ATLAS TRANSLATES

After two years of not seeing Shu He, Jing Yi sat expressionless in his wheelchair. Before he could pretend to be cold and say anything, the woman had already walked past him with a calm expression.

No pity, no hatred, no disappointment — just looking through him as if he were a stranger.

—

Shu He quickly contacted Ni Sui, who happily agreed to help.

She felt a bit embarrassed asking for a favour from someone she’d just met. She asked for the hospital’s location, wanting to send over some coffee as thanks.

Ni Sui was straightforward and graciously accepted her gratitude without any fuss.

After handling orders, Shu He continued working on new products. Christmas was approaching, and for a coffee shop to thrive, they needed constant innovation to match the holidays.

Amidst her busy schedule, Shu He nearly collapsed when she stood up. Luckily, Tong Yuan caught her.

Feeling dazed, she sat down for a moment and checked her forehead with the back of her hand. She realised she had a fever again.

Her cold had only just cleared up not long ago…

Tong Yuan thoughtfully brought her hot water. “There’s lots of flu going around. Many customers have been coughing. You really should take care.”

Shu He watched the young girl, energetic in her simple jumper, and felt a twinge of envy.

She used to have that kind of energy too.

But in reality, she was often ill as a child.

Her mum told her that when she was just two months old, she’d developed a high fever. Even the doctors said she might not make it.

Her parents had nearly given up on her, but somehow, she’d fought through.

At six, she fell into a lake by accident. After being rescued, she remained unconscious for several nights.

After recovering, she began catching colds frequently, with endless hospital visits throughout the year. Her parents argued constantly then – initially about trivial matters, but eventually about her.

Mostly about the cost of her medical care.

Later, Shu He began exercising diligently. She valued her life more than anyone, and surprisingly, stopped getting sick.

By university, her “healthy lifestyle” changed due to part-time work.

She stayed up late while taking vitamin supplements – cherishing life yet pushing its limits.

After graduation, busy with work, she often forgot her yoga routines.

Shu He felt downcast. After sitting for a while, she decided to head home early to rest.

She felt she’d forgotten something, only recalling what it was when she arrived home.

Jing Yi had just left his studio. He wasn’t wearing glasses, his black curly hair was slightly dishevelled, and he held a cup in his hand. He clearly hadn’t expected her back so early and looked surprised.

When he noticed she only carried a small white bag, he visibly froze, then pressed his lips together in disappointment.

“…..”

Shu He had the strange sensation of owning a dog, watching him deflate before her eyes.

He approached, clearly wanting to ask something, his gaze glued to her hands. Instead, he held back and asked, “Why are you home so early today?”

Shu He lacked the energy but still explained: “I’ll bring the cake tomorrow.”

Without her noticing, the man’s dark eyes instantly brightened.

Shu He wanted to rest in her room, but heard movement coming from his room.

She paused, causing the wheelchair behind her to nearly bump into her.

Jing Yi looked up to see her expression grow cold. “When you have time, we should discuss house-sharing rules.”

Without waiting for his answer, she continued: “One thing I want to make clear upfront – bring whoever you want home, but please don’t disturb me.”

Jing Yi was stunned, quickly realising her misunderstanding. He instinctively reached for her hand, but she wouldn’t look at him.

In that moment, he urgently pushed himself up. Shu He’s wrist was suddenly gripped by cold hands. Caught off guard, she stumbled with the force, while he was already unsteady—

In the confusion, he fell back into his wheelchair, pulling Shu He down onto his lap, her back pressed against his chest.

The sudden weight sent the wheelchair sliding backwards until it hit the sofa. His hands instinctively wrapped around her slender waist, followed by a suppressed groan from him.

Shu He’s mind went blank. After a moment of confusion, the person from his room ran out.

It was a woman holding a mop, wearing sleeves protectors. Seeing the two in their intimate position, she immediately said, “Oh my!”

“I thought something happened. Carry on!” The housekeeper turned back with professional discretion.

Shu He’s heart pounded like it would burst from her chest. She felt like she was pressed against hot iron.

Coming to her senses, she slapped his hands away with a loud “smack.”

He flinched in pain. Shu He got off him, ignoring the heat in her ears, and watched him warily. “You can stand?”

Jing Yi was still confused, rubbing his smarting hand. Hearing her question, he answered automatically, “Barely.”

The wariness in her eyes was too painful to see. He lowered his gaze and said with dejection, “I’ve been doing rehab.”

Then his gaze fell on her pale face. “Are you sick?”

“You feel very warm.”

Having held her after so long, Jing Yi noticed her condition despite his lingering desire.

Shu He didn’t want to engage with him anymore. She gave a perfunctory response and returned to her room.

Her illness made her senses heightened – the firmness of his chest against her back, his muffled groan near her neck, and the grip on her waist that seemed intent on melding her into his embrace.

Shu He bit her lip, marvelling at how this virus was making her mind fuzzy.

Just as she prepared to remove her makeup and wash up, someone knocked twice on her bedroom door.

Jing Yi held a familiar box. When she emerged, he offered a faint smile: “We have cold medicine at home.”

Shu He had seen it when looking for medicine for him before.

She made a sound of acknowledgement and reached for it, but he suddenly pulled back.

“?”

The man lowered his head, rummaging through the box, then looked up with a pale, innocent face. His dark eyes locked onto hers, seeking approval: “There’s no powder mix that you hate. The dosage instructions are all there.”

At university, seeing her stock of medicine had confused him.

After she explained why, he nodded without judging her as paranoid, and began keeping some himself.

“I hope you never get sick, but just in case, it’s good to have something on hand.”

He knew she disliked powdered medicines, though she took them when necessary. In this, unlike her usual cool rationality, she showed a childish side.

Shu He looked at him, remembering his excellent health and boundless energy. Apart from allergies, she’d never seen him ill.

The usually cool-tempered woman suddenly became unpredictable as the weather. Taking the medicine box from him, she glared, with a sense of misplaced anger.

“What are you smiling at?”

Jing Yi didn’t mind being scolded. He looked confused for a moment before Shu He mercilessly closed the door.

“…..”

He sat there stunned, his dark eyes filled with bewilderment.

But then, he lowered his head and smiled silently, unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips.

She rarely got angry with him.

But she looked beautiful even when angry.

She looked beautiful no matter what.

His smile quickly faded as he sat with his head down, dejectedly clutching his chest.

Even her distant glance made him feel hurt and wronged.

The housekeeper emerged to find him stationed outside her bedroom.

She approached knowingly: “Young man, had a fight with your girlfriend?”

He looked exactly like someone whose girlfriend had shut him out.

Jing Yi was startled. He shook his head: “No.”

“We didn’t fight.”

The housekeeper smiled. Previously when she came to clean, the place was empty with just him. Now with a girlfriend, things were clearly different.

After she left, Jing Yi thought for a moment, then went to knock on the door.

After silence hung in the air, he took out his phone and messaged “Everyday” coffee shop: [Are you asleep? Have you eaten? Taking medicine on an empty stomach is bad for you. Do you want to come out and eat something?]

….

When Shu He woke again, night had fallen. The room was shrouded in darkness, like an endless abyss, so quiet it felt lonely and sad.

She sniffed and turned the heating up higher.

She’d only eaten breakfast all day, and now her stomach felt painfully empty.

It was already past nine. She debated ordering takeaway, getting up to cook something, or simply ignoring the hunger.

After a while, she put on a jacket and got up.

The moment she opened her bedroom door, a delicious aroma hit her nostrils.

Her hunger intensified. Walking forward, she saw a figure in a wheelchair cooking something. The pot bubbled with steam.

Hearing her, he turned, his dark eyes filled with undisguised delight: “You’re awake?”

Shu He poured herself a glass of water. Fighting the urge to stare at the food, she gave a simple “mm.”

“Feeling better?”

“Mm.”

The steam from his pot was terribly tempting. Seeing her looking, he adjusted the silver-rimmed glasses he’d put back on, his dark eyes fixed on her. “Want to eat together?”

Actually, neither she nor Jing Yi were good cooks – just passable.

So when they dated, they rarely cooked, preferring to eat out.

They had discussed who would cook, and he’d proudly said, “Me, of course.”

Shu He was unimpressed: “Yours is worse than mine.”

This sparked his competitive spirit. He began learning to cook frequently, always feeding her, and she gained several pounds.

Later, while eating out, she casually mentioned that it wasn’t as good as his cooking. His pride soared, and that night he became particularly clingy, seeking rewards.

Through the steam, Shu He found herself unable to refuse.

“All right.”

Jing Yi, with his leg disability, cooked noodles while she sat at the table, chin resting on her hand, lost in thought.

“Aren’t you going to roll up your sleeves?” she suddenly asked, startling him.

Looking at his neatly arranged sleeves, his expression remained unchanged as he softly responded: “It’s fine. I won’t get them dirty.”

Shu He made a sound of acknowledgement without pressing further.

Soon, he served the noodles. “We only have noodles at home.”

Shu He didn’t mind what she ate. She took small bites… his cooking hadn’t deteriorated.

Jing Yi kept watching her, barely eating himself.

Shu He didn’t look up but couldn’t ignore his intense gaze.

She remained silent, but Jing Yi couldn’t hold back: “I thought you wouldn’t come out.”

“……”

She ate her noodles methodically, clearly not wanting to talk.

Jing Yi wasn’t bothered, content to watch her quietly yet hungrily.

As her stomach warmed, Shu He put down her chopsticks and looked at his barely touched noodles, confused.

“Didn’t you make the late-night snack for yourself?”

Meeting her gaze, Jing Yi invented a flimsy excuse: “It’s a bit hot.”

“…..”

Shu He couldn’t be bothered to question further. With her mind clearer now, her gaze fell on his wheelchair. The earlier accident flashed through her mind.

Jing Yi grew nervous under her scrutiny, curling his fingers. “What is it?”

“Your legs – what’s the current situation?”