Chapter 14 – Hot Kiss and Hot Pot
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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After waiting for a day and night without any news from Li Chengxiu, Li Shuo began to suspect that Li Chengxiu hadn’t left on his own, but had been kidnapped by Shao Qun. Given that Shao Qun had done such things before.
He shut himself in his room, pondered for a long time, and then had his assistant look up Shao Qun’s phone number. After mentally preparing himself, he dialled the number.
When the call connected, both parties were silent for a moment. The person on the other end probably guessed who was calling from the area code. Li Shuo tried to suppress his disgust: “This is Li Shuo.”
The sound of someone inhaling came through the receiver, followed by a young but overbearing voice almost shouting: “Where is Li Chengxiu?!”
Li Shuo’s heart instantly froze. Shao Qun didn’t seem to be pretending. He immediately lost his composure and said coldly: “You dare to ask me? I want to ask you!”
The explosive confrontation Li Shuo had expected didn’t occur. That voice suddenly deflated: “He’s gone…”
“Shao Qun, you beast! Are you fucking happy now?” Li Shuo was too well-mannered to use vulgar language. But he had never been so disgusted by someone. He was so disgusted that just thinking of this name made him tremble with anger, as if everything related to this person represented filth and indecency.
Shao Qun clearly didn’t have the energy to argue pointlessly with Li Shuo. He just muttered hoarsely: “Where could he have gone…”
“How would I know? He said he was going to stay with a relative. But I’ve never heard him mention any relatives before.”
Shao Qun choked: “He doesn’t have any relatives…”
Li Shuo said viciously: “Shao Qun, Chengxiu doesn’t have much money. He’s in poor condition and he has no one to turn to. If anything happens to him, I absolutely, absolutely won’t let you off!”
Shao Qun didn’t say anything.
Li Shuo felt uncomfortable even speaking one more word to him: “Take all your messy stuff back. Don’t think you can keep me, Li Shuo, trapped. It’s only a matter of time before I go back. Let me go back to find him!”
He ended the call.
Li Shuo grabbed the phone and smashed it violently on the ground.
He clutched at his hair forcefully, using the pain from his scalp to alleviate his emotions that seemed about to explode.
It was strange. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been surrounded by many people, yet in the end, he found that not a single person truly belonged to him. This was fine. He lived his life without regrets. But he would also never let off those who wronged him first.
The vacation was over. Li Shuo packed his luggage, preparing to return to New York.
He took his stuff and walked out the door, seeing the butler arguing with Zhao Jinxin over who would carry the suitcase.
“Young master, let me do it. Your hand hasn’t healed yet.”
“My left hand is fine.” Zhao Jinxin smiled, not letting go.
“Young master…”
“I’ll take it.” Li Shuo casually took Zhao Jinxin’s suitcase. He was genuinely worried something might happen if he let the old butler carry it downstairs.
Zhao Jinxin blew a kiss at Li Shuo: “You care about me so much.” That sidelong glance was incredibly alluring.
Li Shuo was stunned for a moment. He glanced at the butler. Sure enough, the butler’s expression was a bit awkward.
Zhao Jinxin bent down and kissed the butler’s cheek: “Si Shushu, thank you for your hard work these past few days. Don’t tell my parents, okay?”
“Ah.” The butler nodded repeatedly, “Be careful on the road.”
After going downstairs, Li Shuo asked in a low voice: “What were you doing just now?”
“When I came out of your room this morning, I ran into Si Shushu.” Zhao Jinxin shrugged, “Don’t worry, he won’t gossip.”
Li Shuo sighed in relief. As Zhao Jinxin said, their current relationship was nothing more than a consensual fling—they hadn’t even really done anything yet. Zhao Jinxin liked him, he completely believed that. But there are many types of ‘liking’ someone. He didn’t want to risk being discovered by the elders because of this.
His expression was caught entirely in Zhao Jinxin’s eyes.
On the plane, the elders were still discussing the vacation, clearly not wanting it to end.
Li Shuo and Zhao Jinxin sat in the last row as usual. Zhao Jinxin would occasionally tug at Li Shuo’s pinky finger. After a few times, Li Shuo couldn’t stand his clinginess and grabbed his hand, pressing it under his own thigh. Sure enough, Zhao Jinxin was satisfied and behaved.
Li Shuo felt somewhat emotional, remembering that a few days ago, they sat on the same plane, in the same seats, and he was still quite guarded against Zhao Jinxin. Now, their relationship has become ambiguous. While Zhao Jinxin’s methods were one factor to cause this to happen, the unexpected turn of events with Li Chengxiu was the main reason. Li Shuo felt a sense of fate that made him feel helpless. That premonition of inevitable failure had often accompanied him since he won Li Chengxiu over. But Li Chengxiu fit his expectations for a partner so well that he had done many unwise things. In the current situation, perhaps he shouldn’t blame Shao Qun entirely. He was also to blame.
It was precisely because of this that he felt not only affection for Li Chengxiu. But also responsibility.
Back in New York, they had to get busy with real work.
Li Shuo helped Zhao Jinxin and the financial director who was to be sent to China establish a financial system for the branch company that was more suitable for local conditions and could improve audit efficiency. Of course, this shouldn’t have been Li Shuo’s concern. But given the relationship between Zhao Rongtin and his father, he felt obligated to help.
The branch company in Beijing now had a few employees and was still recruiting and preparing. The two men’s initial encounter on the plane was because Zhao Jinxin was returning to China for an inspection.
Although Li Shuo was constantly concerned about the situation in China, he tried his best to focus on the work at hand. Otherwise, he would be unable to stop his wild thoughts. If it were someone else, it would be different. But the missing person was someone with a weak and honest personality, with mild difficulty to speak his mind. Now, he didn’t dare to hope for anything. He only hoped that Li Chengxiu was safe.
On this day, there were three people in Zhao Jinxin’s office. They were discussing which financial software to use for the entire afternoon. Financial Director Han hoped to use software compatible with the parent company for internal networking. But Li Shuo suggested using the most common software in China, which would be more convenient and efficient for both local financial staff and auditors. Zhao Jinxin hadn’t expressed his opinion yet.
In the end, they realised each option had its pros and cons. As the sun was setting, all three were feeling tired.
Zhao Jinxin said, “I’ll think about this carefully. Let’s call it a day.”
“Alright. Mr. Zhao, Mr. Li, shall I treat you to dinner?”
Zhao Jinxin glanced at Li Shuo and smiled, “We’ll chat a bit more. We can eat together next time.”
Director Han nodded, “Okay. I’ll head back first then.”
Director Han packed up his things and left.
Li Shuo leaned back in his chair, raised his arms, and stretched his waist forcefully. His tilted neck accentuated his Adam’s apple. The side profile showcased the strength and beauty of masculinity.
Zhao Jinxin stood up and closed the blinds.
Li Shuo’s movement paused. He slowly lowered his arms and stared at him intently.
Zhao Jinxin smiled, walked over, and straddled Li Shuo’s lap face-to-face. “Are you tired?”
“Heh, you’re quite heavy.” Li Shuo had never had someone as heavy as Zhao Jinxin sit on his lap before. “I’m fine. Are you tired?”
“Not really tired, just very bored. Obviously, what you said makes sense. Director Han is just worried that changing the financial software will make it harder for the parent company to evaluate his KPI. It’s his first year on an overseas assignment with significant responsibilities, so he’s definitely under a lot of pressure. It’s understandable.”
Li Shuo raised an eyebrow: “Not bad, you figured it out.”
Zhao Jinxin hooked his arms around Li Shuo’s neck, pressing his forehead against Li Shuo’s: “Li Shushu, are you looking down on me? Do I look stupid?”
“You’re just too young, inevitably lacking experience.”
“What kind of experience are you talking about?” Zhao Jinxin used his lips to capture Li Shuo’s nose, gently biting it. He then moved down to suck on Li Shuo’s soft lips.
The heat between their lips and teeth was distracting.
Li Shuo stroked Zhao Jinxin’s back: “Shall we go eat?”
“I want to eat you.” Zhao Jinxin’s tongue traced Li Shuo’s lip line. It then entered his slightly parted mouth, entangling with that warm, wet tongue.
Li Shuo unconsciously wrapped his arms around Zhao Jinxin’s waist, responding to this passionate kiss. Both of them had commendable kissing skills. As they continued, it almost became a competition to see who could arouse the other more. They turned a simple kiss into something incredibly erotic. The wet sounds of their intertwining lips and teeth could cause one to blush.
They separated, panting, with wet lips and intense gazes.
Li Shuo felt his trousers tightening and his dick reacting. He said softly, “Be good, get up. I’ll take you to eat something delicious.”
“Actually, I’d really like to do it in the office,” Zhao Jinxin whispered in Li Shuo’s ear. “Not just the office, there are many more exciting places. Do you want to know about them?”
Li Shuo’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He composed himself, grabbed Zhao Jinxin’s waist firmly, lifted him up and placed him on the ground. “Alright, you might not be hungry. But I am. What do you want to eat?”
Zhao Jinxin pouted, “Fine. I’ll do as you say.”
“Hmm… How about hot pot? There’s an old-style hot pot place that our whole family often goes to. It’s really flavorful.”
“Sounds good.”
Li Shuo picked up his things and opened the door for Zhao Jinxin, waiting for him to go first.
As Zhao Jinxin reached the door, he quickly kissed Li Shuo, hidden by the door. He then walked out of the office with a smile.
The office outside was full of people. Li Shuo felt a bit nervous, but also experienced a different kind of excitement.
The two drove to Chinatown in Brooklyn, which was as lively as ever.
Li Shuo found a parking spot and parked the car. Zhao Jinxin looked around, “I rarely come here. It’s so busy, they sell everything.”
“Yes. You were born and raised in the US, while I came to the US when I was ten. Our cultural foundations and emotions are different. In the past, when I went out to eat, I would choose this area more than half the time.”
Zhao Jinxin smiled, “I spent my three high school years in Beijing, not much different from you.”
“Is that so? Why did you go back to study there at that time?”
“My dad thought my Chinese handwriting was ugly and was afraid I’d forget my roots.”
Li Shuo laughed, “Shushu is truly far-sighted.”
“When we go back to China in the future, you’ll have to often take me to find good food and fun places.”
“Of course,” Li Shuo opened the car door and got out. “I promised your parents I’d take good care of you.”
Zhao Jinxin came around to his side, propped one hand on the car door, trapping Li Shuo between his tall body and the car. He smiled and said, “Besides the reason of my parents asking you to?”
Li Shuo blinked, “My parents also asked the same?”
Zhao Jinxin pinched Li Shuo’s chin, speaking in his unique tone that was both domineering and coquettish, “Say something nice to coax me, or I’ll kiss you right here.”
Li Shuo looked around. Two grown men standing in such an intimate posture on the street was already eye-catching enough. He really didn’t want to continue being stared at. So he had to say in a slightly indulgent tone, “I worry about you. So I’ll take care of you.”
Zhao Jinxin flashed a bright smile and quickly kissed Li Shuo.
“You…-” Li Shuo frowned, pretending to be angry, “How can you go back on your word? Are all young people these days so ill-mannered?”
Zhao Jinxin grinned, “With such a good atmosphere just now, it would have been ill-mannered not to kiss you.” His smile had a touch of childishness.
Li Shuo’s heart fluttered slightly. He had never seen anyone like Zhao Jinxin, who could constantly flirt in unexpected ways. Every moment they spent together, he had to keep on guessing what trick this person would pull next – something startling, delightful, or heart-stirring.
Someone like Zhao Jinxin was perfect for dating. He possessed the best qualities a lover could have, and was always creating all the romance, sweetness, surprises, and excitement that love needs. At his age, he shouldn’t possess such deadly skills, which could only mean he was a natural master of flirtation. He exuded pheromones with every breath.
“Is this the place, Li Shushu?” Zhao Jinxin naturally tugged at his sleeve, like a child, making one unconsciously lower their guard.
“Yes. Do you want to leave your coat in the car? Otherwise, it’ll smell like hot pot.”
“No,” Zhao Jinxin said with anticipation. “This is the first time you’re treating me to a meal, our first date in New York, our first time in Chinatown together, our first time having hot pot. On such an important day, I want to preserve this scented clothing and keep it as a memento forever.”
A sweet feeling welled up in Li Shuo’s heart. He couldn’t help but smile. “Suit yourself.”
They walked into the hot pot restaurant side by side.
The owner recognized Li Shuo and arranged a window seat for him. The restaurant was bustling with customers. Even with just the spicy aroma, it made one’s mouth water.
The menu was a printed sheet where you tick your choices, similar to many hot pot restaurants in China. Their table wasn’t large and as they lowered their heads to look at the menu, they were very close. Zhao Jinxin gently bumped his head against Li Shuo’s twice, then chuckled.
Li Shuo said helplessly, “How childish are you?”
“Don’t you think I’m very cute?” Zhao Jinxin raised his eyebrows, making a funny face.
Li Shuo burst out laughing and tapped Zhao Jinxin’s head with the pencil.
Zhao Jinxin… was indeed cute. He was both sexy and adorable, truly enchanting.
At this moment, someone passed by, accompanied by an exclamation: “Oh? Jinxin?”
They both looked up. Two men were standing in the aisle, both of Asian descent and about Zhao Jinxin’s age.
“What a coincidence.” Zhao Jinxin stood up, smiling, and shook hands with them.
Li Shuo also politely stood up and nodded to greet them.
“Wow.” One of the Asian men looked Li Shuo up and down. His gaze was quite brazen.
Li Shuo continued to smile politely. Even though these two men’s looks were impolite and made him uncomfortable, he wouldn’t abandon his good manners over such a small matter.
“Don’t make wild guesses,” Zhao Jinxin said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. “He’s a friend of my father’s family.”
“Stop pretending. We just saw you two bumping heads,” the man snickered. “You’ve always liked the older man type, haven’t you?”
Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes slightly. “Oh, how do you know that?” He was smiling. But his tone was cold and his eyes had grown somewhat gloomy.
Li Shuo was startled. He had never seen this side of Zhao Jinxin before. That sudden chill was quite frightening.
The other man’s lips trembled and his expression changed slightly. He was at a loss for words.
The other man quickly tried to smooth things over: “Hey Jinxin, didn’t you say you’d be back at the end of the month? When we tried to meet up with you, you said you had urgent matters and couldn’t come back. That’s not cool.”
“I came back because of family matters,” Zhao Jinxin said with a cold smile. “The aisle is so narrow, don’t block others. Let’s chat another day.”
“Okay, okay.”
After the two left, Zhao Jinxin explained, “Former classmates, not very close. Don’t mind them.”
Li Shuo waved his hand to indicate ‘it’s okay’. He then asked, “You were originally planning to come back at the end of the month?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled, “Yes. So isn’t our first meeting a great twist of fate?”
“It is fate,” Li Shuo lowered his head and selected the dishes one by one.
Zhao Jinxin watched Li Shuo. He gently rubbed his fingers. His eyes flickered due to an unknown emotion.
Li Shuo handed the menu to the waiter, then casually said, “So, you’ve always liked older men?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled, “I like mature men. Everyone has a type they prefer, right?”
“Hmm.” Li Shuo smiled gently, “It seems you’re quite skilled at handling ‘mature’ men, given your experience.” He had previously thought Zhao Jinxin was just flattering him. But he hadn’t realised Zhao Jinxin genuinely liked older men. This could explain why Zhao Jinxin dared to flirt with him. Those lacking experience and composure would only follow his lead. But Zhao Jinxin could largely take the initiative.
It turned out he had practised with quite a few opponents before.
Li Shuo couldn’t describe how he felt. He just thought that if… if all of Zhao Jinxin’s coquettish behaviour was calculated, it would be quite disheartening. After all, he really fell for it – how many adults can resist wheedling from such a kid like Zhao Jinxin? But this couldn’t be considered a bad thing. He indeed had even enjoyed it for a while.
But he still couldn’t explain clearly why he felt a little discomfort.
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*Translator’s Note: Li Shuo, it’s your instinct telling you that you’re being played. *sighs* -K
*Proofread by 2024.07.26* 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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