Chapter 28.2

"This area is 81 square metres. That costs over 500, and the colour really isn’t much different. You’re absolutely nuts!" Wen Xiaohui was once again angered by Luo Rui so much that he jumped to his feet.

Feeling wronged, Luo Rui replied, "What do you mean they’re not that different? The cheap one, just one look at the beige and… You can tell that it’s really cheap. The expensive one is completely different."

"Bullshit! Why don’t you cover it in gold leaf then?"

"I don’t care, I’ve already ordered it anyway." Luo Rui said, "I want to model my bakery into a high-end and chic French patisserie. If you act like this again, I’ll start to doubt your taste."

"Taste? You idiot. Do you know how much you’ve flipping exceeded your budget by? You’ll have spent all your money before the refurbishment is half complete. You can go cry to your mum and dad about your taste!"

Luo Rui showed a terrified expression. "It can’t be. That's 500,000 yuan - how could I have spent it all?"

"Close enough."

Luo Rui scowled miserably. "Then... I'll go get a refund."

"Go quickly." Wen Xiaohui dragged him along, and then walked out.

As Wen Xiaohui was exiting the store, a man walked towards him and he immediately noticed that he looked familiar. After careful consideration, he realised that it was the lawyer, Cao Hai, but he seemed to have dropped an entire clothing size. It appeared that his state of mind wasn’t great, and he seemed to be in a rush.

Cao Hai also saw him. "Hi, Mr Wen."

"Mr Cao." Wen Xiaohui looked at him up and down. "Have you been well? How come you’ve lost so much weight?"

Cao Hai sighed, "It’s been a bit stressful."

"Income and stress levels are positively correlated; it proves that you earn a lot." Wen Xiaohui recalled what Luo Yi had told him that Cao Hai and Yaya used to be together and he felt a little awkward.

Cao Hai shook his head, showing a forced smile. Looking at Wen Xiaohui, he paused to think for a moment before asking, "How are things with you? Are you well?"

"Yeah, I’ve been great. Luo Yi and I get along very well. It’s a coincidence that I bumped into you today while helping my friend buy decorations for his patisserie."

"Hmm, Luo Yi..." Cao Hai's lips trembled ever so slightly as he said his name.

"What's wrong?"

"Luo Yi... Has he been well?"

"Yeah, he’s studying at X University. Aren't you in contact with him?"

Cao Hai's expression looked evasive. "No, we haven’t kept in contact."

"You haven’t been in contact with each other since we signed the contract?"

Cao Hai hurriedly shook his head. "We haven’t."

Wen Xiaohui was a bit shocked. He clearly recalled that when he asked Luo Yi why he knew so much about Shao Qun, Luo Yi had said that he got his information from Cao Hai. Which one of them was lying? He became more suspicious the more he stared at Cao Hai, thinking back to how Luo Yi told him to not trust Cao Hai’s words. Wen Xiaohui didn't continue to press, and merely nodded. "Oh yeah, I still have something to sort out with my friend so I need to head off first. You should go do what you need to do."

"Mr Wen..." Cao Hai called out to him. "How about we find a place to sit down? It’s nearly time for dinner."

Wen Xiaohui became more alert after hearing these words. He said, "I'm sorry, but my friend and I are in a rush to sort some stuff out before closing time. How about another day?"

Cao Hai nodded. "Actually, I only wanted to ask if you two have had any disputes over anything in your daily lives, such as money or something else."

"Nope, Luo Yi and I have never argued about money. He even gave me his allowance to manage, but I haven’t really touched it. Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Cao Hai laughed, "Haha, occupational hazard1. In any case, you’ve never spent time together before now, so I was worried that you might have clashing personalities."

"No, we’re good."

"Luo Yi isn't short of money so feel free to spend his allowance as you see fit. I've seen your blog - it’s very expensive to buy cosmetics etc., so there's no need to go easy on Luo Yi."

Wen Xiaohui thought it was very strange that Cao Hai suddenly decided to say such inexplicable things to him that had nothing to do with Cao Hai at all. He began to think that it was even more strange. "Erm, I’ll go with the flow since it’s not like I’m that short of money. In any case, I’ll receive the inheritance from my jie in two years’ time when Luo Yi turns 18."

Cao Hai's expression was difficult to detect, but he appeared a bit stiff. "Hmm, yes. You should head off."

"Okay, see you later."

"Oh, yeah..." Cao Hai said, "It's best not to mention to Luo Yi that you bumped into me."

"How come?"

"There has been a misunderstanding between us for some reason, and he probably won't want any further dealings with me after Mrs Luo’s will has been executed."

Wen Xiaohui nodded, and half-heartedly agreed to the request. "That’s fine."

After they said their goodbyes, Wen Xiaohui and Luo Rui got into a taxi.

Luo Rui asked, "Who was that? Was he your jie's lawyer?"

"Yeah, it was him who originally drew up the will and the contract for the guardianship." Wen Xiaohui pondered over what Cao Hai had just said and his unnatural expression, and he felt that it didn’t seem right. He needed to tell Luo Yi once he got back. Who knew if Cao Hai was really dissatisfied with the division of assets like Luo Yi said or what he might be planning? He swore to Yaya on the day that he signed the contract that he would protect her only son.

"The way he speaks is very weird. Even his tone of voice and his expression seem weird."

Even Luo Rui could discern that something was off.

"I don't know. Anyway, Luo Yi told me not to trust Cao Hai because he and Yaya had something going on. They used to do business together, and apparently he wasn’t too satisfied with the division of their joint investments."

"Huh? It can’t be? If he’s dissatisfied then how come you signed the contract so smoothly?"

Wen Xiaohui was unable to answer for a while. It was true that if Cao Hai had an opinion and was dissatisfied about the distribution of assets, then he would have made preparations from the beginning. Why would he wait until this moment in time? "Perhaps... Perhaps he thinks that the inheritance my jie left me is worthless."

Luo Rui exclaimed, "Three million plus a house aren’t worth anything?"

"My jie is much, much richer than we thought." Wen Xiaohui sighed, "I have no idea. It's so annoying."

"Forget about it. Your brain capacity is insufficient, go home and let Luo Yi think about it."

"What do you mean by ‘my brain capacity is insufficient’? Your brain capacity must be sufficient then - it’s full of glue. If it weren’t for me, I don’t know how much money you’d be conned out of."

Luo Rui glared at him. "Why do you always make fun of me?"

"That’s the true essence of our love."

"Who’s in love with you?" Luo Rui said softly, "You’re so thin."

"Fuck2! You’re thin. Your whole family is thin. I’m3 standard size."

Luo Rui fluttered his eyelashes and shamelessly said, "I’m4 a zero5. What's wrong with me being thin?"

"Other people are also zeroes, but they're not thin!"

The taxi driver used his rearview mirror to stare at the two of them with a ‘WTF’ expression.

—-------------

When he arrived back at Luo Yi’s house that evening, Wen Xiaohui shook off the snow on his body. He said as he shivered, "It’s freezing outside. I’ve been running around all day at the decorating centres for Xiao Ma, that son-of-a-bitch. I must have jilted him in my previous life, so I’m fucking repaying the debt in this lifetime."

Luo Yi dragged him into the house, and closed the door. Afterwards, he used his large, warm hands to cover Wen Xiaohui’s deep-red ears. "You should drive mum's car. Look how cold you are." There was an aggrievance to his tone as he criticised him.

"No, no, no, I’m not driving." Luo Yi had said before that Wen Xiaohui could drive the cars in the garage, but Wen Xiaohui didn’t dare. He’d only driven a few times since he passed his driving test. Even if Luo Yi didn’t blame him if he scratched or scraped such an expensive car, he’d still feel really depressed. Although he wanted to drive a fancy car to act pretentious, he only had the intention but not the guts to do so. He only dared to take some photos inside the car and put them online to show off.

"You will never be able to drive if you don't practise. You’ll be fine once you get used to it."

"Let’s wait for the weather to warm up first. The roads are so slippery now so I really don't dare. I’ll practise in spring."

Luo Yi nodded. "That’s better."

Wen Xiaohui gradually recovered the sensation in his ears. Luo Yi’s hands were really large, the type that could easily grasp a basketball. His fingers were long and slender with smooth and round nails, and they looked very elegant and beautiful. The warmth from his palms penetrated the bottom of his heart through his frozen-stiff ears, which made him feel that not only his ears, but that his entire body began to warm up. He smiled at Luo Yi, and nodded.

"I'll make you a cup of ginger tea6. No matter what happens, don’t tire yourself out so much in future because I can help you both in my spare time."

"You can’t because it’s nearly the end of term exams; you must be really busy. We’ve already bothered you enough, and even Xiao Ma feels bad. And if you appear in front of him so often, I worry that he’s going to fall for you."

Luo Yi chuckled, "You’re worried that he’s going to fall for me? How come?"

"Xiao Ma’s gay, but he’s an attractive, gentle and considerate, rich second-generation. He’s really popular in our circle."

"And?"

Luo Yi smiled slightly, and stared at him.

"And what? Do you seriously want him to fall for you?"

"Are you jealous?"

"Why would I..?" Wen Xiaohui was conscious that Luo Yi was becoming more unreserved in his speech. When did this start? Luo Yi inevitably had some ambiguous feelings towards him, but it was out of the question. He needed to throttle the things that must not happen while they were still in their infancy. "I'm not jealous, I'm just worried that you’ll be bent by him. Do you think you’d have an easy life as a homosexual?"

"So you’re worried about that." Luo Yi pouted in disappointment, and he turned around to go into the kitchen.

Wen Xiaohui looked at his back view, and he rubbed his hair like crazy. He felt a burst of agitation. What was Luo Yi thinking? Why did he continue to say things that could be misconstrued? He clearly knew that certain things shouldn’t happen between the two of them, and that it was also impossible, but he would still occasionally cause Wen Xiaohui’s heart to feel restless. How could he have so little willpower? No, it wasn’t his fault. He was naturally bent, it was due to Luo Yi’s behaviour being too…

What should he do if Luo Yi actually liked him? Although he was very attractive, he couldn’t bear the responsibility of bending his jie’s son!

After a while, Luo Yi brought out a cup of coke boiled with ginger. "Come here and drink it. Don’t catch a cold."

"Yeah." Wen Xiaohui quickly took a couple of sips, and pretending to be indifferent, he asked, "How’s university? Are there any girls interested in you?"

"Hmm, yes."

"Wow, are they pretty?"

"No, not pretty."

"Erm, don’t focus too much on their appearance, inner qualities are more important."

Luo Yi laughed out loud.

Wen Xiaohui became furious. "What the heck? I’m superficial like this, and I like to look nice. But aren’t you a genius? Your IQ is so high, can’t you see through someone’s thoughts to see if they’re good or not?"

Luo Yi restrained his laughter. "I’ll give it a go."

"Yeah, you should give it a go..." Wen Xiaohui suddenly recalled what happened during the day. "Oh yeah, I bumped into Cao Hai outside Xiao Ma’s shop today."

Luo Yi's expression remained unchanged, but there was a barely perceptible glint in his eyes. He replied nonchalantly, "Hmm, Cao Hai? How coincidental."

"Yeah, he's lost so much weight. He must be tired from making so much money."

"Perhaps. What did you talk about?"

"He was acting so strange." Wen Xiaohui frowned, "Didn’t you tell me to beware of him last time, so I was on my guard against him. He asked how we were getting along, if we had any disagreements over money, and he even said that I don’t have to be careful with your money."

"It’s a little strange that he’s taken an interest in these things. Did he say anything else that was unusual?"

"I think that was all... He said he wanted to take me out for dinner, but I didn't end up going."

"Yeah, you can ignore him. He’s already tried his best to extract the assets from the company, but he’s still so greedy."

"Hmph, I never expected him to be like that. I used to think that he was a nice guy."

Luo Yi shook his head. "Self-interest."

"It’s great how you’re not obsessed with money. I’m only a kid, I can’t beat a hot-shot lawyer."

Luo Yi smiled. "Yes, let him lose sleep over it. In any case, the execution of the will is practically all sorted, so he can’t extract all the assets. But it’s still a bit risky before I can officially access my inheritance as an adult. After all, he was one of the partners of my mother's company, so I still have to be wary of him. I chose to study law so that I wouldn’t be at a disadvantage."

Wen Xiaohui gave him a big thumbs up. "Clever."

"But just to be safe, I registered a company so that we can consolidate mum’s inheritance through its capital operations as much as possible."

"Oh, what are you planning to do?"

"It’s quite complicated to explain."

"Don’t worry about it, I won’t be able to understand. But if there’s anything that I can help with, just let me know."

Luo Yi's eyes momentarily flashed a hint of smile. "Sure."