ATLAS TRANSLATES

The next day, Xu Xingchun was woken early by a call from the police station. He left without waking Fu Xueli, slipping away silently.

When she woke up, his side of the bed was empty, even the warmth gone. Lying there, Fu Xueli felt a bit unsettled as she stared at a spot in the room.

After getting up, she called Xu Xingchun first. He didn’t answer, probably busy, so she didn’t try again.

Before she could feel disappointed, Tang Xin called, asking Fu Xueli to return to the company for rehearsal. They were preparing for next month’s interview and fan meeting.

She spent the afternoon in the dance studio. During a break, she received Xu Xingchun’s call.

Covered in sweat and afraid of catching cold, she threw on a coat. Sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat, she answered, “Hello?”

“What are you doing?”

“Rehearsing for a show.”

“Are you busy?”

As they talked, a trainee from the company opened the dance studio door.

The young girl spotted Fu Xueli and froze, unsure whether to enter or leave. After hesitating, she politely greeted her. Seeing Fu Xueli on the phone, she carefully said while staying by the door, “Hello, senior. I just need to get something.”

Fu Xueli hummed in acknowledgment, glanced at her, and gestured for her to come in. Then she returned her attention to Xu Xingchun, “I’m not busy. I’ve mostly learned the dance, just need to practice it a few more times. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What time did you leave this morning? Why so early?”

“A colleague was injured and having surgery. I went to see him at the hospital.”

“Was it serious?”

“It’s okay.” He seemed to want to avoid the topic and quickly moved on.

The trainee quickly found her forgotten item and passed by Fu Xueli. She hurried out, but seemed to catch fragments of words like “I miss you.”

How cheesy…

The young girl only dared to sigh after leaving. Judging from Fu Xueli’s expression, she guessed the person on the phone might be the mysterious non-celebrity boyfriend she’d recently gone public about.

So even popular stars act just like ordinary people when in love…

After chatting for a while, Fu Xueli suddenly asked curiously, “Wait, aren’t you working? How do you have time to call me?”

“In a meeting,” Xu Xingchun replied concisely.

“Why call me during a meeting?”

“Wanted to hear your voice.”

“…” Those words melted Fu Xueli’s heart. She said softly, “Xu Xingchun, who taught you to sweet-talk women like this? Have you been doing something behind my back these past years?”

Ma Xuanrui sat on the row of chairs in the hallway.

The weather was nice today. Though it hadn’t warmed up yet, the sunlight was slightly scorching, just hitting her calves.

This was the corner by the second floor case meeting room. She watched silently as Xu Xingchun stood by the window, one hand against the wall as he made his call.

It had been quite a while.

Ma Xuanrui couldn’t help wondering what he was saying so patiently, and who was on the other end.

Head down, suddenly footsteps approached, and a figure passed in front of her.

“Xu Xingchun…” Ma Xuanrui stood up from her chair, calling out to him softly. Her hand was in her coat pocket, fingers touching something hard.

Xu Xingchun glanced up, stopped, and looked at her politely. Still neutral, waiting for her to speak.

Stamping her cold feet lightly, Ma Xuanrui stepped closer to him, “Sorry, I know you’re busy, but could you spare a moment to talk?”

Xu Xingchun remained silent.

She was shorter than him, and standing close, she had to tilt her head up to see him clearly.

Just then, some people passed by to get water, chatting and glancing over. They exchanged meaningful looks: What’s going on?

Ma Xuanrui’s expression softened, and she suddenly smiled. She took an old-style earphone from her pocket, holding it out in her palm.

Xu Xingchun didn’t move, just glanced at it without reaching for it.

“This is yours, remember?” Her smile deepened as she reminisced, “During military training in first year. We sat together on the bus. The first time I saw you, I thought you were so handsome. I kept stealing glances at you. That day it was sunshowering, and you fell asleep listening to music with these. You left them on the seat, and I found them.”

As she spoke, the memory played through her mind.

The past was so clear that mentioning one detail pulled out many more tangled emotions.

She was transported back over ten years, when she was a young girl experiencing first love, full of feelings. Whenever she saw Xu Xingchun, she couldn’t help biting her lip, blushing, unable to hide the sparkle in her eyes.

Sometimes, she knew he didn’t like her that much. But she couldn’t help thinking about him constantly.

Tall and slim, quiet and gentle, the class monitor who existed in her heart. Always wearing the simple blue and white school uniform. He was so handsome, catching everyone’s attention in their grade.

He was the one whose name alone could make the whole assembly ground erupt just by standing on the flag-raising platform.

Xu Xingchun met her eyes, “Throw it away.”

His eyes were like the depths of an ocean, completely undisturbed. It yanked her back to reality from her memories.

Ma Xuanrui felt cold. She tightened her grip on the old earphone she’d treasured for years, seeming to smile bitterly, “You knew I liked you, right? All along.”

Xu Xingchun seemed to have no patience to stay and hear her out.

Ma Xuanrui suddenly said, “I’ve always wondered, if you loved Fu Xueli so much, why did you leave?”

His steps halted.

“I thought about it for so long, but never understood.”

Ma Xuanrui smiled, then abruptly stopped, as if mocking herself, “I treasured you so much, but you were always nothing in Fu Xueli’s eyes. I knew you so well, I saw your extremes, your breakdowns. I accepted all your dark sides. You know she might never accept that version of you, right?”

Xu Xingchun’s brows furrowed slightly, suppressing his irritation, still silent.

In the quiet, she murmured, “Later, I finally understood.”

“You never left her.”

“You just let her go.”

“Because you knew that with her personality, she’d never leave on her own, right?”

Word by word, soft and restrained. Ma Xuanrui looked up at him, “But what about me? What about me? If you’d just looked at me a few more times, you’d have known I waited for you all these years.”

“Loving you like this, even I think it’s ugly.”

Xu Xingchun put his phone in his pocket and asked, “What do you want to say?”

Ma Xuanrui shook her head.

Seeing him about to leave, she grabbed him, “I just want to ask you one last question.”

Looking down, she held out the old earphone to him again, “Xu Xingchun…”

“Did you ever like me? Even for a month, a day, or even a second? Please don’t lie to me.” Her gaze flickered, eyes growing wet.

Xu Xingchun stood straight, slightly turned away, eyes downcast, “Sorry.”

The answer was direct and simple, completely without feeling.

He walked past her.

The earphone fell to the ground, untaken.

Ma Xuanrui finally crouched down, covering her eyes with her hand as tears flowed uncontrollably, biting her finger to keep from crying out loud.

Her youth, her love, both began with Xu Xingchun. And ended with him too.

Back in that summer, in the fresh breeze after rain.

She hadn’t thought about anything else, only about loving him.