Winner Takes All

Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: 月野 見事 (TsukinoMigoto)

Protagonists ：黎朔 (LiShuo), 赵锦辛 (ZhaoJinXin)

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Li Shuo somehow felt he was being a little disrespectful so he finally pulled Zhao Jinxin’s hands off, but many people in the coffee shop had already noticed them. They were originally two people who were too outstanding in appearance. With such ambiguous actions, how can people look sideways?

When they were seated, Chang Wenwu’s eyes were also looking at them a little curiously.

Li Shuo said apologetically: “I’m sorry, I went to the hospital. I was a bit late.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Chang Wenwu’s gaze fell on Zhao Jinxin, “This one is?”

“Oh, he is the CEO of Ennan Group Beijing Branch, Zhao Jinxin. Jinxin, this is Mr. Chang.”

“Hello, Mr. Chang, I am his boyfriend.” Zhao Jinxin smiled and stretched out his hand.

“Oh.” Chang Wenwu was taken aback, then laughed, “Hello, hello.”

Li Shuo smiled unchangingly but pinched Zhao Jinxin’s thigh in secret.

Chang Wenwu brought some resumes. Some of them were talent recruits that he had contacted, and some were his students. Li Shuo took a cursory look at them and found that the quality was not bad.

“Mr. Chang, I would like to have a chat with these people when I have time.”

“Of course, I know your requirements are not low, so these people I recommend are all of those that I know well.”

Zhao Jinxin smiled and glanced at Li Shuo: “After the contract between Ennan and your original firm expires next year, I can put Ennan’s audit on you.”

“Forget it, we have to avoid suspicion.”

“It’s up to you, anyway, no matter what help you need, I’m here.” Zhao Jinxin’s eyes are unabashedly tender.

Chang Wenwu lowered his head to stir the coffee to hide his embarrassment.

Li Shuo winked at him: “Okay, let’s talk about it later.”

After discussing business matters, they started chatting casually. Chang Wenwu mentioned his brother: “Last time Wenyou told me that you had met ten years ago. It is such a coincidence. I took him to sign up for the tennis summer camp. He was the one wearing woolen cloth.”

Li Shuo smiled: “Yes, I was very surprised when I saw that photo.”

Zhao Jinxin raised his eyebrows: “What photo?”

“Oh, ten years ago, Mr. Chang’s brother went to the United States to participate in a tennis summer camp. He visited my school for exchanges. He also watched my games and played some games together. It’s a coincidence that the world is too small.”

“Such a coincidence. It’s too fateful.” Zhao Jinxin said with a smile.

Chang Wenwu smiled and said, “It’s a pity that Mr. Li and Wenyou have not developed a relationship.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Chang, I failed your kindness.”

“Hey, whatever it is, it’s a good thing to make more friends. Especially with a young talented person like Mr. Li.” Chang Wenwu looked at Zhao Jinxin and said hurriedly, “Mr Li and Mr. Zhao is also a very good match.”

Zhao Jinxin smiled heartily: “We are very compatible from zodiac signs to constellations to blood types. Of course, apart from these mysterious things, our personalities are also very compatible.”

“Haha, that is that.”

Li Shuo glanced at Zhao Jinxin helplessly.

After eating, Chang Wenwu left first. Li Shuo looked at Zhao Jinxin obliquely: “I’m here to talk business, you know, right?”

“I know. Did I fail to behave?” Zhao Jinxin spoke hypocritically.

“You…” Li Shuo wanted to put on a serious expression, but looking at Zhao Jinxin’s trivial look, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Zhao Jinxin was fascinated by the handsome smile, his heart was pounding, and he couldn’t wait to pounce on him. He also laughed, “I want him to know that his brother won’t get a chance.” He straightened his chest.

“The two brothers are very open-minded, only you are so possessive.”

“I saw him kiss you with my own eyes and I didn’t do anything to him. I’m generous enough.”

Li Shuo lightly knocked his forehead:”What do you want to do with people?”

“I didn’t want to do anything to him. I just want to lock you up.” Zhao Jinxin brushed Li Shuo’s hair, his eyes contained a desire for exclusivity. He would never tell Li Shuo that if there were no Lao Diao and his gang at the time, he intended to go to the tennis court that day because he wanted to take Li Shuo directly to a place where no one could find him.

Now that he thinks about it, he is a little scared. At that time, even he himself knew that his mentality was a bit abnormal but he just couldn’t help himself.

Li Shuo flicked his forehead: “Don’t scare straight men in the future.”

Zhao Jinxin laughed and said: “I have to scare them. To let them know that you have me so that they don’t blindly introduce someone to you.”

“People are just being polite.”

“I’m also polite, lest the person they introduce try to do something with you and feel inferior after seeing me.”

Li Shuo laughed nonchalantly: “You are reasonable. Okay, let’s go home.”

“Okay, let’s go home.” Zhao Jinxin said sweetly.

“Hey, you go back to your home, I’ll go back to my home.”

“Uncle Li…”

“Don’t act like a baby, we already agreed.”

Zhao Jinxin hung his head angrily. His pitiful look makes him look like a squirrel that got his nut snatched away.

Li Shuo told himself that he could not be soft-hearted, he squeezed Zhao Jinxin’s face: “Go, I’ll sent you home.”

It took Li Shuo three days to interview all the people recommended by Chang Wenwu. Finally, he selected three people and asked Xiao Chen to prepare the contract and register them to the company.

Zhao Jinxin has been wanting to see him these days, but he hasn’t been free. Finally, when Zhao Jinxin needs to go to the hospital, he personally picks him up again.

Zhao Jinxin’s hands are recovering a bit slowly and he may ooze blood if he is not paying attention. Until recently, the wound has healed and the stitches are ready to be removed.

When he thought of stitch removal, he couldn’t help but to imagine how much it would hurt and bleed. Li Shuo is more nervous than Zhao Jinxin. When driving, he feels a little anxious. After getting out of the car, he has been comforting Zhao Jinxin repeatedly.

Zhao Jinxin was really upset when he saw him like that and in turn comforted him: “Don’t be afraid, it’s just the stitches removed. The wound have healed.”

“But when the stitches are removed, they may bleed.”

“That bit of blood is okay, it will stop in a while.”

“There will still be some pain…” Li Shuo gently shook his hand, “You have to bear it, okay?”

Zhao Jinxin blinked his bright eyes: “As long as you stay with me, I am not afraid of pain.”

“Of course I will always be with you.” Li Shuo flipped his short bangs, “If you feel hurt, just bite me, but don’t move around. The doctor will hold scissors in his hand.”

“Okay.” Zhao Jinxin smiled, “I’m not willing to bite you. If it hurts, kissing you is more effective.”

Li Shuo laughed: “Don’t make trouble, the doctor already hates you enough.”

“He is jealous of me.”

“You annoy him, what if he intentionally hurts you when he removes the stitches?”

Zhao Jinxin grinned: “Then you help me scold him, Okay?”

Li Shuo knocked Zhao Jinxin’s head dozingly, “How can I scold the old doctor at that age? You just need to be good for a while.”

“Yes, Uncle Li.” Zhao Jinxin gave a flying kiss to Li Shuo.

When the stitches were taken out, the two of them thought too much. The old doctor just checked casually. The stitches were taken off by a nurse. The lady nurse was blushed red by Zhao Jinxin’s smile and her movements were very gentle.

But Li Shuo was still so nervous that he straightened up his body. He pressed Zhao Jinxin’s head to his shoulder, “Don’t look, talk to me when it hurts.”

Zhao Jinxin smiled and said, “Okay.”

The gauze went around in circles, revealing the scar across the palm of the hand, and there were fierce wounds on each of the four fingers. Li Shuo frowned deeply. Zhao Jinxin shed blood in front of him again. 

Zhao Jinxin uses flesh to grasp the sharp blade, how painful such a wound should be… he solemnly thought.

Li Shuo didn’t even dare to look at it himself. He pressed Zhao Jinxin’s head and silently applied force to comfort him.

Zhao Jinxin also comforted him softly, “I’m not afraid so you don’t be afraid.”

“Hmm.”

The nurse started to remove the stitches.

Zhao Jinxin did not move or speak, but he buried his face in Li Shuo’s shoulder, humming an unknown song softly.

Li Shuo stared at the beautiful hand and the ugly scar on it, his heart clenched together. He completely ignored the eyes of the old doctor and nurse, turned his head and kissed Zhao Jinxin on the cheek, and said softly, “Tell me if it hurts.”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Zhao Jinxin frowned and smiled pretentiously to soothe him.

Li Shuo stroked Zhao Jinxin’s hair over and over again.

After finally removing the stitches, Zhao Jinxin didn’t say a word. The old doctor praised, “That’s right, the little patient performed very well today.”

Zhao Jinxin smiled and said, “Thank you.”

When the two of them walked out of the hospital, Li Shuo was completely relieved. He repeatedly looked at Zhao Jinxin’s palm, and the blood that oozed out when the stitches were removed had stopped bleeding. But the scar will always be there.

Zhao Jinxin tried to move his fingers but they were a little stiff. Li Shuo gently shook his hand, did not speak, just quietly looked into his eyes.

Zhao Jinxin smiled and said, “I think this scar is pretty cool.”

“Yes, it’s cool.” Li Shuo looked at him tenderly.

“My parents are waiting for me at home. They are going to hold a tear-off-stitches party for me.”

Li Shuo laughed: “Tear-off-stitches party, okay.”

“Tomorrow they are going back to the United States.” Zhao Jinxin looked at Li Shuo with a desire in his eyes, “Let’s have a meal together, okay? No matter what your mentality is, you can tell them directly, even if it means… you need time to test me. You can also tell them that directly. I said that I have made a lot of mistakes before and they can understand you.”

Li Shuo knew that he could not hide from them forever so he nodded slowly: “Okay.”

They drove to Zhao Jinxin’s house. It was really a decent party. In addition to Zhao Jinxin’s parents, Shao Wen, Shao Qun and Li Chengxiu were also there. There were two very beautiful strange women. He heard that they were both Shao Qun’s elder sisters.

Shao Qun and Li Shuo are still disgusted with seeing each other, they both look at Zhao Jinxin when they see each other, their unhappy expressions are like saying – ‘Why didn’t you tell me he is coming?’.

Zhao Jinxin spread his hands innocently: “What are you afraid of seeing each other?”

“Afraid?” Shao Qun hesitated twice with disdain.

Li Shuo ignored him. He knew that he wanted to make Shao Qun unhappy and couldn’t start directly, so he turned to Li Chengxiu gracefully and said with a smile: “Xiao Chengxiu, you seem to have gained weight a little and your complexion is really good.”

Li Chengxiu smiled and said: “Really, I…”

“‘Little’ your shit. Don’t bark. His complexion is so good because I fed him full everyday. Who will show him to you?”

Zhao Jinxin felt a little embarrassed: “Brother, don’t be so naive, please.”

Shao Qun gave Li Shuo a glare and pulled Li Chengxiu to his side, “Cheng Xiu, do you think this crystal sculpture looks good…”

“He must be stupid.” Li Shuo snorted softly.

Zhao Jinxin shrugged helplessly and pulled Li Shuo towards his parents.

When Li Shuo saw Zhao Rongtian, he was a little nervous. No matter what, it was like he had abducted his son.

Madam Zhao quickly grabbed her son’s hand, looked at it over and over again, and said sadly: “This will leave a big scar. I don’t know if it will affect the flexibility of the fingers.”

“Why do I want such flexible fingers?” Zhao Jinxin smiled soothingly, “Mom, it’s okay.”

Li Shuo nodded to the two elders: “I heard that you two are leaving tomorrow. May I see you off?”

“Okay.” Zhao Rongtian smiled, “Li Shuo, are you embarrassed that you seem to avoid me this time?”

Li Shuo’s face flushed red as he swiped a look at the floor.

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Next update: 2022/04/12 (on knoxt), 2022/04/14 (on wattpad)

*Translator’s Note: I was surprised to find my guess was right when I first read this chapter lol. ZJX really wanted to kidnap LS at that time. -K