Additional Inheritance - Chap 40
Chapter 40.1
Wen Xiaohui felt as though there was an explosion inside his brain which went bang. He gripped Li Shuo’s shoulders as he closed his eyes to savour his scalding hot lips.
There was a height difference of a few centimetres between them and due to the strong buoyancy force, Wen Xiaohui was practically held midair by Li Shuo. As their lips and tongues entangled passionately, he could just about make out the hard and hot objects rubbing against each other under the water.
Li Shuo asked gently, “Back to the bedroom?”
Wen Xiaohui’s cheeks were flushed as he nodded. Inside his heart was a miniature version of himself screaming, and he felt like his brain was about to explode.
Li Shuo got out first and draped his bathrobe over himself before pulling Wen Xiaohui out. He wrapped him up in the bathrobe in a flash, then they quickly1 ran indoors. Once the door closed, the heater immediately dispersed the coldness that had followed them inside. Li Shuo pressed him against the wall and kissed him passionately again. Wen Xiaohui felt helpless; he caressed Li Shuo’s back before dropping his mobile phone on the ground in a panic.
They kissed from the door to the bedroom. Their passion had been ignited and was sweeping through their minds and their bodies like a bushfire.
Li Shuo pressed Wen Xiaohui down on the bed, kissing him meticulously but with a hint of roughness. His appearance of needing to be in control looked particularly sexy. Wen Xiaohui pulled open the tie of Li Shuo’s bathrobe; he couldn’t tear himself away from the well-defined and springy muscles under his hands.
Li Shuo’s kiss moved from Wen Xiaohui’s lips to his chest, before reaching his navel. Wen Xiaohui couldn’t stop his body from trembling – he felt really excited, but at the same time, he was also very nervous.
Suddenly, Li Shuo paused and grabbed his hand. He asked gently, “Could this be your first time?”
Wen Xiaohui felt a little embarrassed, and he nodded stiffly.
Li Shuo smiled. “Try not to be nervous. I’ll try my hardest to give you the best experience.”
“…Okay.”
“If you trust me, you should relax your body. Okay?”
Wen Xiaohui nodded once again.
Li Shuo gently opened Wen Xiaohui’s bathrobe; his actions no longer conveyed a sense of urgency. Instead, he caressed and kissed him tenderly, calming Wen Xiaohui’s abnormal heartbeat.
Although Li Shuo’s actions were gentle, they were still tantalising and Wen Xiaohui soon felt hot throughout. Their feelings intensified.
It was at this point that the ringtone of a mobile phone sounded, spoiling the mood. Wen Xiaohui was very familiar with it, as it was the special ringtone that he’d assigned to Luo Yi.
Li Shuo also paused momentarily. “Don’t worry about it.”
Wen Xiaohui clearly didn’t want to take the call. He embraced Li Shuo around his neck and he took the initiative to kiss Li Shuo’s forehead and the tip of his eyebrows.
The ringing quickly stopped, but started up again after a pause of two seconds.
The ringing persisted incessantly, so it made them feel anxious2 even though they wanted to ignore it.
Wen Xiaohui sighed. “L-Let me pick it up.”
Li Shuo ran his fingers through his hair, and he said in a gentlemanly manner, “Go ahead.”
Wen Xiaohui got up from the bed. He put on the bathrobe and he went to find the mobile phone that he’d left at the door to the house. It was indeed a call from Luo Yi. He was still a little out of breath when accepting the call. “Hi.”
“Xiaohui-ge.”
“What’s up? Did something happen?” Wen Xiaohui was very annoyed and it was no wonder since he was interrupted during that sort of moment.
“Aren’t you at your dorm?”
“Yeah, I went out with a friend. What’s up?”
“With a friend? It can’t be Li Shuo, right?”
“Luo Yi, is something wrong? You sound a bit congested. Did you catch a cold?”
Luo Yi coughed slightly. “I’m at your dorm.”
Wen Xiaohui was shocked for a bit. “Huh?”
“I said that I’m at your dorm, but your housemates don’t seem to be in. You’re not around either…”
“Y-You’re in the US?”
“Yeah, I’ve just got here.”
Wen Xiaohui smacked himself hard on the forehead. He leant against the wall, and he was unable to describe how he was feeling inside. “Why didn’t you discuss it with me before you arrived? You’re unfamiliar with the surroundings and you don’t know anyone here. Y-You should have told me about it.”
Luo Yi sniffed, “I wanted to surprise you.” He paused before whispering, “It’s so boring spending winter holidays alone. I miss you lots.”
Wen Xiaohui immediately felt sorry for him. “Kid, you’re so… Did you catch a cold? The weather’s gotten much cooler over the past few days. It’s freezing.”
“Yeah, a little. I think I might have a fever. I left in a rush and I didn’t bring too many clothes, because I wasn’t expecting it to be colder than Beijing.”
“I’m not in New York at the moment. It’s too late, I won’t be able to make it back in time. I’ll be back tomorrow. Is there really no one in? Have you rang the doorbell?”
“I rang it already, but there’s no one in.”
“Let me try and call my housemate.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s too late in the evening. I’ll go stay in a hotel tonight.”
“Okay. A lot of people aren’t home during this time of year. Hurry up and find a nearby hotel. Don’t stand around outside.” From the other end of the line, Wen Xiaohui could still hear the sound of the howling wind, and he couldn’t bear to picture the ill Luo Yi standing outside his dorm.
“Okay, I’m going to find a hotel.” Luo Yi sniffed with all his might. “Xiaohui-ge, where are you? Are you having a good time?”
“I’m at a resort and it has skiing, hot springs and stuff like that.”
“Did I interrupt you and Li Shuo?”
Wen Xiaohui sighed in his head. “No, I don’t have much to do at night.”
Li Shuo, who had changed into casual wear, came over at this time. He had a towel wrapped around his head as he looked silently at Wen Xiaohui. Wen Xiaohui returned an apologetic look and Li Shuo showed a hint of a smile.
“Why don’t you chat with me? How come there’s no one around at night where you live? It’s a bit scary.”
“It’s the Christmas holiday period and it’s freezing. Chinese New Year in China isn’t any quieter. I’ll keep chatting with you and I’ll tell you where your hotel is – you’ll be there in three minutes if you follow my instructions.”
“Sure.”
They chatted briefly. Luo Yi found the hotel as expected; he checked in and went to his room without hanging up. Wen Xiaohui didn’t have any choice but to keep talking to him. He listened to Luo Yi’s voice which had a thick nasal tone, and he didn’t have the heart to hang up. This was how he managed to chat with Luo Yi for almost an hour. They normally had many topics of conversation, so they never felt bored. After Wen Xiaohui’s venting, his anger had already calmed down.
Finally, Wen Xiaohui urged Luo Yi to take a shower and go to bed soon. He told Luo Yi he would buy him some medicine tomorrow, and they both hung up.
Once the call ended, he saw that Li Shuo was cooking something in the kitchen. He started to apologise profusely.
Li Shuo turned around and glanced at him. “Come and have a drink of this ginger and brown sugar water. It’s chilly outside after all.”
Wen Xiaohui felt a little embarrassed as he went over. “Li-dage, I’m sorry.”
Li Shuo smiled and said, “Why are you apologising?” He placed the ginger water in front of Wen Xiaohui. “Your nephew matured early, he came to the US all by himself.”
“Yeah, I was so surprised because he didn’t tell me about it beforehand.”
“Visas to the US take between ten days to half a month, so he must have planned it in advance. The timing of his arrival wasn’t by chance.” Li Shuo looked rather helpless as he smiled.
Wen Xiaohui recalled the passionate scenes from earlier. He felt it was a shame how he’d missed such an opportunity because once the mood had passed, it would be difficult to recapture the feeling again. He felt very depressed. He took a sip of the ginger water before sighing.
Li Shuo rubbed Wen Xiaohui’s head. “You should go to sleep when you’ve finished drinking it. You’re going back tomorrow.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded and he sighed once again.
“It’s fine, you can come anytime you want to ski. I’ll ask my chauffeur to bring you here.”
“Don’t worry about it, I don’t want to bother you. I’ve already had a great time today.”
“There are some interesting places nearby… Maybe next time.”
“Yeah.” Wen Xiaohui knew that there wouldn’t be a next time. Certain feelings and moods only occurred at a particular moment, and it wouldn’t be the same next time.
Once the ginger water had been drunk, they both went back to their own rooms to sleep. Wen Xiaohui bashed his head against his pillow for a while, burning with regret like someone who didn’t pick up money that was falling from the sky. He thought of Li Shuo’s well-built and sexy body, it was really such a shame. At the same time, he felt as if he’d let Li Shuo down.
Footnotes:
三步并作两步, i.e. taking three steps like two steps, is typically used to describe someone who is walking quickly.
心烦意乱, literally means anxious heart and thoughts in turmoil. Depending on context, it is used to describe someone who is distraught with anxiety or annoyed (idiom). This originates from a book of poems called The Songs of Chu from 500 BC.
Chapter 40.2
Early next morning, the chauffeur took them back to New York.
When Wen Xiaohui got home, he went to buy some medicine and food nearby, then he rushed to the hotel.
The first thing that occurred to Wen Xiaohui as the door opened was that Luo Yi seemed taller and broader. He stared absentmindedly at Luo Yi. It took him a long time to come back to his senses.
Luo Yi had already embraced him in a hug. He said in a voice with a strong nasal tone, “Xiaohui-ge…”
Wen Xiaohui felt a warm feeling in his heart and he returned the hug. He scolded him lightly, “I’m really in awe of you.”
They went inside the room. Wen Xiaohui noticed that there was already medicine on the bedside cabinet – they were all Chinese. Wen Xiaohui glanced at the medicine in his hand. “Did you bring the medicine from China?”
Luo Yi nodded. “I was feeling a bit unwell when I was in China, so I brought it along just in case.”
“Hey! What kind of surprise is this?! I wasn’t even there when you arrived. You should have told me earlier if you wanted to come. I would have picked you up at the airport.”
“I was looking forward to the look of surprise on your face when you saw me. I never expected that…”
“Don’t be like this again. We’re abroad after all. What if something happens to you?” Wen Xiaohui poured some water and he put the kettle on the boil. Afterwards, he laid out the food that he’d brought over. “You haven’t eaten yet, come and have some food.”
“Okay.”
“Have you grown again?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“A lot of boys your age grow like crazy. I’m really interested to know how tall you’re gonna be.”
Luo Yi smiled. They both sat at the table and since Wen Xiaohui had already eaten, he watched Luo Yi eat.
“Have you already eaten?”
“I had some on the way back.”
“Was it with Li Shuo?”
“Yeah.”
Luo Yi stared at him. “You and Li Shuo went on holiday together. Was it just the two of you?”
“Yeah.” Wen Xiaohui didn’t want to elaborate.
The corner of Luo Yi’s lips appeared a little tense. “Did I bother you two yesterday?”
“Nope, don’t think too much about it.”
“Have you slept together yet?”
Wen Xiaohui’s jaw dropped and he stared at Luo Yi in shock. He’d never imagined that Luo Yi would ask so bluntly, he didn’t know how to respond in that instant.
Luo Yi’s gaze fixed on him. He didn’t feel awkward and there was no sign of him backing down. It appeared as if he had to have the answer.
“You’re… you’re asking this…”
“Can’t I ask? Didn’t you agree to tell me everything?” Luo Yi continued to speak without letting him off easily. “Last night, did you sleep together?”
Wen Xiaohui suddenly felt ashamed and enraged at the same time. “It wasn’t supposed to include questions like this. Don’t you feel too fucking embarassed to ask?”
“Yes or no?” It was as though two bright beams of glittering light shot out from Luo Yi’s piercing glare. He continued to stare at Wen Xiaohui without blinking, determined to get to the bottom of it1.
Wen Xiaohui wanted to explode in rage, but when he thought about how Luo Yi had flown thousands of miles to see him while ill with a fever, he took a deep breath and calmed down. “No.”
Luo Yi’s tense back relaxed and he said, “Oh.”
Wen Xiaohui recalled how Luo Rui had mentioned that Luo Yi might like him, and he couldn’t stop worrying. Luo Yi’s reaction just now was too bizarre. He would have believed that Luo Yi had come all the way just to interrupt his time with Li Shuo if it wasn’t so absurd. Although he knew it was just a coincidence, applying for a visa would take a while just like Li Shuo had said. He couldn’t help himself from saying harshly, “You don’t have to worry about such things in future.”
“This is about you, so why can’t I be concerned?”
“It’s private!” Wen Xiaohui stopped himself from slamming on the table.
Luo Yi swallowed two mouthfuls of rice in silence. “It’s still about you, even if it’s private.”
“You…” Wen Xiaohui was seething, but he didn’t want to seem too harsh when he saw Luo Yi’s flushed cheeks. After holding himself back for a while, he wanted to change the topic. “How long will you be staying for?”
“Not sure. My company’s having some difficulties raising capital, so I’m currently idle. I’m in no rush to head back.”
“Raising capital? Isn’t your company mainly used for the transfer of assets? Are you actually working on a project?”
“Yeah, I started to provide small loans associated with insurance, funds and finance. It’s impossible to do without capital.”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t understand nor was he planning to understand, and he only asked, “How much do you need?”
“A lot… I’ve been worrying about this issue recently.” Luo Yi rubbed his head. “I don’t have any other avenues at the moment and I can’t make any further progress, that’s why I’ve come to see you. I might as well take a break.”
“Don’t worry too much about it. You’re still a student and you should study hard. It’s not like you’re short on money, so why the heck are you so desperate to start working?”
Luo Yi forced himself to smile. “I have to pay interest on the capital. I’ll be in trouble if I can’t make the repayments.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “Y-You have debts?”
“It’s called financing rather than debt. However, it would be considered debt if there isn’t sufficient income to cover expenditure and I can’t repay.”
Wen Xiaohui said rather nervously, “You shouldn’t be looking for trouble. You’re still so young, what would happen if you suffer losses?”
“I’m already an adult.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the first of January today, so I’m 18.”
“The traditional Chinese method for calculating age?”
“That still counts.”
“The traditional Chinese method… Do you think it counts just because you said so? Is your business risky?”
“How could it be risk-free? It’s still alright at the moment, and I’m taking it slowly.”
Wen Xiaohui wanted to help, but firstly he didn’t have a clue and secondly, he didn’t have any money. He’d make Luo Yi feel more stressed if he continued to ask. He had no way of helping him and he could only advise Luo Yi to exercise caution while running his business.
After the meal, Wen Xiaohui asked Luo Yi to check out of the hotel and go back to the dorm with him. Although the hotel wasn’t considered a top-tier hotel, Luo Yi reserved the royal suite that cost more than 2,000 yuan per night. Wen Xiaohui felt a bit heartbroken at the waste of money.
————————–
The dorm was indeed empty when he brought Luo Yi back. Those who wanted to go home had returned home and those who wanted to have fun had already gone out. The place was deserted.
Before the heating kicked in, Wen Xiaohui wrapped Luo Yi up in his down-filled jacket, then he made the bed.
Luo Yi saw him throw the duvet on the ground. “Xiaohui-ge, what are you doing?”
“My bed’s only 1.5m, which is a bit too narrow for two people. I’ll sleep on the floor tonight.”
“The floor’s too cold.”
“It’s not cold. It won’t take long for the heating to kick in.”
“Don’t sleep on the floor, I’ll sleep on the floor instead.”
“You can’t because you’re sick.”
“Then, let’s both sleep on the bed, 1.5m isn’t that narrow.”
“Why wouldn’t it be too narrow? You’re over 1.8m tall.” Wen Xiaohui laughed, “It looks like you’ve also gotten broader.”
“Let’s sleep on the bed together. We used to sleep on the same bed when you stayed at my house.” Luo Yi was full of anticipation as he looked at Wen Xiaohui.
Wen Xiaohui really couldn’t bear to see Luo Yi looking so pitiful, however, he insisted when he recalled how Luo Yi might have feelings for him. “No, I’m worried that you’ll pass your illness onto me. If both of us get ill, who will look after the other person? You’ll sleep on the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Then, we should both sleep on the floor. You can spread the duvet on the floor and it’d be larger than my bed at home.”
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t think of a reason to decline, so he could only agree.
While they were going to bed that night, Luo Yi’s breathing sounded very nasal due to his illness and he couldn’t fall asleep. Wen Xiaohui felt a bit upset listening to him.
Luo Yi said in a hoarse voice soon after lying down, “There’s still half a year left before you go back to China.”
“Yeah.”
“But I want to bring you back now. I used to think that one year was a very short period of time, but I can’t stop thinking about you ever since you left. I’m not used to you not being around.”
Wen Xiaohui felt distraught when he heard these words. “It won’t be long. Half a year will go by quickly.”
“The past six months haven’t gone smoothly.” Luo Yi sighed, “I can’t seem to find the motivation to do anything. The state of my company’s not great either.”
Wen Xiaohui turned around and gently stroked Luo Yi’s head. “Try not to feel down about your company. Don’t forget, it’s not essential for you to start making money.”
Luo Yi nodded. He grasped Wen Xiaohui’s hand gently, placing it upon his face.
Luo Yi’s temperature was really high, and Wen Xiaohui felt as though his hand was burning.
With the moonlight shining through the window that night, they silently stared into each other’s eyes. Wen Xiaohui felt a little awkward. “Go to sleep, you need some good rest to get better.”
Luo Yi asked quietly, “Could you possibly avoid seeing Li Shuo while I’m here?”
“Why?”
“I might not be able to stay for too long. I want to see you every day, I want you to spend every day with me.”
“Li Shuo might not be around for much longer either.”
Luo Yi clenched his teeth. “Then, are you going to spend time with him?”
“We can have dinner together…”
“I don’t want to have dinner with him!” roared Luo Yi, followed by an episode of coughing.
Wen Xiaohui was shocked and he patted Luo Yi on the back. He thought of Luo Yi’s tone of voice just now and it was indeed a little…
Once Luo Yi finished coughing, he grabbed both of Wen Xiaohui’s hands. Wen Xiaohui wanted to withdraw his hands. “Luo Yi, stop being so childish!”
“Am I being childish?” Luo Yi gave Wen Xiaohui a profound look. “I’m already an adult, but am I still childish in your eyes?”
“It’s not related to age…”
“That’s right – it has nothing to do with age. Then, why did you bring up my age in the past?”
Wen Xiaohui felt like he didn’t know how to react. “What’s up with you today, Luo Yi? Is the fever making you confused?”
“I might have a fever, but my brain’s never been clearer.”
Wen Xiaohui stared blankly at Luo Yi. Luo Yi’s eyes conveyed a sense of unyielding dominance, which made Wen Xiaohui’s scalp feel numb. The current Luo Yi, or rather, Luo Yi whom he hadn’t seen in half a year with his taller and broader stature, gave off a more formidable air. When he met Luo Yi over a year ago, he looked like a teenager and now the current version of Luo Yi resembled a grown man.
Wen Xiaohui gulped. “Hurry up and sleep.”
Luo Yi’s hands automatically tightened around Wen Xiaohui’s wrists. Wen Xiaohui didn’t even get the chance to cry out in pain before Luo Yi took advantage to reach forward and kiss him on the lips.
Wen Xiaohui was stunned. He was completely and utterly stunned!
Luo Yi’s kiss was inexperienced and a little rough as he sucked hard on Wen Xiaohui’s lips. Wen Xiaohui came back to his senses and he gave Luo Yi a kick on the leg. Luo Yi groaned in pain, pulling back. He placed Wen Xiaohui’s wrists together above his head, freeing one hand to grasp his chin and kissed him firmly.
Wen Xiaohui bit Luo Yi’s lip and shouted2, “Luo Yi, are you fucking crazy? Let me go!”
Luo Yi licked the corner of his lip which had been bitten raw, the rusty taste of blood tainting his eyes with a trace of darkness. Eventually, he let go of Wen Xiaohui.
Wen Xiaohui pushed him away forcefully, he stood straight up and backed away a few steps until he reached the wall. He turned on the light.
The sudden burst of bright light made them both close their eyes instinctively. Wen Xiaohui’s hair was dishevelled and he was in a sorry state, looking terrified. He pointed at Luo Yi angrily and scolded, “Have you gone crazy?! Do you know what you’re doing?”
Luo Yi used his fingers to wipe away the blood on the corner of his lips. He said calmly as usual, “I’m aware.”
“You fucking…” Wen Xiaohui clenched his fists as he felt an urge to fight – he wanted to see if he could awaken Luo Yi with a punch.
Luo Yi crossed one leg over the other and sat steadily3 on the floor. His gaze was calm, appearing completely unruffled. Even the tinge of scarlet red on the corner of his lip added to his dangerous aura; it was as if he were sitting on a mountain of dead bodies instead of a duvet.
Wen Xiaohui froze as a result of Luo Yi’s imposing manner. He began to feel that Luo Yi was becoming increasingly foreign to him. Unnervingly foreign.
Luo Yi said, “It’s not the first time that I’ve wanted to do this. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I stopped myself in case I frighten you. I really wanted to give my blessings to you and Li Shuo, but I just can’t do it.”
Leaning against the wall, Wen Xiaohui felt his legs weaken. This was the first time he experienced such a domineering love confession and not only that, it came from a youth – the youth with whom he’d spent over a year having meals and living together.
It was a while before Wen Xiaohui found his voice. His voice trembled as he replied, “There’s no way we can be together, I’m your…” He thought about how they weren’t actually related by blood and there was only a four year difference between them, so Luo Yi could easily counter his argument.
“You’re the most important person to me. I trust and love you more than anyone else.” Luo Yi stared at Wen Xiaohui. “I don’t want to hide it anymore, nor do I want to hand you over to others.”
“Don’t bring this up again, Luo Yi. I’ve never thought about it because we’re family and nothing more. There’s no way I can accept it.”
“I never intended to scare you, I would have been content to keep things how they were if Li Shuo didn’t exist.” Luo Yi said gloomily, “I can’t do it any longer, I can’t stand by and watch while someone is trying to steal you away from me.”
“No one’s going to steal me away from you. No matter who I end up with in future, your status in my heart won’t change. Do you have a goddamn victim mentality? If I were a straight man, would I abandon my mum if I got married? There’s something wrong with your logic. It doesn’t matter what happens, I won’t split up from you because we’re family! How could you think of such a way to make me stay with you – it’s so stupid and childish!”
“I didn’t say it to make you stay with me!” Luo Yi raised his voice and enunciated each and every word. “It’s only because I love you!”
Footnotes:
刨根问底, literally to dig up the roots and enquire to the base i.e. to get to the bottom of a problem/situation (idiom).
破口大骂, to shout abuse or to curse someone.
稳如泰山, literally means as steady or stable as Taishan/Mount Tai i.e. extremely stable (idiom). Mount Tai is situated in Shandong in Northern China, and it is considered to be one of the sacred mountains of China where emperors historically visited to give offerings.
