Axolotl Translations

A soft chuckle echoed from behind Ruan Zhao, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Before he could react, the barely ajar door was flung wide.

“Zhaozhao, didn’t you hear him?” Ruan Ci’s voice, no longer hushed, rang out clearly for all to hear. “Your little boyfriend said he wants to—see you.”

He paused, the faint amusement at the corners of his lips twisting into a mocking smile, laced with an unspoken threat. “Perfect. I was just thinking I’d like to meet him too.”

The tall, imposing Alpha stepped into view, forcing an abrupt, unexpected confrontation. The room’s temperature seemed to plunge instantly, a suffocating silence settling over them.

Qi Xingchen’s gaze shifted slowly from Ruan Zhao to Ruan Ci. A face strikingly handsome, dressed in a sharply tailored suit, radiating a noble, effortless arrogance. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties, more mature than Qi Xingchen, and his detached, condescending stare spoke of someone accustomed to wielding power.

An Alpha.

Qi Xingchen’s expression remained composed, but the turmoil in his eyes betrayed his inner struggle. His grip on the grocery bags tightened, the veins on the back of his hands standing out.

“Zhaozhao, who is he?” he asked.

“Zhaozhao…” Ruan Ci repeated, drawing out each syllable with deliberate slowness, before letting out a cold laugh. “How affectionate.”

……

Though he’d anticipated this confrontation, Ruan Zhao hadn’t imagined their first meeting would be so explosive. He’d actively avoided this moment, for several reasons.

Firstly, the memory of that night with Qi Xingchen, the intensity of their encounter, was still raw, far exceeding his emotional capacity. He needed time, a buffer, to process everything before facing him again, to feign normalcy.

Simultaneously, he’d wanted to give Qi Xingchen the cold shoulder, to force him to reflect on his actions, to understand he’d overstepped boundaries and wouldn’t be allowed to do so again.

Then there was another, deeper reason: he wasn’t ready to introduce Qi Xingchen as his boyfriend to his family. He felt unprepared, instinctively wanting to prevent this meeting.

Besides, Ruan Ci had already made it clear that he didn’t approve of their relationship. He knew nothing of Qi Xingchen, yet the mere fact he was an Omega dating his brother was enough to trigger his push for a breakup.

Now, caught between them, their gazes locked on him, the weight of their attention was a suffocating pressure. Ruan Zhao felt a headache begin to throb. There was no escape; he had to make the introductions.

“This is my brother, Ruan Ci.”

“And this is…” The word ‘boyfriend’ caught in his throat. What he and Qi Xingchen had agreed upon was more of a transactional arrangement, a placeholder, a kept lover. Strictly speaking, Qi Xingchen wasn’t truly his boyfriend. So, he chose vague words, blurring the lines.

“…the person I’m seeing—Qi Xingchen.”

Ruan Ci scoffed. “Doesn’t look all that special.”

He’d envisioned someone devastatingly alluring, a fox-like beauty capable of bewitching his brother into defiance. But facing Qi Xingchen, he saw a handsome man, certainly, but lacking that particular charm.

Surprisingly, Qi Xingchen was nearly his own height, unusual for an Omega. His features were sharp, too defined for delicate beauty, lacking the soft, ethereal quality common among Omegas. Lean, well-toned muscles on his forearms hinted at regular training.

Ruan Ci’s eyes narrowed. He could picture this man lifting his brother effortlessly, gripping his waist, carrying him. At least Ruan Zhao’s taste wasn’t completely off. He’d chosen an Omega taller and stronger than himself.

……

“So, you’re his brother.”

The hostility in Qi Xingchen’s expression vanished, replaced by a smooth, polite smile. Despite the clear animosity from the Alpha before him, he extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Brother. I’m Qi Xingchen, Zhaozhao’s boyfriend.”

Ruan Ci didn’t take the offered hand. He let it hang in the air for a full minute, his gaze dropping with an unmistakable chill. “Mind your wording.”

“Your relationship with Zhaozhao hasn’t received my approval,” Ruan Ci stated. “So, strictly speaking, you don’t have the right to call me ‘brother.’”

Qi Xingchen’s polite smile didn’t falter. Despite the blatant hostility in Ruan Ci’s expression, posture, and every subtle cue in his body language, Qi Xingchen remained utterly unfazed. He acknowledged the statement with a light, “Alright,” and was about to withdraw his hand when—

Another hand covered his palm. Noticeably smaller than his own, he could easily encircle it with a slight shift of his fingers. Slender, pale fingers. Skin as smooth as fine silk. Qi Xingchen froze for a moment, then instinctively tightened his grip.

Ruan Zhao had taken his hand. He said nothing, but the simple action dissolved the awkward tension in the air.

Not that Qi Xingchen had felt awkward to begin with. He accepted Ruan Ci’s hostility readily, almost relishing it. After all, only genuine couples faced familial opposition. Only true relationships were met with disapproval from protective relatives.

The more hostile Ruan Ci’s attitude, the more real this all felt—as if he were truly Ruan Zhao’s boyfriend. The closer he felt to displacing the so-called “original.”

But what truly surprised him… was that Ruan Zhao had reached out and taken his hand first.

The boy’s palm was soft, so soft it made Qi Xingchen’s heart ache. He had to consciously restrain himself, keeping his grip gentle, afraid of causing harm. Yet, he couldn’t resist a slight curl of his fingers, the rough pad of his thumb tracing a slow, feather-light stroke across Ruan Zhao’s palm.

Ruan Zhao’s body tensed. He turned his head, his eyes narrowed in irritation, shooting Qi Xingchen an unhappy glare.

……

Ruan Ci nearly laughed in sheer frustration. With an Alpha’s keen eyesight, he couldn’t miss those subtle interactions.

Flirting. Right in front of him.

If they were this bold in his presence, he shuddered to imagine their behavior behind closed doors. Unbelievable.

His gaze toward Qi Xingchen grew colder. This man might lack the cunning vixen’s face, but his seductive power was equally dangerous.

Ruan Ci had never seen his brother act this way. Not even for those Alpha streamers he used to obsess over, spending money and professing his admiration.

Even all those men combined couldn’t compare to the one standing before him now. His little brother was completely ensnared, lured in so deeply that he seemed to disregard his own brother.

“Zhaozhao, come here.”

As if testing his place in his brother’s affections, Ruan Ci raised a hand, beckoning him to come closer, to create distance between him and that fox.

Ruan Ci waited patiently, but saw hesitation flicker across Ruan Zhao’s face.

“…Hmm?” he murmured, his tone deliberately lowered, laced with subtle menace.

Ruan Zhao’s brow twitched. Without a second thought, he released Qi Xingchen’s hand and returned to Ruan Ci’s side. He lifted his gaze cautiously, studying his brother’s expression.

It was…a little scary. Even though the hostility wasn’t directed at him, he still felt an instinctive chill.

He tugged at Ruan Ci’s sleeve, rocking it slightly, his voice soft and coaxing, the way he always spoke when he wanted something. “Brother, you haven’t eaten lunch either, right? Aren’t you hungry? Tell me what you want, I’ll have Qi Xingchen cook it for you. He bought a ton of groceries anyway. Even with three people, we won’t finish it all.”

Ruan Ci nearly retorted that he was already full—full of frustration. But after a moment, he changed his mind. “Fine. Let him cook.”

If the food tasted terrible, it would be one more reason to convince his brother to end the relationship.

……

Qi Xingchen headed into the kitchen alone. Ruan Zhao sat on the couch, listening to the sounds of running water and chopping vegetables. He lasted only a few moments before growing restless.

“Brother, I’m going to check if he needs any help.”

The morning had been a whirlwind, leaving Ruan Zhao’s mind a tangled mess. He’d completely forgotten to change, still wearing his pale yellow cat-themed pajamas. As soon as he stood, his cat ears were effortlessly tugged.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ruan Ci asked, a slight pull dragging Ruan Zhao back onto the couch, preventing him from rising.

“To rinse vegetables? To chop them?”

“When have I ever let you do grunt work at home?” Ruan Ci scoffed. “You wouldn’t even pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle, but now, because you have a boyfriend, you’re suddenly eager to run into the kitchen?”

Perhaps he found the little cat ears on Ruan Zhao’s pajama hood oddly satisfying to touch. As he spoke, Ruan Ci absentmindedly smoothed them down, stroking them repeatedly until the fur lay perfectly flat. His movements were gentle, but his tone grew harsher.

“Sit here and wait. You don’t even know how to cook rice. What are you running over there to fawn for?”

Ruan Zhao muttered under his breath, “I—I can cook rice. And I do pick up fallen soy sauce bottles…” His brother’s words were almost insulting. “I live alone in my apartment, don’t I? I take care of myself just fine.”

Ruan Ci dragged out an exaggerated, skeptical, “Ohhhh…”

“So, when you say you ‘take care of yourself just fine’—do you mean living off takeout junk food, or sleeping in until noon every day?”

Ruan Zhao: “…”

“You’ve got a little cleaning robot handling all the chores. The kitchen appliances you bought? Collecting dust. Your fridge? Packed with snacks and fruit I bought for you—just so you wouldn’t go hungry in the middle of the night. Even your inhibitors and scent patches—I’m the one who refills them every month like clockwork…”

“..And that’s what you call ‘taking care of yourself just fine’?”

Ruan Zhao: “……”

He… had nothing to say.

Wuwuwu…

He really had become utterly dependent on his brother.

……

Qi Xingchen cooked quickly. In less than an hour, four dishes and a soup were ready. Nothing too fancy—just simple, home-style cooking. Braised pork belly, shredded pork in garlic sauce, stir-fried prawns, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Every single one of them was something Ruan Zhao liked.

The three of them sat down at the dining table together. Ruan Ci sat beside Ruan Zhao, while Qi Xingchen took the seat across from him. The atmosphere was still far from harmonious.

Ruan Zhao picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in Ruan Ci’s bowl, flashing him a sweet, obedient smile. “Brother, you eat first.”

Ruan Ci didn’t refuse. He picked up his chopsticks, slowly lifted the piece of pork—its caramelized exterior glistening with sauce—and placed it in his mouth. Even with his picky taste, he couldn’t find a single flaw in the dish.

The pork belly had been braised to perfection—tender, melting in his mouth. The sauce was rich, yet not overpowering. The flavor was top-notch.

Ruan Ci’s opinion of Qi Xingchen improved, if only slightly. From a seductive fox spirit to… a seductive fox spirit who could cook.

“Is it good?” Ruan Zhao asked.

“It’s passable,” Ruan Ci replied coolly.

But Ruan Zhao knew his brother well. He was all bark and no bite, his words rarely reflecting his true feelings.

If he said it was “passable,” it meant the food was actually quite good. Encouraged, Ruan Zhao picked up a piece of braised pork, ready to savor it, when he felt a gaze upon him. It wasn’t obvious, but it was hard to ignore. He looked up, meeting Qi Xingchen’s eyes.

The man’s gaze was fixed on his chopsticks, watching the piece of pork with unmistakable intensity.

Unbelievable.

Ruan Zhao sighed, turned his chopsticks, and—just as Qi Xingchen had clearly hoped—placed the piece of pork into his bowl. “Here. Eat.”

Even this, he has to compete with my brother for.

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