Chapter 20 – Jinxin being Clingy
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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Zhao Jinxin brought breakfast back to the bedroom. But Li Shuo was no longer in bed. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.
He set down the breakfast and pushed open the bathroom door. Through the steam, he saw Li Shuo’s back. Those shoulders, that waist, those hips, those legs—every part radiated strength and beauty. His water-soaked skin emitted a soft glow, and the scattered marks of passion on his back were tantalising. Even the slightly upturned hair tips and pink heels exuded intense allure.
Zhao Jinxin bit his lip, his gaze becoming deep and naked.
Li Shuo seemed to sense something, turning his head abruptly. The desire in Zhao Jinxin’s eyes was caught red-handed.
Both were stunned. Zhao Jinxin cleared his throat to mask the awkwardness.
Li Shuo smiled. “Peeking, huh?”
“I wasn’t peeking,” Zhao Jinxin said, staring at him without blinking. “I was openly admiring.”
Li Shuo turned off the shower, picked up a towel, and slowly turned around.
Zhao Jinxin whistled. His face was full of anticipation.
But just as Li Shuo turned, he used the towel to cover his lower body. Seeing Zhao Jinxin’s disappointed face, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Li Shushu is bullying me again,” Zhao Jinxin sulked like a bunny with drooping ears.
“It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.” Li Shuo flicked the water from his hand and then haphazardly dried his body.
Zhao Jinxin took a bathrobe from the wardrobe, shook it out, and held it open like a gentleman.
Li Shuo turned his back, raising his arms to let Zhao Jinxin help him put on the robe.
Zhao Jinxin held him from behind, tying the robe’s belt while saying ambiguously, “You smell so good. I never realised my shower gel was this fragrant.”
Li Shuo laughed. “Maybe because you don’t use it often.”
Zhao Jinxin swayed him gently from side to side as he whined, “Next time, I want to shower with you.”
“Alright, but let me eat first.” Having expended too much energy last night, Li Shuo felt as if his stomach was caving in.
“I’ll feed you.”
“Let’s eat in the dining room.”
“I’ll feed you in the dining room,” Zhao Jinxin said, looking eager and ready.
Li Shuo sighed. “Fine, fine.”
He didn’t want to walk awkwardly. So he straightened his back and walked with legs extended. But even these simple movements tugged at sensitive spots, causing painful twinges. His mouth twitched as he struggled to walk.
Zhao Jinxin reached out to carry him. But Li Shuo pressed down on his shoulder with a look that said; ‘Don’t you dare’.
Zhao Jinxin blew him a kiss. “Alright, you walk yourself. I’ll go get the bowls and chopsticks ready.”
As Zhao Jinxin turned away, Li Shuo quickly bent over, unable to hold back a grimace. His waist ached as if it might dissolve.
When he reached the dining room, Zhao Jinxin had already set up breakfast: white porridge with a few simple side dishes, all non-spicy and low-fat, very light. Li Shuo felt a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. Zhao Jinxin’s considerate actions showed his thoughtfulness in every detail.
“Here, try this. The porridge has just been heated. See if it’s too hot.”
Li Shuo took a bite of the tomato scrambled eggs. The flavour was very fresh and sweet. Simple dishes often test one’s culinary skills. He complimented, “It’s delicious. So you can make Chinese breakfast too.”
“I can make many things,” Zhao Jinxin said with a mysterious smile. “And I know many positions too. You’ll get to experience them all.”
Li Shuo laughed and scolded, “You’re such a rascal.”
“By the way, Ayi called you this morning.”
“Oh, I’ll call her back later.”
“I answered the call.”
Li Shuo almost choked, feeling surprised. “Why did you answer it?”
“You didn’t go back all night, so Ayi must be worried. I didn’t know when you’d wake up, and I didn’t want her to get anxious,” Zhao Jinxin said nonchalantly. “I told her you were out drinking with me, got drunk, and stayed at the hotel.”
Li Shuo sighed with relief. Given Zhao Jinxin’s lack of discretion, he was genuinely worried his mom might find out something.
Zhao Jinxin looked at Li Shuo with a deep gaze and chuckled, “What, are you afraid they’ll find out?”
Li Shuo paused and replied with a question, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“No, what’s there to be afraid of?”
“Then I’m not afraid either,” Li Shuo shrugged. “I just think it’s not the right time.”
Zhao Jinxin smiled subtly and changed the subject. “This pickled mustard greens is made by my family’s chef. It goes perfectly with the porridge. Try some.”
“Hmm, not bad.”
After breakfast, they snuggled up together, listening to music and chatting.
Li Shuo shared his experiences from his teaching aid work in Africa, recounting the suffering he had witnessed with a hint of suffocating emotion.
Zhao Jinxin listened intently, occasionally massaging Li Shuo’s broad hand and gently stroking his soft hair. He imagined what Li Shuo must have been like in his early twenties—rebellious and innocent—and he felt a deep regret that they hadn’t met sooner. He wished he could have seen that version of Li Shuo.
Zhao Jinxin also talked about his own school days, mentioning his passion for extreme sports in high school and how he had nearly died twice. It was only after witnessing friends succumb to terminal illnesses and seeing their lives fade away that he gave up those dangerous activities that worried his parents.
As the afternoon passed, they continued their conversation, gaining a deeper understanding of each other. Li Shuo felt he was growing increasingly fond of this young man. Their backgrounds were similar, their values aligned, and their personalities matched perfectly. Meeting someone so well-suited in every way was incredibly rare. Most importantly, the intense passion they shared when they were together left him utterly captivated.
By evening, Li Shuo felt it was time to head home. But Zhao Jinxin clung to his waist and refused to let him leave.
Li Shuo smiled and said, “You’re still not letting me go? How stubborn.”
“Don’t go,” Zhao Jinxin insisted, holding on tightly. “Stay with me.”
“I’ve already stayed with you for two days and a night, young master.”
“Just a bit longer,” Zhao Jinxin said with innocent eyes. “If I don’t see you, I’ll keep thinking about you.”
Li Shuo stroked his face playfully, teasing, “Well, just think about me then. It’s not like it’ll be a new experience.”
“No, I’m not letting you go.” Zhao Jinxin used his body weight to press against Li Shuo, nudging his head under Li Shuo’s bathrobe and starting to kiss him in a rather unruly manner.
Li Shuo quickly pushed Zhao Jinxin’s furry head away. He was still not fully recovered from the previous day’s exhaustion and definitely didn’t want to stir up anything now.
“Li Shushu, don’t go. I won’t do anything tonight,” Zhao Jinxin pleaded with a pitiful look.
Li Shuo smiled indulgently and said, “Alright, alright. I won’t go. I’ll stay another night.” He didn’t really want to leave either. They were in the midst of their passionate phase and naturally wanted to be together every possible moment.
Just then, Li Shuo’s phone rang. He picked it up to find it was a call from China and quickly answered, “Hello, Xiang Ge.”
“Bro, I have two pieces of news—one about you and one about Li Chengxiu. Which one do you want to hear first?” Xiang Ning’s voice sounded excited.
Li Shuo almost blurted out “Definitely about Li Chengxiu,” but quickly realised Zhao Jinxin was nearby. He said, “Let’s hear about me first.”
“The legal representative of Benhui changed his statement and said you were not involved in that incident.”
“Great!” Li Shuo couldn’t help but slap the armrest of the sofa. “I wonder how much that bastard Shao Qun paid him to obstruct justice like this!”
Zhao Jinxin climbed off Li Shuo and unconsciously turned his head to look out the window.
“Yeah! These unethical people will get their comeuppance sooner or later,” Xiang Ning said indignantly. “Look at how much this has delayed you. You’ve been in the U.S. for three months now. You can come back anytime.”
“Alright, I’ll take care of the contract with Ennan and come back at the beginning of next month.” Li Shuo paused, feeling a surge of unease. “And then…”
“Oh, Li Chengxiu. We found out that Shao Qun recently went to Li Chengxiu’s hometown. We sent people to investigate. It turns out Li Chengxiu sends money every year to maintain his mother’s grave. Given the timing, we should know where he is either next month or the month after.”
Li Shuo let out a heavy sigh, feeling a bit oppressed in his chest. “Shao Qun is still ahead of us…”
“Not ahead of us. We also have the account activity of that person, so we’ll at least be able to pinpoint Li Chengxiu’s location at the same time as Shao Qun. Don’t worry too much, bro. Xiao Li may seem weak, but he’s actually quite resilient. He’ll be fine. All we can do now is wait. Even if you want to help him, you need to find him first.”
“Yeah. Xiang Ge, I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused while I’m stuck here,” Li Shuo said.
“Ah, we’re like family. Don’t be so formal. When you get back, we’ll give you a warm welcome and wash away the bad luck!”
After hanging up, Li Shuo felt a bit more at ease. At least now there were clues, and he would strive to find Li Chengxiu before Shao Qun.
Zhao Jinxin looked at him and asked, “What’s up?”
Li Shuo smiled and said, “It’s all good news. I can go back to the country now, and we have leads on Li Chengxiu.”
Zhao Jinxin nodded, looking a bit awkward. “Congratulations.”
Noticing Zhao Jinxin’s odd expression, Li Shuo quickly realised what he was thinking and reached out to pinch his cheek as he laughed, “Jealous?”
Zhao Jinxin lowered his head and didn’t speak.
Li Shuo ruffled Zhao Jinxin’s hair, speaking gently and seriously, “Jinxin, if I hadn’t truly ended things with Chengxiu in my heart, I wouldn’t be with you. So you can be at ease. I, Li Shuo, have never betrayed any feelings. I have a responsibility to Chengxiu. I can’t watch him suffer. I want to help him. You understand, right?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled. “I’m not that petty.”
Li Shuo also smiled, unable to resist giving him a kiss. “Chengxiu is a really good person. If there’s a chance, I’d like to introduce you to him.”
Zhao Jinxin responded with a nonchalant “Hmm.”
“Tomorrow, help me push your company’s lawyer to finalise the revised contract. Once that’s done, we can head back to China together?”
“Sure.”
Li Shuo showed a refreshing smile. “Finally, I can go back. These three months have been so frustrating. So many things have been delayed.”
“Why can you suddenly go back now?”
“The person who accused me has changed their statement. It seems that the person behind them instructed them to do so.” Li Shuo’s thoughts turned to Shao Qun. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of disgust. He was never one to hold grudges and always tried to be as tolerant as possible. But Shao Qun was different. He was the first person to inspire thoughts of revenge in him. However, Shao Qun’s connections and influence in Beijing were beyond his reach, which only fueled his hatred further.
A fleeting shadow of gloom crossed Zhao Jinxin’s eyes. But he soon smiled. “This is great news. We should celebrate. I’ll open a bottle of wine.”
“Let’s do it.”
Zhao Jinxin opened a bottle of fine wine. The two of them reclined on the tatami mat, drinking and chatting. As the wine took effect and they slipped into a semi-dreamlike state, they unknowingly became entangled, kissing and caressing each other.
Zhao Jinxin was incredibly gentle, making sure that Li Shuo felt good, though he himself did not reach the final stage.
In this state of intoxicating bliss, Li Shuo experienced a profound and indescribable sense of happiness.
Each time he fell in love, Li Shuo would wonder if this person would stay with him until the end. He had always believed that with his personality, finding a calm and gentle person would ensure a lasting relationship. However, reality proved otherwise as he ended one relationship after another, each time with someone similar to Li Chengxiu. Zhao Jinxin’s appearance made him start to question whether he had been looking for the wrong kind of person all along. Perhaps someone as bold, daring, and spontaneous as Zhao Jinxin was actually a better match for him. He complemented him in ways he had not anticipated. Zhao Jinxin, who brought him so many surprises and unexpected joys, made him yearn intensely for their future together.
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*Translator’s Note: Xiang Ge calls Li Shuo ‘Lao Di’ which is ‘old little brother’. It’s for someone you’ve known for a long time but you’re best buddies like brothers and that guy is younger than you so you can call someone like this. But I just use ‘bro’ in my translation. It’s easier that way. -K
*GLOSSARY:
- Gege/Ge/Da Ge = (Big) Brother
- Shushu/Shu = Uncle
- Ayi = Auntie
- Didi = (Little) Brother
☝🏻Reiteration
*Proofread by 2024.07.29* 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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