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)

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The man in front of him who was wrapped loosely in a bath towel, the water on his hair was still wet, and the man has hickeys all over his neck and chest. This man was Ken, the same guy that he had met at the nightclub that day.

Even though Li Shuo was ready to see any bad images, the moment he really saw it, he still felt uncomfortable and didn’t seem like he is able to breathe anymore. The noisy music that rushed out made him feel extremely irritable.

Ken was obviously surprised when he saw him, leaning on the door frame, he smiled lazily and greeted: “Hi, are you looking for Leon?”

“Yes, is he home?” Li Shuo smiled faintly, looking handsome.

“He’s not home. Why not you just look for me?” Ken winked and said in some jerky Chinese.

Li Shuo was startled. He clearly heard movement inside.

Ken laughed loudly: “Relax. I’m just joking.” He opened the door and shook his head, “Come in.”

Li Shuo frowned, repelling himself from stepping through the door: “Can you ask him to come out?”

Ken looked back, then shook his head and smiled mischievously.

Li Shuo’s eyes cooled down, he passed by Ken and walked in.

Upon his entrance, he is met with a spacious living room with a modern minimalist style. There is a huge carpet in the middle of the living room. There is a set of sofas on the carpet. A topless man in jeans is lying motionless on the sofa, listening to the music that shook the sky. There was no response to the sound. There are messy wine bottles, thrown cigarette butts, crumpled clothes, and take-out boxes that Li Shuo has no idea for how many days had been left scattered there. The room is filled with an unpleasant smell of alcohol. People who come to this picture will be more convinced that it is degenerate.

Li Shuo’s eyes were hot, his fists clenched unconsciously, and he felt deeply angry.

He walked over to the Zhao Jinxin who was unconscious and drunk with his hair tousled and unshaved beard.

Ken also came over: “You came just at the right time. Help me carry him into the bedroom?”

Li Shuo didn’t speak. He went around the obstructive wine bottle, picked up the mineral water on the table, unscrewed it, and poured it down accordingly onto Zhao Jinxin’s face.

Ken couldn’t stop him, so he can only spread his hands in response.

Zhao Jinxin bounced like an electric shock. He waved his hands in front of his face, trying in vain to ‘push away’ the cold water and cursed: “Fuck! Fuck!”

Li Shuo threw away the empty water bottle and looked at Zhao Jinxin coldly.

Zhao Jinxin wiped off the water on his face and opened his eyes in a daze, but it was difficult for his eyes to adjust his focus. After looking at Li Shuo for a long time, he gave a mocking ‘tsk’ and closed his eyes again. But soon, he opened his eyes wide suddenly.

“Li…” Zhao Jinxin rubbed his eyes with his fingers, “Li Shuo?”

Li Shuo looked at him blankly.

“Li Shuo?” Zhao Jinxin stood up in a hurry, his eyes looked as if they were finally seeing the sun after a cloudy day.  He suddenly took a good look, “It’s really you? Why…how could you…”

Li Shuo said coldly: “Uncle Zhao entrusted me to see you. If you are fine, call him back. And then go to work, don’t worry your family.”

“I…” Zhao Jinxin was still a little drunk. He wanted to say something, but suddenly he saw that Ken was also there. His face changed slightly at the realization.

Ken shrugged, “I’m going back first.”

“Don’t go.” Li Shuo said quickly, “My task has been completed, I am the one leaving.”

Zhao Jinxin stepped in front of Li Shuo and looked at him silently, his eyes are a little red.

Li Shuo frowned, trying to get around him.

“Who allowed you to come to my house casually?” Zhao Jinxin spoke suddenly, his voice trembles, and he was obviously still drunk, “Isn’t it you who said you don’t want to see me? But you just listened to my dad?”

Li Shuo took a deep breath: “I can’t refuse him. Don’t worry, I will never come again.” He pushed Zhao Jinxin away.

Zhao Jinxin suddenly grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back, forcing Li Shuo to straighten his chest and look directly at him.

“What are you doing?!” Li Shuo gritted his teeth.

“You brought yourself to my door.” Zhao Jinxin’s eyes are scarlet and his whole person looks abnormal in his drunken state.

“The fuck me bringing myself to you, it was your dad who made me… hmmph…”

Zhao Jinxin suddenly pressed the back of Li Shuo’s head, blocked his lips, and kissed him fiercely. His kiss is so forceful that it hurts his gums.

Li Shuo was trembling with anger and struggling violently. He stepped on Zhao Jinxin’s foot. Zhao Jinxin frowned in pain. He tripped Li Shuo and knocked him down on to the carpet. His tall body pressed down on top of him.

“Zhao Jinxin!” Li Shuo roared and threw out his fists intolerably. He felt extremely ashamed to think that there was still someone standing aside while this is happening and furthermore, that someone has had a physical relationship with Zhao Jinxin.

Zhao Jinxin held his wrist with one hand and then clamped both of Li Shuo’s hands together, held it to the top of his head, and ravaged his soft lips more roughly.

He brought himself to his door… it was him… why, why should he sees him! Li Shuo thought angrily.

Li Shuo is kissed to suffocation. His anger and humiliation made his face flushed. He kicked Zhao Jinxin’s calf cruelly. Zhao Jinxin’s facial features were distorted with pain, but he didn’t let go. He even reached into the inside of Li Shuo’s cashmere sweater and started to caress his warm skin recklessly.

Ken was embarrassed and at a loss on the sidelines, neither leaving nor staying.

Zhao Jinxin’s brain is not sober and he acts almost entirely by instinct. After kissing his lips, he let go of Li Shuo’s hands, trying to tear at his clothes.

Once Li Shuo’s hands were freed, he pushed Zhao Jinxin with a strong force and took advantage of the situation to sit up.

Li Shuo’s face was pale and his eyes are full of disgust: “You bastard…”

Zhao Jinxin looked at him and he suddenly sneered. His eyes, however, are filled with unspeakable sadness: “Knowing that I am a bastard, you still come to me and you still like me. Don’t you deserve it? Isn’t it you can’t afford to play?”

“Yes, I deserve the fuck it all.” Li Shuo felt that his heart was hollowed out, and he said viciously, “But, I’m not playing anymore.”

“Hey, you guys…” Ken said helplessly, “This is too embarrassing, I’m leaving.”

“Don’t go.” Zhao Jinxin said this. He laughed when he finished speaking. His laughter made people feel cold all over. He looked at Li Shuo straight in the eyes, “What does it mean to be able to play? Ken is someone who can play and he doesn’t talk about all this childish liking someone. He won’t want to control me, let alone wanting any confession or promise…” Zhao Jinxin said, his eyes became blood red, he laughed again, “Li Shuo, don’t you think you are funny? You are so pure. How old are you, really? If only you really can afford to play, could we become what we are today? We will… we will be together, and we will be good… together…” He choked up as he spoke the words at the end.

Li Shuo was stunned. Every word Zhao Jinxin has said was like a murder weapon that got into his body, leaving him with wounds. He got up from the ground almost with all of his strength. Hearing such words, he thought he would be angry and would retort loudly and sneer sharply for dignity, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything. At this moment, he realized what grief is really like more than that of grieving for death. He doesn’t even have the strength to defend himself. If his heart is already hollowed out, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Yes, he can’t afford to play, he can’t afford to play.

He just never wanted to play in the first place.

Why even liking someone that is supposed to be such a beautiful thing can become a mistake for him?

Ken patted Zhao Jinxin on the shoulder and whispered: “Leon, you have been drinking too much, stop talking.”

Zhao Jinxin turned a deaf ear, staring straight at Li Shuo, and said dumbly: “Li Shuo, sometimes when I think about it, is it you who are playing with me? Do you have feelings for everyone? Are you affectionate to each one of them? It was as if as long as you break up with anyone at all, you can find the next one right away, and make the previous one disappears just like that.”

Li Shuo looked at Zhao Jinxin, his eyes suddenly blurred.

Zhao Jinxin smiled uglily as he started to cry, “How long has it been since we broke up? How many times have you changed partners? How much worth is your ‘like’, huh?”

Li Shuo suddenly laughed: “My ‘likes’ are worthless, so it’s no crime to throw them away. Your ‘likes’ are also cheap. Do you want to count how many partners I’ve changed or did you changed more partners compared to me? Hahahahaha.” This is so ridiculous, it’s so ridiculous, since he entered this relationship, everything and even his whole person, has become a joke!

Zhao Jinxin also laughed, his eyes were wet, he smiled and said: “Li Shuo, you go. I don’t care anymore. For you to come to see me, It’s good enough already…” He said nonchalantly, “It’s boring. I’ve spent all my time and energy on one person. It’s exhausting. Boring. And now I am finally free.”

Li Shuo nodded and said weakly, “…Congratulations.” He turned and walked towards the door.

Zhao Jinxin looked at Li Shuo’s back, just like the back who rejected him a month ago. It was as if he had had a nightmare again and he is yet to wake up… He closed his eyes.

Until he got downstairs, Li Shuo could no longer contain the feeling of everything collapsing down on him. He kicks on the wall one foot after another until his whole legs were numb.

Why did he run over here today to take his humiliation? Even if Zhao Rongtian used a knife to force him, he shouldn’t have come, because this trip was more painful than a knife injury. In this life, he didn’t want to get a little bit of anything related to Zhao Jinxin anymore.

He returned to the car and stared at the flowers and plants in the community without any movement for a long time.

Great, he thought. Zhao Jinxin will never come to provoke me again.

He took out his mobile phone, mechanically pressed the keyboard, and sent a text message to Zhao Rongtian: Uncle Zhao, I went to see Jinxin. He is really not in good condition but I can’t ask him the reason. I suggest you find him other people that you can trust more to come visit.

After sending the text message, Li Shuo turned off his phone.

At this time, he saw Ken walking out of the apartment building not far away with his feet hurried and his face was obviously angry.

Another ‘had played enough’? Li Shuo smiled lightly.

He doesn’t feel anger and jealousy anymore, he just feels exhausted.

Never again. He doesn’t want to feel this exhausted again.

He will let it all go.

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Next Update: 2021/10/4

*Translator’s Note: As I have said previously, what they meant with ‘playing’/’can’t afford to play’ is the game of hearts. You give your heart, you lose. Keep that in mind. I’m updating a day earlier since I pity people because of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger lol.