Axolotl Translations

Another person’s warmth completely wrapped around his hand. That heat passed between their palms, skin to skin. And for a moment, the usual chill in his own hand seemed to melt away. It felt like his palm had somehow started to generate its own warmth—gentle, comforting warmth.

The walk to the grocery store, and even the walk back, was surprisingly uneventful. Not a trace of those mixed-blood creatures anywhere. But even without danger, their hands never let go—not once. Not until they were standing back at their apartment door, when the need to open it finally made them part.

Their palms were warm and slightly damp—sweaty, maybe from nerves. It was hard to say whose. And somehow, that heat seemed to travel, creeping into other places. Ruan Zhao could feel it rising to his face, flushing his cheeks without warning. He looked up, stealing a glance at Lu Xingyao beside him.

The man’s profile was as composed and handsome as always, calm and unreadable. But just beneath that steady surface—at the base of his ear—there it was: a soft, unmistakable flush of red. Proof that he wasn’t nearly as calm as he looked.

Ruan Zhao found himself staring at that little patch of color, completely lost in thought. His fingertips itched, wanting to reach up, touch it—just to see if it was warmer than his hand had been.

Maybe he was staring too openly, because Lu Xingyao suddenly turned toward him. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but Ruan Zhao still startled like he’d been caught red-handed. His eyes darted away in a panic, breaking eye contact. But then—realizing that reaction made him look even more guilty—he immediately looked back. This time, he stared straight into Lu Xingyao’s eyes, wide and unblinking, refusing to back down.

And just like that, it was Lu Xingyao’s turn to flinch—his gaze wavered, then shifted away. Technically, that meant he won. But standing there, face burning hotter by the second, Ruan Zhao couldn’t feel anything like victory.

For a moment, he even started to question what he was. After all, vampires were known for their low body temperature—their blood didn’t carry warmth, only cold. So how could his hands possibly feel like they were warming up on their own, like a human’s?

An unfamiliar tension settled between the two of them. Ruan Zhao parted his lips, looking for anything to break the silence. “You tired?”

“Not really,” Lu Xingyao replied, his voice a little stiff.

“I got up early… I’m gonna catch up on sleep.”

Lu Xingyao gave a short “Mm.” Then, realizing that sounded too uncaring, he added, “Go ahead.”

Two human-shaped answering machines.

……

Ruan Zhao closed the thick curtains, turned the air conditioning down to its lowest setting, and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket. He even put on a sleep mask. Everything was in place for a proper nap. On the way back, he’d been so sleepy he felt like he’d pass out the moment his eyes closed. But now, after the shower, after the fresh pajamas and the soft bed, sleep had vanished.

The bedroom door was slightly open. From the bed, he could clearly hear sounds from the living room. Lu Xingyao had picked up a phone call. Though he kept his voice low—probably trying not to disturb him—Ruan Zhao still caught bits of the conversation. Something about another outbreak of trouble… more vampire problems… the situation getting out of control because of too few people… In short: someone wanted him to work overtime. Again. And who knew how late he’d be out this time.

Ruan Zhao was suddenly wide awake. He yanked off the sleep mask, threw aside the blanket, and sat up straight. Without hesitation, he started changing out of his pajamas. Once dressed, he stormed into the living room. Lu Xingyao was just about to head out when Ruan Zhao stopped him with a shout:

“I’m going too!”

Lu Xingyao turned, clearly surprised. Ruan Zhao added, loud and firm, “Don’t even think about leaving me behind again.”

The call was still connected. And Ruan Zhao had shouted loud enough for everyone on the other end to hear him.

The colleague on the phone, who had been all business a moment ago, suddenly sounded full of gossip and excitement. “Wait, who was that? I heard someone! Brother Lu, you’re at home, right? There’s someone else at your place? I thought you lived alone?”

“What??” someone else dramatically exclaimed. “Lu Xingyao has someone at his place? Why am I only hearing about this now?!”

Noise erupted on the other end, like the phone had been snatched away. Then came a chaotic burst of overlapping voices:

“Huh? Brother Lu is living with someone now? No way! I’m still single and he’s already moved in with someone? That’s so unfair!”

“He’s totally gonna have even more excuses to take time off now! This is outrageous!”

No one knew how many people were on the line anymore. Each new voice twisted the story further, making it even more ridiculous.

“??? Wait—Lu Xingyao’s getting married? And he’s already moved in with his fiancée?! Should I be prepping a wedding gift?! Ugh—I just blew my entire paycheck!”

……

Lu Xingyao winced from the noise, his ears ringing. He pulled the phone away from his head, completely ignoring the peanut gallery on the other end, and turned to Ruan Zhao instead. “You can come,” he said. “But stay close. Don’t wander.”

“‘Stay close, don’t waaander…’” someone on the phone mimicked him in a low, mocking tone, breaking into a chorus of giggles.

Lu Xingyao: “……”

“If you guys are this free, maybe you don’t need backup. Handle it yourselves.”

“No, no, Brother Lu, please!” one voice quickly backpedaled, their tone turning apologetic. “Come on, don’t hold a grudge—we were just messing around. You wanna move in with someone, marry them, whatever—it’s totally up to you.”

Then, after a theatrical cough, the same voice dropped to a whisper: “Just… make sure I get invited to the wedding banquet, alright?”

Lu Xingyao: “…………”

“Address.”

“Right away! Sending it now!” came the eager response from the other end.

……

This time, the mission wasn’t particularly urgent. So unlike last time, Lu Xingyao didn’t leap straight from the twenty-something floor. It took them about half an hour to arrive at the scene. Ruan Zhao behaved perfectly. From the moment they stepped out of the car, he stuck close to Lu Xingyao, practically glued to him. He clutched the hem of the man’s coat, his fingers gripping so tightly that his knuckles had gone pale.

The street had clearly been cleared in advance. Not a soul could be seen, and red police tape had been stretched far down the block. On the concrete ground, faint traces of blood were still visible. The heavy atmosphere seeped into him, making Ruan Zhao involuntarily tense up.

And then, a familiar warmth wrapped around his palm. Maybe it was easier the second time around. Lu Xingyao took his hand without hesitation—smoothly, naturally. This time, his ears didn’t even turn red.

His teammates were over on a nearby street, dealing with a vampire riot and protecting the civilians caught in the crossfire. To meet up with them, they needed to cut through an alley.

The rogue hybrid came at them fast—so fast Ruan Zhao barely registered what was happening. He only caught a blur of pale blue-white lunging through the air… and then saw the body crash hard against a wall more than ten meters away. There was the sound of flesh being torn, bones breaking. But Ruan Zhao didn’t really see any of it. He didn’t even know how that sudden attack had been handled, let alone how the creature was killed.

He blinked, and the tips of his lashes brushed against Lu Xingyao’s rough, calloused palm. Surprised—and more than a little confused—he stood frozen.

Then he heard Lu Xingyao’s voice. “Are you scared?”

Ruan Zhao peeled his hand away, narrowed his eyes, and carefully glanced toward the crumpled, lifeless corpse lying in the corner—its sickly pale skin now little more than a heap of torn flesh.

The lowest-grade vampires preferred the dark. They were slow, dull, and completely hairless, avoiding both heat and sunlight. Daylight was their biggest enemy. They didn’t have human emotions, and any language they once knew was long gone. All that was left was a wild urge to feed on flesh and blood. Their messed-up genes made them ugly to look at. That’s why people called them mongrels.

Was he scared?

Maybe a little. But Ruan Zhao kept his face calm and uncaring, forcing himself to sound casual. “I’m not a kid. What’s there to be afraid of?” Still, the way his hand tightened around Lu Xingyao’s said otherwise. His grip had gotten noticeably stronger.

Lu Xingyao chuckled softly. “Then you’re braver than me. I’m terrified. Absolutely terrified.”

Ruan Zhao: “…”

Really? Who was it that sent that thing flying into a wall like it weighed nothing? Who turned a wild vampire into mush without even blinking? You sure didn’t look scared back there. If you’re going to lie, at least make it sound believable. Do I look like someone who believes anything you say?

Ruan Zhao had a thousand things he wanted to say back—but this wasn’t the place. Too dangerous. God knows when another mongrel might jump out at them. “Let’s move,” he urged. “Didn’t you say people are waiting for you? Don’t keep them hanging.”

Lu Xingyao’s tone darkened. “Let them wait. Every time something happens, I’m the one they call. What am I, their personal nanny? Why can’t they clean up their own mess for once?”

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Ruan Zhao said seriously, placing a hand on Lu Xingyao’s shoulder in a very sincere, very earnest pat. “You’re just too good at what you do.”

The words were old-fashioned. Kind of cheesy, even. But Lu Xingyao loved it anyway. The corners of his mouth twitched upward, impossible to hold back. “Fine. I guess I can help them. Just this one last time.”

They crossed the alley and came out onto the other street. It didn’t take long for someone to spot them. A guy waved at them wildly, then jumped up and down to make sure they saw. “Brother Lu! Over here! This way!”

Each squad was supposed to have eight members. But only four were left standing on this side.

The other half of the team had gone after the rogue vampires—no word from them yet. Everyone here wore the same grim expression, tension written all over their faces. Only when Lu Xingyao appeared did some of that worry ease.

Ruan Zhao quietly sniffed the air. There was the metallic tang of blood drifting in the breeze. He quickly found the source. A young man with short blond hair had a deep wound on his arm. The bandages, hastily wrapped, were already soaked through with fresh red blood. His face also bore several shallow cuts. Ruan Zhao instinctively held his breath and took half a step back, retreating behind Lu Xingyao. The man’s body carried a faint, minty coolness—mixed with the scent of laundry detergent he liked. It calmed his discomfort, made it easier to breathe.

“What’s the situation?” Lu Xingyao asked coolly.

A young woman with long curls answered, “We’ve evacuated residents within a 10-kilometer radius. No major casualties reported so far. But… we underestimated the threat. The one leading them isn’t a second-generation. It’s a first-gen.”

For once, surprise flashed across Lu Xingyao’s usually indifferent face. “A first-generation vampire is behind this?” First-gen vampires usually held significant power and status within their ranks. If things escalated, this could easily spiral into a full-blown diplomatic crisis between species.

“Yes,” the girl said with a tight nod. “Zhao Cheng went after him, but he’s outmatched. He’s just trying to tighten the perimeter.”

In other words—this needed Lu Xingyao to step in.

“Alright. I’ll handle it,” he said decisively. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Ruan Zhao, wrapping the smaller boy in it until only his pale, delicate face peeked out.

“Zhaozhao, stay here,” he said after a brief silence. “I’ll be back soon.”

Surrounded by strangers, in a strange place—Ruan Zhao didn’t want to be left behind. But the situation clearly wasn’t as casual as their phone banter earlier. What had started as a “small incident” now felt like a major crisis—one that needed to be handled now. Still, this wasn’t the time to be difficult. Ruan Zhao lowered his eyes, ready to nod.

And then Lu Xingyao said softly, “Forget it. It’s not like I can’t protect you.”

---

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter