Additional Inheritance - Chap 66
Chapter 66
Wen Xiaohui took a few deep breaths after Luo Yi left and his heart that was beating like mad gradually calmed down. He started to think carefully about what had happened – Li Shuo’s text message was odd, as if he was aware of something. If Li Shuo knew something, then Luo Rui must have told him.
After giving it some more thought, he felt it made sense because Luo Rui was worried that something might happen to him, so he’d reach out to anyone in a crisis. His heart clenched as he deliberated phoning Luo Rui, but what if he blurted it out on the call? Luo Yi didn’t know it was Luo Rui who went to find Li Shuo, but surely Luo Yi would have thought of it if he did?
He rushed to phone Luo Rui.
When Luo Rui picked up the call, his voice clearly sounded a bit unnatural.
Wen Xiaohui didn’t beat around the bush and asked, “Did you say something to Li Shuo?”
“Umm, I didn’t.” Luo Rui’s voice became quieter.
Wen Xiaohui asked sternly, “Why did you go looking for Li Shuo?! Li Shuo has nothing to do with me!”
Luo Rui felt wronged as he replied, “I didn’t go looking for him, he was the one who called me.”
Wen Xiaohui was stunned. “What did he say to you on the phone?”
“He asked me how you were.”
“He asked you?”
“Yeah, he asked me. He said that something major happened to the stock you consulted him about, so he wanted to check if you’d made any losses. Didn’t you turn your phone off for a few days? That’s why he asked me and then I…”
“What did you say then?”
“I…” Luo Rui whispered, “I didn’t say anything. I just said that you’d bumped your nose and that you’re currently resting.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
Wen Xiaohui thought that maybe Luo Rui didn’t dare to say anything else on the phone, but he couldn’t prove it. At least Luo Rui still had the IQ to deny it while they were being monitored by Luo Yi, otherwise he’d be concerned about Luo Yi treating Luo Rui as a thorn in his side.
Wen Xiaohui heaved a sigh. “In any case, don’t tell Li Shuo anything about me. If he calls you again, just tell him that I’m doing well. Luo Rui, I can’t get Li Shuo involved in this. Do you understand?”
Luo Rui let out a muffled grunt. He felt sad as he said, “Baby, I really miss you. When will I be able to see you?”
Wen Xiaohui’s heart softened all of a sudden. He said quietly, “I’m not sure.”
“Auntie is very busy at the moment. Aren’t you going to come back to see her?”
Wen Xiaohui’s hair became messy from his rubbing. Fatigue filled his eyes. “Maybe in a few days?”
“You’re just trying to placate me. Has Luo Yi locked you up?”
“No.”
“Why won’t you admit it?!”
“Would I still be able to call you if I was locked up? You’re thinking too much, I’m just… We need to sort out some issues between us and I’ll go home once it’s resolved. I’m really fine, don’t think too much.”
After hanging up, Wen Xiaohui sat there in a daze for a long time before he got up to go downstairs.
Luo Yi was on the phone when he saw Wen Xiaohui going down the stairs. He said a few more words to the person on the other end of the line, then he put the mobile phone down.
Wen Xiaohui walked over, staring directly at him. “I want to go home to take a look. Luo Rui will think that I’ve been kidnapped if this continues. My mum will be suspicious too.”
With a blank face, Luo Yi said, “Luo Rui likes to meddle in other people’s business. Does he really have that much time?”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “Luo Rui’s like a little brother to me. How could his concern be considered meddling in other people’s business?”
Luo Yi turned away; his expression looked gloomy.
Wen Xiaohui said hurriedly, “When will I be allowed home?”
Luo Yi became momentarily silent. “I’ll give you half a day’s time, but you have to stick close to the bodyguard.”
“Okay.” When Wen Xiaohui realised that his freedom was at Luo Yi’s mercy, anger rushed to his forehead. He said in a foul mood, “Let’s make it today then.”
Luo Yi nodded. “You can go, but you must be back after dinner.”
Wen Xiaohui looked at him coldly, then he turned to go upstairs to change.
The bodyguard drove him home.
When the car arrived at the entrance to his building, the bodyguard watched Wen Xiaohui go upstairs while he waited at the bottom for him.
He took the key out and went inside the apartment. Feng Yuehua happened to be home and she was shocked when she saw him. “Oh, why are you suddenly home? What happened to your nose?”
Wen Xiaohui felt his nose and pretended that nothing had happened as he said, “I was drunk and fell. I banged my nose, but it’s fine – it’ll heal in a couple of days.” Since his nose was covered by gauze, she couldn’t tell how badly he was injured.
Feng Yuehua stared at him blankly: “I told you not to drink, but you have the guts to drink all the time. Look what happened this time, you’ll be crying if you ruin your appearance.”
Wen Xiaohui forced himself to smile. “I don’t dare to do it again.”
“Have you had dinner? Did you just get off the plane? Where’s your luggage?”
“It’s in the car. The driver is waiting downstairs for me, I need to leave this evening.”
“Where are you going?”
“On another business trip.”
“Feng Yuehua frowned. “Aren’t you done yet? Why do you have to leave straight after getting home?”
“Yeah, it’s really busy. It’ll be fine once I get through this busy period. You can blame it on your son’s popularity.” Wen Xiaohui giggled as he walked over to give her a hug. Like a spoiled kid, he said, “I really miss you, Mum.” Hugging the person closest to him in the whole world, Wen Xiaohui’s heart, which had been in turmoil and pain for ages, was finally comforted.
Feng Yuehua smiled. “Alright, alright, stop being so mushy. What would you like to eat?”
“Cook whatever you want, I only rushed back to see you and to chat to you about the wedding.”
On the topic of the wedding, Feng Yuehua’s face lit up. “It’s so much hassle getting married these days. When your dad and I got married, it was just a certificate and a meal, then we paid our respects to our parents and went home to live our lives. It’s a lot more strict nowadays. Ian booked the venue and one of the girls at work helped me buy the invitations online. I went to see the bridal clothes today, come help me choose…”
Both of them browsed clothing as they discussed the finer details of the wedding. Wen Xiaohui could tell that his mum had been very tired during this period of time and she really needed someone to talk to. He felt both sad and guilty when he thought about how he couldn’t help her in her moment of need.
After choosing her outfit, Feng Yuehua gladly went to cook dinner. Wen Xiaohui sent Luo Rui a text message to tell him to close the bakery a little later because he wanted to go see him. He was worried that Luo Rui would call the police if he didn’t visit.
During dinner, Feng Yuehua talked about the date of the wedding and the planned timings for her trip to the US, which was earlier than Wen Xiaohui expected. The wedding was set for next month. They were planning to go to the US shortly afterwards.
Wen Xiaohui was previously reluctant to part with his mum even though she’d be back after a year and a half, but now he wanted her to leave the country as soon as possible. Firstly, it was for her personal safety and secondly, he knew his entanglement with Luo Yi wouldn’t end so easily. He didn’t want his mum to find out about this. His mum couldn’t help him and on the contrary, she would add to his worries.
After dinner, he left behind a bank card. He warned his mum to be careful before he left.
When he got back in the car, he said to the bodyguard, “Take me to XX Road.”
The bodyguard glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “The boss told me to take you home after dinner.”
“He told me to go home after dinner, but he didn’t specify how soon after dinner. Go to XX Road.”
The bodyguard took his mobile phone out to call Luo Yi.
Wen Xiaohui grabbed his wrist. “It takes 20 minutes to get there and I’ll only stay for 10 minutes. I’ll run off if you make that phone call, so which would you prefer out of an insignificant 30 minute delay or a big increase in workload? If I bump or bang into anything, how will you report back to your boss?”
The bodyguard sighed. After hesitating briefly, he had no alternative but to put the phone down and start up the car.
Traffic jams weren’t an issue at night, so they soon arrived. Luo Rui’s bakery had already closed for the day, but the lights were still on inside and Luo Rui was waiting for him.
He opened the door and went directly to the office. “Luo Rui.”
The door to the office opened. Luo Rui’s eyes looked perfectly round as if he were a deer. He suddenly hugged Wen Xiaohui.
Wen Xiaohui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he stroked Luo Rui’s curly hair and comforted him. “I’m fine, I’m really fine. Be good, am I not alright?”
Luo Rui choked up with emotion and said, “Xiaohui, you seem to have wandered into a completely different world. How did this happen?”
Wen Xiaohui’s nose ached; he wanted to cry. He was just about to comfort Luo Rui a bit more when he suddenly realised that there was another person in the office. He was stunned when he finally saw him clearly.
Li Shuo?!
Wen Xiaohui grabbed Luo Rui’s shoulders and asked furiously, “Did you ask him to come?”
Biting his lip, Luo Rui shouted, “That’s right. I couldn’t stand by and watch Luo Yi hurt you!”
“You idiot!” Wen Xiaohui was so angry that he shoved Luo Rui away from him. “You think you know everything, but you don’t know shit! Who told you to act of your own accord? Who told you to meddle in other people’s business?!”
Luo Rui’s frail-looking chest heaved as tears rolled down. “I’m meddling in other people’s business? I-I was just worried about you… You’ve changed so much, I don’t know you anymore. What did you do with my Xiaohui?”
Wen Xiaohui felt a gush of air rising and he nearly couldn’t swallow it back down. Looking at Luo Rui’s face that was wrinkled from crying, he couldn’t criticise him anymore. He clenched his fists and glanced at Li Shuo pitifully – he didn’t know what to say.
Li Shuo went over, gently handing a tissue to Luo Rui. “It’s okay, don’t cry.” He closed the door.
Luo Rui took the tissue, then covered his face as he sobbed quietly.
Wen Xiaohui lowered his head before he said in a deep voice, “Li-dage, I’m sorry to inconvenience you. It’s so late, you should head home.”
“I found someone to investigate the chair of Changhong Corporation – Luo Yi is his illegitimate son and you’re the non-blood related brother of one of Chang Xing’s mistresses.” Li Shuo stared at him.
Wen Xiaohui was shocked and his complexion paled.
“Changhong Corporation’s stock is under pressure. In the space of two months, the stock increased by a multiple of 16, then at its peak, the company had outflows in the tens of billions. Currently, the share price has nearly fallen below the issue price and thousands of investors were implicated and suffered catastrophic losses. Simultaneously, scandals involving the company and its boss were exposed. Chang Xing is being investigated for a number of suspected crimes including fraudulent accounting, tax evasion, illegal financing, bribery, and breaching security trading regulations. Some people are speculating that the person behind the scenes trying to extract money from the company is actually Chang Xing himself, because Changhong Corporation is burdened by debt and a lot of his assets have been seized by the courts. He’s already on the verge of bankruptcy and he wants to make some money to abscond.” Li Shuo spoke with a moderate tempo, but his gaze was sharp and bright despite not having much of an expression on his face. He gave Wen Xiaohui a profound look. “Luo Yi seems to be involved, so the relationship between father and son must be very poor.”
Wen Xiaohui bit his lip. “Li-dage, it has nothing to do with you. Please don’t get involved in this shady business.”
“My heart feels distressed seeing you like this.” Li Shuo’s gaze fell on Wen Xiaohui’s nose. “It really has nothing to do with me, but since I’m already aware of it, I can’t just sit by without doing anything.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes felt warm. “Li-dage, I don’t deserve your efforts. Please don’t get involved.”
Li Shuo crossed his arms over his chest to look at him. “Are you willing for things to stay as they are? For Luo Yi to monitor your calls, exercise control over your freedom, lie to you, and allow you to get injured? Are you willing to live like this?”
Wen Xiaohui closed his eyes. Who the fuck would want to live like this, but what could he do? That psycho, Luo Yi. It was enough for Wen Xiaohui to suffer by himself, but why did he have to involve those he cared about?
Luo Rui wiped his tears. “I saw you going from being carefree, cheerful, and optimistic to looking like you’re constantly frowning when you’re with Luo Yi. I really can’t stand it anymore. Why are you letting him do this to you? Please let Li-dage help you. Luo Yi’s so scary, how could you get rid of him by yourself?”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes ached and his vision blurred. “You two… won’t be able to help me.”
“You haven’t tried it, so how do you know that we can’t help you?” Li Shuo walked over and gently touched Wen Xiaohui’s face. “Xiaohui, I used to like you a lot and I cherish our friendship. Like Luo Rui, I don’t want to see you like this – you’ve become so unfamiliar… so miserable. Please let me help you.”
Wen Xiaohui choked with emotion to say, “Neither of you understand, Luo Yi’s a psychopath. He’s a monster and he’s dangerous. He’s really dangerous.”
Li Shuo smiled. “I’m not scared of a brat, but I won’t underestimate the enemy either. Actually, I’ve been planning to leave Beijing for a while because my business partners and I have had some conflicting opinions and we’re planning to dissolve the partnership. Luckily, I’ve found a new business partner based in Pengcheng. I’ve already decided to go. Are you willing to go there with me?”
Wen Xiaohui blinked. “It’s pretty far.”
“Luo Yi won’t be able to find you that easily because it’s far away.”
“But… How can I leave? His bodyguard is always watching me.”
“I’ll think of a way. Can you give me your address?”
Wen Xiaohui hesitated. He really didn’t want to involve anyone else – if something happened to Luo Rui or Li Shuo because of this, he would never be able to forgive himself.
Li Shuo said gently, “Trust me, Xiaohui, this is your final chance to save yourself.”
Wen Xiaohui gritted his teeth as he told Li Shuo the address of Luo Yi’s house.
Li Shuo stroked Wen Xiaohui’s head. “Don’t be scared. You’ll be able to leave that monster.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded, then he shook his head vigorously. “What about my mum? My family’s here.”
“Leave Auntie to me.” Luo Rui said, “She’s going to the US soon, so she won’t be able to see you for a period of time. I’ll explain it to her personally and once your situation is stable, I’ll try and help you get in touch with her.”
“But…”
Luo Rui grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s hand. “I’m going to miss you if you leave, but you can’t live like this any longer. Luo Yi’s too terrifying – that look he gives me is like… like he wants to eat me. He’ll drive away everyone by your side and leave you feeling isolated and helpless. At that point, you really will be screwed. Do you really want to be entangled with a psycho for the rest of your life?”
Wen Xiaohui took a deep breath, then violently shook his head.
Luo Rui swept him up into a hug. “Baby, I’ll miss you. I’ll try and find a way to visit you.”
Wen Xiaohui closed his eyes as his heart beated restlessly.
The bodyguard outside knocked on the glass door. Reluctant to part, Wen Xiaohui let go of Luo Rui. He felt ill at ease and warned, “Neither of you have to grapple with this – it’s my own business. It’s my bad luck.”
“Say no more, it’s not just your business.” Luo Rui rubbed his eyes. “You should head back and take care of yourself.”
Wen Xiaohui cast his eye over both of them; he opened the door and left.
Having returned to the car, Wen Xiaohui wiped away his tears. His thoughts were a mess. He lowered the car window, allowing the night wind to blow onto his face. The temperature of his brain gradually lowered and he gradually felt a sense of regret for involving Luo Rui and Li Shuo. How could he do that?! Luo Yi was such a dangerous psychopath – would he take revenge on Luo Rui and Li Shuo? The answer was almost certainly yes. Even if he was free and something happened to them, he’d be crushed by the weight of his guilty conscience for the rest of his life!
Wen Xiaohui clutched his head tightly – he felt as though his head was about to explode. As he was suffering from a terrible migraine, someone suddenly appeared in his mind – Shao Qun.
Looking back, did Shao Qun know something? Something far beyond his expectations. Shao Qun wanted him to go to France urgently, perhaps with the intention of laying low.
He was unable to confirm whether Shao Qun actually had a conscience, but it was a possibility and perhaps Shao Qun could help him. Based on Shao Qun’s background, he wouldn’t be scared of Luo Yi. If Shao Qun was willing to help him, Luo Rui and Li Shuo wouldn’t have to get involved.
But he and Shao Qun had nothing to do with each other. They weren’t even friends, so why would he help Wen Xiaohui? If the chance to go to France for further studies was Shao Qun’s goodwill towards employees, then Shao Qun had already done his duty and Wen Xiaohui was stupid enough to turn it down…
He recalled Shao Qun’s meaningful words – ‘You’re going to regret it.’
He tugged on his hair violently. Although his chances were slim, he still wanted to give it a try…
———————————
When he got back to the villa, Luo Yi opened the door to greet him personally.
Wen Xiaohui didn’t even look at him as he walked in.
Luo Yi asked, “Did you go to see Luo Rui?”
Wen Xiaohui said a single ‘mn.’ He wasn’t surprised at all, the bodyguard definitely wouldn’t cover it up for him.
“Is he feeling more at ease?”
Wen Xiaohui sneered, “Why would he be more at ease?”
Luo Yi came closer, hugging him around the waist from behind. He said intimately, “I haven’t restricted your freedom, I’m only trying to protect you.”
“How long will your protection last? Although I don’t know much about law, I know that it can easily take a few years for a lawsuit to go to court – especially a large financial case like Changhong. It might even take a year to collect all the evidence.” Wen Xiaohui turned to glare at him. “Don’t tell me I have to stay here without being able to leave, work, or go home. Do I need to report back to you if I want to see my mum?”
Luo Yi kissed him gently. “I’ll take you to work once your injuries are pretty much healed. It’ll be fine as long as you have a bodyguard with you. Isn’t it great that you’re here with me in our home? It’s like how it used to be. What is there not to like?”
Wen Xiaohui pried Luo Yi’s arms open. “It’s impossible to go back to the way things were – the Luo Yi I once knew is dead.”
