ATLAS TRANSLATES

As she came in with her things, Yao Qing instinctively asked, “What did you buy?”

Shu He placed the items on the side. “Sandwiches. I got hungry earlier.”

Shu Hua couldn’t help saying, “You should eat more at lunch instead of always having these things.”

Shu He ignored him and sat on a nearby stool, looking at her phone.

After she said that, Jing Yi visibly deflated and left without saying a word.

In the afternoon, Cheng Shu came to do his rounds. Yao Qing was recovering well and could be discharged after a few more days of observation.

Shu He walked him out, and Cheng Shu mentioned something about a lecture.

Only then did she belatedly remember that his mother was giving a lecture in the next few days.

“I’ll ask Lan Ye if she wants to come along. Her short drama is about to start filming anyway.”

“Sounds good. Contact me if you have any questions.”

After returning to the hospital room, Shu He messaged Xiang Lan Ye, who had been wanting to speak with her.

Some scenes for the new short drama would be filmed in a coffee shop, and Xiang Lan Ye had thought of her first. Though Shu He was an investor, she handled most things, so her opinion was needed.

Shu He agreed without much thought. After all, it would be good marketing for the coffee shop.

She wanted Shu Hua to go home and rest, but he refused and ended up sending her back instead.

While waiting for the car, she scrolled absently through her phone until something caught her eye.

#QiShanJingPlagiarism# #QiShanJing#ShanZhou#

She clicked on it. Qi Shan Jing and Shan Zhou had released songs on the same day, with lyrics and melody that were about 80% identical.

Shan Zhou’s fans had posted that he had shared part of the song with his fan group as a treat a week earlier.

Timeline-wise, Shan Zhou came before Qi Shan Jing.

Both were from the same company. Qi Shan Jing, as the senior, had plagiarised Shan Zhou’s song. The topic was blowing up, with vile insults mostly directed at Qi Shan Jing.

Shu He still held her uneaten sandwich. Once in the car, she switched to her secondary WeChat account.

He had sent just one message asking when she’d be home today.

Shu He hesitated, then typed: [What’s for dinner tonight?]

She clutched her silent phone and returned home to an exceptionally quiet living room—

The studio door opened from inside. He stood there with his crutch, looking like he’d just showered. His thick black hair was still damp, hanging down obediently.

He wasn’t wearing glasses. His clear black and white eyes seemed to hold a faint mist as he stared at her without blinking. His confusion quickly turned to delight.

“You’re back.”

Seeing his normal complexion, Shu He relaxed her tightened hand. “Why are you showering at this time?”

He made a sound of agreement and slowly approached her. “What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”

Shu He casually placed the bag on the coffee table and poured herself a glass of water. “Nothing’s wrong with me. I just wonder if certain people have been crying again.”

He clearly didn’t understand what she meant. Glancing at his phone, he finally caught on. “Are you worried about me?”

Shu He noticed the curve of his lips and wondered what he was so happy about at a time like this. “You’re overthinking. It’s Liang Xu who’s concerned about you.”

He didn’t quite believe her, his dark eyes fixed on her intently. Seeing no change in her expression, he immediately slumped. “I’m fine.”

Catching her gaze, he explained glumly, “If Liang Xu couldn’t handle something this small, the company might as well close down.”

“…” Shu He was speechless. “Aren’t you his employee? Aren’t you afraid of losing your job?”

His eyelids flickered. “I could barely survive anyway.”

“…”

“By the way, have you had dinner? Should we have hotpot tonight?”

As he asked, his eyes looked at her expectantly.

Shu He put down her glass and stared at him as if trying to see through him.

He unconsciously touched his face, confused for a moment before realising something. “I’ll go put on my glasses.”

“…Has your nearsightedness gotten worse?” she asked suspiciously.

He shook his head. “It’s the same as before.”

Since seeing him again, he’d worn glasses almost every day. Shu He found it strange. “Then why suddenly wear them?”

He blinked. “Don’t you like me wearing glasses?”

“…”

He looked just like a puppy seeking affection, with his damp black hair making him appear docile.

Shu He looked away. “I forgot to ask last time, can you open the door without a password?”

He quickly understood what she meant and nodded. “It has smart controls.”

Shu He glanced around the living room, muttering to herself, “Why didn’t Mrs Li ever mention this to me?”

Jing Yi rubbed his nose, about to say something when Liang Xu called. He seemed reluctant to answer, but Shu He had already stood up and returned to her room.

Only after she disappeared did he reluctantly answer the phone.

— — —

The plagiarism issue was quickly resolved. Jing Yi’s new song had originally been intended for another, more popular male singer.

Shan Zhou, who had debuted two years ago, still had no standout work.

During that period, Shan Zhou had been particularly attentive, flattering Liang Xu while fishing for information about Qi Shan Jing’s new song.

Perhaps he thought the company would handle it internally, or maybe he thought Liang Xu would understand his intentions. After all, he was quite popular now, and giving him the song would benefit the company.

Who could have imagined Liang Xu wouldn’t give it to him?

Knowing Qi Shan Jing’s temperament, Shan Zhou immediately assumed it was his refusal that had stopped him from getting the song.

Two weeks before the new song’s release, somehow he stole Jing Yi’s new song.

Between the fan leaks and the plagiarism, Liang Xu immediately had the company issue a statement terminating Shan Zhou’s contract and filing a lawsuit against him.

— — —

That evening, Liang Xu joined them for hotpot, rolling up his sleeves and eating until he was sweating profusely.

“I’m running around busy while you’re happily eating hotpot.”

Jing Yi couldn’t be bothered to respond or even look at him.

Shu He listened to him speak casually and asked, “Isn’t Shan Zhou very popular? Aren’t you afraid of fan backlash if you terminate his contract?”

“Let them cause trouble,” Liang Xu smirked, picking up a meatball. “Shan Zhou just has a pretty face. His skills are worthless.”

“But this is the entertainment industry. Good-looking people are everywhere, and many are more talented than him. Besides, Jing Yi has plenty of fans too. Let’s see who causes more trouble.”

They sat at a rectangular table with Jing Yi beside her. She asked, “He actually has fans?”

He belatedly realised that the “he” she referred to was himself.

Liang Xu nodded. “After all, his songs have made many people famous. Lots of artists want to buy Qi Shan Jing’s songs.”

Jing Yi glanced sideways at the person next to him, then quietly put all the beef slices that Liang Xu hadn’t managed to get into her bowl.

Shu He gave him a glance. Her phone beside her lit up, showing notifications she’d just subscribed to.

Jing Yi caught a glimpse and softly asked, “Are you buying a car?”

Shu He nodded. “I’m thinking about it.”

“What kind of car do you want?” Liang Xu asked.

Shu He shook her head. “Haven’t decided yet.”

“You can have my car,” Jing Yi suddenly interjected. “The one from university that you’ve driven before.”

Shu He remembered that he had bought a car in university, but hadn’t seen it since their reunion.

She had assumed he’d sold it because he was now struggling financially.

Shu He refused without hesitation. “Why would I want your car for no reason?”

Liang Xu let out a light snort, mumbling with a vegetable in his mouth, “If you wanted, he’d probably give you his entire fortune.”

Jing Yi gave him a cold look, but seeing that Shu He genuinely didn’t want it, he hung his head dejectedly and poked at the potatoes in his bowl, listening to them talk in silence.

— — —

After dinner, Shu He rested for a while before taking out her yoga mat to practice.

After about an hour, she sat on the mat checking her phone. The trending topic about plagiarism had been taken down, but Qi Shan Jing’s fan forum had been invaded by Shan Zhou’s fans hurling insults.

She looked for a while, then frowned and closed her phone.

She’d eaten too much at dinner and her stomach felt uncomfortable. Throwing on a jacket, she went to the living room for water and found the familiar medicine box. It had everything – various medicines, gauze, iodine, the works.

As she found the digestive tablets, the studio door opened from inside, and he came out slowly with his crutch.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

The bedroom door wasn’t closed, and bright light spilled out. She could faintly see papers scattered across the desk.

Shu He remembered how when they first lived together, he would always startle at the slightest noise and come looking for her.

After he left, Shu He once accidentally cut her hand. Blood flowed freely, and she stood stunned until she felt cold tears falling. She dazedly wiped her face.

One hand covered in salty, cold tears; the other flowing with bright red blood.

She turned to look at the empty room, and her heart felt as if a gash had suddenly opened. The pain spread belatedly, accompanied by a ringing in her ears.

How strange.

Truly strange.

Before, she had been like a puppet without pain sensors. Such small wounds would be bandaged without emotion, causing no ripples.

Yet at that moment, she felt useless, hurting unbearably from such a small cut, crying uncontrollably, almost unable to breathe.

Only Jing Yi could be so fragile, so dramatic, so afraid of pain.

She remained silent. Jing Yi grew extremely anxious and raised his hand to touch her forehead, but she instinctively moved away.

His hand froze in mid-air. Shu He steadied her breathing and looked at him, her clear eyes appearing cold in the light. “Aren’t you struggling financially? Why haven’t you sold the house in Li Tang?”

His unexpected question startled Jing Yi. His lips parted as he slowly withdrew his hand. “I’ll never sell it. That’s our home.”

“Even without me, it’s still your home.”

In fact, Shu He had moved out the second month after their breakup, but she still found him laughable and couldn’t help mocking, “How thoughtful of you to leave your house for your ex-girlfriend even after breaking up. Perhaps I should thank you, right?”

As she turned to go back to her room, Jing Yi reflexively grabbed her wrist. His crutch fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

“Don’t be angry,” he pleaded.

Shu He exhaled deeply and smiled as she removed his hand inch by inch. “How could I be angry? I couldn’t be happier.”

“I never expected to gain so much after breaking up. You were a good boyfriend, and you’re certainly a generous ex-boyfriend.”

First the house, then the car. Shu He tried to keep her emotions steady, smiling faintly at him, though her light eyes were clearly cold. “Since you enjoy giving things to your ex-girlfriend so much, remember to bring a gift when I get married.”