Additional Inheritance - Chap 57
Chapter 57.1
“The real version of you…” Wen Xiaohui’s breathing was uneven. “Who knows which is the real version of you? Whenever I think I understand you, your actions are like a slap in the face. Even if – even if this is the real you, I still wouldn’t fall in love with you. I once fell in love with a version of Luo Yi. He was gentle and caring – full of sunshine. Although some of the things he did went too far, he was willing to admit that he was wrong and change his behaviour. The most important thing is that he treasured me, he loved me, and he depended on me. That version of Luo Yi is already dead to me.” After Wen Xiaohui finished speaking those words, he felt as though his heart was dripping blood and his voice started to quiver: “You? I don’t know who you are.”
“I treasure you. I love you. I’m dependent on you. It’s true that I said I don’t know what love is, but you’re the only one I want to be with. Not all feelings can be put into words, but I’m confident that my feelings for you are stronger than anyone else’s.”
“Would you use and lie to someone you treasure?!” Wen Xiaohui was stunned.
Luo Yi’s expression dimmed. “Someday, I’ll definitely give the money back to you.”
“I don’t want the fucking money! Money never had anything to do with it!” Wen Xiaohui felt as though there was nowhere to vent the surging anger inside his body. He turned around and kicked a golf club to the floor. He roared, “I don’t want to talk any more bullshit with you. Give me the title deeds!” He couldn’t stay here any longer, listening to Luo Yi’s words that could lead him astray. Luo Yi had always been very good with words. Over the past three years, Wen Xiaohui was well-acquainted with this because the few times he criticised Luo Yi, he always felt guilty. He’d never suspected a thing despite the strange turn of events and it was still the same. He actually started to pity Luo Yi. He needed to leave and stay far away from Luo Yi. As he couldn’t trust his own judgement, he would avoid him to protect himself.
Luo Yi gave Wen Xiaohui a profound look, which lasted a while. Afterwards, he supported his weakened body, wobbling as he got off the bed. He took out a document wallet from a drawer.
Wen Xiaohui dashed over, snatching the document wallet. Luo Yi’s body seemed to lose its centre of gravity suddenly as it fell towards Wen Xiaohui.
“Shit!” Wen Xiaohui didn’t manage to avoid him. He was pushed to the floor with Luo Yi’s larger body pressing on top of him.
The plush carpet absorbed some of the impact, but Wen Xiaohui still felt lightheaded and his vision blurred. Luo Yi’s bodyweight of 85kg1 meant that he was nearly unable to breathe.
Wen Xiaohui was shocked when Luo Yi’s scalding skin came into contact with him. Luo Yi had a fever like this when they were in the US. It was just like he’d said – he didn’t catch colds that easily, but he usually developed a fever if he had a cold.
After he came back to his senses, he hurriedly pushed Luo Yi away. Luo Yi resembled a big ragdoll that was at the mercy of others as he lay on his back on the carpet. His cheeks were flushed, his breathing was sluggish, and his clothing was saturated with sweat. With his half-closed eyes, he looked as though he didn’t have an ounce of strength. Wen Xiaohui had no doubt that if he left, Luo Yi would continue to lie there…
Luo Yi reached out to grab Wen Xiaohui’s hand, but he didn’t have any strength in his own hand, grasping him loosely. He stared at Wen Xiaohui using an expression that almost looked as though he was begging. He was worried about Wen Xiaohui shaking off his hand.
Trembling and with his palms covered in sweat, Wen Xiaohui struggled for a while but he still didn’t manage to shake it off. He propped Luo Yi up by the arm, using all the strength in his body to lift him up off the floor. He couldn’t keep his lower back straight anymore as he forced himself to stand. He moved towards the bed one step at a time.
Reaching the side of the bed, both of them fell on it.
Luo Yi’s laboured breathing had a strong nasal sound as he exhaled next to Wen Xiaohui’s ear. Wen Xiaohui’s heart clenched. Luo Yi reached out, wrapping his long arms horizontally around Wen Xiaohui’s chest. His burning forehead rested on Wen Xiaohui’s neck as he nuzzled him. He called out to him quietly in his hoarse voice.
Luo Yi’s sick and weak appearance terrified Wen Xiaohui. He sat up all of a sudden, pushing Luo Yi away from himself. The places that Luo Yi nuzzled seem to have been contaminated with his high temperature – his skin that had been in contact started to burn and the heat spread. He felt as though his brain was on fire.
He picked up the documents that were strewn on the floor before turning around to leave. Behind him, Luo Yi whispered, “Thanks.”
Wen Xiaohui had practically escaped when he walked out of the villa. His heartbeat couldn’t return to its normal tempo until he sat down in the taxi and came back to his senses. He took out his mobile phone and sent a text message to Cao Hai: Luo Yi has a fever.
With the document wallet in his grip, Wen Xiaohui discovered that his palms were wet.
———————————-
Several days later, Wen Xiaohui and Cao Hai went to transfer the title of the property back. Wen Xiaohui didn’t ask about Luo Yi. In any case, it wasn’t as if he was dead. Cao Hai didn’t bring it up either and they both behaved as though they’d never known anyone called Luo Yi as they conducted their important business with mutual understanding.
Wen Xiaohui noticed Cao Hai’s mental state was very poor. Although it could be said that Luo Yi blackmailed him, Wen Xiaohui didn’t feel very sympathetic. Other than blackmail, there was also bribery, because how else did Cao Hai manage to acquire a villa costing ten million yuan and a large law firm at such a young age? There was no way it had nothing to do with Luo Yi. Cao Hai toiled for Luo Yi over the past few years, so he must have received a lot in return.
After the title transfer was complete, they nodded politely to each other and said farewell. A couple of steps later, Wen Xiaohui suddenly called out to Cao Hai.
Cao Hai turned around.
“Mr Cao, you were responsible for drafting my sister’s will, so you must have seen the real suicide note.”
Cao Hai stayed quiet for a while, then he nodded.
“What did the suicide note say?”
“It’s with Luo Yi.”
“I don’t need to know everything, I only want to find out if she wrote anything about me. Do you still remember?”
“Mrs Luo wrote a letter just for you. That content of that letter was around 70% similar to the suicide note that you saw, but Luo Yi changed the sum of the inheritance and the guardianship arrangements… In Mrs Luo’s suicide note, she asked you to take care of Luo Yi when it was absolutely necessary and warned you not to get to close to him. She never asked you to become his guardian.”
Wen Xiaohui remembered the brief suicide note since he’d read the letter many times. It was so familiar to him that he could recite the contents. So Luo Yi only changed the parts regarding the inheritance and the guardianship and everything else came from his sister – in particular, the explanation of what had happened when his dad died.
Wen Xiaohui felt a multitude of complicated feelings2 in his heart; he felt so uncomfortable that it couldn’t be described in words. Yaya exerted herself to protect Luo Yi, so that he could distance himself from the feud with his own father, but Luo Yi was unwilling to give up. He deceived and used Wen Xiaohui for three years in order to bring the inheritance back into his own hands. For the sake of respecting Yaya’s final wish, Wen Xiaohui tried his best to take care of Luo Yi – he never expected that in doing so, he actually went against her real intentions. Although it wasn’t his fault, he still felt hurt. He couldn’t help Yaya and he also couldn’t help Luo Yi… Was he going to look on helplessly as mother and son perished in that person’s hands?
Wen Xiaohui felt a chill seeping into his heart.
——————————–
After transferring the title of the apartment back, Wen Xiaohui was finally able to hand over the title deeds to his mum. As his mum accepted the deeds, she looked at him carefully and asked, “Did you see Luo Yi?”
Wen Xiaohui said ambiguously, “His lawyer took care of it.”
Feng Yuehua clearly seemed as though she’d let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I didn’t want to bring this up initially… It’s good that the title has been transferred back because you’ll have nothing to do with him in future.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded quietly. He whispered, “Mum, what did Dad do when Yaya came to beg him?”
“Why are you asking?”
“I just want to know.” Wen Xiaohui turned his head to look at Feng Yuehua, his bright eyes full of perseverance.
Under his intense gaze, it was a rare occasion where she did not curse anyone. She said in a serious manner, “He tampered with the scrapped car so that it appeared as though it had spontaneously combusted due to a mechanical fault. But in his opinion, that person would find out eventually that it was deliberate. It’s impossible to think that an eight year old child could be responsible.”
“Wasn’t Yaya worried that person would suspect she did it?”
“That person would definitely suspect her and she wanted him to think that. Only she or Luo Yi could have done it and she wanted him to suspect her, not her son.”
“That might not be the case now,” said Wen Xiaohui quietly. Wouldn’t President Chang have Luo Yi on the list of suspects?
“What?”
“Nothing.” Wen Xiaohui asked again, “Did Dad leave anything behind? Or did Yaya leave anything with Dad?”
Feng Yuehua shook her head. “I don’t know. What kind of thing?” All of sudden, she felt nervous. “Do you know something?”
Wen Xiaohui immediately placated her. “I’m not sure, it’s just Luo Yi asked me about it before. I didn’t know what he was talking about either.”
“Don’t trust him no matter what he says. Yaya said Luo Yi’s extremely intelligent. That kid is a little demon, so the farther you stay away from him the better.”
“I understand.” Wen Xiaohui’s smile looked grim. Nobody understood this point better than him.
—————————
After finishing work, Wen Xiaohui went to find Luo Rui. Both of them had been busy and hadn’t seen each other in half a month.
Once Luo Rui saw him, he said with surprise, “Baby, your new hairstyle looks gorgeous. Can I grow my hair out like yours?”
“No, if you have the same hairstyle, then how will I show off my good taste?”
Luo Rui pouted, letting out a single ‘harumph.’ He held Wen Xiaohui’s face in his hands. “You’re right, this hairstyle suits people with slim faces. If you lose any more weight, the outcome is a stick wearing a wig and it’ll absolutely show your good taste.”
Wen Xiaohui brushed his hand away and touched his own face. He said gloomily, “I’ve been eating extra meals recently. How come I haven’t put on any weight?”
“It’s probably related to your mood.” Luo Rui stared at him in silence with his big and round eyes. “But you’re a lot better than you were at the beginning.”
Wen Xiaohui smiled. “I’ve been fine for a while. Give me a six-inch cheesecake. I’ll show you how I can eat it all by myself.”
Luo Rui rolled his eyes. “You can’t stuff yourself.”
Both of them had afternoon tea while chatting – it was just like the many lovely afternoons that they’d had in the past, except Luo Yi was no longer a topic of discussion and he wouldn’t appear at the bakery doors after finishing university to bring him home on his bicycle.
As they were chatting, Luo Rui asked about his transfer to another part of the country.
Wen Xiaohui said, “I thought this proposal was worth considering at the time because the salary was high, but now I’m… Hmm, I have a large break-up fee and I’m not short on money, so there’s no need for me to go. I might as well stay here to develop since the capital has plenty of resources. Also, my home is here.”
“That’s amazing, I’d miss you if you went away. There won’t be anyone to hang out with me.”
“But I need to think about my exit strategy in the future. Shao Qun wants to sell his shares, so there won’t be anyone to shelter me at Juxing. I can’t possibly spend the rest of my life working at Juxing. Sooner or later, I need to set up my own business.”
“Haven’t we already agreed that you’ll open a studio beside my bakery? We’ll be able to see each other every day.”
“Won’t you find it annoying to see me every day?”
“No.”
“I’ll find it annoying.”
“Why are you so despicable?” Luo Rui punched him, pouting exaggeratedly. “Oh yeah, Shao Qun’s divesting of Juxing. Why don’t you ask him for capital to open your own studio? After all, you’re both knowledgeable about this industry.”
“Oh, that’s quite smart of you. Why is your IQ so brilliant tonight?”
“Stop being so cheeky. I think there’s hope because Shao Qun seems to value you.”
“He doesn’t value me. I’m just a convenient chess piece at Juxing. After his divestment, he’s going to the coastal region in the south for development opportunities. He asked whether I wanted to go with him, but he’s going to work in the real estate industry. What could I do? Unless he invests in a studio for me over there, I’m not going with him.”
“You’re better off not going, it’s too far away.” Luo Rui hugged him around the arms, resting his head on Wen Xiaohui’s body.
“I want to be independent, I have almost enough money. The most important thing is to improve my skills and build up my network. Rest assured, sooner or later, I’ll be a little boss like you. Once I’ve earned enough money, we’ll go on a round-the-world trip and sample all the handsome men in the world.”
Luo Rui started giggling.
Footnotes:
Per the raws, this was quoted as 170 catties (a catty = 500g) but I’ve substituted it with a more universally used unit of measurement.
五味杂陈, literally means five flavours (sweet, sour, bitter, hot, and salty) mixed together, such that they cannot distinguished. It refers to someone’s complicated emotions/feelings (idiom).
Translator notes:
Looks like Additional Inheritance will have a manhua adaptation sometime in 2023!
Chapter 57.2
After that encounter, Luo Yi disappeared without a trace for a period of time. Wen Xiaohui blacklisted Luo Yi’s phone number. Because Luo Yi used to appear from time to time, he found it hard to completely forget him; he needed to thoroughly remove Luo Yi from his life.
The weather became warmer as winter turned to spring. Wen Xiaohui was delighted by the news that the marriage of his mum and Ian was on the agenda.
Both of them were happy together and their children were very supportive, so a wedding was naturally expected. When Wen Xiaohui thought about how his mum would have a good partner to depend on, he felt relieved of one of the main concerns that had plagued him for many years.
They were going to have weddings in both China and the US. Wen Xiaohui felt happy about the possibility of visiting the US again to have some fun. He went to further his studies back then and because he didn’t have any money, he didn’t dare to go anywhere. Since he wasn’t short of money now, he had to make up for his previous regrets.
But as soon as he was reminded of the US, he subconsciously recalled what had happened during the Christmas holidays that year. It appeared as though Luo Yi started monitoring his calls very early on, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to rush over to the US. The relationship between him and Li Shuo would have been completely different. Regardless of human intervention or destiny – it showed that he and Li Shuo were destined to meet, but they were not fated to be together.
Coincidentally, as he thought of Li Shuo, Li Shuo invited him and Luo Rui to have a meal that afternoon. He said he’d found a great steak restaurant.
They were both happy to go. Wen Xiaohui really enjoyed hanging out with Li Shuo as a friend, or it might have been more accurate to say that there were few people in this world who wouldn’t relish spending time with Li Shuo.
The steak restaurant claimed it imported Japanese wagyu beef by air. Although they weren’t sure whether it was genuine Japanese beef, the price was high enough to justify the fact that it was imported from Japan. The taste and the texture lived up to expectations – it was very delicious, indeed.
They chatted amongst themselves as they ate. Li Shuo suddenly brought up the topic of Changhong’s stock. “Oh yeah, Xiaohui, has your mother sold her shares of Changhong?”
“I’m not sure, I haven’t asked her recently.” Wen Xiaohui pretended as if nothing had happened and said, “What’s wrong?”
Li Shuo smiled. “Do you remember what I told you last time? I think things will turn out as I predicted.”
Wen Xiaohui froze; his heart clenched. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been monitoring Changhong every few days after talking to you and the share price has been rising consistently for nearly a whole month – it’s twelve times the share price when it was first listed. This is an extremely rare situation. There aren’t any signs of the share price falling and if it continues to rise like this, I don’t know whose hands it will fall into. I feel like something major is going to happen.”
Wen Xiaohui said anxiously, “As you mentioned, is it possible that it is under attack?”
“That’s a possibility. I’ve never heard of Changhong having any issues with their operations; it’s an outstanding company. If the purpose of raising the share price relates to M&A activity or takeovers, artificially inflating the share price by that much would have already gone too far, scaring away the interested parties or resulting in a lawsuit. After some careful consideration, the possibility of Changhang being attacked is the most likely.”
“Attacked…”
“Yeah, like I said last time, this kind of approach requires at least a few hundred million to billions of yuan. If another company was trying to artificially inflate the share price, they would have been arrested and we’d have heard about it ages ago. It has been carried out so flawlessly that the China Securities Regulatory Commission wouldn’t be able to do anything in the short-term even if they noticed. That’s why nothing has happened yet. In any case, most of the ordinary shareholders wouldn’t have even thought about it.”
Luo Rui’s large eyes blinked. “What are you two talking about? Baby, when did you start to understand stock trading? How sophisticated!”
Wen Xiaohui wasn’t in the mood for jokes and his complexion already looked a bit odd. “Li-dage, is this your speculation or do you have any proof?”
“A few of my friends and I had some free time and we came up with this theory. We heard a few things off the grapevine, but the news is unconfirmed and you shouldn’t tell anyone about it. It’s like discovering the apocalypse is impending and telling everyone about it – not only will no one believe you, you might also be detained for disturbing the public order. It’s sufficient to warn your friends and family about it.”
Wen Xiaohui looked pale as he nodded.
Concerned, Li Shuo asked, “Xiaohui, what’s wrong? Did your mother buy a lot of shares?”
“Oh, no, not much at all. It was only tens of thousands, but she’ll still take it badly if she gets caught up in it.”
“Then she should sell the shares as soon as possible. There should be enough time, try not to be greedy.”
“Okay, Li-dage. Thanks for your reminder.”
Li Shuo smiled and said, “It’s nothing. The financial markets can be a real bloodbath1 and events happen every year to sustain its brutality and vigour. Wait and see, Changhong Corporation might become the drama of the year.”
“Do you know much about the chairman2 of Changhong Corporation?” Wen Xiaohui previously searched for information about President Chang online and he appeared to be an ordinary businessman who had a passion for public welfare and art.
“Chang Xing? I’ve heard that he’s someone who is involved in both legitimate business and criminal activities. His real background is very mysterious.” Li Shuo chuckled, “I never thought I’d see the day that you’d be interested in the financial sector. I thought you were only interested in beauty and styling.”
Wen Xiaohui forced himself to laugh: “When I’m out socialising, I need to be able to carry the conversation.”
“Xiaohui, you’ve really matured a lot. When I first met you, you were still a kid.” Li Shuo laughed as he glanced over at Luo Rui. “You’re definitely still a kid.”
Luo Rui didn’t entirely agree: “I’ve been a boss for quite some time.”
“Because you’re such an honest and innocent boss, your bakery is doing really well. Keep it up.”
Luo Rui smiled self-consciously.
Wen Xiaohui didn’t really hear what they discussed next, because just like Li Shuo, he felt as though something major was going to happen.
If Changhong Group was really being targeted, Luo Yi was sure to be behind it, and as for how he managed it, Wen Xiaohui couldn’t begin to imagine how Luo Yi could have stolen $300 million from him, so naturally, he must have a way of acquiring more funds. Perhaps Luo Yi guaranteed high returns to a few companies to persuade them to besiege Changhong Corporation. After all, Luo Yi didn’t care about money, but what were the consequences if he continued down this path? Wen Xiaohui trembled with fear as soon as he recalled President Chang’s penetrating and ruthless eyes.
—————————————
As soon as Li Shuo left after dinner, Wen Xiaohui took his mobile phone out. After knowing Shao Qun for so many years, this was the first time he took the initiative to call him.
Shao Qun didn’t seem surprised when he picked up. “What’s the matter?”
“Young Master Shao, could I possibly treat you to dinner?”
“I don’t have any spare time at the moment.”
“You have to eat dinner even if you’re busy.”
“Tell me, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to fish for information about Changhong Corporation?”
Wen Xiaohui remained silent.
“I’m not sure how much you know already, but you should be able to tell how serious matters are. This has nothing to do with me, so don’t ask me again.”
“Young Master Shao!” Wen Xiaohui asked hurriedly, “Can you tell me one thing?”
“What?”
“My nephew – will something happen to him?”
Shao Qun said without hesitating, “Definitely.”
It was as if Wen Xiaohui got struck by lightning. He was totally unaware that Shao Qun had hung up.
Luo Yi… What would happen to him? How could President Chang be resigned to his fate? He was sure to take action and the best approach would be to take Luo Yi down.
Something was definitely going to happen to Luo Yi. Definitely…
Wen Xiaohui felt flustered. Li Shuo and Shao Qun’s words echoed in his ears, making him feel so anxious he began to sweat.
He was clearly aware that he shouldn’t get involved with Luo Yi anymore. Whether Luo Yi died or survived, succeeded or failed in his endeavours – none of it had anything to do with him. But why did he feel so terrified? It was as though he was the one being threatened. As soon as he thought about the uncertainty of Luo Yi’s fate in this struggle, his heart pounded with horror.
“Baby? Baby? Xiaohui!” Luo Rui gave Wen Xiaohui a nudge.
Wen Xiaohui looked at him with a face full of terror. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Wen Xiaohui had scared him. “What’s going on with Luo Yi? Has something happened? You’ve been acting funny ever since Li-dage mentioned the stocks this morning. Are the stocks related to Luo Yi in some way?”
Feeling frustrated, Wen Xiaohui clenched his fists. He’d actually forgotten3 that Luo Rui was still beside him, so he called Shao Qun in front of him. What was wrong with him? He’d never been able to remain calm as long as it had something to do with Luo Yi. This fact made him feel very disgusted and resentful.
He shook his head to force himself to calm down. He replied, “These things are too complicated, I can’t explain it properly. Don’t worry about it.”
“Of course, I’m not worried about Luo Yi, but I’m concerned about you. You don’t look alright. Xiaohui, is something going to happen to Luo Yi? There’s no shame in showing your concern for him. If you own a dog, you’d be worried about its well-being, not to mention Luo Yi is a person.”
Yes, Luo Rui was right in that people felt affection towards their pet dogs, and this was someone he was with for three years. He was concerned about Luo Yi, which wasn’t strange at all because it was for Yaya’s sake. He raked his fingers through his hair and said solemnly, “Luo Yi has always wanted to take revenge on his father. The current situation is too complicated and it’s not clear what will happen.”
Luo Rui grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand. “Doesn’t Luo Yi’s dad have a lot of influence? Isn’t this the same as hitting a rock with an egg4?”
“I think so too.” Wen Xiaohui furrowed his brows. “He stole my inheritance to challenge his father.”
Luo Rui revealed an expression full of fear. “What kind of people are they? How could they be so scary? Xiaohui, I know you’re worried about Luo Yi, but be careful not to get caught up in it. It’s true that Luo Yi is Yaya’s son, but you’ve already done everything you can to help him.”
Wen Xiaohui took a deep breath as he nodded in silence.
———————————
Wen Xiaohui felt ill at ease. His diet and sleeping pattern which had returned to normal after some difficulty was disturbed once again.
He hated himself for being so despicable and even now he was still worried about Luo Yi being murdered by President Chang. But… but what if something did happen to Luo Yi? Would he still be able to remain calm? How would he be able to face Yaya when he died? In the face of actual harm and blackmail, lots of things paled in comparison.
He felt utterly lost and flustered. A grey cloud had gradually drifted over, residing above his head. The pressure made him feel like he could barely breathe and he spent every day worrying. He couldn’t bring himself to set aside his pride to ask Luo Yi what happened and those conflicting views tormented him continuously.
This continued until one day, Luo Yi took the initiative to call him.
When Wen Xiaohui received a call from an unknown number, his first reaction was that it must be Luo Yi. As anticipated, Luo Yi’s distinct voice sounded from the other end of the line when he answered the phone.
Wen Xiaohui tightly grasped his mobile phone, as he held back his stomach full of questions to say in a dull voice: “What do you want?”
“Nothing, I only wanted to hear your voice.” Luo Yi said gently, “When I had a fever last time, you came to see me. I thought I was confused from the fever and dreamt it up, but the dream felt so good, I wanted to relive it a few more times.”
“I didn’t pick up the phone to listen to your bullshit.”
Luo Yi laughed bitterly, then he said softly, “Your voice sounds so nice, I want to listen to it no matter what you say. Xiaohui-ge, I really miss you.”
Wen Xiaohui’s scalp felt numb from the affection in his voice. He decided not to beat around the bush and asked directly, “Are you responsible for the issue with Changhong Corporation’s stock?”
Luo Yi remained silent – this silence made Wen Xiaohui’s heart wrench.
After a while, Luo Yi replied in a deeper tone, “How did you find out? Who told you? What do you know already?”
Wen Xiaohui clenched his teeth as he said, “It’s none of your business how I found out, just tell me if it’s true or not!” In reality, he already knew the answer at the bottom of his heart, but he really hoped that Luo Yi would deny it himself.
Luo Yi said with indifference, “Yes.”
“Do you want to die!” Wen Xiaohui pictured President Chang’s eyes again in his mind – he was definitely a man who should not be provoked. Luo Yi’s financial resources, contacts, and experience were inferior to President Chang. His actions were sure to anger him!
“Xiaohui-ge, you shouldn’t know about this. Who was it that told you? I don’t want you to be involved in these matters and that includes being aware of them.”
“Do you think I could be completely unaffected by this? You might not care about Luo Yaya, but I still see her as my sister. You’ve completely disregarded everything she’s done for you, insisting on fighting Chang Xing to the death5. What’s the point of it?! Don’t you have enough money for the rest of your life? If you’re scared of him, you could leave and go somewhere far away from here and hide your identity. Why do you have to do something so dangerous?!”
Luo Yi suddenly chuckled, “Xiaohui-ge, you still care a lot about me.”
Wen Xiaohui was flabbergasted. He unleashed a torrent of abuse: “I want to make sure my sister’s lineage can live on. She chose to kill herself for your sake and this is how you’re failing to live up to her sacrifice!”
Luo Yi replied calmly, “She’s dead, but the person responsible for her death is still alive. Don’t you think that’s unfair? I’ve already mentioned that there’s no way I’d be able to breathe under the same sky as that person – one of us has to go to hell.”
“You’re a madman.” Wen Xiaohui felt a deep sense of helplessness. He’d lost his sister without being aware of it and he had to watch helplessly as her only son leapt into the abyss.
This was Luo Yi – the person whom he’d spent three years with – the person that he used to be deeply in love with! What would Luo Yi have to face if he suffered defeat? Since he was unable to persuade Luo Yi and he had no way of stopping matters from developing, his sense of security was completely swallowed up by fear and despair, making him feel as though he had a heavy load to bear. Sometimes he wondered if he’d committed some sort of sin – why was he subject to these experiences?!
Luo Yi said tenderly, “Xiaohui-ge, I feel so happy that you worry about me. If it were possible, I wish we could have a straightforward and sincere start.”
“What’s the fucking point of saying this? You need to stop now and leave. I don’t know if you’re still capable of caring about anything, but if you still feel any love for Yaya, she didn’t want to see you seek revenge – she wanted you to have a good life.”
Luo Yi laughed, “You’re telling me to leave… Are you going to come with me?”
Wen Xiaohui was shocked.
“I’ll consider it if you agree to elope with me.” Luo Yi seemed amused by himself, but the sound of his laughter was filled with sadness and despair.
Wen Xiaohui came back to his senses and he said angrily, “Stop talking bullshit, Luo Yi. Stop what you’re doing!”
“It’s too late.” Luo Yi replied with a weak smile, “When I think of you eloping with me, it makes me hesitate. I know it’s impossible. I’m sorry, Xiaohui-ge, I need to continue down my path. When this is all finished and I’m able to stand in front of you safely, would you be able to give me another chance?”
“You’re a fucking…”
“I’d like an opportunity to start over again. Even if you hate me, could you please give me the chance to start over?”
“Don’t even think about it!” Wen Xiaohui shouted sternly, “You’re a madman, an idiot, and a selfish bastard. Who deserves to have you? In this lifetime, who the fuck deserves to have you?!”
Luo Yi whispered, “I’m not worthy of anyone, I’m a monster.”
He hung up quietly although Wen Xiaohui was still fuming.
After Wen Xiaohui finished venting, he collapsed on the bed, feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
Why couldn’t he do anything? Was there really nothing he could do to stop it? Even though he wanted to strangle Luo Yi, was he really going to watch helplessly as Luo Yi fell into the abyss?
Wen Xiaohui painfully closed his eyes as his tears gushed out.
Footnotes:
腥风血雨, literally foul wind and bloody rain (idiom), which is used to describe a massacre/bloodbath or a cruel and brutal situation. Its usage originates from a book by a Chinese revolutionary called Chen Tianhua (1875-1905) during the Qing dynasty.
Both chairman and president are titles used to describe Luo Yi’s father in this paragraph even though the roles typically have different functions.
Pretty sure there’s a typo here i.e. 完了 (finished) instead of 忘了(forgotten), otherwise this paragraph doesn’t make sense.
以卵击石, literally means to strike a rock with an egg (idiom), i.e. a futile action. The phrase was used in a military context by the Confuscian philosopher, Xunzi, during the Warring States period of Chinese history (third century BC) to describe a situation where someone overestimates their own ability, leading to their own downfall.
鱼死网破, meaning literally when the fish dies or the net splits or a life or death struggle where both parties cannot co-exist (idiom). This phrase originates from a 20th century Peking opera called Azalea Mountain, used to promote the Chinese Communist Party.
