ATLAS TRANSLATES

In the early morning hours, the hospital building was still brightly lit, with the red cross on top shining hope into the night.

Chen Yi waited outside for over ten minutes. Just as he was about to head back in, Ruan Mian walked out from the duty room.

He put away his phone and went to meet her. Just as he was about to speak, Ruan Mian suddenly reached out and hugged him, slipping her arms around his waist with her hands clasped behind his back.

The hallway was empty at night. Chen Yi also put his arms around her in return, resting his chin against her head and nuzzling it slightly as he asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Mian had her face pressed against his chest without making a sound, but her mind kept replaying what Fang Ruqing had just said to her.

“Your father has told me a bit about Chen Yi’s profession, and I’ve looked into it online myself. For our country and people, his work is indeed great, but as a husband, your lifelong partner, I don’t really approve.”

“During the time you were in Luolin before, I couldn’t sleep well every night, afraid that I wouldn’t get your daily check-in message the next day. As a mother, I’ve experienced that kind of worry and fear, and I don’t want my daughter to live like that for the rest of her life.”

“I know it’s a bit selfish for a mother to think this way. Chen Yi is a good kid, and he’s done nothing wrong here, but I just hope that my daughter can live a happy and blessed life.”

Chen Yi let Ruan Mian hug him quietly for a while, then reached up to rub the back of her head. His hand then slid down to lightly pinch the back of her neck. “Had an unpleasant phone call with Auntie?”

With her face still pressed against his chest, Ruan Mian murmured in a muffled voice, “No.”

Fang Ruqing’s intentions were not wrong, but she didn’t know how important Chen Yi was to Ruan Mian, nor the so-called fate between them. Although Ruan Mian had thousands of words she could say in Chen Yi’s defense, she didn’t know where to start at that moment.

Chen Yi didn’t ask further. His hand absently kneaded her shoulder every now and then. After a while, seeing a figure approaching down the hallway, he patted Ruan Mian’s shoulder. “Someone’s coming.”

“Hmm?”

Ruan Mian turned in his embrace to look back. In the next second, she immediately let go and stood properly. “Professor Meng.”

Meng Fuping nodded wearily but gently. “Why are you two standing here talking? The duty room doesn’t have anyone else.”

Ruan Mian was slightly ill at ease. “We’re just getting some air.”

Professor Meng didn’t inquire further. After giving them some instructions, he returned to the office. Chen Yi saw Ruan Mian visibly relax and couldn’t help but recall her reaction back in high school whenever she saw the Chinese teacher. Her response now was identical. He laughed out loud.

Ruan Mian asked in puzzlement, “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

Chen Yi half pushed, half escorted her back to the duty room. After shutting the door, he took her back into his arms. Somehow in the process, the light switch on the wall got flipped and the only illumination left in the room was the hazy light coming in through the window.

Leaning against the door, Chen Yi rested his chin on her shoulder, his warm lips lightly pecking her neck a few times. Lifting his head, he asked, “What did you and Auntie talk about on the phone?”

Ruan Mian felt rather weak being held and kissed by him like this, but still didn’t tell the whole truth. “Nothing much, just missing her a bit.”

“What about me?”

It took her a few seconds to grasp the implication behind his words. Looking up to meet his gaze, she suddenly stood on tiptoes to kiss the corner of his lips, softly saying, “Miss you too.”

Chen Yi didn’t stay at the hospital until daylight. He returned to the military compound a little after 4am. Regarding what Fang Ruqing had said, Ruan Mian never brought it up with him from beginning to end. She was just thinking about when to come clean to her parents about her relationship with Chen Yi. As for everything afterwards, she’d leave it to time to handle.

The days kept passing in B City’s increasingly hot weather. Soon August was drawing to an end. The 24th was Chen Yi’s birthday, falling conveniently on a weekend. Coincidentally, Liang Yiran happened to be in B City on a business trip with Meng Xinglan at that time, so the few of them arranged to have dinner together on the night of the 23rd.

After dinner, the five of them, none being the rowdy type, went back to Chen Yi’s place.

When they arrived, Chen Yi passed the keys to Shen Yu to let him bring Liang Yiran and Meng Xinglan upstairs first. “Ruan Mian and I will go to the supermarket to buy some food.”

“Got it.”

After the three of them went upstairs, Chen Yi turned to look at Ruan Mian. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

At his words, Ruan Mian walked ahead on her own, missing the hand he extended to her. By the time she realized he hadn’t followed, she was already quite far away.

She turned back. Chen Yi was still standing there with his hand outstretched, looking a bit silly.

Ruan Mian couldn’t help laughing. She quickly walked back and obediently took his hand, not forgetting to explain, “Sorry, I’m just not that used to it yet.”

Chen Yi glanced at her. “Not used to what?”

“Not used to…” Ruan Mian lifted their clasped hands and said seriously, “holding hands with my boyfriend when walking.”

Chen Yi was pleased by the “boyfriend” address. His fingertip squeezed the back of her hand lightly. “It’s okay. I’ll slowly get you used to it from now on.”

The corners of Ruan Mian’s lips curved up as she uttered a soft “okay.”

The supermarket was located outside the residential compound, a large one taking up three floors. At the entrance, Chen Yi took a cart. Ruan Mian held onto his arm as they headed inside.

With many people around at night, they wound their way from the periphery to the snack aisle. Ruan Mian stood before the potato chip shelves and grabbed a few bags of flavors that she and Meng Xinglan used to enjoy, placing them in the cart. She then asked Chen Yi, “What flavors do Shen Yu and Liang Yiran like?”

“Don’t know, anything should be fine.”

“What about you? What do you like?”

“You.”

“Hmm?”

Ruan Mian looked up at him. A few seconds later, she shifted her gaze uncomfortably and didn’t ask him again what he liked.

The two browsed the supermarket for over half an hour. While queueing to pay, Ruan Mian received a WeChat message from Meng Xinglan saying she wanted preserved plums.

She had just sent the message when Chen Yi happened to see it too. “You go line up, I’ll go buy it,” he said.

Ruan Mian: “I’ll go, you don’t know what flavor she likes.”

Chen Yi was puzzled that preserved plums even came in flavors, but didn’t say anything more. Pushing the cart out from the crowd, he joined the end of another queue. “You go on then.”

“Okay.”

With many people around at night, the checkout lines were long. After Chen Yi reached the back of one queue, more people lined up behind him.

It was over ten minutes later when he saw Ruan Mian walking over from not too far away, but her gait seemed a little strange.

His expression grew serious. He put the cart aside and strode swiftly toward her. “What happened?”

“Got bumped into a bit.”

It was just bad luck. Ruan Mian had taken some packs of preserved plums in the snack area and had just walked out from between the shelves when two kids were playing with a cart nearby. One couldn’t brake in time and the other didn’t dodge quickly enough, crashing straight into each other.

There was a child sitting in the cart that hit Ruan Mian, knocking her down. The cart’s wheels then rolled right over her ankle.

The parents of both kids hurried over to apologize. Ruan Mian was helped to her feet by a supermarket staff member. She bent down to check and found no bone injuries.

She accepted their apology and didn’t pursue it further.

Upon hearing what happened, Chen Yi immediately crouched down and flipped up the cuff of her pants to take a look. Her ankle bone had been scraped and the skin broken.

He touched the area around it and Ruan Mian sucked in a pained breath, jerking back instinctively.

“Don’t move, let me see.”

Chen Yi held her ankle above the abrasion. His palm felt slightly cool at first, but soon warmed the skin beneath.

Ruan Mian had some trouble standing steadily, partly from the pain and partly from the ticklish sensation. Bracing herself on his shoulders, she said softly, “It’s fine, shouldn’t have hurt the bone.”

Chen Yi quickly came to the same conclusion. Rising to his feet, he supported her arm and his gaze slowly swept over her from top to bottom, making sure there were no other injuries before speaking. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Looking up at him, Ruan Mian replied, “I thought it wasn’t too serious.”

Chen Yi didn’t argue with her over this issue. Supporting her to the side, he took out his phone to call Shen Yu and ask him to come to the supermarket.

Shen Yu arrived swiftly, practically jogging over. Seeing them, he asked, “What happened?”

Ruan Mian explained, “Got hit by a cart accidentally.”

Chen Yi picked up where she left off. “You go settle the bill. I’ll take her to the hospital to get checked.”

“Got it. Go on then.”

Ruan Mian actually felt it was unnecessary to make such a big fuss, but to put Chen Yi’s mind at ease, she didn’t object to going.

After the two exited the supermarket, people were constantly coming and going. Chen Yi looked at her reddened and slightly swollen ankle.

There was a community hospital right across the street, no more than 100-200 meters if they crossed over. He considered briefly before directly sweeping her up into his arms.

The sudden sense of weightlessness made Ruan Mian give a startled yelp. Her arms reflexively sought something to cling onto and wound up wrapped around his neck and shoulders.

Her eyelashes fluttered. His rolling adam’s apple and sharp jawline filled her vision, along with the warmth of the man seeping through his thin shirt.

Abruptly, Chen Yi lowered his head, his gaze settling on her face for a few seconds before lifting again to look ahead at the road. In a low voice, he said, “This is something else you’ll need to get used to.”

Ruan Mian’s lips parted but she couldn’t think of how to respond. She only nestled closer, his steady, strong heartbeat next to her ear.

The two walked the short distance in silence. After examination at the hospital, there were no major issues apart from the abrasion. Chen Yi breathed a small sigh of relief. Once the doctor had treated Ruan Mian’s wound, he supported her out of the hospital.

The hospital and residential compound were along the same street. The nighttime temperature wasn’t as hot as the day, and occasional gusts of wind blew by, bringing slight coolness.

The pain had subsided considerably for Ruan Mian by now. She didn’t let Chen Yi carry or piggyback her. “It’s just a scrape, doesn’t affect walking.”

Clasping Chen Yi’s hand, she limped a little at first but soon managed to walk almost normally, only feeling some pain if exerting herself too much.

By the time they returned home, it was almost 11:30pm. It should have been a time to stay home happily and wait for midnight to arrive, but this sudden mishap made the arrival of midnight rather hasty.

Shen Yu took out the preordered cake from the fridge and lit the candles. The five of them gathered around the sofa, candlelight flickering in the room.

Liang Yiran passed the paper crown that came with the cake to Chen Yi. “Here you go, birthday boy. Make a wish.”

Chen Yi accepted the crown but didn’t put it on himself. Instead, he crowned Ruan Mian with it. “No wishing. Let’s just cut the cake.”

“Why not? It’s your birthday only once a year.”

Shen Yu joked, “Who knows, your wish this year might come true.”

Chen Yi glanced at Ruan Mian, repressing the smile in his eyes. He still insisted against it. “Let’s hurry up and get done so we can rest. There’s a pregnant woman and injured person here, after all.”

“Alright, alright.”

Shen Yu handed him the knife. “Then you do the honors.”

“Got it.”

Having eaten dinner at around 8 or 9 pm, none of them were very hungry now. They each tasted a bit of cake for formality and took a group photo together.

After that, Chen Yi also had Shen Yu help take separate pictures of him and Ruan Mian. With the photos done, Meng Xinglan, who was pregnant and often had nausea, went to rest. Only in her first trimester, she would occasionally wake in the night, so for ease of care, she shared a room with Liang Yiran.

That left one guest bedroom which Shen Yu always occupied when staying over, so they each took rooms as needed. In the end, only an unfurnished study and Chen Yi’s master bedroom remained.

After those who had rooms went back to their rooms, Ruan Mian, who didn’t have a room, and the homeowner Chen Yi sat in the living room. Ruan Mian still didn’t realize anything and just sat there looking at photos, occasionally lifting her head to see Chen Yi looking at her Moments.

It just so happened to be the birthday wishes she had sent to He Zechan.

As if realizing something, Ruan Mian picked a group photo of the five of them and posted a Moments post without signing her name, only writing “Happy Birthday” in four characters and a crown emoji.

Her relationship with Chen Yi had not been fully made public to her parents yet. Plus Fang Ruqing’s current attitude, Ruan Mian hadn’t thought about how to confess to her for the time being.

Chen Yi quickly brushed her latest post and liked it. Putting away his phone, he lifted his head to look at her and said, “Where are you sleeping tonight?”

Ruan Mian didn’t react and said, “What?”

A few seconds later, she turned her head and glanced at the two closed guest rooms behind her, mumbling: “I can actually sleep in the study.”

Chen Yi pinched her fingers without saying yes or no.

The two sat in silence for a while.

Chen Yi got up and put the leftover cake back in the fridge. When he came out, seeing Ruan Mian still sitting there, he turned off the lights in the dining room, walked over, and said, “Do you want to take a shower first?”

“Ah?”

Ruan Mian came back to her senses, “Okay.”

Just as Chen Yi was about to speak, Liang Yiran came out of the room with clothes and went straight into the bathroom outside. He pursed his lips and lowered his head to look at Ruan Mian, “There’s also a bathroom in my room.”

Ruan Mian thought it was just taking a shower, so there was no need to be so melodramatic, let alone now that they were a couple, so she didn’t say anything. She took a change of clothes and went to the master bedroom.

Ruan Mian had been to Chen Yi’s place a few times, but this was still the first time she had entered the master bedroom. The room area was obviously much larger than the other two rooms, decorated simply and elegantly, with a cold style.

She took the clothes into the bathroom and remembered she had forgotten to bring makeup remover. She went out to find Meng Xinglan. Passing by the study, Chen Yi saw her and came out to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Forgot to bring makeup remover.”

Ruan Mian didn’t say much to him. She knocked on Meng Xinglan’s door, went in to get her stuff, and came back out.

Washing up was done ten minutes later. As she wiped her dampened hair, she found her phone and sent Chen Yi a message saying she was done.

The doors to the master bedroom and study faced each other. At this time, the doors were not closed. Ruan Mian soon saw Chen Yi walk out from across and then directly walk into the room.

Their eyes met. Chen Yi’s gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, then moved down, “Did the wound get wet?”

“No.”

Before taking a shower, Ruan Mian had wrapped it in plastic wrap, and she was also very careful when washing, except for the edges of the gauze being a little wet, no other places had touched water.

Chen Yi made an “mm” sound and walked to the wardrobe to get his own clothes. “You sleep here tonight. Remember to take the anti-inflammatory medicine. I’ve poured water for you and left it in the living room outside.”

“Oh.”

Ruan Mian stopped drying her hair. She hesitated for a few seconds and asked, “Then where are you sleeping tonight?”

“Where else can I sleep?”

He smiled meaningfully, “This is my room after all. Of course I’m sleeping here.”

Ruan Mian was startled, “……”

Seeing her slightly frightened reaction, Chen Yi walked over and rubbed her head, “Just kidding. I’ll sleep on the couch outside. Go to bed early.”

Ruan Mian didn’t know whether to feel relieved or what. She was speechless for a long time, but Chen Yi was afraid she would forget to take medicine. After going out, he came back again and brought in water and medicine, as if she was someone with a bad memory, and reminded her again, “Don’t forget.”

She nodded, “Got it.”

Chen Yi said good night and walked out. Ruan Mian stood there for a while and went to the table to take the medicine. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she saw a photo frame on the bedside table.

It was a family portrait.

She picked it up and glanced at it, then seemed to remember something. She turned her head to look at the other bedside table. There was also a photo frame there, which was the group photo they took in the hallway outside the classroom in their senior year of high school.

Ruan Mian put down the photo frame in her hand and got up to walk over. The photo was well protected, and the smiles and facial features of the six of them were still crystal clear.

She stared at the photo for a while, thinking of many things from the past. In a daze, she didn’t hear the knock on the door. Chen Yi stood at the doorway. The door was not closed, so with one glance he could see all her actions.

He suddenly remembered the few sentences they exchanged on the day they took their graduation photos.

Chen Yi remembered it was an exceptionally sunny day without clouds. A group of people stood in front of the library building. The atmosphere was sad yet lively.

After taking the group photos, Shen Yu and a few others called Liang Yiran over, and the six of them took that group photo in the hallway outside Class 18.

Meng Xinglan and Shen Yu scrambled to look at the photo effects. Chen Yi and Ruan Mian stood in the hallway for a while. Later, friends from other classes called him over to take photos.

Before leaving, he remembered something and turned back to say to her, “Good luck on the gaokao.”

He seemed to remember her smiling and then saying, “OK, thanks.”

Later, the next time Chen Yi saw Ruan Mian was at the farewell dinner after the gaokao, but he arrived late that day and didn’t stay long in the private room. They didn’t get a chance to talk.

In the nine years after that, Chen Yi never saw Ruan Mian again, not even once, until that night in Luolin.

Their reunion was abrupt and unexpected.

Later, Chen Yi thought more than once, if he and Ruan Mian had not met in Luolin, but had reunited at Liang Yiran and Meng Xinglan’s wedding, would it still have been like before, hurriedly meeting once, and then another few years or even longer of emptiness.

This was an unsolvable proposition.

Just like the years he and Ruan Mian had missed each other, if his younger self had been more attentive, would there have been a different outcome.

The outcome of missed chances could no longer be known, but fortunately, their present and future, even a hundred years later, would all become each other’s longing and only.

After a long time.

Ruan Mian put down the photo frame and turned around to see Chen Yi standing at the door. Her expression froze for a moment before saying, “I haven’t seen this group photo in a long time.”

“What, where’s yours?”

Chen Yi remembered Shen Yu later developed the photos and gave each person one.

“Lost it.”

Ruan Mian said, “A few years ago I went out of town to play with friends, and my wallet was stolen together with it.”

“Do you want it? I should still have the original pic in my QQ Zone¹, you can go check it out.”

Chen Yi walked in and took out a charger from the drawer, “It’s in my QQ Zone.”

“OK.”

After responding, Ruan Mian suddenly remembered something and asked, “What’s your QQ number? My QQ account got hacked that year I repeated senior year, and after getting it back, all my contacts were deleted, so I didn’t use that account anymore.”

“No wonder.”

Chen Yi remembered when he returned home on summer break the year she repeated senior year, his grandmother took out the materials for tutoring her essay writing in the study and casually asked him about her current situation.

At that time, WeChat had already been widely adopted in China, and Chen Yi rarely used QQ anymore. After hearing his grandmother’s words, he opened QQ, intending to ask her, but after flipping through his contact list, he didn’t see her name.

At the time, he didn’t think much of it. Instead, he went to ask Li Zhi, and only then did he learn that she was that year’s gaokao top scorer and had gone to study at a university in a northern city.

When people miss each other, what is lost is never just one thing. Those things that were unimportant back then have all become regrets now.

Chen Yi’s QQ was still his old one. Ruan Mian added him on her QQ that she had been using. His avatar and screen name had not changed.

Ruan Mian found that photo in his space and saved it. Then she directly sent him a QQ message.

Ruan Mian: Is the orange cat in your avatar the same as the one in your WeChat avatar?

Chen: No, the QQ one passed away years ago already. The WeChat one is her kitten, named Little Orange.

Ruan Mian: Oh, very cute.

Chen: I can introduce you to it this New Year.

The meaning behind these words was already very obvious. According to the relationship between their two families now, meeting the parents by the end of the year was not considered too fast.

Chen Yi waited for a while and received her reply.

Ruan Mian: OK.

The two chatted on QQ for a while, quickly racking up several pages of chat records. Before reaching ten pages, Chen Yi told Ruan Mian to rest early.

Chen: What do you want to eat tomorrow?

Ruan Mian: Are you cooking?

Chen: Mm.

Ruan Mian: Let’s decide tomorrow. I can’t think of anything now.

Chen: Alright, goodnight.

Ruan Mian: Goodnight.

In the room, after sending this last message, Ruan Mian put down her phone, rolled over in the quilt, and buried her head in the pillow. She smelled a faint scent, the same as the shower gel she used.

Feeling very sleepy yet unable to fall asleep no matter how she tossed and turned, she stayed awake until past 2 am. Ruan Mian felt thirsty and got up to pour water.

The night light was still on in the living room. Chen Yi was lying on the sofa with his long legs unable to fully stretch out and resting outside. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he sat up and asked, “Still not asleep?”

Ruan Mian: “A little thirsty.”

Chen Yi flipped off the blanket and stood up to walk over. He turned on the light in the dining room, found the water kettle, and poured her a cup of water. Ruan Mian took it and asked, “How come you’re not asleep either?”

“Not used to it.”

She oh-ed.

After drinking the water, Ruan Mian put down the cup and walked back, “Go to sleep sooner.”

“OK.”

Ruan Mian walked a few steps and looked back to see him sit back down on the sofa. She hesitated there, and after quite a while, Chen Yi didn’t hear the sound of the door closing. He looked back and saw her standing there. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Ruan Mian took a light breath, as if making an important decision. She raised her eyes to look over, “Chen Yi.”

“Hm?”

“Or…” She scratched her cheek, “You can sleep in the room.”

1. A blog/diary website; think MySpace. And QQ is an instant messaging software service; think MSN. (T/N: Is my age coming through…) ↩︎