Axolotl Translations

He’d heard that without proper ID, he wasn’t allowed to wander outside. The little bird didn’t question it and stayed home while Huo Yunyan headed out. But barely two steps out the door, Huo Yunyan was already missing him.

He opened the surveillance app to check what Little Feather was up to. What he saw: the kid was having the time of his life, turning human one second, bird the next, happily playing by himself in the bedroom.

“…”

The driver caught a glimpse of Huo Yunyan grinning in the rearview mirror and was stunned. That smile? Radiant. Practically glowing. What on earth was he watching? He wanted in.

Not a chance. Whatever was on that footage, Huo Yunyan was taking it to his grave. Partly because he was super possessive, and partly because it involved Little Feather’s privacy.

After finishing his errands, Huo Yunyan swung by the office. Everyone who saw him did a double-take. Their boss looked especially… refreshed today. Radiating joy from head to toe.

Naturally, people started speculating. One of the Four Great Joys in life, maybe? Getting top marks on an exam? No way—Boss Huo had left the academic grind behind years ago. Running into an old friend in a distant place? Unlikely—he saw his friends at the office every day. A wedding night? Also a no. Everyone knew Boss Huo was a lifelong bachelor who literally moved south to avoid marriage pressure.

That left only one option: Sweet rain after a long drought.

Honestly? Not far off. Because for Huo Yunyan, Little Feather’s arrival really was like rain in a desert—he’d brought light into his lonely, quiet life.

When his buddy asked, “What happened? The whole company’s talking about it. You’re grinning like a man who just won the lottery.”

Huo Yunyan touched his face, surprised. “Is it that obvious?”

Fu Shaoheng, standing right in front of him, said, “It is. And now it’s even more obvious.”

“No way—you’re hiding good news and not telling us?” Jiang Ye jumped in. “Is it company-related?”

“Nope,” Huo Yunyan said calmly, offering no explanation. “It’s something personal.”

“That means it’s about Little Feather,” they both said in unison. They knew him too well.

Huo Yunyan just smiled and stayed quiet. He wasn’t planning on telling anyone. Not everyone was as open-minded, and besides, it depended on how Little Feather felt.

At that thought, Huo Yunyan’s heart ached a little. In this world, the kid was different. Other than the person who raised him, no one else would easily or unconditionally accept him—let alone love him. That also meant he wouldn’t get to live a “normal” life like everyone else. No school, no job, no marriage, no kids… maybe not even real friendships.

So from here on out, his education had to be carefully planned, every step considered. The weight on Huo Yunyan’s shoulders suddenly felt heavier.

But he didn’t see it as a burden. He was only afraid he wouldn’t do well enough.

That uneasy, up-and-down feeling was hard to put into words.

After work, Huo Yunyan came home hauling a bunch of stuff—stationery, books, art supplies, puzzle games, and other brain-boosting activities. It took the staff a while to help him carry everything in.

For the last batch, Huo Yunyan brought it in himself. When he entered, he saw the teenager sitting cross-legged on the carpet, head down, playing with the clear, glass marbles on a game board. His cheeks were adorably puffed out—not because he was sulking, but because he had a candy in his mouth.

The whole scene was so peaceful and sweet that Huo Yunyan didn’t want to disturb it. How could something so pure and precious exist? Just looking at him made you want to protect him.

“Little Feather, do you know how to play that?” The kid had spent half the day alone, with no one to play with. Just thinking about it made Huo Yunyan feel a little guilty.

“Yeah, there’s a manual,” he said without looking up.

“I’ll play with you,” Huo Yunyan said, sighing softly. He checked the time—still early. “Let’s play one round, then we’ll go get dinner.”

Little Feather finally looked up from the board, gave him a bright smile, and said, “Okay!”

As they played, Huo Yunyan quickly realized the kid was sharp—he didn’t even need to go easy on him.

“You’re really smart. Here, have a pine nut.”

Ever since taking care of Little Feather, Huo Yunyan had gotten used to keeping snacks in his pockets. Whenever the mood was right, he’d fish out a nut, shell it, and hand it over. Shen Jingque was completely used to this. Without hesitation, he leaned in and ate it straight from Huo Yunyan’s fingers.

The moment his fingers brushed the boy’s soft lips, Huo Yunyan froze.

Wait… was that crossing a line?

He glanced at Little Feather—who was munching happily, totally unbothered.

Right. The kid was just pure and innocent.

“Hey, do you see me as your dad?” Huo Yunyan was always curious about what went on in Little Feather’s head.

“Nope,” the boy answered without missing a beat. “I already have a dad.”

He meant his biological father.

Huo Yunyan’s face fell instantly. Seriously? Why was this stubborn little bird so hung up on his real parents?

“But I raised you,” he pressed. “If I’m not your dad, then what am I?”

For once, Little Feather didn’t answer right away. He avoided eye contact and pretended not to hear, saying instead, “Your turn—where are you moving?”

Huo Yunyan had raised him for long enough to know something was up. And if the kid didn’t want to talk about it, it probably wasn’t anything good.

“Fine, I won’t ask,” he sighed dramatically. “I’ll just lie awake all night wondering. Poor me.”

Little Feather kept playing dumb, ignoring the theatrics. He gently clinked two marbles together with his fingers, their crisp sound echoing in the quiet room.

But really—who could ever stay mad at him?

The house chef had been informed there’d be a long-term guest staying from now on, and that all future meals should be tailored to suit this guest’s preferences. Naturally, the chef was curious—just what kind of guest could possibly make Mr. Huo go this far to accommodate them?

He found out during dinner. The guest was a young man—bright-eyed, delicate features, a kind of youthful aura that was immediately striking. The chef met his eyes for just a second and was instantly charmed. That pure, clean face had an unexplainable kind of magic that just made you like him.

What puzzled the chef even more was that Mr. Huo usually dined with Little Feather. At this hour, the bird would typically be hopping around the table, maybe even using his claws to tap utensils against the plates when he was hungry. Though honestly, that only happened when Little Feather was throwing a tantrum—most of the time he was well-mannered and polite.

But today, there was no bird in sight. And the strangest part? The way Mr. Huo looked after this teenager at dinner—it was exactly the same way he took care of Little Feather. Even the boy’s mischievous but endearing vibe… it was so familiar. It was uncanny.

The chef gave up trying to make sense of it.

“This is so good,” Shen Jingque said between bites, dual-wielding chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other like a pro. He was so busy eating, he barely had time to breathe. Huo Yunyan occasionally picked out food and placed it in his bowl.

With such an enthusiastic dinner companion, even Huo Yunyan ended up eating an extra bowl of rice.

“Little—uh… Jingque, can I ask you something?” Huo Yunyan almost blurted out “Little Feather,” but remembered just in time. The chef was still in the kitchen prepping dessert, so he leaned over and said, “You’re not a little kid anymore. Normally someone your age would sleep in their own room. But it’s up to you. If you’re scared, you can keep staying with me.”

He wanted Little Feather to decide for himself. Of course, Huo Yunyan preferred having the boy under his own roof—just in case anything happened, he’d be there right away.

But without missing a beat, Little Feather chose: “I’ll sleep in my own room.” No hesitation at all.

Huo Yunyan wasn’t surprised. He could even guess what the boy was thinking, so he gave a little warning: “Even if you have your own room, that doesn’t mean you can just do whatever you want. Keep things in moderation.”

Shen Jingque looked genuinely puzzled. “But didn’t you say this is my home and I can do whatever I want?”

Huo Yunyan narrowed his eyes. “You know exactly what I meant. Don’t play dumb.”

There were plenty of spare rooms already prepared. That night, Huo Yunyan personally went to the room next door and helped set it up.

Little Feather was absolutely thrilled to have a space of his own. He rolled around on the bed, read books, played on his tablet—totally living his best life. He’d had this iPad since his bird days, but the games back then were limited. Now, he tugged on Huo Yunyan’s sleeve, eyes sparkling. “Can I get something bigger? Like, a big-ticket item?”

The way he asked—so sweet and playful—was impossible to resist.

“What kind of big item?” Huo Yunyan asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, helping clear away the mess so they could get ready to sleep.

He already knew Little Feather had serious “wreck-the-house” energy when he was a bird… but now that he was human? Somehow it had gotten worse.

Huo Yunyan spent every day cleaning up behind him.

“Laptop… phone… okay, and this too…” Shen Jingque muttered, a little guilty. He wasn’t doing anything all day—just spending money. Sure, Huo Yunyan was rich. Even if you gave him three more Little Feathers, he probably still couldn’t spend it all. But still, Jingque couldn’t help feeling a little bad.

“These are fine. I thought you were about to ask for a supercar.” Huo Yunyan ruffled his hair—only to be met with a pair of sparkling, excited eyes. His left eye practically said super, the right one said car.

Huo Yunyan chuckled and shook his head. “Alright, time to sleep. You can have anything you want in your dreams.”

As he stood up, he felt Little Feather tug at the hem of his shirt. Thinking the kid still hadn’t let go of the whole supercar idea, he said, “You can’t even drive yet. Wait till you get your license. If you pass before your birthday, I’ll get you one.”

His birthday was in early fall—plenty of time to get a license if he really tried. That said, even if he did buy one, Huo Yunyan didn’t plan on letting him take it out on real roads. Best case, he could cruise around the villa complex for fun.

What he didn’t realize was—Little Feather wasn’t asking about the car. He just wanted to say something heartfelt. He wanted to thank him for being so good to him. Even though Shen Jingque didn’t think of him as a father, the way he felt about Huo Yunyan… was just as important. He was someone he’d hold close to his heart, always.

An hour after Huo Yunyan left the room, he came back for a surprise check. “Little Feather, still not asleep?”

Little Feather was gaming, eyes locked on the screen. Without looking up, he mumbled, “Almost…” He was in the middle of a team match—completely focused. Huo Yunyan couldn’t help but laugh. He also felt a little bad for the kid’s teammates. They probably had no idea their partner in this game… was actually a bird.

After finishing the match—though still itching to keep playing—Little Feather finally decided to sleep. But he just couldn’t settle down. He tossed and turned. The room didn’t have that familiar Huo Yunyan scent. And he was the one who insisted on separate rooms! So now, he told himself he had to tough it out.

Five minutes later, he gave up. Quietly, he snuck into the next room.

But Huo Yunyan hadn’t actually gone to sleep either. The moment he heard the doorknob turn, the worry that had been sitting in his chest finally eased. Knowing how prideful Little Feather was, Huo Yunyan quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He figured this would make the kid feel safe and grateful.

The next morning, Huo Yunyan casually asked, “Why’d you come over and sleep in my room?”

Little Feather didn’t look the slightest bit guilty. Eyes wide open, he answered without blinking, “Obviously because you carried me over. I definitely fell asleep in my own room last night.”

Huo Yunyan was speechless. That answer was both unexpected and… totally on brand. All he could think was: You really are a little bird.

“Then I guess I’ll lock the door tonight.”

“Go ahead,” Little Feather replied nonchalantly. Then added, “Just make sure I’m inside before you do.”

Huo Yunyan: “…”

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