visiting Shanghai for the first time and unfamiliar with the place, he replied “I’ll pick you up.”

Afterward, he privately messaged her, asking for her flight number and exact arrival time in Shanghai.

The difference from now was that back then, he was holding up a sign with Chen Jinyao’s name, waiting for his junior classmate to find him.

Time really flew by.

Now meeting again at the class reunion, everything had changed.

Strictly speaking, their class reunion didn’t have much to do with Gu Ci. He was just their class assistant, merely their senior student. Because he had gotten along well with them when he was in charge of their class, they included him when organizing this activity. When their class monitor approached him, he agreed almost without hesitation.

Chen Jinyao seemed to have changed a lot. Before, she was very quiet and independent. If he had to use a metaphor to describe her, Gu Ci thought she was like a hedgehog.

Covered in spines, curled up and not letting anyone get close, keeping people thousands of miles away.

But now, Chen Jinyao was holding her husband’s arm. The light fell on her as she looked up with curved lips, giving him her complete attention. Her faint smile was incredibly bright as she chatted and laughed with her husband.

The crowd of people surging out was a dark mass.

Gu Ci waved his hand and raised his voice: “Chen Jinyao.”

The first to look in the direction of the voice was the man beside Chen Jinyao.

The man’s expression was quite gentle when he looked down at Chen Jinyao, but as soon as he raised his head, his face changed quickly. His eyes narrowed, a cold light flashed, and sharp, icy daggers shot straight and precisely toward him.

Enemies meeting, eyes blazing red, he carried undisguised hostility.

Gu Ci frowned: “…”

Then, he inconspicuously shifted his gaze to Chen Jinyao.

Collecting himself, he had some other thoughts.

Gu Ci was a smart person.

From Chen Jinyao’s husband’s unprovoked hostility toward him, plus Chen Jinyao’s WeChat Moments post from a few hours ago, he could vaguely guess that perhaps Chen Jinyao knew something, such as his slight feelings for her.

His heart sank, then suddenly he let out a low laugh, clearly self-mocking.

Not long after.

Chen Jinyao squeezed through the crowd and came over, smiling: “Senior, long time no see.”

Gu Ci immediately pulled back his wandering thoughts: “Mm, long time no see.”

Chen Jinyao looked around: “Where are the others?”

Weren’t there supposed to be others coming to pick them up?

Gu Ci: “They’ve gone to find a place to eat first, I’ll take you there now.”

Chen Jinyao nodded: “Okay, thank you, senior.”

Throughout all this, Yan Cheng had been quietly acting as a human backdrop, but his burning gaze constantly reminded Chen Jinyao: He was still standing beside her, please pay attention, and hurry up and introduce him!!!

Chen Jinyao: “…”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is my husband, Yan Cheng.”

Then, she turned to face Yan Cheng, winked at him, “This is my senior, our class assistant. He used to win scholarships every year, he’s really amazing.”

Yan Cheng: “…”

While the so-called senior was looking elsewhere, Yan Cheng bent down and whispered in Chen Jinyao’s ear, reminding her: “Miss Chen Jinyao, please mind your level of praise for others, thank you.”

Chen Jinyao expressionlessly: “Oh.”

The two men shook hands ceremonially.

Gu Ci could feel the other’s grip trying to crush his hand, he smiled and continued looking at Chen Jinyao as he let go: “There was no news of you after graduation, I didn’t expect you to be married now?”

“Mm, we kept it low-key,” she smiled along.

The scene became awkward several times, the air seeming to solidify.

The brief conversation was filled with an unfamiliar atmosphere.

Yan Cheng pursed his lips and sighed, thinking to himself that this kind of smokeless, fireless awkward chat was meaningless!

Until a few seconds later.

A sudden change occurred.

“Besides, senior, weren’t you abroad?”

To be honest, Chen Jinyao’s spontaneous words didn’t have any other meaning, at most just stating an objective fact to ease the awkward atmosphere.

But while the speaker meant nothing by it, the listener took it to heart.

Hearing this, Gu Ci was stunned.

For a moment, he couldn’t find any other words to say.