ATLAS TRANSLATES

Luo Jingyu put the flower back in the glass vase and examined his hands, front and back, but couldn’t figure out what was so special about them.

When he was at the school for the deaf and mute, many girls had told him “I like you,” and he always replied “I’m sorry.” This was the first time someone had said his hands were beautiful and that they liked them.

The tips of Luo Jingyu’s ears grew warm. If “Egg Pudding’s” comment was a reading comprehension question, he probably wouldn’t score any points. After thinking for a long while, he hesitantly replied with two words.

Big Fish: Thank you.

Unexpectedly, the other party wasn’t done.

Egg Pudding: You’re welcome. Egg Pudding: My hands aren’t pretty, they’re like pig trotters.

Luo Jingyu: “?”

As if to prove her point, “Egg Pudding” sent a photo of the back of her left hand – with an IV needle, medical tape, and a bruise.

Luo Jingyu was startled, and another message came through.

Egg Pudding: See? The back of my hand is chubby, you can’t see the veins. The nurse couldn’t get the needle in on the first try, had to do it twice! [Crying]

Is that really the point?? Luo Jingyu quickly replied.

Big Fish: You hospital went? Serious? How many fever degrees high?

Perhaps because he was too anxious, his message came out all jumbled, typing whatever words came to mind without checking if they made sense together.

Egg Pudding: Good student, teacher is sick today so won’t give you a grammar lesson. But teacher wants to ask quietly, don’t be angry, do you have reading and writing difficulties?

Luo Jingyu: “…”

Big Fish: Maybe yes, you still not answer, how serious sick?

Egg Pudding: Don’t worry, just a regular fever with some inflammation. Just need IV drips for two days.

Big Fish: Anyone with you?

Egg Pudding: Yes, my brother.

Luo Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief, not sure why he felt worried. He looked back at the photo “Egg Pudding” had sent – on the IV chair armrest, he could see the loose beige sweater sleeve covering her wrist, and a corner of her coat that seemed to be draped over her.

Her hand really was plump and white, making the bruise even more noticeable. Her fingers were chubby but not short, with natural pink nails and four distinct dimples at the base of her fingers.

Luo Jingyu imagined a round-faced girl – a young woman with chubby little hands must have a chubby face too, and her figure… probably plump as well?

Big Fish: When finish IV drip what time?

Egg Pudding: Soon, one more bag. Should be done by 12.

Big Fish: Rest well at home, going to work tomorrow?

Egg Pudding: Have to take sick leave, need another IV drip tomorrow afternoon.

Big Fish: Yes, don’t work when sick, need more rest.

Getting an IV for a fever wasn’t a big deal. Besides Zhan Jie and Qin Fei, no one else knew about it. Zhan Xi even told her brother not to tell Chi Guilan, afraid their mother would make a fuss and rush over from home.

She hadn’t complained to her roommates either, and definitely wouldn’t tell Wang He. She planned to ask Wen Qin for leave the next morning. However, being sick made her feel vulnerable, and for some reason, she wanted to find someone to share her misery with and hear some words of concern.

“Big Fish” was a perfect confidant – a stranger, a temporary online friend, a simple young man who chatted earnestly and was quite interesting, with an endearing innocence. Though his replies were slow, they never felt dismissive.

Indeed, his responses made her feel better.

However, when he asked about her IV completion time, Zhan Xi felt slightly uneasy.

Egg Pudding: Are you going to bed? It’s late, I won’t bother you anymore.

Big Fish: I’m not sleeping, I sleep late, usually 2 AM.

Egg Pudding: You stay up so late?

Big Fish: Used to it.

At this moment, Zhan Jie returned and sat beside Zhan Xi. Seeing his sister chatting on WeChat one-handed, he asked alertly: “Chatting so late? Who with? Male or female?”

“Work stuff.” Zhan Xi scrolled up to show him the tiger lily photo. “Look, isn’t this flower pretty?”

Zhan Jie glanced at it and asked: “What’s this flower for?”

“I told you a few days ago, didn’t I? Manager Sun wants to give a client a gift, asked me to find someone to make a flower arrangement. They’ve started working and are updating me on the progress.” Zhan Xi replied confidently.

Zhan Jie believed her: “Just chat briefly then. You’re sick and still talking about work – it’s not like the company’s going to give you a model worker award.”

“I still need to discuss tomorrow’s progress with him.” Zhan Xi glanced at Zhan Jie. “Don’t worry about me, this is important – the client is a foreign friend.”

Having slept all day, Zhan Xi wasn’t tired despite her fever, but she wasn’t really going to discuss pressed flowers with that fish. She was just bored and wanted someone to chat with casually.

Egg Pudding: Where do you live? Your own place or renting?

Big Fish: Own place.

Egg Pudding: Have you ever rented before?

Big Fish: Yes, for over 4 years.

Egg Pudding: Did you live alone or with roommates?

Big Fish: Lived alone.

Egg Pudding: Is living alone really nice?

Big Fish: Yes, very nice! [Happy]

Egg Pudding: I’m actually quite upset today. I live with my brother and sister-in-law, and I want to move out and rent my own place. But my brother misunderstood and thought my sister-in-law was trying to drive me out, so they had a fight.

Egg Pudding: My sister-in-law almost walked out, she’s never tried to drive me away, but I know she’s not happy with me living there, and I feel very restricted too. She’s actually quite nice, she’s never yelled at me like she did today.

Egg Pudding: I’m thinking she must see me as one of those troublemaking sisters-in-law, really annoying. I don’t know how to face her in the future, it’ll be so awkward when I see her at home. Do you think I should apologize to her?

Luo Jingyu stared at Zhan Xi’s messages for a long while. He’d never encountered this kind of topic before. Typing was already difficult, and now she was asking for advice – even harder!

He could only respond awkwardly.

Big Fish: I think you not wrong, I think your brother should sorry to your sister-in-law, you can explain to your sister-in-law, when better, buy gift give her.

Egg Pudding: Explain to your sister-in-law? What do you mean?

Luo Jingyu felt himself starting to sweat, searching for a while before finding the correct characters.

Egg Pudding: Oh! You’re saying I should explain things to my sister-in-law? And buy her a gift?

Big Fish: Yes, family need more communication.

Egg Pudding: Mm, I understand. I do want to have a good talk with her, share my true feelings. I actually really like her.

Big Fish: If you want gift, I have pretty brooch, pressed flower make, tell me sister-in-law how old, I give you one, you give her.

Egg Pudding: Wow! Really? Your brooches aren’t cheap! I saw them on Taobao, they’re several hundred yuan each!

Big Fish: Small thing only, you egg teacher, is teacher gift. [Smile]

Egg Pudding: [Touched] Aww… Once teacher gets better I’ll definitely teach you properly, your chatting really needs practice, otherwise teacher’s worried you won’t find someone!

Big Fish: [Covering face] I don’t want find someone now.

Egg Pudding: Hey, you’ve only failed at one blind date, that’s nothing! Let me tell you, I just thought about it – next time you go on a blind date, bring one of your flowers as a gift, the girl will definitely like it, and you can talk about flower-making, how stylish is that!

Egg Pudding: Really, your flowers are so beautiful, that’s your shining point!

Big Fish: But one flower very expensive, one rose 300 yuan! If blind date fails I lose money!!

“Pff!” Zhan Xi laughed out loud in her chair. Zhan Jie was playing a game and turned to look at her, seeing his sister shaking with laughter.

“…” Zhan Jie asked curiously, “What are you chatting about? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Maybe the IV medicine was working – Zhan Xi wasn’t feeling as bad anymore. She could almost imagine the young man’s pained expression on the other end of the network.

Three hundred yuan for one rose? That was quite expensive, and time-consuming too. It took him four hours just to make one lily. If he kept going on blind dates and giving away flowers, the poor boy would probably cry.

Egg Pudding: I was just joking.

Big Fish: You think I’m stingy?

Egg Pudding: No! You’re offering to give me a brooch, how could you be stingy?

Big Fish: How old your sister-in-law?

Luo Jingyu thought for a moment and asked another question.

Big Fish: Then how old your brother?

Egg Pudding: 34, why?

Luo Jingyu started imagining again. With a 34-year-old brother, how old would his sister be?

Luo Xiaomei was four years older than him, and usually siblings were at most six or seven years apart, right? So she must be at least 27. She’d been on two blind dates, asked if he was very young, and always spoke with a kind of elder-to-younger tone – not pressuring, but warm and gentle.

Looking at it this way, “Egg Pudding” must be a kind-hearted, plump little sister approaching thirty?

Her image was becoming more and more vivid!

Luo Jingyu gave himself a pat on the back for his logical reasoning skills, ignoring the unfortunate fact that his math teacher had once scolded him for having terrible logical thinking.

Big Fish: Nothing, just asking.

After making pressed flowers for several hours, Luo Jingyu was hungry and planned to make some late-night food. When he told “Egg Pudding,” he felt surprisingly reluctant to leave, but she was sick and needed rest – he shouldn’t disturb her anymore.

Big Fish: I hungry, go make food, you finish IV go home rest early, tomorrow I finish three lilies take photo show you.

Egg Pudding: Okay, thanks for chatting with me tonight.

Luo Jingyu thought of something and, after hesitating, asked:

Big Fish: Tomorrow, three lilies, want or not want hand in photo?

Zhan Xi nearly laughed herself unconscious, feeling embarrassed at the same time. What had she done earlier? Had she scared the poor boy? Would he think she was some weird older sister?

Egg Pudding: No need, no need, I was just teasing you earlier! [Mischievous smile]

Big Fish: Then my hands, really truly good-looking? [Smile]

Zhan Xi couldn’t stop smiling.

Egg Pudding: Really good-looking.

Egg Pudding: I’ve never seen such beautiful hands!

She ended the chat using one of his frequent phrases.

Egg Pudding: I’m not lying to you. Good night, Xiao Yu.

Luo Jingyu was stunned again.

How did she know his nickname was Xiao Yu?

At midnight, when Zhan Xi finished her IV and walked out of the hospital, she took off her mask and took a deep breath, feeling surprisingly refreshed, a smile spreading across her face.

Zhan Jie’s eyes widened: “You’re so happy even when you’re sick?”

“I’m about to be free!” Zhan Xi wrapped her scarf around her neck and got into her brother’s car. “Brother, I’ll come for the IV by myself tomorrow afternoon. After that, I’ll take a taxi to sign the rental contract near the office – I’ve already arranged it with the agent.”

“What?!” Only then did Zhan Jie realize how determined his sister was. “When did you look at apartments?”

Zhan Xi didn’t want to mention Luo Xinran: “The apartment is near the office, I looked at it during my lunch break. Anyway, it’s fully furnished with all appliances, and I’m moving next weekend!”

On the way home, Zhan Xi was in an especially good mood. Just one more week, and she could live a free and independent life!