ATLAS TRANSLATES

After leaving Jing Yi’s bedroom, Shu He sat alone on the sofa for a long time.

She watched that video over and over, until crystal tears dropped onto the screen, seemingly unstoppable. Her heart felt dull, and even breathing brought pain with each breath.

She couldn’t remember when was the last time she had cried like this.

The bitterness nearly consumed her entire being. She hugged her knees and cried quietly, yet her mind was filled with images of him.

When he pursued her, the young man was bright and passionate.

During their relationship, he was sometimes childish, sometimes languid, but whenever he looked at her, it was always with unwavering attention. His deep smile seemed to easily draw people in.

After their reunion, he was timid, struggling, begging, suffering…

Shu He closed her eyes tightly, suddenly feeling deeply regretful.

She shouldn’t have pressured him like that.

She had guessed he was hiding something, had seen his pain, yet she still blamed him, resented him for hiding in the corner.

But actually, he had been trying to come to her.

Time and again holding onto her, begging her not to leave, hoping she would wait for him a little longer.

But what had she done?

She made him expose his wounds again, making him suffer once more.

She had always thought he must have been born into a warm family, must have received plenty of love, which was why he could be so passionate and unreserved in his kindness to her, in loving her.

But only now did she realize, he was just like her.

He hadn’t experienced love, yet when they were together, he learned to love her, and also taught her how to love someone.

But she hadn’t done her part.

She hadn’t loved him properly.

She had once promised him that she would take good care of him.

But after their reunion, he had cried many times…

Crying truly drains one’s emotions. Her body felt completely weak, her sobs accompanying the cold, quiet night, the sourness in her chest nearly consuming her.

For many years, there had been few things she truly wanted.

But at this moment, she was completely, utterly certain.

This wasn’t compromise—it was determination.

That missing piece in her heart, only he could fill.

She only wanted Jing Yi.

—

The next day.

Shu He took the cake out of the refrigerator. Just as she finished sending a message to Tong Yuan, the studio door was suddenly pulled open from inside.

The man’s black hair was disheveled, as if he had just woken up. His face had a sickly paleness, with some redness around his eyes. His dark, moist eyes were visibly confused as he stood there pathetically frozen, staring at her without blinking, not daring to approach.

Shu He felt her heart tighten under his gaze. She paused, then put down her things and walked over to him.

“What’s wrong?” She reached out and touched his face. “Are you feeling unwell?”

He instinctively shook his head, his dark eyes fixed firmly on her face. His dry lips moved, stammering with caution: “You didn’t leave?”

Shu He smiled faintly: “Are you asking me to leave?”

Panic flashed through his pupils as he shook his head in denial: “No.”

The smile in Shu He’s eyes deepened, and only then did Jing Yi belatedly notice the teasing in her words.

This tall, long-legged man stood before her, staring at her blankly.

Shu He felt somewhat helpless, pushing him inside. “Go wash up. Come out for cake when you’re done.”

“…”

He washed up quickly, looking somewhat more alert when he emerged.

Shu He placed a slice of cake in front of him, along with a freshly made cup of honey lemon water.

He held the fork but didn’t eat right away. When he spoke, his voice was still a bit hoarse: “Where did the cake come from?”

Shu He cut a piece for herself too. She scooped up some cream and, seeing he wasn’t eating, simply fed it directly to him.

He was confused by her sudden action, but instinctively extended his moist tongue to take in the cream. His lips instantly gleamed with a shiny coating, like the delicious fruit topping on the cake.

“Is it good?”

He nodded, and Shu He smiled faintly before answering his question: “I bought it yesterday, originally wanting to eat it together when you got back.”

Jing Yi’s eyes were still a bit sore. He blinked, stammering: “Why did you buy cake?”

“I didn’t buy it, I made it,” she said, watching his slow chewing motion. “If you like it, I can bring you cake every day from now on, okay?”

The moment her words fell, Jing Yi belatedly felt the rich sweetness on his tongue. His eyelashes trembled, and his previously numb heart began to pound intensely.

“But…” he tightened his grip on the fork, “I didn’t win the award.”

Liang Xu had said that the original winner was indeed him, but because of the trending topic online, they could only…

“It doesn’t matter,” Shu He smiled. “The cake is for you, regardless of whether you won an award or not.”

He slowly took a bite of cake, his gaze constantly looking at her, hesitating: “…How did you know I was there?”

But in the next second, he belatedly remembered there was someone else who appeared last night.

When Shu He burst in, there was also a panting figure standing at the door, who seemed to be… Liang Xu.

“You saw the trending topic… right?” He stumbled over his words, his voice clearly holding back emotion. “I’ll clarify it. It won’t implicate you.”

“Clarify what?”

Shu He put down her fork: “Clarify that I’m not your ex-girlfriend? Or expose your wounds once again?”

Her tone was calm, even gentle, but Jing Yi still felt uneasy. He was stammering, about to say something when Shu He’s phone rang.

Liang Xu’s voice burst from the speaker: “Shu He, quickly check the trending topic! Jing Ze Liang actually clarified things for Jing Yi.”

Shu He was stunned. She instinctively looked at the person in front of her, who appeared somewhat distracted.

Why would Liang Xu contact Shu He directly… she wasn’t his employee.

Shu He had no idea he was still distracted by such thoughts. After reading Jing Ze Liang’s clarification, she felt puzzled.

Why would he speak up? Wasn’t he toward Jing Yi…

Jing Ze Liang didn’t clarify much, only telling everyone that in the kidnapping case, Jing Yi was the victim, not as everyone had speculated.

Jing Yi, however, didn’t show much emotion. He slowly ate his cake: “He just doesn’t want the second ‘Jing Lin’ to be defamed.”

Shu He was stunned by his words, taking a long time to react.

“He loved my mother, naturally he wouldn’t allow others to destroy Ren Yin Yue’s work.”

And he was their only remaining work.

Shu He quietly looked at the person before her, thinking that he should have been like a crystal little prince, pampered and privileged, raised with love and luxury.

But he, who should have grown up freely, was shattered by someone, who then pieced him back together in another form, forcing him to be perfect despite being full of cracks.

Her sudden silence made his heart immediately tighten.

“What you said last night…” he stammered, and Shu He waited patiently for him to finish.

“Was it just to comfort me?”

She laughed lightly, “No.”

His heart skipped a beat and sank, but in the next second, she caught it steadily.

“It was from the heart.”

She had said he was her Jing Yi.

She had a purpose for living with him.

She never thought of giving up on him.

These were all heartfelt words.

Jing Yi’s heart felt warm, like a heart that had been dry for a long time finally being watered.

Seeing his lowered eyelashes, Shu He teased lightly: “Little crybaby, are you going to cry again?”

He shook his head, but his voice was still hoarse: “How come you didn’t leave?”

“This feels like a dream.”

In the dream… she had even kissed him.

His gaze unconsciously moved to her beautiful red lips, so gentle and soft.

“I haven’t properly settled accounts with you yet.”

Her words made him suddenly come to his senses, blinking in confusion, looking innocent.

“Is this your house?”

His heart skipped a beat, and he guiltily gave a small “mm.”

Shu He leaned back, looking at him leisurely: “Seems your initial intentions weren’t so pure either.”

He didn’t deny it, like a dog who had done something wrong, hanging his head, quiet and still.

“Jing Yi, I’m quite scared.”

He didn’t know that yesterday’s events had taken Shu He on one roller coaster ride after another. Falling from a height, in that moment when she couldn’t find him, she even felt her body go weak, with ringing in her ears. For the first time, she felt so close to death.

If Liang Xu hadn’t remembered this place…

If she had arrived one step too late…

She dared not think of the consequences. Shu He’s heart suddenly felt congested. Even though he was right in front of her now, she still felt insecure.

As if he might disappear at any moment.

Jing Yi’s throat was dry. He apologized softly: “I’m sorry…”

“I don’t want your apology.” Shu He walked over, cupping his face with both hands, making him look up: “I just want you to stop hurting yourself.”

His clear black and white eyes stared straight at her, looking somewhat obedient and a bit foolish.

Shu He couldn’t help but squeeze his face firmly. The man was also very compliant, not resisting. But in a way she couldn’t perceive, his heart was beating a bit fast, as if also squeezed into a warm ball by her.

After Shu He released him, he was clearly reluctant to let go, but by the time he realized it, he was already following behind her.

He belatedly realized something was off. “Aren’t you going to the shop today?”

She sat cross-legged on the sofa, patting the space beside her, beckoning him like a puppy to come sit.

He obediently sat beside her, only to hear her give an “mm” sound: “Not going today.”

He had an inexplicable premonition and instinctively swallowed: “Why?”

Shu He was looking for a movie on her tablet. She didn’t look at him, bright white light passing through her light amber eyes: “If you don’t want me to keep you company, I can go to the shop.”

Keep you company…

He accurately caught the key point and went quiet, obediently accepting.

“Is this one okay?”

She showed him the title. Jing Yi had barely glanced at it when she muttered and took it back.

“No… I heard this one is pretty sad. Can’t let you cry again…”

In an instant, Jing Yi’s heart felt like it had been hit, collapsing softly.

Whatever else Shu He said, he couldn’t hear it anymore, just nodding his head randomly.

Before the movie started, Shu He went to cut another piece of cake and put it in his hands.

When the sofa dipped beside him for a moment, the movie began, and his expression was hidden in the dim light, his emotions somewhat unclear.

His favorite cake, movie, and Shu He…

It all felt like a dream, so unreal.

Originally, he should have been dead, shouldn’t he?

But this sense of reality thoroughly persisted for several hours, until his shoulder suddenly felt a weight.

The woman had tilted her head and fallen asleep on his shoulder, her breathing steady, the flickering light falling on her beautiful profile.

Jing Yi looked at her for a long time. He carefully reached out to touch her face.

Warm.

He blinked, then tentatively brought his hand close to her nose…

She was breathing.

She was real.

He wasn’t dreaming… she truly hadn’t left.

…

Shu He didn’t know how long she had slept, only feeling hot all over, as if something was holding her tightly.

The movie had been turned off, the living room was dimly lit, and her vision was blurry.

It took her a couple of seconds to realize what was holding her—

It was Jing Yi.

His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist like vines, the two of them pressed closely together.

Her legs were also trapped by him, and her hands, perhaps pulled by him, were also resting on his waist.

The two had slept squeezed together on the sofa all afternoon. His head was nestled in the crook of her neck, with each breath, warm air lingering on her skin, feeling somewhat ticklish.

She couldn’t help but move, wanting to remove his hand, but in the next second, the force across her waist suddenly tightened. His body seemed to tremble, and his low, hoarse voice contained the confusion and panic of suddenly waking—

“Are you leaving now?”

Shu He paused. At such close distance, their breaths intermingled. She could clearly feel his anxious emotions.

The thought of breaking free instantly vanished. A tingling warmth spread through her heart. She held him reassuringly, leaning slightly forward to give his dry lips a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly touching water. “Now then?”

“Still think this is a dream?”