Axolotl Translations

Having skillfully guided the conversation to get the answer he wanted, Zuo Zhou was in an excellent mood and smoothly moved on to the next topic.

“There’s one more thing, Brother Yu. I need your help.”

“Hm? What is it this time?” Shangguan Yu asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well…” Zuo Zhou said, pulling a laptop out of his backpack. As he opened it, he continued, “I took on a small job at school. Originally, I planned to finish it at home over the New Year holiday, but since I’ll be away for the competition, I won’t have time. So, I was hoping you could help me out.”

“This…” Shangguan Yu hesitated. “I don’t mind helping, but what kind of job did you take on? I mean, am I even qualified to—”

He had plenty of free time at home, so of course, he didn’t mind lending Zuo Zhou a hand. But the real issue was whether he was capable of doing it.

“You totally are!” Zuo Zhou cut him off with a knowing grin, as if he had already anticipated Shangguan Yu’s doubts. “There are always some students in our major who barely show up to class and struggle with their assignments. So, I help them fix their work and charge based on the time and effort it takes.”

“…Wait, what?” Shangguan Yu blinked in confusion. “You can actually do that?”

“Why not? Regular assignments count for a decent portion of the final grade. Some people are willing to pay just to make sure they get those points.”

Zuo Zhou explained with a smile, then turned his laptop toward Shangguan Yu. “Here, take a look.”

Following Zuo Zhou’s gesture, Shangguan Yu glanced at the screen. What he saw was a sight he knew all too well—architectural construction drawings.

The blueprint on the screen was clearly done by a beginner—simple, crude, and riddled with obvious mistakes. As someone experienced in the field, Shangguan Yu spotted several glaring errors at a glance.

“…Your classmate did this?” he asked.

“Yeah, they just need some adjustments,” Zuo Zhou said, clicking through the files on his screen. He scrolled past a few more blueprints. “I took on three classmates’ projects. The first two aren’t too bad—just need some minor fixes. But the last one… don’t even bother. It’s such a mess that it needs to be completely redone. I’ll deal with it when I get back.”

“…Isn’t this basically doing their homework for them?”

“Of course not! How could you say that?” Zuo Zhou replied, sounding completely justified. “I’m helping them! Without me, they wouldn’t learn a thing. They’re actually grateful and wanted to take me out for a meal, but since I don’t have time, I just had them send me the money instead.”

Shangguan Yu felt like Zuo Zhou was bending the logic a bit.

“So, what do you think, Brother Yu? You’ve got plenty of free time—why not help out? Consider it something to keep yourself busy.”

“…Alright.” Shangguan Yu agreed, though he didn’t say it out loud, he actually found the idea quite appealing. If nothing else, spending time doing something he was skilled at—something he enjoyed—was a great way to pass the time.

“But won’t you need this laptop? Don’t you need a computer for the programming competition?” he asked.

“Yeah, I will, but my professor is lending me a laptop for that. So, this one stays at home—you can use it. Besides working on these, you can play some games too.”

“Oh, that works then.” Shangguan Yu nodded and took the laptop from him.

Zuo Zhou would be away for quite a while this time—or so he said. Before leaving, he meticulously arranged every aspect of Shangguan Yu’s daily routine, making sure nothing was overlooked. He even made several trips to the store, stuffing the fridge until it was overflowing. And as if that wasn’t enough, he bombarded Shangguan Yu with a long list of reminders, practically treating him like a child. The only thing missing was hanging a giant biscuit around Shangguan Yu’s neck and having Wang Hao drop by every other day to flip him over like a pancake.

Even Shangguan Yu—who had long gotten used to being taken care of—found Zuo Zhou’s nagging a bit much this time.

“Alright, I get it. Just go already.”

“Mm… okay, I’m going.” Zuo Zhou lingered at the door, reluctant to leave. He gazed at Shangguan Yu. “Brother Yu, take care of yourself. If anything comes up, call me or Brother Hao, okay?”

“Mm.”

“For real, I’m leaving now?”

“Go.”

“Wait… shouldn’t I get a goodbye kiss before I leave?”

“……”

“Haha, just kidding.” Seeing the look on Shangguan Yu’s face, Zuo Zhou quickly waved his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’m really leaving this time!”

With that, he stepped toward the door and pulled it open.

Just before walking out, he turned back one last time. His deep, lingering gaze rested on Shangguan Yu.

Shangguan Yu couldn’t quite put that look into words, but his face burned as if a scorching kiss had just landed there.

After arriving safely in Yancheng, Zuo Zhou sent a message to let him know, then immediately dived into intense pre-competition training. As a result, their contact became less frequent.

Home alone, Shangguan Yu found himself a little bored. But not wanting to disturb Zuo Zhou, he moved the laptop to the dining table and kept himself occupied by listening to music while editing his classmates’ assignments.

At night, he sat in the living room watching TV, phone in hand, glancing down at it every so often.

He wouldn’t admit it, but the anticipation was real. These days, waiting for Zuo Zhou’s video call had become an essential part of his routine.

A little past nine, the phone—warm from being gripped for so long—finally rang.

Shangguan Yu quickly checked the screen, and the moment he confirmed it was Zuo Zhou, his lips curled up involuntarily.

He reached up to smooth his hair before answering the call.

“Brother Yu!” Zuo Zhou’s bright, youthful voice immediately filled his ears. “I missed you so much!”

Shangguan Yu’s ears tingled with warmth. Looking at the screen, at Zuo Zhou’s wide, cheerful smile, he realized his own smile hadn’t faded either.

“Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m at the track field of Yancheng University,” Zuo Zhou said, raising his camera and spinning it around so Shangguan Yu could see his surroundings.

Though the screen shook a little, Shangguan Yu still caught a glimpse of the spacious, newly paved track, a few students strolling or jogging, and the towering streetlights casting pools of light along the path.

“There are still so many people out here in this cold? Aren’t you freezing?”

“Not at all! I’m wearing your hoodie—it feels extra warm.” Zuo Zhou grinned, then suddenly lowered his voice as if someone might overhear. “Besides, my roommates are in the dorm. It’s not convenient for us to whisper sweet nothings there.”

His hushed, slightly raspy voice slipped through the speaker, sending an unexpected shiver down Shangguan Yu’s spine. He cleared his throat and, feigning sternness, scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about? What sweet nothings?”

Zuo Zhou just laughed, unfazed by Shangguan Yu’s attempt at seriousness. Walking slowly, he leaned closer to the screen and asked in a teasing whisper, “Brother Yu, I really miss you. Do you miss me?”

Shangguan Yu hesitated. He wasn’t the type to answer such a blunt question, yet he couldn’t deny the truth—not when he was the one checking his phone every night after dinner, waiting for this very call.

Caught in his own dilemma, he struggled to come up with a response.

Zuo Zhou, watching Shangguan Yu’s reaction closely, knew if he pushed any further, his proud Brother Yu would get embarrassed and lash out. So, wisely, he decided to change the subject while he was still ahead.

“Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore. My competitions have been going really well these past two days. Our school is pretty much guaranteed a top-three finish in the team event. Tomorrow, the individual rounds start. If I win first place, I’ll get a prize of thirty thousand yuan!”

Shangguan Yu let out a small breath of relief and, trying to sound casual, said, “Don’t stress too much. Just do your best. Putting too much pressure on yourself won’t help.”

“Mhm, I’m not nervous,” Zuo Zhou replied with a light chuckle. “I’m definitely taking first place.”

He said it so nonchalantly, as if he were simply telling Shangguan Yu what he had for dinner.

Shangguan Yu didn’t respond right away. His mind, however, flashed back to the designs he had seen before—the ones Zuo Zhou had drawn, full of rookie mistakes.

“What’s that look for?” Zuo Zhou caught the slight shift in his expression and raised an eyebrow. “Brother Yu, don’t tell me you don’t believe in me?”

“I didn’t say that.” He totally did, but he denied it anyway. “I just don’t want you to put too much pressure on yourself.”

“I know,” Zuo Zhou paused for a moment, then asked, “Brother Yu, if I really do win first place, how will you reward me?”

“…What are you, a kid? Why do you need a reward?”

“Because I want one. So, how are you going to reward me?”

“Hmm…”

Just as Shangguan Yu was thinking about his answer, a soft, playful female voice suddenly cut in from Zuo Zhou’s side.

“Hey, handsome, which department are you from?”

On screen, Zuo Zhou turned his head slightly, lowering his gaze toward the girl beside him.

From Shangguan Yu’s perspective, he couldn’t see who Zuo Zhou was looking at. He could only guess that someone had suddenly approached and struck up a conversation with him.

“Oh, I don’t go to this school.”

Zuo Zhou’s voice instantly turned cold, devoid of any warmth. Compared to the Zuo Zhou from just moments ago—whining, clinging, asking if he was missed, pestering for a reward—he sounded like a completely different person.

The shift was so drastic that Shangguan Yu found it jarring. For a moment, he even wondered if something was wrong with his phone’s speaker.

“Oh… I see…” The girl’s voice carried a hint of awkwardness. “Then, can I add you on WeChat? I…”

“It’s not convenient, sorry.” Zuo Zhou’s tone remained flat. Then, he subtly tilted his chin toward the phone screen. “I’m video calling my boyfriend right now.”

“Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you had a boyfriend! I’m really sorry…”

Shangguan Yu listened as the girl’s voice grew fainter, her words trailing off as if she were walking—or rather, running—away.

Then, Zuo Zhou’s voice rang in his ear again.

“Brother Yu, have you thought it through?”

Still processing the whole exchange—Zuo Zhou being hit on and then shutting it down so smoothly—Shangguan Yu blinked. “Huh? What?”

“My reward if I win first place,” Zuo Zhou reminded him.

“……”

Right now, Shangguan Yu’s mind was stuck on Zuo Zhou’s words—“I’m video calling my boyfriend.”

If he let it slide, it might seem like he was silently agreeing. But if he brought it up, Zuo Zhou had already moved on, and bringing it back up now would just make things… weird.

“Brother Yu? What are you thinking about?”

“…Nothing.”

After a brief hesitation, Shangguan Yu decided to let it go. Pretend he never heard it. Then, as if nothing had happened, he said, “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”

“Hmm… I want something special,” Zuo Zhou replied. “This is a national competition, after all. Winning first place isn’t easy.”

“Then… how about I buy you some new clothes? It’s almost winter anyway.”

Zuo Zhou shook his head. “No need. I can just wear yours. I saw a few oversized ones in your closet—I can fit into those.”

Shangguan Yu, realizing his wardrobe had apparently been inspected at some point: “……”

“Then what do you want?”

Zuo Zhou grinned—like a mischievous kid who had finally set the perfect trap and was about to claim his prize.

“So whatever I want… Brother Yu will grant it?”

Zuo Zhou’s playful tone, combined with that secretive smile, made it very hard—especially for any adult with a normal thought process—not to overthink his words.

“…You’ve already decided what you want, haven’t you?”

“Hehe.” Zuo Zhou grinned mischievously. “Doesn’t matter! Brother Yu didn’t say no, so that means yes. Yay!”

“……”

“Oh no, the wind’s picking up—it’s freezing.” Zuo Zhou shivered dramatically and even sneezed for emphasis. “Okay, I’m heading back to my dorm to shower and sleep. My first individual match is tomorrow. Wish me luck, Brother Yu!”

Before Shangguan Yu could say another word, Zuo Zhou waved with a bright smile and—without giving him any chance to protest—swiftly ended the call.

Staring at the suddenly blank video screen, Shangguan Yu could only sigh in exasperation, both amused and helpless.

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