Axolotl Translations

The totally oblivious human had no idea how angry the little bird was.

But to be fair, from a human’s perspective, wanting to find a companion for your lonely pet bird wasn’t exactly a crime.

Still, finding the right match wasn’t easy. Huo Yunyan squeezed in time between work to check out potential candidates, but none of them felt right.

The ones that could sing were way too noisy. The quiet ones didn’t seem very bright. And the smart ones had way too much attitude—absolutely not, no way he was letting anyone bully his Little Feather.

Huo Yunyan was stressed. He was pouring his heart into this.

Until one of his friends casually hit him with a truth bomb: “You’re not really looking for a companion for your bird. You’re basically hunting for an AI pet—someone obedient, cute, and customizable. No wonder you haven’t found one.”

That woke him up.

Yeah… they had a point.

He was being selfish. Expecting a new bird to live up to those expectations just wasn’t fair.

But what could he do? Little Feather was just… special.

Eventually, the whole “find a new pet” mission quietly went on hold.

Of course, Shen Jingque didn’t know any of this. He thought Huo Yunyan was still actively looking for a replacement, so he’d been extra clingy lately—sticking to his human like glue, hoping he’d realize that one bird is more than enough.

Huo Yunyan, meanwhile, just assumed the clinginess was because he hadn’t been home much. Now, every time he walked through the door, he had a bird shadow stuck to him 24/7.

He even had company in the bathroom.

A bird. On his shoulder. Watching him pee.

“…”

Yeah, that was… a bit awkward.

But hey, it’s just a bird, right?

Sometimes, Little Feather would play hide-and-seek with him. If Huo Yunyan pretended not to find him, the bird would chirp a few times to give him a hint.

Though to be honest, half the time he wasn’t pretending—he really couldn’t find him. Little Feather was tiny, and once he squeezed into a good hiding spot, he could disappear for ages.

Huo Yunyan gave up. “Okay, okay, I can’t find you. Gimme a hint, please?”

This time, Shen Jingque was hiding under a towel. If he made a sound, he’d give himself away instantly.

“Chirp chirp!”

Suddenly, the towel flew up and out popped the bird, startling Huo Yunyan.

“…You little rascal.”

They’d played this game a dozen times, but the doting owner still played along every time. “Whoa! You scared me!”

Then came the expected proud fluff-up and smug little strut. It was so cute Huo Yunyan always wanted to kiss his little feathery head.

And he often did—Huo Yunyan never held back when it came to spoiling Little Feather.

But what he didn’t know… was that things at home were about to change.

One of his business partners, having heard he was searching for a pet bird, decided to help and sent one over.

“This one’s great—good temperament, sweet voice. Huo Yunyan, why not take it home and give it a try? Who knows, maybe it’ll get along with the one you already have.”

Huo Yunyan felt the same—since the bird had already been delivered to him, it would be a little awkward to say no.

Might as well take it home and give it a shot.

Worst case? If things didn’t work out, he could always give it away.

Meanwhile, back home, Little Feather was sitting by the clock, tail fluffed, waiting eagerly for his human to come home from work.

But what he didn’t expect… was for his beloved human to walk through the door with another bird.

Instant heartbreak.

Oh no.

It was happening.

The classic “new bird in, old bird out” drama had officially begun.

Sob sob.

“Little Feather, I’m home! Uh… I brought you a friend to play with,” Huo Yunyan said, clearing his throat and inching the little birdcage toward him.

Little Feather just stood there, frozen, staring at him like he was a two-timing scumbag.

“…You’re mad?”

Huo Yunyan’s heart dropped.

Maybe this was a terrible idea.

He was already half-ready to turn around and send the cage right back where it came from.

But Little Feather turned his head away with a huff.

Mad? Who, me? Absolutely not. I’m thrilled, can’t you tell?

“Don’t be like that,” Huo Yunyan coaxed. “I just thought you could use a friend. This one has a great temperament—and it sings too! Wanna hear?”

He gave the new bird a gentle prod, and the little canary burst into song.

It really did sound beautiful.

This… this was how keeping birds was supposed to be.

Shen Jingque got it. He understood where Huo Yunyan was coming from.

But still… as someone who’d lived in this house for so long, it hurt.

He didn’t want to see his human fawning over another bird.

The new canary was adorable—always bursting into song at the slightest nudge.

And every time it sang, Huo Yunyan would get this nostalgic, soft look in his eyes, like he was remembering some long-lost love.

Then he had the nerve to tease Shen Jingque: “See? This one sings so well. Unlike you.”

Boom. Shen Jingque’s heart exploded.

So what if he couldn’t sing?!

He was sure he brought his human just as much joy as that ordinary canary did—if not more. He’d put in so much effort, okay!?

But thanks to this constant comparison, Shen Jingque started to resent the new bird.

Every time it tried to come near him, he’d lose it and lash out. They almost got into a full-on bird brawl once.

That’s when it hit Shen Jingque—Wait a second. What am I doing? That bird’s just a regular little canary. And I… I’m a grown adult soul stuck in a bird’s body. How did I sink so low I’m jealous of a pet bird?

I’ve been through incredible things. I should be chasing the open sky, figuring out who I am and building a life with meaning. Not stuck in a house fighting over a human’s attention.

Huo Yunyan didn’t do anything wrong. He just wanted an ideal pet. And honestly… this new bird was probably what he needed all along.

Still, it hurt.

They’d been together so long.

And it was true—Huo Yunyan had treated him incredibly well. Even his occasional mean jokes could be forgiven.

But still… Shen Jingque thought, it’s time to fly.

He made up his mind.

Every day, he secretly watched for an opportunity to escape. Before, when Huo Yunyan would tease him about not singing, he’d get mad and peck him on the hand.

Now? He just rolled his eyes and turned away with an air of pride.

Sing?

Pfft.

Please.

He could recite the entire multiplication table, thank you very much.

Even Huo Yunyan noticed. “Weird. Why isn’t he pecking me anymore?”

Honestly, he wasn’t trying to be mean—it was just that the little bird’s reactions were so amusing. Truth be told, he didn’t care at all that the bird couldn’t sing.

As for the new bird, if they still didn’t get along in a few days, Huo Yunyan had already decided—he’d give up trying to make it work.

“Little Feather, why are you ignoring me?” Huo Yunyan reached out a finger to touch the little bird’s beak. If his friends saw this, they’d definitely say he was a total masochist.

The bird didn’t peck him anymore, but here he was, still begging to be pecked.

The fluffy yellow puffball dodged his hand and kept its distance, throwing him the occasional icy side-eye, full of disdain.

“Are you mad?” The man finally dropped his teasing tone and took the little one’s mood seriously. “Why? Still not into the new guy?”

Shen Jingque rolled his eyes. Please, this wasn’t even about the new guy anymore. Keep up, would you?

“Okay, fine. I won’t force you,” Huo Yunyan said. “I’ll find him a new owner tomorrow. He’ll be gone by the end of the day.”

Too late.

Watching Huo Yunyan’s back, Shen Jingque—the little bird who had resolved to chase freedom—held his head high and tail even higher. No one could stop him now. Not even the gods.

Huo Yunyan was a responsible guy. Even if he didn’t want to keep the new bird anymore, he’d still make sure it went to the perfect home.

But a perfect home isn’t exactly easy to find on short notice. So for now, Little Feather had to deal with the new bird a little longer.

Not that it mattered. The little bird had already mentally checked out. His bright eyes scanned every window in the house.

He couldn’t escape during playtime when Huo Yunyan was around—that’d just get him caught right away.

The best move? Sneak out while the man was at work. By the time he came home, the bird would be long gone.

Huo Yunyan had no idea what the little guy was plotting. His bird had always been so well-behaved—even when taken outside, it never flew off. Over time, he’d gotten the false sense that the bird would never leave him.

Who would’ve thought this clingy little fluffball would someday yearn for the freedom of the open skies?

When Fu Shaoheng heard Huo Yunyan was looking for a new owner for Bird #2, he couldn’t help but laugh. “You know what this reminds me of?”

Huo Yunyan raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Fu Shaoheng smirked. “A mama’s boy and his overbearing mom. Come on, stop tormenting that poor bird. You two should just be single together.”

“…”

It was a crisp, clear autumn morning. After Huo Yunyan left for work, the housekeeping staff went about their usual cleaning.

Even though everyone knew there was a free-range bird in the house, they were so used to it being obedient that they didn’t pay much attention to the windows.

Shen Jingque had been casing the place for days. Finally, he found a tiny window in a quiet corner—with the screen left open.

By the time the staff realized their mistake and rushed to fix it, they saw the little bird had already slipped out.

“Hey! Hey!”

The housekeeper panicked, stumbling over their words—but it was too late to stop it.

The little bird turned around mid-flight and chirped back, “Bye-bye~!”

The poor housekeeper nearly fainted on the spot. This had to be a dream, right?

He’d just watched the bird fly off into the sky—how on earth was he supposed to explain this to Mr. Huo? And if he told the truth, would anyone even believe him?

At the office, Huo Yunyan got a call from home saying that Little Feather had flown away. He didn’t really take it seriously at first.

“He’s probably just playing in the garden. Don’t worry, he never flies far.”

The housekeeper was nearly in tears.

“No, Mr. Huo—he flew up into the sky. He’s gone. He’s not in the garden… he’s nowhere…”

Only then did Huo Yunyan realize things were serious. He paused, trying to stay calm.

“Okay. I’ll head home and check.”

Everyone at home hoped that once Huo Yunyan showed up, the little bird would come back. After all, he loved Mr. Huo the most.

But the bird soaring through the sky just snorted: “Yeah, sure.”

The sky was so blue. The air was crisp and fresh. So free.

Well, that made sense—this was a luxury villa neighborhood on the mountainside. Gorgeous views, clean air, no pollution… basically bird heaven.

Shen Jingque landed on a tall tree, keeping an eye on the villa from afar. He was willing to bet Huo Yunyan’s car would be back any minute.

He wasn’t sitting there because he missed home or anything. Nope. He was just… exhausted.

For a canary, Shen Jingque was a bit on the plump side. Plus, he hardly ever flew. This sudden long-distance trip had his tiny legs cramping and his muscles sore.

So yeah, he was taking a break. While he was at it, he figured he’d enjoy watching the man cry and regret everything.

Sure enough, just as he predicted, Huo Yunyan’s car came speeding back.

From up in the tree, Shen Jingque could faintly hear the man calling his name. But he just squatted there like a round, feathery spectator, watching the drama unfold.

“You saw him fly straight off like that?” Huo Yunyan asked the housekeeper.

“Yes… He went really high and just… flew off into the distance…” The housekeeper was wracked with guilt, voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Huo. It was my fault… I didn’t close the window properly…”

Everyone who worked here knew how much Mr. Huo adored that little bird.

Huo Yunyan didn’t say a word. He was too caught up in the shock to even comfort the other man.

It took him a while to snap out of it. Then he remembered—the little bird had a tracker on his ankle.

He quickly pulled out his phone to check the flight path.

The moment he saw the bird hadn’t gone far and was still perched somewhere nearby, he let out a breath of relief. But his heart tensed right back up again.

Why had the little guy stopped moving?

Was he… in danger?

“Don’t blame yourself. I tracked him with the GPS. I’ll go get him back,” Huo Yunyan said. “He probably just flew off for fun. I’ll go over and call him.”

The housekeeper hesitated, looking conflicted. After a moment, he cautiously asked,

“Um… Mr. Huo, have you and Little Feather… had a falling out recently?”

Just thinking about the way the bird had cheerfully said goodbye before flying off gave him a bad feeling. Honestly, even with Mr. Huo going in person, he wasn’t so sure the bird would come back.

“What makes you say that?” Huo Yunyan asked, confused.

The housekeeper hesitated, then said softly, “Because… he said ‘bye-bye’…”

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