ATLAS TRANSLATES

She wanted to move back to avoid him, but he held her jaw firmly in place within his embrace.

“Thud!”

Accompanied by the sound of something heavy falling on the balcony, the two were jolted out of the intimate atmosphere. Chen Yi released her and leaned back against the sofa.

The rain outside showed no signs of letting up. Bean-sized raindrops pelted the glass noisily. Soon there was another thudding sound of something falling.

“I’ll go take a look.”

Ruan Mian lowered her head to put on slippers, about to head out to the balcony. Chen Yi suddenly grabbed her wrist, standing up from the sofa.

“I’ll go.”

There was a vent window on the balcony that hadn’t been closed. The wind had blown down two empty flower pots from the plant stand, shattering on the ground.

Chen Yi closed the window and used a broom to sweep up the fragments cleanly. He then tied up the garbage bag and only then turned to go back inside.

Seeing what he was holding, Ruan Mian asked, “What fell?”

“Flower pots.”

Chen Yi went to the door and left the garbage there, reminding her, “Don’t go onto the balcony barefoot, there might still be leftover shards I didn’t clean up.”

“Oh.”

Ruan Mian went into the kitchen and boiled some water. Opening the fridge, it was full of ingredients, but some left too long had shriveled and yellowed.

She picked out the vegetables that were no longer edible, and took out a large partially used pack of chicken wings from the freezer to defrost in the sink.

After finishing this, Ruan Mian went back out. “Chen Yi.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Yi looked up at her.

“Are you staying for lunch?”

At her words, Chen Yi glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 11am already. He asked back, “What time are you going to the hospital in the afternoon?”

“Around 3 or 4.”

“Then let’s eat. I’ll take you to the hospital after.”

“Okay.”

Ruan Mian didn’t say anything more. She casually tied up her hair and went back into the kitchen.

It was a two-bedroom apartment with an open kitchen directly facing the living room without any obstruction. Chen Yi bent down to pick up the blanket dangling on the floor and walked over.

Ruan Mian was peeling potatoes. Chen Yi stood there watching for a few seconds, sensing something amiss. Whether it was the knife being dull or her lack of skill, the originally small potato was reduced by almost a third after she finished peeling it.

As she reached to grab a second one, he quietly asked, “Do you know how to cook?”

Ruan Mian stopped her motions and looked up at him, eyes clear and bright with an innocent expression. “I don’t know what your definition of being able to is.”

Hearing her response, Chen Yi decided not to inquire further. He went over to take over. “I’ll do it then.”

Ruan Mian didn’t cook much to begin with, so she didn’t argue. After washing her hands, she soon shifted to his previous spot.

The man’s fingers were fair, slender and shapely. The back of his hand had prominent veins and tendons. Even just holding a potato and peeler, he was extremely pleasing to the eye.

His movements were also very skilled. In just a few minutes, the potatoes and other vegetables were cleaned up. After tidying everything, Chen Yi turned to her with raised arms. “Help me roll up my sleeves.”

Ruan Mian came back to her senses. She reached out to push up both his sleeves, pushing them higher to make sure they wouldn’t slip back down, until his entire forearms were exposed. “Okay?”

“That’s good.”

He gazed at her, then suddenly leaned in to peck the corner of her mouth. There was laughter in his voice. “Thanks.”

Chen Yi cooked very quickly. In just over half an hour, he stir-fried two vegetable dishes and a plate of braised chicken wings, and also made a seaweed egg drop soup.

The two didn’t talk much during the meal, focused on their own food. When Chen Yi put his chopsticks down first, he asked, “Are you going back to Pingcheng for Mid-Autumn?”

“Not sure, depends if I’m on shift.”

Ruan Mian still felt like eating more. She ladled herself a small bowl of soup. “Do you have leave?”

“Probably not.”

She responded with an “oh”, lowering her head to drink the soup. Recalling something, she asked, “Don’t you still have to participate in the National Day military parade?”

“We don’t need to this year. We already went two years ago.”

Chen Yi said, “Have you watched it before?”

Ruan Mian shook her head, half truthful, “I’m very busy.”

Chen Yi met her gaze and smiled very lightly, not saying anything more. Ruan Mian quietly finished her bowl of soup. The two cleaned up together afterwards.

The rain showed no signs of stopping outside, with dark clouds covering the sky. The entire sky was gloomy and the balcony sliding door hadn’t been shut. Raindrops noisily pelted the glass.

Ruan Mian didn’t sleep well last night on the rented cot at the hospital. Now listening to the rain, she became drowsy. Sitting on the sofa, she yawned several times in succession.

She turned to look at Chen Yi, leaning against the sofa with upright posture, eyes half-closed as the flashing images from the TV danced across his face.

Unsure if he had fallen asleep, Ruan Mian bent over to get closer. “Chen Yi?”

“Mm…”

That single sleepy and languid hum seemed to emanate from deep inside his chest. He lifted his eyes, gaze a little blurry. “What’s up?”

“Go sleep in the bedroom.”

Ruan Mian pointed back with her thumb. “That’s my room. Do you need to change into sleepwear? I have a set of men’s pajamas.”

Chen Yi tilted his head back, completely exposing his adam’s apple which bobbed prominently, its lines and contours very distinct.

After a few seconds, he sat up straight again and uttered an “okay.”

Ruan Mian brought him to her bedroom.

As the master bedroom, it was a little bigger, so the rent was higher relatively. It also had a small attached bathroom. The balcony was a bay window piled full of professional books.

The room decor was simple yet cozy. There was a bean bag next to the bed. Her desk was squeezed into the corner by the bay window and the wardrobe was built-in. There was also a standalone bookcase next to the desk.

The floor was carpeted with soft wool.

Ruan Mian took out the pajamas from the wardrobe. “This was a bonus free gift when I bought enough to get a freebie last year. Never worn before. You change first and I’ll go shower.”

“Alright.”

Chen Yi accepted the clothes. Right in front of her, he started unbuttoning his shirt. Ruan Mian froze for a second before quickly turning to leave the room.

The corners of Chen Yi’s lips curved up as he swiftly changed into the pajamas.

He really was tired. He had stayed over at the Zhang house last night and was kept up playing games with Song Bao’er until after 4am. Then he was woken up before 7 to eat breakfast together with Grandpa and Grandma Zhang. He hadn’t gotten proper sleep the entire weekend.

The room lights were off, dim and gloomy. Along with the sound of rain outside, it created an excellent hypnotic effect. Chen Yi got under the covers and soon felt drowsy again.

In his half-asleep state, he vaguely heard the door open. Squinting, he saw Ruan Mian go into the bathroom then tiptoe back out, hugging a pile of clothes.

He didn’t make a sound, just turned over and continued sleeping.

It was after Ruan Mian had brushed her teeth and washed her face that she remembered she hadn’t brought a change of clothes. She carefully went back in for a trip, then quickly showered and came back out.

After blow drying her hair, she returned to the bedroom.

Chen Yi’s sleeping posture was very good, taking up just a small half of the bed. Ruan Mian walked to the bay window and slowly pulled the curtains closed. The room darkened completely.

She groped her way to the bedside, lifted the covers, and got in. The person sleeping next to her immediately snuggled over, putting an arm around her. “Did you set an alarm?”

“Yeah, 3:30.”

“Mm.”

His voice grew softer again. Ruan Mian sat up and shifted his arm higher, propping a pillow behind her head. She adjusted into a comfortable position and lay back down.

The room gradually quieted. Outside, the rain also slowed. After the summer storm, the sky drifted with scattered clouds. The sun baked the air stuffy and hot.

The fierce sunlight gradually rose until after 6 pm, when twilight dyed it again. The clouds tugged westward as swathes of sunset spread across the entire sky.

Chen Yi woke up at the very last moment before the sun set completely. By then he was the only one left in the bedroom. The blackout curtains weren’t thick enough and some light leaked onto the bedding.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up, pushing the covers off. On the bedside table was a note.

I went to the hospital first, remember to lock the door for me.

Chen Yi flopped a hand on the bed, leaning against the wall and squinting for a while to wake up fully. Then he reached for the trousers draped over the chair, fishing out his phone from the pocket.

6:47 pm.

He called Ruan Mian. She didn’t pick up the first time, but later when he had changed and was ready, she called back. “I was just helping my mentor grab some water. You’re up?”

Chen Yi: “I’m up. Why didn’t you wake me?”

She ah-ed. “You were sleeping pretty deeply. And it had stopped raining when I got up, so I just drove over to the hospital myself. It’s more convenient for me to drive back later too. Are you heading back now?”

“Mm.”

Chen Yi had slept longer than expected, and not much time remained before he had to return to base. “For your house, is it enough to just shut the door?”

“Yeah.”

Ruan Mian said, “I forgot to throw away the trash by the door before leaving. Help me bring it down too. There’s that broken porcelain piece inside, be careful.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Let me think…” She paused for a few seconds. “I think there’s also a bag of trash in the kitchen, on the counter.”

Chen Yi went out to check. “I see it. Anything else?”

“There’s more…” Ruan Mian laughed to herself and candidly admitted, “Actually, I can’t cook.”

“I can tell.”

Chen Yi’s voice was lazy, seeming to tease her. “You almost peeled that potato hollow.”

“I’ve been too busy, no time to learn this stuff.”

Although Ruan Mian’s parents didn’t get along well when she was little, she was still a pampered princess who grew up never lifting a finger. She didn’t need to worry about living expenses from a young age. Later she studied medicine and started working, leaving her even less time to fuss with these things. Occasionally being able to cook some noodles was already quite an accomplishment for her.

“You won’t need to learn in the future either.”

Chen Yi picked up the trash bag. “It’s fine if one person in the home knows how.”

Ruan Mian held her phone and laughed, glancing down the hall. “Let me not keep you. I see my mentor’s boyfriend.”

“Alright.”

Chen Yi considered and advised, “Don’t get into fights.”

“I know.”

After hanging up, Ruan Mian walked forward. Zhou Yuan had just asked a nurse about Lin Jiahui’s room number and turned around to see Ruan Mian. He thanked the nurse and hurried over to her, looking concerned. “Ruan Mian, is Jiahui okay?”

“What do you think?”

Ruan Mian looked at the flowers and fruit basket he held. “Are you here to visit a patient or your girlfriend?”

“I…”

Ruan Mian turned to leave. Zhou Yuan quickly followed. “Jiahui won’t take my calls or reply to my messages. I’m really worried about her.”

“If you were truly worried for her, you wouldn’t have let her come for surgery alone.”

Ruan Mian stopped outside the hospital room door and looked back at him, tone frosty. “Whether she sees you or not isn’t for me to decide, but if she doesn’t want to see you, I won’t let you in. So please wait out here for now.”

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips. “Alright.”

Ruan Mian went into the room. Lin Jiahui was on a phone call with her mother, who didn’t know about the surgery and was chatting as usual, also asking when she’d be free to visit home.

Lin Jiahui: “Mom, you know I’m busy with work. I’ll definitely come back next time I get leave.”

“Okay, okay, but take care of your health even if you’re busy.”

Lin’s mother fussed over her a bit more before hanging up. Lin Jiahui lowered her head in silence for a while before looking up at Ruan Mian. “Zhou Yuan is here?”

“Mm.”

“Let him in.”

Lin Jiahui smiled. “Thanks for putting up with me these past couple days.”

“Why are you still being formal with me?”

Ruan Mian said, “I’ll go call him in then. You two talk it through properly.”

“Okay.”

That evening, Zhou Yuan talked with Lin Jiahui for a long time in the hospital room. Ruan Mian went downstairs for dinner then loitered around half an hour more before seeing Zhou Yuan emerge from the hospital building. His arms were empty and he didn’t look as dejected as when he had arrived.

Ruan Mian hesitated before returning to the room, only to see the beautiful red roses tossed in the trash can. Lin Jiahui had opened the fruit basket. “Perfect, you can take this back to eat.”

She was a bit confused. “Mentor, you and Zhou Yuan?”

“Broke up.”

Lin Jiahui peeled an orange and ate a slice. The out of season fruit was both sour and bitter. “But I made him think we could go back to how we used to be.”

Now Ruan Mian was truly bewildered, but Lin Jiahui didn’t elaborate further. “Alright, you still have work tomorrow. Go back early and rest.”

“Did you take time off?”

“I did.”

Lin Jiahui smiled. “Used up all my annual leave.”

Ruan Mian didn’t ask more. “Okay, call me if you need anything.”

“Mm.”

In the days that followed, whenever Ruan Mian went to the hospital she could see Zhou Yuan’s figure there. But each time after he left, Lin Jiahui would throw the flowers he brought into the trash.

It continued this way for a week until discharge day, when Zhou Yuan specially took time off to be there. He and Lin Jiahui even treated Ruan Mian to lunch that afternoon.

After sending them home, Zhou Yuan hurried back to work while Ruan Mian cleaned up at home. After a while, Lin Jiahui came out from her room with a pile of things.

Ruan Mian recognized some were gifts Zhou Yuan had given her before. Lin Jiahui used to treasure them, but now she discarded them like worn out shoes.

“Mentor, what’s this for?”

“They’re all things Zhou Yuan gave me before. I’m planning to return them.”

Lin Jiahui found a box on the balcony. Sitting on the floor mat, she started placing them inside one by one. “I’m planning to leave B City.”

Ruan Mian blinked.

Lin Jiahui said, “I enrolled in an exchange program between our department and a S City hospital for collaborative learning and research, two years long. I’m leaving next month.”

“Will you come back after completing the exchange?”

“I won’t come back. After the exchange ends, I’m applying to stay at that hospital.”

Lin Jiahui smiled. “As you know, my hometown is in S City. If not for Zhou Yuan, I wouldn’t have come to B City for school or stayed here afterwards, to be honest. I don’t like it here at all.”

As she spoke, a tear suddenly rolled down. She lowered her head, looking at the music box she once cherished. “I’ve even hated my past self before.”

Ruan Mian felt awful and turned aside, blinking and wiping the corner of her eye. With a deliberately casual laugh she said, “Since you’ve decided, go for it then.”

“And you know, no matter how she is now, I think the past Lin Jiahui was a very brave girl.”

The courage she had to disregard everything for the one she loved was something the 16-17 year old Ruan Mian had desperately wished for.