Axolotl Translations

Ruan Zhao: [System, I think Gu Xingyan hates me more and more.]

[He looks at me like I’m something dirty, something he can’t wait to get away from. The second I touch him, he pulls back like he’s been burned… He definitely hates me to the core. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be reacting like this.]

The system sounded pleased: [That’s great news, Zhaozhao! The more the male lead hates us, the closer we are to completing the mission. When we settle the final score, we’ll get even more points!]

Ruan Zhao tightened his grip on the eraser in his hand. He could feel the dull edges pressing into his palm, firm but soft. He wasn’t quite sure what he was feeling. It wasn’t… the satisfaction he had expected. Maybe because this was the first time someone had shown such open, undisguised dislike toward him. And for some reason, there was a faint, bitter sting in his chest.

He erased every little stick figure he had drawn on his worksheet. Then, he placed Gu Xingyan’s eraser back on his desk, exactly where it had been.

It wasn’t until the bell rang that Gu Xingyan finally strolled back. He set his book down without a word. He didn’t explain his overreaction earlier. He didn’t even glance at Ruan Zhao. Instead, he turned around and left again.

Ruan Zhao watched his retreating figure without blinking. Not once did he look back.

Alright, alright. So you’re not even pretending anymore, huh? Ruan Zhao thought for a moment. What exactly had he done recently that Gu Xingyan found so unacceptable?

Was it because, after the birthday party, he insisted on going home with him? But it was Gu Xingyan who had invited him in the first place. Or was it because of the scratches on the cabinet? Had they reopened old wounds from his childhood? But he had tried to be tactful. He knew it was a sensitive topic and even feigned ignorance to gloss over it. It was Gu Xingyan who insisted on discussing it.

Maybe… maybe all that frustration and resentment had been accumulating, and it had finally reached its breaking point. Now, Gu Xingyan lacked the patience to even feign politeness.

Suddenly, Ruan Zhao recalled the contract they had signed. The deadline… was approaching. He consulted his notes to confirm. There were only three days remaining of their one-month agreement.

Three days… Had he truly been bossing Gu Xingyan around for that long? At some point, he had grown accustomed to his presence, accustomed to delegating trivial tasks, accustomed to seeking his assistance whenever a problem arose. In a single day, he must have uttered Gu Xingyan’s name at least eight hundred times, using a variety of tones.

For the first time, Ruan Zhao felt a flicker of unease. If this continued, wouldn’t he become completely dependent on Gu Xingyan? No way. Ruan Zhao shook his head vehemently. Absolutely not!

He couldn’t let himself keep spiraling like this! Sooner or later, Gu Xingyan would leave. He would return to Beijing, back to his life as the heir of a powerful family. And the version of himself that had been thoroughly spoiled by Gu Xingyan? There was no way he could simply follow him back.

Therefore, he needed to break free from Gu Xingyan’s influence—starting immediately.

……

After school, Ruan Zhao did something completely out of character—he packed all his homework into his own backpack. Gu Xingyan’s hand froze midair. It took him a long moment before he slowly lowered it. Ruan Chao didn’t notice anything strange. He simply slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away.

When it came to leaving school, he was always the most eager. Unless you counted the students in the front row—who had an unfair head start—no one could outpace him. He was poised to dash out the door when, suddenly, someone grabbed his backpack strap, halting him before he could take a step.

Annoyed, he frowned and turned around, wanting to see who had the nerve to block him at such a critical moment.

“What’s the rush? You’re not afraid of crashing into someone and falling flat on your face? What, do you get extra credit on your finals for being the first one out the door?”

Ouch. That was unnecessarily harsh. Ruan Zhao yanked his bag strap out of Chen Feng’s grasp. Only for Chen Feng to snatch it right back, like a petulant child. The two of them engaged in a tug-of-war over the strap.

Ruan Zhao refused to yield and retorted without hesitation. “Even if it doesn’t count for extra credit, my grades will still be higher than yours.”

Chen Feng: “……” He couldn’t argue with that. Ruan Zhao had consistently ranked in the top three of their grade. Even if he skipped an exam, his score would still surpass Chen Feng’s.

But… since when had Ruan Zhao become so sharp-tongued? When they first met, he remembered Ruan Zhao as someone who wouldn’t even raise his voice. His eyes were always curved in a gentle smile, his temperament mild, and he treated everyone with a pleasant—even if slightly insincere—expression. Now? He acted as if he’d swallowed a live firecracker, ready to snap at anyone who crossed his path.

Chen Feng’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt. If he were being honest, the current Ruan Zhao felt more genuine. More vibrant. He preferred this version of Ruan Zhao.

The classroom had mostly emptied, leaving only a few students lingering. Seeing that Chen Feng was still staring at him in silence, Ruan Zhao finally lost patience. “Can you let go of me already? My driver is waiting to take me home.”

Chen Feng snapped out of his thoughts. “I have something to talk to you about.”

The last time he’d said that, it was to invite him to a birthday party. This time, it was probably the same kind of thing. So…

Ruan Zhao: “Not interested.”

Chen Feng was stunned. “I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already rejecting me?”

Ruan Zhao gave him a sidelong glance. “Well, now’s your chance. Go ahead.”

Chen Feng swallowed his frustration. “We’re planning to go camping this weekend—hiking, a picnic. Do you want to come?”

“We?” Ruan Zhao thought of the guy who always played games with Chen Feng. The two of them seemed close. “Xiang Chen will be there too?”

“Yeah.”

“Then his cousin, Xiang Zhijian, is probably coming too, isn’t he?”

Chen Feng hesitated, remembering the conflict between Ruan Zhao and Xiang Zhijian. He wasn’t entirely sure. “I doubt it. He’s a rich young master who acts like he’s above everything. Why would he bother roughing it with us?”

But he couldn’t guarantee Xiang Zhijian wouldn’t show up. After a pause, he added, “I know you don’t like him. Even if he insists on coming, I’ll make sure you two don’t cross paths.”

Just hearing Xiang Zhijian’s name made Ruan Zhao feel like he’d swallowed a hundred flies. Utterly revolting. Still, he appreciated Chen Feng’s effort. “Ask someone else. I’m planning to rest this weekend—I don’t feel like moving.”

Having been rejected repeatedly, Chen Feng was starting to get annoyed. By nature, he wasn’t the most patient person, but he had always restrained himself around Ruan Zhao, never snapping at him. He bit back the curse that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he let out a cold laugh. “I see how it is.”

Thinking he had it all figured out, he pointed at Gu Xingyan and dragged him into the situation. “You already made plans with him, didn’t you? That’s why you keep turning me down.”

Ruan Zhao glanced at Gu Xingyan, looking utterly perplexed. “What does this have to do with him?”

“How does it not have to do with him? You two have been practically inseparable lately, like conjoined twins who can’t bear to be apart. Isn’t it only natural for me to suspect something?”

Ruan Zhao: “……”

“Oh, I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? That’s why you’re speechless.” Seeing Ruan Zhao at a loss for words (when in reality, he was just shocked by Chen Feng’s absurd logic), Chen Feng became increasingly convinced he had uncovered the truth. “I just don’t get it—what kind of spell has Gu Xingyan cast on you to make you listen to him so obediently?”

Ruan Zhao frowned. “…I listen to him?”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around? He listens to me, doesn’t he?”

Chen Feng was speechless. “Is that really the point here?”

Ruan Zhao refused to back down. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Ruan Zhao suddenly felt like everything had been turned upside down. He had spent all this time forcing Gu Xingyan to sign a contract, making his life miserable, snapping at him whenever he wanted… and now Chen Feng was saying that Gu Xingyan was the one in charge?

If that was the case, then all his efforts had been wasted.

And after all, wasn’t this leading up to his grand reveal as the villain? He was supposed to let Gu Xingyan regain his rightful identity, then sit back and wait for the inevitable revenge.

Ruan Zhao turned to look at Gu Xingyan. He was still packing up his things. But despite the time elapsed, the clutter on his desk hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

Ruan Zhao had a sneaking suspicion—Gu Xingyan was doing it deliberately. He was intentionally dragging things out just to stick around and watch the drama unfold. Seeing Ruan Zhao and Chen Feng bicker over him probably made his day. Well, if Ruan Zhao had to suffer, there was no way he was letting Gu Xingyan escape unscathed.

“Gu Xingyan.” Ruan Zhao called his name, deliberately drawing out his tone. “Tell him—between the two of us, who actually listens to whom?”

Gu Xingyan lifted his gaze, staring at him steadily. His dark eyes were deep and unwavering, as if, in his entire world, the only thing he could see was the boy standing before him. Then, he spoke softly. “I listen to you.”

Chen Feng felt an immediate wave of secondhand embarrassment—so intense it sent a shiver down his spine.

At the same time, a new realization hit him—he had, without a doubt, turned himself into the third wheel. No matter how hard he tried, there was simply no room for him to squeeze in between these two.

Regret. Utter regret. Why had he dragged Gu Xingyan into this in the first place? Great. Now, instead of feeling satisfied, he just felt worse than before.

“Alright, alright.” Chen Feng pressed his fingers to his temples, exhausted. He had officially given up on interfering in whatever this was between them. “Fine, if you’re not coming, you’re not coming. You two just keep doing… whatever it is you’re doing.” His last words had a distinctly sarcastic edge.

Ruan Zhao had no idea what Chen Feng meant by that. He figured Chen Feng was just too frustrated to think straight, which was why he was spouting nonsense.

……

Chen Feng left. Now, only Ruan Zhao and Gu Xingyan remained in the classroom. Ruan Zhao walked toward him. His pale palm turned upward, open.

“…What?” This time, unlike before, Gu Xingyan didn’t immediately understand what Ruan Zhao was asking for.

Ruan Zhao reminded him, “My clothes. The ones I left at your place.”

Gu Xingyan paused for a moment before responding, “I forgot to bring them.”

“…Again?” Ruan Zhao narrowed his eyes at him. This was already the third time. Since Monday, he’d been reminding Gu Xingyan to bring his clothes back, and now it was Thursday—still nothing. Gu Xingyan didn’t seem like someone with a bad memory. How could he possibly forget something this simple three times in a row?

Ruan Zhao squinted suspiciously. “Wait a second… you’re not secretly doing something to my clothes, are you?”

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