Passion Raga Novel (Completed) - Chapter 47

Yuri fell into thought. He felt it would be a bit difficult. If that happened, he would need someone to properly and meticulously look after him and help him by his side. Yuri had worked under Kyle a long time ago, so he wasn’t entirely incapable of such things, but he was weak in business-related assistance. Someone like James would be perfect for that.

Should he advise him to recruit James? …But if he did, Kyle would try to bite off his leg and eat him.

Yuri sighed inwardly.

In any case, it seemed better to tell him to find someone else.

Now that Ling Xinlu was gradually becoming mentally stable, Yuri, who was weak in business matters, didn’t necessarily need to stay by his side.

There was still some time left on the contract, but they could agree to an early completion, or since it wasn’t much time, he could manage it himself for a while.

Yuri raised his head and looked at Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu, who had just thrown the eye drop packaging into the trash and was sitting down on the sofa, felt his gaze and looked at Yuri. Their eyes met, and he tilted his head and smiled faintly. Yuri smiled too.

It was still a bright and beautiful smile. Pretty and lovely. Sometimes, there were moments when his expression vanished, chilling Yuri’s heart so much it was eerie, but usually, he was incredibly beautiful.

So, the thought of now returning to Berlin—to his original place—made him a little lonely.

“Is that liquor really that good? That big bottle is already almost half empty.”

Ling Xinlu pointed with his chin at the liquor bottle Yuri had just picked up after emptying his glass. The liquor he had received from Ling Tangyun earlier was, as he said, already almost half empty. It seemed to have almost no taste or scent, yet when it entered his mouth and permeated his tongue, a faint and fragrant aroma flowed down his throat. He liked that hazy and lingering atmosphere, so he had emptied several glasses.

“Is it okay to drink so much at once? You don’t usually drink much; you must really like it… Give me some.”

Ling Xinlu lightly snatched the glass Yuri had just poured. He moistened his lips and silently seemed to enjoy the aroma for a moment. Another sip, and another sip, and he quickly emptied the glass, then said, “Hmm. It’s good,” and handed the glass back to Yuri.

“For some reason, it tastes like my head will ache in the morning, but it’s a flavor that’s hard to put down while drinking. …But if you’ve finished half, I think it’s better to stop. Isn’t that subtly strong?”

“I don’t think so.”

Yuri tilted his head. It seemed light enough to drink easily, considering he didn’t feel particularly tipsy even after almost emptying half the bottle.

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu over his glass.

“They say you’ll be in charge of the liquor business.”

“Probably. Did big brother tell you?”

Suddenly, a subtle smile appeared around Ling Xinlu’s eyes. He smiled slyly and asked softly.

“They say I’m going to take on that job, what did he say?”

“Well… he didn’t say much, just that you would do well, Mr. Ling Xinlu.”

“Really?” Ling Xinlu chuckled lightly.

“Big brother probably wasn’t too comfortable either. Father gave away more than expected, so the third and fourth brother were causing a fuss. I guess Fei is already handling something else, so the liquor part wouldn’t have been big brother’s share anyway, so maybe he wasn’t greedy.” Yuri recalled Ling Tangyun’s subtle expression he had seen earlier. It didn’t seem particularly displeased, but it wasn’t entirely clear either.

“But compared to the entire Ling family’s holdings, the liquor business isn’t that big a part, is it?”

Yuri cautiously spoke. He thought that while the liquor business involved a lot of money, considering the remaining assets, it wasn’t enough for the others to make such a fuss.

Ling Xinlu, who had apparently decided the liquor wasn’t to his taste, no longer showed interest in it and had gotten his own beer. Hearing Yuri’s words, he raised an eyebrow for a moment, then laughed, “Aha.”

“That’s not it. It’s not just the liquor that’s coming over.”

“You already know, don’t you?” Ling Xinlu muttered, opening the beer can. He swallowed a gulp of beer and continued, “You know our family deals in a lot of things that can’t be openly sold. And most of those things flow with liquor.”

Ling Xinlu playfully winked. He said, “You know it’s a secret, right?” but if he was telling Yuri, then everyone who should know probably already knew. That’s why Ling Tangyun, and his brothers, took the matter seriously.

“Of course, it’s not like they’re giving everything away right away. It’s about gradually getting a feel for it, dipping my toes in the water. And if they think it’s too much for this guy, my father can always take it back.”

“Still, since he’s a beloved and precious son, he’ll give me enough to live lavishly for life,” Ling Xinlu added brightly.

Yuri said nothing, watching Ling Xinlu.

The things that flowed with liquor.

Those things, involving substantial money, were undoubtedly a double-edged sword. Immense wealth, or immense disaster.

How they were handled rested entirely in Ling Xinlu’s hands. Whether it became a blessing or a curse, whether he could truly control such vastness.

He’ll do well. He was the kind of guy who always did better than expected with anything he was given, even as a child.

Suddenly, Ling Tangyun’s muttered words came to mind. After being lost in thought for a while, he nodded, concluding. Perhaps that was the judgment he had made after careful consideration, knowing the weight of the task and his brother’s capacity. Similar to the conclusion his father, Ling Hwirung, had reached after similar contemplation.

“By the way, that liquor is subtly strong. I didn’t realize it while drinking, but my stomach’s getting hot now. Are you okay?”

Ling Xinlu, who had been drinking a couple of sips of beer, suddenly tilted his head and pointed at the liquor bottle Yuri was holding. Yuri, who had been deep in thought, looked up after a moment and said, “Huh?” And then, after another pause, he nodded, “Yes.”

“I’m fine.”

His stomach felt slightly warm, but that was always the case when drinking alcohol, and he didn’t feel it was particularly stronger or hotter. Then Ling Xinlu said, “Really?” and tilted his head as if it were strange, then said, “Well, if you’re fine, it doesn’t matter,” and continued drinking his beer.

“Still, it might not be good to drink that on an empty stomach… Wait a minute, I’ll get something to eat with it.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine.”

“It’s settled. It’s boring for me to just drink beer on an empty stomach anyway. …Let’s see, Mr. Gable likes vegetables, so how about a vegetable salad with some tofu?”

Ling Xinlu put down his can and readily stood up.

Watching his back as he headed to the kitchen, Yuri poured more liquor into the glass that had already emptied again.

His life was flowing. A few years ago, he would have thought he’d find his calling at UNHRDO, and he wouldn’t have known he’d get involved in the family business—even if he considered such possibilities, he would have thought he wouldn’t. And now, he was about to enter a new path prepared for him.

Thinking about it, his own life had progressed similarly.

He hadn’t known he’d join T&R, nor become an intelligence agent, nor return to T&R, nor finally be in this very place.

Is everyone like that? Yes, everyone is.

No one, nothing knows. What lies directly before them.

Yuri gazed at Ling Xinlu’s back.

Yes, how could he have known even a year ago that he would be able to spend time with such a lovely person? Just as he doesn’t know where he will be a year from now.

If there was one certainty, it was perhaps that he would find peace in the water until he died. That much was certain in his life, and he liked that.

He wished something certain would come into his life too.

Something that, even amidst an unknown future, he could be sure of.

Yuri prayed silently. His eyelids were growing warm and heavy, perhaps because of the alcohol.

——Mr. Gable. …Mr. Gable?

Someone seemed to be calling his name.

It took a long time to recognize that very familiar name as his own. But even after knowing it was his name, Yuri didn’t answer. Rather than being unable to answer, he didn’t feel like answering. His name felt like it belonged to another world, unrelated to him.

——I swear… I told you to stop after half, but you finished the whole bottle in that time? …Mr. Gable? Mr. Gable? Hey, Yuri Gable? …Are your eyes open or not?

That low humming voice felt like it was from another world, yes, definitely echoing from beyond the clouds.

And he was on this side of the clouds. No, inside the clouds. Clouds raining over a tropical sea.

It was hot. Was it because he was in the clouds? It was hot, as if wrapped in stifling steam. Soon, it became difficult to breathe, and his breath grew rapid.

It wasn’t a bad feeling. But it was hot, stifling, and hard.

Yes, it was hard. A feeling of anxiety, of stiffness, like a heavy weight, seemed to cling to him, making his body feel heavy and sinking. But more suffocating than that was the heat.

It was hot from his stomach. As if he had swallowed a fireball. It was hot. He could feel sweat seeping from his back.

Yuri sighed. “Hot, hot,” his short whispers mixed with his exhaled warm breaths.

—See, I told you that liquor was strong. That’s what happens when you don’t listen and just chug the whole bottle. Just wait; you’ll cool down eventually.

A click of the tongue was heard from beyond the clouds. He didn’t know when “eventually” would come, but it was stifling now. He frowned and groaned softly. Sweat beaded on his back, his body, his face.

—Oh dear… Are you very hot? …Just wait. The voice clicked its tongue and then disappeared somewhere.

Yuri groaned and rolled over, enveloped once more in the suffocating heat. His cheek against the floor felt cool for a moment, making him feel briefly alive, but soon even the floor warmed up. He rolled to the other side, pressing his cheek against the cool floor again. He put his hands, arms, and stomach against the floor too. All he could do was roll around whenever the floor got warm.

—What a sight, what a sight… Are you grilling squid? Lie on your back. The voice returned. The voice, which approached with an empty, absurd laugh, crouched right next to Yuri. It rolled Yuri, who was pressed against the floor, onto his back and began unbuttoning his shirt from the top.

His skin was exposed to the air. The hot and stifling sensation seemed to ease, if only slightly. Yes, he should have just taken off his clothes quickly.

But that was only for a moment; the air couldn’t cool his hot body.

Then.

A chillingly cold sensation was placed on his face. He instinctively flinched and recoiled, but Yuri managed to relax his groaning body just a little.

The cold wet towel covering his face felt like a lifeline.

Ah, it’s cool… It feels good…

He mumbled, moving his lips, and thought he heard laughter.

You’re grateful, aren’t you? Of course, you would be. I’ve been served by others, but I’ve never served anyone, so you should be grateful.

The voice, which spoke with an arrogant air as if granting a generous favor, nevertheless did not lose its tenderness. He lifted the towel from Yuri’s face and began wiping his hot body.

From his neck to his chest, to his stomach. Wherever the wet towel passed, the water that moistened his skin evaporated, bringing coolness. It felt like quenching a thirst.

Ah… good… a little more… here too. Here too.

Yuri slightly twisted his body, bringing it closer to the towel, as his body would feel cool when the towel passed but soon get hot again. The voice wiping his body let out an empty chuckle.