Axolotl Translations

Shen Jingque had blurted everything out, fully prepared to fight a long, drawn-out battle with this old-fashioned man. What he didn’t expect… was for Huo Yunyan to actually say yes. Now he was the one caught off guard.

Wait—Huo Yunyan was this easy to win over?

“You serious?” Shen Jingque slowly turned to face him, lips pressed tight, face stubborn as he stared at Huo Yunyan.

Thinking about all the little hints Shen Jingque had been dropping lately, Huo Yunyan didn’t feel smug—he felt a little heartbroken. Guilty, even. Guilty for pretending not to see it, guilty for avoiding it. He looked him in the eyes and nodded firmly. “I’m serious.”

And then he gently pulled him into his arms, his hand slowly rubbing his back in comfort. “This is my fault. I was being a coward. I never had the guts to face this head-on.”

“Actually, I’ve liked you for a long time…”

Even now, saying it made him feel guilty.

Shen Jingque blinked up at him. It was rare to see Huo Yunyan like this—usually, he was the one getting scolded for being a brat.

“You’ve liked me for a long time? How long exactly?” he asked, curious.

Huo Yunyan paused. There was no clean way to answer that without sounding like a creep, so he vaguely replied, “Longer than you’ve liked me.”

Then he sighed again, full of guilt. “Still my fault.”

Shen Jingque leaned his head against his chest and shook his head. “Don’t say that. I was the one being impulsive, doing whatever I wanted without thinking of the consequences.”

He was just glad Huo Yunyan actually liked him back. If Huo Yunyan had only ever seen him as some kid he helped raise… well, that would’ve been a tragedy.

Huo Yunyan understood what he meant. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. “You’re way too smart—I don’t believe for a second you didn’t already know what you were doing.”

He figured Shen Jingque had picked up on something early on. That’s the only reason he dared to make a move.

Shen Jingque smiled. That’s true. He wasn’t dumb. He knew exactly who spoiled him, who cared about him.

“So… does that mean I successfully chased you down?” he asked after a quiet hug, eyes gleaming with an odd sense of pride.

To Huo Yunyan, the mix of smugness and innocence on his face was irresistible. He looked so sweet and bold at the same time—it made his heart itch. He nodded. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

He just knew if he said “no,” Shen Jingque wouldn’t like that answer.

“Oh.” Shen Jingque seemed satisfied. He curled up again in Huo Yunyan’s arms, peaceful and content, probably savoring the taste of victory.

As the one who had been “chased down,” Huo Yunyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But what could he do?

“I’m so happy… and so sleepy,” Shen Jingque mumbled.

After a long day of work, dinner, hanging out, and that emotional rollercoaster of a confession… he was completely drained. Now that he had officially locked in his man, his eyes were starting to close.

Huo Yunyan was still riding the emotional high, heart racing—he looked down and saw the guy who’d spent all night teasing him… falling asleep. Helpless, he said, “Don’t sleep yet, Little Feather. Don’t you want to give me a kiss first?”

Under Huo Yunyan’s persistent request, Shen Jingque reluctantly forced himself to stay awake and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Alright, now you can sleep,” Huo Yunyan gently patted his face, his voice low and warm. As for himself? Sleep probably wasn’t happening. He was still buzzing with excitement, and there was a good chance that feeling would last all night.

Shen Jingque, on the other hand, had recharged his batteries by the time morning rolled around. He looked at the man sleeping beside him—Huo Yunyan, who’d abandoned his usual sleeping habits and was now holding him close—and he couldn’t help but grin like an idiot.

Huo Yunyan used to sleep like a statue—never touching, never leaning in. They kept things polite and distant, like respectful housemates.

But now… this man was officially his boyfriend.

It felt surreal.

“Why are you smiling at me like that first thing in the morning?” Huo Yunyan had woken up too. He opened his eyes to Shen Jingque’s silly grin and instinctively kissed his forehead. “Morning.”

Then he paused, as if something occurred to him, and came back in for a proper kiss on the lips. “Morning, baby.”

Now that’s how you say good morning.

“…You’re such a sap,” Shen Jingque was caught off guard. So this was what Huo Yunyan was like as a boyfriend?

“What? That’s nothing,” Huo Yunyan chuckled. “Weren’t you super aggressive before? I thought you were, you know… experienced.”

Turns out he was just a paper tiger.

“Hmph, are you teasing me now?” Shen Jingque was all theory and no practice. Boldly kissing Huo Yunyan was already his most courageous move yet.

“C’mon, get up.” Huo Yunyan patted his head fondly. After all the time they’d spent sharing a bed, he knew full well how innocent his Little Feather really was. Painfully innocent—unless he’d been secretly doing things he didn’t know about (but probably not).

He had wondered though… did Little Feather not have urges? But since he’d never caught him in the act, he hadn’t had the chance to bring it up. Not to mention, he always felt too awkward to talk about it directly. Now that they were officially dating though, it was time to have those talks.

“I’m gonna use the bathroom first,” Huo Yunyan said casually. “You… probably know what I’m going in there to do, right?”

As a single adult man, he sometimes had to take care of things in the morning—and the bathroom was where it happened. But did Little Feather think he was just in there for a long poop?

Shen Jingque’s face turned red. He didn’t want to answer, but also didn’t want to seem clueless, so he gave a proud little nod. “Yeah. Obviously.”

Seeing that made Huo Yunyan blush a little. He suddenly felt like a perv. But this was normal, right? He cleared his throat and asked, “So… do you, uh, handle that kind of stuff too?”

Another impossible question.

Shen Jingque brought a fist to his mouth and coughed, pretending to be calm. “Bit late to start asking now, isn’t it?”

Where was all this concern back when it would’ve actually helped?

“Yeah, I know,” Huo Yunyan admitted, a little sheepish. “Luckily, you’re smart.”

“…Ugh.” Shen Jingque kicked him lightly under the covers. “Stop stalling. Go do your business already.”

Huo Yunyan rubbed the spot where he got kicked, then slowly broke into a cheeky grin. Shen Jingque felt an itch to kick him again.

The way they were fussing and teasing each other—yeah, it finally felt like they were a real couple now.

After living a clean and lonely life for over thirty years, Huo Yunyan suddenly had a boyfriend. But he wasn’t in any rush to ditch that lifestyle. His bottom line was still intact—he wasn’t ready to go all the way just yet.

Kissing was fine. Everything else? No rush. He was happy to wait until his little feather got more comfortable with their relationship.

Shen Jingque was shy by nature, sure, but being a little brat seemed to be in his DNA. It was like a reflex—he could push past his embarrassment just to mess with Huo Yunyan.

They stayed in bed for a bit, then Shen Jingque suddenly got up, stared at the master bathroom door for a second, then walked over and knocked. “Hey, are you done yet? I gotta go. Like, now.”

Huo Yunyan nearly jumped out of his skin. Then he clenched his jaw—this brat was doing it on purpose. “Use the other bathroom.”

Shen Jingque snickered outside the door. Normally, he’d back off after one joke. He had limits. But today was different. The guy inside was his boyfriend now. What was there to be afraid of?

“It’s too far. I can’t wait. I’m coming in.” He gave a so-called warning and then twisted the doorknob and walked in.

Huo Yunyan was annoyed but also amused. Normally, he’d bolt. But today… it’s just his boyfriend. What’s the big deal?

That mindset got both of them in trouble. As soon as Shen Jingque looked up, he saw Huo Yunyan standing sideways, totally casual, not covering anything.

He froze. Then, in the next second, he spun around like lightning.

“Why aren’t you wearing clothes?!” he asked, clearly offended.

Huo Yunyan laughed. “You barged in. I told you what I was doing in here, didn’t I?”

Shen Jingque had no comeback. He just gritted his teeth and stormed out.

He really wasn’t ready to handle that.

Yeah… he was definitely gonna need some time to adjust.

At breakfast downstairs, they both acted like nothing happened—calm and composed, like that little moment upstairs never even existed.

But beneath the surface, Huo Yunyan was wondering: What did he mean by that reaction? Does he think I traumatized him?

Meanwhile, Shen Jingque was thinking: Poor guy… over thirty and only now in a relationship. I shouldn’t make him wait too long.

Different thoughts, same awkward tension. The vibe had somehow returned to the early flirting stage, where neither dared to make the next move.

Huo Yunyan looked at Shen Jingque’s calm face and started to regret it. He’d rushed things. Should’ve let the other guy ease into it more slowly.

Next time, he was definitely locking the door…

“Bye! We’re eating lunch together, right?” Shen Jingque asked as he got out of Huo Yunyan’s car to head to work.

They worked so close—should be easy to meet up.

“Of course. Want me to come find you?” Huo Yunyan asked carefully, not wanting to come off as pushy.

“Better if I go to you. If you show up, I might still be in the middle of something. Timing could get messy,” Shen Jingque said. Huo Yunyan was the boss—he could come and go as he pleased.

“Alright, your call.” Huo Yunyan watched him unbuckle his seatbelt, ready to hop out of the car. “Hey—aren’t you forgetting something?”

Shen Jingque turned around to check. “I didn’t forget anything.”

Huo Yunyan pointed at himself, then his lips. “You forgot this. You didn’t kiss me.”

Oh, that. Shen Jingque laughed, lips curling. “If you want a kiss, why don’t you just kiss me? Why do I always have to be the one to start it?”

Fair point.

Huo Yunyan explained, “I was afraid you’d get annoyed.” Somehow, making the first move just felt… overstepping.

Shen Jingque didn’t comment, but it was clear: it wasn’t just him who needed to adjust to this relationship. Huo Yunyan was figuring it out too.

He leaned in, gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and said softly, “Bye. See you at lunch.”

“Mm. See you.” Huo Yunyan reluctantly let go, then added, locking eyes with him, “Think about me, Little Feather.”

“Got it.” Shen Jingque waved and walked off.

They said they’d see each other at lunch, but not long after Shen Jingque arrived at the café, a huge coffee order came in—from Huo Yunyan’s company.

He immediately called. “What’s with the massive coffee order? You guys having a meeting or something?”

Huo Yunyan: “I’m in a good mood. Treating everyone to coffee.”

Shen Jingque let out a helpless laugh. “You being happy means all my coworkers are running around like crazy.”

It was barely morning and they were already swamped.

Still, the manager was thrilled. They even arranged for in-person delivery. Originally, the manager planned to go too, hoping to meet this VIP customer and possibly lock in a regular.

Shen Jingque had no choice but to confess—his boyfriend placed the order. “It’s fine. I’ll deliver it myself.”

Everyone was a bit surprised, but Shen Jingque suited up in the café uniform and headed out with another coworker to deliver the drinks.

Everyone at the company recognized Shen Jingque. They froze for a second before figuring it out—and immediately came over to grab their drinks.

“Thanks, Handsome Shen! Oh my god, I got my favorite—latte!”

Shen Jingque turned bright red. “It’s from your President Huo, not me! I’m just the delivery guy!”

But everyone smiled knowingly. “Exactly—because you work at the café, that’s why President Huo placed the order. This is the first time he’s ever done something like this.”

Cold, serious President Huo never did this kind of thing. Normally, only General Manager Jiang or Vice President Fu treated the staff.

Shen Jingque was a little stunned. When they put it that way… it actually made sense.

Feeling a little giddy, he personally delivered Huo Yunyan’s coffee. The man was buried in paperwork when he walked in.

“Hey, your coffee’s here.”

Strutting in casually, he placed the drink on the desk and turned to go. The café was still busy, after all.

But Huo Yunyan reached out and caught him, pulling the startled Shen Jingque into his lap.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Shen Jingque protested, trying to stand up.

Huo Yunyan teased, “You’re the one who said you wanted to sit on your boyfriend’s lap. And now you’re backing out?”

Little Feather’s heart really was impossible to read.

“It still depends on the time and place, okay? This is your office. And I’m technically… on a work trip.” Shen Jingque muttered, but he didn’t try to move. Instead, he just leaned back obediently into Huo Yunyan’s arms.

Honestly, like this, things didn’t feel all that different from before.

They held each other quietly for a while until Shen Jingque finally turned around—only to meet Huo Yunyan’s eyes. Not surprising. It felt like the guy had been staring at him the entire time.

“You’ve been staring at the back of my head this whole time? What’s so interesting about it?” Shen Jingque teased.

“As long as it’s you, every angle is interesting,” Huo Yunyan said, gaze steady.

Suddenly, Shen Jingque had a bad feeling and tried to lean back, but it was too late. Huo Yunyan had already grabbed his chin, pulling him into a kiss that started soft but quickly deepened—bolder and more intense than last night’s.

Shen Jingque could barely handle it. His face flushed red, heart pounding like crazy. His hands pressed against Huo Yunyan’s chest, only to realize—the guy’s heartbeat was just as fast.

Somehow, mid-kiss, Shen Jingque found himself shifted around, now sitting directly on Huo Yunyan’s lap, facing him. He panicked. “W–Wait, this is your office!”

Still kissing him, Huo Yunyan mumbled, “Relax. I just wanted a kiss. What did you think I was gonna do?”

Shen Jingque choked, unable to respond. Okay… maybe he had jumped to conclusions. No matter how much of a beast Huo Yunyan could be, even he wouldn’t go that far—right?

“But we can talk about it…” Huo Yunyan added, looking completely serious, despite the flush on Shen Jingque’s cheeks. “So, Little Feather, what’s your opinion on that… thing?”

Shen Jingque hesitated. “What… thing?”

Trying to play dumb clearly didn’t sit well with Huo Yunyan. “You really want me to say it out loud?”

That jerk—! Shen Jingque gritted his teeth and gave his arm a sharp pinch.

“Ah—what the hell! Are you trying to murder your future husband?” Huo Yunyan winced but held his arm up closer. “Go ahead, pinch all you want. But once you’re done, you have to answer.”

Shen Jingque looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Alright, alright. New question,” Huo Yunyan said gently, not wanting to push. “Let’s talk about this morning instead.”

Immediately, Shen Jingque slapped a hand over his mouth. “What morning? Nothing happened this morning! Nothing at all!”

Huo Yunyan chuckled, easily pulling the hand away and holding it. “Wow. You really forgot? Want me to help jog your memory?”

“No, don’t! Don’t say anything!” Shen Jingque was panicking now. With no free hand, he even considered covering Huo Yunyan’s mouth with his mouth.

“You barged into the bathroom this morning. What exactly did you see—”

“…” Shen Jingque went completely still. Mentally flatlined. But the moment Huo Yunyan brought it up, the scene he’d been trying so hard to forget came rushing back in vivid detail. His ears instantly turned red.

“You looked surprised. Why? Does it look that different from yours?” Huo Yunyan asked, genuinely confused.

Shen Jingque stayed quiet for a long time before grumbling through clenched teeth, “You have no shame.”

Huo Yunyan was about to reply when someone knocked on the door—end of their sneaky little flirting session.

“Someone’s here. I’m leaving.” Shen Jingque jumped off his lap and started toward the door—only to turn back a second later, refusing to be outdone. He grabbed Huo Yunyan’s chin, gave him a loud kiss, and declared, “Even if you’re shameless, I still like you.”

Huo Yunyan touched his lips, smiling to himself. The person walking in had no idea why their boss looked so incredibly pleased.

“Why the sudden treat today?” someone asked after they wrapped up the meeting, curiosity getting the better of them.

“Something good happened at home,” Huo Yunyan replied simply.

After Shen Jingque’s team finished the big order from Huo Yunyan’s company, things finally calmed down at the shop. The morning shift was about to wrap up, and by 11 a.m., they were already placing lunch orders.

“Jingque, we’re ordering lunch—what do you want?”

“Thanks, but don’t include me. I’ve got lunch plans,” Shen Jingque told the manager. He was heading to have lunch at his boyfriend’s company, and the manager happily agreed.

Right on cue, Huo Yunyan called to ask what he wanted to eat.

“So many choices… you pick for me,” Shen Jingque said, his brain already turning to mush just hearing the other’s voice.

He started to worry—was this how it was going to be from now on?

Turns out Huo Yunyan wasn’t thinking any clearer either. He ended up ordering way too much food. Before Shen Jingque even arrived, two familiar faces walked in rubbing their bellies.

“Wow, that’s a lot of food. Mind if we eat here too?”

They hadn’t even noticed Huo Yunyan’s exasperated expression. Just as he was about to say something, his VIP guest finally arrived.

Seeing the unexpected guests, Shen Jingque wasn’t annoyed—in fact, he looked delighted. “Uncle Jiang, Uncle Fu! You’re here too?”

The two men immediately understood what was going on. No wonder Huo Yunyan ordered so much—it was for Shen Jingque.

“Jingque! Come, have a seat. Why didn’t you tell us about the lunch gathering earlier? We almost went out.”

Shen Jingque gave an awkward smile, while Huo Yunyan just held up his hands in silent frustration.

“What’s with the secret eye contact over there? Come on, sit down—aren’t you hungry?”

The meal the young couple ordered was quickly demolished by the two ‘uncles’.

“Starving. Come on, let’s eat,” Shen Jingque said cheerfully. He didn’t mind at all—he liked lively settings and soon got chatting and laughing with the two men like they were old friends.

That left Huo Yunyan slightly sidelined, looking grumpy.

“Come eat,” Shen Jingque called out to his sulking boyfriend. There was no need to pout over something so small.

Huo Yunyan slowly made his way over and sat down right beside him. The two sat close—shoulders practically touching.

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. “Okay, this table’s not that small. Do you two really need to sit that close?”

He even patted the seat next to him. “Jingque, come sit over here with Uncle Jiang. Don’t squeeze with that guy.”

Shen Jingque held his drink and replied, “It’s fine. He’s not a stranger—no need to be polite.”

Hearing that, Huo Yunyan picked up the communal chopsticks and plopped some food into Jiang Ye’s bowl. “Just eat your lunch and stay out of it.”

“Tch…” Jiang Ye didn’t think much of it. Probably just annoyed by all the talking—so he let it go.

With his boyfriend so close yet unable to do anything thanks to the two third wheels, Huo Yunyan could only sneak glances and quietly pass him food every now and then.

Even so, their hearts were full of sweetness.

---

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter