Axolotl Translations

Ruan Zhao squinted at the caller ID. Qin Ge? Who the hell was that?

…Whatever. It didn’t matter. Whoever it was, they had no business disturbing his sleep.

Half-asleep and groggy, Ruan Zhao reached for the decline button. But in his drowsy state—still not fully acclimated to his communicator—his finger slipped.

The call connected.

A deep voice came through the speaker, urgent and direct. “Ruan Zhao. Where are you right now?”

Hearing the voice, Ruan Zhao blinked, realizing he’d accidentally answered. Suppressing a yawn, he begrudgingly replied, “Where else would I be? It’s late. I’m at home, obviously.”

“If there’s nothing urgent—” He was about to hang up.

But the man cut him off. “Are you really at home?” The suspicion in his tone was obvious. “Send me a video. Let me see.”

That did it. The thin thread of Ruan Zhao’s patience snapped.

“Believe it or don’t—I don’t care. And you want a video? Who the hell do you think you are?”

His morning (or rather, midnight) temper flared, his irritation spilling out like rapid-fire bullets. “You didn’t get the hint when I hung up the first time? You just have to keep pushing, huh? What, you want me to curse you out to get the message?”

Even when furious, an Omega’s voice retained that sweet, syrupy quality—like melted sugar.

Ruan Zhao seemed to run out of steam, pausing to take a sip of water.

“You don’t know who I am?” Qin Ge’s voice dropped lower, as if holding back. “Can’t you recognize my voice? It’s me—Qin Ge.”

Ruan Zhao dragged out an exaggerated “Ohhh.”

For a brief moment, Qin Ge thought he’d finally remembered.

Just as he expected an apology for the verbal onslaught, the boy’s voice cut through the silence—confused, genuinely curious.

“So… who’s Qin Ge again?”

The line went dead.

F— (a certain curse.)

Qin Ge nearly launched his communicator across the room.

Anyone would be pissed after getting cursed out like that. But him? He’d never been treated this way by Ruan Zhao. That delicate, beautiful Omega had always been gentle with him—his words soft, sticky-sweet, like mochi. He never raised his voice, never acted cold.

When had he ever used such a hostile tone?

And the worst part?

Qin Ge had called because he was worried. He just wanted to make sure Ruan Zhao was safe. But instead of gratitude, he got treated like garbage.

His fingers tightened around the communicator. The plastic creaked, cracks forming.

At the last second, he loosened his grip and tossed it into the trash.

…Ruan Zhao liked him. Qin Ge knew that.

That kind of infatuated gaze—Qin Ge had seen it too many times in Omegas. One glance, and he could immediately tell their thoughts.

Every time Ruan Zhao saw him, his eyes were wide, glistening, unblinking—completely absorbed, utterly entranced.

Naturally, Qin Ge assumed he was madly in love with him.

And though Qin Ge felt nothing for Ruan Zhao—no attraction, no romantic interest—he still looked out for him out of courtesy. Their families had been close for generations.

But beyond friendship? That was out of the question.

Ruan Zhao simply wasn’t his type. Pretty, delicate, fragile—like a decorative vase. Nice to look at, utterly useless otherwise.

Qin Ge wanted an Omega who could stand beside him—strong, independent, a partner he could fight alongside. Ruan Zhao, spoiled and sheltered, was the antithesis of that.

Qin Ge lowered his eyes, hiding the flicker of emotion.

He figured Ruan Zhao was just trying to get his attention. Since the sweet, gentle act hadn’t worked, maybe he was switching tactics, hoping a new approach would make Qin Ge see him differently.

A complete waste of effort. Not liking someone meant not liking them, period. Even if Ruan Zhao transformed, Qin Ge still wouldn’t want him. He’d only find him annoying, pretentious, and manipulative.

Just then, his communicator pinged with a new message.

Cheng Li: [How’s Ruan Zhao? Is he okay? Anything serious?]

Qin Ge: [He’s perfectly fine.]

Cheng Li hesitated: [But… I saw him at the Imperial Hotel. He went into the VIP suite on the top floor. I heard only the most powerful Alphas stay there. A delicate little Omega like him, going to a place like that…]

The rest of his sentence went unsaid, but the implication was clear.

Qin Ge frowned, sending back a single question mark.

Cheng Li: […I could’ve been mistaken.]

Qin Ge: [Don’t jump to conclusions without proof. And don’t spread baseless rumors. Ruan Zhao is an Omega—if word gets out, it could damage his reputation.]

Cheng Li: […Got it.]

Qin Ge: [Besides me, did you tell anyone else?]

Cheng Li: [No, I only told you because I was worried. But… I don’t know if anyone else saw him.]

Qin Ge’s frown deepened, his brows knitting together as a heavy unease settled in his chest.

But then again… he’d just spoken to Ruan Zhao. His voice was strong, steady, not like someone who’d been through anything bad.

……

After ending the call, Ruan Zhao shut off his communicator and tossed it into a drawer. Then, he slipped off his wristband computer and set it to silent mode.

With everything settled, he burrowed back under the warm blankets… yet no matter how much he tossed and turned, he couldn’t fall asleep.

[Who the hell was that guy, anyway?!]

Frustrated, he sat up, fuming at the thought he hadn’t handled it well enough. He should’ve cursed him out a little more—that would’ve been way more satisfying.

[A young master from the Qin family. Qin Ge. You two barely count as childhood friends.]

[You like him.]

[But it’s the same kind of ‘like’ as when you’re into those Alpha fitness streamers—completely shallow.]

[There are better, more handsome Alphas out there. You could forget about him entirely.]

Ruan Zhao: […I seriously have a thing for so many Alphas. I’m such a fickle Omega.]

But wait… Didn’t he already have a boyfriend? His name was… Xing…?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember. All that remained was a vague image—a tall, straight-backed silhouette lingering in his mind.

Ruan Zhao pressed a hand to his chest. For some reason, it felt like something was missing, like a piece of his heart had been hollowed out. When would it ever feel whole again?

Sensing his gloom, the system quickly changed the subject, trying to divert his attention.

[The reason you ended up in the male lead’s room today… is also connected to Qin Ge.]

Ruan Zhao: [He set me up?]

[No. It was his friend—Cheng Li.]

[Cheng Li likes Qin Ge. He sees him as his personal belonging and resents anyone who gets too close.]

[He’s jealous. Because you’re an Omega, you can stand beside Qin Ge without question, express your feelings openly, and maybe even marry him. But Cheng Li… he’s just a Beta. He can’t do any of that.]

At this point, the system couldn’t help but mutter under its breath—[What kind of nonsense is this? It’s not like Alphas and Betas are forbidden from marrying in this world. What’s he so damn bitter about?]

Ruan Zhao: [And then?]

[Then… he bought black-market drugs—the kind that induces Omega heat. Using a voice changer, he imitated Qin Ge’s voice and lured you to the Imperial Hotel.]

[By the time you realized something was wrong, it was already too late. In a panic, you rushed into the nearest unlocked room.]

[According to the original plot, after Qi Xingchen gives you a suppressant shot, he’s supposed to throw you out… Then Cheng Li secretly takes photos of you and Qi Xingchen together, spreads them all over the student forums, and starts a rumor that you were messing around with an Alpha, climbing into a stranger’s bed, only to be kicked out in disgust.]

Ruan Zhao: […Wow. Messy.]

What a chaotic, drama-filled world. All he did was show up as a minor plot device, and he still had to endure this much nonsense? Surely this counted as workplace trauma, right? No, this wouldn’t do—he was filing a report first thing tomorrow and demanding a raise from the main system!

System: [Our mission this time is simple: to become a stain on Qi Xingchen’s reputation that he can never wash away.]

[Once the photos go viral, people will tear Qi Xingchen apart online, calling him a scumbag Alpha with zero chivalry—how could he treat an Omega in heat so cruelly? Some will even say he should be court-martialed. That’s when his Omega identity gets exposed, completely shocking everyone.]

The system hesitated. [But Cheng Li never actually got those photos. How is the plot supposed to move forward now…?]

It was starting to panic.

[Zhaozhao, don’t tell me our mission is over before it even started?!]

Ruan Zhao yawned, already feeling sleepy again, and patted the system reassuringly.

[Relax. When the time comes, things will work themselves out.]

Listening to drama really was the best sleep aid. See? He was already dozing off.

As for whether the mission succeeded or not? Not his problem.

Ruan Zhao happily snuggled into his pillow, grabbed another to hug, found the perfect sleeping position, and drifted off into a sweet dream.

The next morning, he got up on time for class.

Despite its name, Imperial Omega Academy wasn’t exclusively for Omegas. Since the Omega population was too small, the school accepted a large number of high-achieving Betas to maintain appearances.

The student gender ratio was roughly one Omega to two Betas.

Cheng Li was a student at Omega Academy, and coincidentally, he and Ruan Zhao were in the same department and class.

The moment Ruan Zhao walked into the classroom, Cheng Li rushed up to him. His face held a look of hesitation, his delicate brows furrowed, concern evident in his eyes.

“Zhaozhao…”

Ruan Zhao ignored him, walking straight past without a glance.

Cheng Li’s expression froze. But a second later, he recovered, grabbing Ruan Zhao’s arm, his voice urgent.

“Don’t believe what they’re saying on the forums…! None of us think that about you—we all know you’d never do something like that. Someone must have framed you.”

Ruan Zhao winced—Cheng Li’s grip was painful. He instinctively shook him off, frowning.

“What forum?”

Cheng Li’s face shifted into perfect surprise, his voice stuttering slightly.

“You… You mean you haven’t seen it yet…?” He hesitated, then quickly added, “Then listen to me—whatever you do, don’t open the school forums. Everything there… It’s all lies. None of it is true.”

As he finished speaking, he reached for Ruan Zhao again. His nails, coated with clear polish, gleamed under the light—long, sharp, eerily reminiscent of animal claws, lunging straight for him.

Ruan Zhao was already wary. The moment Cheng Li reached for him, he swiftly dodged, leaving Cheng Li grasping at air.

Eyes turned towards them from all corners of the classroom. Whispers spread. Some people didn’t even bother lowering their voices—Ruan Zhao heard every word.

They called him shameless, self-indulgent, disgraceful, lacking self-respect. That an Omega like him was an embarrassment to their entire gender.

……

In the front row, a girl scrolled through the school forum on a tablet-like device. Ruan Zhao walked up to her and asked politely, “Can I take a look with you?”

He was stunningly beautiful—a beauty that transcended gender. Fair-skinned, striking, effortlessly captivating. If he wanted to, he could charm both Alphas and Omegas alike.

When the girl met his light-colored eyes, her face flushed red. She quickly scooted over, making space for him, flustered as she stammered, “O-of course! Go ahead!”

The moment Ruan Zhao looked away, she snapped out of her daze, regaining a sliver of rationality. Then, as if remembering the horrible things written on the forum, she quickly covered the screen with her hand, stumbling over her words.

“T-the posts are really awful. Maybe… maybe you shouldn’t read them.”

Ruan Zhao’s lips curved into a slight smile. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Seeing his determination, the girl hesitated before pulling her hand back, sneaking nervous glances at his face—already trying to think of something comforting to say.

Here’s the revised fragment, maintaining the flow and tone:

“The top trending post on the school forum was pinned to the homepage.

[Digging Up the Truth About the “Innocent Yet Flirty” Campus Beauty of the Art Department—Ruan Zhao (Explosive)]

…Wait.

Who?

Campus Beauty?

Me?!

Ruan Zhao stared at the title, completely dumbfounded. He wasn’t even a girl. Why the hell were they calling him “Campus Beauty”?

But just from the title’s wording, he could sense the sheer malice of the poster. Furious, he clicked in.

The post contained no text, just a series of incriminating photos.

The first—him walking into the hotel.

The second—him stumbling out, wrapped in an obviously oversized jacket.

The third—a delicate-looking boy, sitting on a muscular man’s lap, his slender arms wrapped around the man’s neck—but someone had crudely photoshopped his face onto it.

The fourth—the man stuffing a thick stack of cash into the boy’s waistband, the scene strongly implying some kind of transaction.

And below that—countless upvoted comments, mostly from anonymous bot accounts, fanning the flames.

[Oh, I know him—Ruan Zhao, right? We were high school classmates. Not surprised to see him here at all.]

[He used to fool around with Alphas all the time, skipping class just to hook up.]

[Honestly? As long as you pay him, he’ll do anything.]

[I’ve been with him before. He’s definitely soft and tight.]

[Do you know how much he charges per night?]

[He’s aiming for a powerful Alpha. Even if you, a mere Beta, went bankrupt for him, he still wouldn’t spare you a glance.]

……

[When did the forum become a gathering place for these brain-dead freaks? Reading their nonsense makes me want to throw up.]

[Wait… that photo is so obviously photoshopped. Are people actually taking this seriously? Just a heads-up, spreading false rumors can get you arrested.] [Attached: legal reference link]

[Rumors? Oh please, the truth is right in front of you. What, does he need to come forward himself and say, “Yes, those Alphas fucked me senseless, I’m just a filthy slut” before you’d believe it?]

[Care to drop your main account, sweetheart? Let’s see which adorable little classmate of ours has the guts to spout this level of garbage. 😊]

[Oh, so Alphas can sleep around, have affairs, and mess with whoever they want, but Omegas have to stay pure and chaste, right? Wake up, sweetheart. The feudal era died thousands of years ago. Oh, wait—I forgot, you guys don’t have the brain capacity to process that.]

……

The forum was a total war zone, arguments erupting everywhere. Before long, the entire thread was deleted by moderators, leaving behind a 404 error page.

Meanwhile, the system went full octopus mode, operating eighty different accounts at once, diving into every hate comment and roasting those users into silence. By the time it was done, not a single person dared to show their face again.

At last, unable to contain its fury, the system hacked into their neural terminals through the data stream, planting hundreds of viruses before making its grand exit.

[Did you save everything, System?]

[Every last detail—post contents, account information, IP addresses. Not a single piece is missing.]

[Good. Compile a report and send it to my brother.]

Whenever his brother was in a good mood, he’d casually send him two million credits for pocket money. On Starlight, his top-up spending was in the billions. Did he look like someone who needed to sell his body to climb social ladders? Disgusting.

But the most disgusting part of all? The one who orchestrated this mess—Cheng Li.

Raising his gaze, Ruan Zhao looked at him.

The boy was still playing his part, biting his lip with a worried expression, his eyes filled with feigned concern.

“I know what kind of person you are,” Cheng Li said. “You’d never do something like this. There has to be some kind of misunderstanding, right?”

Ruan Zhao stared at him in silence, studying his face for a long moment. As Cheng Li’s expression began to stiffen slightly, Ruan Zhao suddenly smiled.

“How strange. You were the only one who knew I was at the Imperial Hotel. So how come, all of a sudden, the whole school knows—complete with an army of fake accounts pushing a smear campaign against me?”

“Was it Qin Ge who told you?”

Cheng Li’s gaze flickered, hesitating for half a beat.

“I… I did mention it to Qin Ge,” he admitted, “but only because I was worried about you! I was afraid you’d be in danger! I never meant for this to happen!”

“You have to believe me, Ruan Zhao.” Cheng Li’s voice took on an urgent, pleading tone. “We’re friends. I would never do something to hurt you.”

Ruan Zhao, however, remained indifferent.

“The origins of those fake photos, the identities behind the troll accounts, the purchase records for illegal transactions… all of it can be traced.”

Handing the tablet back to the girl beside him, he gave her a polite “thank you” before turning to Cheng Li.

“I will find out who tried to slander me,” Ruan Zhao stated firmly. “And no matter who it is, I will hire the best lawyers, demand the highest compensation, and ensure they serve the longest prison sentence possible.”

His hand clenched into a tight fist at his side, nails biting deep into his palm, sharp enough to draw pain.

A faint pallor spread across Cheng Li’s face.

He had assumed that someone like Ruan Zhao—a delicate Omega, pampered like a fragile flower—would be devastated by this.

He thought Ruan Zhao would do nothing but cry, overwhelmed and lost, clueless about how to defend himself.

Because for an Omega, reputation was everything. If he was branded with words like “promiscuous” and “shameless,” his life would be ruined. Society would cast him aside. No high-status Alpha would ever consider marrying someone with a tarnished reputation.

And most importantly—his connection with Qin Ge would be completely severed.

But Cheng Li’s intentions ran far deeper than that. He had wanted those rumors—those vile, cutting words—to crush Ruan Zhao’s spirit. To shatter him. To drag him down from the clouds and bury him in the mud. Would they still admire him? Still like him?

But… Cheng Li’s fingers curled tighter, his grip so firm his knuckles turned pale.

He had never imagined Ruan Zhao would react so calmly. Not only was he unshaken, but he was already planning to hire lawyers and press charges.

He had been careful—meticulous, even. Everything had passed through multiple hands, each transaction layered with extra precautions. The payments were handled through an offshore account. There was no way anyone would find a single trace leading back to him. No one would ever know he was the one behind it.

“Cheng Li, are you cold? Why are you shaking?”

Cheng Li snapped back to reality. Before him stood Ruan Zhao, his features exquisite, more delicate than freshly bloomed flowers. The Omega waved a hand in front of his face, as if trying to pull him from his thoughts.

Cheng Li took a step back, forcing a smile. “The air conditioning… it’s set too low.”

“Oh, I see.” Ruan Zhao nodded thoughtfully, then tilted his head slightly. “For a second there, I thought you were feeling guilty.”

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