Additional Inheritance - Chap 35
Chapter 35.1
Wen Xiaohui was well prepared as he sat in front of Sydney once again. He could tell from a glance that Sydney was feeling a little uneasy. It seemed as though it wasn’t just him who was nervous. He felt a sense of regret – he and Sydney used to be very close, if that incident didn’t happen…
Sydney looked well judging from her appearance, with her sharply-pointed chin. Wen Xiaohui could clearly see that she’d recently had face slimming injections and like normal, he complimented Sydney a bit. Sydney happily chatted about her current situation, but the niggling feeling that they were drifting apart was like an invisible wall between them that was completely insurmountable.
After chatting for a while, Wen Xiaohui felt like it was time to get to the point and hence he made up his mind to ask: “Sydney-jie, did the incident cause you any more trouble afterwards?”
Sydney obviously knew what he was referring to, and she answered while glossing over the details, “I cooperated with the police investigations a few times, but it wasn’t anything important. We’ve been divorced for many years, so we don’t have anything to do with each other.”
“It was good that you were already divorced, otherwise you might have to take responsibility for his gambling debts. How much did he actually owe? How come he was forced to jump off a building?”
“Between three to five million yuan1. It’s a huge sum of money that he had no way of repaying. He was hiding because the loan shark wanted to chop his hand off, but before he was found…” Sydney’s face was completely blank as she recounted these matters; she was so indifferent that it was as if he was a stray dog that had nothing to do with her.
“So, Luo Yi…” Wen Xiaohui deliberately paused for a second to observe Sydney’s reaction, and he discovered that her expression changed slightly when she heard the name.
“What about Luo Yi?” Sydney pretended to ask unintentionally.
“He’s a bit worried about the issue with the ID card. Didn’t the police ask about the missing ID card?”
Sydney appeared to be somewhat panicked. “What do you mean?”
Wen Xiaohui was deliberately vague on the details because he wasn’t sure, so his only option was to use such ambiguous words to tease it out of her.
“The police normally require an ID card when confirming someone’s identity. Did the police not suspect anything because he didn’t have any ID?”
Sydney’s gaze became unfocused. “He was broke like a homeless person. What’s so strange about not having an ID card?”
Wen Xiaohui looked at Sydney’s facial expression and he felt a growing sense of unease. “Ah, that’s good then.”
“Why are you digging up the past?” Sydney said impatiently, “We don’t get to catch up that often, we should talk about something happy.”
“Luo Yi is worried that the police will find out about this incident,” blurted Wen Xiaohui.
Sydney’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Wen Xiaohui in alarm.
Wen Xiaohui felt as if a basin of ice-cold water had been poured over his head in the face of such an honest reaction, which clearly showed that she had inadequate time to deeply reflect on the matter or to conceal the truth. He felt a chill all over his body.
Sydney asked hoarsely, “D-did Luo Yi tell you?”
“Yeah. Wen Xiaohui sensed his heart pounding and the motion made him feel as if his heart was about to pop out of his throat.
Sydney gripped her cup nervously, and her fingers began to tremble from her use of excessive force. It reflected her innermost worries. “He said that he wasn’t going to tell you.”
Wen Xiaohui’s fists were clenched under the table. “I worked it out by myself.”
Sydney reflected for a couple of seconds, then she furrowed her brows. Her voice became shrill. “You were trying to tease it out of me?”
Wen Xiaohui looked at Sydney directly. “Sydney-jie, could you please tell me everything? I have to know.”
Sydney grabbed her bag and she stood up. Wen Xiaohui grasped her wrist, then he said more seriously, “Sydney-jie, I’ll continue to pester you if you don’t tell me.”
Sydney gritted her teeth and she stomped her foot firmly, then sat back down. She tilted her head to look out the window, appearing as if she was very tired. “Why are you doing this? I don’t want anyone to know about it.”
“You’re the big sis that I respect and Luo Yi is my nephew. I won’t do anything that could hurt either of you, but I must know the truth. It’s because I’m finding it harder and harder to understand Luo Yi and I must find out the truth. I’m a little bit frightened.”
Sydney looked at him indifferently. “I’m not sure what happened between the two of you, but I already anticipated that this day would come.”
“Why?”
“That child… He’s not a normal person. You’re in each other’s company all the time. You’ll be able to tell eventually, even if he can hide it well.”
“What do you mean?”
Sydney sighed, “Adi, I really like you and I feel so grateful. I might not have the courage to tell you if you hadn’t questioned me, because I’m selfish and cowardly. I’m sorry.”
Wen Xiaohui said softly, “Please tell me, Sydney-jie. I won’t blame you and I promise to keep it a secret.” He knew that no matter what he heard today; it could only become a secret to be shared between the three of them. However, he still needed to find out what Luo Yi had done.
Sydney drank some water. The rims of her eyes were looking bloodshot. “After you both left that time, I was thinking for a long time – I even considered contracting someone to murder him. I think I might have been influenced by Luo Yi, but in the end, I didn’t have the guts to do it. That was until…” Sydney took a deep breath. “It was around a week later when I followed Luo Yi’s advice and gave his address to the loan shark.” Sydney’s head drooped further.
Cold sweat broke out on Wen Xiaohui’s forehead, and even his breathing started to feel laborious.
“Afterwards, I knew he was going to be out of luck – maybe becoming handicapped or even seriously injured. If he was lucky, he’d flee the city, never to come back. I never expected him to die.” Sydney’s voice started to shake. The loud sound of her nasal speech was entwined with a hint of fear. “I really didn’t expect him to die. The police investigation concluded that it was suicide, but I really don’t know whether it was actually suicide, an accident or even homocide.
“Luo Yi went to investigate him?”
Sydney’s eyes were bloodshot, as she nodded.
Wen Xiaohui felt that his brain had gone completely blank, and it took a while before he came back to his senses.
Luo Yi’s move of borrowing a knife to commit murder2 was very vicious. It wasn’t only Sydney’s ex-husband, Raven and Director Luo were also played by him. Even Luca… Wen Xiaohui suspected that Luo Yi was the one who informed the wife of Luca’s affair. Luo Rui had said before that Wen Xiaohui was the god of pestilence, an inauspicious star, and maybe he was right all along. Although these people didn’t deserve any sympathy, he was still unable to accept that Luo Yi was responsible for a series of horrific deeds for the sake of protecting him. Who could remain at ease and keep someone who wasn’t what they seemed by their side?
Sydney grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand and she said emotionally, “Adi, beware your nephew – he doesn’t seem like a child at all. The look in his eyes, the way he speaks, how he handles matters… He really scares me. I’m begging you not to tell him that I told you what happened. I’m really terrified.
Wen Xiaohui nodded rather stiffly. “I won’t tell him.”
He didn’t want to admit that he too was starting to feel frightened. Why? He was sleeping with a snake by his pillow side, and the scariest thing was that he was completely unaware. Although the venomous fangs of the snake only targeted outsiders, who could guarantee that he wouldn’t become the prey one day. For the first time, he regretted the decision of becoming Luo Yi’s guardian – he was too reckless and flippant. He clearly knew nothing about Luo Yi, so how could agree to it so easily?!
After Sydney left, Wen Xiaohui sat by himself in the cafe until dark. When the waiter asked him if he wanted to order food, he absentmindedly settled the bill and left.
He walked home that day. It took him nearly two hours.
He needed to calm down, but he felt like he couldn’t. His brain was a mess and he didn’t know what to do. Should he confront Luo Yi? He had promised Sydney-jie that he wouldn’t tell Luo Yi, but could he bury this matter in his heart? How would he face Luo Yi in future? He felt as if he was about to be overwhelmed by the series of questions that didn’t have answers.
———————
His mother was tidying when he got home. When she saw him, she asked, “Why are you so absentminded?”
“I’m too tired. There isn’t enough staff at the studio.”
“Quickly take a shower and get some rest.” After she finished speaking, she continued to mop the floor while humming a tune. She appeared to be in a great mood.
Wen Xiaohui looked at his mum. “Mum, how was your recent date? Are you pleased?”
“It’s acceptable; he’s a really good person. We’ll keep in touch and see what happens.” Feng Yuehua couldn’t help but smile.
Wen Xiaohui laughed, “That’s great.”
“Don’t overwork yourself, I’m not expecting you to earn loads of money. Just make enough to support yourself. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, mum. There’s something I want to discuss with you.” He knew that it wasn’t great timing for a discussion, but he just wanted to find someone that he could talk to.”
“What’s going on?”
“My boss wants me to go to the US to continue studying. I’ll be away for a year. When I return, he’ll let me manage the beauty department. It’s an amazing opportunity, and each year only one or two places are available.”
“Oh, your studio will be paying? That’s great news.” Feng Yuehua said happily, “My son is so amazing. What else is there to discuss? You should go.”
“I’ll worry about you if I go.” And also Luo Yi. He whispered it and recalled how he still hadn’t told Luo Yi, because with Luo Yi’s reliance on him, he didn’t know how to broach the subject.
“What is there to worry about? It’s not like I can’t take care of myself. It’s only for a year and it’s such a good opportunity. It’s very important for your career prospects. You should go.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded. He smiled and said, “Fine, I’ll think it over some more.”
As soon as he got to his room, he received a text message from Luo Yi. It was the usual kind of message that was asking after his wellbeing, reminding him that it was due to rain tomorrow and that he should carry an umbrella. He didn’t want to respond, but he knew that Luo Yi would call him if he didn’t get a response within half an hour. He found it even harder to face Luo Yi’s voice, as he was worried that he would expose himself.
They said their goodnights to each other after chatting a little over text messages, which terminated their daily contact.
Wen Xiaohui had a cold shower in an attempt to calm his mind, but it wasn’t much use. He was really confused – he didn’t know what to do or even who he could speak to. Luo Rui was less decisive than him, not to mention that he’d already promised Sydney-jie that he wouldn’t tell more people about this matter.
He had a splitting headache that night. In the end, he wasn’t sure how he managed to fall asleep.
Footnotes:
The Sterling equivalent of 3-5 million yuan is £370-620k or $420-700k.
借刀杀人, originating from the Thirty-Six Stratagems, it refers to someone who uses another person to do their dirty work (idiom).
Chapter 35.2
When Wen Xiaohui went to work the next day, Liu Xing happened to be there and he called him into the office to ask about his training. Wen Xiaohui finally agreed to it since it was such a great opportunity. It was the kind opportunity that others could fight until their heads split open, but still not have a chance, so there was no reason for him to refuse.
Liu Xing said, “Great, then you need to start preparing for your visa. I’ll give you the contact details. Give her a call and she’ll instruct you on what to do.”
“That’s great, thanks Liu Xing. Do you know roughly when I’ll be leaving?”
“Around June or July.”
“That’s only a month or two away. It’s so soon.”
“A year will go by even quicker, so try not to worry too much. Just treat it as a holiday, but don’t forget to pick up some new skills before you come back.”
“Yes.”
Wen Xiaohui avoided going to Luo Yi’s house for a few days by making up an excuse. They stayed in contact via calls and text messages, but Wen Xiaohui was still worried about seeing him, and so he put it off a day at a time.
————————————–
Li Shuo invited Wen Xiaohui out for dinner that day. He chose a stylish restaurant that served western food.
When they met, Li Shuo said in surprise, “You look a bit tired. Are you really busy?” He smiled cheekily. “Or are you not wearing any makeup?”
Wen Xiaohui chuckled, “I’m actually not wearing any makeup today. I didn’t have enough time. I’ve been really busy recently.”
Li Shuo laughed, “Your skin’s amazing. You don’t actually need that stuff, you just need to make sure you get enough rest.”
“It’s a good time to be busy because my boss is recruiting senior stylists and makeup artists. I can relax if we can find someone who is capable.”
“It’s a good sign – it shows how much your boss values you”
“Yeah.” Wen Xiaohui stretched his body. “Li-ge, I have some good news to tell you.”
“What’s the good news?” Li Shuo personally poured Wen Xiaohui a glass of wine.
“I’m going to the US to train.”
“Oh? Is your company paying for it?”
“Yeah, my boss said that I was under-qualified, so I need further training. I should go since it’s such a rare opportunity. Isn’t that right?”
“People should make the most of such opportunities, of course you should go.”
Wen Xiaohui blinked. “That means you won’t see me for a year.”
“Not necessarily, I go back to the US a few times a year. Will you be in New York?”
“Oh, I forgot that you’re from the US. Yeah, I’ll be in New York. That means we can still see each other.”
“Of course. If you have time, I can be the guide and take you out for food and to places that are fun.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing.”
Li Shuo stared at Wen Xiaohui’s cheerful smile and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
After dinner, they strolled down the pedestrianised street. On both sides of the street were shops filled with handicrafts and local speciality shops. As a local, Wen Xiaohui rarely walked around this area, but he was even willing to visit a bookstore with Li Shuo.
Li Shuo lackadaisically bought a Buddhist bead bracelet made from white clamshell for Wen Xiaohui. The little trinket cost over 300 yuan. Although it couldn’t be considered expensive, it looked beautiful. It was the kind of present that wouldn’t make the recipient feel under pressure and Wen Xiaohui liked it a lot.
They chatted a lot that day, getting to know each other’s family, how they grew up, and their life experiences. In comparison to Li Shuo, Wen Xiaohui felt that his life was too monotonous, consisting only of studying, growing up and working, just like everyone else around him. Li Shuo, who graduated from an Ivy League university, had organised pro-democracy protests, travelled to many countries around the world, worked as a teaching volunteer in Africa, hiked up a snowy mountain, and returned home to set up a business. In the short period of 20 plus years, he had experienced more than the typical person in 40 to 50 years. Such a handsome, refined, mature, and wise man was so captivating. It was impossible for Wen Xiaohui not to be tempted by Li Shuo, but he felt that his heart had already been imprisoned by something. He no longer felt the same as the first time he met Li Shuo, the sort of carefreeness and freedom of getting acquainted with him.
He was aware that the thing imprisoning him was called ‘Luo Yi.’ Luo Yi was now like a gloomy cloud drifting above his head, making him feel unsettled and unable to think about anything else.
After their date ended, Li Shuo took Wen Xiaohui back and dropped him off outside his apartment building.
Wen Xiaohui said, “Thanks, Li-dage.”
Li Shuo smiled as he looked at him. “Do you remember how many dates we’ve had?”
“It’s… the third?”
“Yeah, this is our third date. Wouldn’t it seem rude if I don’t give you a kiss?”
Wen Xiaohui was somewhat startled. His face began to burn from embarrassment under the gaze of Li Shuo’s profound and beautiful eyes. At first, he’d wanted to tease using a few flirtatious words, but he found that he’d underestimated Li Shuo’s charisma and overestimated his own ability to react under pressure. The result was that he was unable to say even a single word.
Li Shuo smiled and he leant his body over to give Wen Xiaohui a peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, Xiaohui.”
Wen Xiaohui had the feeling that smoke was billowing from the top of his head. “Good… Goodnight.” He opened the door of the car and dashed out.
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t help but groan as soon as he got home. Feng Yuehua shouted from the bathroom, “What’s up?”
“I’m fine. Just shouting for no reason.” Wen Xiaohui rushed back to his room; his body was overstimulated and it was trembling. This was the first time he experienced the joy from the long-awaited feelings of love towards Li Shuo1.
—————————
It had been ages since Wen Xiaohui last visited Luo Yi’s house. Despite the fact that they kept in touch daily, with how intelligent and perceptive Luo Yi was, he sensed that something was up. One day he appeared at Juxing without any notice, giving Wen Xiaohui a fright.
“How come you’re here?”
Luo Yi smiled and said, “You’ve been too busy recently, so I’ve brought some herbal soup over for you. It’s not store-bought, I made it myself.”
Wen Xiaohui immediately felt his heart softening. “Why did you bring it over specifically? I could have gone to yours to drink it.”
Luo Yi’s voice revealed that he felt a little wronged. “Do you have time to visit? You haven’t been over for half a month – we’ve never gone that long without seeing each other.”
“I’ve been really busy during this period of time. Aren’t I in charge of the beauty department? I still need to learn a lot. Every week, I have to take people out on five occasions.”
“Congratulations, Xiaohui-ge. You’re becoming more and more responsible.”
Wen Xiaohui smiled and replied, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll go back with you to have soup.” He had hidden for two weeks and finally, he was able to face Luo Yi calmly.
Suddenly, Luo Yi grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand. “Who gave you this bracelet?”
Wen Xiaohui was shocked. “How could you tell that someone gave it to me?”
“You wear either designer brands or imitation designer brands, and there isn’t anything as cheap as this bracelet in your jewellery box. You wouldn’t wear it unless someone special gave it to you.” Luo Yi smiled a little. “Someone who doesn’t know what you like, but you care enough about them to wear what they give you. Let me guess… Could it be Li Shuo who gifted it to you?”
Wen Xiaohui’s palms were sweating, his heart was also racing. He didn’t know whether he should respond, because he knew would be found out if he tried to lie.
Luo Yi’s expression showed that he knew he was right. “So it really is from Li Shuo?” He narrowed his eyes slightly. “He’s already started to give you presents, your relationship must be progressing well.”
Wen Xiaohui’s wrist suddenly felt sore and he automatically retracted it. Luo Yi quickly responded, “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”
“It’s fine.” Wen Xiaohui felt indescribably flustered. “I’m going to work first.”
Luo Yi stared at his retreating back view, his expression almost immediately turned frosty.
After finishing work, Wen Xiaohui sat on Luo Yi’s bicycle on the way home. They barely said a word to each other.
Luo Yi laid out the soup and food on the table once they got home, inviting Wen Xiaohui to eat dinner and appearing considerate like normal.
During dinner, Luo Yi noticed that Wen Xiaohui’s wrist was completely empty. “Why aren’t you wearing your bracelet? It looked very nice.”
Wen Xiaohui felt a bit apprehensive2. “I was just wearing it casually.”
“If I give you one that you like, would you wear it?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I wear it?” said Wen Xiaohui as he pretended to be chilled.
Luo Yi glanced at him: “Xiaohui-ge, would you be busier than you are now if you had a boyfriend? You’d have even less time to see me.”
“I’m not sure. Li Shuo and I are just friends at the moment, so it’s too early to say.”
“You’re so busy with work that you’d have to set aside some dedicated time if you were dating, so I’d get to see you less often. I really don’t want you to be in a relationship when I think about this.”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t know how to continue this conversation – his brain was completely occupied by Luca, Raven, Director Luo, and Sydney’s ex-husband. The more he watched Luo Yi, the more frightened he became. Why? He didn’t want to be frightened of Luo Yi because he liked and cherished him. He treated Luo Yi as someone who was just as important as a member of his family and he didn’t want his feelings towards this youth to turn to fear.
“Xiaohui-ge?” Luo Yi looked at Wen Xiaohui’s stiff facial expression and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to touch him.
Wen Xiaohui’s brain didn’t even have time to react, but his conditional reflex meant that he’d already dodged Luo Yi’s hand by taking a step backwards.
Luo Yi’s hand paused mid air and an awkward silence completely filled the void.
Luo Yi retracted his hand and he quietly stared at him. He asked in a low voice, “What’s the matter?” His tone of voice conveyed a sense of indifference.
Wen Xiaohui wiped his face. “There’s something I’ve been too scared to tell you, but I still have to let you know.”
“What is it?”
Wen Xiaohui said quickly, “Liu Xing’s planning to send me to the US to train for a year and I’ll be in charge of the beauty department when I return.”
Luo Yi was quiet for a couple of seconds before he suddenly laughed. “I thought it was something more serious. Isn’t this a good thing?”
Wen Xiaohui felt a sense of relief. He came very close to asking about Sydney’s ex-husband and Luca just now, but luckily he was able to hold it in. He forced himself to smile. “Yeah, it’s such a great opportunity, but I’m worried that you’ll miss me…”
“Of course I’ll miss you. I even want to go with you, but I still have to attend university. However, a year is a very short period of time, and I’ll be able to see you during the holidays.” Luo Yi grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand and rubbed it against his cheek. “I’ll definitely miss you lots and lots, but I can’t hinder your career progression.”
“That’s good. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle the news, so I never mentioned it. My mum’s also supportive. I need to start preparing my visa.”
Luo Yi replied with a slight smile, “Xiaohui-ge, I’m so happy for you. You’ll be even more awesome when you come back.”
Wen Xiaohui forced himself to smile, and he said, “Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it too.”
Footnotes:
Up to this point, Wen Xiaohui felt attracted to Li Shuo because of his handsome appearance, but it’s been mostly platonic. That kiss seems to have jump started Wen Xiaohui’s romantic feelings towards Li Shuo.
发毛, Beijing slang for scared/upset.
