ATLAS TRANSLATES

Luo Jingyu was awakened by the vibration of his bracelet.

He turned on the lamp and got out of bed, checking on Gift for the fourth time. Finally, instead of seeing the kitten sleeping like the previous three times, Gift was awake.

The kitten was trying to squeeze through the hole in the cardboard box. Either Luo Jingyu had made the hole too small, or Gift wasn’t very good at walking yet. Its head and front paws were outside while its back paws and bottom were still stuck inside, desperately scratching at the floor.

Luo Jingyu couldn’t hear if it was meowing, but imagined the little one must be crying out in frustration. He smiled and picked up the kitten, taking it back to bed with him.

His bed was quite large, 1.8 meters wide. He placed Gift beside him and watched as it curled up obediently. Luo Jingyu patted its head and signed: [Do you miss mom? I miss her too, but it’s very late now. Let’s go to sleep.]

Gift settled down and peacefully fell asleep beside Luo Jingyu.

—

On Sunday morning after breakfast, Zhan Jie said he wanted to drive his wife and son to a tourist spot in Tong County, and asked if Zhan Xi wanted to come.

The night before, Qin Fei had been giving Zhan Jie the cold shoulder. After thinking hard, this was the best way he could think of to make it up to his wife. Wei Wei was excited about going out, and seeing their son so happy, Qin Fei agreed.

Zhan Xi actually wanted to go since the tourist spot had only been built in the last two years and she hadn’t been there yet. However, she knew that if she went, her mom would definitely want to go too. And if her mom went, Qin Fei wouldn’t be able to enjoy herself. So she made up an excuse saying the spot had a glass walkway high up and she was afraid of heights.

As expected, when she didn’t go, Chi Guilan also said she wouldn’t go. So Zhan Jie’s family of three happily left, saying they would head straight back to Qiantang afterward instead of coming back home.

Zhan Xi was very bored staying at home. She had deleted all her chat history on WeChat and didn’t dare chat with Little Fish anymore, so she could only keep her grandmother company.

Unfortunately, her 86-year-old grandmother was very hard of hearing. Even when Zhan Xi practically shouted, she still couldn’t hear clearly. The grandmother just kept talking non-stop, telling Huan Huan to eat properly, study well, and not cause trouble for teachers…

Her grandmother couldn’t even remember that her granddaughter had already graduated and thought she was still in university.

After leaving her grandmother’s room, Zhan Xi watched TV with her father – a war drama that made her cringe. When her mom was preparing lunch, Zhan Xi went to help in the kitchen, but inevitably got another lecture. It was the same old things over and over until her ears felt calloused from hearing it so much.

In the afternoon, her cousin Yin Li came to visit with her boyfriend. Zhan Xi saw them as her saviors and quickly slipped out with them.

Yin Li was her aunt’s second daughter, two years older than Zhan Xi. After graduating from junior college, she returned to work in downtown Tong County. Since housing prices in Tong County were much lower than Qiantang, her family bought her a two-bedroom apartment where she lived comfortably with her boyfriend. Hearing that Zhan Xi was back for New Year’s, Yin Li specially came back to town to see her.

Zhan Xi wasn’t familiar with Yin Li’s boyfriend Xiao Liu. When the three of them went shopping at the department store in town center, the couple walked hand in hand in front, while Zhan Xi could only stuff her hands in her pockets and follow behind like a third wheel.

Ah… she wanted to have a sweet romance too, just like Yin Li and Xiao Liu – playfully hitting each other, pushing each other around, bickering, then being all lovey-dovey again.

Even when buying bubble tea, they had to try each other’s flavors. Xiao Liu complained that Yin Li’s drink tasted bad but still took a big sip. Yin Li jumped up and down angrily, which earned her a kiss on the forehead from Xiao Liu.

Zhan Xi: “…”

Ugh! Why was life so difficult!!

Zhan Xi was fed dog food the entire time, turning sour like a lemon. Watching Yin Li and Xiao Liu being all sweet, she imagined having a boy who would play with her like that too, ruffle her hair, make her laugh, and warm her hands in his coat pockets when she was cold.

In her mind, that boy’s face gradually became clear – tall, dressed in black, fair-skinned, with beautiful gentle eyes and really long eyelashes.

It was Little Fish!

Zhan Xi was startled. She covered her left chest with her right hand, as if trying to prevent her wildly beating heart from jumping out.

After shopping, the three of them drove home. In the car, Yin Li asked Zhan Xi how she’d been lately.

Zhan Xi found she didn’t have much to say. In her life, besides meeting Little Fish which was a pleasant surprise, everything else was stagnant.

Yin Li smiled and said, “I heard from Second Aunt that you’re going to take the civil service exam. She said you’ll definitely pass.”

“How can anyone be so sure?” Zhan Xi was speechless. “Don’t listen to what my mom says.”

“You’ve always been the best student in the family.” Yin Li counted on her fingers. “Your brother wasn’t good, my sister and I weren’t good, your cousin’s two kids weren’t good either, and don’t even mention Third Uncle’s kid. Huan Huan, I think you’ll definitely have a great future. You might end up being the most successful one in our family. I’m counting on riding your coattails!”

Zhan Xi felt embarrassed: “Sister Li, I only have a bachelor’s degree! Bachelor’s degrees are everywhere these days. Other families all have masters and PhDs. My roommates are all still in graduate school.”

Xiao Liu laughed while driving: “Lili, your sister means the rest of your siblings and cousins are too mediocre!”

Yin Li yelled: “Shut up!”

Zhan Xi hurried to say: “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Yin Li linked arms with her. “Actually, it makes sense that your mom has high expectations for you. You’re pretty, good at studying, gentle and sensible. Whether it’s finding a job or a partner, you can afford to be picky. Our whole family is so curious about what kind of amazing husband you’ll end up with!”

Zhan Xi: “…”

She tried very hard to whack down the image of Little Fish that kept popping up in her mind like a game of whack-a-mole. Her heart was racing as she wondered what was wrong with her.

It had only been one day without chatting with Little Fish. Could it be… she missed him?

—

Luo Jingyu went back to his parents’ home around dinner time. Luo Xiaomei and Gao Yuan were there too.

Yan Yajuan was very unhappy, complaining that her son came home less and less. He said he’d come once a week but didn’t even chat with his parents – just came to eat, left right after, and even took two marinated ducks with him. How outrageous!

Luo Jingyu kept yawning. He hadn’t slept well last night because of Gift, his eyelids were drooping as he patiently watched his mother sign.

Yan Yajuan looked angry: [What time did you sleep last night? Were you out stealing? Don’t try to fool your mother, you must have found someone, right? You just took two marinated ducks last week and now you want more! Are you eating duck for every meal? One duck costs 130 yuan! Your dad can’t marinate them fast enough for how quickly you eat them! Tell the truth, are you giving the ducks to some girl?]

Luo Xiaomei and Gao Yuan sat on the side eating sunflower seeds, enjoying the show.

Luo Jingyu’s face turned red again rather pathetically. He raised his hands and signed guiltily: [No, I’m eating them myself.]

He thought he wasn’t lying – whenever Zhan Xi steamed the marinated duck, he got to eat some too.

After Yan Yajuan scolded him some more, Luo Jingyu decided to tell the truth. He opened his phone’s photo gallery to show his mom and signed: [I got a cat. I need to go home to take care of it. It’s still very small.]

Luo Xiaomei also came over to look. The kitten was indeed a kitten, but…

She looked up and signed teasingly: [Little Fish, who did you take this video for? You’re even smiling at the camera.]

Both women’s gazes fell squarely on Luo Jingyu’s face. His scalp tingled and his drowsiness vanished. He wanted to explain but couldn’t think of a reasonable answer right away, so he simply signed: [No! I just took it randomly. I need to go now, I’m so sleepy!]

After Luo Jingyu fled, Luo Xiaomei and Yan Yajuan exchanged glances. His mother signed puzzledly: [Has Little Fish really found someone?]

Luo Xiaomei covered her mouth and smiled, signing: [Maybe, he’s been acting very strange lately.]

Sitting on the subway home, Luo Jingyu thought about his earlier reaction and felt it was indeed strange. He… had been too flustered, like some inexperienced youngster.

The eco-friendly bag in his hand contained two marinated ducks for Huan Huan. His father had teased that he took food home every time he visited, saying they’d have to start charging him if this continued.

Luo Jingyu thought, well, Huan Huan brought him local specialties, so he had to give something in return. Buying specific gifts would seem too deliberate, and the pressed flower accessories weren’t finished yet. Bringing some homemade marinated ducks was perfect – how natural! Huan Huan liked eating them, she definitely wouldn’t think too much of it.

All day, Huan Huan hadn’t contacted him. He had sent her a WeChat message with an adorable photo of Gift, but she hadn’t replied.

Since she didn’t reply, Luo Jingyu wouldn’t push. Huan Huan was home after all – she had to meet friends and relatives. How could she chat with him all the time?

Back home, Luo Jingyu searched everywhere for Gift.

He had left the air conditioning and lights on, along with cat food and water. Since he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t call out, so he just had to look everywhere.

Finally, he found Gift under the master bedroom bed. Luo Jingyu knelt down and reached under, coaxing for quite a while before Gift reluctantly crawled out. Luo Jingyu held it in his arms, wondering if the kitten was angry because he had been gone for several hours and thought he had abandoned it?

How petty – Huan Huan hadn’t talked to him all day and he wasn’t angry.

Luo Jingyu made Gift a new bed using a larger flattened cardboard box. Besides the blanket Huan Huan had brought, he also added a thick old cotton coat.

During the day, Gift would curl up in the box to sleep, and when it needed to use the bathroom, it would tumble and roll its way to the litter box. Every time Luo Jingyu saw how it walked, he couldn’t help but laugh.

After showering, he sat at his workstation. Gift circled around his feet, even stretching its front paws to climb his calves. Luo Jingyu simply picked it up onto his lap to let it stay there.

Little clingy thing — he shook his head helplessly and picked up his pen to continue drawing.

He was drawing the design for that cherry blossom tree.

Actually, to make a tree using pressed flowers, he only needed to draw a simple sketch. Trees come in all shapes and forms – it’s not like you can make it look exactly like the drawing. The branches, flowers, and leaves all need to be adjusted during assembly. But Luo Jingyu still wanted to draw out the effect to show Mr. Chi Jiang.

He sketched with pencil first, then inked it and erased the pencil lines. He made a copy to keep, then colored it with markers. Luo Jingyu had an art background. After drawing a pink Yoshino cherry tree, he scanned it into the computer and tried adding background walls.

Dong Cheng had said that at Mrs. Chi Jiang’s birthday party, they couldn’t just abruptly present a lone tree – that would be too strange. They needed to add background walls.

Luo Jingyu knew how to use design software. After making several proposals, he sent them to Dong Cheng’s email. Then he opened the kimono designs Dong Cheng had sent him to look at.

There was a faint watermark on the design – Luo Jingyu recognized it as Kyo-Yuzen.

Teacher Xu Qingyan had taught them about kimonos before, because they needed to learn about making matching accessories. Luo Jingyu knew that a custom Kyo-Yuzen kimono cost enough to buy Zhan Xi’s apartment 802.

This realization made him not dare to be careless, observing even more carefully.

This Kyo-Yuzen was a cold gold thread pink tomesode with gold leaf dyeing patterns. Luo Jingyu zoomed in to look – the pattern was yaezakura cherry blossoms along with some matching plants and flowers. It looked full of spring spirit without being gaudy or childish, very suitable for Mrs. Chi Jiang’s age group as a Japanese woman – elegant yet fun.

The obi was woven with seed embroidery, with totem-like patterns. Luo Jingyu couldn’t quite understand it but guessed it might be Mr. Chi Jiang’s family crest.

This kind of high-end custom kimono would reflect the owner’s personality and interests. Luo Jingyu stroked his chin, thinking Mrs. Chi Jiang must be a nature-loving, intellectual, elegant yet traditional and courteous woman.

He took out sketch paper and started drafting. After finishing the cherry tree that night, he only planned to roughly organize his thoughts on the hair comb design. Since the kimono had yaezakura, the hair comb would naturally use yaezakura too, along with diamonds. It couldn’t be too complex or Mr. Chi Jiang wouldn’t be able to learn it…

Luo Jingyu was absorbed in drawing, not knowing how much time had passed until he noticed Gift had fallen asleep on his lap.

He petted the kitten and checked his phone – it was already past midnight!

But Huan Huan still hadn’t responded to him.

Luo Jingyu felt very disappointed.

Zhan Xi seemed to have disappeared completely.

She had sent Luo Jingyu one WeChat message on Monday morning saying she wouldn’t be able to chat for a few days, but didn’t give a reason. After that, there were no more messages.

Luo Jingyu had no choice and didn’t dare disturb her. He could only focus on being a good cat parent.

At night, Gift never slept in the cardboard box again, always sleeping with Luo Jingyu in bed, claiming one spot and obediently snuggling up next to him. Luo Jingyu wasn’t used to it at first, but after a few nights he got accustomed to having a soft little creature beside him.

On New Year’s Eve, he still worked until very late.

After midnight, Luo Jingyu went to the kitchen and boiled two eggs.

He picked up one egg and drew a smiley face on the shell with a marker. Then he held the egg in his left hand and took a photo with his phone, posting it to WeChat Moments with the caption: Happy New Year.

A few minutes later, among the flood of festive posts in Moments, he saw one from Zhan Xi.

Her image was a cartoon whale spraying water, with the caption: Happy New Year.

Looking at this post, Luo Jingyu’s upturned lips wouldn’t come down, his heart feeling soft and warm.

He stood by the counter peeling the eggs and eating them slowly, bite by bite.

Eggs are so delicious! Definitely the most delicious food in the world! No question about it!

—

On the first day of the new year, everything felt fresh and new. Zhan Xi wore the new clothes Chi Guilan had bought her – a bright red down jacket. With a sack of local specialties and her mother’s company, she went to the long-distance bus station.

These past few days, her father had gone to work at the factory, her grandmother rarely left her room, and Zhan Xi had been stuck with Chi Guilan the whole time, which was truly unbearable.

After buying the bus ticket, Chi Guilan waited with her daughter in the waiting room.

Mother and daughter sat side by side. Zhan Xi didn’t play with her phone anymore. She had given up – she could completely quit her phone addiction in front of her mother.

Chi Guilan started rambling again, and Zhan Xi didn’t show any impatience, just listening docilely. After talking for a while, Chi Guilan suddenly stopped and turned to look at her daughter’s profile, asking in a serious voice: “Huan Huan, do you find mom annoying?”

“Of course not,” Zhan Xi said innocently. “How could I?”

“I know you’re grown up now and have your own ideas,” Chi Guilan reached out to fix Zhan Xi’s collar, smoothing down the turned-up fur trim of the hood. “But there are still many things you need to listen to mom about. You’re only in your twenties after all, still not mature.”

Zhan Xi calmly looked at her mother.

“Mom isn’t well-educated, neither is your dad. This is just how our lives turned out. Our generation had it tough, there was no choice,” Chi Guilan said. “But you’re different. Our family doesn’t believe in favoring boys over girls – you should know this. In fact, compared to Ah Jie, the whole family spoils you more.”

“You were good at studying, so your dad and I would have let you study even if it killed us. We never thought ‘what’s the use of a girl studying so much?’ If you wanted to pursue a master’s or PhD, we would have supported you all the way. But then you said you didn’t want to take the graduate entrance exam. Fine, we went along with that too.”

“Do you know why we want you to enter the civil service? Your personality is innocent – you can’t compete with others in private companies. You’re not like Qin Fei who has thick skin and knows how to handle things. How else could she work as a saleswoman? I can’t even imagine you being a saleswoman! Drinking with men for business, working overtime, going on business trips, and possibly even getting harassed by men.”