ATLAS TRANSLATES

“Qiao Qiao, where are you going?”

Jiang Qiao was carrying a thermal lunch box and holding gifts for Xu Si and Yuan Yuan. She called out to Liu Ma: “I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back later.”

Xu Si had sent her a message in the morning saying he wanted to bring her something.

Jiang Qiao spotted him right away. Today Xu Si wore a white down jacket with a brown sweater underneath and black pants that made his legs look incredibly long. He was holding Yuan Yuan in his arms.

She handed him the lunch box and bag: “Happy New Year.”

Yuan Yuan meowed a few times, as if proving its existence.

“Happy New Year to you too,” Jiang Qiao said.

This made Yuan Yuan happy.

Xu Si took what she handed him and looked at the lunch box curiously: “What’s this?”

“Dumplings with pork and celery filling. I wrapped them last night and just cooked them this morning. I’m not sure if you’ll like them.”

Xu Si smiled gently: “I’ll love them.” How could he not love dumplings made by his little teacher?

“I wasn’t sure if people here eat dumplings for New Year. In B City, we always eat dumplings for New Year.”

“We eat them here too,” Xu Si said, then pulled out a small box from his pocket: “This is a gift for little teacher.”

Jiang Qiao took it and put it in her pocket: “How did you get here? You didn’t ride your motorcycle, did you?”

Xu Si thought about his motorcycle parked nearby and felt guilty: “I did.”

“Weren’t you cold?”

Xu Si shook his head: “No, not with a helmet and gloves.” Worried she wouldn’t believe him, he added: “Really, I wasn’t cold.”

Jiang Qiao touched his fingers – they were still warm. Only then did she believe he wasn’t cold.

“It’s cold down here, you should head back.”

It was already minus seven or eight degrees that day.

“You go back and eat the dumplings too, they’ll get cold if you don’t eat them soon.”

Xu Si nodded: “Okay.”

Jiang Qiao reminded him: “Drive carefully.”

“I will, little teacher.”

Xu Si watched Jiang Qiao go upstairs, carefully placed the lunch box in the front compartment, then rode away on his motorcycle.

Yuan Yuan’s fur was blown messy by the wind, so it tucked its head into the bag.

Xu Si parked downstairs. Holding the cat in one hand and the lunch box and gifts in the other, he slowly walked upstairs.

Yuan Yuan knew he needed to open the door and jumped onto his shoulder.

He saw several men in suits at his door and cautiously checked the floor number again, making sure he hadn’t gone to the wrong place.

A string of red lanterns at the door had been torn down and was lying on the ground.

Xu Si picked up the string of red lanterns and hung it back up, speaking coldly: “What are you doing here?”

“Young master, the master sent us to bring you home.”

“Go back and tell him that even if he comes himself, I won’t go back.”

He put down the lunch box and things, took out his keys from his pocket. Yuan Yuan knew he was going to open the door and jumped onto his shoulder.

Before he could insert the key, he discovered the lock had been changed.

An indescribable rage spread through his entire body. He asked: “Did Xu Heng Yu tell you to change the lock?”

In previous years he could still politely call him dad.

Now he didn’t even want to say that word.

“Yes, the master and madam are very concerned about you and want you to come home.”

“What right does he have to come here? I’m asking you what fucking right does he have to come here? Tell him to come see me, let him come face me! What right does he have to change the lock here? Tell him he’s not worthy of coming here!” Xu Si’s eyes were red with anger, his voice becoming hoarse.

The lead man said to Xu Si: “Sorry, these are the master’s orders.”

Xu Si called Xu Heng Yu’s phone. The other side picked up quickly.

“Hello, Xiao Si.”

“Don’t call my name. Who told you to come here? Who told you to change the lock here? You’re not worthy of coming here!”

“I just want you to come home. You should know your mother misses you.”

Misses him?

This was the funniest thing he’d heard in his life.

Xu Si hung up immediately.

“Young master, the master wants you to come home.” The men moved to grab Xu Si’s arms.

“Get lost, don’t touch me.”

Those men didn’t care who Xu Si was. They only knew they needed to bring Xu Si home, just needed him alive.

Xu Si shook off the hand in front of him and punched the man in the face: “I’m not fucking going back, don’t touch me.”

The men’s treatment of Xu Si could hardly be called gentle – it was actually brutal.

Xu Si fought with those men.

Yuan Yuan pounced forward, extending its claws to scratch those men, but was caught by one man who gripped its neck.

Xu Si knocked that man to the ground and grabbed the cat back, but took several punches himself.

His face was bruised and his neck was bleeding.

He felt the string holding him together finally snap completely. He fought those men with complete disregard for his life.

The lunch box was kicked open during the fight, and the dumplings spilled out.

The red lanterns on the door were torn down by someone and lay dirty on the ground.

Xu Si got up from the ground, wiped the blood from his face, hung the red lanterns back up, picked up the spilled dumplings, then closed the thermal container. He held the container in one hand and Yuan Yuan in the other.

What did he do wrong?

What exactly did he do wrong?

What right did they have to keep disturbing his life over and over?

Just because she said she missed him.

Could all those years just be written off like that?

He couldn’t do it.

He thought his life was pretty good now, why did they have to disturb it?

He said to those men: “Get lost.”

Although the bodyguards were also bruised, they still firmly blocked the door and said to Xu Si: “Young master, please come home with us.”

“…”

Xu Si pushed past those men, holding the cat and carrying the lunch box and things as he went downstairs.

The men didn’t chase him, but called Xu Heng Yu instead.

“Master, the young master refuses to come back.”

“I have my ways to make him return. Guard the door.”

“Yes.”

…

Xu Si didn’t know how long he walked alone on the streets.

Fireworks from some household exploded in the sky – only a faint glow could be seen.

Every household had red couplets pasted on their doors.

Xu Si sat down randomly by the roadside and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Firecrackers crackled on the street again.

Everything announced the arrival of the New Year.

Everyone was immersed in the joy of the New Year.

The surroundings were lively with sounds of joy and laughter.

But the festivities weren’t for him.

Xu Si rinsed the dumplings clean at a roadside tap. He sat by the street and used chopsticks to put a dumpling in his mouth.

Pork and celery filling.

A bit cold.

Must have tasted better when hot.

He shared a few with Yuan Yuan and finished the long-cold dumplings alone.

“Yuan Yuan, we’ve lost our home again.” In the biting cold wind, it wasn’t clear if the young man was talking to himself or to the little cat beside him.

From some household came the words “Happy New Year.”

“Not a happy new year.”