Axolotl Translations

Once everyone had been introduced, Little Feather’s coworkers started talking, one after another.

“Wow, you two really look great together!”

“Such a handsome couple—and the height difference is perfect too.”

Huo Yunyan couldn’t stop smiling. Him and Little Feather… a good match?

Maybe they were just being polite, but he didn’t care; he liked hearing it.

When Little Feather had first asked him to pretend to be his boyfriend, his biggest worry was their age difference. He was afraid people at the cafe might gossip.

But then, Little Feather glanced at him, smiled, and said, “I think we make a good match too.” He then opened the car doors and added, “Come on, everyone’s starving. Let’s go eat.”

After the others hopped into the back seats, he slid into the passenger seat and buckled up.

Huo Yunyan was still replaying that line in his head: “I think we make a good match too.” The words echoed sweetly, making his heart flutter a bit. But then, a suspicious thought popped up: Was Little Feather messing with him? Was he trying to create tension on purpose just to tease him?

What a brat. What could he possibly gain from this? Was it really that fun watching him squirm?

But thinking more calmly, there wasn’t even a real reason to pretend to be boyfriends today. Little Feather had just gone for it, and Huo Yunyan had followed along without a second thought.

Honestly, between the two of them, it was hard to say who was worse.

Maybe both of them.

Shaking off all the thoughts, Huo Yunyan focused on the road, occasionally stealing glances at the young man beside him. Though, calling him a “young man” might be more accurate than “boy” now.

Little Feather had grown up. He was already out in the world, living and working, forming his own opinions. Huo Yunyan couldn’t treat him like a kid forever.

The restaurant wasn’t far. The cafe had about twenty employees, so they booked a big private room. Huo Yunyan looked around—Little Feather wasn’t the only one who brought someone along.

There were people with partners, even some who brought their kids. Yeah, that whole “girlfriend only” thing from the manager? Totally a joke.

Little Feather leaned over and mumbled, “If I’d known, I would’ve just said you were my dad.”

A light smack landed on his head, followed by Huo Yunyan’s clearly annoyed voice: “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not your dad. I’m not even old enough to have a kid your age.”

“Ow, why’d you hit me?” Little Feather rubbed his head, completely confused. Huo Yunyan used to love calling himself “dad” in the past, but now he seemed allergic to the idea. What changed?

All men like pretending to be someone’s dad—unless… they’d rather be something else.

The dinner was super lively. Since Little Feather was the new guy, everyone was already curious about him. And bringing along such a striking “boyfriend”? Yeah, the two of them were definitely the center of attention.

A few drinks in, the questions started to get bolder.

“Sorry if this is too forward, but… how long have you two been together?” one coworker asked, laughing. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s totally fine!”

Not every same-sex couple was comfortable talking about their relationship publicly—they got that.

But Little Feather just smiled and casually replied, “Four years.”

It had already been four years since he started living with Huo Yunyan. Time really flew.

Everyone reacted with an impressed “Whoa!” Four years was a long time!

Then someone did the math. The manager, who’d seen Little Feather’s ID, looked puzzled: “Wait, didn’t you just turn twenty? So… you guys started dating when you were sixteen?”

He looked over at Huo Yunyan, his gaze full of silent judgment—basically screaming “perv.”

Huo Yunyan, falsely accused: “……”

This was a huge misunderstanding. Yeah, he had some wild thoughts… but not that wild.

“Ah—uh, we’ve known each other for four years,” Shen Jingque quickly corrected himself. “We only started dating recently.”

“Ohh, so Brother Huo must’ve liked you for a long time then, right? He’s the one who confessed first?”

I mean, Shen Jingque was adorable and genuinely sweet—it was clear someone had been taking really good care of him.

Huo Yunyan nodded. “Yeah, I liked him first.” He glanced at the boy beside him, and since they were already acting, he decided to say what was really on his mind.

Might as well just go with it.

Strangely, saying it out loud felt kind of freeing—like letting out a long breath he didn’t realize he was holding. But right after, a tiny bit of bitterness crept in. He picked up his glass to hide his feelings.

“But he never confessed,” Shen Jingque immediately exposed him. “It was all me. If I hadn’t made the first move, he probably never would’ve become my boyfriend.”

“…?” Huo Yunyan froze mid-sip. What kind of acting was this?

Shouldn’t they have gone over the script first?

What if he couldn’t keep up?

“So, Brother Huo, what’s the deal?” someone at the table asked, intrigued. “If you liked him, why didn’t you say anything? You still haven’t said it even now?”

Everyone turned to look at him in disbelief. No way…

Shen Jingque joined in the teasing. “Yeah! He’s never said he loves me. Not even once!”

He sounded so convincing.

Seriously, he deserved an Oscar.

Huo Yunyan nearly choked on his drink. What the heck— He nudged Shen Jingque under the table. Couldn’t you have picked a script that didn’t make me look like such a jerk?

If anything, he’s the one always getting pushed around.

“Brother Huo? Is what Jingque said true?”

“Don’t listen to him,” Huo Yunyan said after pulling himself together. “The reason I didn’t confess first was because there’s a big age gap between us. I was afraid of leading him on before he was emotionally mature. If things went wrong, we might’ve even ruined our friendship.”

That explanation made sense. In this kind of relationship, the older person really should act responsibly. Teenage boys don’t always know what they really want. Being cautious was actually a good thing.

“You’re really thoughtful, Brother Huo,” someone said. “But if you two are together now, why still no love confession?”

“…”

“Love’s not just about actions,” someone else chimed in. “You have to say it too! Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you get a free pass on sweet talk.”

After all, Shen Jingque was still young. Of course he wanted affection and cheesy romance from his boyfriend.

Huo Yunyan let out a helpless laugh—they were attacking him over his age again. And this time, it wasn’t even true! He looked at Shen Jingque with pleading eyes, silently begging him to jump in and change the subject. Don’t just sit there like it’s none of your business!

But Shen Jingque didn’t take the hint. Instead, he grinned and said, “Why are you looking at me like that? What, is saying ‘I love you’ gonna cost you a kidney or something?”

Huo Yunyan thought to himself, Come on, you know I love you.

Was there anyone in this world who loved Shen Jingque more than he did?

“Don’t be shy, Brother Huo!” someone teased. “Your boyfriend’s asking—just say it!”

Of course, the one thing people loved more than gossip was pushing cute couples into sappy, lovey-dovey drama.

The mood was already perfect; everyone was laughing like they were the ones in love.

“Yeah, just say it,” Shen Jingque added, clearly enjoying himself.

That smug little face was driving Huo Yunyan crazy. Honestly, he had no problem saying it—it’s just, well, he wasn’t the showy type. But if saying it would shut everyone up…

He cleared his throat. “Shen Jingque, I love you.”

The words hit Shen Jingque like a jolt—his ears tingled. But it came out so fast, it felt unreal. Like he’d imagined it. He wanted to hear it again.

“You—”

“And I’ll keep loving you, no matter what happens in the future. You know better than anyone that no one in the world loves you more than I do.”

Huo Yunyan reached over and ruffled his hair. Sweet talk wasn’t really his thing—he was more of a “show it through actions” kind of guy.

The whole table went silent. That was… a full-blown emotional bomb. And they’d asked for it.

“I love you too,” Shen Jingque murmured, eyes lowered, hands wrapped tightly around his cold drink. But his ears and palms were burning up. The drink felt like nothing—he was melting from the inside out.

“Awww, they both said it! Come on, kiss now!”

“Yeah, kiss, kiss!”

“…?” Huo Yunyan felt his face heat up. Wait, we’re not done yet?

He gave a soft laugh, half-exasperated. Okay, this is getting out of hand. Real couples, maybe. But we’re just pretending…

He cleared his throat. “Jingque’s a bit shy. Let’s save the kissing for when we’re home.”

“No way! Jingque said he wasn’t shy!” his coworkers shot back immediately—they’d spent a whole day with him and didn’t buy it for a second.

“Right? Jingque definitely wants to kiss! Right, Jingque?”

“…?” Shen Jingque blinked. Wait, what just happened?

He hadn’t seen this coming. He was a little shy, okay? He reached up to rub his burning ear. Seeing his reaction, the others were disappointed.

“Come on, really?” their looks said. “We expected better from you, man.”

Are they looking down on me?!

Shen Jingque, still full of youthful pride, couldn’t take that. Fired up by the challenge, he puffed up and said, “Fine! You want a kiss? You’ll get a kiss!”

Then he sneaked a quick glance at Huo Yunyan, wondering… Am I dead meat later?

Maybe not. Huo Yunyan wouldn’t actually hit him, right?

Shen Jingque leaned in like he meant business. Huo Yunyan nearly jumped—panic mode activated. His brain was running at top speed:

Step one: Don’t embarrass Shen Jingque. So no dodging.

Step two: Definitely don’t kiss on the lips.

So… he turned his cheek.

Huo Yunyan kissed Shen Jingque on the forehead, but everyone immediately groaned.

“That doesn’t count! That’s not a couple’s kiss—it’s more like a dad kissing his good little boy.”

Shen Jingque agreed. So, while Huo Yunyan wasn’t paying attention, he quickly cupped the guy’s face and kissed him on the lips.

Finally, the whole table gave their stamp of approval.

Huo Yunyan froze for half a second. If they weren’t still pretending, he might have stayed stunned longer, still processing the feeling on his lips.

He couldn’t believe it—Little Feather had actually kissed him on the mouth.

This little joke was definitely getting out of hand.

Too many people were around to make a scene, so he just decided: We’ll settle this at home.

“Why the long face? Are you mad I kissed you?” Shen Jingque was just as surprised at himself. But since it already happened, and now Huo Yunyan wasn’t smiling, he got distracted.

“You’re mistaken. I’m thrilled. Overjoyed. In fact, I’m about to run three laps around the building,” Huo Yunyan said flatly.

Everyone around them cracked up. “Brother Huo, you’re hilarious!”

“Hmph,” Shen Jingque huffed.

Dinner wrapped up, and next on the agenda was karaoke. Twenty-something people crammed into the biggest private room available, and even then, there weren’t enough seats.

So Shen Jingque helpfully sat down on Huo Yunyan’s lap. “Let’s share a seat so others can have space.”

Huo Yunyan raised an eyebrow. “…” Wow. So thoughtful.

“What’s with the stiff posture? You’re my boyfriend. Sitting on your lap is totally normal,” Shen Jingque said matter-of-factly.

Boyfriends sitting on each other’s laps? Perfectly natural.

Huo Yunyan clenched his jaw. He really wanted to remind the guy not to get too into character.

“Boyfriend, feed me some fruit.”

Today was a rare opportunity—once they got home, he’d stop being the boyfriend—so Shen Jingque planned to make the most of it.

Huo Yunyan sighed. He wanted to be annoyed, but even knowing Little Feather was messing with him on purpose, he couldn’t actually get mad. So he just gave up resisting and fed him some fruit.

While doing it, he muttered, “Even when I’m not your boyfriend, I still feed you. All the time.”

I’ve been feeding you since you were a kid.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t taste the same. Boyfriend fruit hits different,” Shen Jingque said smugly.

“You’re such a brat,” Huo Yunyan laughed.

“It’s just one night! Gotta take full advantage,” Shen Jingque grinned, popping a grape into his mouth before nudging Huo Yunyan. “Wanna play Truth or Dare with me?”

“You’ll lose nonstop,” Huo Yunyan warned, seeing through the trap instantly. “Besides, is there even anything I don’t already know about you? Even if I win, there’s no challenge.”

“Then make it a dare. Whatever you say, I’ll do it.”

“I don’t want you to do anything,” he replied dryly.

Shen Jingque turned to look straight into his eyes and grinned. “Liar.”

For some reason, that look made Huo Yunyan feel weirdly guilty. He coughed and said, “Alright, fine. I’ve got a long list of rules for you to follow. Want to start now?”

Just thinking about those “rules” made Shen Jingque instantly deflate.

Never mind. Maybe he didn’t want to play anymore.

But he still happily played with the coworkers. His skills weren’t great, and he quickly lost a round—and chose dare.

With his boyfriend right there, what kind of wild dare could they even come up with?

“Hmm… How about a big, passionate kiss with your boyfriend?”

The public display of affection might sting a little, but without it, the whole vibe just felt… off.

People are weird like that—maybe we all have a bit of a masochistic streak.

Instinctively, Huo Yunyan wanted to back away. But it was too late. Shen Jingque had already turned around and pinned him down. With his lips hovering right by Huo Yunyan’s, he gave a mischievous grin and whispered,

“I’m giving you a chance to escape. If you push me away, I won’t kiss you.”

His breath brushed across Huo Yunyan’s face; their closeness and posture practically dripped with tension.

They’d been this close before, but back then, there were no mixed feelings, no inner chaos. This was different.

Huo Yunyan was tense, every muscle pulled tight. His hand had been resting on Shen Jingque’s shoulder, but now it froze mid-motion. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, all screaming the same thing: Push him away. Don’t think. Just move.

It was the only logical choice. The safe choice.

But in that moment, surrounded by people who’d already accepted their “relationship,” he hesitated—and lost.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was Shen Jingque.

Either way, he didn’t push him away.

He pulled him closer.

Fingers tightening on Shen Jingque’s shoulder, Huo Yunyan leaned in and kissed him back—slow, deliberate, deep.

Time seemed to slow. Shen Jingque watched Huo Yunyan’s familiar face inch closer, but somehow, in that moment, it felt like a whole new version of him. And weirdly sexy.

Heart pounding, he felt the kiss deepen, Huo Yunyan gently prying his lips apart. His eyes widened in surprise.

Wait—what?

How was he supposed to react to this??

Totally embarrassing.

Seeing Shen Jingque frozen, Huo Yunyan let out a low chuckle.

“See? That’s a real kiss,” he said. “Not whatever that was at the dinner table.”

He raised a hand to cup the back of Shen Jingque’s head and kissed him again—long, steady, and intense.

It felt like revenge. Sweet, personal revenge on the little featherbrain who kept toying with him.

But that satisfaction didn’t last long.

As it faded, guilt came rushing in—overwhelming, suffocating.

What the hell did I just do?

Just a few drinks and a little teasing, and he lost control like that? How could he look Shen Jingque in the eye after this?

“….”

Huo Yunyan snapped out of it. Disgusted with himself, he clenched his fists and looked down to hide his expression. After a moment, he gave Shen Jingque a light push and muttered,

“Jingque… I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Shen Jingque replied, still dazed.

That kiss had totally short-circuited his brain.

So that’s what a real kiss feels like…

But wait. What was Huo Yunyan thinking?

He couldn’t sit still anymore. He quickly stood up and followed after him, heart thumping wildly. As he walked, he kept touching his lips, trying to guess what was going on in Huo Yunyan’s head.

In his mind, a guy like Huo Yunyan—so straight-laced and traditional—would never go along with a kiss like that just for the act. If he didn’t mind being kissed… maybe it meant something.

When Shen Jingque stepped into the bathroom, he saw Huo Yunyan standing by the sink, hands braced on the edge like he’d just splashed water on his face.

“You okay? Did you drink too much?” Shen Jingque asked, concerned.

Hearing his voice, Huo Yunyan quickly stood up straight, grabbed some paper towels, and smiled as he dried his face.

“No, just had a few beers. I’m fine.”

“Oh.” Shen Jingque nodded. Then coughed lightly, a bit shy. “Anyway, it’s getting kinda late. I’ll go tell the manager we’re heading out.”

“Good idea,” Huo Yunyan said quickly. Honestly, he couldn’t wait to get out of there. Any longer and he was going to lose it.

Saying goodbye to everyone went smoothly. On the way back home, neither of them brought up that kiss, as if it had never happened. Everything looked the same on the surface.

But how could things possibly be the same?

It happened. Pretending it didn’t only made the silence feel like the calm before a storm.

Huo Yunyan wanted to say something—he knew they needed to talk—but when Shen Jingque didn’t bring it up, he had no idea how to start.

Once they got home, Shen Jingque immediately pushed him toward the bathroom.

“You stink. Go take a shower. I’m gonna wash up too.”

His nose had always been sharp—he hated any lingering smell from outside.

“Alright.” Huo Yunyan gave in helplessly and went to shower first.

They hadn’t even shared a bed the night before, and now it was already bedtime. And with that thing that just happened earlier tonight… Huo Yunyan felt like his brain was a tangled mess. He had never felt this confused in his life.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

In the bathroom, he dawdled for over thirty minutes, completely out of it. When he finally came out, he was surprised to see Shen Jingque lying on the bed, reading.

“Don’t read while lying down. It’s bad for your eyes,” he blurted out instinctively.

“Oh.” Shen Jingque sat up right away.

The short exchange broke the silence. Huo Yunyan sat down at the edge of the bed, ready to finally talk about it.

Except—Shen Jingque beat him to it.

“Hey, Huo Yunyan,” he said, hiding the bottom half of his face behind the book. His eyes crinkled with a teasing smile. “So, what’s it like being my boyfriend?”

“…”

Huo Yunyan thought, Well, perfect timing. I was just about to bring this up.

“Do you wanna keep being my boyfriend?” Shen Jingque asked again. He leaned in, still playful. “I was pretty happy with the trial version tonight. If you feel the same, how about we make it official?”

If Huo Yunyan hadn’t noticed that the book was upside down and that Shen Jingque’s fingers were trembling slightly from nerves, he might’ve really believed that carefree tone.

Huo Yunyan’s throat tightened, and for a moment, his mind went completely blank. Just two sentences—this little feather managed to wipe out the half-hour’s worth of prep he’d done in the bathroom.

Does he even know what he’s saying?

“You sure you’re not still in character? Got too into the role?” Huo Yunyan tried to laugh it off, but it came out awkward and forced.

“What do you think?” Shen Jingque shot back, tossing the question right back at him.

Huo Yunyan had a million thoughts. Judging from that attitude… he was serious. Which meant—his past suspicions were right. This little bird had been plotting something all along.

No wonder Shen Jingque had kept poking and teasing him. No wonder he kept creating those “ambiguous” moments. Huo Yunyan rubbed his forehead, half amused, half baffled.

“Hey?” Shen Jingque pouted. “What’s with that face?”

Sure, it was a bit unbelievable—but Shen Jingque thought he’d already dropped enough hints, laid enough groundwork. Why was Huo Yunyan still this shocked? Was he pretending to be clueless?

Huo Yunyan snapped back to reality. Shen Jingque’s bright, expressive face was right in front of him. His thoughts wavered, but he quickly pulled himself together and spoke—his voice a little strained.

“This is serious, and you just casually blurt it out like that. Of course I thought you were joking.”

Shen Jingque immediately smacked him with the book, his face red with frustration. “Who’s joking? You already kissed me, Huo Yunyan—don’t even think about backing out!”

“Hey, don’t hit—just… tell me honestly. Have you been flirting with me this whole time?” Huo Yunyan raised a hand to block the attack, eyes locked on him, intense but warm. “Hmm?”

Once the truth was out, it was impossible to pretend nothing had changed.

Not that he realized it, but Huo Yunyan was smiling like he’d just struck gold.

As soon as Shen Jingque met his eyes, his whole body flared up with embarrassment—like all his defenses had just been stripped away.

But so what? He wasn’t afraid to say it.

“Hmph, I’m just gonna say it straight. I like you. Huo Yunyan, I like you.”

Then he gave Huo Yunyan a light smack with his book. “Your turn.”

“…Uh…” Huo Yunyan’s mind was still completely blank. The truth was, he’d never been the kind of guy to think too highly of himself—he never once imagined Little Feather might actually like him.

And he definitely wasn’t the type to flirt on purpose. That would’ve felt like inviting lightning to strike him on the spot.

Some things, Little Feather could get away with. But he couldn’t.

“Do you like me or not?” Shen Jingque puffed up his cheeks.

Huo Yunyan didn’t answer right away. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m… just really surprised.” That was his first honest reaction. He looked at Shen Jingque’s tense, nervous face and said softly, “From where I stand, I never thought you’d like someone like me. I raised you, I’m so much older than you… it just didn’t seem possible.”

“But our coworkers said we look good together,” Shen Jingque pouted, glaring at him like: Say anything I don’t like and see what happens.

“Okay, okay—they were right,” Huo Yunyan said quickly, half-laughing but then turning serious. “But think about it… maybe it’s just dependency. You’re used to me because we’ve always been around each other. You haven’t really had the chance to go out and meet new people.”

“I’m not an idiot! I know the difference between liking someone and depending on them!” Shen Jingque yelled, already frustrated that his heartfelt confession was being analyzed to death. “It’s not that complicated! Your body tells the truth—I like it when you kiss me!”

“Teenage boys sometimes—”

“Why are you making so many excuses?” Shen Jingque cut him off, eyes blazing. He stood on the bed and shouted, “You either like me or you don’t. Don’t twist it all around. If you don’t, just say so—I won’t force you.”

He started getting off the bed.

Panicked, Huo Yunyan thought he was leaving and quickly wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. His heart was racing.

“I like you. I do. Little Feather, calm down. You know better than anyone how slow I am with this stuff—it’s only because I care too much,” he said, his voice low. “You say you like me now… but what if you don’t anymore later? Did you think about what that would do to me?”

What he’d said earlier at dinner was all true. He was terrified of how things might end. What if it ruined everything? What if they couldn’t even be friends anymore, let alone live under the same roof?

Just imagining Little Feather leaving him already hurt so much it was unbearable.

“You make me sound like a total player. Do you really have that little faith in yourself? Or in me?” Shen Jingque plopped down on the bed again, sulking as he tried to pry Huo Yunyan’s arms off his waist. He’d worked up the courage to say everything out loud, but Huo Yunyan was still holding back—it made him want to give up. “If you want to keep pretending nothing’s happening, fine. But I’m done pretending.”

“I’m giving you time to think. I’m going back to my room. Just looking at you right now makes me mad.”

Shen Jingque told him to let go.

But Huo Yunyan didn’t. If anything, he held on tighter—like he was afraid Shen Jingque might disappear if he let go. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against Little Feather’s back.

“Don’t go,” he said quietly. It was almost a plea.

“Are you going to be my boyfriend or not?” Shen Jingque asked one last time. If he didn’t get a real answer now, he’d try again tomorrow.

“I will. I want to be your boyfriend.”

Huo Yunyan nodded with quiet conviction. No more hesitation.

He’d dreamed of being Little Feather’s boyfriend.

He just never thought it would actually come true.

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