Axolotl Translations

The lawn in the autumn garden was still lush and green—clearly someone had spent a fortune keeping it that way.

Shen Jingque couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen actual nature. Now, standing under the vast open sky with a soft breeze ruffling his feathers, he felt genuinely happy—and itching to hop down and take a stroll.

Unfortunately, his wish was quickly dashed. His owner had him firmly cupped in his hands, and the ground was still way out of reach. Ugh. What a letdown.

Huo Yunyan could tell his little bird wasn’t exactly being still—his tiny head was wedged between two fingers, eyes locked longingly on the grass below. If the words “Let me down!” could be written on a bird’s face, they’d be in bold print right now.

“No going on the ground,” came the gentle voice, warm but firm. “You’re still too young. Once you learn to fly, then we’ll talk.”

Shen Jingque obediently gave up on his jailbreak. Fair enough—there were probably germs all over the lawn, and getting sick would be a nightmare. He tilted his head to smooth out his fluffy down. He was the cautious type, after all. A canary’s life span was only about ten years—he had to make those years count.

After that, Huo Yunyan walked around the garden with the now well-behaved little fluffball, letting him get familiar with the surroundings.

Shen Jingque was very interested in this future playground of his. Every time he saw a new spot, he’d get excited: “Chirp~” I’m totally flying here later! “Chirp~” That camphor tree is perfect for nesting! “Chirp~” Look at that jacaranda—must smell amazing when it blooms!

“You really like it, huh?” Huo Yunyan suddenly said.

Startled by the voice, Shen Jingque realized he’d gotten way too into it. He quickly tried to compose himself, though his big, curious eyes still gave him away.

Fine, he admitted it. He was absolutely loving this.

What bird doesn’t like trees and blue skies? he thought, a little embarrassed.

By ten a.m., the sun was starting to get strong. Huo Yunyan thoughtfully brought the little guy back indoors, and just like that, Shen Jingque’s big adventure ended in quiet disappointment.

Now that he’d seen the outside world, he couldn’t go back to being content stuck in a little nest all day.

The next morning was another beautiful, crisp autumn day. When Shen Jingque woke up, Huo Yunyan had already finished his morning workout, taken a shower, and was now sitting nearby reading a book after feeding him. He didn’t seem to have any plans to take him out again.

The fluffy little furball’s eyes shifted. Uh-oh. That look was trouble.

He slowly lifted his claw and scratched at the foam insulation in his nest. Crack crack.

Sharp claws really were great for causing mischief.

Huo Yunyan looked up at the noise, eyes moving from the book to the bird. Shen Jingque stared back at him with the picture of wide-eyed innocence, as if he had no idea where the sound had come from.

Huo Yunyan didn’t seem suspicious at all. He just reached over to give the bird’s head a gentle pat, then went right back to reading.

Morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft glow around the man’s striking features.

His fingers flipped the pages with calm elegance, and whenever something puzzled him, his lips would press together slightly in focused thought.

Shen Jingque, who also liked books, glanced at the weather outside and thought, The day’s so nice—we could totally go out for a half-hour and come back to read later.

Feeling completely justified, the little troublemaker raised his claw again and scratched at the foam board. Crack crack.

“…”

Huo Yunyan wasn’t clueless. He’d been quietly keeping an eye on the little troublemaker out of the corner of his eye, and sure enough, he caught him in the act.

But since he didn’t react at all, Shen Jingque thought he hadn’t noticed. So he raised his tiny claw and scratched at the foam again—twice, with extra enthusiasm. He was clearly trying to say: Look, I’m bored enough to dig holes—come on, take me outside already!

He scratched while sneaking glances over, eyes full of mischief. Huo Yunyan, impressively composed, still didn’t give in.

But if he kept ignoring him, this little guy was seriously about to demolish his whole nest.

People always talk about dogs tearing up the house—who’s ever heard of a canary doing it?

Huo Yunyan stifled a laugh and finally scooped the fluffy rascal up, setting him gently in front of the book. He knew perfectly well what the little bird wanted, but he still wanted to read a bit more.

“Come on,” he said, “let’s read together.”

Shen Jingque blinked in disbelief. He looked at the words on the page—he knew all the characters, but strung together like this, they might as well have been gibberish. His little head spun.

“Chirp!” Read what? I want to go out!

So he flopped right down on the book, wings spread wide, giving off serious “if I can’t go out, you can’t read” energy.

Huo Yunyan chuckled and poked his back with a finger, pretending to miss the point.

“Ahem, excuse me—you’re in the way.”

Shen Jingque: “…”

He wiggled his fluffy butt on the pages in protest. If we don’t go now, the sun’s gonna be blazing. That’s just a waste of daylight—and life!

Faced with a tiny canary butt-wiggle protest, even Huo Yunyan had no resistance.

Even if the world were ending tomorrow, he would still drop everything just to play with him for a bit.

“Alright, alright—you win.” He set the book aside with a smile, genuinely giving it up.

He was about to grab a feather toy when the little guy darted over, blocking his hand and pushing it toward the door.

“…”

Huo Yunyan paused. Not interested in toys?

He glanced at the door, instantly getting the message—this little guy wanted out. Again.

He couldn’t help laughing.

“You’ve really gotten a taste for it, haven’t you…”

Well, this was his own fault for taking him out yesterday. No way was he keeping him inside anymore.

Shen Jingque got what he wanted, once again nestled in his palm, proudly heading out to explore the garden.

From that day on, it became his morning ritual: if the weather was nice, he’d pester Huo Yunyan until he took him out. And if he didn’t? Shen Jingque would roll around, act spoiled, and whine until he gave in.

With such a clingy and clever little fluffball, Huo Yunyan was more than happy to oblige.

Though deep down, he had a little secret—he liked seeing how hard the little guy would try just to get his way.

What Shen Jingque didn’t realize was this: while he was busy scheming, so was the man.

And so, in this back-and-forth game they both secretly enjoyed, time passed quickly.

Two weeks later, the first traces of a tail feather began to appear, adding a bit of definition to his otherwise fluffy, round body.

But even with that hint of sleekness, he was still irresistibly adorable—soft, elegant, and every bit the pampered little princeling he was.

The bright yellow feathers were absolutely stunning—vivid, bold, and impossible to miss, even in the dark. He looked like a tiny, glamorous little prince.

…Or was he a princess?

That part was still up in the air. You can’t tell a bird’s gender just by looking, not until they’re old enough to mate—or unless you take them to the vet.

Huo Yunyan did plan to take his little fluffball to the vet, but not to check the gender. Honestly, he didn’t care whether it was a boy or girl. Either way, he’d raise him just the same. What mattered more was getting a full check-up to make sure there wasn’t anything he’d missed.

After being cooped up at home for a whole month, Shen Jingque was thrilled at the idea of going out. He practically dove into the travel cage, wings fluttering in excitement—until he overheard the word “hospital.” His wings immediately snapped shut, and he turned around and retreated back into his cozy little nest without a second thought.

The vet?! No thanks.

Hospitals were trauma central for him. In his previous life, he’d spent more time in hospitals than anywhere else. Every single day, all he could think about was how to escape. Just hearing the word now made his tiny claws tremble.

“…?” Huo Yunyan looked confused. What did he say that caused this little guy’s mood to flip so fast?

He didn’t find any clues, so he gave up trying to figure it out. Instead, he simply used his hand to scoop the little guy up and plopped him cleanly into the cage.

Soon enough, he was greeted with the sight of one very pitiful canary, head jammed dramatically against the bars, tiny claws clutching the sides like some kind of tragic jailbird.

“Your feathers are all messed up now,” Huo Yunyan said, looking calm on the outside but already dying of cuteness on the inside.

He had to resist the powerful urge to reach in and pet the poor thing. After living together for a month, he knew all too well how spoiled this little guy could get—and how easily he himself could be manipulated.

“Bear with it,” he said, crouching down patiently. “The cage is for your protection. How else are we supposed to go outside? What if a cat or a dog pounces on you?”

“Chirp…” Shen Jingque seemed to be saying, Isn’t that what you’re for?

Still not happening. Taking a bird outside without a cage was just asking for trouble—whether it was an animal attack or the bird getting spooked and flying off.

Completely ignoring the little protest, Huo Yunyan picked up the cage and headed downstairs. It was the weekend, and he was dressed casually, which made him look even younger than usual.

Ever since moving south, he’d gotten used to driving himself around. Life here was more relaxed, without all the pomp and formality of his old home. Even the most powerful people didn’t make a big show of things around here.

Not that his independence had anything to do with local trends—it was just who he was. Huo Yunyan didn’t like being surrounded by people all the time.

His passenger seat had been empty for ages, but a few days ago, he had someone install a special holder to keep the birdcage steady. He was planning ahead for regular outings.

Shen Jingque was still anxious about the vet, but once they got in the car, he slowly started to relax. As long as it was just a check-up and not shots or medicine… he could accept it.

The cage was low, so he couldn’t really see out the window—kind of a bummer. Still, the pet hospital wasn’t far. It didn’t take long for the bustling city to reawaken his senses.

It had been a while since he felt that familiar energy. As memories of city life came rushing back, Shen Jingque suddenly thought of his family. He wondered if they’d been able to move on after he left… if they were living happily now.

A quiet sadness settled over the vibrant little canary. Even his usually oblivious owner could tell something was off. Huo Yunyan frowned with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

He suddenly felt a bit guilty for dragging the little guy out so abruptly. Maybe he should’ve waited a bit longer.

But it wasn’t that bad.

The feeling of sorrow came and went like a breeze through Shen Jingque’s heart. He’d already started a new chapter—there was no point clinging to the past. What mattered now wasn’t old memories.

It was the fact that he was about to walk into a vet clinic.

Seriously… there won’t be any needles, right?

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