As a professional Chinese-to-English translation expert specializing in Chinese novels, I will strictly adhere to the following detailed rules:
1. **Core Principle:** Translate accurately, fluently, naturally, and beautifully, embodying idiomatic English expression and literary elegance. Avoid literal and awkward phrasing.
2. **Terminology and Proper Nouns:**
* **Specific Genre Terms (Wuxia, Xianxia, etc.):** For terms like martial arts techniques, sects, cultivation realms, and spells, prioritize Pinyin transliteration. Use established English equivalents if they exist. Parenthetical explanations are only allowed if they do not contain Chinese characters.
* **Idioms/Proverbs:** Find the closest English equivalent expressions. If literal translation is impossible, convey the meaning. Never translate word-for-word.
* **Personal Names:** Transliterate based on pronunciation. Do not translate meanings.
* **Place Names:** Fictional place names are translated based on meaning. Real place names use standard English names.
* **Fixed Translations (Strictly Enforced):**
* 重生七零长姐为大 = Rebirth in the Seventies: The Eldest Sister Takes the Lead
* 木十一 = Mu Shi Yi
* **Author Field:** If the input is "作者" or "作者：XXX", output only the Pinyin transliteration or the original author's name. Do not output any explanatory text such as "Author:".
3. **Style and Format:**
* Maintain the original tone, narrative pace, and character voices.
* Dialogue must be consistent with character identity and tone.
* Preserve literary devices (metaphors, symbolism, etc.).
* Paragraph structure, dialogue formatting, and punctuation must follow English novel conventions.
* **Absolutely do not** add explanations, annotations, or comments in the translation.
* **Do not use Chinese characters** or any Chinese content (except for necessary Pinyin).
* Do not repeat the original text.
* **Do not** output introductory phrases like "Here is the translation:", "Translation:", etc.
* The output must contain only the translated English text.
4. **Output Format (Crucial):**
* **Only output the translated English content.** No original text, no explanations, no formatting instructions.
* Maintain original paragraph breaks for multi-paragraph text.
* **Chapter Titles and Numbers:**
* If the input includes chapter numbers and titles (e.g., "第一章 开端"), the output must be in the format: `Chapter [Number] [Translated Title]`. For example: `Chapter 1 The Beginning`. **There must be a space between the number and the title.**
* Remove all markdown symbols like `##`, `**`.
* Chapter numbers and titles must be on the same line.
* The output must be pure English. No Chinese characters, and the title itself should not be Pinyin.
* **No square brackets, no parentheses** (unless part of the original text or necessary Pinyin explanation without Chinese characters), no formatting instructions, no mixed languages, no extraneous punctuation.
* If the input is a list, maintain the original order in the output list.
5. **Prohibited Output (Strictly Avoid):**
* Do not output: "原文如下", "Here is the translation", "The translation is:", "Output:", etc.
* Do not output: "无法翻译", "Original text retained", etc.
* Do not output any Chinese characters, Pinyin annotations (unless specifically allowed for terms), or Chinese within parentheses.
* Do not output explanations, translation rationale, or background information.
* Do not output mixed-language chapter information like: "Chapter One: 开端" or "第一章 The Beginning".
* Do not output formatting instructions like "(see below)", "[Title]", etc.
6. **Correct Examples:**
* Input: `他轻轻一笑，道：'江湖险恶。'` Output: `He smiled gently and said, 'The martial world is full of dangers.'`
* Input: `第一章 开端` Output: `Chapter 1 The Beginning`
* Input: `作者：蝴蝶蓝` Output: `Hu Die Lan`
7. **Additional Notes:**
* For difficult words, prioritize consistent Pinyin transliteration.
* For poetry/songs, strive to maintain rhythm and mood.
* For polysemous words, choose the most appropriate English vocabulary based on context.
**Mandatory Requirement:** Strictly adhere to all the above rules. Produce only fluent, accurate, and literary English translations. The output must be solely the English translation, without any additional text, formatting, or explanations.
Thinking about being in bed with a greasy man, Yang Lili's face turned pale, and her stomach churned.
She blamed Chen Lishu for all this, clenching her fists and pounding them hard on the desk, shouting with a sinister look, "Chen Lishu! I will never be on good terms with you!"
Seeing Yang Lili nearing madness, Jiang Yuwei felt a pang of sympathy and walked up to her, crossing her arms and saying with a frown, "Chen Lishu is lucky to escape from us every time, but what about Gu Xingdong?
This time I found a helper. My girlfriend is a peerless beauty, unmatched in this world. There's no such thing as a cat that doesn't steal fish. I don't believe that with her family falling apart, Chen Lishu will still have the mind to focus on work!"
Upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's plan, Yang Lili rolled her eyes impatiently and said, "Chen Lishu's man is like an emotionless object. Women can't get close to him at all. If it were a case of developing feelings over time, there might be a slight possibility."
Jiang Yuwei's eyebrows shot up, her expression gradually turning smug. "What if feelings *do* develop over time? Heaven is helping us this time!"
Hearing this, Yang Lili, who had been full of worry, immediately looked up and asked in disbelief, "Is what you're saying true?"
Jiang Yuwei nodded, confidently patting her chest. "Of course. My good girlfriend told me this news personally."
"Good!" A trace of madness flashed in Yang Lili's eyes. She pushed herself up from the chair, leaning on the desk with both hands, and said excitedly, "Well done! I want to see what Chen Lishu can still compare with me once she loses her career and family!"
Meanwhile, Chen Lishu was completely unaware of Jiang Yuwei and the others' schemes. She was busy moving house.
Last night, Gu Xingdong had called her, saying that the training for the new recruits had ended early, and Yang Zhiguo had released the men as requested.
Gu Xingdong would first return to J Province to pick up the two children and Li Xiulan, and then rush back to the capital by plane that night.
Having fallen out with Wu Xiaohong and the others a few days ago, she could no longer live in the temporary compound. Moreover, the children would be attending school here, so Chen Lishu had specifically chosen a location closer to the kindergarten for their new home.
After tidying up the house, the sky had already darkened.
Chen Lishu hurried to the market, bought a large amount of food the two children liked, and then went to the airport to pick them up.
----
Airport arrival hall.
Chen Lishu squinted, scanning the people coming and going. After waiting for a long time without seeing Gu Xingdong's figure, she began to feel anxious.
Su Nian, accustomed to the calm and composed Chen Lishu, couldn't help but chuckle and tease her, "Madam, are you worried that Commander Gu will get lost in the airport? Commander Gu is such a smart person, and it's not his first time in the capital, so he shouldn't get lost. You don't need to worry."
Hearing Su Nian's teasing, Chen Lishu's face flushed a little. "Go on, I'm not worried about him. It's just that I haven't seen the children for so long, and I miss them dearly, so I'm a little anxious."
Seeing through her facade without exposing it, Su Nian couldn't help but sigh, "Madam, you and Commander Gu have such a good relationship. The children are so grown up, yet you're still like a couple in the early stages of dating."
Chen Lishu was about to say something when her gaze inadvertently swept across the crowd, and she spotted Gu Xingdong and Li Xiulan.
She quickly raised her hand and called out loudly, "Mom, I'm here!"
Li Xiulan looked in the direction of the voice. The moment she saw Chen Lishu, tears welled up in her eyes, and she hurried towards her.
"Mom."
"Child." Li Xiulan choked out the words, then took Chen Lishu's wrist, looking her up and down, and said, "You've lost weight. The workload here must be immense, right? You've been gone for such a short time, and you've barely any flesh on you."
In reality, Chen Lishu hadn't lost weight during her time here; in fact, she had gained a few pounds due to the excellent company cafeteria food.
Ever since she married Gu Xingdong, Li Xiulan had treated her like her own daughter. Li Xiulan's words were born from a mother's concern, and Chen Lishu was deeply touched.
She sweetly pouted and said, "That's only because the food outside isn't as delicious as what Mom makes. I haven't eaten much, so I've lost weight."
These words truly warmed Li Xiulan's heart, and she laughed heartily. "You, you just know how to say nice things to coax me."
Chen Lishu shook her head, her expression turning serious. "These aren't just nice words, they're the truth! By the way, didn't the flight arrive at 8:20? It's 8:50 now. Did something happen midway?"
Just then, Gu Xingdong walked over, holding Xiaobai. Hearing her question, he explained with a helpless expression, "The plane arrived much earlier, but the children were sleeping so soundly that I couldn't bear to wake them. So I had to carry them, and with so much luggage, we were a bit slow. We were also late getting out."
Hearing his explanation, the stone that had been weighing on Chen Lishu's heart finally lifted. She said, "It's good that nothing happened. By the way, where is Yicheng? You didn't leave him behind, did you?"
Li Xiulan was holding two large bags of luggage, and Gu Xingdong only had Xiaobai in his arms, with no sign of Yicheng. Chen Lishu assumed they were too busy to manage both children and had left him at the airport, and she was about to rush off to find him.
Li Xiulan quickly put down her luggage and grabbed Chen Lishu's arm, saying, "Don't worry, the child isn't lost. He's with Xiao Qin!"
As Li Xiulan spoke, a young woman walked out from behind Gu Xingdong.
"Xiao Qin?" Chen Lishu frowned upon seeing this woman who had suddenly appeared.
Fearing Chen Lishu might misunderstand, Gu Xingdong quickly explained, "This is a young woman from the military who works in administrative support. Her name is Qin Yue. Although she has left the military and is living in the capital now, it doesn't mean I don't have to manage military affairs after leaving the unit.
Yang Zhiguo sent a young secretary to assist me with my work. She will be temporarily staying with us. I apologize for not informing you in advance; this was a sudden order from Yang Zhiguo."
As he mentioned this, Gu Xingdong's tone carried a hint of gritted teeth.
He disliked women other than Chen Lishu, and no one wished for more private time with Chen Lishu than he did.
Now that there was already Su Nian in the house, and now Qin Yue added to the mix, the thought of having to be cautious even when doing things at home made Gu Xingdong's expression turn grim.