Axolotl Translations

“Classmate Wei, what a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect to see you at the department store.”

A male voice suddenly called out from behind. Wei Jiajia turned to look and found herself facing two familiar figures—her high school classmates, Wang Weiguo and Zhao Ting.

She hadn’t seen them since their last encounter at school, and after all this time, who would have thought they’d run into each other right here, and in front of Qiao Haoyu, no less? She wondered what kind of fated entanglement she had with these two.

“Classmate Wang, Classmate Zhao, what a coincidence indeed,” Wei Jiajia greeted them with a resigned smile.

As the two approached, Zhao Ting remained as expressionless as ever, casting a quick glance at Wei Jiajia without saying a word.

Wang Weiguo, on the other hand, looked at her intently, his gaze lingering longer than necessary. It had only been half a month since they last met, yet she seemed even more beautiful than before.

Qiao Haoyu noticed the way Wang Weiguo was staring at Wei Jiajia, and a flicker of displeasure flashed through his eyes. Shifting slightly, he positioned himself between them, blocking Wang Weiguo’s line of sight.

Though he tried to hide it, Qiao Haoyu, as a man himself, recognized the unmistakable desire lurking in Wang Weiguo’s gaze.

It was only then that Wang Weiguo seemed to notice Qiao Haoyu’s presence. Taking in the sight of his military uniform, he turned to him and, with a seemingly natural demeanor, said, “Hello, I’m Wang Weiguo, a classmate of Comrade Wei. May I ask who you are?”

“I’m Jiajia’s fiancé.”

Qiao Haoyu’s expression remained unreadable as he met Wang Weiguo’s gaze. His words were succinct, yet the intensity in his eyes left no room for misunderstanding—a silent but firm warning.

Wang Weiguo was caught off guard by Qiao Haoyu’s words. Recovering quickly, he forced a smile and said, “Oh, I see. I hadn’t expected Classmate Wei to be engaged at such a young age.”

Then, gesturing toward Zhao Ting, who was standing beside him and curiously looking up at Qiao Haoyu, he continued, “This is my fiancée. The two of us were classmates with Comrade Wei.”

Hearing Wang Weiguo introduce her, Zhao Ting greeted Qiao Haoyu warmly, “Hello, my name is Zhao Ting.”

Qiao Haoyu merely nodded in acknowledgment, offering no further response. Instead, he turned to Wei Jiajia.

“Do you still have anything else to buy?”

“No, that’s everything,” she replied, shaking her head.

With that, Qiao Haoyu stepped forward, accepted the package from the shop assistant, took Wei Jiajia’s hand in his and led her away. He didn’t spare Wang Weiguo or Zhao Ting a single glance.

Wang Weiguo’s eyes darkened as he watched their interlocked hands. A flash of malice flickered across his eyes, his usual polite mask slipping for a brief moment.

He had never imagined that Wei Jiajia had such a fiancé.

And just by looking at that military uniform, that commanding aura that couldn’t be concealed, it was clear—this was not someone he could afford to provoke.

Thinking about the positions Wei Jiajia’s parents had held before their deaths, Wang Weiguo figured that her fiancé’s family was probably influential as well. It seemed like he would have to put his plans on hold—though the decision left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Zhao Ting turned to glance at Wang Weiguo, catching the ruthless glint in his eyes. A chill ran down her spine, and she lowered her head in fear. Her mind, however, was still preoccupied with Wei Jiajia’s fiancé—the way he had protected her, the way he had completely ignored Zhao Ting herself.

She just couldn’t understand. What was so special about Wei Jiajia? Why did every man seem to be utterly captivated by her?

Even Wang Weiguo, someone who was always so careful about his reputation, was willing to abandon all scruples just because of her.

At times, Zhao Ting felt an overwhelming sense of envy. In the past, Wei Jiajia had been sheltered by her influential parents. When they passed away, Zhao Ting had assumed she would finally fall from grace. But now, another powerful protector had emerged—her fiancé, a man who was clearly far from ordinary.

Some people were just too lucky. It made her want to ruin it all.

Wei Jiajia and Qiao Haoyu, however, had no idea what the two behind them were thinking.

Qiao Haoyu continued holding Wei Jiajia’s hand, showing no intention of releasing it even after they had long since walked out of sight.

Wei Jiajia attempted to pull away once or twice, but when she realized he had no intention of releasing her, she simply gave up and allowed him to do as he pleased.

If he wasn’t afraid of people staring, then she—someone who could walk past a couple kissing in public without batting an eye—certainly had no reason to be bothered.

“That male classmate just now… Is he the one Huimin mentioned at the Public Security Bureau? The one who’s been persistently harassing you?”

Wei Jiajia’s attention was still on Qiao Haoyu’s hand. She couldn’t help but think about how big it was—her own hand was completely enveloped in his.

Out of nowhere, Qiao Haoyu spoke, startling her.

“Ah! Yes, that’s him. The girl next to him is his fiancée,” Wei Jiajia snapped out of her thoughts and quickly answered.

“What’s wrong? Are you jealous?” she asked teasingly, not thinking much of it.

“Mm. I am. Stay away from him in the future.” Qiao Haoyu made no attempt to conceal his emotions, his response direct and unwavering.

His words took Wei Jiajia by surprise. She turned to look at him, slightly stunned.

Qiao Haoyu had stopped walking and was gazing at her seriously, making it clear that he wasn’t joking—he meant every word.

“You still don’t know who’s behind your case. You need to be extra careful from now on. Whether it’s that Wang guy or that Zhao girl, both of them seem off to me,” he explained.

He wasn’t trying to control who she befriended—he simply sensed that those two people were not to be trusted.

Wei Jiajia understood his concern and nodded.

“I understand. In truth, we’re merely classmates. We barely speak, and once I start university, I’ll have even fewer reasons to interact with them.”

In reality, the first person she had suspected was Zhao Ting. But considering how many times Wang Weiguo had been rejected by her, there was a possibility that his wounded pride had driven him to act out. The problem was, she had no concrete evidence.

She believed that no matter how well a secret was kept, the truth would eventually come to light. All she had to do was wait and see who was pulling the strings.

Qiao Haoyu, satisfied with Wei Jiajia’s promise, finally let go of his worries and took her to a photography studio.

When the car came to a stop, Wei Jiajia stepped out and saw the signboard, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned to Qiao Haoyu with a puzzled expression.

She had assumed he was taking her somewhere special—she had asked him several times on the way, but he had refused to say a word. And now, it turned out to be… a photography studio?

Qiao Haoyu parked the car and walked over, amused by her reaction. He reached out and gently patted her head.

“What’s the matter? Surprised?”

Wei Jiajia looked at him curiously. “Why did you think of coming here?”

“I thought about it and figured a fountain pen alone wasn’t enough to make up for how much I miss you. A photograph, however, would be just right,” Qiao Haoyu said with a smile.

Well, that was a compelling reason. And, truthfully, Wei Jiajia didn’t object—after all, she would miss him too. Having a photograph sounded like a good idea.

The two of them stepped into the photography studio.

Inside, an elderly photographer wearing glasses lifted his head at the sound of the door opening. When he saw them, a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman, he adjusted his glasses slightly.

“Are you here for a photo? A group picture or individual shots?” he asked.

“Group picture,” the two replied at the same time.

Realizing they had spoken in unison, they glanced at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

“You two must be newlyweds!” the old photographer remarked with a knowing smile.

Observing their interaction, the elderly photographer assumed they were a newlywed couple. Only those recently married displayed such an affectionate dynamic when coming to his studio.

Hearing his remark, Wei Jiajia felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushing red. In contrast, Qiao Haoyu, thick-skinned as ever, showed no discomfort. Instead, the usual impassive expression he wore around strangers softened into a faint smile.

“We’re not married yet—just engaged. We’re about to be separated for a while, so we wanted to take a picture together,” Qiao Haoyu explained calmly.

The old photographer nodded in understanding. Seeing Qiao Haoyu’s military uniform, he immediately understood why the young couple had to part ways.

Following the photographer’s instructions, they took a couple’s portrait, and each also had an individual portrait taken. When they were done, Qiao Haoyu paid for the photographs and handed the receipt to Wei Jiajia. She would pick up the photos later and send them to him by mail.

Since this was Qiao Haoyu’s last day in the city, Zeng Guoqiang had also returned that day. After leaving the photography studio, the two of them headed straight home.

After lunch, Wei Jiajia didn’t let Aunt Fen or her grandaunt help—she went into the kitchen and started preparing on her own.

She intended to make some food for Qiao Haoyu and his friend to take on their journey, as well as snacks for his dormitory friends. Anything with a longer shelf life would be useful for him to have at school—something he could enjoy as a treat from time to time.

Now that she was publicly recognized as Qiao Haoyu’s fiancée, she wanted to make sure she upheld his reputation.

She planned to make tea eggs, meat buns, and steamed dumplings—enough for Qiao Haoyu and Zeng Guoqiang to eat on their journey. Given that the two men had rather hearty appetites, she had to ensure there was plenty.

Additionally, she made a variety of sauces: chicken, pork, and mushroom-based.

The ingredients—meat, flour, and eggs—had all been discreetly taken from her spatial supermarket over the past few days, bit by bit, under various pretexts.

Although the supermarket had ready-made sauces, she was worried her grandaunt and Aunt Fen might ask where they came from. To avoid arousing suspicion, she opted to prepare everything from scratch in their presence.

After carefully cooking and bottling the sauces, she turned around—only to see four little heads peeking into the kitchen.

The twin boys had taken it upon themselves to restrain the two younger ones, preventing them from dashing in, but even they were struggling to resist. The rich, enticing aroma of the sauces was practically forcing its way into their noses.

As for the younger ones, they were outright drooling.

When the children saw that Wei Jiajia had noticed them, the two youngest immediately abandoned all restraint and bolted inside, each clinging to one of her legs.

“Sister, sister, what delicious food are you making?” Yangyang leaned forward, attempting to peek into the jars.

Nuannuan was even more straightforward. Lifting the hem of her shirt, she patted her round little belly with a chubby hand. “My tummy says… it’s hungry!”

Wei Jiajia couldn’t help but laugh at the little ones. Looking up at the twins behind them, she noticed that although they were sensible enough not to ask for food outright, the longing in their eyes was unmistakable.

Seeing their eager expressions, she knew they must be craving a taste. Luckily, she had made plenty. Each sauce had been set aside in two extra jars just for the family.

Checking the time, she saw that it was already past five in the evening. Deciding to make an easy yet satisfying meal, she boiled a generous portion of noodles for everyone and mixed in the sauces for extra flavor.

At the dinner table, it wasn’t just the children who ate with enthusiasm—even her grandaunt and Aunt Fen savored every bite, repeatedly praising her cooking skills.

However, the real reason the meal tasted so rich wasn’t her culinary prowess—it was simply that cooking oil was hard to come by due to rationing, and her grandaunt and Aunt Fen were always reluctant to use too much.

Additionally, she had secretly added plenty of seasonings from her supermarket, making the dishes exceptionally fragrant and flavorful.

After dinner, the twins took the initiative to wash the dishes, while Wei Jiajia went to take a bath. When she came out, Aunt Fen and her grandaunt were bathing the younger children, so she returned to her room.

Since Qiao Haoyu and Zeng Guoqiang’s train departed at seven in the morning, and the current heat made it difficult to keep food fresh overnight, she planned to wake before dawn to prepare their travel meals.

With that in mind, she decided to sleep early tonight.

---

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter