Axolotl Translations

Shangguan Yu tilted his head back, taking in Zuo Zhou’s figure—his broad back, the neatly trimmed nape of his neck, the graceful line of his shoulders…

He watched for a long moment, but Zuo Zhou showed no sign of turning around. With a sigh, Shangguan Yu finally spoke. “That’s not what I meant. You misunderstood.”

Zuo Zhou remained motionless. But whether it was his imagination or not, Shangguan Yu thought he felt a slight tremor in the fabric he was holding.

“Alright, just sit down. Let’s talk.”

His voice was gentle, almost coaxing. To emphasize his point, he gave Zuo Zhou’s shirt a small tug, silently urging him to stop standing there foolishly and come sit down.

Zuo Zhou hesitated for a long moment before finally turning around and resuming his seat on the sofa, cradling his injured arm against his chest.

His head hung low, shoulders slumped, looking utterly dejected. If he had a tail, it would undoubtedly be dragging behind him, lifeless and defeated.

Shangguan Yu could never bear to see Zuo Zhou like this. He hadn’t even said anything harsh, hadn’t done anything wrong, yet somehow, just looking at him like this filled him with guilt—as if he had mistreated him terribly.

Left with no other option, Shangguan Yu pinched the bridge of his nose and softened his voice as much as possible. “Xiao Zuo, about what happened earlier… I owe you an apology.”

At those words, Zuo Zhou finally raised his head, his eyes brimming with unspoken emotion as he met Shangguan Yu’s gaze—but still, he remained silent.

“Last time, when you left, some of the things I said…weren’t what I truly meant. If I hurt you in any way, I sincerely apologize.”

Shangguan Yu spoke with solemn sincerity, his gaze fixed on Zuo Zhou, quietly observing his reaction.

As expected, Zuo Zhou froze for a moment. Then, as if unable to believe what he had just heard, his eyes widened in shock.

He had imagined many possible responses from Shangguan Yu—blame, worry, concern, even a firm attempt to distance himself. But an apology? That was the one thing he hadn’t anticipated.

A sudden, overwhelming ache surged through his chest, spreading in waves.

All these years, the person he had cherished so deeply in his heart…hadn’t changed at all.

No matter how much suffering and hardship Shangguan Yu had endured, his soul remained just as noble, just as pure.

He always put himself in other people’s shoes, always considered their feelings before his own. He was someone who carried the weight of others’ emotions with quiet grace—someone almost saintly.

His heart was still as pure as ever.

He was still the person Zuo Zhou had always admired—the one he had once called his celestial brother.

His emotions welled up, overflowing within him. He opened his mouth, but for a long moment, no words came.

Shangguan Yu raised a hand, pausing him, then continued.

“I helped you back then because I wanted you to have a better future. And now, seeing how far you’ve come…I’m truly proud of you.”

“But I don’t want you to spend your present and future trying to make up for the past. That’s not the kind of repayment I want.”

“You have so many opportunities ahead of you at university. I hope you continue working hard and build a bright future for yourself. As for financial support, I’m happy to continue covering your expenses until you graduate.”

Zuo Zhou listened quietly as Shangguan Yu spoke, absorbing every word. He knew Shangguan Yu’s position was resolute—no matter how much it might benefit him to have Zuo Zhou stay, he wouldn’t allow it.

Therefore, if he truly wanted to remain by Shangguan Yu’s side—just like before, spending every morning and evening together—he would have to be strategic.

Simply stating his desire to stay, that he was doing so willingly, clearly wouldn’t suffice.

Realizing this, Zuo Zhou took a deep breath, adopted an expression of complete understanding, and said, “I understand. Brother Yu, I know you’re doing all of this for my own good, and I’ll respect your wishes. But as for the financial support, that won’t be necessary.”

“I may still be a student, but I’m an adult now. I can earn money. I could tutor high school students—though, to be honest, I’ve forgotten most of what I learned, so I’m not sure if I’d be any good at it or if anyone would even hire me. Or I could check in with the work-study office at school. They probably have volunteer positions or sales promotions—things with low barriers to entry, where, if I’m willing to put in the effort, I can earn something.”

“I’d probably have to juggle several jobs at once, otherwise it might not be enough to cover both tuition and living expenses.”

“I’m twenty now and still growing, so I eat a bit more than most people…”

Zuo Zhou deliberately omitted the fact that he had a full-ride scholarship and government assistance—enough to comfortably cover his tuition and living costs. Instead, he painted a bleak picture of his financial situation, hoping to elicit Shangguan Yu’s sympathy.

And it worked. Shangguan Yu couldn’t bear it.

“If that’s the case, I’ll continue supporting you until you graduate. I—”

“Absolutely not!” Zuo Zhou shook his head firmly, his expression resolute. “Brother Yu, you have your principles, and I have mine. I can’t accept something for nothing. If I can’t continue looking after you, then I have no right to take your money.”

“…”

Perfect. Using Shangguan Yu’s own logic against him left him speechless.

After a long pause, Shangguan Yu finally asked, still uneasy, “Are you sure you’ll manage okay like this?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried yet,” Zuo Zhou replied “honestly.” “I had a trial tutoring session scheduled the other day, but I injured my hand playing basketball the day before, so I couldn’t make it.”

“…So this entire past month—while your arm still hasn’t fully healed—you haven’t been able to find another part-time job?”

“Yeah.” Zuo Zhou nodded, his brows slightly furrowed, looking a little troubled. “Sigh…It’s such a hassle. I don’t even know if I’ll fully recover in a month… But Brother Yu, don’t worry. Until I find the right part-time job, I’ll be extra careful with my spending. I still have a fair bit left from the salary you paid me previously. If I cut back a little on food, it should be enough.”

“And if things get really tight, I can always hand out flyers. That’s something I can manage with just one hand, anyway.”

As he meticulously planned his budget, Zuo Zhou sighed with regret. “If only I hadn’t gone to play basketball that day. None of this would have happened! Ugh…”

The more Shangguan Yu listened, the more uneasy he felt.

He couldn’t help but worry—what if Zuo Zhou started skipping meals to save money? Or worse, what if he forced himself to work prematurely and aggravated his injury?

No matter how he considered it, Shangguan Yu couldn’t feel at ease.

After a long silence, he finally couldn’t restrain himself. “Why don’t you just stay at my place while you recover?”

Zuo Zhou’s eyes widened, clearly in disbelief.

It took him a moment to find his voice. “Brother Yu…Are you serious?”

“Yeah, primarily so you can heal better and faster,” Shangguan Yu replied, suddenly feeling slightly awkward. Having already said so much, he quickly attempted to justify himself. “You don’t eat well or rest properly at school. It’s better if you stay home for now. Once you’re fully recovered, you can go back and do whatever you need to.”

Zuo Zhou chuckled inwardly, thinking, Once I’m fully recovered, whether I go back or not isn’t up to you.

But outwardly, he remained as humble and grateful as ever, nodding eagerly. “Thank you so much, Brother Yu!”

As Zuo Zhou was staying purely to recover this time, Shangguan Yu didn’t expect him to do any housework. All he needed to do was rest and take it easy.

But of course, Zuo Zhou had no intention of simply lazing around. As soon as Shangguan Yu extended the invitation, he clutched his injured arm and eagerly hurried off to the kitchen to assess what was needed, already planning an afternoon grocery run.

Shangguan Yu wheeled himself to the kitchen doorway, just in time to see Zuo Zhou holding the refrigerator door open with his bandaged right elbow while rummaging inside with his good left hand.

“…Just check what’s missing and order delivery this afternoon. There’s no need to go out yourself,” Shangguan Yu said helplessly.

“Buying them myself means I can select the freshest ingredients,” Zuo Zhou mumbled, practically burying his head in the refrigerator. “It’s fine. I’ll go this afternoon. The supermarket gave me a little cart when I bought milk last time, so I can use that.”

“…”

Shangguan Yu blinked in confusion. Since when did his house have a free supermarket cart from buying milk?

Zuo Zhou finished his inspection, nudged the refrigerator door shut with his elbow, and turned—only to find Shangguan Yu sitting there, looking utterly bewildered.

So cute…

Zuo Zhou’s mind instantly filled with those two words.

He curled his fingers slightly, resisting the urge to reach out and touch Shangguan Yu’s cheek, then turned toward the balcony.

“I left it on the balcony. Let me get it and wipe it down first.”

Curious, Shangguan Yu maneuvered his wheelchair to follow him, wondering what kind of cart this was.

Sure enough, Zuo Zhou crouched by the balcony cabinet, rummaging around, and soon, from some hidden corner, he unearthed a bright pink cart.

As for the design…Shangguan Yu struggled to describe it. The only thing he could say for certain was that it looked exactly like the fabric carts with wheels that older women used for grocery shopping.

It wasn’t exactly stylish, but it was practical, at least. The color, though…

While Shangguan Yu was processing this revelation, Zuo Zhou had already rolled the cart back and forth a few times to check if the wheels were still smooth. Satisfied, he pulled it toward the kitchen.

“Not bad, it works perfectly. I’ll grab a cloth and wipe it down.”

Shangguan Yu watched as the tall and broad-shouldered Zuo Zhou pulled the small, bright pink shopping cart, which looked even tinier in comparison. He suppressed his thoughts for as long as he could, but eventually, he couldn’t resist asking:

“Xiao Zuo, are you sure you’re actually taking that to the supermarket?”

Zuo Zhou stopped and turned back, looking puzzled. “Yeah, why not? This cart is incredibly convenient. Since I can’t carry heavy things right now, I can just load everything at once.”

Shangguan Yu nodded, his mind involuntarily flashing back to that bright red apron Zuo Zhou had received as a free gift for buying sausages.

…Right. Zuo Zhou was definitely the kind of person who prioritized practicality above all else and had absolutely no regard for aesthetics.

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