Additional Inheritance - Chap 53

Chapter 53

Wen Xiaohui wandered the streets feeling disheartened after leaving Cao Hai’s house in a daze.

The capital on the first day of the lunar calendar was bleak and chilly; its streets devoid of people and traffic. The overcast sky looked as though it would drop onto someone’s head any minute, making them feel a stifling sort of repression. It gave Wen Xiaohui the impression that it was the apocalypse.

His ordeals over the past two days seemed to him like the apocalypse.

The one he trusted and relied on – his beloved – was a cheating and opportunistic ‘monster’. For close to three years, his daily life was completely filled with Luo Yi. If Luo Yi was fake, then the time that they spent together was fake too. What else was real? What remained of those three years?

Perhaps it was too much of a shock that he was unable to shed a single tear. He only felt as though he was hollow inside.

At this moment in time, he really wanted to hide – to find a place without anyone and hide. He wanted to sort out his jumbled thoughts, but he knew it wouldn’t get better no matter what he did. He felt a compelling urge to clear things up with Luo Yi face-to-face.

However, he didn’t dare to because he was scared that Luo Yi would admit that it was all a scam from the outset. What would he do then?

—————————————–

He eventually went home after wandering the streets for a few hours.

As soon as he got home, his absentmindedness and his bright-red ears caused by the cold weather caught his mum’s eye.

Feng Yuehua went over and felt his face. “Son, are you alright? Why do you seem as though you’ve lost your soul?”

“I’m tired.” Wen Xiaohui patted her shoulder. “I’m going to bed.”

“Dinner will be ready soon.”

“I don’t want dinner, I just want to sleep.” Wen Xiaohui took off his coat and went into his bedroom, locking the door from the inside.

While he lay on the bed, he felt his strength being extracted from his body like silk fibres from a cocoon1. He rolled over on the bed. Looking all around him, he didn’t know what to do – there was only the completely lifeless furniture and solitary air.

Who would be able to help him? Who could give him advice on what to do? He felt as though his world had been turned upside down and smashed, but he had no means of resistance.

He jumped up off the bed and after some thorough searching, he found the envelope stored in the locked metal cash box, which had Yaya’s suicide note inside.

He opened up the suicide note. It was the piece of paper that had once weighed heavily on him, but now it was full of irony since it was a forgery. There had been no such thing as guardianship or fostering. Did Yaya even leave a suicide note behind for him? If she did, what did the real suicide note look like? Would it warn him to keep his distance from Luo Yi?

“I’m begging you to please honour my last request to take care of my son; he’s the only person in this world who is lonelier than me.” Who had actually written those words?

Wen Xiaohui sat in a daze in his bedroom, which was gradually becoming darker, and he thought he heard the sound of his soul burning.

At this moment, Feng Yuehua knocked on his door. “Xiaohui, Ian’s taking us out for dinner. Get up and wash your face.”

Wen Xiaohui said softly, “You go, I want to sleep.”

“Are you really not going? We’re having seafood!”

“I’m not going, you guys go ahead.”

“Okay, let me know if you’re unwell.”

“I’m just very tired.”

“Okay, get some rest then.”

Shortly afterwards, the front door closed and the house went back to being deathly silent.

Wen Xiaohui continued to sit in a daze for a long time until he suddenly jumped out of bed, put his coat on and stuffed the suicide note into his clothes to run out of the front door.

Was he really going to sit there till dawn? He couldn’t bear it for another minute.

He headed straight to Luo Yi’s house after getting into a taxi. A part of him still hoped that it was President Chang trying to come between them and that Cao Hai had lied to him…

While he was on his way to Luo Yi’s house, Luo Rui, who was on holiday in Australia with his family, suddenly phoned him. Wen Xiaohui’s hand that gripped the phone was trembling. In the end, he still took the call.

“Baby!” Luo Rui’s voice sounded like he was overjoyed and full of youthful energy. “Do you miss me? I bought you an amazing present and a handsome Australian hit on me today!”

“Oh, yay!” Wen Xiaohui reluctantly forced himself to laugh, but as soon as he spoke, his voice quivered and he started to sob.

Luo Rui was dumbfounded. “Baby?”

Wen Xiaohui had restrained himself for a whole day, but he suddenly lost control in the split second that he heard Luo Rui’s voice. He sobbed, “Xiao Ma…”

“What happened?” Luo Rui was very surprised, but he forced himself to put on a brave face and he joked, “You can’t have missed me that much? I’ll be back very soon.”

Wen Xiaohui tugged on his hair firmly and he began to cry.

Luo Rui asked in panic, “Xiaohui, what happened? What’s going on?”

Wen Xiaohui tears flowed as if the floodgates had opened and could no longer be stopped. The quiet cabin of the taxi was filled with the sound of his repressed sobbing.

The taxi driver looked at him in the rearview mirror a couple of times, but he didn’t dare say anything.

Luo Rui was in a real panic. “Did something happen to you? I’ll fly back right away, don’t cry.” In all these years, Luo Rui had never seen Wen Xiaohui cry like this before. Or to be exact, he’d never seen Wen Xiaohui cry. From Luo Rui’s point of view, Wen Xiaohui was always strong-willed and tough. He was the one who would make somebody else cry.

You could say that Wen Xiaohui was Luo Rui’s ‘spiritual leader.’ In his memories, his formidable friend was like a sail that had been hoisted high – directing Luo Rui to brave the storm and cut through the sea of pride and prejudice to lead a life where he could stand up tall. That was why Wen Xiaohui’s crying sent Luo Rui into a panic.

“No, you don’t have to come home.” Wen Xiaohui sobbed, “I’m feeling… down. I’ll be fine after a cry.”

“Is it because of Auntie? Or Luo Yi?”

“Let’s not talk about it.” Wen Xiaohui inhaled deeply. “Have fun and let’s chat when you get back.” He quickly hung up, turning off his mobile phone because he suddenly remembered Cao Hai saying that Luo Yi monitored his calls.

Actually, this could be observed from the various incidents. For example, when his house was burgled, Luo Yi called him immediately. When he was at Luo Rui’s, Luo Yi was able to accurately pinpoint where he was. But why was Luo Yi monitoring his phone? Could it be related to the item that President Chang wanted?

He arrived at Luo Yi’s house very quickly. From a distance, he looked at the familiar villa with its lights still on. If it were a normal day, as soon as he entered the house, the one waiting for him would be the youth who made him feel warm and happy. They didn’t go on dates that often, instead they preferred to stay at home to cook dinner, watch films, or play computer games. At night, they could be as lovey-dovey as they liked. Even if they weren’t doing anything special, he felt happy from the bottom of his heart when he was with Luo Yi.

When he thought about how everything might be ruined as soon as he pushed open the door, he felt an urge to turn around and leave.

Did he really want to go inside? Was he really going to expose the lies and face the cold hard facts? Could everything possibly stay the same if he feigned ignorance?

——————————————

Standing outside the villa, he observed the building that had once housed an endless supply of good memories, as if he were faced with a beautiful and vibrantly-coloured bubble that he would mercilessly pop by taking another step forward.

He gripped the letter in his pocket, grinding his rear molars until he was in pain. With the willpower of a masochist, he urged himself to go inside.

Because he left in a hurry, he forgot the key and had to ring the doorbell.

The front door opened soon afterwards, bringing with it the room temperature warmth that confronted him and Luo Yi’s unconcealed but surprised smile.

Wen Xiaohui saw the joy on Luo Yi’s handsome face, triggering his impulse to run away.

Luo Yi’s smile soon became frozen and his expression switched to one of concern. “Xiaohui-ge, why are your eyes so red? Were you crying?” Without waiting for Wen Xiaohui’s response, he dragged him inside the house. “Did you have a fight with Auntie again?”

Wen Xiaohui lowered his head as he grabbed Luo Yi’s hand and pushed it away very, very slowly.

Luo Yi was shocked. “Are you alright?”

Concerned about backing out, he said without hesitating, “I met President Chang.”

Luo Yi froze and his expression immediately turned frosty and sombre. Even his voice became deeper. “What did you say?”

“I saw him – President Chang – your father.” Wen Xiaohui took the crumpled letter from his pocket. His voice trembled so much that it was almost unrecognisable. “This is the suicide note that my sister left me. Is it genuine?”

“Xiaohui-ge, let’s sit down to discuss it.” He reached out to grab Wen Xiaohui.

Wen Xiaohui viciously pushed his hand away. Because he was too angry and upset, his beautiful facial features looked distorted. “He told me that Yaya left me an inheritance worth $300 million and that you switched it. He said…” Wen Xiaohui was like a person on his deathbed as he struggled to recover his breath. “Luo Yi, we’ve known each other for nearly three years. Tell me, have you been lying to me from the beginning?”

Luo Yi’s eyes resembled calm water that didn’t have any waves. He replied sluggishly, “Do you really believe what he said?”

“I don’t want to believe it!” Wen Xiaohui gripped the letter and because he used so much force, his knuckles became white. His voice was nothing like how it sounded originally. “I brought the suicide note along because I want to compare Yaya’s handwriting. I also want to… look at the contract. Or we can make things simple, tell me the truth.”

Luo Yi lowered his eyes and his eyelashes trembled a little. He looked young – innocent. He remained silent for a while, then the corners of his lips turned upwards to reveal a graceful smile. “Which truth would you like to hear?”

Wen Xiaohui stared at Luo Yi’s indifferent smile and his heart felt as though it’d hit rock bottom. He couldn’t stop himself from throwing the letter in Luo Yi’s face. He shouted, “Have you been lying to me from the beginning?”

Luo Yi let out a soft sigh. “Xiaohui-ge, you haven’t changed at all. You’re so stupid. I would’ve continued to treat you well if you didn’t know anything or if you pretended to know nothing.”

“Luo Yi!” roared Wen Xiaohui as he suddenly leapt forward and threw a punch towards Luo Yi’s face.

Luo Yi didn’t try to dodge, bearing the brunt of the hefty punch. He was forced back a few steps until he held onto the sofa to support his body. He stuck his tongue out to lick the aching corner of his lip and tasted a hint of blood. Staring at Wen Xiaohui whose eyes were bloodshot, his vision became hazy. The impact of the punch was painful, but it was nothing compared to the indescribable aching of the heart.

Wen Xiaohui felt a stabbing pain in his heart, then he burst into tears. “You fucking did this for money? It was all for the money? Did you think I’d accept such a large sum of money? As if I’d dare to accept it! Why didn’t you just fucking tell me? Why did you have to lie to me?!”

Luo Yi said indifferently, “I observed you for a long period of time. Vain, shallow, and a show off – I didn’t think you’d give up the right to inherit.”

Wen Xiaohui’s breathing became shaky. Every single word uttered by Luo Yi was like a knife that stabbed him right in the heart. “That’s why you forged the will and used the guardianship as a means to get close to me. All so that I’d trust you and give you my inheritance.”

Luo Yi remained silent.

“You didn’t think I would give up the right to inherit at the beginning, but did you ever trust me even after spending two years together? You still deceived me into signing the contract. I would’ve given it to you if you’d asked me. I would have fucking given it to you!” He’d trusted Luo Yi wholeheartedly. He thought even if Luo Yi’s behaviour and ways of doing things were different from normal people, at least Luo Yi treated him sincerely. Ultimately, everything was fake – to the extent that Luo Yi remained guarded against him at the end, making him sign the transfer agreement when he was unaware. What a well-considered scheme! In order to completely gain Wen Xiaohui’s trust, he didn’t hesitate to wait such a long period of time until he was certain that Wen Xiaohui wouldn’t embezzle his inheritance, before carrying out the last step of his plan.

He didn’t want to believe that the relationship he’d built up over the past three years was like a game of chess where he finally discovered he wasn’t the opponent and instead, he was the discarded chess piece.

Luo Yi raised his head to look at Wen Xiaohui, his expression showed a hint of tiredness. “You haven’t done anything wrong, but Mum left you with something I needed. However, I’m still willing to give it back… but it won’t be now. Someday…”

“Who the fuck asked you to give it back?!” howled Wen Xiaohui. “I must have been blind! I, Wen Xiaohui, am fucking blind!” He was in so much pain that he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even know how he was going to leave this place or how he’d face the coming day. How could he get back up when everything he’d believed had crumbled to pieces?

Luo Yi stepped towards him. “Xiaohui-ge…”

Wen Xiaohui took a step backwards. “Why did you help me? Raven, Director Luo, and the others. Why did you do that?” Because of all those things Luo Yi did for him – those twisted ways of protecting him – he’d gradually stepped into Luo Yi’s trap. Thinking about it now, he used the excuse that Luo Yi treated him well to embellish and justify all of Luo Yi’s abnormal actions. He was clearly reaping what he’d sown!

“So that you could have a comfortable life to lessen your craving for money.”

Wen Xiaohui couldn’t hold back his grief and indignation any longer. Appearing red in the face, he yelled, “Luo Yi, go fuck yourself2!” He couldn’t stay in this place any longer; everything in this house bore traces of the happiness and sweetness that they once had. The laughter still echoed in his ears. The images from his memories remained colourful and radiant, but everything that used to bring him joy had become the greatest irony that was like a knife cutting through his frame of mind. He turned around to head towards the front door.

Luo Yi watched the back of Wen Xiaohui’s figure as he retreated in haste. He felt a tightening in his heart. With a few large strides, he caught up and closed the door that Wen Xiaohui had opened.

There was a loud bang. It seemed as though the solid wood door had closed on their hearts, erecting a barrier between the two of them.

Wen Xiaohui ferociously turned around. Luo Yi grabbed his chin and suddenly kissed him on the lips.

Once Wen Xiaohui got over his initial shock, he struggled like crazy and viciously bit down on Luo Yi’s lip. Immediately, the taste of blood filled both of their mouths, adding a taste of despair to the rough kiss.

“Screw your ancestors, Luo Yi!” Wen Xiaohui’s eyes were bloodshot. He wanted to strangle the person in front of him.

With one hand, Luo Yi grabbed both of Wen Xiaohui’s wrists and secured them against his chest. His chest heaved violently. “Xiaohui-ge, calm down a little.”

“Let go of me!”

“Calm down!” Luo Yi ordered sternly.

Wen Xiaohui was in shock as he stared stiffly at Luo Yi.

Luo Yi examined Wen Xiaohui’s wretched appearance. He whispered, “Did President Chang want the thing Mum left in your possession?”

Wen Xiaohui felt as though his heart was going to suddenly stop beating.

Luo Yi stuck his finger out. His fingertip skimmed Wen Xiaohui’s face tenderly. “I’ve already found that item at your house. If he comes to find you again, tell him it’s in my hands.”

Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “My house… It was you. The thief, arson… was it you who did it?”

“I wasn’t responsible for the burglary.” Luo Yi said calmly, “President Chang arranged it.”

“My mum was at home…” Fear and loathing mingled in Wen Xiaohui’s eyes. “Were you going to burn her to death?”

“I never planned to hurt her, that’s why I lured her out of the house.”

Wen Xiaohui bit down on Luo Yi’s shoulder. He ruthlessly took a bite as if he wanted to gouge out a hunk of flesh.

Luo Yi frowned and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He made no attempt to stop Wen Xiaohui.

Wen Xiaohui used all the strength in his body to push Luo Yi away. He felt as if his soul had left his body. Something had disappeared completely from the depths of his heart. With his back against the front door, he mumbled, “Monster.”

Luo Yi looked at the bloody teeth marks on his shoulder without saying a word.

“Monster. Luo Yi, you’re a monster.”

Luo Yi cocked his head to one side as he looked at Wen Xiaohui. “Me? A monster? Yes, that’s me.”

Wen Xiaohui opened the front door again.

“Xiaohui-ge.” Luo Yi’s voice came from behind. His voice sounded hollow. “Can you pretend nothing happened?”

Wen Xiaohui ran out the door.

——————————————-

He ran like crazy in the dark, running down the whole street in a single breath until he collapsed on the side of the road. Then he leant against the telephone pole and wept bitterly.

It was wild. Everything was wild.

The person he trusted more than anything in the world had set up a cruel scam. What else could he believe in?

Wen Xiaohui felt like he was going mad. He didn’t know how to digest all the information. It seemed as though he’d lost everything in the space of two days – a caring family member, the perfect partner, and a meticulously crafted pipe dream.

He wanted time to stay frozen, because he didn’t know what he should do in the next second or what he should do the following day or in future. He’d been through simple breakups more than once, but this wasn’t just a scam. Luo Yi’s actions destroyed a part of him – the part named love and trust.

Wen Xiaohui had no clue how he managed to make it back home that day. He locked himself in his bedroom, refusing to eat or drink. His mum nearly broke down the door. In the end, he heard a familiar voice and opened the door.

Luo Rui appeared in front of him with distinct dark circles under his eyes. He gave Wen Xiaohui a tight hug when he opened the door.

Wen Xiaohui hugged Luo Rui’s slender body. It felt so warm. It was as if he’d been out in the snow for ages with his whole body frozen stiff, then in the moment he approached the fire, the only thing he felt was pain. Therefore, all he felt now was pain – headache, body ache, and heartache.

It felt so painful he could hardly breathe.

Luo Rui closed the door. He cupped Wen Xiaohui’s face in his hands and sobbed, “What’s going on, Xiaohui? Don’t scare me like that. What’s up with you? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Wen Xiaohui stared at Luo Rui, but his eyes were unfocused. He whispered, “He lied3 to me.”

“Who? Was it Luo Yi?”

“He’s been lying to me. He’s been lying to me for three years.” Wen Xiaohui took a deep breath. “Can you believe it? He started lying to me three years ago. Everything’s fake – there wasn’t any suicide note or guardianship. There was nothing. He lied to me.”

Luo Rui’s face showed his surprise. His voice trembled as he said, “W-Why? Xiaohui, do you know what you’re saying?”

Wen Xiaohui croaked, “He did it for the inheritance. My sister left most of her estate to me, so he got close to me to get it back.”

Both of Luo Rui’s legs felt weak and tears started to run down his face. Feeling heartbroken for Wen Xiaohui, he gave him a hug, but he couldn’t think of any comforting words on the spot.

He’d witnessed Wen Xiaohui and Luo Yi’s journey and he found it difficult to believe that the happiness and sweetness were all fake. Why did Luo Yi have to trample on other people’s hearts for the sake of money?

Wen Xiaohui hugged Luo Rui around the waist as he burst into tears. “It’s all fake. It’s all fake!”

Luo Rui’s lips were pursed; he was unable to say anything.

Both of them hugged each other as they cried. The feeling of helplessness was like a layer of invisible air that wrapped around them until they suffocated.

Wen Xiaohui didn’t know how long he cried in Luo Rui’s embrace that day. He fell asleep, then woke up, and Luo Rui fed him something before he fell asleep again. This repeated itself for several days. He couldn’t remember when night changed into day. Time passed by so quickly, it was like a thick fog that was circulating through the atmosphere or the fast flowing sand in the palm of someone’s hand.

This continued until one day he awoke from his sleep and opened his eyes to realise that he couldn’t fall asleep anymore. He felt as though his soul had returned to its rightful place and it was possible for him to feel his hands and feet again. He could also see, hear, and feel.

Luo Rui stayed at Wen Xiaohui’s house to watch over him and to look after him. After a few days, Wen Xiaohui had dropped a dress size.

Wen Xiaohui watched the sleeping appearance of the person who remained next to him. He carefully stroked his face.

Luo Rui woke up suddenly. “Xiaohui.”

Wen Xiaohui stared at him. “Which day of the Chinese New Year is it?”

“It’s the sixth day of the lunar new year.”

“…The sixth.” Luo Rui widened his eyes to stare at him. “Are you feeling any better?”

“…The sixth.” Wen Xiaohui pondered: Did it mean he ought to go back to work?

“I’ve already asked for some leave of absence on your behalf, so there’s no need for you to rush.”

Wen Xiaohui turned over and got off the bed. “Why shouldn’t I go? I have a job.”

Luo Rui also got out of bed. He said nervously, “Xiaohui, don’t go. You can go when you’re feeling better.”

Wen Xiaohui’s hand that was carrying clothes froze. “Luo Rui, I must earn more money.”

“Huh?”

“My apartment needs renovating, so I can’t be without money. I want to move back in as soon as possible.” The rims of Wen Xiaohui’s eyes gradually reddened. “I want to give this house and the three million yuan back to Luo Yi. These things make me feel sick.”

Luo Rui sobbed, “Okay.”

“It’s so disgusting.” Wen Xiaohui’s voice trembled as he said, “Everything’s really disgusting.”

It felt as though he’d had a very long sleep – sleeping regardless of day or night and sleeping as soon as he’d eaten. However, he was unable to fall asleep today. Perhaps, it was finally time to wake up.

Footnotes:

The extraction of silk (抽丝) is used in this sentence as a simile, which I feel has a double meaning because the idiom 抽丝剥茧 (extracting silk from the cocoons) means a very thorough investigation to get to the bottom of a matter (reflecting Wen Xiaohui’s desire to find out the truth).

The raws say 洛羿你去死吧 / Luo Yi, you should go die, which is a common way of cursing someone in Chinese but looks weird when directly translated into English.

The Chinese word 骗 ambiguously means to lie or scam (Luo Yi did both). I’ve chosen to use the word ‘lie’ because this fits in better with the dialogue that follows.