Unattainable

Hearing Zeng Xiaoqi mention bicycles, Ke Yan was stunned. Did he know she got here on a bicycle? While she was bewildered, Zeng Xiaoqi had already left. Ke Yan hurriedly waved goodbye to everyone. Luan Xuan winked at her and gave her a thumbs up.
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Ke Yan didn’t know what she meant, but she can vaguely guess that it was about something related to Zeng Xiaoqi. She waved back and went out but Zeng Xiaoqi wasn’t waiting for her by the door. Ke Yan quickly walked outside and saw that Zeng Xiaoqi was already waiting for the elevator. The elevator door opened. He was not in a hurry to get in but stretched out his hand to block the elevator doors and waited for Ke Yan to get in first.
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Ke Yan trotted over and said, “Thank you! Actually, you really don’t have to trouble yourself. I’ll just take a taxi by myself.”

Zeng Xiaoqi glanced at her: “You probably have a misunderstanding of the traffic in City B. You can’t call a car at this time.”
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Ke Yan said, “Then I’ll take the subway there.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi looked at her: “Ke Yan, are you afraid of me?”
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“Ah?” Ke Yan looked up at him with wide eyes, “Why would I be afraid of you?”
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Zeng Xiaoqi slightly bent his head and looked at her face, stayed there for a while, then looked away with the corners of his mouth visibly raised: “The subway can’t be squeezed into at this time. Besides, letting a girl go home alone at night is too ungentlemanly.”

At this point, the elevator stopped and someone came in so Ke Yan had to stop talking and the two didn’t communicate anymore.

After walking out of the building, the night wind blew and felt a little chilly. Ke Yan glanced at the dirty coat in her hands, wondering whether or not to put it on. The next moment, however, her back suddenly felt warm. Zeng Xiaoqi had put his suit jacket on her: “Wait a minute, my driver will come right away.”
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Ke Yan turned to look at Zeng Xiaoqi, took off the jacket on her shoulders and gave it back to him: “Thank you, you can wear it, I have my own coat.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi took the jacket and put it back on her shoulders: “Put it on. Isn’t your coat dirty?”
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Ke Yan: “!” She can now be sure that he saw her riding a bicycle and saw her clothes being twisted up in the wheels. She smiled a little embarrassedly: “You saw it?”
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“Yep. I was originally stuck in traffic and I was feeling envious of the beautiful woman freely riding a bicycle through traffic, but the next moment the beautiful woman’s clothes were twisted up in the wheels. I couldn’t help it and took a second look and discovered that I knew her.” Zeng Xiaoqi was laughing.

Ke Yan was so embarrassed that her ears turned red and she wished that there was a crack in the ground where she could fall into.
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Zeng Xiaoqi didn’t look at her and instead looked at the flashing street lights on the opposite side, and changed the subject: “Are you used to things after returning to China?”
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“It’s alright, I’m used to it.” Ke Yan said.

Honestly, she felt a bit out of place at first. After all, she went to the United States right after graduating from high school and rarely came back to China afterwards. China has changed a lot in recent years and the way of life is very different from that abroad. When she first came back, she felt like an outsider but she slowly adjusted because of everyone’s help.
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“I thought you wouldn’t come back.” Zeng Xiaoqi turned to look at her and said with a sigh.
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Ke Yan looked up at the sky. Not a single star could be seen in the noisy night sky of City B, a lot different from the sky in California. However, the local accent and local dialect in her ears made her feel at ease, and she murmured: “Nowhere is better than home.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi chuckled lightly: “That’s true. Did your husband return to China with you?”
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“Huh?” Ke Yan was obviously a little surprised by this question and turned her head to look at him bewilderedly.
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Zeng Xiaoqi put his hand over his lips and coughed softly, “I remember hearing that you are married or is it just a boyfriend?”
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Ke Yan lowered her head and pursed her lips: “Who told you? I’m single.”
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The corners of Zeng Xiaoqi’s mouth uncontrollably rose. He coughed again to hide his emotions, gestured with his fingers in the air, and pointed behind him: “Then someone definitely lied to me! I think we should shake hands again, I finally found a companion. So many people in our class are married and everyone is showing off their relationships in my WeChat Moments! As a single person, it’s making me jealous and pising me off!”
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Ke Yan couldn’t help laughing: “I’ve only added a few people on WeChat, so I don’t see those.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi gave her a thumbs up: “It’s best that you don’t see them. When people become middle-aged, they must learn to pretend to be deaf and blind.”
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Ke Yan gave him an angry look: “Only you’re middle-aged! I’m very young! I’m part of the youth!”
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He quickly bowed and apologized: “I’m wrong, I’m wrong, you are a girl! In my eyes, you will always be eighteen years old!”
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“That’s a bit too much. I haven’t been eighteen for quite a few years already.” Ke Yan smiled and her eyes turned into little crescent moons. She found Zeng Xiaoqi’s way of speaking very funny, very very funny.
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​Zeng Xiaoqi looked at her smiling face and felt as if he had eaten a popsicle on a hot summer day. He was about to tease her again when his car arrived, so he ended the topic. His car was a limited-edition black Maybach.

He opened the car door for Ke Yan, bent down thoughtfully and put his hand on the top of the car door to let her get in. He got in through the other car door and told the assistant driving: “Let’s go to No. 19 XX Road, the Institute of Physics.”
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Ke Yan doesn’t know much about cars but even she knew that this is definitely a luxury car because the interior of the car is covered with velvet carpets, and the comfort level is incomparable to that of ordinary cars. Sure enough, the entertainment industry is more profitable. Even with ten years worth of salary, she still might not be able to buy such a car. However, a car is only a means of transportation. It’s great to have it but if not, it’s not a big disadvantage.
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Zeng Xiaoqi took off his sunglasses, took out two boxes of yogurt from the car refrigerator, and handed a bottle to Ke Yan: “It’s late so I won’t invite you to drink tea or coffee. Have some yogurt.”
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“Thank you!” Ke Yan took it.
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Zeng Xiaoqi asked: “Are you usually this busy with work? The working hours of the research institute should be more regular, right? It’s not like those in the entertainment industry that work whether it’s day or night, right?”
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“According to the rules and regulations, it is relatively regular, from 8 to 5, and closed on weekends. But if you want to achieve some results, this time is definitely not enough so overtime is the norm. But the time is still up to you. You don’t need to clock in and no one is supervising. So, as long as you can hand in your research and produce some good results, it’s fine.” Ke Yan said.
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“That’s pretty good too. It’s more free. But the pressure is definitely not small. How do you usually pass your rest time? Isn’t it still work and study?”
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Ke Yan took a sip of yogurt: “Not all of them, I occasionally combine work and rest. When I was in the United States, I would go hiking with my friends, or go camping and picnic in Forest Park, and sometimes I would watch movies and watch dramas. “
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Zeng Xiaoqi became more interested: “You also like watching movies? Oh but they are foreign movies, aren’t they?”
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“Not necessarily, I also watch domestic films.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi quickly asked, “For example? What type?”
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Ke Yan tilted her head slightly: “I don’t just watch one genre. I’ll watch it as long as it looks good. I’ve seen your movies too.”
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“Really?” Zeng Xiaoqi couldn’t contain his excitement, raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, with a shy expression on his face, “I didn’t expect you to watch my movies.”
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“You act very well. I also recommended them to my friends, but not many of your films have been shown in the United States, there was just one that showed there.”

While recommending the movie to her friends, Ke Yan definitely felt a sense of honor. After all, the film was a Chinese movie and one of her classmates stars in it. In order to support his movie, she even went to the cinema for the first time to watch it.
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“Then I will try to release a few more films in the United States in the future.” Zeng Xiaoqi laughed but suddenly remembered something, “But you should be able to see the future films because they’ll be released in China. By the way, do you have time on Sunday afternoon? I’d like to invite you to the premiere.”
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Ke Yan was taken aback: “This Sunday afternoon?”
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Zeng Xiaoqi nodded: “Yes, we will hold the premiere in City B and you can watch the movie first. If you are free, I will send you a ticket later.”
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“I’m not sure yet, it depends on the experimental situation.” She took a day off today. According to common sense, she should go to the laboratory to work overtime on Saturday and Sunday. After doing an experiment, the results may not come out right away.
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“Oh, then I’ll send you the ticket first. Come over if you have time.” Zeng Xiaoqi said.
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Ke Yan thought for a while: “Alright, thank you.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi breathed a sigh of relief, with a relaxed smile on his face: “I should be the one thanking you for being willing to come and support me.”
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Ke Yan smiled. She knew that Zeng Xiaoqi didn’t need her to support him at all. As long as he wanted it, many celebrities and media outlets would come to support him. Giving her a ticket is a bit like showing off but either way, she’s also interested in going. She has never attended a premiere, and this time, the movie is based on a novel she likes very much.
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The Institute of Physics was not far away and the car arrived in less than twenty minutes. When Ke Yan got out of the car, Zeng Xiaoqi also followed her. Passing through the simple electric gate, the lights were dimly lit inside. There were still many people working at this time, so he said, “Do you live far away from here? How will you go back later?”
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Ke Yan said: “It’s not too far, I’ll just take a taxi back. It’s just a ten-minute drive.”
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Zeng Xiaoqi was worried: “Why don’t you call me when you’re done and I’ll ask the driver to pick you up?”

Ke Yan refused without hesitation: “No need, thank you, domestic security is much better than in the United States.”
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“Then you still have to pay attention. Take a taxi and try not to use DiDi.” (TN: DiDi is a ride-hailing service, much like Uber/Lyft/Grab) Zeng Xiaoqi was really worried when he recalled the news story he saw recently.
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“Okay, I’m leaving, thank you for sending me here, bye!” Ke Yan waved her hand, turned around, and entered the gate.

After walking a few steps, she realized that she was still wearing Zeng Xiaoqi’s jacket so she quickly turned around and found that Zeng Xiaoqi’s car was already moving. She couldn’t catch up with it and could only take out her phone and send a WeChat message: “I haven’t given back your coat yet!”
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Zeng Xiaoqi quickly replied to her: “Just leave it there with you first, I’ll pick it up later when I have time. Finish your work early so that you can go back and rest. Don’t stay too late, it’s not safe.”
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Ke Yan could only drape his jacket back over her shoulders and go back to the office. Several colleagues were there. The experiment completed last night was handed over to them for verification today, and the results came out, which completely matched the data from last night. Everyone was so excited that this was the result of their busy two weeks, and they were discussing how to celebrate.
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Ke Yan pushed open the door and entered, and the room fell silent for a moment, everyone looking at her a bit strangely. She was actually wearing a man’s suit jacket, which was obviously too large for her. Where did it come from? Ke Yan didn’t notice the suspicious eyes on her and asked, “It turned out to be the same as mine in the morning? Let me see.”

Zhao Yizhuo was the first to react: “Oh, yes, here.” Zhao Yizhuo is a postdoctoral fellow in their research group and he is only one year younger than Ke Yan. He is very capable and often assists her.
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Ke Yan took off the jacket, put it on the back of the seat together with her coat, walked over to see the experimental results, and found that the data were exactly the same as the experimental results obtained in the morning. The experiment is repeatable. This is an indicator used to test the success of an experiment, a basic principle. If it can’t, it can only be regarded as an accident.
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Ke Yan breathed a sigh of relief: “Okay, everyone has worked hard. Go back and rest.”
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Xiao Tang, a graduate student led by Ke Yan, said, “Professor Ke, can I rest this weekend? It’s my boyfriend’s birthday and I promised to accompany him on a hike.”
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Ke Yan nodded with a smile: “Yes. Everyone will not work overtime this weekend. Have a good rest and come over on Monday to prepare for the next experiment.” She also happened to be able to attend the premiere of Zeng Xiaoqi’s movie.
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So everyone packed up and left one after another. Ke Yan turned on her computer and planned on creating a summary of the experiments and writing a paper. After an unknown amount of time, a glass of water was suddenly placed on Ke Yan’s table: “Ke Yan, drink water.” (TN: I was a bit shocked but he really did just call her Ke Yan, despite being younger than her and her “assistant/apprentice” of sorts. Interesting. )
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Ke Yan raised her head sharply, looked at Zhao Yizhuo in surprise, then looked at the office and found that everyone else had left: “Thank you! Xiao Zhao, why haven’t you gone back yet?”
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“Oh, I still have something to do. When are you going to leave?” Zhao Yizhuo asked.
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Ke Yan looked at the watch on her wrist. It was already ten thirty. For her, this time was not too late, but she remembered that Zeng Xiaoqi told her to go back earlier, and said, “I will sort out the information and go back. I’ll write it out next time.”

Zhao Yizhuo smiled: “Then let’s go together, I’ve also finished my work.”
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Ke Yan found a bag and stuffed her dirty clothes into it. She held Zeng Xiaoqi’s coat in her hand. After going out, she found that the wind was a little cold outside, so she had to put on his suit jacket again. Zhao Yizhuo glanced, opened his mouth, and closed it again. When he got to the door of the research institute, Zhao Yizhuo saw that she was not driving, and said, “I’ll call a DiDi and take you home first.”
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Ke Yan remembered that she and Zhao Yizhuo were going in the same direction: “Okay, I’ll trouble you then.”

As soon as Zhao Yizhuo called the car, Ke Yan’s cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. She picked it up and Zeng Xiaoqi’s voice rang: “Are you still in the research institute? I’ve just received news that I’ll be going to City A tomorrow for an interview, I’ll give you the ticket now.”
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Ke Yan said, “Yes, I’m still here. You can come over now, thank you!”

Alex’s Random Thoughts:

I’m loving Ke Yan and Zeng Xiaoqi’s interactions! I can foresee this being a very fluffy and sweet story (Zeng Xiaoqi’s excitement at Ke Yan being single will definitely lead to something ).

On a side note, I love how even though Ke Yan is a woman in STEM, the author doesn’t portray her as cold or overly serious. I feel like a lot of Chinese content (very stereotypically) show women in entertainment or “feminine” careers as very cute and bright while those in STEM or business settings as very cold and “frigid”.

Let me know how are you guys liking the story? And what can be improved about the site/translations?