Axolotl Translations

Shangguan Yu’s condition had noticeably improved after taking the medication from Central Hospital. His cough and sore throat had eased considerably.

At its worst, his coughing fits would wake him up in the middle of the night. But now, after two days of recovery, he was finally able to get a decent night’s sleep.

Feeling much better, Shangguan Yu was desperate to take a shower at home.

Bathing at Zuo Zhou’s place had been awkward, and in the first few days back, Zuo Zhou had been adamant about not letting him shower, worried it would worsen his condition. Adding it all up, Shangguan Yu hadn’t showered in four or five days.

For someone who never went more than two days without a shower, this was sheer torture.

So, that night, he decided to slip into his room and shower before Zuo Zhou could stop him.

After dinner, they watched television in the living room. Then, Shangguan Yu casually announced he was heading to his room to rest, maneuvering his wheelchair towards the door.

Normally, when he said he was going to bed, Zuo Zhou wouldn’t question it. He’d simply say, “Goodnight, Brother Yu.” But tonight was different.

Zuo Zhou was suddenly on high alert. He stood up and suspiciously asked, “Brother Yu, are you really tired this early?”

“Mhm.”

Zuo Zhou glanced at the clock and narrowed his eyes. “But it’s barely past nine… You’re not secretly planning to shower, are you?”

“………………”

Shangguan Yu was a little annoyed. This was his own house—why did he have to “sneak” around just to take a shower? Sure, maybe he was being a little secretive, but that didn’t mean Zuo Zhou had to put it that way!

“I knew it,” Zuo Zhou said, a knowing look in his eyes, stepping forward. “Brother Yu, you’re just starting to recover. Showering now could bring on a cold. Just wait a couple more days.”

“No,” Shangguan Yu’s expression darkened. “It’s been days since I’ve showered. I can’t stand it.”

“I know it’s uncomfortable, but that’s just because you’ve been sick,” Zuo Zhou crouched in front of him, tilting his head up. His voice was gentle, coaxing. “Just wait two more days.”

His tone was as smooth as silk, but his words left no room for argument.

“…” Shangguan Yu’s temper flared, his face stiffening. “I’m taking a shower.”

With that, he turned away, refusing to acknowledge Zuo Zhou, and tried to maneuver his wheelchair past him. But Zuo Zhou stood firm, an immovable wall, blocking his path.

Just as Shangguan Yu’s fingers touched the control button, ready to press it, Zuo Zhou’s hand shot out and covered his.

“Brother Yu,” Zuo Zhou leaned down, his voice low and coaxing near his ear, “be good.”

Shangguan Yu turned his head away in defiance, refusing to meet his gaze.

Zuo Zhou was getting far too bold. Did he even remember his place? This was his house, yet Zuo Zhou dared to speak to him like that!

Zuo Zhou studied Shangguan Yu’s expression, carefully gauging his mood before testing the waters. “Are you angry with me? Brother Yu, if you really insist on showering, I guess there’s a way. How about this? You go back to your room, I’ll turn on the heater, and I’ll help you freshen up with a warm towel. How does that sound?”

Shangguan Yu shot him a sharp glare.

“No? Then just wait two more days.” As he spoke, Zuo Zhou leaned in slightly, inhaling near Shangguan Yu’s neck. “Smells fine to me. Not dirty at all.”

His warm, teasing breath brushed against Shangguan Yu’s skin, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.

“Just talk—don’t get so close!” Shangguan Yu turned his face away in irritation, his tone firm. “Let go of me! I’m going to my room to shower! I need to!”

But Zuo Zhou didn’t release his grip. He narrowed his eyes, studying Shangguan Yu intently, as if deep in thought.

The intensity of the stare made Shangguan Yu uneasy. “What are you looking at?! Let go!”

Sensing Shangguan Yu’s imminent explosion, Zuo Zhou wisely released his hold. He raised both hands in a playful gesture of surrender.

“Alright, alright, you win, Brother Yu. If you’re really determined to shower, I’ll go to your room first and crank up the heat. Once it’s warm enough, you can bathe.”

The house had underfloor heating, maintaining a comfortable 20°C during winter. Technically, it wasn’t cold. But to Zuo Zhou, it still wasn’t warm enough—he wasn’t about to risk Shangguan Yu catching a chill.

Shangguan Yu had steeled himself for a confrontation, ready for a full-blown standoff. But the moment he braced for resistance, Zuo Zhou backed down and compromised.

Shangguan Yu: “……”

Well, since Zuo Zhou was already making the first move to concede, Shangguan Yu saw no need to be difficult. With the matter settled, he nodded.

“Alright, let’s go.” Zuo Zhou naturally stepped behind him, gripping the wheelchair handles. “I’ll get the heat going.”

Once the heater was on, the room warmed up quickly. Wearing a sweater and jacket, Shangguan Yu soon felt a bit too warm and instinctively reached to take off a layer.

“Just unzip it, no need to take it off,” Zuo Zhou reminded him, timing his words perfectly.

“……”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Shangguan Yu muttered, inwardly grumbling about Zuo Zhou’s needless interference.

After about ten minutes, Zuo Zhou announced that the temperature was good to go. He thoughtfully pushed Shangguan Yu to the bathroom doorway, holding his clean clothes in his other hand.

Noticing Zuo Zhou’s intention to wheel him into the bathroom, Shangguan Yu tensed and quickly hit the pause button on his armrest.

“Stop here. I can manage by myself.”

Zuo Zhou’s amused voice drifted down. “What, afraid I’ll see you shower?”

“Zuo Zhou!”

“Haha, alright, I’ll stop talking.” Zuo Zhou raised his hands in surrender and took a step back. “I’ll be right outside. If you need anything, just call—don’t try to push through it alone.”

Finally, after all that, Shangguan Yu was able to enjoy a long, hot shower, washing away his exhaustion. Feeling completely refreshed, he had a deep and restful sleep.

But the comfort didn’t last. By the next afternoon, Shangguan Yu felt dizzy and lethargic, his body aching with chills. Even under a thick blanket, he felt drained and unwilling to move.

Seeing that Shangguan Yu had stayed in his room all day, Zuo Zhou came in with a thermometer and checked his temperature—37.9°C. As expected, he had a fever.

“……” Shangguan Yu was in denial and muttered weakly, “Maybe the thermometer is broken?”

“It’s not broken, Brother Yu.You definitely have a fever.” Zuo Zhou sighed, gently touching Shangguan Yu’s forehead with his fingertips. “Even your eyes are red. Don’t try to deny it.”

Shangguan Yu didn’t respond—mainly because he genuinely felt awful. It was clear he had a fever.

He closed his eyes, unwilling to face Zuo Zhou right now. He was bracing himself for the inevitable ‘I told you not to take that shower, but you didn’t listen. Now look at you!’

But after a moment, he still hadn’t heard a single reprimand. Curious, he peeked an eye open—only to see Zuo Zhou staring intently at his phone, typing something with a serious expression.

“?” Shangguan Yu frowned slightly. “What are you doing?”

“I’m telling the doctor your symptoms and asking if you need to return to the hospital.”

“? What doctor??”

“The one we saw last time when you had a cold. I added him on WeChat,” Zuo Zhou said casually.

Shangguan Yu: Wait, when did that happen? How did I miss this…?

A moment later, Zuo Zhou put down his phone and looked at Shangguan Yu. “The doctor said there’s no need to go for now. Just take some fever medicine and anti-inflammatories. If you’re still running a fever tomorrow, we’ll go see him.”

“…Mm.” Shangguan Yu murmured weakly, turning his head and pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

“I’ll get you some water,” Zuo Zhou said, leaning down to gently smooth Shangguan Yu’s tousled black hair. “Eat dinner early tonight, so you can take your medication afterwards.”

Shangguan Yu was already half-delirious from the fever. He wasn’t sure how much of Zuo Zhou’s words he actually registered. He made a soft sound in response before closing his eyes, already drifting off to sleep.

Zuo Zhou looked down at him—so feverish and weak that he couldn’t fight back. His heart ached, but at the same time, there was an inexplicable possessiveness stirring inside him.

Taking a deep breath, he couldn’t help himself. He reached out and gently pinched Shangguan Yu’s flushed cheek, his voice low and indulgent. “Be good, alright? Did you hear me?”

Already slipping into unconsciousness, Shangguan Yu furrowed his brows in mild protest and let out a faint groan.

Zuo Zhou felt a tug in his heart, but in the end, he reluctantly withdrew his hand and went to the kitchen to fetch him some water.

Shangguan Yu drifted in and out of sleep, sometimes waking in discomfort, sometimes slipping back into a feverish haze. He lost track of time until Zuo Zhou woke him, fed him a little, and gave him his medication. Then, he sank back into bed.

“Brother Yu, while you sleep, I’m going to wipe your body down with alcohol. It’ll help bring your fever down faster.”

Zuo Zhou’s voice reached him. Shangguan Yu heard, and he wanted to say, It’s okay, you don’t have to bother, but when he opened his mouth, he was too weak to speak, so he remained silent.

Soon, he felt a cool sensation spread across the back of his hand—refreshing, as if it were physically drawing the unnatural heat from his body.

The cool touch traveled from his hand to his palm, then up his forearm, his neck, his face, and even his earlobes.

Shangguan Yu let out a soft, contented sigh without thinking. Instinctively, he stretched a foot out from under the covers, craving more of that cooling relief.

Seeing this, Zuo Zhou carefully moved on to sponging his soles, the tops of his feet, and his calves—patient and meticulous, again and again.

Shangguan Yu was on the verge of dozing off again, but a sudden impulse made him struggle to open his eyes—he wanted to see what Zuo Zhou looked like right now.

When he finally managed to lift his gaze, he saw Zuo Zhou with his head slightly lowered, tending to him with unwavering focus and care.

His nose suddenly stung with an unexpected surge of emotion.

In his memory, only his grandmother had ever been this gentle with him.

Zuo Zhou noticed Shangguan Yu’s gaze and looked up, meeting his eyes. “Brother Yu, what’s wrong? Why are your eyes red again?”

“It’s nothing.” Shangguan Yu’s voice was hoarse. He didn’t want to elaborate, so he pressed his lips together and turned his head away.

Zuo Zhou paused, then firmly squeezed Shangguan Yu’s hand. His voice was deep and sincere. “I like you. I’ll always treat you well. If you give me a chance, I’ll treat you even better.”

Shangguan Yu closed his eyes. A burning tear slipped from the corner, rolling down his cheek.

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