Additional Inheritance - Chap 5
Chapter 5
Cao Hai drove them to the villa; the neighbourhood was pretty old, but it was well-maintained. It had a full occupancy rate because of its superb location and property prices were sky-high.
Luo Yi carried the bicycle out. “Thanks Uncle Cao, drive carefully.”
“Okay, take good care of yourself as well.”
Wen Xiaohui grasped Cao Hai’s hand and shook it. Using his large eyes, he stared at Cao Hai without blinking and looked seductively at him. “Bye, Mr Cao.”
Cao Hai smiled, waved and left.
Luo Yi was standing next to them, he slightly narrowed his eyes and smiled playfully. “Xiaohui-ge, come in.”
Wen Xiaohui walked into the neighbourhood with him side-by-side. “Hey, Mr Cao seems pretty nice. How old is he?”
“Around 32. He really isn’t bad, he’s successful in both his career and his family life. He’s a very intelligent man.”
Wen Xiaohui was slightly disappointed. “Oh, he’s already married.”
“Yes, why?”
“Nothing.” Wen Xiaohui diverted the conversation. “Have you and my sister always lived here?”
“I’ve always lived here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been living here ever since I was child, but my mum didn’t come home very often.”
“Where was she?”
“She must have been busy running her business and other things that I don’t know about,” said Luo Yi casually.
The two people stopped in front of a large three-and-a-half storey villa. Half of the top floor was an attic and the other half was a rooftop garden. Luo Yi left his bicycle in the courtyard.
Wen Xiaohui said, “Why aren’t you locking it?”
“This neighbourhood is very safe, there are CCTVs everywhere. It’ll be fine.” Luo Yi opened the door and smiled at Wen Xiaohui. “Welcome to my house.”
Wen Xiaohui went inside. The interior was extremely clean, and the decoration was minimalistic but stylish. There was a pure white grand piano in the middle of the living room, but the house lacked the feeling of homeliness. He couldn’t help asking, “Did you live in such a big house by yourself when you were young? Who looked after you?”
“I had a nanny when I was younger, but I didn’t need anyone to look after me after i grew up.”
Wen Xiaohui frowned, he was someone who had been raised from childhood by both his parents and he couldn’t imagine how it would feel without his parents around. Luo Yi was originally from a single-parent family and his mother seldom came home; how lonely must he have felt? He wasn’t someone who could bite his tongue, so he blurted out, “What about your dad?”
Wen Xiaohui regretted asking because from Luo Yi’s back view, it was obvious that he’d frozen stiff and he heard Luo Yi say monotonously, “I rarely see him.”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t dare continue asking. Looking around at his surroundings, a wall containing photos caught his eye. On the wall were photos of Luo Yaya and Luo Yi from throughout his early childhood, childhood and teenage years. He hadn’t seen photos of young Yaya for many years. Her face was devastatingly beautiful1 and furthermore, Luo Yi had fully inherited that beauty, as they both looked very alike. When he looked at Luo Yi, it was as if he were looking at the youthful and vivacious Luo Yaya – the sister who he had once worshipped, adored, and was most proud of – who could only exist now in his memories.
There was a row of trophies and certificates of merit placed on the display cabinet under the wall of photos and Wen Xiaohui went over to look at them. He was able to read the ones in Chinese; lots of first prizes in the International Mathematical Olympiads, international physics competitions and unexpectedly, there were trophies for archery, skiing, piano grades, English and a random mix of other competitions that he didn’t recognise. He grabbed one and turned his head to ask Luo Yi. “Wow. You’re so awesome. What are they?”
Luo Yi was in the middle of boiling water. “The trophy you’re holding is for the junior champion of the international Muay Thai competition. They’re all from various competitions that I’ve won. What would you like to drink?”
“How many competitions have you participated in?”
“Erm, there are loads – I’m good at mathematical sciences, debating, inventing, languages, archery, shooting, skiing, and Muay Thai. I’m also okay at piano and cello but more amateur at equestrianism, tennis and fencing. I have an abundance of energy and I can’t be idle, so I like to learn more stuff. Xiaohui-ge, what would you like to drink? Is tea okay?”
Wen Xiaohui’s jaw dropped. He was blinded by Luo Yi’s straight-A student halo and he stammered, “No, I’d like a coke.”
“Sorry, I don’t have any coke, but I can make some fruit juice for you.”
“Okay.” Wen Xiaohui put the trophy back with trembling hands and straightened it. Afterwards, he clasped his hands together and bowed in the direction of the trophies and certificates, hoping that he could be blessed by the glow of the straight-A student.
As soon as Luo Yi turned around, he coincidentally saw Wen Xiaohui’s actions and a hint of a smile could be seen in his eyes.
Wen Xiaohui sat on the sofa and Luo Yi put a glass of green juice in front of him. “Cucumber plus kiwi.”
Wen Xiaohui reached for the glass and took a sip. It didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t delicious either. He frowned and said, “You should add some sugar or honey.”
Luo Yi stared at his face. “The ingredients help with edema, so it’s better not to add extras.”
Wen Xiaohui touched his face a little nervously. “Are my face and eyelids still swollen? I’m going to end up with fine lines. My face is normally a fair bit smaller than this, and my eyes are much bigger than they look now. I’m telling the truth.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I’ve seen a photo of you.”
“Oh? Did my sister show it to you?”
“Yeah.”
The two fell into an awkward silence. They were originally complete strangers and it was difficult to find a common topic to discuss. Wen Xiaohui mused and said, “Why is your IQ so high, what did you eat growing up?”
Luo Yi chuckled, “I was born like this.”
“You’re only 15 years old and you still have to go to school. How do you find time to learn so many things?”
“You might think that these things are difficult, but I only participate in the youth group competitions, which most people participate in for fun.”
Wen Xiaohui thought to himself how amazing it would be if normal people could play around and learn a thing or two. He remembered that although Yaya was very smart, her IQ wasn’t at the level where it could crush others. She had unexpectedly given birth to a genius son.
Luo Yi said, “Xiaohui-ge, are you hungry? Stay for dinner this evening.”
“Okay, are you going to cook? I can’t.”
Luo Yi said with a smile, “I’ll do it.” He picked up a pen and jotted down a string of numbers. “That’s the WiFi password. You can play while I cook.”
“Fine.”
After Luo Yi had left, Wen Xiaohui automatically collapsed on the big leather sofa and closed his eyes.
Everything that had happened today was very surreal and even now, he still felt like he was dreaming. Did he really become the guardian of an unfamiliar, young genius? He had no understanding at all of the word ‘guardian’, and he didn’t know what he could do for Luo Yi. It was obvious that Luo Yi was more intelligent and capable than him. Furthermore, he’d hid such a serious thing from his mum and since he’d recklessly signed the contract, he didn’t dare to mention it to her.
But how could he refuse since Yaya had begged him in the letter and Luo Yi had said that Yaya wanted to provide him with a close relative…
Wen Xiaohui sighed. Although it seemed calm – it was, in reality, a crazy day.
The sofa was very comfortable, it was like his whole body was sinking in, but he felt well supported. Wen Xiaohui fell asleep in a daze.
Shortly after falling asleep, he heard someone calling him from a close distance.
He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with a pair of large and bright eyes. Luo Yi’s face was so close that he could clearly see the fine downy hair on his face.
His skin’s really supple, Wen Xiaohui thought enviously. He yawned. “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah, you should sleep here after dinner if you’re tired.”
“I can’t. My mum will tell me off if I don’t return home straight afterwards.”
Luo Yi smiled. “You’re already an adult and she’s still trying to control you.”
“Yes, she’s so fierce.” Wen Xiaohui inhaled and said, “It smells great, what did you make?”
“Omurice2.”
Wen Xiaohui smiled. “Do you also like to eat omurice?”
“You’re the one who likes it.”
Wen Xiaohui was shocked. “My sister told you that?”
Luo Yi nodded. “My mum said that your favourite is the omurice that she makes.”
Wen Xiaohui’s expression darkened and he was unable to decipher how he was feeling inside – he was both heartbroken and moved.
Luo Yi very gently raised his chin and said softly, “As I’ve already said, don’t feel sad for my mum. You should be glad for her.”
Luo Yi’s voice possessed a hint of an indescribable power, which could lead people astray. Wen Xiaohui became absent-minded for a split second, then he shook his head. “I don’t understand your way of thinking. When people die, we can no longer touch, hear nor see them again. How could you not be sad? Why are you glad for her?”
“Why wouldn’t I be glad if she’s free and doesn’t have to suffer anymore?”
“What about you?” Wen Xiaohui’s voice trembled a little. “Aren’t you sad to lose your mother?”
Luo Yi smiled but didn’t reply. He merely said, “Come eat dinner.”
Wen Xiaohui felt a little uncomfortable because it was the first time he’d come across someone who had views like Luo Yi. Could it be that the neural circuits of high IQ people are completely different from normal people?
Sitting at the table and seeing the light yellow omurice placed upon the white bone china plate, Wen Xiaohui felt his heart ache. He took a bite and it tasted exactly the same as he remembered.
Luo Yi asked, “Does it taste nice?”
“Delicious.” Wen Xiaohui looked at him. “Did my sister mention me often?”
“Yeah, she often mentioned you and showed me your photos.” Luo Yi paused. “She also took me to your school to see you, but you never found out.”
“Why?” Wen Xiaohui couldn’t understand. “All these years, I knew she had a child, but I was clueless about how old they were or whether they were male or female. She never told me. Why did she never bring you to see me?”
“She didn’t want to get you and Ms Feng into trouble,” said Luo Yi evasively.
Wen Xiaohui was aware that it was probably related to Luo Yi’s biological father and therefore, he swallowed the question back into his stomach.
Luo Yi’s spoon knocked against the bone china plate, and the tinkling sound echoed between the two people’s silence, making it seem especially quiet.
Luo Yi said in a low voice, “Even though you weren’t aware of my existence, I’ve always thought of you as family.”
Wen Xiaohui looked at the youth with his head lowered, his eyelashes trembling slightly with a youthful and innocent-looking face and began to pity him. He stretched out his hand to rub his hair. “We’re family, Xiaohui-ge will protect you in future.”
After finishing dinner, Luo Yi said, “Xiaohui-ge, would you like a tour of the house?”
“Yeah, sure.” Wen Xiaohui wiped his mouth with a napkin and carefully applied lip balm.
“Let’s go.”
The ground floor mainly consisted of the living room, kitchen, nanny room and storage room. There were three rooms on the first floor. Luo Yi opened the door closest to the stairs. “This was my mum’s room. It has already been knocked through to the room next door which was used as her cloakroom, and the gym is opposite.”
Wen Xiaohui used the doorframe as support and his footsteps were somewhat heavy.
Luo Yi said in his ear, “Go have a look.”
Wen Xiaohui mentally sighed and went inside.
In contrast to the simple but elegant decor of the entire villa, Luo Yaya’s room was decorated lavishly. The genuine solid wood Italian furniture and the thick mink-fur blanket on the bed revealed the owner’s aesthetics and wealth. All the furnishings in the room were very structured, as if no one had touched them for a long time, but the wooden floor had only just been waxed and was spotless. The clash of contradictions made the whole room appear even more desolate.
A photo of Luo Yaya hung at the head of the bed and in the photo, she was decked in jewels. Her facial features looked sharp and her beauty was ostentatiously3 displayed. Wen Xiaohui had never seen Luo Yaya like that, the Luo Yaya in his memory would never have such a chilling and sharp expression.
Wen Xiaohui walked to the front of the dressing table. The enormous dressing table resembled a display cabinet of cosmetics. Wen Xiaohui had previously coveted4 every item on the dressing table, but for the first time in his life, his mind was not on these treasures.
Luo Yi said, “If something takes your fancy, just take it. It’d be a waste to let them expire.”
Wen Xiaohui’s hand slid over the refined perfume bottles and finally settled on a simple comb. He picked up the comb and brought it to the base of his nose. It was a pure and strong fragrance of wood. He asked, “Green sandalwood?”
Luo Yi nodded.
Wen Xiaohui shook his head. “What did my sister do during the past few years? Even a comb costs tens of thousands and Cao Hai addressed her as Director Luo…” He turned around and stared straight into Luo Yi’s eyes. “Tell me the truth… Was she involved in illegal activities?”
Luo Yi said, “I don’t know. I know barely anything about her business.”
“You’re so intelligent, how could you really know nothing? You were aware of her suffering and despair, and you knew she’d been cheated by someone. You were the one who said it, but you don’t know why she was suffering, why she was in despair or how she’d been cheated?” Although Wen Xiaohui’s voice was shrill, it trembled as well. He wasn’t the kind of person who could bite his tongue. Despite repeated warnings not to investigate the cause of Luo Yaya’s death, a grown person was inexplicably dead. How could he act like nothing had happened?
Luo Yi frowned and there was a hint of grievance in his expression. He whispered, “I genuinely don’t know.”
Wen Xiaohui looked at Luo Yi’s fearful appearance and thought that he must have frightened him. He immediately softened his attitude and touched Luo Yi’s face. “I’m not picking on you. If you really don’t know…then, just forget about it.”
Luo Yi nodded. His appearance seemed a little pitiful.
Wen Xiaohui said, “Could I keep this comb as a memento?”
“Sure.”
Wen Xiaohui walked to Luo Yaya’s cloakroom and was immediately shocked again. A room of this size was only used for Luo Yaya’s clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery display, and she seldom returned to this house. Wen Xiaohui exclaimed, “Even if my sister doesn’t leave you any inheritance, you’d be able to live off the sales proceeds for a lifetime.”
“I won’t sell them, but I can give them to you if you like.”
Wen Xiaohui felt unbearably disappointed, he’d seen a lot of things that would normally take his fancy, but he didn’t see what he really wanted – the traces left by the sister in his memories. The one who’d raised him from childhood, who saved her breakfast money to buy him ice cream, and in order to save the bus fare of two yuan, she carried him on her back whilst he was sleeping and walked two kilometres home. She seemed like a completely different person to the queen of this extravagant castle.
He cleared his head in order to free himself from the repressed emotion and feigning a relaxed demeanour, he asked, “How do you know I like them?”
Luo Yi leaned against the door frame with a shadow of a smile. “I’ve read your blog before and it’s very interesting.”
Wen Xiaohui recalled his Weibo5 and for a second, he felt awkward because his Weibo content was mainly divided into three categories – makeup and styling tutorials, all kinds of flirtatious selfies, and pictures of wild, macho men. He soon felt relieved because that was just the way he was – he didn’t care what others thought about him being gay. Other people’s views had nothing to do with him. He said proudly, “I became popular really quickly, it took about a year. Do you know why?”
Luo Yi chuckled, “Why?”
“Of course, it’s because I’m so good-looking.” Wen Xiaohui poked at his cheek in the mirror.
Pretending to be serious, Luo Yi said, “That makes sense.”
Wen Xiaohui smiled at him. “Let’s go and take a look at your room.”
Luo Yi’s room was on the second floor, and he was gobsmacked the instant he opened the door. The internal walls had been knocked through and his room took up the entire second floor. As a result, the room was very large. Each and every corner and wall in the room were fully utilised where countless things were placed, but at the same time, it had been kept tidy and clean.
Wen Xiaohui had never seen a room like this before where it was so difficult to describe the style, because it had all sorts of things. There were tons of books, three computers, game consoles, cameras, different types of models, crafts, collectibles, musical instruments, sporting equipment, Gundam figures and ancient European copper coins stored within a display cabinet. One corner had skiing gear and a sheepskin lamp. In summary, all these things from different geographical regions, from ancient to present times, from primitive to high-tech, from 2D to 3D, resembled a compact department store. The uneasiness that should have resulted from the contrasting styles had bizarrely turned into a sense of harmony.
Wen Xiaohui said with a sigh, “There’s too much stuff in your room.”
Luo Yi said with a smile, “I’ve already mentioned that I have a wide range of hobbies and the attic on the third floor is also full of my stuff.”
“That really is a wide range.” Wen Xiaohui sat in front of his desk, fiddling with a beautiful fountain pen.
Luo Yi stooped lower, his chest almost touching Wen Xiaohui’s neck and grabbed his hand. He opened the lid of the fountain pen.
Wen Xiaohui immediately felt a bit uncomfortable, as Luo Yi was so close to him that he could smell his warm scent. His soft stubble gently swept over his cheek, tickling him all the way to his heart. His breath was a little heavy. “What are you doing?”
Luo Yi said softly, “I suddenly want to write your name.”
Wen Xiaohui’s body froze. What was with this ambiguous and undeserving6 feeling? He felt rotten and he couldn’t even blame Luca, that son-of-a-bitch, for taunting him and calling him a desperate little virgin. Even though he was gay, he couldn’t think that way about a 15 year old child, not to mention that this was his sister’s son.
Luo Yi grabbed his hand and wrote the words ‘Wen Xiaohui’ on the sheet of paper. Each stroke was vigorous like it had been chiselled with an axe. His aura was impressive and his writing did not resemble that of a youth at all.
Wen Xiaohui retracted his hand and praised, “Your handwriting looks great.”
“Thank you.”
Wen Xiaohui was inexplicably nervous and he stood up in order to divert attention. The bookshelf in front of him caught his eye. “Hey, you finally have something that I’m interested in.” He picked up an exquisitely crafted perfume bottle from the bookshelf. The gold engraving and embedded gemstones hinted at its nomadic tribe origins. He brought it up to the tip of his nose and sniffed, but the seal was effective and the smell was very weak. “Erm, it smells nice.”
“It’s not perfume,” said Luo Yi.
“What is it then?”
“It’s a type of Gypsy aphrodisiac that can be used as poison, which has been handed down for thousands of years.”
“Huh?”
Luo Yi laughed, “This formula has a low concentration that I adjusted myself. If the concentration is high, just opening and smelling it once would be arousing and direct consumption could result in death.”
Wen Xiaohui returned the bottle back to its original place. “Kid, do you spend all day researching bizarre stuff because there’s no one to look after you?”
Luo Yi blinked and his expression was unexpectedly gentle. “You can look after me.”
For some reason, Wen Xiaohui didn’t dare to look into Luo Yi’s eyes. He rolled his eyes. “I can’t, worrying too much gives you wrinkles. I need to go home.”
Luo Yi grabbed his arm. “Xiaohui-ge, stay with me for a bit longer.”
“It’s getting dark, there won’t be any taxis later.”
“Then you can stay over tonight.”
“Of course not, my mum will scold me.”
Luo Yi lowered his head and whispered, “It’s been a long, long time since anyone has visited. It’s really nice to have someone to talk to at home. I really don’t want you to leave.”
Wen Xiaohui felt his scalp go numb; how could he still say that he wanted to leave? Luo Yi must have felt very lonely living by himself in such a large house.
Wen Xiaohui struggled internally for a long time before he said, “In that case… I’ll call my mum.”
Luo Yi immediately smiled. It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to use the term ‘flowers in full bloom’ to describe the beauty of his smile. Suddenly, Wen Xiaohui thought that it wasn’t a big deal to be scolded.
He didn’t dare call his mum and he made up a reason to send via a text message, then he turned off his mobile. In reality, there was no way to fool her so he might as well go home to be scolded after having a peaceful night.
Luo Yi looked extremely happy. “Xiaohui-ge, where do you want to sleep tonight? There’s no guest room because I’ve never had any visitors. You can’t use the nanny room as it hasn’t been cleaned in a long time. Do you want to stay in my mum’s room?”
Wen Xiaohui immediately shook his head. Although he missed Luo Yaya a lot, he wasn’t a very brave person and he was a little superstitious.
“You sleep with me then, I’ve got a really big bed. We can chat tonight.”
Wen Xiaohui looked at Luo Yi’s honest expression and he struggled internally. If he refused, wouldn’t that make it seem like he had a guilty conscience? Therefore, he said in a straight-forward manner, “Okay.”
The author [Shui Qian Cheng] has something to say:
This is my first time writing about a straight-A student and I’m a little nervous. Although the character settings of the gong are a bit Mary Sue7, it’s not too unbelievable. In reality, there are such powerful individuals who are born to crush mortals… However… It is said that the fictional character with the highest IQ represents the author’s IQ. Depicting a straight-A student could be a problem, and I can’t help worrying about it.
Footnotes:
倾城倾国, literally beauty that is capable of causing the downfall of a city or state i.e. Helen of Troy’s ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ (idiom).
This is a Japanese dish where the rice is wrapped inside a thin layer of omelette and typically topped with ketchup.
锋芒毕露, to make a showy display of one’s ability (idiom).
梦寐以求, to yearn for something even in your dreams/to long for something day and night (idiom).
A microblogging website which is one of China’s most popular social media platforms. The author of this novel posted her latest 188 novel on this platform for free.
杀千刀, internet slang used for swearing at someone who deserves death by a thousand cuts (lingchi). Reportedly used a lot in the context of a wife swearing at a good-for-nothing husband.
The raws use Su (苏), an internet buzzword used to describe the perfect and handsome boys that make girls swoon. It’s derived from the English phrase ‘Mary Sue’ i.e. a fictional character who is seen as too perfect and almost boring for lack of flaws. SQC seems to be suggesting that Luo Yi is a bit overpowered.
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