Axolotl Translations

Was what that vampire said… true? Was he really not human?

To be fair, the boy did look a little too perfect. His skin was smooth as porcelain, flawless and pale. His lips were too vividly red, like they’d been stained with rose petal ink. His eyes were an uncommon shade of pale glass-blue. Features like that were rare among humans—but among vampires, not so much.

“Wait, seriously? He’s a vampire?” someone blurted out, completely missing the tense mood. His teammate jabbed an elbow into his ribs without mercy.

“Ugh—what the hell was that for?!”

His companion said nothing, only shot him a sharp look that said: Shut your mouth if you want to live.

“…Huh?”

And then he noticed it—the sudden chill in the air. The heavy tension pressing in on them. He turned toward the source of the pressure and saw Lu Xingyao, face dark as thunder, his expression unreadable but unmistakably dangerous. He shut up immediately, wisely deciding not to get involved in something clearly above his pay grade.

Sure, he was part of the Hunter Association. His job was to track and capture vampires who broke the law. And yeah, he didn’t have any love for the species as a whole. But that boy hadn’t done anything illegal—not in front of him, anyway. So he had no reason to act.

……

The secret he’d worked so hard to hide had just been revealed. No warning. No preparation. And in front of all these people.

Ruan Zhao’s mind went completely blank. His hands and feet went cold—numb. It felt like the blood in his veins had frozen over. A high-pitched buzzing rang in his ears, drowning everything else out. Instinctively, he looked up. Lu Xingyao stood in front of him, but the backlight cast his face in shadow. Ruan Zhao couldn’t make out his expression.

But one thing was certain—Lu Xingyao was looking at him too. Those dark, night-sky eyes seemed to flicker with countless emotions—or maybe none at all. What remained was the cold, desolate silence of a universe after heat death.

Then, suddenly, the vampire who had been speaking moments ago began to convulse. His bruised hands clawed desperately at the collar around his neck, muscles in his arms bulging from the effort. But the collar didn’t budge. It clamped down on his throat like a vice. He gasped for air, his breath breaking into ragged, hoarse wheezing. Under the unrelenting surge of electricity, he didn’t last long before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

The sight made Ruan Zhao’s heart skip a beat. Panic crept in. Would he end up like that too?

If he’d been calm—if he’d stopped to think—he would’ve remembered that Lu Xingyao would never treat him that way. All he had to do was say something nice, soften his voice, like he always did, and Lu Xingyao would probably let it slide.

Even if he said nothing at all, Lu Xingyao might still make excuses for him… after all, this wasn’t the first time he’d slipped up. But Ruan Zhao wasn’t calm. Not now. His thoughts were a mess, spiraling out of control. He couldn’t think rationally—not in this moment.

And so, instinct took over. The same way a mole dives into its burrow when a hammer comes down. Like a startled kitten, scrambling to hide in the nearest dark corner.

Ruan Zhao’s first reaction was to run. To flee somewhere no one could see him. To vanish, leave no trace, no weakness to be seized.

……

No one expected it. Ruan Zhao didn’t seem like the type. He looked like the kind of kid who’d freeze when startled, who wouldn’t even fight back if someone poked him. The kind who’d curl into a ball like a frightened turtle. Maybe puff up a little, like an angry kitten, but nothing more.

Of course, that perception didn’t quite match reality. But even Lu Xingyao—who knew him better than most—hadn’t seen it coming. He thought Ruan Zhao would come to him like always, whine a little, say something sweet and soft. Say that vampire was delusional, that they didn’t even know each other. That it was just nonsense—don’t believe him.

Lu Xingyao had already made up his mind—no matter how outrageous Ruan Zhao’s explanation turned out to be, he would act like he believed it. He would let it slide with a few casual words, gloss over it for now… and wait for the day Ruan Zhao finally let down his guard and told him the truth himself.

But Ruan Zhao’s sudden escape threw all of that into chaos. He froze for a moment—until the boy slammed into his shoulder in his panicked dash. Only then did Lu Xingyao come back to his senses. He saw those frightened, unsettled eyes looking back at him—and immediately gave chase.

Ruan Zhao was a small, delicate vampire—physically undeveloped, frail, and far too used to being pampered. He wouldn’t last a second in a fight, not even against a regular human adult. But it seemed like he had put every last skill point into running. Within moments, he’d vanished into the maze of tightly packed city streets.

Of course, the only reason he was able to outrun even Lu Xingyao… was the system’s help. An entire map of the city had opened up before him, every route and blind spot clearly marked. He knew exactly which streets would help him slip away faster, and where he could duck out of sight from anyone watching from above.

Before long, he found the perfect hiding spot. A narrow alley corner piled with garbage and debris. He ducked in immediately. His back pressed against the cold wall, his body curled up behind a cardboard box big enough to hide him from sight.

Arms wrapped tightly around his knees, forehead resting against them, he tucked himself into a miserable little ball—completely hidden away in that tiny space. Even if someone walked right past the alley, they’d never notice him.

The world went quiet. The air was dusty and smelled foul. His heart, which had been racing wildly just moments ago, slowly began to calm.

The system spoke, concerned: [Zhaozhao, are you okay?]

Ruan Zhao replied softly: [I’m okay.]

After a moment, he whispered again: [Should I not have run like that? It made me look guilty… but I didn’t do anything wrong. Still… everyone was looking at me. They all know now. That I’m not human. That I’m just a little vampire hiding among them…]

He hugged his knees even tighter, his voice barely above a whisper and trembling faintly.

[I can feel their hostility. The way they look at me… like I’m some kind of freak.]

[I hate it.]

He wasn’t sure if he was talking to the system or just murmuring to himself.

[It makes me feel like… I’m no different from that vampire lying unconscious on the ground. Like we’re the same.]

The system hesitated, lost for words. It didn’t know how to comfort him. All it could do was shift into its tiny physical form, fluttering its small wings as it nestled against him. Its soft, fluffy head rubbed gently against his hair.

Ruan Zhao leaned in, nuzzling back. The two of them—one boy, one tiny creature—curled together in the dark like small animals clinging to warmth in the cold.

With the system in his arms, Ruan Zhao felt a little better. Still a bit annoyed, he muttered, [It’s not like I’ve done anything that bad, right? I just drank Lu Xingyao’s blood a few times without telling him the truth. I stayed at his place and never admitted who I really was… If he’s mad, I’ll just give him some gems and gold to make up for it.]

He had more than enough of those anyway. So many, he could never run out. The thought gave him a bit of spark again. He stood up and brushed the dust from his pants.

[I’ll go back now. I’ll pick out a bunch of beautiful gems for Lu Xingyao—as payment for room and board.]

[His blood might be rare, but is it rarer than gold? I’ll give him extra just to show I’m generous. Not stingy like him.]

The system hesitated. [But… Zhaozhao…]

Ruan Zhao: [Hm?]

[The castle… it’s a bit far from here.]

Still unaware of how serious the situation really was, Ruan Zhao asked casually: [How far is “a bit”?]

[Four hundred and sixteen kilometers.]

[What???]

When he heard that his castle was hundreds of kilometers away, Ruan Zhao wilted instantly—like a tender sprout scorched dry under the sun. The sky was getting darker. And when night fully fell… it would be the hour when mixed-blood creatures came out to hunt. Even if the system could protect him, it was still dangerous.

But staying hidden in this kind of place wasn’t a long-term solution. Going back to Lu Xingyao’s house was out of the question—so the only option left was to find a hotel nearby and make do. He had no idea if there was a suitable hotel nearby. Ruan Zhao, who had never once worried about such normal things, was now being forced to think about survival.

Even with the system at his side, he still felt uneasy being alone in such a dark, dingy place. He pushed aside the box hiding him and squeezed out through the narrow gap.

Not far away, he heard rustling sounds. Ruan Zhao froze, his expression changing. He thought—maybe it was Lu Xingyao looking for him. His body tensed up, pausing for a moment.

He wasn’t ready to face Lu Xingyao just yet, but now that he’d calmed down a bit, hearing that someone might be searching for him stirred something in his heart. And to his own surprise, that feeling wasn’t fear. As he turned his head, he didn’t even notice the slight upward curve of his lips.

Then—just a moment later—

“Mixed-blood!!”

“Why the hell is it here?!”

“Oh my god, there’s more than one!!”

“Ugh, it’s so ugly… disgusting… blegh!”

Pure-blood vampires were naturally repulsed by these creatures—they felt an instinctive pressure from them. Ruan Zhao didn’t even need to do much. Just baring his sharp little fangs was enough to send them all scattering.

Though truth be told, he was the one nearly gagging from their hideous faces and awful smell. He looked like a bristling kitten, teeth bared and fur puffed up, trying to look fierce.

It worked surprisingly well. All those mixed-bloods who had been creeping closer instantly turned tail and ran as fast as they could. Ruan Zhao rubbed at his eyes, which had turned faintly red.

For the first time, Ruan Zhao realized that being a vampire had its perks—it wasn’t all bad. He chased off the last of the mixed-blood creatures with ease, puffing up and shouting smugly after them: “Come on, then! You think I’m scared of you? I’m not that weak. You don’t get to bully me.”

Then—something grabbed his arm. His smugness vanished instantly. The triumphant tail-wagging energy froze as panic seized him. He hadn’t realized—one had slipped through his defenses!

He bared his fangs and bit back without thinking. But the skin he sank his teeth into wasn’t clammy or pale. There were no grotesque claws or hideous features.

Still—Ruan Zhao didn’t stop. He bit down hard, following the grip’s pressure. Warm blood spilled almost immediately. Sweet. Rich. Familiar. Unmistakably his blood. The grip on his arm only tightened.

Ruan Zhao was still biting down on the man’s fingers, sharp teeth buried deep into flesh, as more blood welled up and slid down his lips, trailing along the curve of his pale jaw. But he didn’t let go. His eyes were glowing red now—bright, feral, inhuman. For the first time, the raw, wild instinct of his nature shone through completely.

Lu Xingyao didn’t flinch. Didn’t cry out. He just held onto Ruan Zhao’s arm even tighter, as if afraid the boy might disappear again—slip through his fingers and vanish somewhere he’d never find him.

Ruan Zhao blinked. The red in his eyes wavered, confused. Then, slowly, he eased up. The pressure of his bite lessened. Maybe because he didn’t want to waste the blood… or maybe because he didn’t want to hurt him anymore. He gently ran his tongue over the wound.

“Zhaozhao.” Lu Xingyao’s voice was quiet. Gentle. Like a breeze brushing past your ear. Soft enough to not startle the little vampire in front of him. “Let’s go home,” he said.

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