Axolotl Translations

“!”

For some reason, Shangguan Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he reached out, trying to stop him.

“Don’t—”

Don’t answer it.

But before he could even get the words out, Wang Hao had already picked up the call in one swift motion.

And, thinking he was being considerate, he even put it on speaker so Shangguan Yu could hear the conversation.

“Hey, Xiao Zuo!”

“Brother Hao, I had my phone on silent during class and didn’t hear your call. What’s up?”

“Oh, I came over to see Shangguan today, but I forgot the door code. I was yelling outside for ages, and he wasn’t answering. Thought something might’ve happened, so I figured I’d call you to check…”

As Wang Hao spoke, he suddenly remembered what Shangguan Yu had just told him—that Zuo Zhou was no longer working as a caretaker. He hesitated, then quickly changed the subject. “Oh, but it’s fine now. I’m already inside.”

On the other end, Zuo Zhou’s voice grew noticeably anxious. “Did something happen to Brother Yu? Do you need me to come back?”

“Uh…” Wang Hao, at a loss for words, shot a helpless look at Shangguan Yu, who quickly shook his head.

Even though he had no idea what was going on, Wang Hao decided to play along. “Oh, oh! It’s nothing serious. He was just sleeping soundly and didn’t hear me knocking. He’s up now; everything’s fine. No need for you to come back.”

Zuo Zhou didn’t respond immediately, and his breathing was noticeably uneven. “Alright then, all good. I’ll hang up now. Haha, see you!”

“Mhm.” Zuo Zhou’s voice had returned to normal. “Bye, Brother Hao.”

After hanging up, Wang Hao scratched his head, looking confused.

“Judging by how concerned he sounded, it’s definitely not because he couldn’t stand your grumpy face or the pay. So why did you fire him? I mean, seriously, where else are you going to find a young, strong caretaker like him?”

“I have my reasons.”

“What reasons?”

Cornered, Shangguan Yu had no choice but to tell Wang Hao everything—Zuo Zhou’s real identity and their long history.

Wang Hao was stunned into silence.

Shangguan Yu stared at his dumbfounded expression and finally couldn’t take it anymore. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

“I… I… I just can’t believe it,” Wang Hao said, his expression clearing up as realization dawned. “Xiao Zuo looks so honest and straightforward, but he’s actually quite clever!

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Think about it—he spent a whole year searching for you just to repay your kindness. And when he finally found you, he didn’t reveal his identity. Instead, he played along with your assumptions and conveniently accepted the role of caretaker.” Wang Hao analyzed seriously. “Then, after moving in, he realized you’re the kind of guy who’d rather suffer in silence than admit you need help. So, to avoid making things awkward, he kept quiet…until you found out.”

“If you ask me, he should have just refused to leave! I mean, he was doing a good deed by repaying you—what could you have done? Physically throw him out? Yeah, right, like you even have the strength for that!”

“………………” Shangguan Yu massaged his temples, already feeling exhausted. “Wang Hao, whose side are you on?”

Wang Hao chuckled. “Yours, obviously! I just feel bad that you finally found someone who genuinely cares about you, and before you could even enjoy it for a few days, you pushed him away again.”

Shangguan Yu sighed softly. He knew Wang Hao was right.

“When I helped Xiao Zuo continue his studies back then, it wasn’t because I expected anything in return. I just didn’t want a bright kid to give up on school too soon and be forced to struggle for survival.”

“I know you never wanted anything in return, but that’s not the point—Xiao Zuo wants to repay you!” Wang Hao argued. “Think about it—if he didn’t truly care, would he have spent an entire year searching for you after you disappeared?”

Shangguan Yu pressed his lips together, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Listen, Shangguan, I’m serious. Xiao Zuo is a blessing in your life. It doesn’t matter whether you want to be repaid or not—what matters is that you need someone to take care of you. Tell me, if you hired another caretaker, would they treat you with the same genuine kindness as Xiao Zuo?”

Wang Hao pulled out a chair and sat down across from Shangguan Yu, his tone full of genuine concern. “I know you. Your pride won’t let you be vulnerable in front of people who knew you before. You’d rather lock yourself away than let them see you now. If I wasn’t as thick-skinned as I am, I wouldn’t be sitting here today either.”

“But the truth is, whether it’s the you before or the you now, both are still you. You survived something terrible, and you’re still here. You need to start making peace with that.”

“I’ve accepted you, which is why I’m willing to shamelessly stay by your side as your friend. Because I know, no matter what you say or do, you’re not trying to hurt me—you’re just not ready to face the new version of yourself.”

“And as your friend, I refuse to walk away when you need support the most. So I stayed. And look—we’re still getting along just like we used to, aren’t we?”

“But Xiao Zuo is still young. He went through all that trouble just to repay your past kindness, and yet you pushed him away so coldly. If I had to guess, I’d say you probably hit him with some pretty harsh words.”

“Have you considered how hurt he must be? He poured his heart into taking care of you, and he did a wonderful job, only for you to dismiss him without a second thought. Even if you don’t need his help, what you did wasn’t right.”

This was the first time since the accident—and in all his time with Wang Hao—that Wang Hao had spoken to him with even a hint of reprimand.

His tone wasn’t harsh, but the weight of his words felt different this time.

Shangguan Yu pressed his lips together, silent.

After a few tense seconds, Wang Hao started to feel a little guilty.

“Uh… cough, cough… Look, Shangguan, don’t be angry, okay? I was just—”

Shangguan Yu shook his head and said softly, “No, you’re right. I handled this poorly.”

Wang Hao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He could hardly believe his ears.

“Ahem, well… since you realize you made a mistake… that’s great! So, next—”

Shangguan Yu wasn’t interested in Wang Hao’s well-meaning advice. He cut him off, saying flatly, “I just can’t accept myself. Just leave me alone. Xiao Zuo should be spending his time on something more meaningful, not wasting it on someone useless like me.”

Wang Hao sighed, looking at Shangguan Yu with a mix of helplessness and frustration—like a teacher disappointed in a stubborn student—but he knew better than to push.

Their long friendship wasn’t just because Wang Hao was thick-skinned, as he’d joked earlier. More importantly, it was because he understood Shangguan Yu’s boundaries in a way that was hard to explain.

If someone asked him to explain those boundaries, he probably couldn’t. But in practice, he knew exactly where the line was. Just moments ago, even though he’d rambled on, Shangguan Yu had tolerated it—maybe even taken some of it to heart.

But now, Wang Hao had the distinct feeling that if he said one more word, he’d be shut out just like Zuo Zhou—coldly and mercilessly.

So, he wisely chose to stop while he was ahead. He’d said enough for one day. It was time to let Shangguan Yu process it.

With that, Wang Hao stood up and, somewhat awkwardly, changed the subject. “Alright, enough of that. What’s for dinner? I may not be a great cook, but if you have dumplings or wontons, I can at least manage to boil them for you.”

Shangguan Yu’s expression remained indifferent, but he seemed to have regained his composure.

Shangguan Yu gestured toward the fridge. “There’s food. You cook. After you eat and do the dishes, you can leave.”

Wang Hao chuckled silently, then shrugged and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll clean up before I go. But in the meantime, why don’t you go watch some TV and relax? I’ll start cooking once I’ve put these things away.”

“Mm.”

Shangguan Yu maneuvered his wheelchair into the living room and turned on the TV. The last thing in the watch history was an American crime drama—one he and Zuo Zhou had started but never finished.

He didn’t feel like watching that now, so he randomly chose a high-energy anime instead.

A few minutes later, his phone buzzed in his pocket. When he pulled it out, he saw a series of WeChat messages from Zuo Zhou.

“Brother Yu, are you okay?”

“Brother Hao just called and said you didn’t hear him knocking. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m really worried about you.”

Shangguan Yu stared at the messages, conflicted. After a long pause, he finally decided to reply.

He’d already made up his mind—he wouldn’t let Zuo Zhou live here and be his caretaker anymore. But that didn’t mean they had to cut ties completely.

Ever since Zuo Zhou’s identity had been exposed, he’d remained calm and composed. If anything, Shangguan Yu had been the one acting childish.

There was no need for that.

Zuo Zhou had always been so good to him.

The thought lingered in Shangguan Yu’s mind as he lowered his head and carefully typed a reply.

“I’m fine. I just slept deeply and didn’t hear it.”

Zuo Zhou’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, the “typing…” indicator flashing for a long moment before he finally sent a short, skeptical, “Alright then.”

A beat later, another message arrived. “Get some rest early. Staying up late is bad for your health.”

“Mm,” Shangguan Yu replied.

“This suspense novel I’m reading is really good,” Zuo Zhou typed. “When I finish, you should check it out too. We can discuss it after.”

“Okay.”

“I’m heading out to eat with my classmates now. Don’t forget to eat too, Brother Yu.”

“Got it,” Shangguan Yu replied.

He put down his phone. The anime episode on the TV had just ended, the closing theme now playing. With nothing else to do, he watched it absentmindedly.

In the kitchen, Wang Hao, while boiling water, couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. He poked his head out. “Who were you just chatting with? You looked so focused.”

“…No one,” Shangguan Yu mumbled.

Wang Hao smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Texting is a great option for certain people—you know, the ones with thin skin and a big ego.”

“Tsk. Are you done yet?”

“Hehehe…” Wang Hao grinned shamelessly, then made a zipping-his-lips gesture. “I’ll leave you to it. Time to cook the dumplings.”

Shangguan Yu shot a sharp glare at Wang Hao’s retreating back before turning his gaze back to the TV.

He watched for a while, but his mind wandered. He didn’t even register what was playing.

Finally, he looked down at his phone again, his finger hovering over the chat window with Zuo Zhou.

Then, he tapped the input box.

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