ATLAS TRANSLATES

Shu He didn’t see the glass cup before leaving the house the next day.

By the time she returned from work, the living room was quiet with no signs of disturbance. The tightly closed door looked like no one lived behind it, showing no movement at all.

Shu He ignored it and went to the supermarket to buy some things, filling the empty refrigerator.

She made herself a simple bowl of noodles. As she was finishing, Li Minyu messaged her, inviting her to dinner.

Shu He had mentioned wanting to treat her earlier, so after thinking about it, she agreed.

After dinner, she laid out her mat in the bedroom to do yoga.

She’d started having trouble sleeping lately.

Each night, she had to exhaust herself with activities before barely managing to fall asleep.

While practising, a dull thud came from the room next door, like something heavy falling.

Shu He didn’t even lift her eyelids, maintaining steady breathing as she stretched her legs.

But soon after, rhythmic sounds began coming from next door, one after another.

Shu He frowned. If she remembered correctly, next door was Jing Yi’s bedroom, not his studio.

The soundproofing in the flat was quite good. Only heavy objects hitting the floor would be audible.

She walked out and knocked on the closed door.

Instantly, the room went silent as if someone had pressed mute. Even the dull thuds stopped.

Shu He could have just turned and left, but for some reason, the image of him sitting pale and silent in his wheelchair flashed through her mind.

She paused slightly, then knocked twice more.

“…What is it?”

The man’s hoarse voice squeezed through the door crack. He seemed to be deliberately hiding his uneven breathing, but Shu He still noticed something unusual.

She lowered her eyes, looking at the small shadow leaking from the door crack, as if someone was standing on the other side.

“Not dead, are you?” she asked, her voice perfectly calm.

“…”

After a long silence, just when Shu He was beginning to wonder if something had actually happened, the person inside finally responded with a deflated, “No.”

Like a balloon losing air.

Shu He made a sound of acknowledgment without asking further.

She’d originally planned to keep her distance from her roommate, but tonight’s noise made her realise that since they were sharing a flat, their lives would inevitably intersect.

So things needed to be clarified.

She knocked on the door again. “Do you have time right now? We should discuss some flatshare matters.”

“…”

The person inside was silent for two seconds. His voice was hoarse, and though his breathing seemed to have steadied, his tone sounded deliberately cold. “No.”

“I’m… not available.”

Shu He didn’t ask what made him unavailable and couldn’t be bothered to inquire further.

“Fine, we’ll talk when you have time. By the way—” She hadn’t forgotten being disturbed and spoke with total calm, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but you’re disturbing me, so please keep it down.”

“…”

“Of course, if I disturb you, you can tell me too.”

After she finished speaking, she turned and went back to her room.

The man standing behind that door staggered, no longer able to hold himself up.

Jing Yi fell to the ground. The veins on his neck bulged as his hands struggled to support his weight on the floor. Ignoring the pain in his knees and elbows, he pushed himself up and tumbled into his wheelchair.

His chest heaved as he gasped for air, but even after a long while, he couldn’t calm himself. Instead, he felt increasingly out of control.

The pain from his fall made it even clearer that he was a useless man who couldn’t even stand steadily.

When he heard her voice, he’d been filled with hope, using all his strength to stand and reach the door, only to hear her utterly cold voice.

She said he was disturbing her.

It hurt so much.

It felt so awful.

In the past, she never complained about him.

She spoiled him, loved kissing him, and would say: “Jing Yi, you look so handsome today.”

When listening to him sing, she would smile and say, “I think I’m done for.”

“Hmm?”

“I think I’m addicted to you.”

Not just his voice, but him as a person.

Back then.

Their obsession with each other was carved into their bones.

Now, she seemed to have lost her obsession with him.

Yet for him to remove his obsession felt impossible.

Jing Yi felt pain and anguish. He fought back the tightness in his throat, slightly lifting his chin and covering his eyes against the harsh light. But the redness and wetness in his eyes wouldn’t subside.

The oyster shell that had cautiously opened a crack was soaked by salty, bitter tears. He frantically closed it tight again, locking himself back in a dark, sunless corner.

—

After several days of heavy snow, it finally stopped.

Shu He went to the shop early in the morning and worked until evening. She packed some new desserts and went to Li Minyu’s house for dinner.

When she arrived, Liang Xu was there with his fiancée, Ni Sui.

The woman smiled gently at her, but Liang Xu looked surprised to see her alone. “Jing Yi didn’t come?”

Shu He glanced at him. “Are you asking me?”

“…”

Liang Xu touched his nose, seeming a bit guilty.

He’d thought that if she came, Jing Yi would surely follow.

Liang Xu lowered his head to message someone while Ni Sui sat next to Shu He to chat since she’d come alone.

Shu He didn’t actually find being alone awkward; she was used to coming and going by herself.

But Ni Sui spoke so gently that it was hard to refuse her company.

When Shu He heard that Ni Sui studied medicine, she naturally asked her a few questions.

Her mother had serious stomach problems but kept putting off seeing a doctor.

Ni Sui listened patiently and answered her questions.

She also sent Shu He a contact card. “This is my senior colleague. He’s a good person and an expert in this area. You can contact him if needed.”

Shu He didn’t hesitate and thanked her. The name on the card looked somewhat familiar.

Before she could think about it further, Li Minyu called everyone to eat.

Liang Xu sat beside Ni Sui, looking distracted. After dinner, he asked Shu He, “How has he been these past few days?”

Meeting Shu He’s gaze, he persisted, “He was supposed to give me a new song today, but I can’t reach him. So I wanted to ask if something happened to him recently.”

Since that night, Shu He truly hadn’t seen him again.

She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him these days.”

Liang Xu’s expression soured. “I hope he hasn’t locked himself away again,” he mumbled.

Shu He heard his words but remained unmoved, pretending not to notice his frequent glances.

“By the way, Auntie Li,” Shu He didn’t forget to thank her, “thank you for specially arranging new furniture for me.”

When she’d viewed the flat, the bedroom had been empty, but by the time she moved in, it seemed like someone had renovated it.

“What?” Li Minyu looked confused for a moment. Liang Xu suddenly coughed into his fist, and when everyone looked at him, he casually ate some fruit and changed the subject. “How are you finding living with Jing Yi?”

Hearing his question, Li Minyu also forgot about the previous topic and looked at Shu He.

She nodded, “It’s fine. We don’t disturb each other.”

Don’t disturb each other?

Liang Xu couldn’t help but think, is he still secretly hiding in his room afraid to come out?

After staying a while longer, Shu He prepared to leave.

Liang Xu whispered something to Ni Sui beside him, then took her hand and shamelessly followed Shu He. “We’re going the same way. Let us give you a lift.”

Shu He looked at him, then at Ni Sui, but ultimately couldn’t refuse and was half-pushed into the car.

“…”

Well, she might as well accept the free ride.

Ni Sui sat in the back with her, chatting. “Sorry about this. His company only has Qi Shan Jing as a famous songwriter, so he’s probably quite concerned.”

Shu He’s lips curled slightly. “Is that so.”

Ni Sui nodded. “His songs are really quite famous. Many of my colleagues are his fans.”

Shu He remained calm. “Isn’t that because the singers perform well? Do people really… pay attention to lyricists?”

“Of course they do,” Ni Sui said earnestly. “In a song, the lyrics and melody are extremely important.”

“But I heard that Qi Shan Jing used to be a singer too. He sang the songs he wrote himself, but nobody else has heard them.”

After she finished, Liang Xu chimed in from the front, “I haven’t heard them either. That stubborn guy refuses to sell his pre-contract work.”

“He said those two songs were only sung for one person.”

His gaze flickered through the rearview mirror. Shu He turned her head away, pretending not to hear.

They soon reached the complex. Shu He entered the passcode and opened the door. The flat was as quiet as when she’d left, almost unchanged.

Liang Xu changed into slippers and went straight to knock on the door and call for Jing Yi.

Shu He went to the kitchen to pour water for Ni Sui. When she came out, Liang Xu was frowning because the room showed no signs of opening.

He called several more times. During this time, Shu He had already disinterestedly returned to her room.

Liang Xu hadn’t expected her to just walk away. He exchanged glances with Ni Sui for a while, called out a few more times, still without response.

With no choice, he had to leave, but before going he sent Shu He a message.

Liang Xu: [By the way, I remember before you moved in, there should be a spare key in the bottom drawer of the bedside table on the left side of your room.]

Liang Xu: [Please, please, please, just help check if he’s still alive!!]

Shu He paused, went to open the drawer he mentioned, and indeed found a key.

She hadn’t used this drawer before, only briefly looking inside when she moved in. She hadn’t expected to find a key.

She silently looked at the key in her hand for a long time, not replying to his message.

After some time, Shu He got up, intending to check on her neighbour’s life-or-death situation.

Suddenly, everything went dark. She instinctively gripped the key tightly.

She waited a few seconds, but the lights didn’t come back on.

After finding her phone, she turned on the flashlight and went to check if the circuit breaker had tripped.

Just as she left her room, she heard a loud “bang”.

She frowned and didn’t hesitate any longer, knocking hard on his door several times.

“Jing Yi? Jing Yi?”

Still no response. Shu He used the key to open the door. The cold white light from her phone immediately illuminated a figure in the darkness.

Recording equipment sat in front of him, and his bandaged hand held a phone. He clearly hadn’t expected her sudden intrusion, looking at her in shock.

Shu He stepped forward to examine his face. The man was covering his stomach with one hand, his forehead covered in sweat. His lips moved, forming a strained smile.

“You…”

Having not spoken for so long, his voice was terribly hoarse. “How did you get in?”

Shu He didn’t miss his pale face and couldn’t help but snap, “So you’re not dead after all.”

“…”

Her tone was cold. Jing Yi clenched his hand tightly. He seemed to want to explain but doubled over with a muffled groan, apparently from stomach pain.

Cold sweat seeped from Shu He’s tightly clenched palm. She lowered her phone, no longer pointing it at him.

“Where’s the circuit breaker?”

In the dim light, Jing Yi finally looked up at her glumly and gave her a location.

Shu He went to check the circuit breaker. Soon, the lights came back on.

Jing Yi hadn’t rested his eyes for a long time, and the sudden brightness hurt them. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, her figure had reappeared before him.

His eyelashes trembled, the pain in his knees making him fully aware.

So it wasn’t a dream.

Shu He made no effort to hide her curiosity as she looked around his recording studio.

There was a door on the far left that connected directly to his bedroom.

Besides the recording equipment, his desk was piled with dozens of draft papers filled with dense writing.

Shu He didn’t look closely at these but noticed several coffee cups.

The familiar packaging—all from “TianTian”.

“Am I disturbing you?”

“Have you only been drinking coffee these past few days?”

They spoke simultaneously. Jing Yi was surprised for a moment, then felt a secret flutter of joy.

He nodded, not forgetting what she’d said a few days ago. His pale face seemed somewhat helpless. One hand still covered his stomach as he explained in a hoarse voice, “Just now, I accidentally bumped into something, which made the noise.”

He looked like a dog that had made a mistake—pitiful, yet afraid its owner would abandon it.

Shu He felt irritated inside. She made a sound of acknowledgment, avoiding his dejected, pitiful appearance.

“You haven’t answered my question.” She picked up an empty coffee cup sitting on the side, clearly all had been consumed.

Jing Yi looked up, following her gaze. He made an affirmative sound, then, as if afraid she’d be angry, added eagerly, “It’s delicious, Shu He, really delicious.”

“…”

Shu He watched him struggling through his discomfort, feeling like an inflated balloon was squeezing her heart, making it hard to breathe.

“Liang Xu thought you were dead.”

“…”

Her sharp words made Jing Yi lower his head immediately, saying nothing. His black hair covered his eyes, making him look even more pitiful.

“I’m sorry.”

His muffled apology left Shu He speechless.

“Where’s your stomach medicine?”

Instead of leaving, she asked about medication. Jing Yi suddenly looked up, his dark eyes flashing with surprise.

He looked at her hopefully: “It’s where the allergy medicine was last time.”

Shu He went to find the medicine while Jing Yi quietly followed her in his wheelchair.

Shu He put the medicine box directly on the coffee table. “Get what you need yourself in future.”

Looking through the box, she discovered it contained not only allergy medicine and stomach medicine but also various cold medicines.

Jing Yi took the box. Shu He watched him take his medicine before continuing coldly, “If I wasn’t here, if Liang Xu wasn’t here, were you planning to let yourself die in pain?”

Jing Yi’s face was still pale as he tried to explain, “No… I…”

This was their first face-to-face conversation since reuniting.

“Jing Yi, we’re just flatmates. I could easily not care whether you live or die.”

“…Mmm.”

He fell silent and lowered his head. Shu He had the strange feeling that she was bullying him.

She rubbed her brow tiredly. “But Liang Xu keeps bothering me.”

He looked up with a downcast expression. “I’m sorry.”

“…”

She’d say one thing, and he’d apologise and admit fault.

This was worlds apart from before, when he would mischievously kiss her and be bright and unrestrained.

Shu He’s eyes swept toward the open door of his studio, where several cups of “TianTian” coffee sat on the desk.

Her gaze shifted to him, still holding his stomach in discomfort.

“Do you need to drink so much coffee to write songs?”

She remembered he didn’t have this habit before.

He didn’t like coffee, the only kind he could tolerate was the mint frappe.

But these few times she’d seen him, he’d been drinking coffee.

And from “TianTian” too.

Shu He didn’t think this was a coincidence. Under her cool gaze, he pressed his lips together and admitted, “I wanted mint brownies.”

“What?”

Shu He was stunned, then remembered the shop had indeed been running a promotion.

Orders over 10 times qualified for a free mint brownie.

It was a new product offered as a benefit for customers to try, not available for purchase.

She also recalled the check-in activity at the shop. When Liang Xu had visited, he’d also asked about mint brownies.

“So you drank ten coffees in three days? Just for mint brownies?”

Shu He almost laughed in exasperation. Jing Yi gripped the cup in his hand tightly. When he looked up again, his clear black and white eyes were moist, his voice low, “You used to bring them to me.”

Shu He’s heart trembled. His eyes reddened as he continued, “This was the only way I could taste them.”

“Shu He, no one brings me cake anymore.”

In the silent living room, the fire in Shu He’s heart was suddenly extinguished.

In the past, she’d worked part-time at the coffee shop, learning to make desserts from the master there.

Whenever there were new products, she would pack them for him.

This tall, sunny young man had quite the sweet tooth.

He would praise her: “How talented is my girlfriend?” He would also tease her, pushing cream against her lips, shamelessly saying, “You bring me little cakes every day. It makes me feel like I’m being kept by you.”

“And you know what? It feels pretty good.”

The light was blinding. Shu He’s eyes stung as her cool amber gaze steadily watched the person before her.

“As you said, that was in the past.”

Seeing the colour drain from his face, Shu He’s fingertips dug into her palm. “Jing Yi, I’m not someone who likes to dwell in the past.”

“You keep looking back.”

“But you were the one who left first.”