ATLAS TRANSLATES

Luo Jingyu hadn’t set an alarm and slept until noon, woken by the small light glowing at his bedside.

He went to open the door – it was Fang Xu. Luo Jingyu then remembered they had arranged this a few days ago. The afternoon after Mrs. Chi Jiang’s birthday party, Fang Xu would come to pick up the accessories.

This batch of accessories was very small, a limited pre-order released after New Year’s under the theme of Spring Festival & Valentine’s Day. Originally Luo Jingyu didn’t want to open orders at all, but Fang Xu said they should make at least twenty pieces of each design, just to maintain presence. Whether girls could get them was one thing, but them not making any was another matter.

What he said made sense, so Luo Jingyu designed several simple, festive accessories with relatively easier pressed flowers.

Because the quantity was small, Fang Xu didn’t hire models for photos like usual. He just photographed the samples and made videos to upload to the platform. Meanwhile, Luo Jingyu managed to finish these small items in between working on the cherry blossoms.

Now the Lantern Festival had passed, and Valentine’s Day was in a few days. If Fang Xu didn’t come get them soon, there wouldn’t be time to ship them.

Fang Xu came in carrying a bag of takeout boxes. Seeing Luo Jingyu’s messy hair and haggard appearance, he asked: “What time did you finish work last night?”

Luo Jingyu made a “2” with his right hand, then a “4”, then made a sleeping gesture.

“You’ve worked hard, I brought you food.” Fang Xu suddenly froze. “My god! Your place looks so different! It’s like it’s decorated for a wedding! Wow! Even a cat tree, you got a cat? Where is it?”

Luo Jingyu: “…”

He glumly took the takeout boxes from Fang Xu, pointed at a chair for him to sit, and went to the bathroom to freshen up first.

Coming out of the bathroom, Luo Jingyu found Fang Xu hadn’t sat in the chair but was sitting with legs spread on the sofa. Fang Xu patted the sofa with a smile: “This sofa is nice! Your place finally looks like a home.”

From that distance, Luo Jingyu couldn’t tell what he was saying. He got Fang Xu a can of coffee and ignored him, sitting at the dining table to eat. Fang Xu had gotten him kimchi beef rice – Luo Jingyu was very hungry and thought it tasted good.

After sitting alone on the sofa for a while, Fang Xu got up and wandered to the workstation, picked up a small bottle and looked at it for a bit, then walked to the dining table and sat opposite Luo Jingyu, showing him the bottle and asking: “Is this that resin you were working on?”

Luo Jingyu looked at him and nodded.

Fang Xu asked again: “Did it work?”

Luo Jingyu thought for a moment, shook his head, and typed on his phone to show him: [Experimenting, still not working.]

Fang Xu made an understanding “Oh.”

This resin formula was something Luo Jingyu had been tinkering with himself.

Pressed flower works could indeed be preserved permanently if not damaged by external forces, but they had one drawback that wasn’t really a drawback – they weren’t waterproof. Because the material was fabric and had been dyed, even after applying a fixative, if it got wet the dye would run and the whole piece would be ruined.

Some artisans had tried to develop a liquid that could be brushed on finished pieces to make them waterproof after drying. But this liquid itself would damage the dyeing effects of the pressed flowers, and no one had succeeded so far.

Luo Jingyu had been researching resin coatings in his spare time for over a year. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, showing the formula wasn’t stable. Something that couldn’t succeed 100% of the time could only be considered experimental, because you only knew if it worked after applying it – what if it was an expensive piece? If you applied it and it was ruined, wouldn’t Luo Jingyu want to spit blood?

Moving on from the resin formula, Fang Xu and Luo Jingyu talked about the Flower Festival.

The Flower Festival celebrates the birthday of all flowers, usually held on the fifteenth or twenty-fifth day of the second lunar month in Qiantang, right during the blooming season of March.

Girls who love Hanfu culture wear traditional clothing and floral hairpieces to go spring wandering in the countryside, immersing themselves in seas of peach blossoms, camellias, cherry blossoms, pear blossoms and countless other flowers. They take beautiful photos and videos, and participate in related activities like worshipping the flower goddess and praying for spring blessings.

For Luo Jingyu and Fang Xu, the Flower Festival and autumn’s Hanfu Festival were their two biggest business sources of the year. In previous years, Luo Jingyu would have started working by now, but this year with the cherry tree project earlier, he still hadn’t opened orders when there was only a month left until the Flower Festival.

Business had to continue – without Fang Xu’s reminder, Luo Jingyu wouldn’t give up on the Flower Festival.

After eating, he took out paper and pen to make plans with Fang Xu.

He had to use two days, by February 12th, to decide between two flower themes and make samples. Fang Xu would post them in various Hanfu groups to see the girls’ reactions and determine which theme to go with.

On February 13th, Fang Xu would open limited pre-orders and collect deposits. Special requests could be discussed privately for an extra fee. Based on past experience, the quota would likely be filled that evening.

By February 15th, Luo Jingyu would source materials like metal parts and fabric from suppliers.

They agreed that this time they would offer three types – hairpins, combs and clips, totaling 500 pieces.

If they were oversubscribed, they would ship according to payment order. Orders after 500 pieces weren’t guaranteed to arrive before the Flower Festival.

Then Luo Jingyu would have to work day and night without rest for half a month, shipping the first batch on March 1st and the second batch on March 4th.

This year’s Flower Festival was on March 8th. If all went smoothly, not counting labor costs, just material costs, they would make about 150,000 yuan in profit.

It was like this every year. This year because time was tight, they could make fewer pieces than usual and wouldn’t earn as much as before. Fang Xu had some complaints but also knew Luo Jingyu was just one person with two hands – people need to eat and sleep after all. So after finalizing the plans with him, Fang Xu took the box of accessories and left.

Alone at home, Luo Jingyu didn’t want to think about designing themes yet, so he sat on the sofa spacing out.

Having just intensely finished one big order and immediately having to work non-stop for another month, Luo Jingyu felt tired, but knew this was life.

Being able to have such a craft to make a living was already quite good for a deaf person. At least he didn’t have to be like Chen Liang and Mao Mao, who had to set up stalls at night markets every day regardless of heat or cold, wind or rain, just to earn enough to get by.

Actually being busy was good – when busy, he could forget everything else. Those things, that person, could be temporarily blocked out. At most, in the dead of night he would remember there was once an adorable white kitten in his home, and that girl with the sweet smile who always lingered in his kitchen, tugging his sleeve and chattering away at him.

When he remembered, he couldn’t sleep.

Being busy was better – when people are tired, closing their eyes, unable to hear or see, it’s like sinking into the deep sea. Given enough time, everything can be forgotten.

—

Zhan Xi had washed Luo Jingyu’s scarf and hung it on the balcony to dry.

Before washing it, she had smelled it – it still had his pleasant scent. She still didn’t know which fragrance it was, and didn’t dare ask him.

Chi Guilan had called Zhan Xi, talking to her as if nothing had happened, rambling on about eating well, studying hard, taking the exam seriously at the end of the month. She promised not to introduce any more potential partners for now, saying to focus on securing a good job first.

When Zhan Xi asked about her brother and sister-in-law, Chi Guilan snorted and said “Don’t know, don’t care,” so Zhan Xi didn’t continue that topic.

She thought about returning the scarf to Little Fish when it dried, maybe try to get closer to him.

She said she wouldn’t give up, wanted to try, but Zhan Xi didn’t know where to start. She was the one who rejected Little Fish, and he hadn’t said anything to her either. At this point, she really couldn’t bring herself to just say “I like you” – she’d feel like a crazy person.

Maybe… give some hints?

Zhan Xi sat on the sofa holding Gift, thinking and thinking, opened her phone to check the calendar – ah! This Friday was February 14th, Valentine’s Day!

If… she asked Little Fish out for dinner on Valentine’s Day, would he… get the hint? He should have at least that much emotional intelligence, right? Hmm… and prepare a gift for him! That would be even more obvious, right?

Zhan Xi opened her banking app to check her credit card statement. Honestly, she was quite broke lately. She had spent nearly 3,000 yuan on gifts for Little Fish, raising a cat was expensive too, and she had to pay three months’ rent at the end of the month. Getting another expensive gift for Little Fish was really beyond her means.

She hadn’t bought new clothes in a long time – was she too poor to date?

Zhan Xi patted Gift’s head and said to it: “Sigh, maybe you shouldn’t stay with me anymore, go stay with that person on the fifteenth floor. Your cat food is so expensive, plus you eat milk cake – I’m about to live on instant noodles.”

Gift comfortably meowed a few times and sucked on her finger. Zhan Xi sighed and dejectedly lay down on the sofa.

—

“Little Fish’s Pressed Flower Crafts” had always had good product reputation and a very stable customer base. In several Hanfu groups with hundreds to thousands of members, when the girls saw Fang Xu post sample photos of peony and spring orchid hairpins, they all started calling out “The peony looks good!”, “Want the peony!”, “Peony peony peony!”…

So naturally, this season’s Flower Festival accessories theme was decided to be peonies.

Fang Xu quickly prepared the pre-order link, opening at 5 PM on the 13th. By 9 PM that night, they had over 560 orders.

Under Luo Jingyu’s strong protest, Fang Xu reluctantly closed the link, only regretting that Little Fish Luo didn’t have three heads and six arms.

[Fang Xu]: There will be some cancellations throughout tomorrow, probably not more than 30. I’ll send you a spreadsheet with styles and colors later, you can order materials.

After chatting with Fang Xu a bit, Luo Jingyu went to shower. After showering, he checked his phone and found Zhan Xi had sent him a WeChat message.

Reading the content, Luo Jingyu was stunned.

[Egg Pudding]: Little Fish, are you free tomorrow night? I’d like to treat you to dinner.

Huan Huan wanted to treat him to dinner? Why? Had he done something inappropriate again?

No, he hadn’t!

Luo Jingyu sat on the sofa, racking his brains but couldn’t figure out why Zhan Xi wanted to treat him to dinner. It couldn’t be because of that scarf, right?

He didn’t dare go eat dinner she was treating again – it felt like walking into a trap. Last time on his birthday dinner things got so awkward, at least that was at home. This time going out? He was really afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

His fingers hesitated on the screen for a long time before he finally replied.

Big Fish: No need, thank you.

Receiving this message, Zhan Xi was dumbfounded for quite a while. She thought about it but wasn’t ready to give up.

[Egg Pudding]: Do you have a date tomorrow night? [Pitiful]

Date???

Big Fish: No, really no need to treat me to dinner.

[Egg Pudding]: Then how about you treat me? You still owe me a meal. [Grin]

Luo Jingyu was completely confused, staring at this message for a long time not knowing how to reply.

Zhan Xi sent another message.

[Egg Pudding]: Are you trying to get out of it? [Embarrassed]

Big Fish: What do you want to eat?

[Egg Pudding]: I’m fine with anything, you’re treating so you decide.

Big Fish: I rarely eat out now, don’t know good restaurants, you pick?

[Egg Pudding]: Then let’s have steak! I haven’t had steak in a long time, do you like it?

Big Fish: I’m okay with that, I don’t know where has good steak?

[Egg Pudding]: Steak tastes pretty good anywhere, ribeye is the best!

Big Fish: I meant which restaurant?

[Egg Pudding]: Oh oh oh, which restaurant is good? I know! Remember that mall we went to on Christmas Eve? There’s a nice steak restaurant there, not expensive either, just over 100 yuan for two people.

Big Fish: Okay, then you send me the restaurant, time, we meet there.

[Egg Pudding]: We’re not going together?

[Egg Pudding]: Alright, I’ll send you the link later, 6 PM? Whoever arrives first can go in and find seats.

Big Fish: Okay, see you tomorrow.

After this conversation, Luo Jingyu’s mind was blank.

How strange! Huan Huan arranged to eat steak with him tomorrow?

Oh no, he wouldn’t be able to sleep again tonight.

Zhan Xi, who had “cleverly” arranged a Valentine’s Day dinner date with Little Fish, wasn’t too happy.

Little Fish was still so cold – they lived so close but he didn’t even want to go there together.

Zhan Xi looked at the gift she had prepared for Little Fish on the table – a box of imported chocolates! She thought, although it only cost a few dozen yuan, it was Valentine’s Day! A girl giving chocolates to a boy! Even the dumbest guy should understand what that means, right?

If Little Fish was still angry and asked about those messages she sent before, how should she explain?

That she changed her mind? That she hadn’t meant what she said? That she was going back on her words? That she was an idiot?

Well, being an idiot was fine – compared to their current awkward relationship, Zhan Xi would rather be an idiot and let Little Fish laugh at her.

But… Zhan Xi knew Little Fish wouldn’t laugh at her.

He would just look at her helplessly, maybe even smile and pat her head.

Thinking about how their relationship might have a tiny breakthrough tomorrow, Zhan Xi started smiling secretly.

—

The next day at work, Zhan Xi was looking forward to the evening’s date and in a very good mood.

But early in the morning, Yuan Sichen poured cold water on her.

Yuan Sichen said: “Xiao Zhan, letting you know – we have dance practice at Qiufeng at 6 PM tonight.”

Zhan Xi was shocked: “Tonight?! Why? Isn’t it Valentine’s Day?”

“What does Valentine’s Day have to do with you?” Yuan Sichen smirked at her. “Got a boyfriend? Hey! You’ve been hiding it well!”

“I… no, I don’t.” Zhan Xi mumbled, “I made dinner plans with a friend tonight.”

Yuan Sichen explained: “We don’t have a choice. Teacher Qiu said if we don’t practice tonight, she’s busy tomorrow and the day after, and next week Monday through Thursday you know the studio has classes. We’re still not dancing well enough – if we wait another week, we really won’t be ready to perform.”

Zhan Xi had a bitter expression: “But I really made plans with someone…”

“We’ll finish at 8, or we can try to end early at 7:30, then you can go to dinner after – how’s that?” Yuan Sichen begged her. “Qian Yun is fine with it, I’ve already sorted things out with my boyfriend. Could you please just deal with it? Please, please.”

Zhan Xi’s mouth was turned down enough to hang an oil bottle from it, but she finally agreed.

She messaged Little Fish saying she had dance practice tonight, finishing at 8, so dinner probably needed to be canceled.

[Big Fish]: Okay, no problem, I’ll treat you next time.

[Egg Pudding]: The dance studio is actually near the company, not far from our complex either, about a twenty-minute walk. How about we go for dinner after I finish dancing?

Luo Jingyu’s brain crashed again, not understanding why Zhan Xi was so insistent about them having dinner together.

[Big Fish]: Too late, weather’s cold, I’ll treat you next time, won’t go back on my word.

[Egg Pudding]: Oh, alright.

After work, Zhan Xi went to the dance studio with Yuan Sichen and Qian Yun. This studio didn’t do children’s dance training, specializing instead in teen and adult dance instruction, including street dance, modern dance, Latin dance, jazz, and even pole dancing.

The studio was on the second floor of street-front shops, with three dance rooms. For transparency, instead of walls, the corridor side had floor-to-ceiling glass partitions.

Their teacher, Teacher Qiu, was twenty-seven. She had studied dance since childhood and even been a trainee, but when realizing debut was unlikely, she partnered with someone to open this studio.

The room temperature was high. Zhan Xi ate a bread roll, changed into a T-shirt and practice pants, tied up her hair, and stood with her two colleagues in a triangular formation. She was in the center position. Teacher Qiu pressed play on the music, and after the intro, the three of them started dancing.

It was a sexy English dance song. Teacher Qiu had designed relatively simple movements and formations, but they were bold and expansive – if danced in unison, it would look good. Unfortunately, none of the three had studied dance before. Even though they had memorized the moves and practiced for over a month, their dancing was still painful to watch.

“What’s going on?” Teacher Qiu was about to break down. After they finished one round, she walked to Zhan Xi to demonstrate. “Xiao Zhan, be more confident, swing your hips like this, see? Don’t be so stiff like you’re doing radio calisthenics. You have such a good figure, long limbs – you’re actually very suited for dancing! Try to be a bit sexier, okay?”

Zhan Xi watched her demonstration while catching her breath, thinking she got it, but when she danced it still wasn’t right.

Teacher Qiu had them dance two more times, then started working on details and formations. Her evaluation of Zhan Xi was “not confident, inhibited, wooden, stiff.”

“Have you understood the lyrics of this song? You’re all university graduates, right? You should understand!” Teacher Qiu clapped while teaching. “It’s about a rule-following girl who, facing the boy she has a crush on, is very nervous at first, can’t even look at him. But then she discovers the boy actually likes her too, so she becomes bolder and confesses to him. The first half is more restrained, but the second half just goes ‘bang!’ Explosion! Heart racing, sparks flying! Understand? Xiao Zhan!”

“Ah!” Zhan Xi snapped back to attention. “What?”

Teacher Qiu was exasperated: “Have you ever dated? You’re so pretty, you can’t have never dated, right? Remember how it feels seeing your boyfriend, that heart-pounding feeling, transforming from a shy girl to someone alluring – recall it! Feel it!”

Zhan Xi’s face fell: “…”

If she hadn’t been dragged here to dance, she might be experiencing that right now!

Yuan Sichen and Qian Yun burst into laughter. Teacher Qiu looked helplessly at the ceiling: “Take a water break, then continue!”

—

Luo Jingyu walked on the street with his hands in his pockets.

Tonight was strange – there seemed to be more people than usual on the streets, and restaurants were particularly full. Why? Because it was the weekend?

His hood was pulled low, almost covering his eyes, and he still wore a mask.

Luo Jingyu didn’t know why he had gone out.

Searching for dance training institutes near Qingque Garden on an app, three places came up: “Little Golden Bean Children’s Dance School,” “Wang Jun Chinese Dance Training Center,” and “Qiufeng Arts.”

Luo Jingyu’s destination was “Qiufeng Arts.”

Zhan Xi said it was a twenty-minute walk, but he arrived in thirteen minutes – was this not the right place? He wasn’t sure.

The studio was on the second floor. No one was watching the stairway entrance. Luo Jingyu went up and saw a corridor with walls on the left and floor-to-ceiling windows on the right, each room brightly lit.

Luo Jingyu pulled down his hood, ruffled his hair, and walked slowly forward.

In the first room, seven or eight young people were dancing – street dance maybe? Both men and women. Luo Jingyu didn’t linger, continuing forward.

The second room surprisingly had several poles set up, with four girls learning pole dancing. They happened to be doing a move hooking their leg around the pole while bending backward. Their hair of various lengths hung down, and their clothes were quite light. One girl noticed him and even winked at him. Luo Jingyu was startled and quickly lowered his head, walking on.

In the third room, he finally found the person he was looking for.

Three girls were dancing, with Zhan Xi in front, facing a large mirror. Her hair was in a high ponytail, white short-sleeved T-shirt tied at the waist revealing her slim waist, wearing loose black pants.

Her shirt was damp with sweat, cheeks flushed, wisps of hair sticking to her face – clearly she had been practicing for a while.

Luo Jingyu stood still, feeling something strange through his feet.

He concentrated on the feeling — it was vibration.

He slowly approached the large window and placed his right palm against the glass.

Ah… the feeling was clearer now – vibration, rhythmic vibration, coming through his feet and palm.

He looked at the girl again and realized the vibrations he felt matched her movements! This discovery delighted him, as if he could hear the music and more deeply appreciate her dance.

This wasn’t the first time Luo Jingyu had felt vibrations – they were everywhere in life – but it was the first time vibrations had made him feel closer to another person.

Fast, slow, heavy, light – Luo Jingyu carefully felt the rhythm under his palm, matching it to Zhan Xi’s dance moves, completely absorbed.

Zhan Xi was dancing mechanically, not noticing the person outside the window until the song ended.

Yuan Sichen noticed first, calling out: “Who’s that outside? So scary.”

Only then did Zhan Xi look up while catching her breath — black clothes, black pants, black mask – heavens! It was Little Fish!

She almost ran out, but Teacher Qiu had already told them to get in formation for another round. Zhan Xi made big gestures signing to Little Fish: [Wait for me, don’t leave!]

These were all signs she knew. She signed them three times, not stopping until he nodded at her. Only then did she smile broadly, feeling relieved.

As the intro started again, Zhan Xi’s mindset had completely changed.

The person she liked was outside, watching her!

She didn’t even know how he knew to come here! How he knew where she was!

She was so happy! The smile couldn’t be hidden from her face, her heart beating incredibly fast, thump thump thump…

When her body started moving to the music, somehow she didn’t feel tired anymore, didn’t feel bored anymore, dancing with extra energy, trying to perfect every movement.

Zhan Xi certainly knew the meaning of the lyrics – she’d heard it so many times she could sing it! The good girl sees the boy she has a crush on, heart racing like a little deer, shy and bashful… What? Oh my god! He likes me too?

Spinning with joy! Flying with happiness!

Be a little bolder! Be more confident!

Look, he’s right there!

Toss that hair! Swing those hips! Let you see how cute I am! How alluring!

Hey! I’m young and full of energy! Am I more beautiful than your pressed flowers?

My heart is racing now, what about yours? Seeing me like this, does it move your heart?

Bang! Explosion!

Nothing can stop me from liking you!

I don’t want to give up on you, because you’re really wonderful!

What about you? Do you like me?

Look into my eyes, they’re looking at you too.

I bite my lip, do I look like a little enchantress?

Hey, My lovely little fish, I got you. I got you…

Teacher Qiu stood with hands on hips, mouth agape, jaw about to drop. Yuan Sichen and Qian Yun were also surprised – that last dance, Zhan Xi had danced like a different person, her movements cute yet seductive, even her expressions were perfect.

“You’ve… had an epiphany?” Teacher Qiu looked Zhan Xi up and down. “Tsk tsk tsk, what a shame – if you were eight years younger, you might have debuted as a trainee!”

Zhan Xi had no interest in joking with her, saying urgently: “Teacher Qiu, five-minute break, I need to go out!”

She bounced out of the classroom. Luo Jingyu hadn’t left. After the music stopped, the vibrations disappeared and his world returned to silence. He reluctantly removed his palm from the glass and stepped back a bit.

Zhan Xi ran up to him, covered in sweat, cheeks rosy red, but her eyes bright, happily calling out: “Little Fish, why did you come?”

Luo Jingyu still wore his mask and didn’t dare remove it, because his face was burning right now.

But his red ear tips gave him away. Zhan Xi looked at his slightly flustered eyes and smiled even more: “I’ll be done in half an hour. Wait for me, don’t leave, okay?”

Luo Jingyu: “…”

“Wait for me! Don’t leave! Promise me!” Zhan Xi spoke while signing, these simple phrases she now signed very fluently.

Luo Jingyu saw the three girls in the classroom looking out, his heart jumped, and he quickly nodded, stopping Zhan Xi from continuing to sign.

Zhan Xi smiled so much her eyes curved into crescents.

Luo Jingyu looked at her, pointed at her, then pointed to his left cheek.

Zhan Xi didn’t understand: “What?”

She touched her right cheek following his direction.

Luo Jingyu sighed, slowly raising his hand to brush away a damp strand of hair that was almost sticking to Zhan Xi’s nose on her left side, tucking it behind her ear.

Zhan Xi stood obediently still, feeling the temperature and touch of his fingers on her cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, suddenly looking up at him. Luo Jingyu was caught off guard, their gazes locked together, before he steeled himself to quickly look away.

Zhan Xi knew he was shy, smiled slightly, and walked backwards with her hands behind her back. Before entering the classroom, she suddenly signed to him. Luo Jingyu understood but didn’t comprehend.

She had signed: [Happy holiday.]

Today was a holiday? What holiday?

Luo Jingyu had been so busy with Flower Festival orders lately, his days all blurred together. He only remembered the upcoming Flower Festival, which coincided with International Women’s Day.

He took out his phone to check the date. After seeing it, he froze on the spot.

If he hadn’t promised Huan Huan he wouldn’t leave, he would have run away by now.