ATLAS TRANSLATES

July 25th was He Zhechuan’s birthday. As was customary in previous years, Ruan Mian would go to his birthday party as long as she was not too busy.

At school, he was popular and 20 or more people used to come to his birthday party. After graduation, his school friends scattered across the country, and only a few who stayed in City B would come to his birthday party each year. This year was no exception.

Ruan Mian received the location of this year’s gathering a week in advance. It was an old restaurant near Q University with southern flavors. When they were still in the same school, they would often go there to enjoy food better than that of the cafeteria.

On the 24th, Ruan Mian did a surgery with Dr. Meng 10 minutes before getting off work in the evening. She didn’t leave the hospital until almost 8 o’clock. From the hospital to the restaurant was still an hour’s drive, so she couldn’t make it to the dinner. She went directly to the KTV where they would continue the gathering.

Rushing all the way, she arrived at the place around 11 o’clock. Ruan Mian walked from the parking lot and He Zhechuan received her message and went downstairs to wait for her.

Ruan Mian saw him standing there smoking from afar and quickened her pace, her tone a little amused, “Sorry, Director He.”

He Zhechuan put out the cigarette in his hand and didn’t care that she was late. “Let’s go, they’ve already started upstairs.”

Ruan Mian walked with him side by side towards the interior, “Who’s come this year?”

“Still the same people as last year.”

He Zhechuan pressed the elevator and jokingly said when he saw her empty-handed, “Where’s my gift?”

“Ah!”

Ruan Mian slapped her forehead, “I was just thinking about replying to your message and forgot the gift in the car. Let me go get it.”

He Zhechuan grabbed her arm and pulled her back, then let go, “Never mind, I’ll go with you to get it after we’re done. Let’s go upstairs first.”

“Okay.”

The private room was on the second floor. The entire corridor was filled with boisterous noise. He Zhechuan took Ruan Mian in and the room was full of old friends. There were no courtesies and they just greeted each other before sitting back down to continue playing.

Ruan Mian sat with He Zhechuan on the sofa next to them and chatted. After a while, another mahjong table was started and the two of them were called over to make up the numbers.

After a noisy half an hour of playing, Ruan Mian’s phone on the table lit up. She looked at the caller ID, picked up the phone and handed her tiles to a bystander watching the fun, “Lin Li, help me play a round. I need to take this call.”

“Sure.”

He Zhechuan watched her walk out, then brought his eyes back to the tiles in his hand, remembering the name he just saw, a little distracted.

The call was from Chen Yi. He had gone to the southwest again recently for training. Usually he only had time at night, but he didn’t always have access to his phone, so contact was random.

Hearing the noise on Ruan Mian’s side, he asked, “Are you out?”

“Yeah, a friend’s birthday.”

Ruan Mian walked past the corridor to the washroom area where the surrounding sounds were much smaller, “I got off work late and didn’t make it to dinner. I’m at the KTV now waiting for midnight to celebrate his birthday.”

Chen Yi didn’t ask further which friend it was. He took the phone away to glance at the time and then brought it back to his ear, “We can talk for ten more minutes.”

With a time limit, everything seemed more precious. After talking for those ten minutes, Ruan Mian was reluctant to hang up, always asking meaningless questions back and forth.

“Is it cold where you are?”

“It’s summer now.”

After a few seconds, she asked again, “Don’t you have training tonight?”

“No.”

Ruan Mian sighed.

Chen Yi noticed her thoughts and said quietly, “Weren’t you at your friend’s birthday? If you don’t go back soon, even midnight will pass.”

Ruan Mian hummed and headed towards the private room door, “Then let me hang up first.”

“Go on.”

After hanging up, Ruan Mian went back into the private room. The previous mahjong game had ended and several tables were joined together in the middle.

Seeing her return, He Zhechuan asked inexplicably, “Boyfriend checking up on you?”

In the past two months, Ruan Mian had little contact with He Zhechuan, just occasionally he would send her some links related to games and the internet, and she would forward some medical and health WeChat articles to him. They didn’t chat often or talk in detail about her new relationship.

At this time she didn’t deny it was Chen Yi’s call. Hearing this, He Zhechuan laughed, “Then why didn’t you chat longer?”

Ruan Mian replied, “Because I had to be back by midnight for your birthday celebration.”

“Alright, I’ll give you an extra slice of cake later.”

Right at midnight, the lights in the private room went off. Lin Li and the others pushed in a cake cart singing happy birthday. Remembering the lessons from previous years celebrating He Zhechuan’s birthday, Ruan Mian moved aside several steps.

The process was similar every time. After making a wish and blowing out the candles, before He Zhechuan could say anything else, he was pushed head first into the cake.

The private room erupted into chaos. After it finally settled down, everyone sat together and took a group photo.

By the time they dispersed, it was already past two in the morning. After He Zhechuan saw his friends off, he went with Ruan Mian to her car to get the gift, which was a pair of limited edition sneakers.

Sitting in the passenger seat, after unwrapping the gift, he absentmindedly said thanks, “You shouldn’t have spent so much, Boss Ruan.”

“You’re welcome, don’t mention it.”

Ruan Mian looked down at the group photo they just took. After picking out the clearest one, she posted a Moment.

Wishing He Zhechuan a happy 28th birthday.

The first like was from He Zhechuan himself. Ruan Mian refreshed and her home page was full of birthday posts for He Zhechuan from those friends at the gathering tonight.

She liked each one, then turned off the screen and put her phone aside, “Did you drive here? If not I can give you a ride back.”

“No need, I called my driver to come get me.”

He Zhechuan put away the gift, “I’m leaving now. Drive safely.”

“Okay.”

Ruan Mian smiled watching him get out of the car. It was only when staring at his back that she realized he was dressed slightly more formally today in a shirt and trousers, much more mature than his usual sweats and t-shirt. But those sneakers seemed a little out of place with him now.

Still, Ruan Mian didn’t think too much of it. She drove off quickly and by the time she got home, it was already 2 am. Taking her phone, she went upstairs and saw Chen Yi had liked that Moment she posted.

She clicked on Chen Yi’s profile and sent him a message.

Ruan Mian: Are you asleep?

This message disappeared into the void. It wasn’t until half a month later, late one night when Ruan Mian was on duty at the hospital, that he finally replied.

CY: Not yet.

Ruan Mian held back again and again but couldn’t resist asking if he had just gotten online access. The next second, he immediately called with a voice message, taking the initiative to explain, “My phone broke earlier.”

She oh-ed.

Chen Yi asked, “Where are you now?”

“At the hospital, on duty.”

Ruan Mian said, “Are you back?”

“Yeah, I’ll come find you later.”

Ruan Mian subconsciously glanced at the time in the corner of the desk, deliberated for a few seconds, and said, “It’s very late now. Why don’t you come find me tomorrow instead?”

Chen Yi’s tone was teasing, “What, do I need an appointment now to see my girlfriend?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Ruan Mian couldn’t explain clearly and gave up struggling, “Then come over, I’ll go down to get you when you arrive.”

“Ok.”

Chen Yi came very quickly, in about half an hour. Ruan Mian went downstairs to get him and brought him up, passing by the nurse’s station. Chen Yi shared some of the late night snacks he bought with the nurses on duty, successfully earning some praise, “Dr. Ruan, your boyfriend is so good to you, bringing you food this late.”

Ruan Mian politely exchanged a few words with them and brought Chen Yi to the doctor’s lounge. “When did you get back?”

“Just arrived tonight.”

Chen Yi put down the things in his hands in the corner and pulled up a stool to sit next to her, “Let’s eat something first.”

“Wait, let me finish this bit.”

The department’s paper quota was not met this month so Ruan Mian had to squeeze time to write at night when she was free during the day.

Chen Yi oh-ed and slowly said, “Then you write and I’ll feed you.”

This shocked Ruan Mian so much her hand slipped and hit the delete key, erasing a large part of what she just wrote.

She calmly hit undo several times, imagining in her mind the scene he described, though nothing had happened yet she already felt flushed.

After a few seconds of silence, Ruan Mian looked up to meet his gaze, deadpanned, “I find it hard to multitask while writing papers.”

Chen Yi was somewhat amused by her response, but didn’t bother her further, “Keep writing, I’m going to the bathroom.”

“It’s out the door to the right all the way down.”

Taking advantage of the time he was out, Ruan Mian quickly wrapped up the rest.

The late night snacks Chen Yi bought were quite bland and the combination very random, with both Chinese congee and Japanese sushi.

Ruan Mian started on the congee first and after a few spoonfuls Chen Yi came back in, wiping his hands with a tissue, “Do doctors eat this distractedly too?”

Ruan Mian suddenly really felt like she was facing Ruan Mingke. She raised her hand from the mouse, “No, I was just checking for typos.”

Chen Yi didn’t respond but instead dragged a chair to sit right next to her, his tone brooking no argument, “Eat first, deal with that after.”

“Oh.”

They were so close that Ruan Mian could even hear Chen Yi’s steady, low breaths. She buried her head to eat half a bowl of congee, then seemingly unable to hold back, turned her head to look at him and asked, “Do you want to eat something?”

Chen Yi was sideways, with his arm propped on the table corner and his other hand on the armrest of her chair. The floor lamp next to them highlighted his features clearly.

“I won’t eat anything else.”

He looked at her with lowered eyes and slowly pulled her chair closer as he spoke in a low and gentle voice, “Other things can be considered though.”

His words and actions were explicit yet ambiguous. Ruan Mian was still somewhat nervously excited, especially when facing those eyes that she had once been obsessed with and dreamed about countless times. Her heart was filled with indescribable affection.

Chen Yi lowered his head to nuzzle her nose. His long eyelashes almost brushed her face.

So close.

An entirely unexpected phone call broke this long-awaited intimacy. It was Ruan Mian’s phone ringing. She came to her senses from the atmosphere and reached for her phone.

Chen Yi was still holding her wrist, stroking near her pulse with his fingertips absently. His gaze fell to the phone Ruan Mian brought up to her eyes.

Caller ID: Mom

He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. His earlier irritation at being interrupted was completely gone. He got up and left to give her space to take the call.

Ruan Mian also didn’t expect Fang Ruqing to call her at this time. With one second left before the ring ended, she swiped to accept, “Mom?”

“Oh, I thought you were sleeping.”

Fang Ruqing sounded hoarse like she had just woken up. “How come you’re not asleep yet?”

Ruan Mian: “I’m on duty at the hospital. Why did you suddenly think to call me this late?”

“Nothing much, I just dreamed about you tonight and wanted to call you when I woke up. I didn’t notice the time.”

Ruan Mian was somewhat moved by this sudden warmth. “Then when I have days off in a few days, I’ll come back for a visit.”

“No need. It’s just the weekend, not even enough for you to travel back and forth.”

Fang Ruqing didn’t say anything more, just asked about how she was recently. Then suddenly she brought up, “How are you and that matchmaking partner you had before getting along now?”

Ruan Mian hesitated, and before she could figure out what to say, she heard Fang Ruqing continue, “I heard your dad say he’s in the military. His work must be busy too. You two probably don’t see each other often, right?”

Ruan Mian hummed in acknowledgement, “More or less.”

“If you really don’t get along, don’t force it. Don’t just blindly see anyone because I’m rushing you.”

Fang Ruqing sighed, “Your dad should have told me first before introducing you to matchmaking. Then I could have helped vet them for you.”

Ruan Mian could hear the subtext in her mother’s words and tentatively asked, “Mom, are you not too satisfied with Chen Yi?”

The call was silent for a few seconds before Fang Ruqing said succinctly, “Yes.”