Winner Takes All

Li Shuo fell asleep, feeling something soft and kind of ticklish on his face. He opened his eyes slightly and saw a pair of smiling eyes from his blurred half-awake vision. The corners of the eyes were hooked down, and the tails of the eyes flew upwards. The pupils were dark and bright, and the eyelashes were long and dense, curved because of the smile. There’s a hint of affection in the eyes and it is undeniably beautiful.

Li Shuo felt his heart thump loudly a few times. He quickly opened his eyes wide and Zhao Jinxin’s face appeared in the enlarged field of his vision, which was a perfect match for the pair of eyes.

“Morning, my sweet lamb.” Zhao Jinxin kissed Li Shuo on the cheek.

Li Shuo was dumbfounded for two seconds. He was so embarrassed that he was about to sweat. He laughed and cursed: “Stop with the nickname.”

“Am I the only one calling you that?” Zhao Jinxin said with a smile, “After all, only I can give you nicknames like that.”

Li Shuo rubbed his eyelids and yawned: “You are not allowed to call me like this in front of any outsiders. It’s too embarrassing.”

“Then this is our nickname exclusively for us.” Zhao Jinxin said expectantly, “Then what do you want to call me?”

Li Shuo said helplessly: “What do you want me to call you?”

“You should think about this yourself.”

“Let me think about it.” Li Shuo looked at his watch. It was just eight o’clock. He usually wakes up at this time. It’s just that he slept too late last night and he is still lacking some sleep. “When I found one, I tell you and you better not refuse it.”

Li Shuo touched his head: “You didn’t go out of the room, right?”

“No, but I heard some noises downstairs. I guess they were preparing breakfast, so I wake you up.”

“Well, my family has breakfast at 8:15.” Li Shuo said, “I will ask them to send breakfast to the room. Today is Saturday, and my parents will go golfing together at around nine o’clock, and I will take you out by then.”

Zhao Jinxin licked his lips: “We really seem like we’re hiding an affair…I like it.”

Li Shuo smiled lightly, but did not respond.

The housekeeper brought breakfast to the room. Li Shuo said that he was very hungry and asked him to bring another one.

When the housekeeper left, Zhao Jinxin poked his head out of the dressing room: “I should hide here naked, then it will be more realistic.”

“Stop making trouble, come and eat.”

The two sat face to face at the low table, Zhao Jinxin smiled at Li Shuo, and Li Shuo returned a smile, even though he was anxious about being found out.

After taking two bites, Zhao Jinxin suddenly said, “It feels good that we can have breakfast together.”

Li Shuo was startled. He looked up to see the bright weather outside the window, the delicious breakfast on the table, and at the handsome youth opposite of him. He agreed with Zhao Jinxin very much. What happened yesterday left him with a gloom. At this time, he was relieved a lot. He is drunk now, thinking about what to do before and after, and having fun in time to live up to the great time. He smiled, stretched out his hand, rubbed the Thousand Island sauce from the corner of Zhao Jinxin’s mouth with his fingertips, and then put it on the tip of his tongue and licked it off.

Zhao Jinxin’s Adam’s apple rolled, his voice sank, and his eyes were deep and evil: “It’s early in the morning, if you tease me again, you are responsible at your own risk.”

Li Shuo smiled: “You are on my site now, speak carefully and act carefully.”

Zhao Jinxin bit his lip and put down the fork.

Li Shuo pressed his shoulder and said, “It’s alright, don’t make trouble, eat honestly.” He really didn’t have the courage to do it with Zhao Jinxin in his room when his parents are clearly downstairs.

Although… that scene is extremely exciting to think about.

Zhao Jinxin curled his lips in disappointment and smiled again: “It’s fine if we can keep doing this.”

Li Shuo’s hand paused in his movement. Concealing his own thoughts, he lowered his head and took a sip of the soup.

What is it like to keep on doing this? It’s really a deep question.

After the two of them had eaten, Li Shuo’s parents also went out. He led Zhao Jinxin out from the back door: “Hurry up, don’t be like this next time.”

Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes and said, “Yes.” Then suddenly he leaned in, kissed Li Shuo heavily, and whispered, “I will fuck you on your bed next time.”

Li Shuo smiled and pushed him into the car and closed the door on him.

Going back to the room, looking at the two sets of cutleries left on the low table and the messy quilt on the bed, he suddenly felt empty.

It would be great if there is another presence here.

Although he enjoys the joy and excitement of love, what he wants most is to form a warm home with someone he knows and loves.

Li Shuo sent the materials and official seal away, and only then did he really feel like he had lost his career. Although he can still get dividends every year and still lead Ennan’s projects, this can’t satisfy his desire to work.

He shuts himself in the room, thinking carefully about his way forward.

Because of his involvement in the bankruptcy and loan fraud cases of Benhui Real Estate, his credibility in the Beijing audit industry was basically ruined. He must either change his place or change his career.

Li Shuo decided to sort out the financial situation of himself and not rely on his family. He has not taken a good rest after starting his business for so many years. Now is a good time. If you don’t want to do anything for a while, you can choose a few projects to invest in, he thought.

After his dad went home in the evening, he spoke of his thoughts to him, but he concealed the fact that he was being investigated and only said that he wanted to accompany them more, so he sold some of the firm’s shares and planned to do something else. For that, he didn’t lie either.

His dad was very supportive of him, and the two of them chatted for a while. His dad put forward an idea, saying that a friend in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce wanted to invest in a luxury hotel in Sanya City and was looking for a partner. This does not need to be managed. There can also be continuous flow of income.

When Li Shuo heard it, he felt good, and planned to ask someone out to talk about the possibility of partnership.

After the contract was signed, the formal operation of the Beijing branch of Ennan Group was also on the agenda. Li Shuo carefully confirmed his father’s physical condition and decided to return to China with Zhao Jinxin at the end of the month, but he dared not leave for too long and hoped to return this time so that he can handle both official and private affairs, especially of Li Chengxiu’s affairs.

Two days later, Han Feiye called Li Shuo for dinner, and he readily agreed.

During this period of time, Zhao Jinxin was busy with company affairs. The two of them hadn’t seen each other for several days. Li Shuo was very sure that he would not be rudely running to disrupt the situation this time.

Li Shuo brought over two excellent bottles of bird’s nests from home. Han Feiye hadn’t gained much weight after so many years so he is slightly worried about it.

The two met at an Italian restaurant that they had visited together before. There were many restaurants, cafes, and shops on that street. Some of them had already changed owners, and almost all of them had memories in common for them.

Li Shuo drove by and was filled with emotion. It is a wonderful and cherished thing that someone can share his past memories with him.

The two came at the entrance of the restaurant by coincidence at the same time.

They smiled at each other, Li Shuo opened the door and let Han Feiye in.

“I didn’t expect that there are still many shops that were still open from back then.” Han Feiye sighed.

“Yes, it can stand the test of time and prove that we have a good vision about a place.”

Han Feiye smiled: “Do you remember what I like to eat?”

“I remember.” Li Shuo said.

“Really?” Han Feiye raised his eyebrows, “Then you do the ordering.”

Li Shuo recruited a waiter, flipped through the menu, and ordered Han Feiye smoked salmon, creamy seafood soup and beef lasagna. The dessert was brownie and red wine.

Han Feiye stared at him blankly: “…You really remember.”

Li Shuo smiled and said: “You always eat like this. You don’t like to try new dishes. If you find something delicious, you will repeat the same menu.”

“I think if I love something, I love it forever.” Han Feiye looked deeply into Li Shuo’s eyes.

Li Shuo quietly stared at him for two seconds, smiled and nodded, and raised his glass: “For the past and the future.”

“For the past and the future.” Han Feiye raised a glass and touched his glass with the other lightly.

The two of them ate and talked. They talked about the interesting things in the past, laughed regardless of the image, mentioned their mutual friends, and also felt a lot of emotion. Li Shuo realized that he hadn’t chatted with people like this for a long time. He should say that it’s been a long time since he met a friend with such a common topic.

He knew Han Feiye’s hobbies, thoughts, principles, and beliefs, just as Han Feiye knew of his own.

This feeling is really had long been gone.

They had eaten this meal for more than two hours, and they were still not satisfied with the time that they had spent, but unfortunately the restaurant was about to close.

After checking out, Li Shuo asked: “Where is your car parked?”

“I didn’t find a parking space when I came, it was a bit far away.”

“It’s a bit dangerous around here at night, I’ll take you there.”

Han Feiye smiled and nodded.

The two walked side by side along the street at night. Han Feiye touched his stomach, and a little boyish smile appeared on his always gentle and calm face: “I’m so full, I haven’t eaten so much for a long time.”

“You don’t know how to go on a good diet, you are already so thin, so boil more bird’s nest to drink in the future, you really need to make up for it.”

“I didn’t mean to have a bad diet deliberately, but sometimes I was too lazy to eat when I was busy at work, and I really didn’t have any appetite by myself.” Han Feiye’s tone revealed a trace of loneliness.

Li Shuo whispered: “Then you should find someone to accompany you.”

Han Feiye tilted her head to look at him: “I feel so too.” The normally cold and calm eyes were now scorching hot.

Li Shuo’s heart trembled and suddenly felt something in the air.

Han Feiye took two quick steps, then turned around, stood in front of Li Shuo, and said generously, “Little Shuo, is it possible for us?”

Li Shuo looked at Han Feiye quietly, feeling something sour in his heart. For 12 years, things have come and pass, and his feeling for the changes in human affairs made him feel lost. He whispered: “Feiye, I don’t know.”

He looked at Han Feiye, as if he had seen the young man from back then. The man he had loved and complained about, and now those love and resentment have all turned into dust, and a layer of dust has fallen on the past and has become irrelevant.

Are they still possible? He really didn’t know, he only knew that the person he was thinking of was not Han Feiye, but the person he was thinking of, he is afraid that that person has no place for him in his heart, so why bother to seek a narrow path?

Han Feiye smiled softly: “I knew you would answer this way, in fact I don’t know. But since we are both single, since we are still able to talk and appreciate each other, then I want to try. Little Shuo, I know you, what you want is by no means a momentary passion, especially at our age, I want to have a home, and so do you.”

A home.

This word stuck in Li Shuo’s heart.

After 30 years of age, he began to look for a suitable partner to start a family. At this age, he started to play around again with Zhao Jinxin, completely deviating from his original intention.

As Han Feiye said, he wants to have a home.

This word touches his soul.

He chuckled, “Yes, I want that too.”

“Then let’s try.” Han Feiye opened his hands, “You don’t need to answer me now, I hope we can get along like friends like this for now. Just go with the flow. I just need you to remember what I said tonight. Remember that I still have you in my heart.”

Li Shuo pondered for a moment, and solemnly said: “Okay. Feiye, I have always believed in fate, this time let’s see where fate can take us.”

Maybe Zhao Jinxin is just a passerby and Han Feiye is the destination. Maybe he has been going around for so many years in circle just to finally meet the right person again in the end.

???

*Translator Note: “home” and “family” means almost the same but I stick to ‘home’ because it supposed to show a person or a place where you feel like you belonged to.