Axolotl Translations

The air thickened with unspoken tension.

Qi Xingchen remained silent for a long moment.

Ruan Zhao felt a twinge of unease, wondering if he had said something wrong. But after a moment of reflection, he was certain he hadn’t.

He had smelled Qi Xingchen’s pheromones. Like the man himself, the scent was cool and crisp—like a delicate layer of frost resting on winter pine branches.

It was faint, almost imperceptible, completely overwhelmed by the dominant scent of his own lily-of-the-valley fragrance. But their proximity at that moment had made even subtle details impossible to ignore. Though he hadn’t clearly seen Qi Xingchen’s face, his scent had etched itself into Ruan Zhao’s memory.

Qi Xingchen remained silent for a long while before finally murmuring, “You’re the first…”

Ruan Zhao didn’t understand. “First what?” he asked instinctively.

But Qi Xingchen didn’t answer. The deep color in his eyes faded, returning to a harmless ocean blue. He lowered his gaze, deliberately avoiding Ruan Zhao’s curious stare, making it clear that he had no intention of explaining further.

Still, Ruan Zhao waited patiently, his wide eyes blinking expectantly, hoping Qi Xingchen would relent and satisfy his curiosity.

Qi Xingchen turned his head slightly. “It’s late. I’ll walk you back.”

How frustrating! Ruan Zhao detested people who spoke in half-truths. Either say everything, or say nothing at all!

As if on cue, the system chimed in: [He was likely trying to say… you’re the first person who’s ever smelled his pheromones.]

[Huh?] Ruan Zhao blinked.

[Qi Xingchen has a minor glandular defect. Unlike typical Omegas, he doesn’t experience regular heat cycles, and Alphas can’t detect his pheromones.]

[That’s also why the military academy made an exception for his admission.]

Ruan Zhao’s thoughts raced. [That makes sense. In a military school where nine out of ten students are Alphas and the remaining one is a rare Beta… no wonder no one suspected he was an Omega.]

[But here’s the real question: If even the keenest Alphas can’t smell him, why can I? Do I have some kind of superhuman sense of smell?]

The system hesitated for a long moment before finally offering a vague response. [It… might be related to genetic compatibility.]

[If you two were to undergo an official compatibility test, the result might be an astonishing 99% or higher.]

Alpha-Omega pairings were instinctual, natural, and biologically inevitable. But they could never override the choices made by the soul.

………

The gathering was drawing to a close.

On the way back, Ruan Zhao subtly edged closer to Qi Xingchen, taking a discreet sniff. Aside from the faint scent of flowers carried by the evening breeze and the fresh smell of grass, he couldn’t pick up anything else.

Both sides of the road were lined with dense clusters of fragrant flowers.The scent was overwhelmingly strong. Almost suffocating. Ruan Zhao couldn’t suppress a small sneeze.

“What are you doing?” A cool, slightly puzzled voice came from ahead.

Ever honest, Ruan Zhao replied without hesitation. “Testing if I could still smell your pheromones.”

In the ABO world, glands and pheromones were secondary sexual characteristics.

Whether Alpha to Omega, Omega to Alpha, or between same-gender individuals—saying something like that or deliberately getting close to someone’s glands could easily be considered a form of flirtation… or harassment.

If it was serious enough, it could result in a seven-day detention.

But this little delinquent Ruan Zhao had no sense of personal boundaries at all. When Qi Xingchen stopped walking, instead of backing off, he went a step further—moving behind him and leaning in to take a sniff near his neck.

Qi Xingchen could have evaded him. If he wanted to, he could have avoided Ruan Zhao entirely—so much so that he wouldn’t have even touched the hem of his clothes.

But he didn’t move.

He didn’t dodge, didn’t flinch. He simply stood there, feeling the faint chill of Ruan Zhao’s fingertips brush his shoulder, briefly using it for balance…

A faint, warm breath—slightly damp with lingering heat—brushed his sensitive skin. And with it, a subtle yet unmistakable scent.

Qi Xingchen shifted his gaze and caught sight of the boy’s pale nape. A corner of his pheromone-suppressant patch had peeled back, releasing a trace of that sweet, intoxicating fragrance.

His body tensed. His breathing quickened. Something unreadable stirred deep within his eyes.

Was it the familiar lily-of-the-valley scent? Or the sight of that delicate neck—reminding him of what had happened before?

Ruan Zhao remained oblivious to his reaction.

He tried again, straining his senses, but still detected nothing. Finally, he gave up, stepping back to put some distance between them.

“…Where are your pheromones?”

The words escaped him, blunt and tactless.

Qi Xingchen parted his lips slightly, his normally cool voice tinged with an unexpected huskiness.

“…Do you want them?”

Ruan Zhao’s only goal was to test whether his sense of smell was truly exceptional—if he could pick up something no one else could.

As for the system’s genetic selection theory?

Absurd. Impossible.

It had to be because he was just that talented.

So he barely hesitated before giving Qi Xingchen a firm nod. Because, yes—he genuinely wanted to.

Qi Xingchen’s gaze flickered—his eyes darkening subtly at Ruan Zhao’s unwavering response.

A flicker of surprise, perhaps even disbelief, crossed Qi Xingchen’s face. Instinctively, he felt things were escalating too quickly, straying beyond the boundaries of what he had originally envisioned.

After realizing he had misunderstood Ruan Zhao, his plan was simple: find an opportunity to apologize, earn his forgiveness, and start anew—getting to know him properly and gradually developing their relationship at a steady pace.

Not like this. Not within the first hour of real interaction, already treading into territory he hadn’t prepared for. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Qi Xingchen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, suppressing a rising impulse.

His mind was filled with rules and propriety, dos and don’ts, yet when he finally spoke, his words betrayed him. Without hesitation, he said—

“…Okay.”

Then, he added, “I’m not an Alpha. I can’t inject pheromones into your gland like they do.”

Even if, by some chance, it did get absorbed, Omega-to-Omega pheromones wouldn’t trigger a reaction. They wouldn’t soothe or stabilize anything.

“But… if you want,” his voice lowered, “I can simulate the process.”

It was said that some Omegas found psychological comfort in the sensation of having their gland bitten. Perhaps Ruan Zhao was the same.

Qi Xingchen hesitated, then continued, his voice softer, coaxing—

“…I won’t hurt you.”

Ruan Zhao, who had been quietly listening up until now, suddenly felt a giant question mark pop up over his head. “What… are you talking about?” he interrupted, unable to hold back.

Why did every word make sense on its own, but when put together, they sounded like complete nonsense…?

Inject something into the gland? Simulate a process?

Was he referring to… an injection?

Ruan Zhao’s mind immediately flashed to the painful inhibitor shot he’d received. His expression tightened with wariness, as if Qi Xingchen might suddenly pull a syringe out of nowhere and jab it into the back of his neck when he least expected it.

Perhaps Ruan Zhao’s blatant confusion—or his heightened alertness, like a wary animal—made Qi Xingchen realize the misunderstanding.

Qi Xingchen frowned. “If that’s not what you meant, then why say something so misleading?”

“Something so misleading?” Ruan Zhao paused, then comprehension dawned. “Oh, because I said I wanted your pheromones?”

“I just wanted to smell them. Is that not allowed? It’s not like I meant anything by it.”

Ruan Zhao’s nonchalant tone darkened Qi Xingchen’s expression instantly.

His lips pressed into a thin line. “Do you do this with everyone?”

Ruan Zhao blinked, confused. “Huh?”

“Do you approach people and sniff their necks?”

“…And request their pheromones?”

Ruan Zhao didn’t see the problem. “Yeah, so what?”

Qi Xingchen’s gaze turned colder. “Didn’t you take basic biology as a child? Do you truly not understand what that kind of behavior means—” His voice lowered, the final words hushed, laced with something dark and alluring. “—It’s a sexual invitation. It’s a way of requesting someone to mark you—covering your gland with their scent, so that everyone knows you belong to them.”

Ruan Zhao: “……”

“So, even though we’re both Omegas, it’s still not okay?”

Qi Xingchen’s answer was firm. “No.”

Ruan Zhao feigned nonchalance. “…Oh.”

He genuinely had no idea about these unspoken rules! He couldn’t understand how simply smelling someone’s scent had suddenly turned into a sexual invitation.

To him, it was akin to smelling food and feeling his stomach rumble… or inhaling a flower’s fragrance and instinctively complimenting how nice it smelled.

Qi Xingchen scrutinized him. “…You truly don’t know, do you?”

Ruan Zhao scrambled for an excuse.

“I never paid attention in biology class. I flunked every time.”

Qi Xingchen’s tone was indifferent. “That much is clear.”

“No one in your family ever told you?”

Ruan Zhao hesitated. “…I only have an Alpha older brother.”

“And he never mentioned anything either?”

Ruan Zhao immediately shut his mouth. Internally, he clasped his hands in silent prayer—Sorry, Brother. You’ll have to take the blame for this one.

Qi Xingchen clicked his tongue. “I can’t imagine what kind of family upbringing you had.”

He assumed Ruan Zhao must have been a neglected Omega—unloved by his parents, left to his own devices by his brother. That was the only reason he could be this clueless about something everyone was supposed to know.

The only explanation for why he could do something so dangerously tempting… without even realizing it.

“And you had the nerve to call me a pervert…” Qi Xingchen’s gaze lingered on the boy’s striking face. His eyes were round, their pale irises clear and luminous—pure, yet impossibly captivating. “If anyone’s the pervert, it’s you. Teasing, then shirking responsibility.”

Being called a pervert out of nowhere—and then getting scolded on top of it—did not put Ruan Zhao in a good mood. “Perhaps you should examine your own actions before judging mine?”

When did it become acceptable for someone who ran a hundred steps to criticize someone who only took fifty?

Utterly ridiculous.

Qi Xingchen met his gaze. “Didn’t I say? I can take responsibility for you.”

…So now I’m the irresponsible one? How does that even—

Wait.

Ruan Zhao realized Qi Xingchen had completely derailed his train of thought. Yes, he’d made some inappropriate things due to his lack of knowledge about these “unspoken rules,” but let’s be clear—Qi Xingchen wasn’t exactly the victim here.

He wasn’t the one who got pinned to the bed.

He wasn’t the one who got touched and kissed all over.

He wasn’t the one who almost couldn’t even get out of bed afterward.

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