ATLAS TRANSLATES

As the clock just passed 5 AM, the sky was still dark.

The phone alarm vibrated, and Fu Xueli stirred slightly, reaching out her arm to fumble around and turn it off.

Sleeping hunched over at the bedside last night had been uncomfortable, and she had many chaotic dreams. Now, as she moved, her whole body felt numb, like an electric current was running through it. Fu Xueli couldn’t help but let out a soft hiss.

With effort, she focused her attention on what was in front of her. Her vision was still blurry, and she was dazed for a moment. Raising her head slightly and opening her eyes a bit more, she finally saw clearly what was under her face…

Was it Xu Xingchun’s hand?

She slowly came to her senses.

Feeling it, his fingertips were warm. His palm was open, with distinct knuckles, cradling her face, still retaining some warmth.

One arm had been left outside the blanket all night.

Fu Xueli stood up, twisting her sore neck, and looked at the person sleeping on the bed. Her feelings were complex—

Had she slept so deeply last night that… she’d used his arm as a pillow?

Fu Xueli thought for a moment, then gently placed his arm back under the blanket.

Xu Xingchun’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t wake up. Fu Xueli had never liked saying goodbye to people, so she didn’t wake him. She tiptoed out of the hospital room, and as she turned, she saw the old lady from last night slowly walking down the corridor.

“Young lady, leaving so early?” The old lady greeted her.

Fu Xueli nodded, noticing the breakfast she was carrying. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked, “Grandma, where did you buy this?”

“This?” The old lady was about to open the door to go in. “Just in a small alley next to the hospital, very close.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Sunglasses, mask, baseball cap—only when fully equipped did Fu Xueli dare to leave the hospital building.

Now she wanted to hide whenever she saw reporters, and she didn’t even want to go home. Perhaps because of her recent high exposure, obsessive fans often lurked around Fu Xueli’s residential area. Tang Xin had called her last time, saying that the property management had found many hidden cameras near her home, so not surprisingly, they were preparing to move again.

There were many small shops selling breakfast near the hospital. It was almost 6 AM, and early risers—office workers, students, and elderly people—were out. Fu Xueli chose a shop with fewer people. Inside the window, a middle-aged couple was busy, with a young man helping out.

Seeing a customer, the young man came over and asked, “Miss, what would you like to eat?”

Fu Xueli’s outfit was so covered up that other customers in the shop gave her curious looks.

Fu Xueli looked up to study the menu board, hesitating slightly. She turned and asked, “Do you offer delivery service?”

“Delivery?” The young man was surprised. “Where do you want it delivered? And around what time?”

“To the Chinese Medicine Hospital, very close. Between 7:30 and 8 AM.”

“Oh, that? No problem, we can do that.”

“Really?” Fu Xueli was happy. She borrowed some paper and a pen, thought for a moment, wrote down the room number and address, and handed it over. “Then please remember, deliver one freshly ground soy milk, one bowl of porridge, and add a few youtiao and such.”

“Alright,” the young man smiled welcomingly.

Fu Xueli hesitated, then earnestly instructed, “If he asks who bought him breakfast, just say it was a kind-hearted beautiful lady, tell him not to be moved, and don’t say anything else.”

“……”

The young man smiled, “Got it.”

There had been too much accumulated work recently, and Fu Xueli’s schedule was becoming increasingly busy with various events and interviews. After the ups and downs of the past half month, the rumors about He Lu and Fu Xueli finally died down, and the questions reporters asked her became normal again.

That evening, at a celebrity event red carpet, Fu Xueli walked with Fang Nan. Fang Nan was another artist under Tang Xin’s management who had a good relationship with Fu Xueli. He had risen to fame in the past two years by starring in youth idol dramas. He had a very youthful feeling but liked to joke around and not be serious.

Facing cameras from all directions, Fang Nan’s peach-red lips were stretched wide in a smile, showing all his white teeth, looking childish. Standing next to him, Fu Xueli was graceful in a shimmering silver evening gown, her smile equally charming.

After entering and finding their seats, Fu Xueli told Fang Nan, “I’m going to play on my phone for a bit. Help me watch for the broadcast camera and let me know when it pans over.”

Fang Nan turned his head and said in Mandarin with a slight Hong Kong accent, “Are you playing games, internet-addicted girl?”

“Girl? Do you know how old I am?” Fu Xueli opened her contacts, found a number, and hesitated whether to dial or not. After thinking for a long time, she still didn’t dial.

Fang Nan smiled with interest: “Of course, I thought women of all ages like to hear this kind of compliment.”

“Me? It’s okay, I guess.” Fu Xueli lacked enthusiasm. Now whenever she had a free moment, she started thinking about Xu Xingchun.

Thinking about Xu Xingchun.

And then about Xu Xingchun’s diary.

Old and yellowed, like something used over a decade ago. Maybe he had only used this one notebook from childhood to adulthood. In any case, it was really old-fashioned.

So Fu Xueli recalled Fu Chenglin’s previous assessment of him:

Xu Xingchun is a very nostalgic and stubborn person, quite dedicated, not easily changed.

This was also what Fu Xueli used to find most annoying about Xu Xingchun—too many rules and regulations. Once he decided on something, he would hold on and not let go, terrifyingly persistent.

It was fine at the beginning, but by high school, his possessiveness had become increasingly intense.

It’s true, love isn’t always a good thing. Even people with strong self-control will gradually expose their flaws.

But for someone like Fu Xueli, who had been used to living freely and casually since childhood, the need for love was mutual tolerance, and the important thing was to maintain freshness. Although Xu Xingchun was unconditionally good to her, he couldn’t even meet the basic conditions.

Their relationship was destined to fall into a vicious cycle.

Last time in Xu Xingchun’s office, she accidentally discovered this diary. Although peeking at someone’s privacy is really shameful behavior, for someone like Fu Xueli who lacks a sense of morality, coupled with her overwhelming curiosity—and the subject being Xu Xingchun—

She really couldn’t figure out what Xu Xingchun was thinking every day, and she wanted to know what he was actually thinking.

So after an internal struggle that lasted about half a minute, she decided to secretly take photos with her phone. Click, click, she took dozens of photos, all stored in her private photo album.

She had originally planned to slowly appreciate them when she had free time, but with so many things happening one after another, Fu Xueli had long forgotten about the diary. The first time she remembered to look at it was when she was at home, her mood greatly affected by online trolls cursing at her, and she wanted to find something else to distract herself. As a result, she randomly opened it and happened to see something about herself. Just a little bit was enough to make her guilt explode.

She was truly awful.

She was probably the bloody knife stuck in Xu Xingchun’s chest.

With an ostrich mentality, she simply stopped looking…

Anyway, the more she looked, the more she felt she had wronged him.

At this moment, Fu Xueli remembered it again, her fingers tapping on the screen. Should she look or not…

Fang Nan suddenly turned to chat, “Perhaps, do you like to play Honor of Kings?”

“……” Fu Xueli put away her phone, “I don’t play.”

When the evening award ceremony was more than halfway through, Fu Xueli won a Popular Star Award. After delivering a bland acceptance speech amid applause, she found an excuse to use the bathroom and slipped away.

The car drove through the vast night towards the Central Hospital. The shadows of the bustling streets outside flew by rapidly. In the car, Fu Xueli made a phone call, which was quickly answered, “Hello?”

“Auntie Qi? This is Xueli.”

Xixi, holding the calla lilies she had just ordered, carefully asked after Fu Xueli hung up the phone, “Sister Xueli, it’s already 11 o’clock now. The flight is at 6 AM tomorrow. Are you still going to the hospital to see Officer Xu?”

“Mm, I’ll just leave the flowers there and go.”

When they arrived at the hospital, they found that it was already past visiting hours. After negotiating with the nurse on duty for a while, she still shook her head, “I’m really sorry, but our hospital has set visiting hours to avoid disturbing patients’ rest. You can come back at 6 AM tomorrow.”

Fu Xueli nodded, “Can I ask you for a favor?”

The nurse asked, “What is it?”

She handed over the flowers, “Please deliver these flowers to Room 401, Bed 2, tomorrow. Thank you.”