Winner Takes All

Zhao Jinxin turned his head to look at Li Shuo, his expression was calm, but his eyes still flickered.

Li Shuo was dumbfounded for two seconds, and said in surprise: “Feiye, why are you…”

Han Feiye’s face was pale and gloomy, and Zhao Jinxin’s eyes were full of anger and hostility.

Li Shuo quickly fastened the belt of the bathrobe and said to Zhao Jinxin awkwardly: “Jinxin, go and put on some clothes.”

Zhao Jinxin said frankly: “We are all men, why should I bother?”

Han Feiye looked at Li Shuo, seeming to be restraining something, his voice trembled: “Little Shuo, can we talk alone?”

“I……”

“You can’t.” Zhao Jinxin leaned on the door frame, “I am his boyfriend. It’s not appropriate to exclude me from the conversation based on your past relationship.”

Han Feiye looked at Li Shuo, trying to verify what Zhao Jinxin had said.

Under those eyes, Li Shuo couldn’t bear to speak, but he couldn’t avoid it, so he just nodded.

Han Feiye closed his eyes and went silent doe a while. He is pale and thin. Now he looked even more pitiful and Li Shuo felt uncomfortable.

Zhao Jinxin looked at Han Feiye coldly, without any reaction.

Li Shuo whispered: “Jinxin, you go to the room.” He still gave orders in his tone. He is not stupid. Han Feiye appeared directly at his door without warning. There must be something hidden in the middle. He is afraid that the whole thing is different from what he had known, and the person who possibly caused the whole misunderstanding should be Zhao Jinxin.

Zhao Jinxin only shrugged. He did not move or speak.

“Jin Xin!”

“It’s alright. There are some things he needs to listen too.” Han Feiye opened his eyes. His pupils have calmed down but he looks indifferent. “Little Shuo, even if you already have a boyfriend, you should have ignored my phone call.”

Li Shuo is in shock: “What did you say?”

Han Feiye smiled wryly: “Sure enough. Do you know that I can’t get through your phone?”

Li Shuo felt that a bucket of ice water had been poured on his head and his feverish brain became sober in an instant. He slowly turned his head and looked at Zhao Jinxin.

Zhao Jinxin’s face is unwavering, as if it has nothing to do with him.

“I can’t get through to you either.” Li Shuo said. Han Feiye is also a very smart person. The two confronted each other. He now understood everything. “At the beginning, Zhao Jinxin threatened me about the company. I am no longer a child. This sort of trick, I can deal with him. That day, I did not contact you at first in order to solve the trouble but decided to discuss with you later and I believe you can understand.”

Li Shuo clenched his fists: “Go on.”

“Then I can’t contact you anymore. I called you, sent text messages and emails, but you didn’t respond. I thought you were angry at me so I wanted you to calm down for a few days.”

“I have been contacting you too, but I can’t get through to you at all, I thought you…”

“Do you think I gave up on you again for the sake of the company?” Han Feiye smiled bitterly, “I also thought you thought so. I was depressed for several days, thinking about what to do, and then Cheng Sheng came up to me.”

“Then you should know that I have been trying to contact you.”

“Yes, I figured at that time, there must be something wrong with the communication channel between us.” Han Feiye looked at Zhao Jinxin.

Zhao Jinxin slightly raised his chin and looked at him, without a trace of tension or shame.

“I also thought about using someone else’s phone to call you, but I finally decided to come here to find you in person. I got your address from Cheng Sheng.” Han Feiye pursed his lips and whispered, “I’m late, aren’t I?”

Li Shuo’s chest was violently pumping up and down, he gritted his teeth and said: “Jin Xin, would you like to explain? Our phones… was it your doing?”

Zhao Jinxin said openly: “Yes.”

“What are you trying to achieve?!” Li Shuo growled, “How can you do such a thing?!”

“This person is my rival. Is there anything wrong with me dealing with the rival?” Zhao Jinxin’s expression looked innocent.

“You are so capable!” Li Shuo’s heart beat faster with anger. Like Han Feiye, he preconceived that the other party would not answer the phone and just didn’t want to contact him, so he didn’t even think about contacting him through other channels, but in truth, he was deceived by Zhao Jinxin’s tricks.

Han Feiye said dumbly: “Little Shuo, I always hope that you will live a happy life, even if you are not with me. But this person, I don’t think he is qualified.”

Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes and said coldly: “I’m not qualified? How do you know that?”

Han Feiye stared at him fiercely: “How do you treat the person you slept with, you know better than me.”

“That’s because he can’t afford to play.” Zhao Jinxin smiled mockingly, “Can’t afford to play, why agree to play? Didn’t he ask for it?”

“This is called being heartless!” Han Feiye said sternly, “How would someone heartless like you treat Little Shuo?”

“Stop calling him so affectionately.”

“Enough.” Li Shuo said angrily, “Zhao Jinxin, you apologize to Feiye!”

Zhao Jinxin turned to look at Li Shuo, his eyes aggrieved.

Li Shuo said sternly: “Apologize!” In fact, he was not sure that Zhao Jinxin would apologize. After all, Zhao Jinxin did not feel any remorse or guilty conscience, but he could not bear the persecution of the person he’s been sleeping with and he also cannot separate himself from his friends. He finally wanted to trust Zhao Jinxin, but within a few minutes, everything is turned upside down.

Zhao Jinxin coughed slightly, stood up straight, and suddenly bowed deeply to Han Feiye: “Brother Feiye, I’m sorry.”

Both of them were stunned by this move. Perhaps no one expected that Zhao Jinxin would really simply apologize.

Zhao Jinxin straightened up, his expression made people unable to see the flaws: “Brother Feiye, I used some despicable tricks against you, because I can’t give the person that I like to others, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Han Feiye was trembling with anger. What can he say now? Accepting it is impossible. If he continues to reprimand him then that is unsightly.

Li Shuo felt that his head was about to explode for a while, and he said wearily: “Jin Xin, you go to the room, I want to talk to Feiye alone. Now. Immediately. Go in.”

Zhao Jinxin was very obedient this time. He turned around and went into the bedroom.

The two of them stayed behind and looked at each other with difficulty through a door.

Li Shuo whispered: “Feiye, come in and sit down.”

Han Fei hesitated but still entered the door.

Li Shuo poured two cups of tea, gently placed it in front of Han Feiye, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Feiye, I’m sorry.”

Han Feiye gave a wry smile: “Little Shuo, I’m just not reconciled.”

“I……”

“I didn’t expect that you would really be with him.” Han Feiye sighed, “I am too naive, after all, after so many years, I was still hoping we can get back together.”

Li Shuo was so upset that he didn’t know what to do. When he faced Zhao Jinxin with anger, he felt helpless at the same time. After all, the past feelings should be left in the past. He is reborn and can’t change anything. He rubbed his temples: “Feiye, I really didn’t expect Jinxin to do such a thing, I just… I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to apologize for him. You always say that it depends on fate. I guess we just ran out of fate.” Han Feiye showed a bleak smile, “I came back this time and wanted to make one last effort… Little Shuo, no matter what kind of person Zhao Jinxin is, I hope you are happy. You are so good. You can definitely tame him.”

“…Thank you.” Li Shuo lowered his eyes, his heart was full of guilt. Although he didn’t do bad things, but because of him, Zhao Jinxin matured beyond his age from time to time, sometimes stubbornly like a child, such a person, can he really ‘tame’ him?

Han Feiye reluctantly smiled: “I… won’t bother you anymore. I have to go back to see my relatives.”

“Feiye, at least let me treat you to a meal.”

Han Feiye stood up and smiled: “No need, at least this time today, knowing that you still want to talk to me, that’s enough.”

Li Shuo whispered: “Of course I do.”

Han Feiye stretched his arms towards him, Li Shuo stood up and hugged him hard. The thin body in his arms suddenly reminded him of the past, and he was filled with emotion for a moment. He lightly patted Han Feiye on the back: “Feiye, take care.”

“Little Shuo, take care.”

After Han Feiye left, Li Shuo leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out the window silently. When Zhao Jinxin came out of the bedroom, he did not look back.

“Uncle Li…” Zhao Jinxin whispered.

Li Shuo said calmly: “You go home first.”

“I have already apologized.”

“I know, you go back first.”

Zhao Jinxin came over, pulled Li Shuo’s body, and stared deeply into his eyes: “If you are angry, scold me, why do you drive me away?”

Li Shuo didn’t even have the strength to be angry: “Jin Xin, I don’t know how to communicate with you right now, please let me calm down for two days.”

Zhao Jinxin took Li Shuo’s hand and said pitifully, “Even if I do something wrong, it’s because I like you. Do I want to see Han Feiye grab you away from me? We love each other. What the fuck is the matter with him?”

“What you did made me feel chill.” Li Shuo gritted his teeth, “It’s too cruel and inferior, how can I trust you?” In fact, what makes him more uncomfortable is the phrase ‘he can’t afford to play’. He is afraid he knows Philip’s feelings better than anyone else. After all, he used to be afraid of being mocked for ‘can’t play’ so he chose to retreat when he was still playing. If he paid with his sincere heart, he would only get away painfully. It will hurt so much.

“I wouldn’t do this to you again.” Zhao Jinxin said confidently.

“You wouldn’t treat me like this…” Li Shuo chewed on these words, feeling even more unpleasant. He knew that Zhao Jinxin was referring to Han Feiye, but he couldn’t help thinking about the phrase ‘he can’t afford to play’.

“Besides, do you still need me to be gentle and respectful to my rivals? You and my brother are also furious at each other when you meet.”

“That’s because Shao Qun’s character is too bad, I just give a tooth for a tooth…” Li Shuo said, suddenly remembering that he was planning a revenge on Zhao Jinxin’s cousin…

Zhao Jinxin squinted his eyes: “In essence, there is no difference. After all, the rival is the enemy. Besides, I didn’t do anything to him. I also apologized. You didn’t like him anymore. Isn’t the ending now happy for everyone?”

Li Shuo was a little confused by Shao Qun’s affairs. He was distracted by many things and he had forgotten such an important thing. He was not in the mood to educate Zhao Jinxin for a while. He pushed him away: “You let me be alone for a while. Be quiet, go home and reflect on yourself.”

Zhao Jinxin said solemnly: “If you ask me to be tolerant to my rivals, can you also tolerate my cousin?”

Li Shuo was shocked, Zhao Jinxin’s words went straight into his heart, he turned his head slowly, his expression was a bit cold: “He ruined my career for ten years, what do you think?”

“If I say, for me?”

Li Shuo froze.

Zhao Jinxin looked at him directly.

After a while, Li Shuo lowered his eyes: “I’m really tired, you can go back.”

Zhao Jinxin came over, bowed his head and kissed Li Shuo’s hair, took the key and left.

Hearing the sound of closing the door, Li Shuo patted his forehead vigorously.

What to do? He thought.

He picked up his cell phone, called the lawyer, and asked about the progress.

The lawyer said that the line of defense in the man’s heart was about to collapse.

Li Shuo listened, feeling complicated.

Although he was very angry today, he would not fall out because of this. Zhao Jinxin’s phrase ‘for me’ simply made him feel at a loss. He hates Shao Qun to the core. After all, the two are brothers. If he really deal with Shao Qun, how will he be ever to face Zhao Jinxin?

Should he be tolerant…?

???

*Translator Note: “Can’t afford to play”. What is being played here is an emotional game, not the physical one. What they mean to say was a game of hearts like they are just sex friends, nothing serious… so it’s a game of hearts. You lose if you give away your heart (like Phillip T.T). Do you understand what I’m saying now? Ugh. I hope you guys get it. I decided to still use this word ‘play’ because it’s hard to turn it around so I just maintain that and decided to write a note here for you to understand.