Axolotl Translations

Wang Hao?

A stranger. A name he had never heard before.

Zuo Zhou knew little about Shangguan Yu’s circle of friends—only a few seniors from his university days, and even that knowledge had come at great effort. After arriving in Luocheng for university, he had exhausted all means to befriend them just to find out Shangguan Yu’s home address.

According to Zuo Zhou’s research, after Shangguan Yu’s accident, he had completely cut off contact with his former classmates. People only knew that he had been in a severe accident and later traveled abroad for treatment, but no one was aware of the specifics.

Back then, that was all the information Zuo Zhou had. He had panicked, worried, and been afraid. The thought that Shangguan Yu might never return to the country, never come back to his old home, left Zuo Zhou so anxious he could hardly sleep at night.

Still, he refused to give up. Holding onto the faintest glimmer of hope, he visited Shangguan Yu’s house every weekend—knocking on the door, checking for any sign of movement.

Until that fateful Saturday.

Lost in thought, Zuo Zhou had already reached the dining table. Shaking himself from his reverie, he casually handed the phone to Shangguan Yu, then sat down and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

Wang Hao was the only friend Shangguan Yu still kept in touch with, so without even looking, he knew who was calling. Taking the phone, he pressed the answer button without hesitation.

“Hello?”

“Hey!” Wang Hao’s voice was as lively and boisterous as ever. “I have the day off tomorrow! Let’s go out and grab some delicious food!”

“…Not interested.”

“Ah, come on! You’re stuck at home all day—it must be boring. It’s the weekend, I’m free, let me take you out for a bit. Oh, by the way, do you need anything done around the house? I can come over early and help out.”

Zuo Zhou sat directly across from Shangguan Yu. The table wasn’t large, and although he kept his expression casual, he was actually straining to hear every word. Wang Hao’s voice wasn’t hard to catch and he managed to pick up most of the conversation.

The more he listened, the darker his expression became. His right hand clenched the chopsticks so tightly that it seemed they might snap in half at any moment.

But Shangguan Yu didn’t notice his reaction. Taking a sip of the soft, fragrant black rice porridge, he calmly refused, “No need. There’s nothing to take care of. I’ve hired a housekeeper, stop worrying about it.”

“A housekeeper? Didn’t you say you weren’t comfortable having strangers at home? That you didn’t want to hire one? Why the sudden change?”

Shangguan Yu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Zuo Zhou across the table. The young man had his head down, focused on his meal, as if he wasn’t paying attention to their conversation at all.

“Mm, let’s talk later.” Shangguan Yu didn’t want to say too much in front of Zuo Zhou, so he simply added, “I’m eating right now.”

“Oh, okay. Call me back when you’re done.”

“Mm.”

Hanging up, Shangguan Yu set his phone aside without much thought and continued his meal.

Zuo Zhou, on the other hand, was itching with curiosity. He desperately wanted to know what Shangguan Yu would say to Wang Hao later. Would Wang Hao be coming over tomorrow? Who exactly was he to Shangguan Yu? Why had Shangguan Yu distanced himself from all his old classmates yet kept in touch with this one person?

And why did Wang Hao’s tone sound so… familiar? Talking about taking him out for a meal—would Shangguan Yu actually agree?

“…”

But there was no way Zuo Zhou could ask outright. That would just expose the fact that he had been eavesdropping.

“…………”

Frustrated, he gulped down a mouthful of black rice porridge, then tried a roundabout approach. “Do you want more porridge? There’s still some in the pot.”

“No, I’m good.”

“What do you feel like eating tomorrow?”

“Anything’s fine.”

“Then… how about steak?”

Shangguan Yu looked up, mildly surprised. “You know how to cook steak?”

“Yeah,” Zuo Zhou said with a smile. “It’s really simple. Do you want some?”

“Mm, sure.”

“Alright, steak it is.” Zuo Zhou’s eyes flickered slightly as he casually added, “But steaks are usually sold in portions. How many do you want? One is enough for me since I’m also planning to make some spaghetti bolognese. The other day, I saw a buy-one-get-one-free deal on sauce at the supermarket, so I ended up getting two.”

When he said this last part, he deliberately emphasized the word “two.”

Yet Shangguan Yu seemed oblivious to the underlying message. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Prepare an extra portion for lunch. We’ll have a guest tomorrow.”

“!”

Zuo Zhou felt his brain buzz for a second, but he quickly forced himself to stay calm. Trying to sound casual, he asked, “Is it the person who just called?”

“Mm.”

Shangguan Yu picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “I’m done eating. I’ll be in my room.”

With that, he maneuvered his wheelchair and left, leaving Zuo Zhou sitting alone, his face clouded with irritation. Instead of dwelling on it, he channeled his frustration into finishing every last bite of food on the table.

The next morning, after waking up and freshening up, Shangguan Yu made his way to the living room to wait for Wang Hao’s arrival.

As soon as he entered the living room, Zuo Zhou emerged from the kitchen, carrying two plates. With a bright smile, he placed them on the table and called him over for breakfast.

Shangguan Yu blinked in mild surprise. Something about Zuo Zhou seemed… different today, so much so that it took him a second to recognize him.

The first thing he noticed was the absence of that horrendously ugly red sausage-print apron that Zuo Zhou always wore when cooking. That apron was practically a signature look, yet today, it was nowhere in sight.

Then, there was his hair.

Zuo Zhou had naturally thick and fluffy hair. Normally, after washing it, a quick blow-dry would leave it looking effortlessly healthy and neat. His bangs would fall naturally over his forehead, framing his face with a fresh, youthful charm. It suited him perfectly, making him look like a bright and carefree college student.

But today… for some reason, Zuo Zhou had styled it differently. He had slicked his bangs back with what seemed to be hair gel, creating a sleek, corporate look—something straight out of a young professional’s playbook.

While the hairstyle did complement his youthful and handsome features, to Shangguan Yu, it felt oddly out of place—like a kid playing dress-up as an adult.

As Zuo Zhou set the plates down, he noticed Shangguan Yu staring at him in a daze. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong, Brother Yu?”

“…Nothing.”

Shangguan Yu felt too awkward to comment on Zuo Zhou’s hairstyle, so he casually changed the topic. “Oh, what’s for breakfast today?”

With a warm smile, Zuo Zhou went through the breakfast menu, introducing each dish to Shangguan Yu. Then, he gestured for him to sit while he returned to the kitchen to fetch some bowls and chopsticks.

Once inside, Zuo Zhou raised a hand and lightly ran his fingers through his styled hair. Inwardly, he reassured himself: I’m young, I’m handsome, and I can cook—no one stands a chance against me!

It was a little past eleven in the morning when Wang Hao arrived. The moment the doorbell rang, Zuo Zhou hurried over to open the door.

Outside, a casually dressed man stood holding two large bags, one in each hand. He froze for a moment when he saw Zuo Zhou, then broke into a friendly smile and greeted him, “Oh, so you’re the new housekeeper Shangguan hired?”

Before responding, Zuo Zhou had already given Wang Hao a quick but thorough assessment. His conclusion? Not much of a threat, but not to be underestimated either.

So, Zuo Zhou smiled back—polite, slightly reserved—and nodded. “That’s right, my name is Zuo Zhou.”

With that, he stepped aside, allowing Wang Hao to enter. Then, with impeccable timing, he reached out and took the two heavy bags from Wang Hao’s hands.

Of course, Wang Hao—blissfully unaware that he had just been silently evaluated and ranked in a matter of seconds—simply grinned, shook out his hands, and said, “Thanks.” Then, he changed his shoes and headed inside to find Shangguan Yu.

In the center of the living room, Shangguan Yu sat in his wheelchair, waiting. When Wang Hao entered, he gave him a slight nod. “You’re here.”

“Hm, I stopped by the supermarket to pick up a few things for you. Otherwise, I would’ve been here even earlier.”

Wang Hao, moving with the ease of an old friend, walked straight to the water dispenser, filled a cup, and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. Then he muttered, “Let’s go out for lunch. There are plenty of new restaurants near your place that look pretty good.”

“No need,” Shangguan Yu replied. “Xiao Zuo is making steak. We’ll eat at home.”

The word steak immediately made Wang Hao’s eyes brighten. “Oh? He knows how to cook steak?”

“Mhm. He can cook just about anything—and he’s really good at it.”

“Is that so?” Wang Hao cast a doubtful glance at Zuo Zhou, as if not entirely convinced. “Well then, I’ll have to judge for myself today.”

Just as he reached the kitchen door, still holding the two heavy bags, Zuo Zhou paused and flashed an effortless, radiant smile. “No problem. I’ll get started, Brother Yu.”

“Mm.”

With that, Zuo Zhou closed the door and busied himself in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Wang Hao finished his water, grabbed a plastic fork, and speared a slice of watermelon from the plate on the coffee table. As he chewed, he leaned back on the sofa and spoke in a lower voice, “Shangguan, why’d you hire such a young male housekeeper? He looks barely twenty—can he really handle the job?”

“Twenty,” Shangguan Yu replied. “He’s still in university. Sophomore year.”

“A second-year college student working as a housekeeper? Is he a nursing major or something?”

“…No, he’s studying architecture at Luocheng University.”

“Wait—what?! He’s from your university? And the same major? That’s way too much of a coincidence!” Wang Hao was so shocked that he forgot about his watermelon, staring at Shangguan Yu with wide eyes.

Shangguan Yu didn’t want to discuss his past, so he simply responded with a noncommittal “Mm.”

“If he’s still in school, does he have the time to manage this job?” Wang Hao asked again.

“For now, it doesn’t seem to be an issue.”

To keep Wang Hao from bombarding him with more questions, Shangguan Yu briefly outlined Zuo Zhou’s schedule and performance over the past week, making sure to emphasize his excellent cooking skills.

“Well, if you’re satisfied, then that’s what matters. He’s here to take care of you anyway,” Wang Hao said. “And if it doesn’t work out, you can always replace him.”

“Mm.”

Wang Hao popped a few more pieces of watermelon into his mouth, then he suddenly seemed to remember something and said, “Actually, hiring a guy isn’t a bad idea. He can help you change clothes, clean you up if needed… makes things a lot more convenient. Plus, he’s tall and strong—he could probably carry you with no problem.”

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