Axolotl Translations

Everyone in the room froze for a second—even Huo Yunyan.

His first thought: No way. Impossible.

Little Feather couldn’t even sing, so how could he say “bye-bye”?

The housekeeper looked miserable. It was clear no one believed him.

“It’s true, Mr. Huo! I swear I heard him speak! I’m not making it up, and I’m not trying to cover my own mistake…”

But how could he prove it?

There wasn’t even a security camera in that corner. So Huo Yunyan just had to take it with a grain of salt. He rubbed his temples and sighed,

“Alright, we’ll deal with this later. First, I need to get him back.”

Whether Little Feather flew off on purpose or by accident didn’t matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was getting that little runaway back.

To avoid scaring him, Huo Yunyan decided to go alone.

“Mr. Huo, that’s way too dangerous,” someone said. “It’s all forest out there. What if you trip? Or run into some wild animal?”

“It’s fine,” he replied. His mind was too focused on the missing bird to care about the details.

Still in his business suit, he grabbed his phone and rushed out the door.

He followed the GPS route, drove as far as he could, and walked the rest of the way.

Perched in a tree, Shen Jingque watched his owner arrive—just as he expected. But he didn’t feel nervous at all. The guy hadn’t even brought a net or a cage or anything. Just his bare hands?

That confidence said a lot.

After all, Little Feather used to be so clingy—he even waited outside the bathroom when Huo Yunyan showered. Of course, the guy thought he’d come running.

With long strides, Huo Yunyan trudged through the uneven ground until he finally arrived under the very tree where his little troublemaker was hiding.

“Little Feather? Where are you?”

This game of hide-and-seek was going too far. No hints, no sound—how was he supposed to find him?

The bird tilted his head toward the sky, watching Huo Yunyan panic with cold indifference.

If you didn’t want this ending, maybe you shouldn’t have started it.

Without all that drama, he wouldn’t have discovered how much he craved freedom.

“I know you’re here. Won’t you come out?” Huo Yunyan’s voice was soft now, tinged with real worry. The bird hadn’t moved at all. It was scaring him—what if something had happened?

Even being mad had to follow some basic rules. Shen Jingque didn’t want to see his owner running around helplessly. No, what he really wanted to see was the man break down crying.

“Chirp-chirp.” Grandpa’s here!

A fluffy yellow head poked out from the leaves.

Huo Yunyan broke into a smile. “There you are! Come on down.”

But that smile quickly vanished—because the bird didn’t move. No happy chirps. No flapping toward him. None of that usual loving fuss.

“…”

Huo Yunyan looked down at his clothes and started to wonder.

“Is it because I’m wearing a new suit today? You didn’t recognize me?”

The bird froze mid-fluff. Excuse me?! What kind of insult was that?

“Come on, let’s go home,” Huo Yunyan said gently, trying to persuade him. He’d practically raised this little guy by hand—if he didn’t sweet-talk him, who would?

Alright, fine…

Shen Jingque spread his wings and flew towards Huo Yunyan—but halfway there, he did a sharp U-turn and landed right back on the tree trunk.

Huo Yunyan: “…”

Yep. That was definitely his little brat. No doubt about it.

So petty. So over the top.

“What did I ever do to you?” Huo Yunyan gave a bitter smile. “Is this still about… that other bird?”

Man, this one’s jealousy could really kill.

“We agreed we’d send him away, didn’t we? I just haven’t found the right new owner yet. Can you stop being mad already?” Huo Yunyan practically begged.

While he was pouring his heart out, the bird above him strutted along the branch, from one end to the other.

Oh no, you can’t catch me… oops, I’m over here now! Nope, now I’m over there!

“…Is he… dancing?”

Huo Yunyan clenched his jaw and swallowed down his frustration. If he still couldn’t tell this bird was deliberately messing with him, then all those years of raising him had been a complete waste.

Seriously, how could something so tiny and cute be such a little menace?

It can’t be my fault, he thought.

He still remembered how, even before Little Feather was a month old, he was already playing tricks on people.

“Okay, fine,” Huo Yunyan gave in. “You play. I’ll wait right here. When you’re done, come down.”

He said it so calmly, so patiently—didn’t even get mad.

That made the bird freeze mid-sway. Wait, what? That wasn’t the reaction he expected.

Now that he couldn’t get a rise out of the guy, swinging around lost its appeal. He folded his wings and sat down to pout.

But he wasn’t done yet.

Soon, he had a new idea to mess with his owner: he flew to a branch just barely out of reach—close enough to tempt, far enough to escape.

And Huo Yunyan, bless his heart, fell for it instantly.

“Okay, don’t move. Stay right there. I’m coming up.”

Gotcha, thought the bird gleefully.

As soon as Huo Yunyan climbed high enough, Little Feather gracefully turned, flapped his wings, and took off.

“Bye-bye!”

His voice was sweet and clear, every syllable perfect.

Huo Yunyan’s hands slipped in shock, and he nearly fell out of the tree.

Wait. What did he just hear?

Did Little Feather just say—”Bye-bye”?

So the housekeeper hadn’t been making things up—that little rascal could actually talk. He’d just never said a word before. Turns out he’d been saving it for a dramatic exit. Huo Yunyan stood there, completely expressionless. What kind of karma did I rack up to end up raising a bird this full of attitude? Was it because I hadn’t been good enough to him? No, it was because he’d been too good.

“I’m not mad. I’m not mad. He’s my bird,” Huo Yunyan muttered through gritted teeth, taking deep breaths up in the tree, trying to calm himself before jumping down.

But seriously, how was he supposed to not be mad?!

Eventually, he gave up trying to stay calm and just let the anger out. “You just wait! When I catch you, I’m roasting you!”

Of course, that was just something he said in the heat of the moment. Even if he did catch the brat, the worst he’d do was lay down the law a little. Really, it wasn’t entirely the bird’s fault. He’d spoiled him rotten. What would a bird know about boundaries?

Deep in the forest, Shen Jingque heard his human yelling and shivered. So scary!

Nah. He was probably just blowing off steam.

Still, feeling kind of guilty, the little bird decided to fly even deeper into the woods, putting as much distance between them as possible. He was still a little naive, thinking that as long as he flew far enough into the wild, Huo Yunyan would never find him.

Meanwhile, back at home, Huo Yunyan returned with a face like a thundercloud and immediately hired a professional bird capture team. His sudden flurry of activity got the attention of some nearby friends and neighbors.

“What? Your little bird flew off?”

“Eh, that’s normal. Birds fly. Just be more careful next time.”

“Wait—he told you ‘bye-bye’?”

Everyone was stunned. That dumb canary from Huo Yunyan’s place? The one who couldn’t even sing? That bird said bye-bye?

Huo Yunyan definitely hadn’t taught him. The bird couldn’t even carry a tune. Where would he have learned to talk? Now that was suspicious. No wonder Huo Yunyan was so pissed off. He’d treated that bird like royalty—and what did he get in return? Nothing.

Fu Shaoheng cleared his throat, “So… when you catch him, are you even going to want him back?”

Jiang Ye added, “Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding? Little Feather always seemed super close to you. It can’t all be fake, right?”

They both said, “Come on, it’s just a bird. How complicated can it be?”

Huo Yunyan: “He is that complicated.”

Freedom! The little bird had flown the coop. Everything was bright and beautiful… until it started pouring rain. That’s when Shen Jingque realized he still had a lot to learn. First of all, a nest. Kind of important. Not that he had to build one—he could always squat in an abandoned one, right?

Outside, the wind howled and rain lashed through the forest. Shen Jingque huddled inside a tree hollow some other bird had long abandoned, lost in deep thought about his future.

Should he retire to the mountains, live like a hermit, and leave the world behind? Or should he rise up, return to society, and leave behind a legendary chapter in the history of canaries?

Option one was easy. Option two? Now that was tempting. If he wanted to build an empire, first things first: Shen Jingque looked down at his own foot. He had to get rid of this stupid little tracking ring.

He wasn’t totally heartless, either. In the middle of the storm, he found himself wondering, Was the man sleeping okay tonight?

The answer? Not really. The moment it started raining, Huo Yunyan lost all his steam. He just turned into a worried mess. That dumb bird had never spent a night outside before. He’d never even been caught in the rain. Was he okay out there?

“That stupid bird. It’s raining and he still won’t come home…” Huo Yunyan muttered anxiously, completely distracted from his work. The tracker showed that the little guy had stopped moving, probably found somewhere to hide. That pissed Huo Yunyan off and made him feel relieved—a very complicated combo.

By the time morning came and the rain stopped, Huo Yunyan had already geared up. He brought the professional bird-catching team and set out to search.

On the screen, the tracker dot was constantly moving. Shen Jingque was flying nonstop, like he had a jetpack on. At home, even flying a little higher than the couch had him whining. Now he was out here doing aerial marathons like some wilderness athlete.

“…This ungrateful brat,” Huo Yunyan thought bitterly, still hearing his friend’s voice in his head: “Do you even want that bird back?” Whatever. He’d find him first—then decide.

Of course, Shen Jingque’s senses were razor-sharp, and none of the humans had bothered trying to be stealthy. Their car was practically screaming through the forest. You think he couldn’t hear it? He’s coming. He’s really coming. And he brought backup.

Shen Jingque panicked, flapped with all his strength, and took off like a rocket. And of course, he picked the worst, most inaccessible spots to fly through. The messier, the better.

The bird-catching team’s Day One mission: failed.

“Mr. Huo,” said one of the team, panting, “Your bird’s got incredible anti-tracking instincts. He keeps flying into tight, twisted areas. By the time we ditch the car to follow, he’s already long gone.”

Mr. Huo just sighed. He wasn’t even sure if that bird still counted as his anymore.

Meanwhile, Shen Jingque was struggling too. Being a wanted bird was exhausting. When would this nightmare end? Honestly, he couldn’t wait to get back to the city and start chasing his dreams.

If he really wanted to, he could totally become the bird of a national leader someday. Wow. Now that was a big future. But… that was just a thought. Shen Jingque didn’t want to become the kind of bird he hated.

Sure, he could leave Huo Yunyan—but he would never leave for money or power. Leaving for freedom? That was noble. Justified. No one could blame him. Leaving for riches and fame? That was pathetic. Even he would look down on himself for that.

After the failure of day one, the bird-catching team decided to go old-school on day two—with a full-on, slow, clunky ambush. Using Shen Jingque’s last known location as the center point, they quietly positioned people all around during the night, and planned to flush him out the next day, hoping to scare him into flying straight into a net.

But this was no ordinary bird. From high up in a tree, Shen Jingque stared down at them, totally still, eyes sparkling with intelligence. He might as well have had a sign over his head that said: “Come up here if you dare. Yeah, I’m talking to you.”

“…Is this bird possessed or something?” one of the crew muttered, defeated.

Huo Yunyan had no better idea. He picked up a loudspeaker and shouted up at the tree: “Little Feather! Come down now! If you don’t, I’m activating the electric current in your tracker to shock you until you pass out and fall!”

Everyone around him froze. Had Huo Yunyan finally lost it? The guy was clearly losing his mind, trying to negotiate with a bird. Even Shen Jingque was stunned. What the hell?! He rigged the tracker with electric shock capabilities? That was straight-up betrayal!

Huo Yunyan, of course, was just bluffing. He was desperate and throwing out random threats, hoping something would stick. But his words hit Shen Jingque like a thunderclap. The bird was so mad, he could barely sit still. He wanted to swoop down and peck his face off.

Huo Yunyan kept going with his “emotional appeal”: “I’ve spent so much time, money, and manpower trying to find you these past few days. You better think about what that means. The more I spend? The worse it’s gonna be for you when I catch you.”

“Pfft—” Someone couldn’t help laughing. “Mr. Huo, you’re hilarious.”

Shen Jingque: This. Is. Not. Funny.

Ugh, what a headache. Shen Jingque raised a claw and scratched his head. What now? To survive or to self-destruct? So annoying. Why were they treating a freedom-loving little bird like this?

Probably because everyone wants to own cute things. If he weren’t this adorable, Huo Yunyan probably wouldn’t be so obsessed. But that didn’t make it okay. This was wrong. This bird wanted a revolution.

“Chirp chirp!!” he cried out, full of rage and protest. How dare they use evil tech?! That was cheating! Totally unfair!

“I don’t have time for this,” Huo Yunyan replied coldly. “Get down here. You’ve got two minutes, or I’m zapping you.”

“Chiiiiiirp—” Where’s the justice? Where’s the Bird Protection Act when you need it?!

“Three… two…”

And just like that, the sound of flapping wings echoed through the air. No—he was calling their bluff. He was betting Huo Yunyan wouldn’t actually shock him. If there’s no freedom, then I’d rather go down in flames…

As he soared through the air, everything went smoothly. No shocks, no strange signals. He knew it—they were bluffing. Of course they were. Huo Yunyan was watching him fly, after all. There was no way he’d zap him mid-flight.

Much later, when the little bird finally got tired and landed to rest…

Zap!

Just a tiny jolt.

“AHH!” Shen Jingque jumped in fright. His little claw went numb. “CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!!!”

All the birds passing by turned to look, stunned. Damn. That little bird’s got a filthy mouth.

---

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter