ATLAS TRANSLATES

The room fell silent for a few seconds after those words were spoken.

“Hm?”

He dragged out the last syllable and said word by word, “Aes-the-tic fa-tigue?”

Ruan Mian realized she had said the wrong thing only after she finished speaking. She uncomfortably avoided his gaze and pretended to be confused. “Ah, what?”

Chen Yi raised his hand and pinched her cheek, applying a bit of force. He had originally wanted to reprimand her, but when she let out a soft yelp of pain, his attention was diverted. “Did it hurt?”

Ruan Mian put on a brazen face and wrapped her arms around his neck, acting coquettishly. “A little.”

Her skin was fair and soft, and even a slight force could leave marks. Chen Yi remembered the previous time in the disaster area when he had only grasped her lightly, but her wrist had still been slightly injured.

Now, her cheeks also had two distinct fingerprints, like unevenly applied blush, looking somewhat ridiculously cute.

Chen Yi lowered his head and kissed her cheek, his lips touching her skin with a faint “smack” sound. He sighed, “How can you be so delicate?”

“I’m not.”

Ruan Mian mumbled, her hands hooked around his neck, her fingers mischievously poking the back of his neck. She felt his firm spine and even rubbed it a couple of times.

Chen Yi was afraid that things would get out of hand if she continued, so he grabbed her arms and pulled away a little, hinting, “Don’t get handsy, I’m afraid you won’t be able to control yourself.”

Ruan Mian didn’t want to continue talking to him. She shook off his arms and walked into the room, her tone neither salty nor bland. “Didn’t you want to see the room? Go ahead, it’s that one.”

This was the first time Chen Yi had seen Ruan Mian throw a little tantrum, and for a moment, he actually found it quite adorable. He quickly followed her and hugged her from behind. “Are you angry?”

Ruan Mian imitated his earlier words, “Don’t get handsy, I’m afraid you won’t be able to control yourself.”

Chen Yi couldn’t help but laugh. Maintaining the embrace, he lowered his head and lightly pecked her neck a few times, chuckling indistinctly, “Mm, I can’t control myself.”

Both of them were in their twenties, yet when they had disagreements, they were still quite childish. After a “cold war” of more than ten minutes, they made up again, holding hands while looking at the room.

“Senior Sister’s bedroom is quite small, but it also faces the sun and has ample lighting.”

After showing Chen Yi the second bedroom, Ruan Mian also showed him the kitchen and the outside bathroom. Finally, as if following a routine, she casually glanced at the master bedroom.

“Hey.”

Chen Yi stood at the doorway and pointed to the bed in the bedroom. “Can the bed in the second bedroom be changed to this size?”

“It probably can’t. The room is so small, 1.5 meters is already the limit.”

Ruan Mian looked at him and reminded, “You’ll only be back for two days a month anyway.”

“That’s true.”

He remained calm and composed. “Then I’ll just make do with the master bedroom for those two days.”

The two of them had been busy all morning. Although they said they were looking at the room, it was just an excuse. In the end, it turned into a date, but both of them were quite lazy. After going out for lunch, they thought about how the next day was Monday and only wanted to go back and lounge around. After going around in circles, they ended up changing the date location back to home.

Once inside, Ruan Mian went to the kitchen to boil water and turned to Chen Yi, saying, “I put your pajamas on the windowsill in the bedroom. You can go in and change.”

Chen Yi responded with a hum and walked towards the bedroom while replying to messages on his phone.

Ruan Mian waited in the kitchen until the water boiled, then did some quick washing up in the outside bathroom. Estimating that enough time had passed, she also prepared to return to the bedroom.

Chen Yi had left the door slightly ajar when he entered earlier. As she pushed it open, she expected him to have already changed clothes, but instead, he was bent over, putting on his pants.

He straightened up at the sound of the door opening, pulling up his pants, which hung loosely. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a large expanse of his chest and abs, with his V-line disappearing beneath the waistband.

Ruan Mian froze on the spot, her gaze inadvertently coming into contact with such a stimulating sight. For a moment, she forgot to look away.

Chen Yi didn’t make a sound either. He just leisurely buttoned up his shirt, the scene transitioning from static to dynamic. Ruan Mian suddenly came back to her senses, somewhat flustered and at a loss. She dove straight into the bathroom inside.

The bathroom light switch was outside, so when the door closed, it was dark inside. In the dim light, Ruan Mian saw a face flushed red in the mirror. She abruptly raised her hand to cover her face.

It was really too embarrassing.

As if feeling both ashamed and at a loss, she sat on the toilet lid and began to meditate and calm herself down. In other words, she was avoiding the situation.

The noise outside seemed to be amplified countless times. The footsteps, sometimes distant and sometimes close, felt as if they were stepping on her heart. When they quickened, her heartbeat quickened too; when they slowed, her heartbeat followed suit.

After a while, the footsteps changed from being distant and close to gradually approaching. Ruan Mian looked up and saw a black shadow reflected on the glass door, causing her heart to suddenly skip a beat.

Chen Yi stood outside the door, his hand on the door handle. “Ruan Mian.”

No one answered.

He spoke again, this time with a hint of amusement. “I’m coming in, okay?”

With that, he pressed down on the handle, making a faint sound.

“…Don’t, I’m in the bathroom,” a muffled voice came from inside.

Chen Yi withdrew his hand but remained standing there. He turned his head and glanced at the switch beside him, pressing the one labeled “lighting”.

Cold white light illuminated the inside.

He didn’t urge her. After a few seconds, the door was pulled open from the inside. Ruan Mian avoided his gaze. “I’ll go pour a glass of water.”

Chen Yi reached out and grabbed her. “Ruan Mian.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she was forced to meet his gaze. “Hm?”

“It seems like…” He slowly hooked the corners of his lips, casually saying, “You didn’t flush the toilet.”

Ruan Mian mumbled a response and went back in to press the flush button. She even washed her hands in an attempt to cover it up.

Chen Yi found it increasingly amusing and felt the urge to tease her. He deliberately dragged out his tone and asked, “Just now, what did you see?”

As he finished speaking, the scene she had witnessed earlier automatically replayed in Ruan Mian’s mind, but her mouth was dishonest. “I didn’t see anything.”

He let out a disappointed “ah” sound. “Since that’s the case…”

Chen Yi intentionally paused. Ruan Mian looked at him. “…Then what?”

He looked at her with a half-smile, half-smirk expression. Suddenly, he raised his hand and began unbuttoning his shirt from top to bottom, speaking slowly, “In that case, why don’t I take it off now and let you have another good, careful look?”

Ruan Mian almost nodded in agreement, but the words that were about to come out were held back by her sober rationality. Her teeth unexpectedly bit the tip of her tongue, causing her brows to furrow in pain.

This time it was real pain, very different from the pretend pain she displayed in the living room that morning.

Chen Yi could also see it. His attention was immediately diverted. He raised his hand to hold her chin, making her open her mouth. His tone was doting yet helpless. “Let me see. How can you bite your tongue just from talking?”

Ruan Mian stuck out the tip of her tongue slightly. There was a small cut on the right side, and blood was oozing out. “It’s fine, it’ll be fine in a bit…”

“A kiss will make it stop hurting.”

Ruan Mian slightly raised her head, accepting this kiss.

That day, Chen Yi didn’t stay too late at Ruan Mian’s place. He returned to the military district in the evening. It was already a settled matter that he would move in with her. Lin Jiahui also started gradually packing and sending large pieces of luggage back to S City.

By the end of the month, she had tidied up the room to a considerable extent, with only some personal belongings remaining. The day before leaving B City, Lin Jiahui packed the items that Zhou Yuan had given her and sent them to Zhou Yuan’s residence. In the evening, she had dinner with Ruan Mian outside.

Early the next morning, she left two letters for Ruan Mian and dragged her luggage, leaving this city in the misty autumn day.

More than a decade ago, Lin Jiahui had come to this unfamiliar city alone for the person she liked. At the age of twenty-eight, after going around in circles, she returned to her original starting point.

“Little junior sister¹, I’m very sorry to say goodbye to you in this way. I don’t want to make a fuss about parting, so it’s best to do it quietly like this. There’s another letter on the table for Zhou Yuan. If he comes to find you, please pass it on to him for me. If not, just leave it be.

I’m leaving now. Take good care of yourself. I wish you and Chen Yi will soon tie the knot. Let’s meet again at a higher place.”

It was signed “Senior Sister Lin Jiahui”.

The morning sun in B City during autumn was thin, with a barely noticeable warmth. The empty living room was filled with sunlight in every corner.

Ruan Mian stood by the dining table. After reading the letter Lin Jiahui left for her, she fell silent for a long time before lowering her head and letting out a long sigh.

She picked up the other letter. The envelope only had the two characters “Zhou Yuan” written on it, with a deep force as if to engrave this name into it.

Ruan Mian sighed again and put away this letter.

In the afternoon, just as she was about to leave for the hospital, Zhou Yuan unexpectedly showed up at her door. The man’s expression was forlorn and anxious. “Ruan Mian, Jiahui, she…”

“Senior Sister has already left B City.”

Ruan Mian looked at him but didn’t feel sympathetic. “Wait a moment, she left a letter for you.”

Ruan Mian went inside and brought out the letter for him.

Zhou Yuan didn’t rush to open it. Instead, he asked, “Why did she suddenly leave B City and even send all her past belongings to me?”

Ruan Mian’s tone was cold. “Perhaps after you read this letter, you will understand everything.”

Zhou Yuan suddenly choked up. He lowered his head to look at the letter in his hand, slightly clenching it, as if he didn’t dare to face it and hesitated to open it.

Ruan Mian didn’t say much to him. After handing over the letter, she went downstairs.

In the following days, Zhou Yuan couldn’t get in touch with Lin Jiahui. The colleagues in the hospital department also kept her whereabouts hidden from him. Unable to find her, he waited at Ruan Mian’s doorstep every day.

On the evening of the second day, Chen Yi began his National Day holiday. He went back to pack some luggage, preparing to move to Ruan Mian’s place. He arrived at the entrance of the community after 8 pm. Ruan Mian had left a set of keys in the express delivery cabinet at the entrance. He got the keys, registered, and drove the car in. He swiped the card and went up to the 15th floor.

As soon as he exited the elevator, he saw a man squatting by the door. His expression froze for a moment. He pushed the luggage trolley and walked up to the man, saying in a flat tone, “Excuse me, please move aside.”

Zhou Yuan held onto the door and stood up from the ground. His voice was a bit hoarse. “Who are you?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”

Chen Yi raised his eyes and stared at him. “In the middle of the night, what are you doing squatting at my door?”

“Your home?”

Zhou Yuan frowned. “Did Ruan Mian rent the house to you?”

“What does it have to do with you?”

Chen Yi took out the keys from his pocket. It was the set of keys that Lin Jiahui had used before, and there was still a keychain she had left on it.

Zhou Yuan subconsciously reached out to grab it. Chen Yi twisted his arm behind his back and pressed him against the wall, his voice cold. “What are you doing?”

He stiffened his neck and said, “That key you have was used by my girlfriend before.”

Chen Yi glanced at the key and guessed that he was probably Lin Jiahui’s ex-boyfriend. He released his hand and took a step back to open the door. “You said it yourself, it was before.”

He carried the suitcase inside and shut the door, leaving the man outside, allowing him to bang on the door loudly.

Chen Yi put the luggage in the second bedroom and took a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He found the phone number of the community property management in the phone book by the door and called for someone to come and take the man away.

After things settled down, he went out again and drove to the hospital.

Ruan Mian was on the night shift today and only came out of the department after 10 pm. She found Chen Yi’s car at the hospital entrance and walked over to knock on the car window. “Didn’t I say you didn’t need to pick me up?”

“I had nothing else to do anyway.”

Chen Yi tilted his head. “Get in the car.”

Ruan Mian nodded, walked around from the front of the car, opened the door, and sat inside. Chen Yi watched her fasten her seat belt and said, “I just went back to drop off my luggage and ran into your senior sister’s ex-boyfriend.”

“Zhou Yuan?”

Ruan Mian also felt a bit helpless. “Senior Sister left without telling him and didn’t tell him where she went. He couldn’t find her, so he waits at my place every day.”

“Every day?”

Chen Yi looked at her. “How long has it been?”

“I’m not too sure. Anyway, every time I come back from my night shift, he’s there. Sometimes when I come back early, I don’t run into him.”

Chen Yi nodded, his expression pensive.

Ruan Mian was afraid he would worry and added, “Don’t worry, he just wants to ask me for Senior Sister’s contact information. He won’t do anything to me.”

He hummed in response and didn’t ask further.

When the two of them arrived home, they unexpectedly encountered Zhou Yuan at the door again. Ruan Mian had previously informed the security guard at the entrance, but she didn’t know how he managed to get in.

“Ruan Mian…” Zhou Yuan anxiously stepped forward. Seeing Chen Yi standing to the side, he stopped in his tracks. “Can you tell me where Jiahui went?”

Ruan Mian looked at him. “Since Senior Sister chose to keep it from you, I believe she naturally has her reasons. I have neither the right nor the obligation to inform you of her whereabouts.”

Zhou Yuan still wanted to say something, but Chen Yi stepped in front of him, blocking his way. He took out the key and opened the door, ushering Ruan Mian inside. “You go in first. I’ll have a chat with Mr. Zhou here.”

“Don’t do anything to him.”

Ruan Mian was worried.

He smiled. “I won’t. Just a few words.”

After closing the door, Chen Yi turned around to look at Zhou Yuan, leisurely rolling up his sleeves. He lowered his gaze to him. “Are you afraid of pain?”

“…What?”

“Nothing, it’s just that I might be a bit heavy-handed later.”

Chen Yi smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I hope you can endure it.”

Inside the house, Ruan Mian finished removing her makeup and heard the sound of the door opening. She poked her head out of the bathroom. “Is he gone?”

“He’s gone.”

“What did you say to him?”

“Nothing much, just had a casual chat.”

Chen Yi looked at her. “We had a peaceful chat.”

1. Little junior sister (??? xi?o sh? mèi): A way for a senior female to address a junior female in the same field or profession, often used in an academic or martial arts context. ↩︎