Axolotl Translations

Teenage feelings are often pure and shy. Even though the pink envelope Shen Jingque got didn’t have a name on it, by the next day, some classmates were already hinting around and asking questions. Turned out it was passed along through a friend of a friend, who’d asked someone else to deliver it. Classic.

“So? It was love at first sight for her. Are you gonna meet up with her or what?” the boy who delivered the letter asked.

“I really appreciate her feelings,” Shen Jingque said seriously. “So yeah, of course I’ll meet with her. It’s best to talk things out in person. Even if nothing comes of it, at least we’ll give it a proper beginning and end.”

That way, you’d never feel like you wasted your youth. It might even turn into a nice memory down the line—something positive. That’s how Shen Jingque saw it.

For some reason, before heading out, he strolled into Huo Yunyan’s study and announced, “I found out who wrote that letter. I’m going to go meet her now, so don’t wait for me at lunch.”

Huo Yunyan’s heart tightened. His eyes instinctively scanned the little peacock in front of him—dressed sharp as always, standing out in all the ways someone his age would want to.

“You…” Huo Yunyan started, wanting to say: You’re going there to turn her down. Shouldn’t you dress a little more low-key? Wearing that, you’re just asking for more attention.

But even if he said it, the kid would probably say something like, “Being well-dressed is the minimum level of respect I can show her.”

Wait—did he just say he wasn’t coming back for lunch?

Huo Yunyan zeroed in on that. “You’re grabbing lunch with friends?”

Shen Jingque replied, “Nope, just the girl.”

“?” Huo Yunyan frowned. “You’re going there to let her down. Why are you having lunch with her? What’s the point?”

“Why not?” Shen Jingque was getting more and more confident with age. He replied smoothly, “Think about it. If you finally worked up the courage to confess to someone, and they just hit you with a quick ‘Sorry, not interested’ and walked off, wouldn’t you feel terrible?”

Huo Yunyan imagined it. Honestly? He wouldn’t. He preferred clean, simple endings. Say it straight and move on.

“That sounds perfectly fine to me.”

“Well, that’s you. But she’s a girl.” Shen Jingque rolled his eyes. “You need a nice restaurant, a calm atmosphere, to talk it over properly. What, should I just meet her at a park and offer her a bottle of water? Go hiking? You’re such a straight dude—no wonder you’re still single.”

“….” Huo Yunyan rubbed his temples. Was that really the issue here?

“I’m off! Bye!” the teen turned and left, tall and full of energy.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Shen Jingque leaned out the window and glanced up at a certain second-floor window. Then he muttered under his breath, “Straight guy.”

It was the weekend, and the streets were busy. The girl who came to meet him was cheerful and outgoing. She’d gotten to know him through mutual friends. Even though she got turned down, she wasn’t too upset. Her radar told her: The rejection wasn’t personal. I just didn’t stand a chance in the first place.

Feelings aside, Shen Jingque was fun and lively, with a candid way of speaking—and kind of clueless sometimes, which made him kind of charming. They actually had a good time hanging out.

“Sigh, I came out looking for a boyfriend and ended up finding a little brother.”

“Little brother, do you have a boyfriend? Want me to introduce you to someone?”

“….” Shen Jingque didn’t know how she figured he was in need of a boyfriend. He wanted to say, You’ve got it all wrong, but after thinking it over… he kept quiet. No need to be too defensive about it.

WeChat buzzed. A message from Huo Yunyan: [Still not done having fun? What’s the progress on this whole thing?]

It was already 3 PM, and the kid had been out for hours just for lunch. For some reason, Huo Yunyan couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. What if the situation didn’t go as expected? What if it sparked something more than it should?

Shen Jingque smirked and replied seriously: [This girl’s really nice. She’s showing me around and keeping me company. Stop rushing me, okay?]

Huo Yunyan’s eyes locked on that word—girl. His brow furrowed.

[Shen Jingque, did you talk to her yet?] He asked about the progress, but this little rascal was just out here having fun.

[I did! My EQ’s not low, okay? I handled it really well,] Shen Jingque wrote back. [She’s super sweet. She even said she’d introduce me to a boyfriend. What the heck? Do I look like I need one?]

Huo Yunyan’s pupils contracted slightly. He stared at the message, stunned for a full ten seconds—just like any parent terrified their kid might go astray.

Then he typed out a little lecture: [Maybe she’s just joking, don’t take it seriously. But also, don’t treat things like sexual orientation lightly. You should have a clear sense of who you are, alright?]

[Oh, same difference] Shen Jingque replied. [Doesn’t matter if it’s a guy or a girl, you won’t let me date either way. Saves me the trouble of figuring it out.]

[Anyway, gotta go—she wants me to help her win a plushie from the claw machine.]

Huo Yunyan typed out “Come home early”, then stared at it a moment… and didn’t send it. He tossed the phone down, irritated.

He could send it. As his guardian, it wouldn’t be overstepping.

But something about it made him hesitate. Because deep down, aside from worrying about the kid, Huo Yunyan knew there was another reason. He just couldn’t stand seeing the little feather getting close to anyone else.

Put plainly—he wasn’t exactly pure of heart. He had no right to act all self-righteous.

Shen Jingque strolled back home just before dinner, slow and cheerful, holding a plushie half his size and humming a tune. Anyone could tell he was in a great mood.

Normally, Huo Yunyan liked seeing him happy.

But not today. He said coolly, “Finally decided to come home? Any later and I’d have packed up the dinner.”

Shen Jingque grinned and walked over, trying to charm him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you wait! I’ll be home earlier next time.”

Noticing Huo Yunyan seemed annoyed, he offered the plushie. “The girl gave this to me. Cute, right?”

“I don’t get the appeal. Keep it for yourself,” Huo Yunyan replied flatly after a quick glance. Just a stuffed toy, nothing special.

“I’m putting it in my room then.” But he didn’t go up just yet. Instead, he plopped the plushie on the dining chair across from Huo Yunyan—perfectly angled to face him.

And so, the two of them had dinner… with a giant plushie.

Shen Jingque ate like a champ, chatting away, full of energy. Huo Yunyan, on the other hand, was irritated. He really didn’t want to hear a full rundown of their day out.

“You’re not eating much,” Shen Jingque noticed, peeking at his bowl. “Not feeling well? Want me to make you some porridge instead?”

“No need…”

Huo Yunyan knew exactly what the problem was. Didn’t matter if it was bird’s nest soup or some gourmet delicacy—he still wouldn’t have an appetite.

But Shen Jingque was already getting up, heading to the kitchen to help. So warm and thoughtful—less like a leaky leather jacket, more like a cozy little quilt.

Oddly enough… Huo Yunyan kind of liked it. And suddenly, his appetite came back.

“You’re getting older, you really should start watching what you eat.”

Cough cough—Huo Yunyan choked on his porridge and glared at the boy, clearly annoyed. “What, did you leave your common sense in a dog’s stomach? Early thirties is peak condition, thank you very much.”

He worked out regularly. His physique could easily outshine most guys in their early twenties. And this kid dared to call him old? Ridiculous.

“Right, right, my bad. Slip of the tongue,” Shen Jingque apologized.

One kind word can warm a winter’s day, but a careless jab can freeze even June.

That one offhand comment from Shen Jingque had Huo Yunyan brooding the entire night, stuck on the idea that he was “getting old.” His mood took a steady nosedive.

The next day, Shen Jingque didn’t have anything planned, so he stayed home quietly reading, doing a bit of crafting. He actually wanted to invite Huo Yunyan to join him, but the man’s whole vibe was so cold and stormy, he chickened out.

Later, Shen Jingque messaged Uncle Fu to complain: [Uncle Fu, can I vent a little? Is your company going through some kind of crisis? Huo Yunyan’s taking it out on me.]

[What? That doesn’t sound like him. And no, things at the company are smooth as ever.]

[Huh. Weird. He keeps shooting me cold looks, like I’m somehow pissing him off just by breathing.]

[That’s emotional neglect.] Fu Shaoheng said seriously. [Hold on, I’m gonna talk to him.]

And so he did. He messaged Huo Yunyan right away: [Hey, what’s going on with you? Don’t take your bad mood out on a blooming teen like Jingque. You upset or something?]

Huo Yunyan stared at the message, totally confused and a little offended. He glanced at the boy, who was sitting there acting all sweet and innocent with his craft stuff. Then he replied, [He’s making stuff up. You can cancel the investigation.]

Fu Shaoheng: [He said you keep giving him the cold eye. Is it true or not?]

Huo Yunyan: [I looked at him, but not coldly! When have I ever been cold to him?]

It was more like… molten lava levels of intensity.

Okay, fair. But Fu Shaoheng picked up on something else from Jingque’s complaint. [Sounds like you two are in the middle of a fight. I won’t pry into the reason, but you’re older, you should be the one to speak up first and clear the air. Don’t let a small misunderstanding build into something bigger.]

But Huo Yunyan didn’t hear much of that. All that stuck in his head were those words: you’re older.

A storm churned in his chest. Was being in your early thirties really that old?

[Yunyuan?]

Another reminder. Now he was genuinely annoyed. [Got it. Thanks for your concern.]

Fu Shaoheng raised an eyebrow as he read the message. Somehow, it gave off major “mind your own business” energy.

No wonder Shen Jingque tattled on him from time to time. That temper of Huo Yunyan’s was impossible to deal with.

Shen Jingque saw Huo Yunyan walking over and immediately tensed up. Crap—did Uncle Fu really go talk to him? Is he here to get mad at me?

“What did you tell Uncle Fu?”

—Called it!

“How was I looking at you coldly?” Huo Yunyan sat down on the floor right in front of him, tilted the boy’s chin up and made him meet his eyes. “Does this look cold to you?”

Shen Jingque’s neck shrank back a little. He was going to dodge, but Huo Yunyan wasn’t letting him off the hook. He held him in place, determined to make his point.

“With observation skills like that, you really think you’re ready to date someone? Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“Okay, okay, I was wrong. Now let go, you’re kinda scaring me,” Shen Jingque immediately backed down. This version of Huo Yunyan felt… unfamiliar. He wasn’t his usual gentle and soft-spoken self.

It was just a joke! It wasn’t even the first time he’d vented to Uncle Fu. Normally, Huo Yunyan would just laugh it off, maybe toss in a few playful insults like, “You talk too much” or “Always chirping like a little bird.”

“A classic case of pretending to like dragons, but running away when you meet one.” Huo Yunyan let go and muttered something cryptic, then fell silent and sat beside him to help with the puzzle, not saying another word.

Shen Jingque rubbed his chin quietly and sat there all obedient, not daring to make a sound.

On his phone, Uncle Fu sent a message: [Did Yunyan talk to you? Were you two fighting or something?]

Shen Jingque replied: [All good now. Thanks, Uncle Fu. We’re fine!]

Huo Yunyan glanced over with the corner of his eye but said nothing. He just clapped his hands clean and went back to his study.

The heavy tension in the room instantly faded. Shen Jingque, the little troublemaker, let out a quiet breath. His bright eyes shimmered with mischief.

He managed to behave for maybe three to five days.

One evening, Huo Yunyan came home from work and found a mountain of delivery boxes piled up in the playroom. The little feather was busy unpacking them with great enthusiasm.

“What is all this? You bought so much stuff?” Huo Yunyan asked curiously.

“Ripped clothes! Come see!” Shen Jingque changed right in front of him into a pair of extreme ripped jeans. The cut-outs made his legs look even longer and better: “My party outfit for clubbing!”

“I’m heading out with friends to explore the real world.”

“Absolutely not.” Huo Yunyan’s face went dark. Those outfits? None of them were remotely decent. Wearing them inside the house was one thing—but outside? No way. “You’re not going out looking like that.”

“You’re so old-fashioned,” Shen Jingque muttered, clearly displeased.

Huo Yunyan replied, “Nightclubs are a mess—too many shady people and too much chaos. It’s not as fun as you think.”

“That’s your opinion,” Shen Jingque responded calmly. “I won’t know what it’s really like until I go and see for myself. There’s a group of us going, plus we’ll have a driver. We’ll be safe.”

“If you want me to understand what’s bad, then let me experience it. Just telling me to avoid everything won’t work. That’s not real education. Otherwise, I’m only living the life you imagine for me—not my own life.”

“I’m not a copy of you. I’m me. One of a kind.”

Huo Yunyan took a deep breath. “Alright,” he said at last. “If you want to go, I won’t stop you. It’s your choice.”

He looked a little worn out as he walked off to the dressing room to change. It really did seem like he wasn’t going to interfere.

Shen Jingque touched his chin, a little surprised.

Honestly, even if those jeans looked cool, going out in them still took guts. Even for someone like Shen Jingque, who loved showing off, it wasn’t a casual decision.

The second the words left his mouth, Huo Yunyan regretted it. He couldn’t really just let it go. That was just him talking in anger.

“Little Feather?” He came out of the shower, dressed in casual clothes, and started searching room to room. That brat wouldn’t seriously wear those raggedy jeans and run off to a nightclub, would he?

Huo Yunyan’s brows furrowed as he quickly went downstairs, pulling out his phone to call him.

Shen Jingque didn’t go clubbing. He was actually in the kitchen making snacks, planning to bring some over to the two uncles next door. Technically they were neighbors, but walking over took too long—taking a car was just faster.

“Stop right there!”

He had just opened the car door when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Before he could react, someone grabbed him and pulled him into a firm embrace.

“Ah—!”

Huo Yunyan swooped in, picked him up bridal style, and carried him off without giving him any say in the matter.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Shen Jingque was fuming. He raised his hand like he was about to hit him, then held back. “Put me down! This is so inappropriate!”

Huo Yunyan didn’t say a word. He marched all the way upstairs and gently dumped him onto the bed. Then, without warning, he pulled open Shen Jingque’s jacket. Underneath, he was just wearing a plain T-shirt.

“…”

“Apologize,” Shen Jingque demanded, instantly realizing what happened. Huo Yunyan must’ve thought he was sneaking off in those ripped jeans to go partying—that’s why he’d reacted like that.

“Where were you going just now?” Huo Yunyan looked a bit embarrassed now, but still skeptical. It just felt too coincidental—he was sure the little troublemaker was messing with him again.

“I made snacks in the kitchen. I was gonna take them over to the uncles next door. What did you think I was doing?” Shen Jingque shot him an innocent, annoyed look, then glanced out the window. “Even if I was going out to party, it wouldn’t be until after dark. Who goes clubbing in broad daylight?”

“You’re not going.” Huo Yunyan changed his tune real fast. “Even if you’re wearing normal clothes, I don’t care. You’re not going to any nightclubs.” Before Shen Jingque could even start accusing him again, he added, “Yes, I’m old-fashioned. Yes, I’m controlling. Write it on my forehead if you want. Still not letting you go.”

Shen Jingque flopped down on the bed, casually teasing, “Oh really? Then I’ll wait till you’re asleep and sneak out.”

Huo Yunyan laughed coldly. “Try me.”

Seeing the boy open his mouth to talk back again, Huo Yunyan cut him off. “Don’t push it. I know you’re not really planning on going clubbing. Provoking me like this isn’t gonna get you anything.”

Shen Jingque blinked, confused. “What are you even talking about? Why would I try to provoke you? And how do you know I’m not serious about the club thing? You act like you’re some mind reader or something.”

“I’ve put up with your poking and testing once, twice, even three times. But if you don’t pull those little claws back soon…” Huo Yunyan didn’t even finish the sentence. His expression said it all. He knew Shen Jingque understood—he was just pretending not to.

Huo Yunyan sighed. Did this brat really think this was all fun and games?

“You’re weird,” Shen Jingque muttered. He fixed his clothes and stood up. “Whatever. I’m going to deliver the snacks.”

“No next time,” Huo Yunyan warned seriously as the boy passed him.

“Blah blah blah,” Shen Jingque huffed.

He stomped down the stairs, every step loud and cheerful. Judging by how bouncy his footsteps were, he was in an excellent mood—and completely impossible to deal with.

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