Chapter 26 – Shameless
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 received a call from Xiang Ning, urging him to return to China as soon as possible. This wasn’t the first time Xiang Ning had urged him. Li Shuo suspected that their partners were pressuring Xiang Ning. During the period he couldn’t return to China, Xiang Ning had to handle everything, which made Li Shuo feel both guilty and anxious. He called his lawyer again to inquire about the progress of the contract, only to be told that there were some necessary internal procedures to follow, which couldn’t be expedited.
Li Shuo had a nagging feeling that Zhao Jinxin was behind this delay. Previously, they had said the procedures would be completed quickly, with the earliest possible signing by next Monday. But now there was no telling how long it would be delayed.
Li Shuo could only try to reassure Xiang Ning and urge the lawyer, though he knew the lawyer had limited influence in this matter. He couldn’t trouble Zhao Rongtian for something like this and had no choice but to turn to Zhao Jinxin. After hesitating for a long time, he decided to wait a couple more days.
During these days, Zhao Jinxin didn’t remain idle. He frequently sent flirty texts to Li Shuo, which Li Shuo ignored entirely.
Every day, Li Shuo spent his time reading, working out, cooking, and drinking tea, trying to cultivate his mind and body. One reason was that he would soon return to China and wanted to spend more time with his family. Another reason was that he needed to calm down and forget the strong ‘memories’ Zhao Jinxin had left on his body. Otherwise, he would constantly find himself brooding over meaningless thoughts, such as how it would be better if Zhao Jinxin weren’t Shao Qun’s cousin. If that were the case, even if this guy were a playboy, Li Shuo would be happy to keep him as a friend with benefits.
But life had no ‘ifs’, and he demanded of himself to forget Zhao Jinxin more cleanly and thoroughly.
That afternoon, Zhao Jinxin called again. Li Shuo hung up. A text message immediately followed: Li Shushu, if you don’t answer my call, I’ll come to your house to find you.
Li Shuo flipped off his phone and called back, speaking calmly, “What do you want? Whatever it is, don’t come to my house. My parents will misunderstand.”
“They won’t misunderstand; we really are…-“
“-We are nothing now,” Li Shuo’s voice turned cold. “What’s the progress on the contract? Why hasn’t there been any news for days?”
“There were some objections from the finance side. We’re still discussing internally. I’ll push it forward,” Zhao Jinxin laughed lightly. “Are you getting anxious? If you’re anxious, why not call me?”
“If you care about this, you’ll push it forward whether I urge you or not. If you’re deliberately delaying, asking you won’t help.”
“Of course it helps,” Zhao Jinxin said coyly. “If Li Shushu says something nice to me, my work efficiency will increase several times over.”
Li Shuo responded with a flat “Oh,” adding, “Then I’ll trouble the talented young CEO Zhao to put in more effort.”
Sensing that Li Shuo was about to hang up, Zhao Jinxin quickly said, “I want to see you.”
“Other than to sign the contract, I have no reason to see you.”
“Then I’ll visit your home. Your parents will surely welcome me for a meal.”
“… Zhao Jinxin, haven’t I made myself clear?”
Zhao Jinxin softly replied, “I understand. But I’ve also made it very clear that I like you. How could I give up just because you’re angry? What do you want me to do to get your forgiveness?”
“Thank you for your affection,” Li Shuo said expressionlessly. “If you really want my forgiveness, have Shao Qun come and bow to me personally to apologise and make amends for the damage to my reputation.”
Zhao Jinxin was momentarily at a loss for words.
Li Shuo smiled slightly. “You can’t do it, can you? Of course not. You’re a united family against a common enemy. I’m an outsider. There’s no need to ruin the harmony between brothers for my sake. The weather is nice today. Go out and get some fresh air. Goodbye.”
After hanging up, Li Shuo finally exhaled the breath he had been holding. His chest, which had been constricted by tension, relaxed slightly.
Every time Zhao Jinxin acted cute and pitiful, Li Shuo couldn’t help but feel a bit soft-hearted. He had always been an easily soft-hearted person, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that kindness was one of his life principles. But every time, he also clearly realised that Zhao Jinxin was very likely deceiving him. After all, their relationship from the beginning had been built on lies, maliciously schemed by his enemy.
He could forgive unintentional mistakes and genuine repentance. But he couldn’t forgive a liar who left no room for defence, especially when the deceit involved deeply painful emotions.
When Zhao Jinxin showed up at Li Shuo’s house before dinner, Li Shuo realised he had underestimated this guy’s shamelessness.
Li Shuo’s parents were both surprised and confused, looking at Li Shuo with complicated expressions. Li Shuo recalled being stalked to his home by a fervent admirer during high school, and combined with Zhao Jinxin’s smiling face, he felt a sense of helplessness. He could only awkwardly explain, “Ah, Jinxin came to discuss the contract with me. It seems there are some issues with the finance department.”
Mr. Li frowned. “If the finance department has issues, why didn’t they discuss it with me?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled. “Aren’t you busy with another major project lately? We can handle this matter. It’s not a big deal.”
Mr. Li “oh”-ed in response. “That’s true. Jinxin, stay for dinner. We can talk after we eat.”
“Thank you, Shushu,” Zhao Jinxin said, handing a gift box to Mrs. Li. “Ayi, I bought you some avocado cake. It’s very low in fat and tastes great. If you like it, I can have the shop send more to you.”
Mrs. Li beamed with joy. “Jinxin, you’re so thoughtful. Thank you. Come, sit down. I just brewed some floral tea.”
Zhao Jinxin sat down without any awkwardness and complimented the teaware, chatting happily with Mrs. Li.
Li Shuo felt like he couldn’t get a word in. So he turned to ask his father about the progress of his current major project.
It was a strategic project for Ennan Group, crucial for expanding into the Asian market over the next few years. Minor matters like collaborating with his law firm didn’t need to bother his father or Zhao Rongtian.
As they talked, it soon became time for dinner. Zhao Jinxin acted as if he belonged, chatting and laughing with Li Shuo’s parents, the housekeeper, the maid, and the driver. This made it impossible for Li Shuo to send him away.
After dinner, Li Shuo said, “Let’s go to the study to talk.” He was really afraid Zhao Jinxin might say or do something inappropriate in front of his parents.
Zhao Jinxin waved the folder of documents. “Let’s go.”
Li Shuo led him to the study on the second floor. As soon as the door closed, Zhao Jinxin dropped his pretence and tried to pounce on him. But Li Shuo, prepared for this, quickly dodged and angrily said, “Zhao Jinxin, don’t go too far.”
Zhao Jinxin looked pitiful, almost like he wanted to wag his tail if he had one. “I miss you. It’s been days since I last saw you…”
“Do you have any sense of shame?” Li Shuo, unable to bear it any longer, angrily whispered.
Zhao Jinxin was stunned. He stared unblinkingly at Li Shuo.
After scolding Zhao Jinxin, Li Shuo felt his words had been too harsh. But he also knew that without being forceful, it would be pointless. He clenched his fists and said solemnly, “Listen here, your cousin is the person I hate the most. You say you like me. But secretly, you conspired with him to frame and deceive me. How dare you act like nothing happened and show up in front of me? Don’t drain the last bit of my goodwill towards you!”
Zhao Jinxin’s face turned a bit gloomy. His hands, clenched behind his back, tightened, then loosened, and tightened again before he softly said, “I can’t change what happened. But I will do my best to make it right. Besides, I don’t believe you can forget me so quickly.”
“I will forget you sooner or later,” Li Shuo sneered. “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”
“At least not now,” Zhao Jinxin took a step closer to Li Shuo. “At least you’re still thinking about me. You’re still remembering how I fucked you, how you begged me, how you came so many times because of me.”
Li Shuo instinctively took a few steps back under Zhao Jinxin’s coercive gaze. It happened again. He couldn’t even count how many times this person made him feel strange, how the Zhao Jinxin he knew and the real Zhao Jinxin might be worlds apart.
Zhao Jinxin grabbed Li Shuo’s waist, tripped him deftly, and Li Shuo’s body uncontrollably fell backward. He was pinned directly onto the desk behind him by Zhao Jinxin.
Unable to bear it any longer, Li Shuo swung a punch at Zhao Jinxin’s face. Zhao Jinxin didn’t even blink as he caught Li Shuo’s wrist mid-air. He then slowly, powerfully pressed it down onto the desk.
Li Shuo squinted his eyes at him. “Zhao Jinxin, what do you want?”
Zhao Jinxin smiled ambiguously. His eyes traced Li Shuo’s lips. “I told you I miss you. How could I give up just because you’re angry? What do you want me to do to be forgiven?”
“I don’t owe you anything for your one-sided feelings.”
“Seriously, isn’t it satisfying to be with me?” Zhao Jinxin gently kissed Li Shuo’s lips, softly and tenderly.
Li Shuo felt a chill run down his spine at Zhao Jinxin’s demeanour. The sheer strength of him made him wonder if Zhao Jinxin had been holding back during their past rough play.
“Come on. It feels good, right?” Zhao Jinxin whispered with a low laugh. “Li Shushu, beforeyou were with me, you were never so wild. With me, you were really yourself. Do you really want to let me go? Who else can make you come so many times?”
Li Shuo gritted his teeth. “With you, it’s only suitable for sex. You’re such a hypocritical liar.” Perhaps this aggressive Zhao Jinxin was the real Zhao Jinxin. But the cute and carefree young man he once liked—was that all just a facade? He dreaded this realisation the most.
“Then let’s just have sex, okay?” Zhao Jinxin’s tone carried a hint of coquettishness. But his actions betrayed his intentions. He was pressing his hardened dick inside his pants against Li Shuo’s thigh. His primal desires showed clearly. “Since we both like it, why not? I’ll double your commission as compensation for your firm’s loss. Then, don’t be mad at me anymore, okay? I really… miss you.” Zhao Jinxin kissed Li Shuo’s lips again. This time, tenderly and lingeringly.
Li Shuo’s heart ached. His disappointment and anger were indescribable. He was being offered money? In Zhao Jinxin’s eyes, was he only upset about the money?!
He shoved Zhao Jinxin’s head away, gritting his teeth. “Get out of my house.”
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Jinxin’s eyes as he restrained Li Shuo’s wrist. His expression was complex.
Li Shuo said coldly, “I wish I never knew you.”
Zhao Jinxin bit his lip as he slowly lowered his head. It went lower and lower, until his forehead rested against Li Shuo’s shoulder. His voice was barely audible, “I’m sorry, I really don’t know what to do.”
Li Shuo was stunned for a moment, his heart tightening. He hardened his resolve and pushed Zhao Jinxin away. He then stood up. “Just go home.”
Zhao Jinxin stood still for a while before taking the documents, and turned to leave.
Li Shuo sat wearily in his chair. Which one was the real Zhao Jinxin? Who are you really…
In the following days, Zhao Jinxin did not bother Li Shuo again. Li Shuo felt a hollow emptiness inside and could only mock himself. Perhaps Zhao Jinxin was finally giving up, and he was about to return to his country soon. Once he was far away, he would naturally and truly be distant, and he would no longer feel restless.
On Friday, Li Shuo received a call from his lawyer, saying that the contract could be signed today. He was overjoyed and said he would be there immediately. His father also needed to go to the company. So he hitched a ride with him.
When they reached Seventh Avenue, they encountered a major traffic jam. Traffic jams were common there. So Guang Shu turned off the engine and checked his watch. “Who knows how long this will take.”
Li Shuo smiled, “Guang Shu, if you’ve driven in Beijing, this is nothing compared to there.”
“How long does it take you to get to work every day?”
“If there’s no traffic, twenty minutes. If there’s traffic, it’s unpredictable.”
As they chatted, Li Shuo’s phone rang. Seeing it was a call from Zhao Jinxin, and considering the contract signing today, it was probably business-related. So he answered the call. “Hello?”
“Li Da Ge, where are you guys?” Zhao Jinxin’s voice sounded serious, as expected.
“We’re stuck on Seventh Avenue. We’re almost there.”
“Okay, we’re wai—”
Before Zhao Jinxin could finish his sentence, a sudden explosion roared in Li Shuo’s ear!
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*Translator’s Note: Kaboom! Kaboom! -K
*GLOSSARY:
- Gege/Ge/Da Ge = (Big) Brother
- Shushu/Shu = Uncle
- Ayi = Auntie
- Didi = (Little) Brother
☝🏻Reiteration
*Proofread by 2024.08.01* 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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