Additional Inheritance - Chap 42
Chapter 42.1
Six months later
“Baby!” shouted Luo Rui from the exit of the airport, as he rushed over to Wen Xiaohui and gave him a great big bear hug. “I’ve missed you loads!”
Wen Xiaohui burst out laughing and hugged him back. “I miss you lots too. It’s strange without you there nagging me all the time.”
“When do I nag you?”
“You complain seven or eight times when you forget to bring a comb with you… Oh forget it, I won’t criticise you today. Let me see if our young maiden has gained weight.” Wen Xiaohui grinned as pinched Luo Rui’s cheeks.
Luo Yi stood behind them with a smile on his face.
Wen Xiaohui let go of Luo Rui, stretching his arms out towards Luo Yi. Luo Yi took a step forward and he hugged Wen Xiaohui tightly. “Welcome home.”
He felt a sudden gush of warmth in his heart. Half a year was enough time for him to reflect. During those six months, they both knew instinctively not to mention the confession every time they chatted on the phone, but they knew in their hearts that they were unable to start on a blank page1. After some serious consideration, Wen Xiaohui decided it would be best to go with the flow. Luo Rui was right, if Luo Yi really was destined to be the one, he shouldn’t ruin their relationship purely because of the moral standpoint he imposed on himself.
Wen Xiaohui patted Luo Yi on the back, and he said with a smile,”How come you seem taller and broader every time I see you? Are you taking growth hormones? The dark circles around your eyes are quite obvious. Haven’t you been sleeping well?” He thought Luo Yi didn’t seem very lively, like he had something on his mind, but he wasn’t sure if he was overthinking because he hadn’t seen Luo Yi in such a long time.
“He’s having a growth spurt.” Luo Rui rubbed his hands together as he grinned. “Luo Yi has such a great body, we’d get tons more female customers if he hung around my bakery. Even the shop assistants would work harder.”
“What a shame you can’t afford him.”
Luo Yi laughed, “I really admire Luo Rui-ge. He started rushing me at 7am, saying I had to be at the airport two hours beforehand.”
“I was worried about being stuck in traffic or there might be an accident. You should allow extra time when you’re travelling by road.”
“He’s annoying like that.”
The three of them joked with each other as they left the airport and they got into a taxi towards Wen Xiaohui’s house.
“Luo Rui, how did you manage to convince my mum not to come pick me up?”
“I didn’t have to convince her. I just said ‘Auntie, you don’t have to go, I’ll go instead.'”
“Am I really her child?”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Wen Xiaohui looked out the window at the city where he was born and bred for 20 years and the familiar scenery was shrouded in smog. After being away for a year, there weren’t any obvious changes – regardless of the people around him or his surroundings – he blended in without any qualms.
Luo Rui asked, “Now that you’re back, will you be promoted?”
“Yeah, Juxing paid for my study expenses and I signed a five year contract on their terms2. Of course they have to promote me. I can act like a pretentious prick with my graduation certificate from the training college.”
“Go print some business cards right away. Let’s put… senior stylist?”
“Senior stylist? It was something along the lines of Juxing’s beauty department consultant. It’s just an exaggeration, it’s not like anyone knows.” Wen Xiaohui carefully savoured the two words ‘senior stylist.’ Why did it sound so nice? Liu Xing was in the process of negotiating his basic salary of 7,000 plus commission. If he worked hard and took on more freelance jobs, then 20,000 to 30,000 a month could be easily achievable. He was already able to charge 1,000 to 2,000 for endorsements on Weibo, and he would have an even brighter road ahead if he were able to hook up with some hot-shot celebrity and become their exclusive stylist. In summary, his value grew exponentially after going away for a year to polish up3. His future was bright, and he grew excited4 as soon as he thought of this.
“Congratulations, Baby! Don’t forget about us when you’re rich.”
“Piss off.”
Luo Yi added, “Congratulations, Xiaohui-ge. Your career will definitely reach new heights.”
Wen Xiaohui was extremely happy, as he fantasised about his grand plans to succeed in the fashion industry.
When it was time, Luo Rui got out of the car with Wen Xiaohui. Wen Xiaohui said to Luo Yi, “You head back first. I’ll come find you after I spend a couple of days with my mum.”
“Sure.” All of a sudden, Luo Yi stretched his hand out of the car window and grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand. He smiled gently as he said, “I’m glad you’re back.”
Wen Xiaohui also smiled a little as he pinched Luo Yi’s hand. “You should go home. Have a safe journey.”
Once the taxi left, Luo Rui shook his head and sighed. “That glance contained a multitude of affection.”
“Stop talking nonsense and help me carry luggage already.”
Luo Rui pouted. “I can’t lift it, I’m not strong enough.”
Wen Xiaohui kicked the 30kg box. “Your present’s inside, so you shouldn’t leave it lying in the street.”
Without any further objection, Luo Rui hoisted it onto his shoulder. “Let’s go. Third floor?”
The two of them carried the luggage – large and small – up the stairs and rang the doorbell. Feng Yuehua’s face looked very surprised as soon as she opened the door. “Hey, you arrived so quickly – the rice isn’t even cooked.”
Wen Xiaohui gave her a big hug and replied while acting like a spoiled child. “I’ve missed you so much, Mum. I haven’t seen you in a year, how are you younger and prettier?”
Feng Yuehua grinned from ear to ear. “That’s enough. Why are you so clingy? Did you bring back everything I asked you to?”
Wen Xiaohui replied gloomily, “Are you treating your son as a buying agent? As always, I don’t dare to neglect Your Majesty. I’m afraid you won’t let me come home.”
Luo Rui said endearingly, “Hi Auntie, your pyjamas are beautiful.”
Feng Yuehua stroked Luo Rui’s curly hair. “You haven’t come to see me in a long time. The older you get, the cuter you are. Come in quickly.” She glanced at the luggage. “Xiaohui, why did you let Luo Rui carry such heavy luggage? Look at his tiny physique. Don’t sprain your lower back.”
“Mum, you really do treat Luo Rui wholeheartedly like a young maiden. He’s still a guy in any case, so why can’t he carry a single piece of luggage?”
Feng Yuehua smiled. “Luo Rui ought to be my daughter-in-law if you weren’t gay and Luo Rui weren’t a guy.”
Luo Rui giggled. “I’m your adopted son5.”
As soon as Wen Xiaohui stepped into the house, he opened his suitcase and took out a huge gift box, handing it over to Luo Rui. “Come have a look, it’s something that you really want.”
“Oh crap! It’s enormous – how did you get it back? What is it?”
“That’s why it took up most of the 28-inch suitcase.”
Luo Rui couldn’t wait to open it and shouted, “A Delonghi coffee machine!”
Wen Xiaohui said with a smile, “It’s more than a grand cheaper to buy this in the US instead of China. Didn’t you always want one?”
Luo Rui was so touched that he gave Wen Xiaohui a kiss with all his might. “Baby, I love you to death. I have to put it at the bakery – it’ll definitely look way more stylish!”
“How many people know about this thing?”
“People who are into that sort of thing will know what it is.” Luo Rui hugged the coffee machine with boundless infatuation. “Baby, this model’s really expensive. You’ve just had a raise, it can’t be good to spend so much.”
“It’s fine. It’s rare that I get to go abroad.” Luo Rui always bought him all sorts of expensive gifts, but unfortunately he used to be poor and he wasn’t able to give a decent present in return. Although he couldn’t be considered rich now, he’d received a pay rise and he wanted to give Luo Rui something that he really wanted.
The other suitcase was mostly full of skincare products, cosmetics, clothes, and shoes – half of which were for his mum. Feng Yuehua was ecstatic; she grabbed the clothes and started posing.
Wen Xiaohui smiled and asked, “Mum, how are you getting on with Uncle Ian? Did you guys go out last time?”
Feng Yuehua felt a little shy. “It’s going really well. Now that you’re back, let’s find a date to have a meal together.”
“No problem.”
“I’m going to try on some clothes.” Feng Yuehua took the clothes to the bedroom.
Luo Rui asked, “Oh yeah, what did you buy for Luo Yi and Li Shuo?”
“I bought… Damn! What’s that burning smell?”
Luo Rui’s eyes widened. He put down the coffee machine and rushed to the kitchen.
Footnotes:
The raws uses the phrase 这一页不可能揭过去 i.e. this page can’t be turned over.
死合同, as defined by a lawyer on Baidu, this is a type of contract where both parties are unable to reach an agreement and both parties propose clauses for inclusion in a contract without compromise. Wen Xiaohui’s contract terms are defined by Juxing without Wen Xiaohui having much input, because he has no bargaining power.
The raws used the phrase of Wen Xiaohui gold-plating himself i.e. turning something ordinary into something extraordinary.
Interestingly, the phrase that someone’s blood is boiling in Chinese (which is used in the raws) doesn’t mean that they’re angry and instead it’s used to denote passion/excitement.
干儿子, this is similar to godson, but without the religious connotations, as China is a secular country. I’ve opted to use the term ‘adopted son’ as a result, but it has no legal ramifications and people can enter into this kind of informal relationship with a simple ceremony (usually with the younger participant offering tea to the older participant).
Chapter 42.2
Wen Xiaohui had three days off before he went back to work. When he first got back to the studio, his colleagues organised a small homecoming event for him. This was the first time he received such a polite reception and he felt valued at Juxing. When he was still a trainee, nobody would care if he left or if he stayed, but now he felt both relieved and overjoyed1.
He brought small gifts back for his colleagues, with more special presents given to Liu Xing, Xiao Ai, and Lu-jie. Liu Xing called him into his office, chatting to him for the entire morning about Juxing’s current status and what Wen Xiaohui needed to do. Juxing had opened its second studio in Beijing, with branches in both Shanghai and Shenzhen, and Liu Xing meant that Wen Xiaohui could remain at the main studio to manage the beauty department or he could go with Lu-jie to manage one of the other branches. Wen Xiaohui decided to stay at the main studio since it offered better opportunities.
Wen Xiaohui had an office and although he had to share it with two other senior stylists, it was still of great importance to him. Wen Xiaohui sat in his chair, staring at the computer in front of him, and his heart nearly burst with joy.
He’d worked at Juxing for over three years before he finally had a breakthrough. Despite not wanting to think about it, it had to be said that his success today was inseparable from Luo Yi’s series of actions, but if he could choose, he’d rather rely on his own hard work than Luo Yi doing those sorts of things. Luckily, it was all in the past. It was extremely fortunate that it didn’t seem to trigger any repercussions.
He didn’t do much on his first day back at work as he got to know his new colleagues and management, and familiarised himself with the business. He no longer had to get up early to start the preparations or be the last person to clock off; he could leave whenever he wanted and he didn’t have to get to work on-time. Just the thought of it was awesome.
Wen Xiaohui said goodbye to everyone in the afternoon, then he left. He brought along some gifts, purchased some snacks, and rushed to Luo Yi’s house in a taxi.
———————–
Luo Yi wasn’t home yet when he arrived. When Wen Xiaohui called him, he found that Luo Yi had left his mobile phone at home.
He put the snacks down and took out Luo Yi’s present – the motion-sensor games console – and placed it on the coffee table in the living room. He was distressed by the cost when he was buying it, but he felt it was worth it considering how much they both enjoyed playing video games.
Wen Xiaohui was full of anticipation as he imagined Luo Yi’s look of surprise on his return.
Suddenly, Luo Yi’s mobile phone started ringing. Wen Xiaohui hadn’t planned to pick it up, but he glanced over and noticed the caller was nicknamed ‘that person’ out of the corner of his eye. Wen Xiaohui’s heart skipped a beat. That person? Whenever Luo Yi talked about his father, he always referred to him as ‘that person.’ Could it be him? He felt more nervous than he’d ever been before. If the person calling really was Luo Yi’s father, then he’d be Yaya’s… No one had ever told him who this man was, but everyone warned him about how extremely dangerous he was and how it was best for him to stay away. If Sun Ying hadn’t said those words to him, would he be tempted to answer the call? However, when he thought of Sun Ying’s doubts about Yaya’s death and the image of Yaya’s face, Wen Xiaohui did something he knew was stupid – he pressed the key to answer the call.
At first, the other end of the line was silent. Wen Xiaohui copied him, staying silent and didn’t say anything. He was even scared to take a deep breath.
“Luo Yi.” An imposing voice sounded from the other end of the line.
Wen Xiaohui felt his entire body trembling. He was only connected to the other person through the call and the man had merely said Luo Yi’s name, but why did he still feel so frightened? Was it because too many people had left him with a deep-rooted impression of this man? Therefore, he was unable to calm his wildly beating heart even though he was completely safe.
“Who are you?” The voice on the other end of the line called out again.
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t bear it any longer and he decisively hung up. He threw the mobile phone onto the sofa, as he felt a layer of cold sweat dripping down his body. His legs were still shaking.
Why did he do something stupid again? What did he hope to achieve by answering the call? Was it curiosity? No, it wasn’t just because of curiosity. Maybe it was because he subconsciously wanted to find out who murdered his sister. Although he knew that he lacked courage and he wasn’t capable enough to take revenge, he still really wanted to know the truth.
He picked up the mobile phone again and deleted the call record from a moment ago. If Luo Yi found out at a later stage and asked him about it, he would just… refuse to admit it no matter what. In any case, he couldn’t think of a better plan.
Luo Yi came home after a while.
“Xiaohui-ge? When did you get here?”
“I haven’t been here for long. Did you just finish your lessons?”
“Yeah, something came up at university. Wow.” Luo Yi stared at the games console on top of the coffee table. “Did you buy that?”
Wen Xiaohui beamed with pride as he gave it a pat. “I brought it back from the US. You’d said before that this model seems really fun and we can play together since we both enjoy playing games.”
Luo Yi smiled and replied, “Thank you.”
“Why are you acting so formal? We’re family.” Wen Xiaohui went over and patted him on the shoulder. “You look sturdier than before.”
Luo Yi stroked Wen Xiaohui’s hair. “You seem more mature too.”
Wen Xiaohui touched his own face. “Do I have fine lines?”
Luo Yi laughed, “No, I meant you seem more mature in temperament, which is a positive thing or else how will you be able to lead others?”
“That’s true. I’m telling you, I had such a warm welcome when I went to the studio today.” Wen Xiaohui was radiant with delight as he talked about his preferential treatment at the studio and it was clear from his words that he was very proud of himself.
Luo Yi washed his hands. He listened to Wen Xiaohui as he cooked. The mood was warm and harmonious – it seemed as though nothing had changed after a year’s separation.
Partway through dinner, Luo Yi’s mobile phone rang and he smacked himself on the leg. “I forgot my mobile phone today, I don’t know if anyone was looking for me.”
Wen Xiaohui listened to the sound of the ringtone and his heart skipped a beat. He started to feel anxious.
Luo Yi went to answer the phone. “Hello? Oh, okay.”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t think that the call was from ‘that person’ based on Luo Yi’s reaction and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Luo Yi suddenly raised his voice2, his tone was full of anger. “Why did he suddenly back out of the deal? Is this child’s play? How can he do this?!” Luo Yi was speaking as he walked out the door.
Wen Xiaohui sat in the dining room, but he could still hear Luo Yi’s angry voice through the wall. He thought it must have been related to Luo Yi’s company.
Luo Yi finally came back after a while. He had an unpleasant expression on his face. “I’m sorry, something happened at the company.”
“No worries. Let’s eat quickly, it must be cool.”
Luo Yi sat down and ate dinner in silence.
Wen Xiaohui asked cautiously, “Luo Yi, are you okay? I didn’t think you were on great form the day I got off the plane. You couldn’t have been worrying about your company’s state of affairs all this time?”
Luo Yi sighed and he nodded gently.
“Didn’t we already agree that you’d concentrate on university? You’re so young, why are you seeking out trouble for yourself?”
Luo Yi replied, “You don’t understand, Xiaohui-ge. Studying doesn’t fill me with a sense of satisfaction anymore. In my opinion, the courses at university aren’t challenging at all and they’re all very boring. On the other hand, starting a business has lots of challenges.”
“But some challenges can make you feel very frustrated, like now. What happened? Is there anything I can help with?”
Luo Yi shook his head. “It’s just a lack of funds. A venture capitalist originally agreed to invest, but he went back on his word and proposed a raft of conditions that we couldn’t possibly agree to. We’ll suffer huge losses if we can’t raise the necessary funds.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “It’s that serious? W-when do you need the money? You’ll be 18 in four months’ time and you’ll be able to inherit your mum’s estate…”
“It can’t wait that long.” Luo Yi forced himself to smile. “Let’s not talk about this, I’ll think of a way. Let’s have dinner.”
Wen Xiaohui felt like he didn’t have much of an appetite as he observed Luo Yi’s troubled appearance. After dinner, he was planning to drag Luo Yi over to try the new games console, but Luo Yi grabbed his mobile phone and went to make a call. He took the initiative in clearing away the dishes while feeling concerned about Luo Yi.
Luo Yi was on the phone for a long time, Wen Xiaohui even finished showering. With a weary expression, Luo Yi returned to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed.
Wen Xiaohui stroked his hair. “Look at you, do you really have to push yourself? There’s no need for this.”
Luo Yi grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand and brought it to his cheek. “Xiaohui-ge, things aren’t as simple as you think. I’m convinced ‘that person’ is secretly hindering me.”
Wen Xiaohui was surprised. “Why would he do this? Why do you think it’s him?”
“I don’t know… Do you remember what I told you before? There might be something that he wants within my mum’s estate. I think he wants to use this as an opportunity to blackmail me, so that I give him that item once I get my inheritance.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll only find out once I’ve inherited the estate, but I don’t want to give it to him no matter what it is.” Luo Yi frowned as he said, “My intuition tells me not to give it to him.”
“Then what are you planning to do?”
“I still don’t know yet. I’m going to explore other methods of financing, I don’t want to be coerced by him.”
Wen Xiaohui’s mood was very solemn because he recalled how, according to Sun Ying, that item might have been the handle that Yaya had on him. That person would definitely want to retrieve that sort of thing and there might not be any benefit to Luo Yi owning it. However, he had no proof whatsoever, so he shouldn’t speculate. Especially with Luo Yi’s personality, if he found out his mother might not have committed suicide… he couldn’t imagine what Luo Yi might end up doing.
Wen Xiaohui wasn’t sure how best to comfort Luo Yi, so he could only remain silent in solidarity.
After a long period of time, Luo Yi finally sat up and grabbed onto Wen Xiaohui’s hand without letting go. “Xiaohui-ge, I was really happy that you came back, but it turned out to be such a disappointing day.”
“Never mind. Why the heck is it still bothering you?”
“You even bought me a present especially…” Luo Yi lowered his eyes. “You’re right, I’ve brought trouble on myself and I don’t even have the courage to admit my own failures. I used to think that I was really clever, but I realised in the end that I lack practical experience in the field of business, having just entered society. Now that something’s happened, I’ve learned a bitter lesson indeed. I’ll definitely be more prudent in future if I get through this. As you say, I should spend more effort studying.”
Wen Xiaohui smiled. “It’s good you think that way. You’re young and you’ve a large inheritance waiting for you, so there really isn’t any pressing need for you to make money. Take your time. With your IQ and the right timing, the amount of money flowing into your pocket will be unstoppable.”
Luo Yi smiled and replied, “Okay.” The look he gave Wen Xiaohui became even more affectionate.
Under such an intense and profound gaze, it was as if an immobilisation spell had been cast on Wen Xiaohui. He thought that Luo Yi’s eyes had a bewitching power, giving him the illusion that once he entered its depths, he would never be able to get out again.
Luo Yi’s face gradually moved closer.
As Luo Yi was about to touch Wen Xiaohui’s lips, Wen Xiaohui turned his head away.
Immediately afterwards, Luo Yi lowered his head and sighed in disappointment.
Wen Xiaohui got off the bed. “Luo Yi, we can’t sleep in the same room anymore. I’ll sleep in my sister’s room.”
Luo Yi asked in a quiet voice. “Aren’t you scared3?”
“Actually, there’s nothing to be scared of when I think about it – it’s not like my sister will harm me.”
“Actually, I’ve already tidied the nanny room on the ground floor.” Luo Yi raised his head to look at him. “I knew you wouldn’t sleep in the same bed as me once you got back. The nanny room is on the smaller side, but it’s clean and cosy. If you’re not willing to sleep there, I can go instead.”
“It’s fine, I’ll sleep in the nanny room.” Wen Xiaohui said a little awkwardly, “Luo Yi, I’ve thought about a lot of things over the past six months and I can give you a direct answer on this matter. There’s nothing I can do to stop you from liking me, but my sister left you in my care and I’m responsible for you – that’s why I initially felt so resistant to your views. I was making a big deal out of it, but I’ve worked it out now. After all, we’re not related by blood. You have the freedom to choose your sexual orientation. That’s why from this day onwards, I’ll not only treat you as family, but also as a grown man. It doesn’t mean that I’ll like you though.”
Luo Yi’s whole face suddenly lit up. “That’s great!”
Wen Xiaohui observed Luo Yi’s overt happiness, and his heart also felt a little sweet. In any case, being loved by another person was a wonderful thing.
Luo Yi recalled something. “Then… What about Li Shuo?”
“Li Shuo and I are still friends. We’ll… go with the flow.”
“I won’t surrender you to him,” said Luo Yi with determination.
Wen Xiaohui laughed, “You should wait until you’re older before you say this sort of thing. Hurry up and go to bed. Rest well.”
Luo Yi smiled tenderly. “Goodnight, Xiaohui-ge.”
“Goodnight.”
Footnotes:
扬眉吐气, literally means to perk up your eyebrows and expel your grievances (Chinese idiom). It’s used to describe someone who is relieved of long-term pressure and they feel overjoyed as a result. The idiom originates from Li Bai, the famous Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD) poet.
Typo in the raws which should say volume of a particular sound (音量) instead of print volume (印量), otherwise it makes no sense.
If you recall, at the beginning of the novel, Wen Xiaohui was scared to sleep in a dead person’s room, believing it was haunted. That’s why Luo Yi asks if he’s scared.
Translator note:
Happy lunar new year! May the year of the rabbit bring good health and fortune to everyone!
