Additional Inheritance - Chap 77
Chapter 77 (M)
Wen Xiaohui’s body trembled like a withered leaf in the wind. He didn’t dare to raise his head. In the coldest month of the year, a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. He felt compelled to close the door, but it was held in place by a firm hand that wouldn’t budge.
A hand appeared on his shoulder, and he heard Luo Yi’s familiar voice by his ear.
“Xiaohui-ge, get out of the car.” It was tender and warm, but also as chilling as winter frost.
Wen Xiaohui bit his bottom lip hard. He forced himself to overcome his deepest fear and regain his ability to move. Using all his strength, he punched Luo Yi in the abdomen. He didn’t manage to close the car door before he started up the car to escape. The urge to flee from Luo Yi was engraved deep in the marrow of his bones until it became part of his instincts.
Suddenly, Luo Yi’s breathing became heavy as he grabbed the collar of Wen Xiaohui’s shirt and dragged him out of the car. Wen Xiaohui tripped over his right foot and fell to the ground with a thud.
The car door banged as it slammed shut. Wen Xiaohui turned back to look at his own car, his last hope shattered.
In his line of sight, a pair of feet wearing handcrafted leather shoes appeared. The trouser legs were as straight as the blade of a knife. Wen Xiaohui blinked. He was in a daze when the scene of their first encounter appeared before his eyes.
At that particular moment, he had been knocked to the ground by Luo Yi’s bicycle and when the youth ran over, he saw Luo Yi’s snow white trainers and relaxed-fit joggers. The youth’s smile dazzled like the sun, and he had a refreshing aura like the slightly intoxicating spring breeze that gently caressed Wen Xiaohui’s face – bringing with it the warmest and sweetest time of his life.
It had been five years. Whilst the scenery stayed the same, people had changed.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if… if the youth he loved, the one called Luo Yi, the gentle, considerate, and intelligent Luo Yi, were real? He really missed that version of Luo Yi – he really, really missed him. He missed him so much that his heart still ached after all this time. In the end, this cursed relationship no longer reminded him of deceit and hatred, and instead, it felt like he’d lost his beloved. It was as if his beloved had died, and the person who touched his heart, brought him joy, whom he admired, had disappeared from this world forever.
It couldn’t have been more painful.
He was lifted from the ground by a pair of strong arms. He finally raised his head and saw the person in front of him through blurry eyes.
He looked so unfamiliar.
That face had clearly become more mature and sombre. He knew it so well that he could draw Luo Yi’s facial features freehand, but it also seemed unfamiliar. He used to be able to look straight at the youth and drape his arm around his shoulders effortlessly, but Luo Yi’s tall and well-built stature now required Wen Xiaohui to gaze up at him. He had watched the little wolf cub grow up with his own eyes without even realising it.
Luo Yi fixed his intense gaze at Wen Xiaohui – he examined him inch by inch, leaving no aspect unexplored. He couldn’t purge this face from his mind over the past year or more, totalling more than 500 days. He used to ask himself if he should permit someone to affect his brain that much, but he eventually discovered that it wasn’t a matter of whether he ought to or not, he just couldn’t stop himself. He missed Wen Xiaohui. He wanted to see him and hug him. He wanted to hear his voice. This strong desire exceeded everything else that he’d pursued in the past, making him feel scared.
When he first approached Wen Xiaohui with a hidden motive, he thought this person would be easily attained, but the one who was captured was actually himself…
Wen Xiaohui tried to free his arm. Luo Yi hugged him around the waist, holding him tightly against his body. He said in a low voice, “Stop moving, I don’t want to hurt you, but I can tie you up. Don’t make me do that.”
Wen Xiaohui’s breathing trembled. He clenched his teeth, staring at Luo Yi.
In Luo Yi’s eyes, Wen Xiaohui’s stubborn appearance was both detestable and enticing. He closed his eyes to calm himself, then dragged and carried him into the building.
Wen Xiaohui lived on the first and second floors of this Western-style house. He looked on as Luo Yi grabbed his key, opened the door, and shoved him inside. The front door was closed firmly behind him.
The lights were on in the living room.
Wen Xiaohui watched Luo Yi as he came closer, and he took a few steps backwards. Finally, he reached the dining table and was caught in a dead-end.
Luo Yi threw the key down. He slowly stripped off his black windbreaker and said indifferently, “Do you want to know how I found you?”
Wen Xiaohui gulped and said the first words since their reunion. “How did you find me?”
The corners of Luo Yi’s lips curled slightly. The expression in his eyes seemed callous. “I knew both you and Li Shuo were in Pengcheng, but I couldn’t confirm the location. His sudden trip to Beijing gave me the chance to track him, and you also relaxed your guard and booked a flight in your name… Why? Did you think you’d be able to leave straight away?” Luo Yi walked a step at a time, stopping in front of Wen Xiaohui to grab his chin. “Did you think I’d let you leave?”
Wen Xiaohui smacked his hand away. “This isn’t your territory. How dare you act so recklessly.”
“What are you going to do if I dare?” Luo Yi lowered his body to Wen Xiaohui’s level, his hands rested on the edges of the dining table, trapping him between his arms and his body.
Wen Xiaohui trembled as he bit his bottom lip. He said in an extremely quiet voice, “Why can’t you let me go?”
“Let you go?” Luo Yi’s expression changed, and in an instant, a violent gush of anger surged towards his eyes, making him look sinister. “Am I going to eat you? I just want to treat you well and to make it up to you. Why do you have to run? Why?!” Luo Yi howled.
“Because you’re a psycho!” Wen Xiaohui bellowed, “You’re an inhumane bastard. I don’t want to see you or talk to you again…”
Luo Yi grabbed him by the back of his neck, pressed him down on the table, and kissed him roughly on the lips.
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened as he struggled with both of his arms, trying to reach anything on the dining table. Luo Yi savagely plundered those lips he’d yearned for day and night. His long arm simultaneously swept the fruit bowl, candlestick, vase, etc. to the ground.
Wen Xiaohui felt like he was being suffocated by Luo Yi’s crazy and overbearing kiss. He used all his strength to shove Luo Yi off, but Luo Yi managed to lift him up onto the dining table instead. Only the sound of tearing could be heard. His woollen sweater was torn apart by Luo Yi!
Luo Yi’s impatience was like a pack of hungry wolves who couldn’t wait to swallow Wen Xiaohui whole. Wen Xiaohui wanted to curl his body up, but it was futile. He always felt helpless in Luo Yi’s presence – it was a natural fear towards a stronger being than yourself, regardless of whether it was physiological or psychological.
Luo Yi’s kiss traced along Wen Xiaohui’s chin to his Adam’s apple, then to his collarbone. Finally, he reached Wen Xiaohui’s bare chest.
“No, Luo Yi! No!” Wen Xiaohui’s husky voice was a mix of an unimaginable anger and despair.
Luo Yi must have woken up because of Wen Xiaohui’s voice; he recovered his sanity amidst the rage and longing. He paused and slowly raised his head to gaze at Wen Xiaohui. There was a trace of brightness in his dark eyes. He furrowed his brows when he saw Wen Xiaohui’s sorry and indignant figure under his body. In his helplessness, Wen Xiaohui also showed a hint of grievance.
As soon as his body was released, Wen Xiaohui gave Luo Yi a heavy slap across the face.
Luo Yi used his tongue to push against the inside of his slapped cheek that was starting to feel numb. He ran his fingers through the loose strands of hair on Wen Xiaohui’s forehead, and his fingers gently caressed the tear on the corner of his eye. He said softly, “Answer one question. If I’m satisfied with your answer, I’ll release you. Okay?”
Wen Xiaohui wished that he could bite off Luo Yi’s finger.
Luo Yi finger skimmed along his cheek, down his pointed chin, and finally to the little bud on his chest. He rubbed it gently. “In these 500 or more days, has Li Shuo touched you?”
Wen Xiaohui bared his teeth like a little animal that had been cornered.
Luo Yi’s finger continued to slide down until it reached Wen Xiaohui’s belt buckle. “Tell me, has he touched you? If your answer isn’t what I want to hear, then the consequences won’t be what you want either.”
Wen Xiaohui’s breathing was rapid and shaky. He felt as though there was something blocking his throat and even the muscles on his cheeks were so stiff that they ached.
“Good boy, speak. I’ll know if you’re lying.”
Wen Xiaohui tried to find his voice, but it trembled so much it was barely recognisable. “No.”
Luo Yi stared at him for a while before he retracted his finger and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I believe you.” He pulled Wen Xiaohui up as he spoke. He smoothed the collar of Wen Xiaohui’s shirt and fixed his hair – he was so considerate that it seemed as though nothing had happened.
However, Wen Xiaohui felt as though a venomous snake had slithered across the places that Luo Yi had touched.
Luo Yi held Wen Xiaohui in his embrace and said adoringly, “I really missed you. I missed you so much. You’re not allowed to leave me again.”
Wen Xiaohui froze. He was utterly confused.
Hiding for over a year, leaving his friends, family, and his beloved job behind, he fled to an unfamiliar city to start from scratch. Why? In the end, nothing had changed… He closed his eyes, and in that instant, he finally realised he had to surrender to his fate.
It was predetermined, so why was he still resisting?
That night, Luo Yi continued to hold Wen Xiaohui as he murmured his whispers of yearning into his ear. Although his voice was gentle, Wen Xiaohui could hear the rage hidden deep down. Wen Xiaohui knew that he was very angry because of his departure, so even a tiny movement like turning over would lead to change in Luo Yi’s emotional state. Luo Yi strived to maintain a gentle appearance, but he was like a volcano that could erupt any minute. Wen Xiaohui could cause Luo Yi to erupt if he said or did something wrong – he was even more dangerous than before.
Wen Xiaohui didn’t know how he managed to fall asleep. Perhaps he was just too tired, so he slept deeply.
——————————————
The next day, the smell of breakfast wafted into his nose when he woke up. He absentmindedly got out of bed. It took him longer than normal to go from muddled to clear-headed, but when he finally realised the reason for the smell, he started to shiver.
Luo Yi… Luo Yi had found him. His illusion of freedom in Pengcheng had been completely shattered.
He always knew this day would come. He used to think it would be the end of the world when it happened, but in reality, he felt very calm. Maybe he’d been mentally prepared for too long, but he accepted it calmly and numbly.
He took his mobile phone out and sent Luo Rui an email written in an unusually indifferent tone, telling him that Luo Yi had found him and he wasn’t able to go to the US anymore. He asked Luo Rui to use the studio as an excuse to explain to his mum. Afterwards, he turned off his phone.
It wasn’t clear when Luo Yi had silently appeared at the door. He watched Wen Xiaohui quietly.
Wen Xiaohui raised his head to look up at him.
Luo Yi smiled. The smile was beautiful, like basking in a spring breeze. “Darling, come have some breakfast.”
Wen Xiaohui quietly got out of bed. He washed his face and brushed his teeth, then sat down at the table to eat.
He suddenly felt exhausted as he thought of his previous attempts at freedom and resistance. What was the point? If he knew this day would come, why did he flee Beijing? If he had surrendered to fate at the beginning, he wouldn’t have involved his friends and family and made them sad. As for himself, he probably would have suffered less.
He didn’t know whether his current way of thinking was adapting to the circumstances or reckless behaviour1. In summary, he felt numb.
“Does it taste good?” Luo Yi tossed the salad for him and peeled three tiger prawns. “I haven’t made breakfast for you in a while. When you weren’t around, I rarely cooked. I’m out of practice.”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t say anything, he just kept his head down and ate.
Luo Yi rested his chin in his hands and watched him quietly with a difficult-to-describe and complicated expression. “Your nose looks great, you can’t tell that it was damaged at all.”
Wen Xiaohui did not respond.
“Your new hairstyle also looks beautiful. Have you been working out recently? Your muscles look a lot firmer.”
Luo Yi continued to babble to himself for a while. The only response Wen Xiaohui gave him was silence.
Luo Yi’s lips quivered. His fists under the table clenched and relaxed repeatedly until he finally grabbed Wen Xiaohui’s chin between his fingers, forcing him to look up. “What’s wrong? Are you planning to ignore me2?”
Wen Xiaohui lowered his chopsticks and said indifferently, “I’ve suddenly figured it out.” He’d figured things out in one night.
“What did you figure out?”
“I’ll go back with you, but I want to continue working and be able see my friends and family.” Wen Xiaohui looked hesitant. He seemed to relieve the suffocating pressure in his heart when he said those words.
“Of course.” Luo Yi looked at Wen Xiaohui. He should have been happy that Wen Xiaohui had agreed to go back with him willingly, but he didn’t know why he didn’t feel happy. He knew that Wen Xiaohui had changed. He didn’t know when the simple-minded and carefree Wen Xiaohui who laughed all day long had disappeared.
Wen Xiaohui wiped his mouth and got up to leave the dining table.
Luo Yi’s heart ached as he watched Wen Xiaohui’s back. He remembered what Luo Rui had said about him changing Wen Xiaohui into another person. That’s right, he hadn’t seen the old Wen Xiaohui in such a long time that he began to wonder if he ever existed.
He realised now, more than ever, that he’d ruined the person he loved the most. He took away Wen Xiaohui’s happiness, his trusting nature, and his smile. This felt more painful to him than Wen Xiaohui’s indifference by a factor of ten or a hundred.
What on earth did he do?
However, he couldn’t let him go. He just couldn’t do it. Wen Xiaohui’s existence had become a source of nutrients – the nutrient that allowed him to experience the joys of living. Without Wen Xiaohui, it didn’t matter whether he lived or not, he would be a walking corpse.
Therefore, he couldn’t let him go…
Footnotes:
破罐子破摔, literally smashing a pot to pieces because it has cracked (popular saying) meaning that someone is behaving recklessly because they’ve lost hope or to write yourself off. It’s a relatively modern phrase first used by a member of the Chinese Communist Party (Mo Yingfeng) in a novel published in 1980.
The term used is Cold War, i.e. referring to the political strain between the US and Russia, and refers to a frosty relationship where both parties are barely on speaking terms.
