ATLAS TRANSLATES

Zhan Jie turned to look coldly at Zhan Xi and asked: “What are you doing here?”

“Attending… the exhibition,” Zhan Xi answered.

“What are you wearing?” Zhan Jie asked again, his tone full of disdain.

Zhan Xi looked down at her dress: “Hanfu! Many girls wear it on the streets now. Doesn’t it look nice? It’s our traditional clothing.”

Zhan Jie: “…”

He pointed at Luo Jingyu: “Who is he?”

Zhan Xi glanced at Little Fish, not daring to answer.

Zhan Jie’s voice grew louder: “I asked you who is he?!”

He thought it was strange – that young man hadn’t lifted his head once, as if he couldn’t hear.

Zhan Xi gathered her courage and said: “My boyfriend.”

Zhan Jie was stunned, his eyes wide: “When did you get a boyfriend?! How long have you been dating?”

“Dating…” Zhan Xi tugged at her skirt hem with pursed lips, saying softly, “We met in late November last year, started dating in late February this year, so five months now.”

Zhan Jie’s head felt like it would explode. He sucked in a cold breath, thought back to that time period and exclaimed: “Oh! So that’s why you insisted on moving out then?” His next question came in a lower voice, “Are you two living together?”

“No!” Zhan Xi answered righteously this time, “We’re just dating, definitely, definitely, definitely not living together!”

Zhan Jie didn’t really believe her. Just then, Luo Jingyu looked up at them.

Huh? Another man was chatting with Huanhuan?

Before he could think further, Zhan Jie and Zhan Xi were both looking at him. The three people’s gazes met, each with complex emotions.

Seeing her brother’s unfriendly expression that looked ready for a fight, Zhan Xi quickly grabbed Zhan Jie’s arm: “Brother, brother! Let me explain first, let me explain!”

Luo Jingyu: “?”

He couldn’t see Zhan Xi’s lip movements, but his instinct told him something was wrong. Just as he was about to stand up, Zhan Xi anxiously turned to sign to him: [Don’t come over, this is my brother!]

Luo Jingyu froze: “!”

Zhan Jie: “??!!”

Zhan Xi pulled Zhan Jie away from the booth: “Brother, let’s talk somewhere else, let me explain.”

Zhan Jie was completely dumbfounded. What had he just seen? He hadn’t seen wrong, had he? His sister hadn’t spoken to that man but had made some hand gestures – was that… sign language?

Was that man deaf-mute? No way?!

When they reached a quiet corner of the exhibition hall, as soon as they stopped, Zhan Jie asked furiously: “That person is deaf?!”

Seeing no point in hiding it anymore, Zhan Xi nodded: “Yes, he can’t hear, but don’t call him ‘deaf’ – that’s discriminatory.”

“You!” Zhan Jie pointed at her with trembling fingers, barely able to speak clearly, “What kind of crazy soup did you drink? Are you insane, Zhan Xi?! There are so many men in this world, why do you have to find a deaf one? Tell me, are you just playing around? Because he’s handsome?”

Zhan Xi slumped her shoulders: “I’m not playing around, brother! He’s really good, treats me well too. Besides not being able to hear, you really can’t find any faults. I’m very happy with him. I didn’t tell you all before… because I knew you wouldn’t approve. Mom definitely won’t approve, but I really like him.”

Zhan Jie was going crazy: “You knew we wouldn’t approve but still chose him? What for? Knowingly walking into danger? Or just wanting to oppose Mom? Would it make you happy to anger her to death? Rebellious phase? Isn’t this rebellious phase a bit too late?”

“It’s not like that!” Zhan Xi was so helpless, “What can I do if I just like him? We actually broke up once, because I was afraid Mom wouldn’t approve. I was so sad after breaking up, kept thinking about him every day. After we got back together, we’re really good together. You don’t know him – if you got to know him, you’d like him.”

Zhan Jie shouted: “Am I crazy?! I’ll never like him! A deaf person, disabled! And you? Look at yourself, people have praised your beauty since you were little – can’t you find other men? My brother-in-law absolutely cannot be a deaf person! Never mind Mom not approving! I won’t approve either!”

Zhan Xi looked at him, her expression darkening: “I told you not to call him ‘deaf’ again. People with hearing difficulties don’t like being called that.”

Zhan Jie was speechless: “Then what should I call him? The handsome guy with hearing difficulties?”

“His name is Luo Jingyu,” Zhan Xi said. “Luo as in camel, Jing as in quiet, Yu as in language. His nickname is Little Fish, everyone calls him Little Fish.”

“…” Zhan Jie roared, “I didn’t ask for his name!”

After they glared at each other in silence for a while, Zhan Xi asked: “How did you come here? Does Mom know?”

This was what worried her most – she feared Zhan Jie had been sent as Mom’s advance guard, as if Ji Guilan might storm into the venue any second. Zhan Xi wasn’t ready to directly confront her mother yet.

Zhan Jie put his hands on his hips and caught his breath: “Mom doesn’t know.”

Zhan Xi let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Dad saw you in the newspaper and secretly called me,” Zhan Jie took a breath to calm down. “Did you see what the newspaper wrote? Something about a young couple making what-what flowers… Dad asked me to come see what you’re up to!”

Zhan Xi pouted: “We’re seriously doing the exhibition. Little Fish’s work is making pressed flowers – you saw it just now. Look, this hairpin has pressed flowers too.”

She took off her lotus hairpin to show Zhan Jie. He didn’t understand it, just thinking this was something girls liked – how could there be men who did this?

Seeing her brother holding the hairpin silently, Zhan Xi said: “Brother, although Little Fish can’t hear, he has a job – more like a career really, with decent income. Today is our last exhibition day, I don’t want any problems. Here, I’ll give you his studio address. When you have time, you can come visit and chat with him. Then you’ll know what kind of person he is.”

Zhan Jie looked up: “How can I chat with him? He can’t hear!”

“I can translate for you,” Zhan Xi said. “I’ve learned sign language.”

Zhan Jie’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“Don’t tell Dad yet,” Zhan Xi took back the hairpin from her brother and put it back in her hair. “Really, brother, this isn’t the right time and place – we’re very busy and can’t talk much with you. And you’re already prejudiced against him, so any talk now won’t go well. Come another day, I’ll explain everything properly. Trust me, Little Fish is really good.”

Zhan Jie squinted at his sister. Her complexion was quite good, cheeks rosy, and she wasn’t as thin as during New Year’s. He asked again: “You two… really aren’t living together?”

Zhan Xi looked to the sky: “Really not! Trust me, Little Fish respects me very much.”

Zhan Jie also let out a sigh of relief – not living together was good, hadn’t done that, so there was still room for change.

He made a threat: “If he dares do anything to you, believe it or not I’ll tear him apart right now!”

Zhan Xi muttered: “You might not be able to beat him… he’s taller than you.”

“Nonsense!” Zhan Jie refused to accept this. “He’s not as strong as me!”

Zhan Xi glanced at him: “You’re just fat.”

“You!” Zhan Jie was about to die from anger, “Can’t you see I’ve lost ten kilos?”

At his words, Zhan Xi finally noticed Zhan Jie had indeed lost a lot of weight. Probably because after the divorce, no one was cooking for him, and his food quality had dropped significantly.

“Brother, how have you been lately?” Zhan Xi timidly expressed her concern.

“So you remember you have a brother?” Zhan Jie snorted coldly. “When I asked you to come for dinner you absolutely wouldn’t come. I was wondering why – turns out you had a boyfriend, hmph.”

“I was just busy! Been busy with this exhibition for half a month, haven’t had a single free day.” Zhan Xi took Zhan Jie’s arm and led him out. “Since you rarely come, let’s go look around elsewhere. Just let me know beforehand when you want to visit Little Fish’s place.”

Zhan Jie said: “I’m coming tomorrow after work.”

“What?!” Zhan Xi was stunned. “Coming tomorrow already?”

“You said yourself the exhibition ends today!” Zhan Jie said angrily. “What? Want to delay? You think I want to meddle in your business? If Mom finds out about you and him, who knows how you’ll die! I advise you to break up with him early, and don’t let Mom know. Someone deaf… with hearing problems definitely won’t work, really won’t work! Huanhuan, you must have brain problems too – do you want World War 3? I won’t help you when the time comes, I’m already too lazy to deal with Mom.”

He poked his sister’s head, and Zhan Xi pouted: “Whether it works or not, we’ll talk when you come tomorrow. Brother, please help me keep it secret for now, don’t let Dad know either – I’m afraid he’ll let it slip. Just tell them Little Fish is quite good, let me date him and see. If it goes well, I’ll tell them myself.”

“Are you dreaming? Mom would approve if it goes well?” Zhan Jie thought his sister was too naive. “Although Mom always wanted you to find someone in the system, I also think that’s too much – there are many excellent men in all industries now. But someone disabled really won’t work! Huanhuan, how could we bring him home? People would laugh at us. A perfectly good girl like you, how could you choose someone like this?”

Zhan Xi’s voice also got louder: “Someone like what? What exactly is wrong with him? I think Little Fish is good in every way! Ah forget it, I won’t argue with you. If you come tomorrow and think he’s not good, go tell Mom and Dad! I’ll tell them myself – we’ll have to tell them sooner or later anyway.”

Zhan Jie looked at her for a long while and asked: “You’re really set on him? Have you thought about what if Mom never accepts him? Even if you elope with him, after a few years you might still divorce, just like me and Qin Fei.”

Zhan Xi looked at him coldly: “You and Qin Fei divorced because you didn’t protect her. If you had protected her, would you have divorced? But me! I will protect Little Fish!”

Zhan Jie was left speechless.

Zhan Xi finally managed to send her brother away. She thought, as long as Mom didn’t know, she wasn’t so nervous about Dad and Brother – they could at least be reasoned with and wouldn’t do anything excessive or hurt Little Fish without cause.

Back at the booth, Luo Jingyu’s demonstration was almost over.

In just the short while Zhan Xi had walked away, he had encountered some difficulties. People asked him questions – he could read their lips but couldn’t stop his hands to answer, could only sign simply that he couldn’t hear or speak.

The people watching him make flowers were all surprised, having never realized this handsome young man was deaf-mute. They started whispering among themselves.

Luo Jingyu sat on pins and needles, desperately hoping Zhan Xi would return quickly. He was alone at the booth, and looking up at so many strangers felt like a mountain pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. Once again he wished he could become invisible, not wanting to make flowers anymore, just wanting to find a place to hide.

Fortunately, just when he was about to give up, Zhan Xi returned.

At that moment when he saw her lotus-pink figure, Luo Jingyu realized just how dependent he had become on her.

—

The three-day exhibition officially came to an end. In the end, Zhan Xi and Luo Jingyu hadn’t managed to visit other booths. That pottery-making young man had come looking for Zhan Xi again, inviting her to come play before it ended.

Luo Jingyu had a sour expression. Zhan Xi told the young man: “Sorry, I can’t leave here. Next time if there’s a chance I’ll visit your studio.”

The young man gave her a business card: “Actually mine is a pottery bar – drinks on the first floor, pottery on the second. Just send me a WeChat message before you come.”

Zhan Xi took it, saw the name printed on the card – Tian Jun, and smiled saying: “Okay, thank you Teacher Tian, I’ll come if I have the chance.”

Packing up took a long time. Zhan Xi arranged a cargo van to take the screen and other chairs and materials to Luo Jingyu’s home. He had an empty guest room used specifically as storage.

They took a taxi following the cargo truck. On the way, Zhan Xi told Luo Jingyu that her brother Zhan Jie would visit his home tomorrow evening.

Luo Jingyu: “…”

He was so surprised! Earlier seeing Zhan Jie had already shocked him, and now suddenly being told he would formally meet his “brother-in-law” tomorrow – he really couldn’t react.

“Don’t be nervous,” Zhan Xi comforted him. “My brother will probably stay for dinner. Just be yourself. Don’t worry, if he dares to hit you, I’ll scold him.”

Luo Jingyu: “?”

There was a possibility of getting hit?

He recalled the painful experience of being beaten by Ji Hongzhe when he was young – couldn’t run away, couldn’t fight back, always the weakest among the neighborhood boys.

That night, Zhan Xi was too tired to linger on the fifteenth floor and went straight back to the eighth floor. After showering, Luo Jingyu received a WeChat from Fang Xu asking when he would start designing the custom pieces for the Hanfu Festival now that the exhibition was over.

Luo Jingyu thought for a moment and replied—

[Big Fish]: I’m not free tomorrow, in 3 days, I’ll send you the samples on the 23rd. [Fang Xu]: The 23rd, no later.

Luo Jingyu sat dumbly on the sofa for a few minutes, then took out his phone to message Gao Yuan, saying he wanted to video chat with his brother-in-law for a bit.

He was Gao Yuan’s younger brother-in-law. When Gao Yuan first visited their home, Luo Jingyu was there too. He was just over twenty then, very curious to see what kind of man his sister had found.

Gao Yuan had leg problems – sudden myelitis in his youth left his lower limbs weak, but he always insisted on using crutches more than a wheelchair. The Luo Mingxong family lived on the fourth floor with no elevator. From his first visit until now, Gao Yuan had always insisted on using his crutches to climb the stairs, never complaining.

Initially his parents didn’t approve of this marriage either, because Gao Yuan was a hearing person and also physically disabled. They felt he and Luo Xiaomei weren’t a good match, not sure who would burden whom.

Later as the whole family got to know Gao Yuan better, they learned he was honest and kind-hearted, and especially doting on Luo Xiaomei. Gradually they accepted him.

Luo Jingyu wanted to ask his brother-in-law for advice on how to face his girlfriend’s family. He was so nervous – after all, his girlfriend’s whole family could hear, and he felt it would be very difficult to pass this hurdle.

In the video, Gao Yuan signed to him: [Little Fish, just be yourself. You’re a very good boy – let your girlfriend’s brother know you’ll take good care of his sister and won’t let her suffer. Also, don’t put yourself too low, remember to mention your good points, score some points for yourself.]

Luo Jingyu was confused: [What good points do I have?]

Gao Yuan laughed heartily for a while on the other end: [Just tell them straight how much you earn in a year, and what your apartment is worth now. Trust your brother-in-law, people are very practical – financial conditions are definitely a key point they’ll examine!]

Luo Jingyu frowned skeptically: [Really?]

Gao Yuan: [Really! Remember to praise yourself, don’t be too modest!]

—

The next morning at 6 AM, Luo Jingyu was already up, preparing to do a deep clean of his home.

He hadn’t had much time to clean lately, and the house was somewhat messy. Luo Jingyu climbed high and low doing chores, thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, balcony and bathroom until all surfaces and floors were spotless and shining.

Gift followed him everywhere. Luo Jingyu pointed at the cat and signed: [Huanhuan’s brother is coming to visit tonight, you need to be good and not cause trouble.]

Gift: “Meow~”

At noon, Luo Jingyu braved the scorching sun to go shopping, buying lots of ingredients for dinner, plus fruits and snacks. When he brought everything home, he found Zhan Xi had arrived and was staring at his house in amazement.

“Oh my god! What time did you get up?” Zhan Xi had only woken up at noon. She followed Luo Jingyu into the kitchen, watching him take items out of the bags one by one. He had even bought lots of seafood – it must have cost quite a bit.

Luo Jingyu smiled and signed to her: [It’s your brother, we should eat well.]

Zhan Xi was so touched, she hugged his waist and looked up coquettishly: “Little Fish, you’re so good.”

Luo Jingyu took the chance to kiss her lips, then shook his head with a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

Zhan Xi said sweetly: “No, you really are very good.”

Luo Jingyu’s smile gradually disappeared. He freed himself from Zhan Xi’s arms and signed: [I’m afraid your brother won’t like me because I can’t hear.]

“As long as I like you, that’s what matters.” Zhan Xi hugged him again. “My brother’s own marriage is a mess – what right does he have to manage me?”

Luo Jingyu didn’t understand the phrase “what right,” his lips forming the shape of “right” with a questioning look.

Zhan Xi smiled and decided to sign instead: [I mean, my brother can’t control me, no one can control me, my own matters, I decide myself.]

Luo Jingyu blinked and anxiously asked: [Will he really hit me?]

Zhan Xi burst out laughing and shook her head: “Don’t worry, he won’t.”

In the afternoon, Luo Jingyu took a shower and changed into a white T-shirt and track pants. He observed himself in the mirror – his hair was fine, recently cut, and his face cleanly shaved. Looking at his features, he supposed he was a handsome young man… right?

He signed to his reflection: [Don’t be nervous, Little Fish, be confident, you can give Huanhuan happiness.]

Zhan Jie left work early and drove to Qingque Gardens. He went to the eighth floor first with a bag of fruit, where Zhan Xi was waiting in 802.

He insisted on checking his sister’s place, wanting to confirm she really wasn’t living with that man. After walking around once, Zhan Jie believed it.

He could tell if someone was living in a place or not. Besides, if Zhan Xi was living with someone, why hadn’t she moved out of this apartment?

Leaving 802, the siblings took the elevator to the fifteenth floor. To avoid suspicion, Zhan Xi didn’t use her key but rang the doorbell of 1504.

Zhan Jie asked: “Can he hear the doorbell?”

Zhan Xi glanced at him: “The doorbell is connected to lights – when pressed, the lights flash. He has some small inconveniences in daily life, but with some thought everything can be solved. We’re in a technological era.”

Just then, Luo Jingyu opened the door. Zhan Jie faced him standing up for the first time, and his first thought was that this guy was indeed quite tall and handsome – definitely the type that young girls would like.

Luo Jingyu’s nervousness had nearly reached its peak. He gestured for the siblings to enter, got them slippers, his whole body tense. Zhan Xi thought he was about to walk with a limp.

After entering, Zhan Xi first introduced them to each other. After a moment’s hesitation, Luo Jingyu extended his right hand to Zhan Jie.

Zhan Jie stared at his hand without moving: “…”

Zhan Xi nudged him, and he reluctantly shook hands with Luo Jingyu. Luo Jingyu even added his left hand, shaking vigorously up and down. Unable to speak, he could only express his respect through his eyes.

Zhan Jie felt like a leader visiting the countryside being warmly greeted by villagers.

Zhan Xi held back her laughter and told Zhan Jie: “Brother, you can talk to Little Fish – he can read lips, just speak slowly.”

After introductions, Zhan Jie still maintained his cold expression without speaking. Luo Jingyu felt so awkward that he signed a few sentences to Zhan Xi.

Zhan Jie watched coldly as his sister nodded lightly and signed back, then turned to tell him: “Brother, Little Fish says he’ll go cook first and wants me to show you around his home. We can eat soon.”

Zhan Jie spoke icily: “I’m not eating. I’ll stay a while then leave.”

Zhan Xi complained: “It’s already 6:30 – where else would you eat at this time? Little Fish prepared lots of dishes, some are already done.”

She pointed at three hot dishes already on the dining table: deep-fried belt fish, steamed swimming crab, and Huadiao wine chicken.

Zhan Jie swallowed: Gulp.