Additional Inheritance - Chap 38
Chapter 38.1
Luo Yi nodded. “Okay.”
Wen Xiaohui looked at his serene and reticent expression, and he felt even angrier. Initially, he was feeling impatient and he couldn’t bear it anymore. “Forget it. Just say what you want to say.”
Luo Yi smiled. “I really shouldn’t be sceptical of your friend.”
“Aren’t you already sceptical? Just spit it out. It’s uncomfortable to hold it in and it’s unbearable for me as well.”
Luo Yi glanced at him with a look of indifference. “What’s wrong? You seem very impatient today. Are you in a bad mood?”
It was as if Wen Xiaohui was punching cotton2 and he felt uncomfortable. He gloomily scratched his head.
“No matter what, everything I do is for your protection. I hope that you…”
“Stop saying that it’s for me!” Wen Xiaohui shouted, “Li Shuo and Luo Rui never had those kinds of intentions, even if they did, I’d let Luo Rui have him. You’re always saying that it’s for my protection – to protect me! Your way of protecting me is too bizarre. Would a normal person do that?! If Luo Rui really did steal my man, would you do something to him to protect me?!
Luo Yi froze and he turned around slowly to look at Wen Xiaohui with his narrowed eyes. “Xiaohui-ge, what are you saying?”
“It’s not like you’ve never done it before. Director Luo, Raven, and also…” Wen Xiaohui abruptly stopped as it reached the top of his throat.
“And also?” One of the corners of Luo Yi’s lip raised slightly. “Do you know something? Or have you heard something?”
Wen Xiaohui clenched his fists. “Never mind. But the incident with Director Luo… Normal people wouldn’t do that.”
“Are you calling me abnormal?” Luo Yi’s were downcast. “Sometimes, I can’t tell if what I’m doing is normal or abnormal. Am I… not normal?”
Wen Xiahui looked at Luo Yi’s wounded expression, and his imposing manner started to soften. “This… In any case, what you did was wrong. A lot of it was wrong.”
Luo Yi suddenly lifted his head, looking straight into Wen Xiaohui’s eyes. “Did you meet up with Sydney recently?”
Wen Xiaohui was stunned and his lips began to tremble. Luo Yi’s eyes, which seemed like they could see through anything, made him too nervous to look directly into them. He was too scared to admit or deny it, because he knew that Luo Yi had already worked it out.
As expected, Luo Yi observed his facial expression and then nodded. “It looks like you did meet up.”
Wen Xiaohui said in a trembling voice, “Yeah, we met up. Do you have something you want to say?”
Luo Yi tilted his head and pondered, “Did that man deserve it?”
Wen Xiaohui stood up. “Of course he deserved it and he ought to be punished by the police or the heavens. How could you…”
Luo Yi laughed, “I don’t believe in the police or gods and demons. If you want to do something, the only person that can help you is yourself.”
“A-Aren’t you scared? He’s dead.”
“How does his death have anything to do with me?” Luo Yi replied calmly, “I only showed Sydney the way, she walked down that path by herself. I helped her a lot by punishing the man who harmed you and helping society get rid of a future criminal. What did I do wrong?”
Wen Xiaohui looked at him in astonishment. What Luo Yi said was right, but normal people shouldn’t uphold justice using these methods. The most important thing was that Luo Yi’s deeds were too shady, making him feel uneasy.
Luo Yi moved closer, making his voice sound more gentle. “Don’t look at me like that, Xiaohui-ge. I’m not the villain – I only wanted to help you.” He stretched his hand out to touch Wen Xiaohui’s face.
Wen Xiaohui’s natural reflexes made him push Luo Yi’s hand away. His chest heaved violently.
Luo Yi was shocked and his eyes darkened.
Wen Xiaohui said in a hoarse voice, “Luo Yi, I feel like you’re becoming more and more unfamiliar. Or maybe I never really knew you at all.” He grabbed his jacket. “Calm down over the next few days, I’m going home now.” He couldn’t bear to face Luo Yi anymore. He was worried that he might say something that he’d regret or do something that he couldn’t undo.”
Luo Yi grabbed his wrist. “Don’t go.”
“Let go of me! What else can I say since you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong? So last time you were just placating me when you apologised. How long were you planning to hide these things from me if I hadn’t found out by myself?!” Wen Xiaohui exerted all his strength to try and pry Luo Yi’s hand off him, but Luo Yi’s grip became even tighter, to the extent that his wrist began to feel painful. He was furious as he kicked Luo Yi. “LET GO!”
Luo Yi grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s shoulders to drag him back. They stumbled, pulling and dragging each other until they fell backwards onto the large sheepskin blanket at the foot of the bed.
Luo Yi pinned Wen Xiaohui’s body beneath him and glanced at him from above. Both of them started panting.
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t bear the strange feeling any longer and he wanted to shove Luo Yi off himself. Luo Yi grabbed his wrists, pressing them down onto the blanket. Luo Yi’s eyebrows were furrowed as he looked tense, and it seemed as though he was trying to stop his emotions from seeping out.
Wen Xiaohui glanced at Luo Yi’s face at close proximity; he was so nervous that his breathing pattern was in a mess. He asked angrily, “Are you going to let go?! I’ll beat you up!”
Luo Yi bullied him and replied quietly, “Won’t you listen to my explanation?”
“Didn’t you finish your fucking explanation?! You asked what you did wrong!”
“Those words were said in anger.” Luo Yi said, “No matter what, I feel like I’ve done something wrong whenever you’re angry.”
Wen Xiaohui panted and said gruffly, “What the fuck are you saying? I really can’t communicate with you anymore. Let go of me! I want to go home!”
Luo Yi stared at him as the rims of his eyes turned bloodshot. “You hate me.”
“No.”
Luo Yi let out a sob and his body gradually relaxed, pressing down onto Wen Xiaohui. He nestled his head at the crook of Wen Xiaohui’s neck and whispered, “I don’t know how to get along with others. When I was young, I only had a nanny who looked after me and she was unable to speak. I was all alone from the age of 12. You were the only one who kept me company. I wanted to try my best to treat you well, so that you would be happy by my side. Perhaps if you felt safe, you’d never leave me. You wouldn’t be… like Mum.” Tears fell from Luo Yi’s eyes as he spoke. “But I still couldn’t get it right.”
Luo Yi’s distressed appearance made Wen Xiaohui’s heart clench. His personality was the type that would only respond to persuasion, but not to threats and he immediately felt like he didn’t know what to do. He stuttered, “Luo Yi, you treat me very well and you’ve always excelled at this. I don’t hate you. I never said that I would leave you. You did something wrong, but as long as you… you turn over a new leaf, I’ll never give up on you. You don’t know how to get along with others and you don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong, but I’ll teach you. I originally thought that I wouldn’t be able to teach you anything because you’re so clever, so mature and sensible. I think I can teach you how to treat others. Maybe this is the significance of my role as your guardian.”
Luo Yi shook his head. “I know that you’re scared of me because you think that I’m abnormal. You don’t have to force yourself to look after me, I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t help but hug him and stroke his hair. His heart was in pain. “Don’t cry. I went overboard with my words because I’m feeling anxious. You can’t do anything like this again. We need to overcome problems in the proper way, regardless of the difficulties that I might face. You need to discuss all matters with me. I won’t blame you for what’s already happened, but please don’t disappoint me again.”
Luo Yi responded as he was choked up with emotion, “Yes, I won’t do it again. Please don’t leave me, I only have you.”
Feeling distressed for him, Wen Xiaohui replied, “I won’t. I’ll never leave you.” In his mind, he sighed a deep sigh out of helplessness. Luo Yi was like a disobedient child, but his way of misbehaving was different from other rebellious teenagers that were going through puberty. It was even more of a headache, but it was possible to set boys of this age back on the right path when they made mistakes. Wen Xiaohui found his calling. He felt a sense of responsibility and he believed that this was the role of a guardian.
They comforted each other for a while. It suddenly dawned on Wen Xiaohui that their positions seemed improper. He felt embarrassed as he pushed Luo Yi away and climbed back to his feet. “I’m going to wash my face.”
Luo Yi nodded. “I’ll reheat the food.” He carried two trays as he went downstairs.
He placed the food into the microwave when he reached the kitchen, then gently wiped away the tears on his face. He took out his mobile phone and he made a call.
“Hello.” The voice on the other line was low and sounded cautious.
It was as if the despair and helplessness from before had been erased by a rubber and not a trace remained on Luo Yi’s face. His blank expression and eyes, which looked cold and gloomy like the river water in February, made people tremble from the coldness. “Speed things up.” Luo Yi said, “I can’t control him for much longer.”
That night, the two of them chatted for a long time. Wen Xiaohui asked for details about Luo Yi’s childhood, and he realised that a few words couldn’t convey even 1% of the loneliness that Luo Yi had experienced. The more he heard, the more he pitied Luo Yi. Although Luo Yi’s actions went too far, Wen Xiaohui found that, on the contrary, he was even more unwilling to let go of the boy.
Wen Xiaohui had grown up under the shelter of his parents ever since he was young, but on the contrary, his personality was the type that liked to protect others, such as Luo Rui, Xiao Ai, and Luo Yi. He cared most about the people who needed him. In the depths of his heart, he loved the feeling of being an older brother. When he realised that Luo Yi wasn’t as mature and perfect as he appeared on the surface, as Luo Yi too could be confused, make mistakes, and be in need of his help and guidance, it triggered his sense of responsibility.
Wen Xiaohui decided that he had to give Luo Yi enough love and care to make up for the shortcomings of his childhood and his family. He felt that with good communication, Luo Yi should be able to establish values3 like a normal person. That must have been the reason why his sister left Luo Yi in his care.
People who were unable to conceal their feelings like Wen Xiaohui would feel seriously depressed if they had to hold it in and say nothing. However, as soon as they could talk about it, it was like looking upon the sun after dispersing the clouds. The issue with Sydney’s husband had been troubling him for nearly a month; he felt like he’d shed a heavy burden following his argument with Luo Yi and he felt very relaxed.
Footnotes:
云淡风轻 literally means light cloud and gentle wind and is used to describe a peaceful situation.
拳头打在棉花上, punching cotton is a metaphor for someone who attacks another, but the other party is able to evade the attack because of their skills/flexibility. No matter what the attacker does, they’re unable to deal any damage.
三观 refers to the three fundamental views or ‘three world views’ of a person and signifies someone’s values or outlook on life. The three views that it references include the philosophy of life, systems of values, and world outlook.
Chapter 38.2
Wen Xiaohui invited Luo Rui to go shopping and told him everything.
Luo Rui was very happy for him. “You need to contact Luo Yi more often when you’re in the US. I feel like Luo Yi only cares about you and he listens to you alone. Only you can help him.”
“Yeah, we keep in touch every day and when I go abroad, we’ll try and call each other two or three times a week.”
“You two are more like a couple than you and Li Shuo.”
“Fuck!” Wen Xiaohui felt in a bad mood when he thought about Li Shuo. “Stop talking about it. Li Shuo and I aren’t a couple. We’ve only kissed – that’s all.”
“I know you’re feeling depressed, but I can’t let this taint my view of Li Shuo. He’s older than you and he’s more mature in his thought process. In addition, his way of thinking is 60-70% Western, so he’s different from us. You should keep in frequent contact with Li Shuo. I feel like you’ll achieve your desired outcome if you make an effort1.”
“What’s the right way to achieve my desired outcome?”
Luo Rui giggled, “At least you can put an end to your life as a virgin.”
“That doesn’t seem hard.” Wen Xiaohui pouted. “I was really disappointed by what he said that day, but you’re right, he didn’t say anything wrong. As he said, let nature take its course. What should I do in the US? I’d forget about him if I met someone better. In any case, he didn’t plan to wait for me.”
Luo Rui stroked Wen Xiaohui’s head. “Like he said, you’re free.”
They both bought a lot of things – food, clothes, and consumables – to the point where they were nearly unable to carry it all.
Luo Rui grumbled, “Are you going abroad or are you a villager heading to the big city? Why the heck are you bringing so much stuff?!”
“I’m worried stuff will be expensive over there.”
“It’ll be expensive if you go over your luggage allowance.”
“Oh, I forgot about that… I’ll call a taxi and go straight home.”
“It’ll cost 70 or 80 yuan for a taxi back to your house. Leave them at my store first and wait for Luo Yi to help you carry them when he finishes his classes.”
“Okay.”
—————————-
Laden with bags, they returned to Luo Rui’s bakery. A surprise was waiting for them inside – Sun Ying.
Wen Xiaohui put everything down and he walked towards her with a frown. “Why are you here?”
Sun Ying used her slender fingers to clutch the teaspoon, stirring the coffee gently. She said faintly, “The cake from last time was nice, so I wanted to try it again.”
Luo Rui went over as well, using eye contact to question Wen Xiaohui.
Wen Xiaohui knew that there was something that she wanted to say and he asked bluntly, “Why did you come looking for me?”
“I have something that I want to chat to you about. Do you mind?”
Wen Xiaohui said to Luo Rui, “You can do your own thing. Don’t worry about me.”
Luo Rui nodded and he left to give them space.
Wen Xiaohui sat opposite Sun Ying and he said in a cold and stern manner, “What do you want to talk about? Is it related to my sister?”
“Of course it’s related to your sister since I’ve come to talk to you.”
“Speak.”
Sun Ying lowered her head and thought for a while and she said in a low voice, “Maybe you won’t believe me, but me and Yaya had a deep friendship. I treated her as a younger sister. We relied on each other2 for a number of years.”
Wen Xiaohui laughed mockingly. “You introduced my sister to a rich man and forced her to have a baby for a married man at the age of 18. Is that what you mean by treating her as a younger sister? Is that how you treat brothers and sisters in your family?”
Sun Ying gripped the cup tightly. “I was too young at the time; I was also pretty and wanted an easy life. I thought I could lead a relaxing and carefree existence this way. I had good intentions towards Yaya, so I persuaded her to follow in my footsteps in order to have an easier life.”
Wen Xiaohui suddenly slammed on the table. “Do you not have any fucking shame? Is it your ambition in life to become someone’s mistress?!”
Sun Ying sighed, “I know I’m not a good person. I wouldn’t want to live like that again if I could go back and change the past, but that’s what I thought when I was around your age. I’m the one who harmed your sister.”
“You have the cheek to say that!” If the person sitting opposite him wasn’t female, Wen Xiaohui would have given them a smack in the face. He felt disgusted and he hated Sun Ying. His sister was ignorant when she was 17 or 18 years old, and she had no wariness of society at all. It was Sun Ying who led her on a path of no return and she had ended up dead in her early 30s. He cursed the woman.”
Sun Ying lowered her head once more.
Wen Xiaohui said as he was gnashing his teeth, “Just fucking spit it out, Sun Ying3. I don’t have much patience to waste on you.”
Sun Ying’s frail shoulders trembled slightly, then she tilted her head back up again. “I came to find you today because I have something to tell you. I’ve been keeping this quiet for over a year. I was afraid to say it. I couldn’t say it. But I want to talk about it now because of my dearest sister. I can’t take this secret to the grave.”
“What do you mean?”
Sun Ying started sniffing, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, as she said, “I found out recently that I have liver cancer. I don’t have long to live.”
Wen Xiaohui was stunned.
“It’s my punishment and I accept it.” Sun Ying tried to force out a smile. “If possible, I want to do something for Yaya before I die.”
“What do you want to tell me?”
Sun Ying stared at Wen Xiaohui and she lowered her voice. She enunciated each word. “I suspect that Yaya didn’t commit suicide.”
Wen Xiaohui widened his eyes and he clenched his fists under the table.
“Yaya’s state of mind hadn’t always been great. She had loads of money, but I hardly ever saw her smile. She lived in the shadow4 of that man.”
“You mean Luo Yi’s… biological father?”
Sun Ying nodded. Her face showed a hint of fear. “He’s a very scary man. I don’t know his real identity either. Yaya was really frightened of him, but she was unable to escape from him since she’d given birth to his child, in particular, a son. All these years, she’d been living in fear and pain.”
“What the hell does that man actually do?”
“No one really knows. On the face of it, he’s a businessman, but secretly, he’s…” Sun Ying sniffed, “He’s very mysterious and he rarely shows himself in public. He used Yaya and forced her to do unspeakable things. Their money wasn’t earned legally, but she could only obey since she was scared of him.”
Wen Xiaohui felt a chill all over his body as he listened. “Then how come you think she didn’t commit suicide?”
“Although Yaya was suffering, she loved her son a lot, so there’s no way I’d believe she would leave him behind. It means Luo Yi would have to face that man on his own.”
“You’re only guessing and there’s no basis for your conclusion.” Wen Xiaohui’s mind felt under attack from a gush of fear. He didn’t want to acknowledge this outcome; he would rather Yaya died from suicide and not…”
“There’s one more reason.” Sun Ying looked around anxiously. “Yaya said that she would be able to get rid of the man the last few times I saw her and that he would have no way of harassing both her and her son. I suspected she had some compromising material of his, but it would be really dangerous to use it to threaten him.”
Wen Xiaohui took a deep breath; his eyes looked a little disorientated and he was unsure how to react. He mumbled, “Why are you telling me about this? You know that I don’t have the ability and I can’t confirm, because I still have to think about my mum, Luo Yi…” He’d rather be ignorant and he would rather this was purely Sun Ying’s speculation.
With red-rimmed eyes, Sun Ying replied, “I know, but I’m going to die soon and I didn’t want this to be buried with me forevermore. Even if you don’t have the ability to do anything now, I hope that you’ll at least remember that your sister might have been murdered by that man. I don’t want her to die in uncertain circumstances.”
Wen Xiaohui clenched his teeth and he said, “Sun Ying, you’re a fucking nasty bitch!”
Sun Ying’s tears flowed down her cheeks.
Wen Xiaohui lowered his head and he rubbed his hair with all his strength. After a while, he asked in a gloomy voice, “Does Luo Yi know about this?”
Sun Ying shook her head. “I haven’t told him.”
“Don’t tell him. You can go to hell with your secret.”
“I won’t tell him. I don’t want to worsen the conflict between him and that man.”
Wen Xiaohui recalled the photo that was filled with arrow holes. He knew that Luo Yi hated the man. “He has nothing to do with that man. He has a good life now, so don’t disturb him.”
Sun Ying shook her head. “Xiaohui, you are too naive. He’s that man’s son; their lives will always be intertwined.”
“Luo Yi’s too young and even if he does find out one day, it shouldn’t be now.”
“No, I’m not keeping it from Luo Yi because he’s young. It’s because that child is too intelligent and I’m worried that he’ll do something extreme.”
Wen Xiaohui thought about Luo Yi and his heart felt even more painful.
Sun Ying pondered, then she looked at Wen Xiaohui. She said in a cautious and solemn manner, “I think the child is very dangerous too. You should… take care.”
Wen Xiaohui replied crudely, “I don’t need you to worry about me and Luo Yi. Don’t come looking for me again.”
Sun Ying nodded.
“Who else did you tell about this? Did you mention it to Mr Cao?”
Sun Yin froze.
“You told him?” Wen Xiaohui questioned, “What did Mr Cao say?”
Sun Ying shook her head. “He only told me not to tell anyone. Cao Hai is the kind of person who puts profit above all else, so he won’t do anything. That’s why I wanted to tell you, since you genuinely loved Yaya.”
Wen Xiaohui stared at the patterns on the tablecloth absentmindedly. His brain was a mess and he had no clue where to begin sorting his thoughts. However, there was one thing that he was sure about – he would hide this secret in the depths of his heart forever. He couldn’t tell Luo Yi and he couldn’t take the risk to determine the truth either. He hoped that Yaya could grant her blessings from heaven, so that her son would grow up healthy and be free from harm.”
——-——————-
The height of summer soon approached. Wen Xiaohui’s visa, plane tickets and luggage were all sorted.
During this period, he got together with his colleagues for dinner, and he said his goodbyes to Luo Rui and Li Shuo individually. He spent an entire day with Luo Yi, eating and having fun like always, but there was a hint of melancholy from his impending departure running between them and neither of them felt great.
The two of them didn’t say that much as a year couldn’t really be considered a long time. Luo Yi only spoke a few words to him and told him to take good care of himself. Wen Xiaohui realised that except for his mother, Luo Yi was the person that he missed the most, especially after he found that Luo Yi needed his care. He felt the sadness of an eagle that was unwilling to part with its chicks and leave the nest.
That day, Wen Xiaohui felt like crying as soon as he left Luo Yi’s house, but at the same time, he couldn’t help making fun of himself.
He stayed at home to spend time with his mother in the final few days, but he kept in continuous contact with Luo Yi through text messages and calls.
On that fine and sunny morning5, Wen Xiaohui boarded the plane and flew towards the foreign country.
Footnotes:
修成正果, literally means to achieve Buddhahood through one’s efforts i.e. obtain a positive result after putting in the work.
相依为命, literally mutually dependent on each other i.e. to rely on one another for survival (idiom).
有屁快放, Wen Xiaohui says this very crudely and the phrase means that if you have a fart, then let it out.
This possibly has a dual meaning, as 阴影 means shadow and also implies that someone has a bad influence over another. Either way, it’s used in a negative context.
风和日丽, literally moderate wind and beautiful sun – it describes nice, sunny and warm weather (idiom).
