Additional Inheritance - Chap 3

Chapter 3

After finishing work, both of them were called into the office and harshly scolded. They were each deducted 500 yuan, equivalent to working for free for a week.

Wen Xiaohui left the studio feeling as if he had no strength left in his entire body, each step as heavy as lead1. Today was like his own version of Good Friday, he suffered from the moment he opened his eyes to the present. Although he wanted to save money, he couldn’t help hailing a taxi.

When he staggered home, his nose picked up the fragrance of food wafting out of the house. This was an ordinary and simple kind of smell that wouldn’t normally attract his attention at all, but it left him extremely touched. Since this morning, his brain was focused on the youth who had lost her father and had been abandoned by her mother; a teenager who had left home to work and eventually ended her life at a young age – Luo Yaya. Ordinary happiness like this cannot be bought with any amount of money.

He pushed open the door of the house and Feng Yuehua’s voice came from the kitchen. “Take off your shoes when you come in, brat!”

“Okay.”

Wen Xiaohui changed into his flip-flops and walked into the kitchen.

Feng Yuehua turned her head to look at him and looked a bit worried. After seeing his dejected appearance, she screwed up her eyebrows. “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

“No, I’m feeling rough from drinking too much.”

“You still have the nerve to say that?”

Wen Xiaohui scratched his hair. “It was my friend’s birthday.”

Feng Yuehua glanced at him. “Wailing loudly first thing in the morning, people would think that you’ve been raped.”

Wen Xiaohui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mum, you don’t have to be so blunt.”

Feng Yuehua snorted, “Were you dumped?”

“Yeah, right!” Wen Xiaohui went over and hugged Feng Yuehua’s waist and said coquettishly, “I haven’t found a macho man with 18 centimetres and a six-pack yet, how could I’ve been dumped?”

Feng Yuehua rolled her eyes. “Shameless2.” She felt relieved.

He and his mother talked about almost everything ever since he was young. His mother was quite fashionable and used to wear short skirts, flared trousers, and sported permed hair with tattooed eyebrows. She was brave enough to be first to try new things and would still dare wear them in her 40s. She had done a good job at maintaining her appearance. Therefore, he’d never hid from his mother the fact that he liked men and she’d accepted it calmly.

He put his face on his mother’s shoulder, feeling a little calmer. Tomorrow… Would he be able to stay calm and face that ‘nephew’ whom he’s never met before?

The next day after finishing work, Wen Xiaohui rushed to the address sent to him by Mr Cao.

He got lost as soon as he got off the subway. Although he grew up in the capital, he’d never visited this place before.

Looking for someone to ask for directions, he headed south. After walking for nearly ten minutes, he still didn’t see any passersby to ask for directions to the building. He felt a bit irritated and worried because he was lost, and also as a result of the person he was about to meet.

The sound of a bicycle came from behind him and he turned his head around, wanting to find someone to ask for directions. Once he turned around, he saw that the bicycle was right behind him and their gazes interlocked; Wen Xiaohui didn’t have time to see clearly what the other person looked like, he only remembered that the pair of black and bright eyes looked momentarily surprised. They were both shocked at the same time, his centre of gravity was unstable near the bicycle and he fell over.

The bicycle emitted the screech of the emergency brakes.

Wen Xiaohui lay on the ground; although he was feeling a sense of helplessness, he wasn’t in pain. He thought to himself how nothing had gone smoothly since yesterday, which made him feel extremely weary.

“Excuse me, are you okay?” A clear and loud voice came from overhead, which disturbed Wen Xiaohui’s state of mind. It belonged to a youth, its tone was somewhere between youthful and mature. This voice had the ethereal feeling of sunshine penetrating through the atmosphere and nurturing Mother Earth, leaving people with a tingling feeling all over.

Wen Xiaohui couldn’t help but look up, and the first thing he saw was a pair of very clean white trainers, then blue uniform jogging bottoms which were hiding a pair of long legs, and following that, the hem of a shirt that was as white as snow. Each button was simple but glistened, accompanied by half-rolled up sleeves and lastly, the continuous clavicle and raised Adam’s apple. The white headphone cable dangling from the boy’s neck swayed in front of his eyes, like a stopwatch that was used for hypnosis, causing temporary distraction. Wen Xiaohui’s body was feeling a little hot and he was too nervous to look further up. Even though he’d started working, he’d only stopped wearing a school uniform for less than a year. The boy’s voice and figure already made his heart race.

“What happened? Did you hurt yourself?” The youth crouched down.

Wen Xiaohui raised his head and met a pair of deep and beautiful eyes. He was a little disappointed and also a little excited – the disappointment was that this boy looked no older than 15 or 16 years old, way too young. He was excited by the boy’s super handsome face that did not let his voice and figure down. His skin was delicate and smooth, and his hair was jet-black and thick. His eyelashes were spread out like a fan. His lips looked especially bright red, and his whole body exuded the breath of youthfulness and sunshine. He was so beautiful that he was dazzling.

Wen Xiaohui’s heart was beating profusely. Although he’d always liked mature and macho men and he was not interested in underage boys at all; this boy was really good-looking and it was difficult to prevent his thoughts from running wild. While in a daze, he thought that the youth looked a bit familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen him.

The youth’s eyes had been scanning Wen Xiaohui’s face and his eyes looked particularly bright.

Wen Xiaohui felt his face burning from his stare.

The youth helped him to stand up.

Wen Xiaohui stood up straight and found that the boy was even taller than himself. Although he wasn’t tall, he reached a height of 177cm, which was considered to be average. This younger generation was really well nourished.

The youth said apologetically, “I’m so sorry. I was listening to music and got a little distracted. Where are you hurt?”

“It’s just a little scrape, it’s nothing.” Wen Xiaohui patted his trousers.

“Are you really okay? Do you want to go check it out at the hospital?”

“No need at all.” Wen Xiaohui waved his hand.

The youth stood there looking at him and didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

Wen Xiaohui remembered something and took out his mobile phone to show him the text message. “Hey, do you know this place? I can’t find it.”

The youth glanced at the text message, his Adam’s apple sliding down once. He gave Wen Xiaohui an intense look. “It just happens to be on the way, I’ll take you there.”

“Really? Thank you then.”

The youth patted the back seat. “Get on.”

Wen Xiaohui got onto the back seat, and he could faintly make out the hidden waistline under the youth’s white shirt. Thinking that it was a pity that he couldn’t take advantage of the bastard, he unreservedly embraced him.

The youth’s body seemed to stiffen, and the bicycle soon set off.

A slightly cool spring breeze blew across his face and Wen Xiaohui shut his eyes in comfort. A very faint scent of aftershave floated in the air; it felt refreshing, making people carefree and relaxed. The boy’s white shirt had blown upwards, scented with the refreshing flavour of the sun. The fabric caressed Wen Xiaohui’s cheek.

Many years later, this scene was still deeply engraved in Wen Xiaohui’s mind, and when recalling these memories, it was as if he could still breathe in the scent of the aftershave mixed with sunshine. It was as beautiful as April – enchantingly full of warmth and purity.

Soon, the teenager parked the bicycle in front of a small winery. The shopfront of the winery wasn’t big, but the European decor was very tasteful and detailed, with the rich fragrance of red wine assaulting his senses.

Wen Xiaohui said, “That’s right, it’s here. Thanks.”

“Go inside,” said the youth.

“Okay. Bye then, handsome.” Wen Xiaohui took a deep breath and walked in with a heavy heart.

A man in his thirties came out of the winery. He was impeccably dressed, tall, with a pair of stern-looking gold-rimmed glasses and good appearance. It was obvious that he was one of the elite. “Hello, Mr Wen.”

“Hello, it’s Mr Cao, right?”

“Yes, it is. It’s great that you’re both here.” Cao Hai looked behind Wen Xiaohui.

“Both?” Wen Xiaohui was stunned, and when he turned around, he discovered that the youth had unexpectedly and silently followed him in.

A blinding spark flashed in his head, which made his brain momentarily go blank. He suddenly recalled why this youth looked familiar to him, it was because he looked like… Luo Yaya.

The youth was standing as straight as a ramrod behind him, with both hands in his pockets, and a faint smile appeared upon his exquisite and youthful face. With a voice that sounded as clear as spring water, he said, “Hello, Uncle3.”

Footnotes:

灌铅, I’ve simplified the phrase so that it makes more sense in English but the raws use a simile that refers to an ancient punishment of having molten lead forcefully poured into a person’s mouth.

有脸, the raws use the word ‘face’ which in this context, it means that WXH is shameless. Here’s a more detailed article about the concept of having/losing ‘face’ in Chinese culture.

舅舅, Jiujiu refers to your mother’s brother/maternal uncle. Unlike English, Chinese has more words to distinguish between family members, such as two separate words for older and younger paternal uncles. Readers of MDZS may already be familiar with the term jiujiu. I will be using the English term to avoid confusion, as it doesn’t appear often.