Axolotl Translations

By all accounts, he was the aggrieved party.

He was the one who was wronged, the one who got hurt, the one who had been taken advantage of. Yet, the perpetrator was now standing here, boldly criticizing him—accusing him of being a poorly raised delinquent.

How is this not completely unreasonable?

Ruan Zhao’s annoyance grew. But he didn’t know how to argue back. Because the moment he opened his mouth, Qi Xingchen would just hit him with that same line—“I’ll take responsibility for you.”

Responsibility, responsibility, responsibility…

Had he not taken enough advantage of him that night? Did he crave more? What, did he think he could just claim all the benefits for himself?

Shameless.

Ruan Zhao shot him a sidelong glance, hoping he’d just drop the absurd idea already. Stop dreaming about clinging onto him.

“I have a boyfriend,” he stated flatly. “I don’t need your responsibility.”

As expected, the moment those words landed, Qi Xingchen’s expression shifted. Softly, he repeated, “You have a boyfriend?”

His gaze lowered slightly, a hint of doubt flickering across his face.

Ruan Zhao was a delicately beautiful Omega, every feature striking—his bright, clear eyes, his delicate nose, his petal-soft lips. He was stunning.

And Qi Xingchen happened to know a few things about him… that no one else did. For example—when heat coursed through his body, his pale skin would flush a delicate pink, his entire being damp and pliant in Qi Xingchen’s arms.

His voice—soft, fragile, like a kitten’s—would escape his lips, needy and uncertain, seeking comfort.

And his water-washed eyesof his? They would stare at him, unblinking. Just a little roughness, just a slight push, and they’d mist over, turning red at the corners in the most breathtaking way.

……

Qi Xingchen imagined himself in the role of Ruan Zhao’s boyfriend. If it were him, he would hide him away—tuck him somewhere only he knew about, somewhere no one else could ever see.

He would lock him inside a grand, golden cage. Delicate silver chains around his wrists and ankles, chiming softly with every step.

Anything he desired, Qi Xingchen would provide.

He’d even hand-feed him.

Dress him, too.

Like tending to a rare, exquisite bird—he would keep him like that.

……

Maybe this train of thought was getting a little extreme. Without realizing it, he’d wandered dangerously close to illegal territory.

Of course, in real life, laws and morals existed to keep people in check, so Qi Xingchen would never actually do something so outrageous. But still…

That being said… If Ruan Zhao truly had a boyfriend, just how generous would that guy have to be? Allowing Ruan Zhao to attend this military academy event—which was basically an AO matchmaking session in disguise.

Was he not getting enough green hats* already? Did he want to personally craft another one and wear it himself?

(*T/N: “Green hat” is slang for being cheated on.)

Ruan Zhao raised an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me? I don’t see why I’d lie.”

Qi Xingchen let out a short laugh and casually threw out a name. “You mean your ‘boyfriend’ is that Alpha from earlier? The one the disciplinary squad just dragged away?”

“How could it possibly be him?!” Ruan Zhao exclaimed, visibly flustered. “Don’t associate me with that person! I don’t even know him!”

“He’s not even worth a single finger of my boyfriend—not even a single strand of his hair!”

Qi Xingchen responded with a nonchalant hum.

Seeing how determined Ruan Zhao was, he decided to play along. “Then who is your boyfriend?” he asked casually. “Tell me his name. I might even know him.”

Ruan Zhao froze. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes.

He queried the system: [Wait… what was my boyfriend’s name again?]

[Gu Xing—] The system abruptly cut itself off, fearing the name might reignite painful memories.

[You can just make something up.] The system’s tone was laced with disdain. [Someone as awful as him doesn’t deserve to know your boyfriend’s real name.]

Ruan Zhao considered it for a second. That actually made sense.

He nodded. [You’re right.]

Turning to Qi Xingchen, he lifted his chin slightly, mimicking the system’s same look of disdain and contempt.

“We’re not acquainted. Why should I tell you?”

If Qi Xingchen had been half-convinced before, he was completely certain now—Ruan Zhao was lying. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he took a step closer, closing the distance between them.

Then, lowering his voice, he murmured—like he was about to share a secret meant for his ears alone.

“Does he know…” Qi Xingchen’s voice was slow, deliberate. “That during your heat, you ended up in my bed, clinging to my waist?”

“And that right now, we’re alone, where no one else—”

Ruan Zhao shoved him away, cutting him off mid-sentence.

A flush crept up his face, his expression slightly panicked.

“I told you—that was an accident!”

Qi Xingchen casually smoothed out the creases in his uniform, nodding as if in agreement.

“Yes, an accident.” His tone was light, agreeable.

“But if things had gone just a little further, we would’ve done something that only couples should be doing.”

“That, too, is a fact.”

Ruan Zhao’s face burned.

“You’re the most shameless person I’ve ever met.” Who keeps bringing up something like this? Did he have no sense of embarrassment?

He didn’t want to keep arguing about this. Turning away, he made a move to leave. But before he could, Qi Xingchen stepped forward, blocking his path.

“…What now?” Ruan Zhao muttered warily.

“Are you angry?” Qi Xingchen’s gaze fell on Ruan Zhao’s puffed-up, indignant expression—like an annoyed pufferfish. Rather cute. He almost wanted to poke it.

“I was just messing with you,” he added lightly. “Don’t take it so seriously.”

Ruan Zhao very rudely rolled his eyes at him.

He tried to pass.

Qi Xingchen shifted again—blocking him.

Ruan Zhao: “…?”

Ruan Zhao scowled. “Are you truly insane?”

“I merely wanted to ask…” Qi Xingchen said, his tone utterly calm, “When do you intend to return my jacket?”

Ruan Zhao blinked.

Oh. Right.

Back at the hotel, he’d definitely taken Qi Xingchen’s jacket.

When he got home, he’d tossed it somewhere—he couldn’t quite remember where. The only thing he was sure of was that it wasn’t in the trash.

Qi Xingchen must have noticed his change in expression because he immediately asked, “You didn’t lose it, did you?”

Ruan Zhao’s gaze flickered. “No.”

“It’s just a jacket—do you really want it back?”

Qi Xingchen raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I?” Then, with a perfectly straight face, he lied. “That’s my favorite jacket. I wear it every single day.”

Ruan Zhao: “…”

“Fine, fine, whatever. Come find me at school tomorrow, and I’ll return it.”

Qi Xingchen pulled up his communicator, revealing a pre-prepared contact ID. His voice was utterly indifferent as he said, “Add me. Easier to get in touch.”

“…Annoying.”

Ruan Zhao typed in the long string of numbers, bringing up the add friend screen.

His fingertip hovered over the send request button. For a moment—a fleeting one—he hesitated.

Somehow, without even realizing it, Ruan Zhao had once again fallen into Qi Xingchen’s rhythm. Not only had he agreed to meet tomorrow—he’d also inexplicably added him as a friend.

But…

Getting closer to Qi Xingchen, becoming familiar with him—that was exactly what Ruan Zhao wanted.

He had a mission to complete. He couldn’t let his personal dislike for this man stop him from earning his points.

After giving himself a little mental pep talk, Ruan Zhao finally sent the friend request.

Qi Xingchen accepted almost instantly.

Then, he sent a single message: [1].

Ruan Zhao responded without thinking—he sent an emoji.

It was a long-eared, red-eyed rabbit, brandishing a knife aggressively.

Qi Xingchen replied with a period.

[.]

Ruan Zhao countered with another sticker—this time, a white cat baring its teeth and claws, looking just as fierce.

Qi Xingchen must have found it amusing. Because the next second, he actually laughed out loud.

Ruan Zhao immediately realized what he was doing.

He had been standing right in front of Qi Xingchen, yet he was still fighting him with emojis over chat. He must have been so pissed off that he’d completely lost his mind.

Without another word, he casually shut off his communicator, turned on his heel, and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Perhaps because he’d achieved his objective, Qi Xingchen didn’t stop him this time. He simply watched as Ruan Zhao’s figure slowly faded from view.

Ruan Zhao’s social media handle was unexpectedly endearing.

“Soft Soft.” Just saying it out loud made something in your heart melt.

His profile picture was just as cute—a little lucky cat, half red and half white, eyes squinting in contentment, mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

It was sitting atop a pile of golden coins, with the words “Money, come!” written boldly on the side.

Everything about it—his name, his avatar—was so absurdly cute that Qi Xingchen couldn’t help but be utterly captivated.

His fingers moved. He pinned Ruan Zhao’s chat to the top of his list.

Then, he edited the nickname.

Initially, he typed: “Ruanruan.”

But after a moment’s hesitation, he deleted it—replacing it with: “Zhaozhao.”

Above, the moon had finally broken free from the dark clouds, spilling silver-white light over the ground.

Back at the social event, Ruan Zhao had just returned.

He immediately saw Lin Lanyue scanning the crowd, searching for him.

He raised a hand and waved.

“Over here.”

Lin Lanyue spotted him, visibly relaxing. She hurried over, a light jog. “Where did you disappear to? I’ve been searching everywhere.”

Ruan Zhao smiled. “Ran into an acquaintance. We chatted for a moment.”

The girl’s expression instantly turned gossip-hungry.

“Was it an Alpha?”

Ruan Zhao nearly said no. But then he considered it—revealing Qi Xingchen’s Omega identity might cause him unnecessary trouble. In the end, he simply nodded.

Lin Lanyue’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Did you get his contact information?”

Under her intense gaze, Ruan Zhao felt a twinge of unease. After a brief hesitation, he answered reluctantly. “Y-yes… I did.”

Lin Lanyue pressed. “How many?”

Ruan Zhao blinked. “One.”

She looked at him, visibly disappointed. “That’s far too few.”

“…Huh?”

Lin Lanyue sighed, as if instructing a naive child. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even when shopping, we compare prices before choosing the best, right?”

Ruan Zhao frowned. “So you’re suggesting…”

Lin Lanyue’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “Cast a wide net, reel in a precise catch.”

…Was she seriously advocating for him to become a player?

Looking at her, it was baffling. With her gentle, doll-like features, round eyes, and delicate mouth, she appeared the epitome of an obedient, well-mannered girl.

Yet here she was, saying things like this.

Guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover. Ruan Zhao took a moment for self-reflection.

Meanwhile, Lin Lanyue accessed her optical brain, sorting through today’s “catch”—intending to share half with Ruan Zhao.

All the Alphas she’d added were organized into a single group chat.

The group’s name? A simple fish emoji.

Straightforward and very fitting.

“This one… 188 cm, ruggedly handsome, eight-pack abs. Interested?”

Ruan Zhao shook his head.

“How about this one? A little shorter, but with a classic puppy-dog look. A smooth talker—likely very clingy.”

Ruan Zhao shook his head again.

Lin Lanyue remained patient. “What’s your type? I’ll find one for you.”

Ruan Zhao: “……”

For some reason, a familiar figure surfaced in his mind.

Almost involuntarily, Ruan Zhao blurted: “Do you have someone… tall and lean? A bit aloof, not overly talkative, but has a gentle way of speaking? Someone who does whatever you ask without complaint, prefers simple button-downs and jeans, and exudes an understated elegance…”

Lin Lanyue froze.

“Wow. That was… oddly specific.”

Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she scrutinized him. “Be honest—are you seeking a stand-in for your ex?”

Ruan Zhao blinked. “…Never mind if you don’t.”

Lin Lanyue didn’t pursue the matter. Instead, she said, “Alright, I’ll keep an eye out. If I find someone fitting, I’ll send them your way immediately.”

Ruan Zhao gave a perfunctory nod. “Sure.”

But truthfully…

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Qi Xingchen reminded him—just a little bit—of the boyfriend in his memories.

Not much. Just a tiny, barely noticeable bit.

If Qin Ge wasn’t even worth a single strand of his boyfriend’s hair… then Qi Xingchen might—just barely—be worth two.

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