Additional Inheritance - Chap 18
Chapter 18
Luo Yi came out after his shower and he saw Wen Xiaohui looking absentminded while holding his student ID. He could tell that Wen Xiaohui was clearly hesitant to speak. He glanced at his backpack and realised what had happened. “Xiaohui-ge, have you taken a photo yet?”
“Oh! I’ll take it now.” Wen Xiaohui placed the student ID on the floor. He took a photo with his V-sign in the frame, which showed off his long and slender fingers.
“Oh yeah.” Luo Yi took out something from his backpack and passed it to Wen Xiaohui. “Please return this to Sydney tomorrow.”
Wen Xiaohui saw that it was the ID card after taking one look, so he took the opportunity to ask, “Huh? How come you have his ID card?”
“Didn’t we call an ambulance that day? The doctor asked me his name and age when I went to pay, so I took out the ID card to check. I forgot to put it back in the wallet and ended up putting it in my pocket with the receipt.”
“Oh,” said Wen Xiaohui and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He retrieved the ID card and started to wave it around in disgust. “Sydney-jie won’t want this either. Let’s just chuck it away.”
“Yeah, I’ll let you decide what to do with it.”
Wen Xiaohui updated his Weibo; his work today was complete. “Wow, I have nearly 70,000 fans.”
“Let me see.” Luo Yi came over with his dripping wet hair, and the refreshing scent of shampoo wafted all the way into Wen Xiaohui’s nose.
Wen Xiaohui’s Weibo profile picture showed his face resting on his knee and his delicate lips were slightly parted. His skin appeared so pale that it glowed and his V-neck knitted jumper revealed a large portion of his clavicle, which looked sexy and seductive.
“Your profile picture looks great,” said Luo Yi.
The hint of shampoo caused Wen Xiaohui to become disorientated. Suddenly the water from Luo Yi’s hair dripped down onto his screen and he came to his senses. “Are you using the shampoo that I bought?”
“Yeah. I saw it on the shelf so I used it.”
“Ah!” Wen Xiaohui said pressingly, “I already said that I’ll help you apply it. Why did you use it already?”
Luo Yi blinked as if he’d been falsely accused. “How about you do it now?”
“The order’s all messed up. Whatever, let’s do it another day.” Wen Xiaohui leaned closer and sniffed. “It smells so nice.”
Luo Yi used his hair to rub the back of Wen Xiaohui’s head, and laughed, “I’ve given you some.”
The distance between them had narrowed so much that they were able to perceive each other’s breathing. Wen Xiaohui absent-mindedly gripped his mobile phone, and he was so nervous that he began to gulp.
Luo Yi stared into Wen Xiaohui’s eyes and said gently, “Xiaohui-ge, how did you take that photo? Can you really make that expression?”
“What expression?” Wen Xiaohui felt as if the beating of his heart and all his organs were shaking erratically, and he subconsciously backed away.
Luo Yi smiled as he pointed to the profile picture. “This… It looks really sexy.”
Wen Xiaohui laughed awkwardly. “Haha, I had to take over 60 photos to find one that looked good enough and then it took me another hour to edit it. That’s basic professionalism for an influencer.”
Luo Yi rubbed his hair. “You looked great before that.” He stood up as he spoke and left to dry his hair.
Wen Xiaohui was all alone. His whole body felt soft like jelly and he sat down on the floor. His cheeks burned. It took a while for him to come back to his senses. He grabbed his mobile phone and fired out three messages in rapid succession to a chat group for gay men: “Help me find a man!”
“Help me find a man!”
“Help me find a man!”
This cry of desperation caused a lot of people to emerge.
“What’s wrong? You’re in need of a man in the middle of the night?”
“Are you that desperate? Come to gege, I can help you.”
Wen Xiaohui’s fingers typed at lightning speed: “Piss off. I’m serious, help me find a boyfriend. I want rid of my cursed virgin body!”
“What’s up with you today?”
How could Wen Xiaohui have the courage to say that he was tempted by a 15 year old youth on occasion, one who made his imagination run wild? It was too shameful1 and depraved. He concluded that he must be too lonely; he had to find a boyfriend as soon as possible.
They continued to cause a ruckus on the group chat for a while until the user nicknamed ‘Xiao Ma2’ responded with the message: “Adi, I’ll be back in a couple of days. I have someone suitable in mind, I’ll introduce you to him.”
Wen Xiaohui glanced at the message and became so excited that he sent a voice message: “Xiao Ma, you’re coming home?!”
An effeminate voice responded, “Don’t scare me like that, okay? I’m having a facial.”
“Are you really coming back? Isn’t it really hard for you to request holidays?”
“I’ve already graduated.”
Xiao Ma was Wen Xiaohui’s best friend, but his real name was Luo Rui. His personality was a little picky and he liked to meddle in other people’s business which is why he was nicknamed “Xiao Ma.” This nickname was actually given to him by Wen Xiaohui.
From a young age, Luo Rui aspired to be a pastry chef. His family were fairly wealthy, so he went to France to study pastry-making after graduating from secondary school. Wen Xiaohui was ecstatic when he heard that Luo Rui was coming home.
“How come you graduated so quickly?”
“I’m not at university. The bakery school only runs for four semesters and it finished last month. I’m vacationing in Italy at the moment. Darling, I’ll be back when I’ve had enough fun.”
“Damn. Bring me back a present!”
“Of course, otherwise you’ll murder me.” Luo Rui responded with disappointment3, “I’ve been away for so long and you still haven’t found a boyfriend. What the hell are you doing?”
“Do you know how busy I’ve been? I can’t even take time off. I only have time for one night stands, but not enough for dating.”
“Bullshit! You’re all talk. If you really had the courage, you wouldn’t be ranting on the group chat.”
Wen Xiaohui scowled miserably. “I want a boyfriend!!!”
“Okay, okay. I told you I would introduce you to someone. Wait for me to come back.”
“He’s not your fall back guy is he?”
“Aren’t you interested?”
“Yes, but let me see him first. If he’s not tall or handsome then just leave it, you know what I like.”
“Of course. Wait for me.”
When Luo Yi came out of the bathroom, he saw Wen Xiaohui giggling like a fool. “What’s up?”
Wen Xiaohui grinned and replied, “My best friend that I’ve known since childhood is returning from abroad. I’ll introduce you. The desserts he makes are phenomenal!”
“That’s great.”
Wen Xiaohui jumped up and said cheerfully, “I’m going for a shower.”
Luo Yi continued to stare at Wen Xiaohui’s back until he disappeared into the bathroom. He picked up his mobile phone and found Shao Qun’s phone number.
———————-
After Wen Xiaohui finished work, he arrived at the coffee shop as arranged. As soon as he entered, he saw Sydney sitting at the table in the far corner. Her rich, black hair contrasted with her pale complexion.
“Sydney-jie.” Wen Xiaohui carefully studied her expression, but he couldn’t tell how she was feeling.
Sydney said, “Take a seat. I’ve ordered you a caramel mocha.”
“Thanks.” Wen Xiaohui rubbed his hands together. This was the first time that he struggled to speak to Sydney.
Sydney asked, “How have you been?”
“Great, thanks.”
“Erm, where did your nephew come from? Aren’t you an only child?”
“Oh, he’s the son of a distant relative. I just got in touch with him recently.”
Sydney’s expression was a little evasive. “So you’ve never met him until now?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, never mind.” Sydney tucked her hair behind her ear and bent down to take a sip of coffee.
Wen Xiaohui asked cautiously, “Sydney-jie, how’ve you been?” A month had passed since the incident at Sydney’s house. He couldn’t imagine what kind of difficulties she had to face during that period.
Sydney nodded and inhaled deeply. “I’m finally rid of him.”
“Huh?” Wen Xiaohui was confused.
Sydney raised her head and said slowly, “He’s dead.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “He died?”
“Yes, he died.”
Wen Xiaohui was so shocked and he asked with a trembling voice, “Was it because of last time…”
“No, it has nothing to do with you two. It happened last week.”
Wen Xiaohui let out a long sigh. Just then he was so scared that his heart almost stopped beating. It would be disastrous if it were Luo Yi’s fault. He asked, “How did he die?”
“He owed more than six million in gambling debts and the loan sharks had been searching for him for ages. They must have found him and forced him to jump off the building.” Sydney paused briefly and added, “The police told me this.”
This sent a chill down Wen Xiaohui’s spine. “Have the loan sharks been bothering you?”
“No, we’re already divorced.” Sydney replied in a serious tone, “I’ll never have to worry about being blackmailed or harassed by him again.”
“Congratulations, Sydney-jie.”
Sydney smiled with reluctance and nodded. She appeared troubled.
Wen Xiaohui suddenly remembered the ID card, and he was in two minds about giving it to Sydney. Returning it would only add to her worries.
Sydney noticed how he was hesitant to speak, and she began to look a little nervous. “What’s wrong? Do you want to say something?”
“Huh? It’s nothing.”
Sydney’s eyes widened. “How much do you know?”
Wen Xiaohui was frightened by her nervous reaction. “How much do I know?”
“What did you want to say? You clearly wanted to say something just now!”
Wen Xiaohui leaned back subconsciously, and he took out the ID card. “It’s no big deal. It’s just this…”
Sydney suddenly recoiled like she had seen a ghost.
“Sydney-jie, don’t be scared.” Wen Xiaohui surmised that she had a bad impression of this person’s face. He tried to placate her immediately. “We took the ID card out when we accompanied him to the ambulance, because the doctor wanted to know his age and name. Luo Yi forgot to put it back in his wallet. I thought it was useless, so I was hesitating about returning it to you.”
Sydney’s voice became a little shrill. “Why are you giving it to me? Throw it out quickly!”
“Okay.” Wen Xiaohui chucked it into the bin quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sydney took a deep breath, and she looked like she was gradually calming down. “It’s fine, I’m sorry I frightened you. This man is my worst nightmare…”
Wen Xiaohui grabbed her hand and stroked it gently. “Sydney-jie, everything’s in the past. Try not to think about it anymore.”
Sydney smiled faintly. “You’re right, it’s all in the past. Thank you, Xiaohui. Thanks for coming to save me.”
Wen Xiaohui responded coquettishly, “That’s fine as long as you don’t get mad at me.”
Sydney grasped his hand and brought it close to her, she nudged it with her forehead. She said as she choked up with emotion, “Thank you, Xiaohui. How come you’re so kind?”
Wen Xiaohui giggled, “It’s because you’re so nice to me.”
Sydney frowned deeply, as if she was finding it difficult to broach the subject. “Your… Your nephew…”
“Luo Yi? What’s wrong with him?”
“Erm, he’s not as simple as you think…”
“Why? Ah, is it because of what he said last time? He only said those callous words because he was furious.” Wen Xiaohui explained, “He’s a great kid, he’s particularly attentive and intelligent.”
Sydney lowered her head solemnly.
———————
On his way home, Wen Xiaohui sat on the bus without playing on his mobile phone, and instead watched the scenery that flittered past the window. He reflected on what had just happened.
He didn’t know why, but it seemed like there were always chaotic thoughts that prevented him from clearing his mind. Since the appearance of Luo Yi, his seemingly peaceful existence was actually very turbulent. And calmly thinking back to Sydney’s reaction just now, he realised that she was acting quite odd. He asked himself, “How much do I know?” How much was he supposed to know? And why did she suddenly bring up the topic of Luo Yi when they were barely acquainted?
He became increasingly puzzled the more he thought about it, and he felt like his head was about to explode. He shook his head, feeling like he must be overthinking it. Sydney’s troubles had been resolved, which was good news for everyone. He should spend more time worrying about his own problems like Shao Qun.
His mobile phone suddenly rang. When he glanced down, he realised it was Raven calling and Wen Xiaohui answered the phone. “Hi Raven.”
“Xiaohui, where are you?”
“I’m on my way home.”
“It’s my birthday today.”
“Huh? Ah!” Wen Xiaohui said hurriedly, “I’m sorry, Raven. I’ve been so busy recently that…”
“It’s alright.” Raven laughed, “I didn’t mention it at the studio because I didn’t want too many people to know and make a fuss. It’s so annoying. I only want to spend it with people that I’m close to. I’m at The Cash Box. Come on over so we can hang out together.”
“Okay, but I don’t have a gift prepared…” Wen Xiaohui secretly cursed Raven for being cheap. Why did he have to tell him? He felt obliged to buy a present. He had a niggling feeling that this sudden enthusiasm could only lead to trouble. However, it was Raven’s birthday, so how could he face him in future if he refused to go? His only choice was to accept the invitation.
“It’s fine, your presence is enough.”
Wen Xiaohui got off the bus at the next stop, and there happened to be a shopping centre nearby. He went inside to buy a jar of La Mer eye cream. He was in so much pain4 as he parted with his money, that he wanted to cry.
After carefully wrapping the present, he resigned himself to his fate and made his way to The Cash Box.
As he got off the bus, he received Luo Yi’s text message asking how his meeting with Sydney went. He remembered that he had yet to tell Luo Yi the important news. He replied: “I’m going to my boss’s birthday party. I have something to tell you when I get home. It’s groundbreaking news!”
He had just sent the text message when he received Luo Yi’s call. Wen Xiaohui thought that Luo Yi wanted to find out about Sydney, but wasn’t expecting the first thing to come out of his mouth to be, “Are you going to a bar?”
“No, karaoke.”
“Don’t drink too much and don’t stay out too late, it’s bad for your body.”
“Got it.” Wen Xiaohui felt that Luo Yi was like a partner checking up on his other half. He began to think carefully and it seemed that every time he went back to his own home, Luo Yi would check up on him. He initially thought that he was making ordinary conversation, just like ‘have you eaten yet’ but he began to think that Luo Yi genuinely wanted to know what he was doing. Luo Yi’s dependence on him was concerning, as it made him feel under pressure, but also sympathetic towards Luo Yi.
“Where are you? I’ll pick you up if you get drunk.”
“There’s no need. My colleagues will bring me back if I’m drunk.”
“Tell me, just in case.”
“The Cash Box on XX Road. I’m here now. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The waiter escorted Wen Xiaohui to the private karaoke room. As soon as the door opened, Wen Xiaohui felt all the blood rushing to his head – the person sitting next to Raven was Director Luo.
Footnotes:
Another reference to losing face to convey embarrassment.
Xiao Ma means Little Mum is Luo Rui’s nickname.
恨铁不成钢, feeling resentment towards someone for not having made any improvements (idiom). The literal meaning is to hate iron for not becoming steel.
Just wanted to clarify that he’s not in any physical pain. If you recall, Wen Xiaohui’s salary is very low so he’s crying inside about having to fork out so much on a present for Raven. The cream costs £200/$250 which is more than what he earns in a month.
