Passion Raga Novel (Completed) - Chapter 60

Here is the translated passage from your boylove novel, aiming to preserve its original style and emotional nuances:

“That’s right. Uncle Yuri isn’t some omnipotent being either.”

Fei giggled mischievously, floating in the water, and playfully bumped Yuri’s waist with his head. “You just built me up so much, and now you’re bringing me down?” Yuri retorted, splashing water onto Fei’s face with his finger.

“No, it’s not like that,” Fei murmured, swaying with the waves and still playfully bumping Yuri’s waist with his head. Yuri laughed, recalling how Fei used to be a mischievous but subtly charming child.

“Not just professionally, but even more so, mentally, I think he’ll be a very strong support. Like, even if I make a mistake, it’ll be okay because he’s here. Hmm… if I had to put it, it’s like a professional spouse?”

“Right, what I do isn’t exactly noticeable to the outside world,” Fei mumbled, then firmly gripped the finger that had been splashing water. “My eyes hurt if water gets in,” he grumbled.

“Anyway… I was thinking about that, and then he suddenly shows up, saying my youngest uncle hired him. What is this? If I’d known he’d agree to stay in China, I would’ve tried to contact him first. Hmph.”

Fei, who had been complaining in a jocular tone, fell silent and tilted his head back further. Yuri calmly looked down at him, who was staring up at him upside down. Suddenly, Fei’s grip on Yuri’s finger tightened.

“When does your contract with my youngest uncle end? When it’s over, won’t you come work for me?”

He said it like a joke, but it wasn’t. Yuri quickly realized.

Thinking about it, Fei was no longer the mischievous child that remained in Yuri’s subconscious. It was time for him to have a business of his own within the family, and it was also time for him to start desiring people.

But still, he was so young. It was so obvious. Despite being a few years older than Ling Xinlu, he seemed even more childish, and Yuri let out a small laugh. Just as he was about to open his mouth to answer Fei, who was patiently waiting—

“It won’t end.”

A short, cold voice came from behind him.

Crunch, the sound of footsteps pushing through camellia bushes could be heard.

Yuri turned his head. Fei, who had been lazily floating on the water, also sat up.

Since when had he been there? Ling Xinlu, with his hands casually tucked into his spacious shorts, approached slowly and stood in front of the pool. His gaze, looking down at the two immersed in the water, seemed somewhat cold.

“Are you already done talking and back? Are you leaving right away?”

Yuri had expected him to come later since he seemed to be discussing business with the adults today, but he had returned earlier than expected.

Yuri looked at the watch he’d placed beside the pool and got out. Splash, he stepped aside to avoid splashing Ling Xinlu and draped a towel around himself.

“Already leaving?” he asked, throwing a towel to Fei, who was looking at him regretfully. Fei wiped his hair with the towel but didn’t get out of the pool, instead playfully circling and speaking to Ling Xinlu.

“Oh, youngest uncle, why are you already here when Uncle Yuri and I were having so much fun? From the looks of Dad and the other uncles, it seemed like they wouldn’t let go of you for a while.”

However, there was no answer to his question, which was laced with friendly laughter. Instead, only a fleeting glance of expressionless, cool eyes swept over him.

Fei’s smile briefly vanished. Only then did Yuri realize that Ling Xinlu was in a bad mood, and he paused his hand which was rubbing his body with the towel.

Has something happened? While talking, surrounded by his father and older brothers. He was quiet, but somehow his mood seemed significantly off. Uncharacteristically, to a frightening degree.

“Ling—”

But before Yuri could even call his name, Ling Xinlu, who had been silently looking down at Fei, spoke first.

“It’s good to have an eye for people, but look elsewhere. While objects can be given up and replaced endlessly, talent cannot be replaced. And in case you don’t know, I absolutely detest it when someone appears late and snatches away a person who was already beside someone else.”

A Feint grinding sound was mixed in with Ling Xinlu’s last words. At the same time, Yuri recalled a past memory from his words.

Appearing late and snatching away a person who was already beside someone else.

Jeong Taeui, who had been snatched away by Riegrow, and who should have originally been Ling Xinlu’s.

That too was a small thorn stuck in his heart, a memory that wouldn’t come out. Even if time had passed and calluses had formed over it, making it no longer hurt, it was still a small thorn remaining inside.

Memories etched at the bottom of the heart, never disappearing, would resurface unforgettable whenever there was even a small trigger.

Even if he thought he was at peace, even if he could now look at him with a calm heart.

Yuri fell silent. Ah, indeed. Was that why this icy, cold fury, devoid of any laughter, had frozen so chillingly blue?

His heart ached slightly. The weight that had just washed away in the water settled heavily back onto his chest.

When Yuri, lowering his towel, opened his mouth to say something to him, Fei, who was standing in the water with his smile erased, facing Ling Xinlu directly, made a strange face for a moment, then spoke.

“If you put it that way, my youngest uncle, I met Yuri first. If it’s as you say, then you’re in the wrong, so isn’t it my turn now?”

Fei, who spoke as if dumbfounded, glanced at Yuri.

“But did you sign a lifelong contract? Why doesn’t the contract end?”

Yuri blinked in confusion and looked at Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu, who had been glaring coldly at Fei, his mouth shut as if momentarily speechless, noticed Yuri’s gaze and his eyes flickered to Yuri. Yuri secretly flinched, feeling as if the sharp fury was turning towards him, but without showing any outward signs, he hesitated for a moment and then awkwardly opened his mouth.

“I don’t recall that… It should have been a yearly contract. I don’t do lifelong contracts.”

“It would have been three years at most,” Yuri muttered, and for a while, there was no reply. Ling Xinlu, who had been staring silently at Yuri with knife-like eyes for a long time, only spoke briefly in a voice as cold as his gaze.

“Put on your clothes first.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your clothes. Don’t stand around naked like that.”

Yuri, who had been staring blankly at Ling Xinlu, who spoke coldly as if scolding him for why he was still like that, soon nodded. Indeed, if Ling Xinlu’s business was done, they should return home.

“Well, if I’m not naked in the pool, should I swim in a suit?!” Fei grumbled, as if dealing with someone making unreasonable complaints, but Yuri wrapped himself in a towel against the cold air and went to the shower room.

Yuri glanced at Ling Xinlu in the rearview mirror. He was looking out the dark window and seemed to be in a bad mood. He had been like that ever since earlier.

Ling Xinlu had been in a good mood until they arrived at Linga. But from the moment they met again, he had been expressionless. He seemed to have been upset somewhere.

Even when Yuri had finished a quick shower, Fei, who was still alone with Ling Xinlu in the pool, just as he had been before Yuri entered the shower room, playfully made a pouting face and whined.

“Youngest uncle told me not to go to the shower room, that if I got into the pool to swim in the middle of the night, I should just drown there.”

He whined as if tattling, but Ling Xinlu didn’t even bat an eye at being tattled on right in front of him, and simply said coldly to Yuri, who had emerged from the shower room, ‘Then let’s go back.’

And even after that, he had remained mostly silent, only occasionally speaking a word or two, up until now.

Yuri subtly glanced at the rearview mirror again. He could see Ling Xinlu’s cold cheek, turned towards the window.

Perhaps the conversation with the family elders had ended with a not-so-good conclusion.

“Did your discussions go well? The conversation ended quicker than I thought.” Finally, Yuri broke the silence and spoke. Yuri, who had asked a question that could be casually dismissed if he didn’t want to answer, drove while looking straight ahead. He felt a gaze on his profile.

“My eldest brother said he didn’t want to talk for long today and suggested we talk again next week, depending on how our youngest uncle’s body recovers. So, there wasn’t much to say.”

“Is that so,” Yuri said, and fell silent.

He recalled Ling Tangyun, who had finished talking with Yuri with a wall-like smile and then turned away.

Even while smiling, he had clearly drawn a line, implicitly conveying “that’s enough,” and it seemed he hadn’t entirely disregarded Yuri’s request, even if only for a brief moment.

“You said something unnecessary to my eldest brother, didn’t you?”

Then, Ling Xinlu, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. Only then did Yuri turn his head slightly to look at Ling Xinlu.

“I apologize. …Was he very upset?”

Yuri meekly lowered his head. Ling Xinlu glanced at Yuri, who was apologizing, remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze away again.

“More like he seemed regretful.”

Yuri looked puzzled, but Ling Xinlu didn’t answer for a while. Then, as if a Feint emotion surged up, he clicked his tongue softly and continued.

“He said it’s not easy to meet someone who takes care of you like that when they’re not family, and that I should treat you well. …My brother is also a very ambitious person when it comes to people.”

“Just look at him leaving his own son behind,” Ling Xinlu muttered to himself, the words so soft they were almost inaudible. Yuri silently looked straight ahead.

Ling Xinlu’s words about regret and Yuri’s own thoughts about upsetness would both be correct. Ling Tangyun was not someone who would tolerate an outsider interfering in family matters, no matter how close they were. So, if the same thing happened again, he would probably show clear upsetness without any regret. He wasn’t someone who gave warnings two or three times.

“Don’t bring up family matters. My eldest brother, no matter how well he treats you, once you’re out of his good graces, it becomes a headache.”

Ling Xinlu seemed to have a similar thought, speaking with a Feint warning. Yuri immediately replied, “I apologize.”

“And I thought you knew this, but putting aside family matters, it’s also true for me personally. I don’t like irrelevant people meddling in my affairs.”

Yuri fell silent. After a moment, he apologized once more.

He knew this would happen. He was not unaware of Ling Xinlu’s personality. He had known since they first met that Ling Xinlu disliked others meddling in his affairs.

But still, hearing him bluntly say “irrelevant person” pricked Yuri’s heart a little, and he gave a wry smile. Even that lingered for a moment on his lips before disappearing.

For a long time, no words were exchanged. Only the low hum of the car engine on the dark road and the sound of air from the heater filled the space.