Axolotl Translations

After being away for nearly three months, the supplies on the Windwing were running dangerously low. Last night, they’d restocked the kitchen, and now, freshly showered, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao headed off to the storage room to replenish the rest of their daily necessities.

With three new people on board, consumption had naturally increased.

To avoid getting caught unprepared in case of another unexpected separation, Gu Mengran went all out. With a dramatic wave of his hand, he loaded up the Windwing’s storage to the brim—dry goods, frozen food, rice, flour, cooking oil, instant noodles, long-lasting veggies like carrots and potatoes—he crammed them all in with bold efficiency.

By the time they came out of the storage room, night had fully fallen.

Their stomachs were growling with hunger. Gu Mengran yawned as he and Liang Zhao made their way back, and from down the corridor came the unmistakable smell of a hearty meal, followed closely by bursts of laughter and lively chatter.

Dinner was ready. The TV in the lounge was on, and a group of people were talking and joking, creating the kind of bustling energy that hadn’t been seen since before the apocalypse—like visiting relatives during Lunar New Year.

The usually quiet Windwing suddenly felt alive, and Gu Mengran found it a bit hard to adjust at first. But it wasn’t a bad thing. With more people, more conversations, and more laughter, the cold ship felt a few degrees warmer—filled with a rare sense of life and home.

Dinner was extravagant—clearly a welcome feast for the Xu siblings. The old man had pulled out all the stops and cooked up a storm.

Beer duck, spicy blood stew, crispy pork bites, braised pork belly, glutinous rice-stuffed chicken wings… Dish after dish filled the table, each more fragrant and mouthwatering than the last. It was the kind of meal that didn’t belong in this post-apocalyptic world.

As Gu Mengran expected, as the dishes kept coming, the Xu siblings slowly turned to stone. One by one, their eyes widened in disbelief. Even when the old man called them over to eat, none of them reacted.

Shocked and confused, the three of them furrowed their brows, trying to wrap their heads around what they were seeing.

The bedding, clothes, and personal items they’d received earlier—those they could explain. After all, the Windwing used to be a supermarket ship. It wasn’t far-fetched to think there were leftovers in storage.

But this feast? Meat could be frozen and stored for over a year, especially with the power outage coinciding with colder weather—that could be justified. But the vegetables? Tender bean sprouts, fresh lettuce leaves, crisp celtuce?

They couldn’t make sense of it. When they came up empty on answers, and the old man called them a second time, the three exchanged glances and silently sat down—never asking a single question.

Watching them like that, Zheng Yijie felt a pang of guilt. But there was nothing he could say. The secret of the space ability was too important—and directly tied to Gu Mengran’s safety. It wasn’t something that could be shared casually.

The Xu siblings, still tense and overly polite, made the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly awkward.

Seeing the awkward tension at the table, Zheng Yijie quickly reached for a bottle of juice and poured a glass for everyone. With a cheerful grin, he called out, “Come on now, don’t just sit there staring. Grab your chopsticks and dig in!”

Meat had become a rare luxury after the apocalypse. Xu Xinghe couldn’t help swallowing hungrily. The moment Zheng Yijie spoke, he snatched up his chopsticks, eyes locked onto the plate of glossy, tender braised pork belly.

But just as he raised his chopsticks, a pointed, deliberate cough sounded next to him. Xu Xinghe paused mid-motion and turned his head, only to meet Xu Xingran’s sharp, warning gaze.

The pork belly remained untouched. He obediently put his chopsticks down and took a sip of juice instead.

Gu Mengran, sitting across from them, saw the whole exchange crystal clear. He didn’t find it funny. Instead, it reminded him of the time he’d lived in his so-called father’s house—and left him with a deep, unshakable ache.

If they were going to be living together long-term, this kind of polite distance just wouldn’t do.

Once everyone was seated, Gu Mengran gave the old man a quick look. Receiving the signal, the old man immediately picked up his glass and turned to the Xu siblings.

“Come now, welcome to the Windwing family,” he said with a hearty smile.

“Drink this—whether it’s wine or juice—from now on, we’re one family. Make yourselves at home. No need to stand on ceremony, no need to be stiff. There aren’t many rules around here—what matters is that everyone lives comfortably and at ease.”

But his warm words seemed to float past them like a breeze.

Before he’d even finished, Xu Xingran was already standing, leading her younger siblings to rise together. Holding their glasses, she faced Gu Mengran and his family with a serious expression.

“Grandpa Meng, Mengran, Liang Zhao,” she said sincerely, “you say we’re all one family now—but still, we need to thank you.”

“Thank you for taking us in. We’re sorry for the trouble. From now on, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. We’ll—”

“Ai!” A long, heavy sigh interrupted her mid-sentence. The old man set his glass down with a soft clink and rubbed his temples, looking deeply troubled. He sighed again. “Aiya, I’m getting old… my memory’s really going. What was it I just said again?”

There was still some unspoken understanding between them—Gu Mengran jumped in without missing a beat. “Grandpa, you just said that we’re all family now, and we should be open and relaxed, not stand on ceremony.”

“No, that’s not right!” Xu Xinghe shook his head quickly. “Grandpa Meng said we only become family after drinking the juice! We haven’t drunk it yet, so technically we’re still— Ow! Ow ow ow!”

Xu Xingran gave his thigh a fierce pinch and shot him a glare. “If you can’t say something helpful, zip it. Don’t embarrass us.”

She rolled her eyes at her little brother, but when she turned to the others, she was all smiles. A bright, sunny smile lit up her face as she and her siblings sat down again and raised their glasses in a toast to the group.

“Well, since everything’s been said, I won’t go on,” the old man smiled. “From now on, we’re family. Let’s move forward together and get through whatever comes our way. Come on, everyone—cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Dig in! Let’s see how the old man’s cooking holds up!”

“Smells amazing—bet it tastes even better!”

……

Laughter and conversation filled the air as they ate and drank. The atmosphere was lively and full of warmth—but good things never last quite long enough.

Unable to resist his grandfather’s nagging, Gu Mengran finally went to the “warehouse” and lugged out a full case of malt beverages. And that’s when things started to spiral.

Maybe it was the vibe, maybe it was the drinks, but aside from Gu Mengran and little Xu Yuan, everyone else was drinking. The Xu siblings, usually composed and low-key, transformed the moment alcohol hit their hands. They were suddenly seasoned pros, like veterans of the wine-and-dine world.

What started as two drinkers quickly became four. The old man, of course, was loving every second. But drinking slowed everyone down—painfully slow, in fact. Gu Mengran, already done eating, sat off to the side yawning nonstop, boredom etched all over his face.

It was getting late. He even added two plates of peanuts as bar snacks, but finally, he’d had enough. After a polite word to the group, he stood up, ready to head to bed.

Gu Mengran didn’t drink, so his absence didn’t matter much. When he said he was turning in, the tipsy crowd just waved him off with grins and a few “good nights.”

But Liang Zhao wasn’t having it. Before Gu Mengran could take a single step, Liang Zhao downed his drink in one smooth motion, got to his feet, and said firmly, “You all go ahead. I’m turning in with Mengran. Grandpa, maybe slow down a bit, yeah? Don’t overdo it.”

“What? Come on, Liang Zhao, you said we wouldn’t leave till we were drunk!” Zheng Yijie grabbed his arm, refusing to let go.

“Exactly! Where do you think you’re going? Keep drinking! We’re not calling it a night till someone hits the floor,” Xu Xinghe chimed in enthusiastically—completely oblivious to how red his face had gotten, like a baboon’s behind.

Even the ever-composed Xu Xingran wasn’t immune to the mood. Alcohol had clearly gotten to her. “Come on, Liang Zhao, sit a little longer! It’s our first time having drinks together—don’t run off so soon!”

One after another, they all pressured Liang Zhao to stay. Gu Mengran bumped his shoulder playfully, grinning. “Come on, stay a bit. Tonight, I’ll let you drink as much as you want.”

“Oooooh!”

“Cut it out, you two! Have some sympathy for us poor singles!”

“Brother Liang, your boyfriend said yes! That’s official approval!”

Even with everyone piling on, Liang Zhao remained unmoved. He smiled and waved them off. “No, seriously. I’m done for the night. We’ll have plenty of time now that we’re living together—we can drink another day.”

With that, he turned to leave with Gu Mengran, but just as he was about to step away, something occurred to him. He paused, turned back to the Xu siblings, and said seriously, “There’s a storage room next to Xu Yuan’s bedroom. It’s stocked with food, clothes, and daily supplies. If you need anything, just go in and help yourselves. If anything runs out—Come to me. I’ll make sure it’s replenished right away.”

“Replenish?” Xu Xinghe blinked in confusion.

Zheng Yijie laughed and steered the topic away, “Hey, don’t worry about it. Just do what he says—it’s never wrong. Come on, drink up!”

Whether the others understood or not was unclear, but Gu Mengran certainly did.

He followed the hallway back to their room. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Gu Mengran spun around and shoved Liang Zhao back against it, planting a hand on his chest. Chin lifted, he asked, “What did that mean? Trying to shift the heat onto someone else?”

“Nope,” Liang Zhao leaned against the door with a lazy grin, reaching up to scratch Gu Mengran’s chin. “Just stealing some credit to raise my standing.”

“Well damn, you’re really that sneaky?”

“Only just realizing?”

Gu Mengran leaned in closer, brushing his lips across Liang Zhao’s but never actually kissing him. He sniffed slightly, then scrunched his nose. “You reek of alcohol. I don’t even want to kiss you.”

Hearing that, Liang Zhao grabbed his shoulders and tried to move. “Wait, I’ll go brush—”

“Don’t move.”

Gu Mengran clung to him like he was afraid he’d slip away, arms wrapped tight around his waist and face buried in the crook of his neck. “So that’s why you were so agreeable this afternoon. You were planning this all along. You didn’t have to, really. They trust us. And I never outright said anything about the space—Grandpa and Zheng Yijie won’t go blabbing.”

“Living under the same roof, it’s only a matter of time before they find out. It’s not about trust. The fewer people who know, the less risk there is.” Liang Zhao looked down at the messy hair on Gu Mengran’s head and pressed a kiss into it.

In just a few words, Liang Zhao had shifted all the risk onto himself—what should’ve been Gu Mengran’s burden was now his. If things ever slipped and someone with bad intentions found out, it would be Liang Zhao they’d come after.

Gu Mengran sighed, helpless. “But what about you? You’re not immune to risk.”

Liang Zhao raised a brow and let out a soft chuckle. “A bit less risky. I’m fit—I can run, jump, and lift. Full of energy.”

“Oh, I see how it is. That a dig at my fitness?” Gu Mengran pulled back and rolled up his sleeves. “Come on then, let’s arm wrestle. Let’s see just how fit—hey!”

Before he could finish, his feet were suddenly off the ground. Liang Zhao had one arm under his legs, the other around his waist, lifting him clean off the floor.

Ignoring Gu Mengran’s struggling, Liang Zhao carried him toward the bed, voice low and teasing. “There are other ways to prove how fit I am—like in bed.”

Did he just say that out loud?! Gu Mengran’s face turned bright red, and he quickly looked away. “You’re shameless. Put me down, right now!”

“How else am I supposed to get close to you if I’m not shameless?”

In a few strides, they were at the bed. Liang Zhao pulled back the blanket and gently laid Gu Mengran down, then leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose, then his lips.

“It’s been so long, Mengran. I’ve been holding back so much. Will you help me out… just this once?”

The alcohol had made Liang Zhao bolder, more assertive than usual. He took the lead with ease, leaving Gu Mengran with no chance to resist—even if he had the strength to.

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