ATLAS TRANSLATES

After the alumni meeting ended, the class rented a large private room for dinner.

Shu He wasn’t very familiar with most people, so she quietly ate fruit until someone new sat down beside her.

“Are you in a bad mood?” Cheng Shu’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

She responded somewhat absently, “No.”

Since she didn’t elaborate, Cheng Shu changed the subject: “How is your mother’s health recently?”

“Much better.” She composed herself and gave a faint smile. “I’m still very grateful to you.”

Cheng Shu poured her a glass of fruit wine. “We’re old classmates, no need for formalities. Try this?”

“Thank you, I can do it myself.”

“Hey hey—Doctor Cheng! What are you two whispering about?” Someone noticed their interaction and called out deliberately.

In an instant, the other classmates’ gazes turned toward them. Cheng Shu, noticing her calm expression, smiled and replied: “I was just saying you’ve done well these past few years—even got a double chin now.”

Everyone laughed. The male classmate wasn’t offended; he had always been the life of the party back in school. Now he started organizing games for everyone.

A few people who didn’t want to play were singing karaoke on the side. Shu He was pulled into the game, and the first lucky person was Cheng Shu beside her, who chose “truth.”

The question was randomly generated by an app. The male classmate held his phone and asked: “When was your first love?”

In that moment, everyone’s meaningful gazes turned toward him, and even Cheng Shu instinctively looked at her.

He answered candidly: “High school.”

Teasing sounds rose from all directions. Shu He pretended not to understand, her expression remaining indifferent.

After a few rounds, the bottle pointed at Cheng Shu again.

“Doctor Cheng, your luck is terrible.”

Cheng Shu smiled helplessly and this time chose “dare.”

“Choose someone of the opposite sex here and hug them for one minute.”

“Psh, hugging is so boring.” Some people, enjoying the spectacle, started teasing and cheering.

Shu He absently checked her phone, when she heard Cheng Shu say: “I think I’d rather drink two penalty cups instead.”

“Hey Cheng Shu, you’re not playing fair.”

Cheng Shu glanced at the person beside him and replied with a smile: “That’s right, I’m not playing fair. I’ll drink first.”

“That won’t do. You should get a double penalty.”

“Fine.”

Shu He thought it wouldn’t be her turn, but the bottle slowly pointed toward her.

The question that appeared on the app this time disappointed everyone—”If you had a time machine, what moment would you want to go back to?”

People around her said: “I’d definitely go back to the college entrance exam and memorize all the answers. I’d become the top scholar for sure!”

“What are you thinking? Could your brain even remember all that?”

“If it were me, I’d memorize lottery numbers.”

Shu He answered calmly: “If I only had one chance, I’d go back to a week ago.”

“A week ago?” Everyone was puzzled. “Did something important happen a week ago? I don’t think so?”

Under the bright lights, her curled eyelashes trembled. “Yes.”

“I shouldn’t have made the little dog cry.”

And I shouldn’t have hit him.

“Huh? Dogs can cry?”

“You know, they actually can. The dog I used to have—”

People around her discussed among themselves. Shu He silently took a couple sips of wine. Cheng Shu glanced at her: “You have a dog?”

“…Sort of.”

“I also have a dog. Maybe we could let them play together sometime?”

Shu He curved her lips slightly: “Mine is quite antisocial and has a bad temper.”

Cheng Shu nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, you need to train it properly, sometimes be a bit strict.”

Shu He tapped her glass casually: “I don’t have the heart to.”

Cheng Shu smiled: “Then it’ll get spoiled. Though I am curious to see how someone with such a good temper like you would look when angry.”

Hearing his words, Shu He paused. She looked at him and shook her head: “My temper isn’t that good.”

“Is that so?” Cheng Shu wanted to say more but was suddenly interrupted by others.

After a few more rounds, the bottle pointed at Shu He again.

This time, the dare excited everyone—”Call your ex-boyfriend and say ‘let’s get back together.’”

Almost everyone thought Shu He would refuse. In their impression, she rarely played with the group, mostly keeping to herself. Though she had excellent grades, she wasn’t humorous or sociable—just lonely and cold.

But Shu He didn’t refuse.

She took out her phone and dialed a number. Two seconds, three seconds—

After connecting, the person on the phone didn’t speak. Shu He’s tone revealed no emotion: “Get back together?”

No one expected her to ask so directly. The air was silent for a moment. Then the man spoke unhurriedly, his low, pleasant voice carrying a certain texture: “Is it over? I’ll come pick you up now.”

After she hung up, the people around exchanged looks.

They were surprised that Shu He had an ex-boyfriend, and confused by his response.

Shu He herself remained exceptionally calm. After the gathering ended, Cheng Shu hurriedly grabbed his coat and followed her.

“Shu He.”

She turned around to see Cheng Shu holding his car keys: “Can I give you a ride?”

“No need.” She shook her head and declined.

Perhaps due to traffic, she looked around but didn’t see the familiar black car.

“I saw that gossip from a few days ago,” Cheng Shu suddenly said, standing beside her. They made a particularly matching pair from a distance—one tall, one shorter.

Shu He brushed her hair and looked at him, her beautiful amber eyes still calm and indifferent.

“To be honest, I was quite shocked.”

In that trending topic, her face wasn’t very visible, but he still recognized her.

She tugged at her lips without explaining. When other classmates passed by, their gazes carried undefined meanings. After Cheng Shu greeted them, he saw her looking down, appearing detached.

“Can I ask one last question?”

Shu He looked at him languidly. She had drunk some alcohol, and though not drunk, her head felt heavy, making her reluctant to talk.

“If I hadn’t refused that dare earlier, would you have cooperated with me?”

Shu He belatedly remembered the hug and pressed her lips together: “I’m sorry.”

He looked somewhat defeated but particularly unwilling to give up: “Not even just a hug?”

Fighting her dizziness, Shu He said, “Cheng Shu, we’re just classmates.”

She wasn’t stupid; she had noticed his feelings.

Cheng Shu didn’t know when his feelings for her had changed. Perhaps after countless times of trying to catch up but never being able to surpass this top student.

She seemed uninterested in everything—solving problems, memorizing books. Even when the class was noisy with laughter, she remained unmoved.

From unwillingness to accept this, to watching her every move. Others said she was unsociable, but his gaze had followed her for three years.

After the college entrance exam, his family arranged for him to study abroad, so he didn’t attend the graduation ceremony.

Thinking of this, he asked: “If it had been after the college entrance exam, would your answer be different?”

Shu He’s head was throbbing. After processing his question, she shook her head: “The word ‘if’ never becomes reality.”

“You might think it’s just a hug, just a game, but… just consider me overly sensitive.”

Cheng Shu paused for two seconds, as if deflating: “I don’t blame you.”

Perhaps due to her unclear mind, Shu He suddenly curved her lips and surprisingly added: “Actually, there’s another reason.”

“My little dog has a keen sense of smell. If he knew I hugged someone else, he’d be upset.”

Cheng Shu smiled helplessly: “Speaking as someone who’s had a dog for two years, you really shouldn’t spoil it too much. It’ll get pampered.”

She smiled noncommittally. Just then, the familiar black sedan slowly approached. Shu He recognized the license plate and said to him: “I need to go now.”

Cheng Shu watched her get into the car. His gaze met the man’s deep, dark eyes, and something seemed to silently spread through the cold air.

Jing Yi’s expression remained blank as he looked away. Once Shu He got in the car, she closed her eyes, her fair face showing an unnatural faint blush, showing no intention of talking to him.

He stared at her without blinking, quiet on the outside but his mind in complete chaos.

She was chatting with Cheng Shu over there, but now why isn’t she talking to him?

She smiled at others but ignores him now.

On the phone, she said… it must have been a dare? But she’s not someone who would participate in such games.

If it was a game, why did she only call him?

What else had she done with others?

It seemed like she could do anything… he had no right to question.

What if she doesn’t remember when they get back…

Shu He had no idea that the person beside her was practically tying himself into knots. When they arrived, she was extremely tired. As she got out of the car, she stumbled, but fortunately, he quickly caught her.

Yu Mo turned around and saw Jing Yi, leaning on his crutch, supporting the drunk woman—a sight both strange and harmonious.

Back home, Shu He pushed him away. Jing Yi let go reluctantly.

She ignored him and went straight to the bathroom to shower. An hour later, through the misty air, someone knocked on her bedroom door.

He was holding a cup of honey water. Her curly hair was still wet, and a large part of her beige pajamas was soaked.

She didn’t refuse, simply taking it and drinking it all at once.

“Can I… help you dry your hair?”

Shu He met his tentative dark eyes, thought for a moment, and walked out with the hair dryer.

In the living room, the hair dryer hummed loudly. The hot air blew as the man’s fingers carefully ran through her long hair. She closed her eyes, feeling hazy, reminiscing about how he used to help her dry her hair when they were dating.

Shu He knew she was just a bit dizzy, not completely drunk like before.

But she still turned and hugged him.

Her sudden movement made him freeze, his hands suspended in midair. Her soft long hair cascaded down as her cheek pressed against his chest, making him afraid to even breathe deeply.

“Jiejie?” He tentatively probed.

Shu He, with her eyes closed, lazily responded with a soft “Mm.”

He put down the hair dryer and embraced her extremely slowly. Only after confirming she didn’t frown or show impatience did he silently tighten his arms, carefully and greedily inhaling her fragrance.

She held him for a long time, her breathing gradually becoming even. Perhaps she had fallen asleep.

Jing Yi carried her back to the bedroom with extreme effort, each step taken with great difficulty.

After gently placing her on the bed, he slowly withdrew his hand from her neck, his gaze quietly resting on the woman’s peaceful sleeping face.

Her skin was porcelain white and flawless, her clean eyelids slightly red. Under the light, her features were soft, her berry-red lips gently closed. Jing Yi couldn’t help but swallow, controlling his breathing as he slowly approached, his nose tip moving slightly.

Her fragrance enveloped him, so pleasant that his heart pounded incessantly. Something seemed to silently spread out, wanting to wrap around her, to confine her with him.

As their breaths intertwined, he slowly leaned closer, their lips almost touching. He saw her curled eyelashes tremble, and her light eyes suddenly opened, seemingly filled with unfocused confusion.

This glance made Jing Yi’s restless heart jump. His pupils contracted in panic, and as he was about to retreat, he was suddenly pulled down. Their soft lips instantly pressed together—

Her lips were soft, seemingly enveloped in a sweet fragrance. His breath halted, as if a white light flashed through his mind. He froze for two seconds, instinctively opening his mouth to kiss back when a sudden pain brought him instantly back to his senses.

The taste of blood immediately spread between their pressed lips. He couldn’t tell if she was sober or drunk, but he still didn’t want to leave. As if afraid of waking her, he controlled his breathing, quietly feeling her wet, hot, and careful licking of his wound after biting him, filled with unconscious infatuation. He hazily heard her murmur—

“Coward.”