Chapter 5 – Attack on the Bed
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 cooked some porridge, stir-fried some okra and eggplant, and made a bacon salad.
He didn’t like outsiders entering his private space, so he only regularly hired a part-time housekeeper. He cooked his own meals, which tasted good and were prepared quickly.
After setting the food on the table, he called out, “Come eat.”
“My hand hurts. I can’t get up,” Zhao Jinxi mumbled.
Li Shuo was really exasperated. “The car door caught your hand, not your brain. Get up.”
Zhao Jinxi sluggishly moved over, looking unwell. Li Shuo noticed that his fingers were more swollen and purple than before, which was quite alarming. Feeling even more guilty, he pulled out a chair. “Come, sit.”
Zhao Jinxi sat sideways on the chair, pulled off his tie with one hand, and took a breath before glancing at the table and smiling. “Looks good. It smells delicious.”
“It tastes good too,” Li Shuo said, handing chopsticks to Zhao Jinxi. The next second, his hand froze in mid-air.
Zhao Jinxi waved his ‘severely injured’ hand like a trophy.
Li Shuo put down the chopsticks and picked up a spoon. “Use your left hand to scoop and eat.”
The two almost simultaneously said “You feed me” and “Don’t make me feed you,” then stared at each other.
Li Shuo sighed helplessly. “Can you not be so childish?”
Zhao Jinxi leaned on his chin and looked at him. “My hand really hurts.”
Li Shuo sighed, not knowing how many times he had sighed today. He resignedly scooped up a spoonful of porridge and held it out to Zhao Jinxi’s mouth. “Here.”
Zhao Jinxi smirked triumphantly and opened his mouth to take a bite. “My baby’s porridge tastes so delicious.”
Li Shuo ignored him and picked up a piece of eggplant, stuffing it into Zhao Jinxi’s mouth.
“I really couldn’t tell that you knew how to cook.” Zhao Jinxi licked his reddened lips, squinting slightly. “Now I have another reason to like you.”
Li Shuo picked up some okra and blocked his mouth, watching Zhao Jinxi teasing him even with his injured hand. It made him unable to help but smile.
Zhao Jinxi also revealed a dazzling smile, looking at Li Shuo with eyes that seemed to treasure him. “You look so beautiful when you smile and you’re so gentle. If you were mine, I wouldn’t feel at ease letting you go out alone.”
Everyone loves to hear flattering words, especially when they come from someone as refined as Zhao Jinxi. This compliment was not just pleasing—it carried a potent charm.
Li Shuo felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He collected himself and calmly responded, “Thank you for your praise.” Throughout his life, he had faced many temptations—wealth, status, desires. The strength of a person lies in their ability to resist temptation.
Today, Zhao Jinxi called him “the third party.” His anger stemmed from embarrassment and resentment. He had always justified his interference in other people’s relationships by claiming that “that man was hurting Li Chengxiu.” Of course, he didn’t regret it to this day because he couldn’t bear to see the person he liked suffer. But he wouldn’t compromise his principles again.
“Actually, my parents have mentioned you to me before. But you’ve been in China for a long time and we’ve never had the chance to meet. If I had known that you were so perfect and exactly my type, I would have gotten to know you sooner.” Zhao Jinxi lowered his head slightly. His smile was tinged with a hint of melancholy. “That way, you would have fallen for me first.”
Li Shuo set down the spoon, cleared his throat, and spoke gently, “Jinxi, you don’t actually love me. You love the idea of something ‘unattainable.’ But I have no obligation to satisfy your desire for conquest. I cherish my relationship with Chengxiu and I hope that out of respect for me and our fathers’ friendship, you’ll refrain from ambiguous actions and interact with me normally. It’ll benefit both of us.”
“I…” Zhao Jinxi lowered his head, gently biting his lip.
Seeing him like a child caught in a lie, Li Shuo suddenly felt a bit softened. After all, Zhao Jinxi was just a young man in his twenties. Was his blunt rejection too harsh?
“I don’t want to.”
Li Shuo froze.
Zhao Jinxi lifted his head. There was a mischievous smile hiding in his beautiful peach blossom eyes. “You’ll be happier and more fulfilled with me. Birds of a feather flock together. You’re so smart, how can you not understand such a simple truth?”
Li Shuo felt manipulated. It made him feel irritated. “What makes you think we’d be better together? This is completely…”
“I’ve told you,” Zhao Jinxi’s upturned eyes carried a hint of allure. “If you’re with that Li Chengxiu, you won’t even have a ‘real’ relationship. How could you be happy?”
Li Shuo bluntly countered, “That’s ridiculous. How do you know that we don’t?”
“You’re just being pretentious with him,” Zhao Jinxi said.
“So what?” Li Shuo’s tone involuntarily rose a notch.
Zhao Jinxi squinted his eyes and tilted his head. He looked at him for a moment before suddenly laughing. “How strange. Evading the question, raising your voice… Sounds like you’re feeling guilty. There are two possibilities: first, Li Chengxiu is not serious with you. But judging from his skinny and weak appearance, it seems difficult. Second, you… haven’t done ‘it’ yet.”
Li Shuo felt struck in the heart, silently cursing Zhao Jinxi. He really was unlucky. Right now, he would rather it be his own hand caught in the door.
“Hahaha—” Zhao Jinxi burst into laughter, clutching his stomach and shaking his shoulders.
Li Shuo suppressed his annoyance and said calmly, “We’ve only just started dating. Not all relationships need to be measured by sex.”
“Haha.” Zhao Jinxi laughed until his ears turned red. He took a sip of water to compose himself, waving his hand as he chuckled. “I agree, totally agree. But, he really isn’t right for you.”
“Whether he’s right for me is something only I know. I don’t need to discuss my love life with you. Are you done with dinner?” Li Shuo stood up, ready to clear the dishes.
Zhao Jinxi stood up too, blocking Li Shuo’s path with a step, chuckling softly. “You’ll never be satisfied with Li Chengxiu. A man like you, who looks so serious on the surface, is perfect for having desires uncovered. So… you should be with me.”
Li Shuo’s body stiffened. He stared at Zhao Jinxi in disbelief, feeling like a clear sky had just been struck by lightning.
He had never imagined that Zhao Jinxi would actually… want him under?!
This guy, eleven years younger than him, always smiling and thick-skinned like a city wall, actually wanted to sleep with him?! In Li Shuo’s mind, Zhao Jinxi had always been like a bold stray cat, although a bit bigger in size. But in the gay community, body size didn’t necessarily correlate with preferences. Zhao Jinxi was flirtatious and loved to act coquettish, always looking like he was waiting for someone to make a move on him. But now…
After a moment of bewilderment, Li Shuo couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Are you insane?”
Zhao Jinxi chuckled, playfully pinching an imaginary skirt and giving a flirtatious curtsey. “I’m perfectly sane.”
“You’ve got some nerve, hitting on me.” Li Shuo felt like he was listening to a big joke and couldn’t help but laugh. He simply didn’t believe Zhao Jinxi was serious about hitting on him, given that nothing he said seemed reliable.
“I like you. I want to sleep with you.” Zhao Jinxi shrugged, incredibly straightforward. “What’s wrong with that?”
“You’re not wrong. You can keep on dreaming though.” Li Shuo set down the dishes and went straight to the couch to grab his coat, ready to leave.
“You’re just going to leave like this?” Zhao Jinxi waved his hand, smiling. “I’m going to complain.”
Li Shuo turned to glare at him.
“I’ll go tell Shuhu and Ayi that Da Ge bullied me. He slammed my hand on the car door and now I can’t take care of myself. Da Ge won’t even take responsibility because it’s too troublesome.” Zhao Jinxi continued to play pretend, appearing on the verge of tears.
Li Shuo crossed his arms, watching him. “You didn’t stick your hand in the car door on purpose, did you?”
“I’m not that stupid.” Zhao Jinxi pouted. “It really hurts. I don’t know if my hand will still be able to play the piano in the future. Maybe I won’t have the strength to hold a tennis racket, ski pole, or basketball. Who knows if there will be any long-term effects? Some effects aren’t apparent when you’re young. But it’ll show up when you’re older…”
Li Shuo set down his coat. “Alright, alright. What else do you want?”
“At least help me change into some home clothes.”
Li Shuo took a deep breath, silently reminding himself to maintain composure. “Where are the home clothes?”
“In the bedroom,” Zhao Jinxi lifted his chin.
They walked into the bedroom, where Zhao Jinxi opened the door to the closet and pointed to a row of sleepwear. “The black set.”
Li Shuo fetched the home clothes. Zhao Jinxi had already extended his arms, waiting as if anticipating a warm embrace.
Li Shuo approached from behind, helping him remove the suit jacket. He was being careful not to let the sleeve touch his injured hand. After the jacket came off, he removed the vest, then the shirt.
Zhao Jinxi looked at Li Shuo with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Li Shuo felt inexplicably flustered. But he was outwardly calm. He unbuttoned the shirt as if nothing was amiss.
The chest was just like in the photos. No, the vigorous pectoral muscles rising and falling with each breath exuded even more strength and beauty than in the pictures. Undoing the buttons was like unwrapping a gift, each glimpse bringing excitement, and fully opening the gift box was like uncovering a tremendous surprise. With a bang, it instantly overwhelmed the senses.
In his youth, Li Shuo had lingered among beautiful bodies and seen quite a few attractive figures. But Zhao Jinxi, how should he put it? He was not just good-looking. He also exuded a potent hormone that seemed to permeate even his hair.
Zhao Jinxi intentionally puffed out his chest. His low, husky voice sounding in Li Shuo’s ear, “Want to touch? It won’t cost you anything, even if you don’t like the feel.”
Li Shuo remained silent, carefully unbuttoning the cuffs and helping him out of the shirt. He then handed him the pants. “You can manage the rest yourself.”
Zhao Jinxi acted stubborn, “No. I can’t.”
Li Shuo just wanted to quickly finish and leave. He efficiently unbuckled the belt, unzipped the trousers, and pulled them off.
In an instant, a pair of endlessly long legs were exposed to the air.
Zhao Jinxi chuckled softly, “What do you think?”
Li Shuo held up the sleep pants, “Sit on the bed.”
“Wow, so soon you’re getting me into bed,” Zhao Jinxi teased.
Li Shuo really wanted to sew that mouth shut. He pointed to the bed, “Do you want to put this on or not?”
Zhao Jinxin took a few steps back, sitting down with his legs spread wide. His legs were tightly muscled and elegantly proportioned, clearly the legs of someone who regularly exercised. They sparked endless imagination.
Li Shuo squatted down, pulling the trouser legs over his feet. He then said, “Stand up.”
Zhao Jinxin obediently stood up, leaning his body forward causing his dick to almost touch Li Shuo’s face. Li Shuo leaned back, quickly pulling up the pants, “There we go…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Jinxin’s left arm wrapped around Li Shuo’s waist, spinning them both onto the bed. Zhao Jinxin used his heavy body to press down on Li Shuo.
Li Shuo grabbed Zhao Jinxin’s shoulder, trying to flip him over. But Zhao Jinxin’s single hand was surprisingly strong, gripping his waist tightly, rendering him unable to move. Afraid of touching Zhao Jinxin’s injured hand, he refrained from making any sudden moves.
Li Shuo’s voice lowered, “Zhao Jinxin, I’m angry.”
Zhao Jinxin lowered his head, touching noses softly with Li Shuo, and murmured, “I want to kiss you.”
Li Shuo’s body stiffened. He felt something hard pressing against him and frowned, “Get up. Or I won’t be responsible if I hurt your hand.”
“If I can kiss you once, what does hurting my hands matter?” Zhao Jinxin trailed Li Shuo’s lips with his eyes. His desire was undisguised in every focused glance. “I really want to see what’s hidden under this suit…”
Li Shuo hardened his heart. He grabbed Zhao Jinxin’s injured hand firmly with his right hand. Being fond of sports, his grip was strong, tightly holding Zhao Jinxin’s wrist joint. He said coldly, “Let me see if you’re really not afraid of pain.”
Zhao Jinxin frowned slightly. Considering that this strength might aggravate his injured hand, he couldn’t bear it and reluctantly got up.
Li Shuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Zhao Jinxin kept rubbing against him like that and didn’t get up soon, he would react embarrassingly.
Zhao Jinxin pointed pitifully at his injured hand: “Li Shushu, you’re bullying me.”
Li Shuo patted his cheek, “Don’t you still have your left hand?” With that, he pushed Zhao Jinxin away, leaving the bedroom without looking back. He grabbed his coat and slammed the door behind him.
After leaving Zhao Jinxin’s home, Li Shuo wiped his face. He took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air, and gradually cleared his muddled mind.
Back in his car, he took out his phone and dialled Li Chengxiu’s number.
“Hey, Li Da Ge.”
The moment he heard that warm voice, Li Shuo felt his emotions instantly calm down. Li Chengxiu had this ability. Being with him was like a gentle stream, flowing calmly and orderly, making one feel peaceful and comfortable.
“Chengxiu, have you slept yet?”
“Not yet. I’m working overtime today, so I’ll be home late.”
Li Shuo smiled gently, “Your boss is really mean, making my sweet Chengxiu work overtime.”
Li Chengxiu chuckled, “It’s alright. How about you… How’s America? Having fun?”
“Where’s the time to have fun after coming back? I was busy with important matters, accompanying my parents. Hey, why don’t you take a day off tomorrow? You can chat with my mom. She’s been nagging about you these past few days.”
“Okay.” There was a pause on the other end of the line. “But I… I’m not very good… at talking.”
“It’s okay, my mom has a very good character. Even better than mine.”
“Alright.”
“Do you miss me?” Li Shuo closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, thinking of that fair and delicate face. A smile was unconsciously displayed on his lips.
“I do.”
“I miss you too. I’ve bought you lots of gifts.”
“Don’t… don’t buy them. I don’t need anything.”
“But I want to give them to you.”
There was a moment of silence on the phone. “Ah… It’s too extravagant.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just patiently wait for me to come back.”
“Mm.”
There was another silence on the phone.
Li Shuo sighed inwardly, “Then get some rest soon. Good night.”
“Good night, Li Da Ge.” Li Shuo smiled wryly after hanging up the phone.
He and Li Chengxiu didn’t have many topics to talk about. Li Chengxiu was reserved, and they had almost nothing in common. Developing common topics also required time and shared experiences. He wasn’t in a rush. But he was keenly aware that there was someone in Li Chengxiu’s heart whom he couldn’t let go of. Because of this, Li Chengxiu could never fully open up to him. Though it bothered him, he couldn’t show it. This, too, required time to work through and adjust.
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*Translator’s Note: I’m glad I’m proofreading this translation. It was so bad… Hahaha -K
*Proofread by 2024.07.19* 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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