Chapter 24 – The Other Side of Jinxin
Novel Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)
Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 黎朔 (Li Shuo -MC), 赵锦辛 (Zhao Jinxin -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Li Shuo used the excuse of not feeling well and stayed upstairs all day. It wasn’t because he couldn’t eat, he just needed a closed space to adjust himself. There was no reason for anyone to see him in such a dejected state. No one needed to know that he quietly digested the glass shards he had swallowed.
Coincidentally, a friend invited him out in the afternoon. Although he was extremely tired, he decided to go out for a few drinks to change his mood.
After getting himself ready and preparing to leave, the butler came up to inform him that Zhao Jinxin was there to see him.
He truly didn’t expect Zhao Jinxin to dare to come to his house so boldly. He suppressed his anger and said, “Let him wait for ten more minutes.”
Originally, he was dressed very casually. But as soon as the butler left, he immediately changed into formal attire, paired with a brightly coloured polka dot bow tie. He looked formal yet playful, looking like he was going on a date to a high-end place. Then he fixed his hair again and sprayed some perfume.
Looking at himself in the mirror, aside from the dark circles under his eyes that couldn’t be hidden, he was almost flawless. He suddenly missed Wen Xiaohui. If that little devil were here, he would have fixed his face to be photo-ready for a magazine cover and would have made him laugh.
He took a deep breath and patted his own face to relax his facial muscles. He then showed a confident smile, straightened his back, and walked downstairs confidently.
Zhao Jinxin was sitting on the sofa in the living room. By chance, his parents were not at home, saving him from having to explain.
As soon as Zhao Jinxin saw Li Shuo, he stood up. A trace of astonishment flashed in his eyes. He didn’t expect to see such a radiant Li Shuo. His gaze followed Li Shuo until he stood in front of him.
Li Shuo looked directly at Zhao Jinxin, suppressing the anger and shame in his heart. He smiled slightly, “I already said I’m fine, just had too much to drink. Sorry for making you come all the way here.”
That distant and polite tone was as if they were not familiar with each other. It was as if the sweet, passionate moments from not long ago were all fictional.
Zhao Jinxin asked, “Are you going out?”
“Oh, I have an appointment with a friend. Sorry.” Li Shuo glanced at his watch, “Jinxin, next time you come to see me, give me a heads-up. Otherwise, if I’m busy, I won’t be able to entertain you.”
Zhao Jinxin forced a somewhat stiff smile, “Can we find a place to talk? It won’t take too much of your time.”
Li Shuo apologised, “Jinxin, I’m really sorry. I’m about to be late. My friend is quite picky about perfumes. I spent half the day finding one he likes.” At that moment, Guang Shu came in. Li Shuo asked, “Guang Shu, is the car ready?”
“It’s waiting at the door. Are you leaving now? If not, I’ll turn off the engine to save some carbon.”
“I’m coming, our little eco-warrior.” Li Shuo winked at him. He then turned to Zhao Jinxin, “Sorry, let’s talk on the phone.” He turned to leave.
Zhao Jinxin grabbed his arm.
Li Shuo tried to pull away. But Zhao Jinxin’s grip was surprisingly strong, not budging at all. Li Shuo gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. He had already lost his dignity terribly in Shao Qun’s schemes. But this was his home, his battlefield, and he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage here! He slowly turned his head. With a forced smile, he questioned, “Jinxin?”
Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes slightly, “I’ll drive you there. We can talk in the car, so you won’t miss your appointment.”
Li Shuo glared at him.
Zhao Jinxin gave Guang Shu a sweet smile, “Guang Shu, I’ll take Li Da Ge. My car is a hybrid, more eco-friendly. And it’s on the way anyway.”
“Do you even know where he’s going?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled without missing a beat, “Everywhere is on the way for me.”
From Guang Shu’s perspective, he couldn’t see the tense expressions between them. So he simply said, “Alright then, you take him. Oh, Lambert doesn’t like honking, try to use the beam lights instead.”
Zhao Jinxin gave a thumbs-up, “Leave it to me.”
Only then did Li Shuo manage to pull his arm away from Zhao Jinxin’s slightly loosened grip. He straightened his sleeve. Being neither humble nor arrogant, he said, “Fine. Then sorry to trouble you, Mr. Zhao.”
As soon as they got in the car, Zhao Jinxin pressed Li Shuo against the passenger seat with his forearm. There was a half-smile on his face, “Dressed like this, who are you seeing?”
Li Shuo was slightly breathless under the pressure of that arm. The method of suppression wasn’t painful. But it was very uncomfortable and he couldn’t move. If it had been a bit higher, it would have been on his artery. He often suspected that Zhao Jinxin’s methods of restraining him were refined from martial arts—precisely ruthless. He gritted his teeth and said, “Let go of me.”
Zhao Jinxin stared at his slightly pale lips for two seconds. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed him.
Li Shuo frowned.
Zhao Jinxin sucked and ground on those soft lips. Seeing Li Shuo’s lack of reaction, he teased with his tongue, trying to stir something up. Li Shuo finally couldn’t hold back any longer and bit down hard on Zhao Jinxin’s corner of the mouth.
Zhao Jinxin winced in pain and pulled back.
Li Shuo looked at him coldly, “Sorry, does it hurt?”
Zhao Jinxin licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were inscrutable, “Li Shushu, you’re so cruel.”
“Say whatever you want to say.” Li Shuo glanced at his watch again, “I really am in a hurry.”
“I want to apologise to you.” Zhao Jinxin said seriously, “I’m sorry for approaching you with a purpose and hiding my relationship with my cousin.”
Li Shuo nodded, “I accept it. Now can we go?”
“But I really like you.” Zhao Jinxin grabbed his arm. His eyes looked a bit pitiful, “Li Shushu, don’t be angry with me. Aren’t we happy together?”
“Very happy.” Li Shuo smiled slightly, “But everything related to Shao Qun disgusts me, especially since you cooperated with him using such despicable tactics to fool me. So, thanks for your company these days. Go back and report to your cousin. We’re done here.”
Zhao Jinxin’s face changed slightly, “Can we forget about him? Setting him aside, you and Li Chengxiu weren’t meant to last anyway. He doesn’t like you, can’t you see that yourself?”
“This is between him and me. What does it have to do with you?” Li Shuo stared straight at Zhao Jinxin, “When you saw my reputation being tarnished by Shao Qun’s schemes, entangled in lawsuits, what were you doing? Feeling smug while pretending to want to help me? You even dare to say you never lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you. Just give up on Li Chengxiu, be with me, and you can go back to your country. I was really helping you.”
Li Shuo was stunned by Zhao Jinxin’s shamelessness. He couldn’t help but yell, “So I should thank you for fucking me up, huh?!”
Zhao Jinxin grabbed Li Shuo’s hand. He held it tightly and kissed it with his lips, “What do you care about my cousin’s relationship with Li Chengxiu? You were always an outsider. Isn’t it good now? Aren’t I good to you? Aren’t we happy together?”
“You were also an outsider!” Li Shuo forcefully pulled his hand away. He took a deep breath, adjusting his bow tie as a cover. He then finally yanked it off in anger. He coldly said, “Zhao Jinxin, listen up, I can tolerate a lot from you, like your temper, your quirks, your selfishness, your lack of reason, anything. As long as you are sincere with me. But from the beginning, you were playing me. You crossed the line.” He gritted his teeth, “No one has ever dared to play me like this. You are the first and the last.”
Zhao Jinxin’s lips trembled. He couldn’t speak for a moment.
“Drive. Or I’ll get out.” Li Shuo stared straight ahead, no longer looking at Zhao Jinxin.
Zhao Jinxin was frozen for a few seconds before starting the car.
The journey was silent. Li Shuo felt it was the longest twenty minutes of his life. The entire car was filled with Zhao Jinxin’s scent. Even the slightest breath he took sounded like a drumbeat in Li Shuo’s ears. It was a really powerful impact on him
Li Shuo wished even more that they had a clean start before. So he could love this young man wholeheartedly, go to any lengths to be good to him, and be thrilled by their passion. But the harder the reality was, the more painful this slap from Zhao Jinxin hurt.
Two people went from being close to becoming strangers so simply and quickly. Li Shuo’s past relationships, even if they ended with conflicts, had never devolved into such a bitter standoff. After all, these were people he had once liked, who had brought him joy and companionship. He was willing to treat them with more kindness and tolerance. But Zhao Jinxin trampled on his dignity, making him wish he could have a straightforward fight.
He couldn’t let it go.
So be it. Before things got even uglier, it was best to decisively and gracefully say goodbye.
When they reached the agreed meeting place, Li Shuo couldn’t wait to pull the car door open.
Zhao Jinxin pressed his shoulder and leaned in as he whispered in his ear, “Baby, have fun.”
Li Shuo shook off his hand and got out of the car.
Today, he was meeting his college friend; Cheng Sheng. They had known each other for many years and were not only in the same gay social circle but also in the same profession, so their friendship was strong. However, since Cheng Sheng had been in the country for a long time, they hadn’t seen each other in two years.
As soon as Li Shuo entered the restaurant, he saw the familiar figure sitting by the window. He adjusted his mood, put on a suitable expression, and walked over, “Cheng Sheng.”
Cheng Sheng looked up, “Ha! Li Shuo.” He stood up and they gave each other a hearty hug.
Li Shuo patted his firm biceps, “You’re looking good.”
Cheng Sheng said proudly, “I look even better without the shirt. I’ll show you someday.”
Cheng Sheng wasn’t someone with delicate features. But he had a distinctive charm. He had single eyelids, a high nose bridge, and darker skin. When he smiled, he looked a bit mischievous and wild. He’s the typical Asian guy who likes white boys. On the other hand, Li Shuo preferred Asian men. So they never clashed in their tastes, which solidified their revolutionary friendship.
Cheng Sheng pushed a glass of lemon water towards Li Shuo, “Why didn’t you contact me when you got back?”
“I thought I would only stay for a week or two. I wanted to spend more time with my parents, so I didn’t want to bother you guys. But then something came up back in China. And I got swamped. I didn’t want to bring you any trouble.”
Cheng Sheng looked at him, “So how are things now? Is there anything I can help with? You don’t look so good, did you stay up late last night?”
Li Shuo pinched his cheeks and smiled, “Had some drinks last night. It’s fine, everything’s almost resolved now. I’ll be heading back early next month.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m being sent back for a business trip next month too. Let’s meet up in Beijing then.”
“That’s great.”
While they were chatting, Li Shuo noticed Cheng Sheng’s gaze shift behind him. He turned his head and his expression changed slightly.
Zhao Jinxin was walking towards them.
As Li Shuo was thinking about how to handle the situation, Zhao Jinxin had already sat down next to him. He patted his shoulder familiarly and said nonchalantly, “The parking here is really difficult to find.”
Cheng Sheng looked at Li Shuo in surprise, “And this is…?”
Li Shuo could only force a smile, “I forgot to mention, I brought a friend along; Zhao Jinxin. Jinxin, this is my college classmate; Cheng Sheng. He’s a senior accountant at Ernst & Young.”
Zhao Jinxin smiled and extended his hand, “Nice to meet you.”
Cheng Sheng shook his hand politely. They then exchanged business cards.
Zhao Jinxin touched Li Shuo’s lemon water and complained, “Why are you still drinking cold beverages? Weren’t you feeling unwell yesterday?” He waved to the waiter to switch it to hot tea.
Cheng Sheng and Li Shuo exchanged glances. Li Shuo’s eyes were full of concealed embarrassment, while Cheng Sheng’s expression was slightly amused.
Zhao Jinxin handed a menu to Cheng Sheng and opened another one in front of Li Shuo, saying gently, “What would you like to eat? If your stomach is upset, let’s order something light.”
Li Shuo cleared his throat, “I’m fine now. You go ahead and order.” At this point, he almost wanted to throw Zhao Jinxin out of the window. What was this kid trying to do? How could he be so thick-skinned?
They selected their dishes, and Zhao Jinxin got up to go to the restroom.
As soon as Zhao Jinxin was out of sight, Cheng Sheng leaned forward and lowered his voice, “How did you end up getting involved with Zhao Jinxin?”
Li Shuo was slightly taken aback, “You know him?”
“He might not know me. But who in the Chinese gay community here doesn’t know him?”
Li Shuo took a sip of tea, pushing down the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He then smiled calmly, “Oh, why is he so famous? Because he’s rich?”
“Good-looking and rich. But most importantly, since his teens, he’s had a thing for older men. Quite the unique interest, huh?” Cheng Sheng leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table. He gave Li Shuo a knowing look, “Guys like you. In your early thirties, handsome, elegant, and refined, are exactly his type.”
Li Shuo chuckled, “That much I’ve noticed.”
“And you’re laughing? He’s notorious for playing around and then dumping people. He’s a total playboy. Don’t get too involved.”
Li Shuo paused. But then, he smiled, “You underestimate me. We’re just having fun. No need to overthink it.”
Cheng Sheng relaxed, “That’s good. As long as you’ve got the right mindset, there’s nothing to lose. This is the first time I’ve seen him up close. Damn, he’s good-looking.”
Li Shuo watched Zhao Jinxin walk back from the distance and his hand slowly clenched into a fist under the table.
How much did he really know about Zhao Jinxin? This man, aside from being Shao Qun’s cousin, what other unfamiliar sides might he have?
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*Translator’s Note: I’m calling it ‘proofreading’ but in reality, it was more like me re-translating the whole novel. I’m so tired. Grr… Re-reading this chapter reminded me of how much I was so mad at ZJX back then! If I’m LS, that table would have been flipped by me! 😭 -K
*Proofread by 2024.07.31* I’m currently in the middle of the proofreading stage of my first ever translation; ‘Winner Takes All’. Lots of changes will be made especially to titles such as ‘Brother’ will be changed to ‘Ge’ and ‘Uncle’ will be changed to ‘Shushu’. I will proofread these chapters slowly when I’m free so please understand if there are any delays or discrepancies. TQ.
Proofread version of the rest of the novel will only be available on Novels Space.space while Mature Chapters will be released on Wattpad.
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