Winner Takes All

Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: 月野 見事 (TsukinoMigoto)

Protagonists ：黎朔 (LiShuo), 赵锦辛 (ZhaoJinXin)

֍֍֍

On this day, Li Shuo received an unexpected call from Zhao Rongtian.

Li Shuo subconsciously felt nervous and guilty when he heard his voice.

He calmly exchanged a few words with Zhao Rongtian. Zhao Rongtian then suddenly sighed slightly: “Li Shuo, I actually want to ask you for a favor.”

“What is it?” Li Shuo prayed in his heart for it not to have anything to do with Zhao Jinxin, but he had an ominous feeling that what Zhao Rongtian was about to say would 90% be related to Zhao Jinxin.

“Can you help me go to Jinxin’s place?”

Even though he was mentally prepared, Li Shuo was still startled when he heard these words: “Ah…what?” His heart beat like a drum. Could it be… what happened to Zhao Jinxin?

“Jin Xin’s state is not quite right recently. I contacted him once this month but he was still drunk. And his phone is usually either turned off or not answered. He basically didn’t even go to the company. I don’t know what’s the matter with him.”

“This… Why don’t you get someone from the company to look for him?” Did Zhao Jinxin get in such a poor state… just because he was told off by him? Li Shuo wonders but he does not want to dwell deep into such thought.

“I sent someone there. I sent someone there a few times but he either didn’t open the door or even when he opened the door, he sent the person away. He didn’t seem to have any safety and health problems but his emotions were not quite right. I dare not tell his mother now. I don’t want to trouble her again. I don’t want to tell my relatives in China for the time being because I don’t want them to worry about it. I just want you to help me confirm what happened to him since he respects you like a big brother.”

Li Shuo felt that his respiratory tract was blocked by something which made it difficult for him to even breathe. He said, “Uncle Zhao, I am not in the capital now and I may be a bit unable to get away…” He didn’t want to face Zhao Jinxin anymore, especially a Zhao Jinxin who may not be his normal self.

“I know you are working on projects in Sanya, your father told me.” Zhao Rongtian’s tone became softer, “This uncle is embarrassed to ask you for help. Can you do your uncle a favor just this time, okay? This Jinxin kid had been eccentric since he was a child, but after the rebellious period, he had no longer cause trouble like this. I want to save a good face, I am afraid if it is just a false alarm. I am embarrassed to let my relatives and friends know about this. If something is really wrong with him, I will immediately talk to his mother and go there.”

Li Shuo sighed, looking at the relationship between his parents, he had a million reasons not to be able to refuse. Besides, even though he was full of resentment towards Zhao Jinxin, he never hoped that there was anything bad happening to this person. Before he could be sure of what happened to him, he was really worried.

He groaned for two seconds, then whispered softly: “Well, I’ll go back and see him. You can send me his address.”

“Thank you, Li Shuo, you have always been mature and stable so I ask you for help. I also know that you will be able to react accordingly. If Jinxin rushes into you, I will trouble you to bear with it.”

“Don’t worry.”

After hanging up the phone, Li Shuo patted his forehead with his palm, his face became blank.

He finally put himself into work, not always thinking about someone he wants to forget. Meeting again at this time is tantamount to ruining his ‘recovery’ this month and crumbling down everything he has built up. The embankment in his heart had arbitrarily dug a hole.

His mobile phone rang twice. It means Zhao Rongtian had sent him the address. He glanced at it. It was not far from his home and also obviously, his own house is closer to Ennan Group compared to Zhao Jinxin’s house of at least ten or twenty minutes closer. Zhao Jinxin rejected him with the worst excuse. In fact, he could see that Zhao Jinxin was caught off guard by him at the time when he was being aggressive. Zhao Jinxin couldn’t give a better excuse at that time. What he wanted was that kind of effect and what he wanted was Zhao Jinxin’s true reaction.

At that time, he had already got Zhao Jinxin’s answer. Without that romantic confession, how could he turn around and abuse himself? This is what he hates the most.

He called his assistant, arranged a ticket for his return to the capital in the afternoon and then began to pack his luggage.

When he came downstairs with his luggage, Zhou Jinxing just came back from outside: “Li Shuo, where are you going?”

“I have something to do. I’m going back to Beijing. If it’s settled earlier, I may be back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow without delaying the negotiation.”

“Oh, let me go back with you after all.” Zhou Jinxing smiled, “I have to go back and see my wife and children.”

Li Shuo also smiled: “Okay, if you have time, let’s have a meal together and come back here together in the next two days.”

“Well, wait for me, I’ll pack up.”

Zhou Jinxing booked the same flight with him and flew away from the enthusiastic island. At that time, it was already in late autumn at the capital.

After getting off the plane, it was already dark. Li Shuo and Zhou Jinxing said goodbye at the airport. The assistant took Li Shuo home. It was already past nine o’clock.

Li Shuo didn’t bring any seasonal clothes. The time he got in and out of the car really chilled him for a while. As soon as he entered the house, he quickly changed his clothes and took the key to go out.

The assistant is opening the window for him for ventilation as he was about to leave: “Mr. Li, where are you going this late?”

“I have something to do. You don’t need to worry about things at home. Just call the hourly worker to come over tomorrow and you can go home.”

“Okay.”

Li Shuo was about to leave but he stopped again. He turned around and said, “Xiao Chen, has Zhao Jinxin asked you about my whereabouts?”

“What?” Xiao Chen was stunned, “No, what’s the matter?”

“…It’s okay, I’m leaving, be careful on your way.”

“Mr. Li.” Xiao Chen hesitated and stopped him.

Li Shuo asked: “What’s the matter?”

“Hey.” Xiao Chen scratched his hair regretfully, “I’m troubled again, why can’t I control myself?”

“What’s wrong? Tell me.”

Xiao Chen really didn’t seem to dare to say anything, but under Li Shuo’s questioning gaze, he could only bite the bullet and said: “Mr. Li, in fact, we all know that you and Mr. Zhao are together, right?”

Li Shuo was startled and cast his eyes down in disguise. He has always distinguished between public and private. When facing with work, he showed his professionalism instead of flirting about. If it weren’t for Zhao Jinxin’s unscrupulousness, it would not have been so obvious between the two of them.

“Mr. Li, don’t be angry, I know I shouldn’t talk too much, but I have been with you for so many years, I regard you as my most respected elder brother, you are such a perfect man, I don’t want people to lie to you.” As Chen spoke, he was a little eager.

Li Shuo secretly clenched his fists: “…lie to me? What do you mean?” In his heart, he hoped that Xiao Chen would shut up but at the same time, he also wanted him to continue.

“I listened to Ennan’s people saying that Mr. Zhao was abnormal during this period. He didn’t go to work, didn’t show up at all, and no one knows what was wrong. The people from the company went to his house to find him. They went there twice…” Xiao Chen took a peek at Li Shuo, bit his lip, and whispered, “The two times they went, he was with different people at home…”

Li Shuo felt a little darkness in front of him and the anticipation struck his nerves like lightning. He used a lot of perseverance to prevent the calm mask on his face from breaking down. He slowly nodded, pretending to smile, and said: “Oh, I broke up with him a long time ago. If there are several people in his house, they are all his freedom and have nothing to do with me.”

Hearing this, Xiao Chen seemed to be relieved: “That’s good, that’s good.”

“Xiao Chen, thank you for your concern, but don’t waste time and energy on some boring gossip in the future.”

“Yes, President Li, I was wrong.”

“It’s okay, I’m leaving.” Li Shuo left the room without looking back, and slammed the door.

He walked hurriedly towards the elevator and then madly pressed the elevator button with his fingers. He knew that the digital display on the floor would take a while to come up, but he just wanted to do something to relieve the anxiety in his body.

Just like that, nervously, he pressed the innocent button dozens of times before his movements slowed down and then he let out a long sigh.

Li Shuo, what are you doing? It’s too ridiculous, too embarrassing, too stupid. He scolded himself.

What the hell are you doing?

Li Shuo asked himself almost harshly, but any answer would not satisfy him or help him.

They broke up, they can go find whoever they like to find, this is each other’s freedom.

Of course he understands. He understands that the best.

The elevator came, he went downstairs, drove in the car, and went straight to Zhao Jinxin’s house.

He kept thinking on the road, if there is a strange man in Zhao Jinxin’s house, what should he do?

Li Shuo suddenly slammed the brakes and halted the car in the middle of the freeway. The car behind him almost collided into him and honked his horn angrily at him.

Li Shuo held the steering wheel tightly, staring fiercely forward. The leather on the steering wheel was almost crooked by him.

What is that supposed to mean? Why should he consider of ‘what to do’?

He was commissioned by Zhao Rongtian to determine Zhao Jinxin’s situation, not to catch Zhao Jinxin cheating. His current mood is ridiculous, but also normal.

He shuttles his fingers in his hair, rubbed his scalp irritably, and finally showed a mocking but sad smile.

He shook his head, released the brake, and drove towards Zhao Jinxin’s house.

When taking the elevator upstairs, instead of being conceited, Li Shuo felt that his heart was left in the underground parking lot and the place on his chest was empty.

Walking out of the elevator, he heard a burst of heavy metal rock music in the corridor. The soundproofing here is good and it is not normally noisy, but there is only one house and that is Zhao Jinxin’s on the whole floor. The shocking subwoofer sound seems to penetrate the wall.

He walked over, hesitated for a moment with his raised hand in the air, and then pressed the doorbell.

The music didn’t stop and no one came to open the door.

Li Shuo pressed the doorbell again.

He waited for a while but just as Li Shuo was about to raise his hand again, there was movement behind the door in front of him.

The door was opened from the inside.

Li Shuo instantly felt his heart soaring all the way from the basement, being pulled to the eye of his throat, he suddenly felt a kind of fear?!

The next second, a familiar face appeared in front of Li Shuo.

Li Shuo was stiff.

֍֍֍

Next update: 2021/9/27