ATLAS TRANSLATES

The moment he called out “brother” with such conviction, everyone present was stunned. Yu Ge seemed unable to believe what he’d heard, thinking this was all too absurd. His usually expressionless face showed a crack in its icy facade.

A Wen was dumbfounded, his body tense and covered in cold sweat. Amidst his complex emotions, he felt a hint of strange admiration. He couldn’t tell if Chen Yuzheng was just thick-skinned or genuinely optimistic.

Will’s expression was also horrified, too shocked to speak.

Yu Nuo trembled anxiously, barely daring to breathe. Yet Chen Yuzheng acted completely casual, saying unhurriedly: “Brother, we’re going to be family from now on.”

Yu Ge: “…..”

Yu Nuo lowered her head awkwardly, almost burying it in her chest from shame, and pleaded quietly: “Chen Yuzheng, please stop talking.”

Completely ignoring Chen Yuzheng without even looking at him, Yu Ge stared at Yu Nuo and confirmed again: “You’re together with him.”

Yu Nuo bit her lip hard and slowly nodded once.

After staying motionless and silent for a long while, Yu Ge wanted to do something but held himself back.

Chuckling from extreme anger, Yu Ge turned and left.

A Wen called out a couple times, feeling conflicted as he looked between Yu Nuo and Yu Ge. With a troubled expression, he sighed and exchanged glances with Will before they both went after Yu Ge.

Yu Nuo stood frozen in place.

The final look Yu Ge gave her before leaving felt like ice water being poured over her head, chilling her to the bone.

Yu Nuo watched helplessly as Yu Ge’s figure grew more distant, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed tight. She started to run after him, but Chen Yuzheng held her wrist.

Yu Nuo became a bit anxious: “Let go of me first.”

“You want to find your brother?”

Yu Nuo’s expression was chaotic as she made a sound of agreement.

Noticing her subtle trembling, Chen Yuzheng maintained his relaxed attitude throughout: “It’s not a big deal, why are you so nervous?”

Yu Nuo stopped responding and firmly pulled her hand free.

—

Back inside the venue, the banquet was almost over with most people having left. Yu Nuo rushed to OG’s table but found Yu Ge wasn’t there.

Will reminded her, “Your brother went outside to smoke with A Wen.”

After going through the revolving doors, Yu Nuo stood on the steps and saw Yu Ge’s figure disappearing into the night.

A Wen was leaning against a stone post, one hand on Yu Ge’s shoulder, head turned aside, speaking to him about something unknown.

Yu Nuo waited a while before slowly walking over.

When she got close, she called out softly, “Brother.”

Yu Ge treated her as if she didn’t exist, staring blankly ahead.

Yu Nuo stammered: “Don’t be angry.”

A Wen put out his half-smoked cigarette, “Little sister, how long have you been with Conquer?”

Yu Nuo didn’t dare hide it anymore and answered honestly: “A few months.”

“……..”

A Wen observed Yu Ge’s expression and tried to smooth things over, “It’s just dating, not a big deal. Why did you hide it from your brother though?”

Yu Nuo lowered her head in embarrassment, her voice getting even quieter: “I was wrong.”

“Alright, alright.” A Wen pushed Yu Ge, “Your sister just got a boyfriend, why are you so angry about it?”

Yu Ge seemed not to hear, still showing no reaction to his surroundings.

A Wen urged: “Say something, look how scared you’ve made your sister.”

Yu Ge’s voice was undisguisedly cold: “I have nothing to say right now.”

Seeing he couldn’t persuade him, A Wen could only turn to Yu Nuo and say: “Why don’t you go up first, let your brother cool down, and I’ll talk to him some more.”

Yu Nuo looked expectantly at Yu Ge, but saw he still had no reaction. She turned away disappointed and walked back to the hotel.

Back at the dining area, Yu Nuo walked to her seat.

Will asked: “Did you find your brother?”

Yu Nuo nodded.

Seeing her state, Will stopped asking questions.

Chen Yuzheng had been sitting in his seat, but when he saw Yu Nuo, he said something to Ultraman and immediately got up to walk over to her.

The OG table went completely quiet when they saw him.

Yu Nuo was mechanically packing her things, zipping up her backpack, completely unaware someone had approached.

Chen Yuzheng ignored the various complex looks directed at him: “Are you leaving?”

Yu Nuo glanced at him and made a sound of agreement.

He followed behind her, “Shall I take you?”

Yu Nuo: “No need.”

When they reached a place with no people, Chen Yuzheng grabbed her, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Nuo forced a smile at him, “I’m fine.”

“Is it because your brother doesn’t like me?”

Yu Nuo was silent, numbly shaking her head.

“Then why?”

“Because of guilt.” Seeing his clearly confused expression, she repeated, “I feel very guilty.”

“Guilty about what?”

“I lied to my brother.” Yu Nuo looked up, staring directly at him, “Chen Yuzheng, I like you very much. But my brother is also family that I care about deeply. Or, let me put it another way. He is the most important person to me in this world. He’s also the person I least want to hurt, the person I absolutely cannot hurt.”

When they were young, Yu Jiang would hit people when he drank too much, no one in the family was spared. Whenever Yu Jiang went crazy, Yu Nuo was still small and didn’t know better, blindly running into the line of fire.

When Yu Jiang raised his hand against her, Yu Ge would always rush over from the side and shield Yu Nuo under his body.

No matter how Yu Jiang punched and kicked, even when the clothes hanger rod split open, Yu Ge would grit his teeth and hold Yu Nuo in his arms, never letting her go.

After Yu Jiang’s anger subsided and he’d beaten enough, Yu Ge would be covered in injuries.

Yu Nuo would secretly take out the family’s first aid kit and run to Yu Ge’s room to treat his wounds. Looking at the red welts and broken skin all over his back, Yu Nuo would apply medicine while unable to hold back her tears.

Hearing her crying, Yu Ge would turn his head, wincing while comforting her, saying it didn’t hurt and telling her not to cry.

Yu Nuo thought then that when she grew up, she would never let anyone hurt Yu Ge again, including herself.

—

When she got downstairs alone, A Wen happened to come up, “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Yu Nuo looked back: “Where’s my brother?”

“Let him be alone for a while, it’s not a big deal, he’ll be fine in a couple days.”

A Wen had been drinking so he couldn’t drive, and helped her hail a taxi.

In the car, seeing Yu Nuo’s dejected expression, A Wen thought for a moment before speaking: “Your brother isn’t just angry, he’s also worried about you, you know.”

“Look at how Fish’s fans were cursing Conquer so badly online before, but then he suddenly got together with you. What if he’s just using you to get revenge on your brother? Of course, I’m just mentioning a concern, there’s not really any grudge between your brother and him. If you really like Conquer, this can be worked out, why did you have to hide it from him?”

At the entrance to the community, A Wen said, “Alright, you go up first.”

Yu Nuo made a sound of agreement and walked forward distractedly, almost running into a utility pole.

A Wen pulled her back, “Tsk, watch how you’re walking.”

He patted Yu Nuo’s head, “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Fish properly about this. When you get home, don’t think about anything, just get ready for bed and sleep early.”

—

After returning home, Yu Nuo didn’t even bother to shower, just waited in the living room for Yu Ge.

She waited from dark until dawn, but he never came home.

For the next few days, Yu Ge probably went back to the OG base. Yu Nuo sent him several messages, but they all sank like stones into the sea with no response.

A week passed.

After her afternoon nap, Yu Nuo heard movement outside the door and hurried out of bed.

After opening the door, she saw Yu Ge.

She nervously gripped the doorknob. Although she had prepared many things to say during this time, when facing him, they all got stuck in her throat. She didn’t know what to say and carefully asked: “Brother, you’re back?”

Yu Ge made a sound of agreement.

Yu Nuo walked out and voluntarily followed behind him, “Did the base give time off?”

Yu Ge responded with a sound, seeming unwilling to say more. Yu Nuo also fell silent, just watching him.

Yu Ge went to his room to get some clothes and went to shower.

Yu Nuo sat on the couch waiting for him.

The phone on her lap rang, Yu Nuo looked at the caller ID and walked to the balcony.

Only after closing the door did Yu Nuo answer with a soft “hello.”

“Are you at home? Can I come see you?”

Yu Nuo: “My brother’s back, so I won’t meet you for now. Let’s wait a while.”

During this time he had already noticed Yu Nuo’s evasiveness. No matter what he sent, she always replied slowly, and when he asked to meet, Yu Nuo refused everything. Chen Yuzheng had never had to comfort someone before, and he didn’t know what to do. Even phone calls barely got a response, and all the frustration that had built up over many days was ignited by this sentence.

Chen Yuzheng suddenly got angry, unable to understand, and asked her: “So you mean if your brother doesn’t agree, you’re planning to never see me again?”

Yu Nuo looked back at the living room, Yu Ge hadn’t come out yet. She explained: “I want to give my brother time to accept this.”

Chen Yuzheng: “What if he never accepts it?”

“……”

Yu Nuo fell silent.

Chen Yuzheng: “Are you planning to break up with me?”

“That’s not it.”

“Am I that insignificant to you?”

Yu Nuo’s voice was weak: “No.”

Yu Nuo had always been timid since childhood, never wanting or daring to hope for things that weren’t hers. Only Chen Yuzheng was an exception, such a dazzling person, seeming to shine with light, clearly from a different world than her, but she couldn’t help being drawn in and falling for him.

She used all her courage to confess to him. Chen Yuzheng was the only person she had ever dared to want, worked hard for, and managed to win over.

Chen Yuzheng softened his tone a bit: “Our relationship is between us two. So I only care about you, what others think doesn’t matter to me, understand?”

Yu Nuo told him: “Maybe you think it’s nothing, and you don’t care what my brother thinks, but he is the only family member I care about.”

Her tone was rarely so firm, causing silence on the other end of the phone.

Yu Nuo silently sighed.

She could feel that Chen Yuzheng had never taken this matter too seriously, and even that night when facing Yu Ge, he still had a relaxed attitude making jokes.

“I care very much about his feelings.” Yu Nuo’s voice was unsteady, “If you care about me, I hope you can also show some respect for him.”

—

Chen Yuzheng hung up the phone.

Left at a loss by Yu Nuo’s words just now, Chen Yuzheng threw his phone aside, sat on the edge of the bed, with nowhere to vent his nameless anger, he kicked the wall.

The bedroom door was knocked on, and after a while, Yu Yiyun came in carrying a fruit platter.

She saw Chen Yuzheng sitting on the bed with his elbows on his knees, bent over motionless with his hands in his hair.

Yu Yiyun asked worriedly: “What’s wrong, Zhengzheng, did something happen?”

Chen Yuzheng suppressed the irritation in his voice: “Nothing.”

“Okay, then I won’t bother you.”

Yu Yiyun put down the fruit platter, “Remember to eat the fruit later.”

She was about to leave when Chen Yuzheng suddenly spoke, “Mom.”

Yu Yiyun turned back: “Hmm? What is it?”

“Let me ask you something.” Chen Yuzheng seemed to have trouble speaking, “Just, just, um…”

Yu Yiyun laughed: “Just what? Just say it directly.”

Chen Yuzheng held back for a long time before finally asking: “How did dad win over uncle back then?”

Yu Yiyun: “…..”

She sat down beside Chen Yuzheng and patiently listened to his jumbled story, summarizing, “So your girlfriend’s brother doesn’t like you, and she was secretly dating you behind his back before, but you two got caught?”

Chen Yuzheng made a sound of agreement.

“What does your girlfriend think about it?”

“She said she hopes I respect her brother.” Chen Yuzheng just didn’t understand, “I didn’t do anything to her brother.”

Yu Yiyun knew him better than anyone, “So what exactly did you do?”

“I just told her brother that we’ll all be family from now on.” Chen Yuzheng was confused, “What’s wrong with what I said?”

Yu Yiyun sighed, “In such a serious situation, you still had the mood to joke around? No wonder the young lady is angry.”

“I wasn’t joking, we really will be family in the future.”

Yu Yiyun sighed, “With your flippant attitude, who would like you? You need to be sincere, only sincerity can move people. Your uncle and your grandparents didn’t like your father at first either, it took him several years to slowly get your uncle to accept him.”

Chen Yuzheng’s expression was strange.

Yu Yiyun finished reminiscing and looked at him, “What’s wrong? Were you moved by your father’s persistence? You should learn from him.”

Chen Yuzheng: “What should I learn from him? What’s there to learn? Dad is so bad at handling things, taking several years? That’s ridiculous, I can’t wait that long.”

Yu Yiyun: “…..”

“Forget it, I won’t bother with you anymore.” Yu Yiyun stood up, “You troublesome thing, you deserve to be disliked.”

—

Chen Yuzheng lay on his bed, spacing out for a while. He picked up the phone that had been thrown on the ground and went to find TG’s team leader.

Conquer: “Don’t you know Fish?”

Team Leader: “Yes, what’s up?”

Conquer: “Can you give me his WeChat? I need to resolve some personal matters with him”

Team Leader: “What are you up to now?”

Conquer: “Serious business”

The team leader didn’t think much of it and sent over a string of numbers.

Conquer: “Remember to tell him to accept me.”

After getting Yu Ge’s contact information, Chen Yuzheng searched online for some sample apology letters. Worried that Yu Ge wouldn’t accept his friend request, he specially changed his WeChat name from Conquer to just a period.

After all preparations were ready, Chen Yuzheng opened WeChat to add Yu Ge.

Probably because the team leader had given advance notice, the other side accepted quickly.

He gathered his thoughts and first politely greeted the other side.

.: “Hello.”

Fish: “?”

Chen Yuzheng directly sent over a long apology letter:

“I am Conquer, and I’m adding you today with an extremely guilty heart, just wanting to sincerely apologize to you and see if we have a chance to become friends. Before, I was impulsive and did some offensive things to you. Since falling in love with Yu Nuo, the mistakes I made against you have kept me up at night. I now fully realize my problems, and if heaven gave me another chance, I would absolutely not show you that emoji. If my youthful arrogance accidentally hurt you, I can change. Someone as broad-minded as you probably wouldn’t hold it against me. Although I’m proud, I’m more afraid of losing Yu Nuo. Love really needs courage, please give me a chance, I will prove I’m a serious person.”

Chen Yuzheng checked the several hundred word essay and didn’t find any typos.

Yu Ge was probably moved by his sincere apology letter, as he hadn’t replied for a while.

Chen Yuzheng proactively sent another message, and a red exclamation mark appeared.

Below it followed a line of gray text:

[Message sent but rejected by the recipient.]