Axolotl Translations

Lian Tingmei walked up to Shao Ye with a shy smile. “Babe, I took a little longer with my makeup today… you’re not mad at me, are you?” Her voice was soft and sweet.

Shao Ye said nothing.

She tugged gently at the hem of his shirt and added, “I really didn’t mean to be late today. Next time, I’ll be on time for sure. I promise!” She even raised her hand like she was making a solemn vow. Then she pouted slightly and said, “Can you please stop being mad at me? Pretty please?”

But Shao Ye didn’t budge. His eyes darkened as he replied coldly, “No, I can’t. You always do this. This isn’t the first time. Have you ever once thought about what it’s like for me to wait for you in the freezing cold? I’m tired.” He turned around, as if ready to walk away.

Shao Ye wasn’t just acting—he was channeling a friend’s real experience. That friend used to get up early every day to bring his girlfriend homemade breakfasts… until one day, he caught her with another guy. Shao Ye had always felt bad for him, and somehow, that memory came flooding back.

Lian Tingmei’s smile stiffened. She was clearly annoyed now. Seriously, is this guy for real? What’s with the dramatic performance? And anyway, so what if she made him wait two hours? That’s totally normal—right? She didn’t see anything wrong with it.

Mu Fu, watching from the side, couldn’t help but chuckle. Well done, she thought. That guy nailed it.

Quan Xiaoyu nodded in agreement. Seeing Lian Tingmei humbled like this? What a treat.

At that moment, the host stepped in to ease the tension. With a loud laugh, he said, “Looks like Tingmei’s just lacking some relationship experience!” That gave Lian Tingmei a bit of a breather. She forced a smile as she turned to face the audience. Whether the others bought it or not, her fans definitely did.

One male fan, convinced his beloved Tingmei was just too pure to handle relationship drama, glared daggers at Shao Ye. This guy got a chance to interact with my goddess and he’s blowing it?! Then he stood up and shouted toward the stage, “Tingmei! Be with me! I’d wait forever for you!” His voice was full of affection and longing.

Normally, Lian Tingmei wouldn’t even spare a guy like him a glance—totally not her type. But after being burned by Shao Ye, she decided to be generous and flashed the fan a dazzling smile. “Thank you,” she said sweetly, her soft voice melting hearts. The guy practically swooned. “Tingmei, my goddess! I’ll always be your biggest supporter!”

Lian Tingmei gave him another sweet smile before casually glancing away.

The male fan was practically glowing with excitement as he whispered to the person beside him, “I talked to the goddess! She definitely remembers me now. Ah, I wish I could be closer to her… That damn Shao Ye, he doesn’t know how lucky he is. If it were me, he wouldn’t stand a chance.” In his mind, he was far superior to Shao Ye. He’d even applied to be on the show himself, but never got a callback.

His friend chimed in, “Exactly! That guy’s not even good enough to carry Tingmei’s shoes.” Clearly, they were both Lian Tingmei fans through and through.

Some nearby audience members, overhearing their bold claims, gave them a side-eye glance. They’d half expected a heartthrob, but… really? The guy had small eyes, chunky glasses, a slightly pudgy face, and two bright pimples proudly sitting above his lip. That’s who thought he was a better fit than Shao Ye?

Confidence is one thing, but this was something else entirely—pure delusion, maybe boosted by sheer fanboy devotion. His friend wasn’t much better—equally average-looking, just a bit slimmer.

The two of them kept trash-talking Shao Ye, totally unaware they’d become the comic relief for everyone nearby. After the show, the fan became Shao Ye’s number one hater online, dedicating himself full-time to slandering him wherever he could.

Seeing that things with Lian Tingmei had clearly run their course, the host stepped in. “Alright,” he said with a cheerful laugh, “let’s welcome our second female guest to the stage!”

“I’ll go,” Quan Xiaoyu said. The host glanced at Mu Fu, who didn’t seem upset at all, and gave Quan Xiaoyu a nod.

Shao Ye and Quan Xiaoyu followed the show’s setup and sat down on the bench. Shao Ye had his back to her. Originally, he was supposed to face her directly, but her… prominent chest made that feel awkward. Just one glance down would be too obvious. So, to avoid any weirdness—and stay in character as the ‘angry boyfriend’—he turned away instead.

Not that any of this fazed Quan Xiaoyu. She quickly stepped around and squatted down right in front of him. Shao Ye silently thanked the universe that she was wearing denim shorts today. With big, innocent eyes, she pouted playfully, “Shao Ye, remember my bestie Fangfang? The one who always drags me out for fun? She just bought two private yachts. She wants to take me sailing… too bad you can’t come.”

Shao Ye stayed in character, frowning and snapping, “You’re not allowed to go. Have you forgotten how that friend of yours scammed you out of money?”

Quan Xiaoyu blinked, startled, then replied, “That was a misunderstanding. She just had a bad investment at the time. She’s paid me back now—she’s doing fine financially.”

Seeing that Quan Xiaoyu wasn’t backing down, Shao Ye asked, “Just the two of you?”

“Yeah,” she said. “She doesn’t want to bring any guys along. She says she just wants a girls-only trip with her bestie.” As she spoke, she tried to sit on Shao Ye’s lap, flashing a sultry smile.

Shao Ye jumped back like she was contagious, brows drawn in discomfort. Quan Xiaoyu, unfazed by his reaction, simply smiled and plopped down on the empty spot next to him as if nothing had happened.

All Shao Ye wanted now was to end this interaction quickly. He didn’t shut her down as harshly as he did with Lian Tingmei but said coldly, “Just the two of you, both single women? That’s too dangerous. I’ll take you somewhere else instead.”

Quan Xiaoyu pouted. “Aww, but I really just want to go with my bestie.”

“It’s not safe,” Shao Ye replied firmly.

Seeing he wouldn’t budge, she tried negotiating. “Then… how about we pick a different destination?”

Shao Ye nodded. “Fine. Have fun.”

Quan Xiaoyu froze for a beat, then her eyes lit up—he said yes. She was over the moon. Ever since Shao Ye had joined the show, he’d only shown warmth to Mu Fu, keeping his attitude cold and serious with every other female contestant.

Even someone like her—with all her curves—couldn’t get more than a glance from him. Not even Lian Tingmei’s charm offensive had worked. How could she not be thrilled to get a “yes”?

As she left the stage, she gave Lian Tingmei a triumphant little smirk, a clear look of smug satisfaction. Truth be told, she’d been annoyed by her for ages.

Their feud all started over a male contestant. One day, a guy came on the show who ticked all of Quan Xiaoyu’s boxes—only for Lian Tingmei to swoop in and steal him.

Worst part? She rejected him anyway. How could Quan Xiaoyu not be mad? It was infuriating enough to make her chest hurt. That’s when their rivalry truly began.

Now, watching Quan Xiaoyu gloat like a petty villain, Lian Tingmei seethed silently. She bit her perfectly shaped lip and glared intensely at Mu Fu. Would she secretly cry to herself once Bachelor number three stopped treating her like someone special?

But Mu Fu wasn’t the least bit heartbroken, contrary to what Lian Tingmei had hoped. To Mu Fu, this was all just a roleplay show—so what if there was a bit of flirtation between the contestants? It wasn’t real. And had Lian Tingmei seriously missed the way Shao Ye pulled away to avoid Quan Xiaoyu’s touch just now?

When Quan Xiaoyu finally got Shao Ye to agree to her travel plan, the entire audience and the hosts burst into applause.

Male guest number three was infamously hard to please. Sure, you could call him a gentleman—after all, he never once acted inappropriately toward any of the women, and he didn’t even sneak glances at sensitive areas.

But was he charming and considerate? Not at all. Just ask the long line of female contestants who walked away disappointed—he treated even the most gorgeous women with the same icy indifference.

Next up was Mu Fu’s turn. Although the audience already knew there was a subtle spark between her and Shao Ye, they were still eager to see them interact on stage. They were such a visually stunning pair. Everyone desperately hoped they’d end up holding hands.

Same chairs as before. Mu Fu sat with her head slightly lowered, quiet and withdrawn. Shao Ye raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected this approach from her. He figured she’d be like the other women—bold and direct. But here she was, taking the opposite route. Since she wasn’t going to speak, he figured he’d go first.

“Still haven’t made up your mind?” His voice had that smooth, magnetic tone.

“I have,” Mu Fu replied.

“And… what did you decide?”

Their cryptic exchange left the audience completely puzzled.

Wait—were they watching the same show?

Had they missed a scene or something?

Why did none of this make sense?

Only then did Mu Fu lift her gaze to meet Shao Ye’s. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, delicate and crystal clear, and the corners were tinged red. It tugged at everyone’s hearts. When she saw how tense he looked, Mu Fu thought to herself: not bad—this effect was worth the pain from pinching herself so hard just moments ago.

Shao Ye’s throat tightened. “What’s this about?” he asked. “Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t want me controlling you?”

He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I think of you when I’m at work, I think of you while I’m eating… That’s why I always texted to ask what you were up to. But you just saw it as me trying to control you, as if I were keeping tabs on your every move.”

At that, a few people in the audience nodded with understanding. They were reminded of their own relationships—how wanting to know more about someone could so easily be mistaken for distrust. Some of the more sensitive girls in the crowd had tears welling up in their eyes.

Mu Fu looked down again, her voice trembling with emotion. “So that’s why you walked away without a word? You didn’t even let me speak… didn’t even want to hear my side of the story.”

Their emotional performance was flawless. And when Mu Fu’s tear finally fell, the entire crowd wanted to shout for Shao Ye: “Just get back together already!”

Shao Ye reached out and gently lifted her chin. As expected, her tears pierced him right through the heart. He softly wiped them away with his fingers.

Her bright, clear eyes were filled with sorrow, and something deep inside him ached—his heart swelling with a strange, bittersweet pain.

He started to believe maybe this girl really had experienced something like this before. That’s why she looked so deeply wounded. The thought made his chest tighten even more. He didn’t want to see this girl crying for anyone else ever again.

“Talk to me,” he said quietly, his lips parting just enough. “I’m listening.”

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