Additional Inheritance - Chap 71
Chapter 71
Winter was the season for putting on weight to stave off the cold. Even the gym seemed to have fewer people. Wen Xiaohui became the weirdo who reported to the gym daily, and every member of staff at the gym became familiar with him.
Wen Xiaohui had his earphones in as he walked towards the treadmill with a water bottle in his hand. A muscular man came over and pinched him on the bum. “Wow, it’s so curvy.”
Wen Xiaohui glared at him.”Bitch, you have to pay me if you want to cop a feel.”
He was Wen Xiaohui’s personal trainer, Tian Tian. Although he had the appearance of a 1.8m tall muscular hunk, his mentality was that of a young lady.
Tian Tian giggled, “I’m just checking out the fruits of my labour.”
Wen Xiaohui swayed his hips. “I’ve lost 4kg, I’m 2.5kg from my target.”
Tian Tian wagged his index finger. “How many times have I told you that you shouldn’t pay attention to your weight? Your contours and figure are most important! What’s the point in losing weight if you’re as skinny as a pole? Besides having long legs, a shapely bottom, and a strong waist, the perfect 01 should also have stamina. Do you understand?”
Wen Xiaohui rolled his eyes. “You mean like you?”
“Just like me.” Tian Tian seemed pleased with himself as he tilted his chin up.
“Then why do you still need the company of your right hand?”
“Fuck!” Tian Tian shouted, “I use my left hand sometimes.”
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t be bothered with him anymore, and he started doing his warm-up exercises.
“That handsome guy who picked you up last time, is he really not your boyfriend?”
“He isn’t.”
“Fuck buddy?”
“No.”
“Have you really never slept with him?”
“I haven’t slept with him before. What do you want? I can tell you that you’re not his type.” He had a clear understanding of Li Shuo’s high standards. Li Shuo wasn’t even interested in a specimen like Wen Xiaohui when they first met.
Tian Tian pouted. “You can introduce me to him first, maybe he’ll be taken with me.”
“Let me off, sis – you’re broader than him by a full size. He likes the cute, helpless-looking, and wholesome types.”
Tian Tian rolled his eyes. “That’s because he’s never tried my type. Just once and he’ll know I’m different from the rest.”
Wen Xiaohui laughed at him and went onto the treadmill.
Tian Tian started to adjust the gradient.
“Ah, you’re making it steeper. Are you trying to kill me?”
“Bullshit, your calves are very strong already, so it’s time to increase the difficulty level. Come find me in the yoga studio after 20 minutes.” Tian Tian wriggled his bum as he left.
“You fucking bitch!” Wen Xiaohui put his earphones in and a stimulating piece of music flooded his brain. He adjusted his breathing as he started his day’s training.
His last nasal bridge operation went very smoothly. The fracture was repaired using prosthetics, but he wasn’t too pleased with the way it looked. Although his nose was tall and straight, he thought it looked fake. After he discussed it with the doctor, he decided that he would remove the prosthetics after a year or two when his nasal bridge completely healed. Depending on the situation, he could swap it for the bone in his ear or maybe he’d be able to get rid of the prosthetics completely.
No matter what, his swelling would reduce after a month or so and his nose would look normal. He was proactively losing weight and improving his fitness. He realised that if he couldn’t revert back to his peak form, he would still be living in darkness even if he left Luo Yi.
He didn’t want to live like that.
After he finished running, he followed Tian Tian to do some body-sculpting exercises. He used to hate exercising – it was tiring and it would make him sweaty, but now he experienced the joy of exercising. It allowed him to forget all the unhappy things for a period of time, and he was able to sleep well afterwards. In addition, there were people to chat to and have a drink with, so he wouldn’t feel so lonely.
When his training was over, he wanted to drag Tian Tian out to dinner with him, but Tian Tian said he was busy. He was left with no choice but to call Li Shuo. Fortunately, Li Shuo happened to be free.
——————————————
They’d arranged to meet up at a Western-style restaurant.
Wen Xiaohui had just showered, so he smelled nice. He was dressed in sportswear, but it didn’t manage to mask his stylishness.
Li Shuo saw him from afar and waved at him.
Wen Xiaohui went over. “Li-dage, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine, I’ve just arrived.” Li Shuo smiled. “You look full of energy.”
“I’m feeling pumped after going to the gym.” Wen Xiaohui smiled as he said, “Please order, I’m starving.”
“I feel relieved seeing you so energetic. When you first arrived at Pengcheng a few months ago, you were really…” Li Shuo paused.
“Terrible, right?” Wen Xiaohui lowered his head and smiled faintly. “I know I was really terrible during that period of time. I passed my days in a blur until I discovered I couldn’t fit into my jeans one day. I was so scared that I sobered up. Haha.”
Li Shuo replied with a sigh, “I’m happy to see you like this.”
“Sorry, I made you worry.” Wen Xiaohui said earnestly, “Li-dage, you’re a really nice guy. A very, very nice guy. I don’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for you.”
“No need to be courteous. Fate brought us together.” Li Shuo raised his glass of lemonade: “Cheers to your successful weight loss.”
Wen Xiaohui burst into laughter.
They chatted about work while they ate dinner. Li Shuo’s firm was starting up, so he was really busy. Seeing Li Shuo’s animated expression, it clearly had a promising future. Wen Xiaohui felt delighted for Li Shuo, and he realised he should also start thinking about the future.
Coincidentally, Li Shuo happened to ask: “Do you want to find a job in the new year? I can help set up some contacts for you.”
Wen Xiaohui pondered and replied, “I don’t want to work for anyone. I want to open my own little hairdressing salon and make enough money to survive.”
“That’s good. It’s important to find something to occupy yourself.”
Wen Xiaohui stretched, and he smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’ll find something to do, so I won’t think unnecessary thoughts.”
Li Shuo let out a quiet sigh, but he didn’t say anything.
Wen Xiaohui scooped the ice-cream into his mouth, a spoon at a time. The ice-cold stimulation made his teeth chatter slightly. The coldness went straight to his head, making his brain lively, and he didn’t know why he suddenly thought of Luo Yi.
When he first arrived at Pengcheng, he thought about Luo Yi constantly. He relied on drinking or playing games through the night to numb himself, making himself feel so tired that he would fall asleep as soon as he lay down. He was a lot better now. He thought about him less and less, and it didn’t seem as painful anymore.
Time could heal everything; he had no choice but to believe that.
——————————————
After Li Shuo took him home, he studied the new book of a top Korean makeup artist. He’d neglected his old profession for half a year, so it was time for some new blood.
As he was reading, his mobile phone made a noise, and he picked it up to see who it was. It was Luo Rui, who had sent him an email. He had set up this email address for contacting Luo Rui specifically, and they contacted each other occasionally. It was the only way he could get in touch with his mum.
His mum was more resilient and rational than he’d imagined. On the contrary, she was the one comforting him and sharing her photos in the US with him, so that he would feel at ease. He assumed it was more photos of his mum, so he opened the email quickly.
This time, there weren’t any photos, and instead, there were just a few brief lines of text: Shao Qun asked me for your contact details. Should I pass it to him? He said he wouldn’t tell Luo Yi.
Wen Xiaohui was dumbfounded. After a while, he replied with: Pass it to him.
Since Shao Qun had helped him before, he was unlikely to sell him out, and regardless, Wen Xiaohui still owed Shao Qun a huge favour.
The other party soon replied: Baby, I miss you lots.
Wen Xiaohui’s heart ached. I miss you a lot too. I miss you to death.
Luo Rui sent across a crying emoji: I’m going to find a way to see you in the new year. Wait for me.
Wen Xiaohui responded with a kiss. His vision became blurry.
He was in the middle of watching a film when he received a call from an unfamiliar number. He had a feeling it was Shao Qun. It turned out to be him when he picked up the phone. “Young Master Shao.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Pengcheng.” Wen Xiaohui replied cautiously.
“You don’t have to keep your guard up against me. If I wanted to tell Luo Yi, I wouldn’t have waited until now.”
Wen Xiaohui breathed a sigh of relief. “Young Master Shao, thank you.”
“It’s no trouble. I do as I please.” Shao Qun paused. “I’m also planning to go to Pengcheng.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t I tell you before that I’m under the thumb of my elders in Beijing? It’s too much of a bother. I want to go to the coastal regions to develop, and I happen to have a friend in Pengcheng. We’ve been talking about a project. You can help me for a while.”
“What can I help you with?”
“At present, I’m lacking someone in PR. If I recall correctly, you have a good tolerance for alcohol.”
“Since you’re asking, I’m duty bound to help.” He didn’t want to owe anyone a favour, and since Shao Qun had a use for him, he would be willing to drink until he hurled. He’d spent so many years at Juxing, his socialising skills definitely met the grade. In a city full of entertainment like Pengcheng, they really needed someone like Wen Xiaohui who could talk, boast, praise, and drink at social events. Shao Qun was a princeling who happened to be an outsider, so he needed to get to know the local influential officials without lowering himself. That was why he needed PR.
It didn’t matter if the reason why Shao Qun helped him in the first place was to make use of him today, he still felt grateful to him. Furthermore, allying with someone like Shao Qun was for mutual benefit. Not owing each other anything was actually the most appropriate approach.
“That’s great. I’ll contact you when I arrive.”
——————————————
A few days later, Shao Qun arrived at Pengcheng and invited Wen Xiaohui out with him.
Shao Qun’s eyes swept over him when they first met, and he asked, “Have you put on weight?”
Wen Xiaohui stopped himself from swearing, and he said with a smile on his face, “Hehe, I’m a little chubbier, and I’m trying to lose weight.”
“You’re just right; you won’t look good if you’re too skinny.” Shao Qun took out a cigarette, putting it into his mouth. He put his hand into his pocket to look for the lighter.
Shao Qun was wearing a grey cashmere overcoat and a suit in the same colour. A few strands of hair from his fringe fell on his forehead, and the black and gold diamond-studded watch on his wrist enhanced his muted elegance. On the busy street, he was the only one who seemed to be standing on a podium.
Wen Xiaohui acted like a suck-up as he asked a passerby for a lighter, then helped Shao Qun to light his cigarette. He couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Shao Qun when his shameless mind was still filled with fantasies, because Shao Qun’s appearance alone was enough to make him drool. Luckily, he was clever and quickly dispelled that notion as soon as they met. If someone fell in love with a person like Shao Qun, they’d definitely have bad luck for eight lifetimes. It wasn’t because Shao Qun was vile, he was just too fickle in love.
Shao Qun took a drag of his cigarette. “I have something to do in a bit, but I can tell you about my upcoming projects. I’m coming over during the New Year and it’ll be your job to deliver the gifts. Do you have a car?”
“No.”
“That’s fine, I’ll arrange a chauffeur for you.” Shao Qun gave him a rough idea of the real estate projects that he had been negotiating.
Wen Xiaohui only partially understood. Finally, he said, “Young Master Shao, you seem to have a high opinion of me. Do you think I can do a good job?”
“You only have to drink, crack a few jokes, suck up to a few people, and get to know them. What’s hard about that?”
“It’s not too difficult.”
“Ok then.” Shao Qun glanced at Wen Xiaohui. “What are you doing at the moment?”
“Not much. I’m planning to open a hairdressing salon by myself in the new year.”
“Are you short on funding?”
“No.”
“Oh, that’s good. Keep a lookout for me when you’re recruiting.”
“Huh? Look out for what?”
Shao Qun rolled his eyes. “Look out for those who are good-looking, problem-free, and clean. I might be staying in Pengcheng for a period of time.”
“Oh okay, no problem at all.” Wen Xiaohui cursed him silently: Who the fuck wants to act as your pimp?
Shao Qun narrowed his eyes. “That friend of yours seems very interesting.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “Young Master Shao, you can’t touch that friend of mine – he’s an innocent virgin – you won’t be able to get rid of him if you touch him. He won’t let you off until he marries you. He’d definitely try and kill himself if you decided to break up with him.” He would never let Shao Qun touch Luo Rui. Luckily, he understood the mentality of people like Shao Qun, if he mentioned that Luo Rui was difficult to pursue, he would arouse Shao Qun’s desire to conquer, but if he said that Luo Rui was difficult to get rid of, Shao Qun wouldn’t go seeking trouble.
Shao Qun rolled his eyes. “How annoying! I did like him a lot.”
“I’ll definitely find a better guy for you.” Wen Xiaohui breathed a sigh of relief.
“Wait for me to call you.” Shao Qun snuffed out the cigarette, then turned and got into his car.
Feeling conflicted, Wen Xiaohui watched the car speed away. Although Shao Qun was his benefactor, he’d always felt wary and fearful of him.
Footnotes:
This is referring to Wen Xiaohui being a bottom or a shou (the top or gong is a 1) re gay relationship dynamics.
