ATLAS TRANSLATES

With one month left until the competition, Ruan Mian suddenly developed an extreme aversion towards taking exams.

She dropped to the bottom of the class on three consecutive mock exams, giving quite a shock to the teachers who saw her as a seed player to groom.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. The teachers urgently held a small meeting and invited a pre-exam psychological counseling teacher. They had her listen to the experiences of alumni who had participated in competitions.

In summary, they did everything they could, but Ruan Mian’s condition never improved. Because of this, Zhou Hai specifically gave her a few days off.

“These next few days, go play as you like and put studying and competitions aside for now.”

Zhou Hai was also worried her poor condition would continue, so he advised, “No matter what, don’t stress yourself out or have any negative thoughts.”

Ruan Mian lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. “I understand. Thank you, Teacher Zhou.”

No matter how much comforting was said, it was futile. At times like this, she could only rely on herself to get through it. Zhou Hai didn’t say anything more, only telling her to be careful on her way back.

Ruan Mian didn’t return to the classroom. She left school empty-handed and randomly got on a bus at the gate, swaying back and forth as she sat inside.

Everyone else thought it was exam pressure and anxiety causing this, but only Ruan Mian herself knew clearly that she simply couldn’t face Chen Yi going abroad after the competition ended.

She couldn’t get over this hurdle in her heart.

That afternoon, the bus Ruan Mian rode practically crossed half the city. When night fell, she turned to look out the window as tears silently rolled down.

At 8pm, the bus stopped at a station. Ruan Mian got off and walked for a long time down the lively yet familiar streets.

The few days she took off, Ruan Mian turned off her phone and didn’t go back to Pingjiang Alley, instead staying with her grandma at Nanhu Residences.

One afternoon, after the housekeeper auntie went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for hotpot that night, Ruan Mian accompanied Zhou Xiujun to sunbathe in her room.

The winter afternoon sun carried a thin layer of warmth. Ruan Mian sat cross-legged on the floor covered with a plush blanket, fiddling with a Rubik’s Cube worn down to the point of fading color.

Lying in bed, Zhou Xiujun watched half of a TV drama before turning off the TV. She tucked in the blankets around her and looked at Ruan Mian. “Mianmian.”

“Hm?”

“You have something on your mind?”

Ruan Mian’s hand stilled. She turned her head back. “No.”

“No need to hide anything from grandma.”

Zhou Xiujun said, “These past few days, you haven’t talked much either, spacing out every time you sit down. This can’t be anything but something on your mind, right?”

Ruan Mian lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously playing with the Rubik’s Cube.

Zhou Xiujun sighed. “You’re just like your dad. When something happens, you’d rather let it rot in your stomach than speak it out. But Mianmian, you have to know, living like this is exhausting.”

Ruan Mian pressed her lips together.

Zhou Xiujun said, “Then let grandma guess, did something happen at school? Were you scolded by a teacher or didn’t test well?”

“…Not entirely.”

Not testing well was true, but the root of the issue still lay with other people. Ruan Mian leaned against the bed frame and looked up at the high rises outside the window, as if finding an outlet to pour out her heart. She slowly started speaking.

She spoke of meeting and liking, and also of giving up and choosing.

She rambled on incoherently, but Zhou Xiujun understood clearly. Grasping her inner thoughts, she spoke heavily, “If you really can’t let go, then persist. No one can predict the future. Maybe not long from now, you’ll meet someone else.”

Ruan Mian stared at the floor cracks without making a sound.

Zhou Xiujun reached out and stroked her head. “There’s still a long road ahead. For now, just take the path that makes you less sad and keep going.”

Ruan Mian thought for a long time before letting out a soft “Mm”.

After dinner that night, Ruan Mian turned on her phone that had been off for days. After a brief pause, a barrage of messages and calls suddenly flooded in.

She read through them one by one and responded to each before turning her phone off again.

That night, Ruan Mian managed a rare good sleep.

The next day after breakfast, she accompanied Zhou Xiujun and decided to return to school early.

From Nanhu to No. 8 Middle School took nearly over an hour by car. By the time Ruan Mian arrived, class bells had long sounded. Wu Yan stood at the school gate. Seeing her, he didn’t say anything, just waved for her to hurry in.

Ruan Mian quickly went inside. At the turn, she looked back to see Wu Yan blocking some late students from entering.

It was Wednesday. The Pingcheng Meteorological Bureau had issued a heavy snow warning.

Ruan Mian returned to the classroom. Her seat was still as she had left it, with physics books laid out and piles of draft paper and test papers stacked like mountains.

Amidst the noisy sounds of reading, Fu Guansi leaned over and asked, “How’d you get in?”

“Just walked in.”

“Wu Yan didn’t catch you?”

“No, he told me to hurry up.”

No one cared about her absence these past few days. It was as if nothing had changed, with no excessive concern or gossiping questions.

There were still competition class lessons that night. For once, Ruan Mian walked together with Chen Yi downstairs. As they went down, Chen Yi took out a stack of test papers from his bag and handed them to her. “Test papers from the past few days.”

Ruan Mian accepted them and thanked him.

Chen Yi responded with an “Mm”. Some students from other classes came up the narrow stairwell, and he quickened his pace by two steps to make room on the left side.

With his backpack hanging from one shoulder, Ruan Mian walking behind saw a pendant like a fortune charm tied to the zipper.

But at the time, her eyes saw only the figure in front of her, and she didn’t notice this detail, hurriedly retracting her gaze to catch up to him.

Competition class lessons were extended by half an hour that night. Exam for the first two hours, the remaining time used to analyze special question types.

Class ended at 10pm. Ruan Mian and Chen Yi were called to Teacher Luo’s office. Along the way, they passed a long hallway stretch. Only then did Ruan Mian notice it was snowing outside.

Flakes drifted down lightly.

At the office, Teacher Luo brought up the topic of adjusting mentality before exams again, rambling on for over 10 minutes before letting them leave.

By then, most people had already left school. The streetlights lining the road were dim and yellow. Snowflakes rose and fell in the lights.

Outside school they came upon a stall selling roasted sweet potatoes. Chen Yi stopped to buy a few. Once they were bagged up, he handed one to Ruan Mian.

Ruan Mian blanked for a moment, her heartbeat clamoring loudly.

She reached out to accept it, her voice carrying restraint and resultant calm. “Thank you.”

Chen Yi said no need to be polite and headed forward carrying the rest.

Ruan Mian jogged to catch up to him. The roasted sweet potato in her hand emitted scorching heat that soothed her restless heart.

When they reached the alley entrance, Chen Yi glanced at the unlit alleyway and retracted his original steps forward, turning to walk into the alley with the girl instead.

Ruan Mian’s gaze was lowered to the ground. She listened to their alternating footsteps and spoke as if just making conversation, “…Aren’t you nervous?”

“About what?”

“The exam.”

“It’s alright.”

Chen Yi turned to look at her. The dim lighting obscured everything.

He recalled her failures the last few times and asked, “Were you nervous, that’s why you didn’t test well?”

Ruan Mian bit her lip. “Around that.”

Chen Yi seemed to laugh. “What’s there to be nervous about? Even if you don’t do well, there’s still the college entrance exam. Or going abroad is also an option. Lots of paths, it just depends how you walk it.”

Ruan Mian nodded. Remembering he couldn’t see, she responded with an “Mm” and asked, “…Then after you go abroad, do you plan on coming back?”

Right then, they were passing under a light. The boy turned back, smiling brilliantly and openly, brimming with youthful spirit.

“Of course.”