Passion Raga Novel (Completed) - Chapter 63

‘Speaking of which, Mr. Ling Tangyun, there’s something I’d like to ask you for a favor about.’ Yuri, suddenly remembering something he had been considering contacting Ling Tangyun about, opened his mouth. Ling Tangyun asked back, 『A favor?』 with surprise, but then genially said, 『Yes, go ahead.』

‘Perhaps Ling Xinlu has already mentioned it, but please look into finding someone.’

『Someone? What kind of person?』

‘Someone who can assist and help Ling Xinlu with his work in my place. Preferably someone who can endure for a long time and continue to assist with the work.’

『What? You’re—Ah, your contract period must be ending. Why, have you decided not to renew it?』

Ling Tangyun asked, sounding surprised. It’s deceptively difficult to find a good person, he muttered with dissatisfaction.

While helping Ling Xinlu with his work, Yuri thought.

He had already guessed it, but assisting with the business would indeed require a more suitable assistant than himself.

For now, it was fine. As long as Ling Xinlu was merely following instructions and doing what his third uncle told him, Yuri felt he could handle it. But as time passed and Ling Xinlu gained autonomous authority and expanded his scope of work, he would need someone by his side who could offer more specialized advice and assistance.

‘Ling Xinlu will be making the final decision, but please select a few good candidates and let me know.’

『Alright, I’ll go out and look into it tomorrow. But finding someone exactly to your taste isn’t easy, so it’s better to expect it to take some time.』

‘Yes. I’m not quitting tomorrow, so that’s fine. If we can find a good person, even if it takes time, that would be better.’

“Then, I’ll leave it to you,” Yuri was just saying his goodbyes.

Suddenly, from behind them, there was a terrifying BANG—!!

Yuri flinched, his shoulders hunching as he turned around. Ling Xinlu stood between the bathroom door, which had been kicked open violently after he finished showering, and was now tilting back from the recoil against the wall.

Water dripped from his hair, which hadn’t been properly dried, and beneath it, his glossy, pitch-black eyes glared at Yuri.

‘What are you leaving to him?’

Yuri was momentarily speechless, unable to answer the harsh words he spat out, and simply stared blankly at him.

Ling Xinlu didn’t wait for an answer, striding forward and snatching the receiver from Yuri’s hand.

‘Hello. …Yes, eldest brother. It’s nothing. …No, you don’t have to. I’ll handle it myself, so you don’t need to worry. I’ll contact you if another favor comes up. …Yes, then get some rest.’

Finishing the brief call in a businesslike, cold tone, Ling Xinlu hung up the phone.

Yuri, still holding his hand in mid-air where the receiver had been snatched away, stood beside him. Ling Xinlu put the receiver down, remained silent for a moment, then glanced sideways, and Yuri flinched.

Ling Xinlu’s eyes were terrifyingly fierce. A chill ran down Yuri’s spine.

Ling Xinlu, who had been staring at Yuri as if he would tear him apart alive, finally gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice.

‘This is my business. Mr. Gable, don’t meddle.’

‘Whether you select good people and make a list, or cover the whole house with that list, I will never even look at anyone I haven’t chosen myself, so don’t meddle unnecessarily. It’s a waste of time.’

‘…Yes.’

Yuri nodded. He couldn’t add anything more. Ling Xinlu, who had been glaring at him with eyes as sharp as a blue-edged knife, as if to devour him, had turned his head away.

But it would be better to find someone quickly. To work together, it’s better to get acquainted with the job content as early as possible.

Yuri wondered if it would be better to say, ‘Please find someone as soon as possible,’ but somehow, in the current situation, saying that seemed like pouring oil on a fire, so he kept his mouth shut.

That judgment seemed indeed wise. As Ling Xinlu strode into the living room, he suddenly cursed in a fit of rage and roughly kicked a chair.

This is difficult…

Yuri rubbed his chin, looking at him helplessly.

For some reason, Ling Xinlu had been showing signs of instability these past few days.

If asked what specifically, Yuri couldn’t pinpoint it, but that was the feeling he got when observing him. As if something was precariously swaying. Like a blue-edged knife, unsure which way it would fall.

However, it was also difficult to think of a specific solution. When observing Ling Xinlu handling people and work, he actually managed situations much more calmly and collectedly than others. He never made mistakes in his work or in dealing with people, and he didn’t give the impression that he would.

Yet, this occasional instability, mostly when he was alone with Yuri at home, bothered him.

It was disconcerting when this suddenly happened just as he thought it was time to go back.

To Yuri, who stood stock-still, lost in thought, Ling Xinlu, who was sitting on the sofa massaging his temples tiredly, spoke curtly. When Yuri looked at him, he merely shifted his eyes, giving a cold stare, and repeated himself.

‘Eyes. I’m tired.’

Yuri immediately nodded. He meant to massage his eyes.

For some time now, Ling Xinlu had barely spoken to Yuri or looked at him, but since he started working and seemed tired, he hadn’t missed a single night of telling Yuri to rub his eyes.

Soon, Yuri went to the living room with a hot towel and a bowl of water. Ling Xinlu, as if it were natural, lay down with his head on Yuri’s thigh and closed his eyes. Yuri placed the hot towel over his eyes as usual.

“……….” “……….”

…No words were exchanged.

Yuri quietly rubbed Ling Xinlu’s eyes, temples, and the area around his eyes over the towel, and Ling Xinlu gradually exhaled slower breaths, relaxing his body.

He really seemed very upset. The point in time was clear. It was after the talk of a lifetime contract. So Yuri knew that he himself was the one who had upset Ling Xinlu.

This is troubling.

Yuri murmured to himself again. A lifetime contract was not something he had ever considered, and there was no room for negotiation or reconsideration on that part.

Moreover, Ling Xinlu must have known that it actually had little meaning in itself. Yet, he was being stubborn like a child who wouldn’t be satisfied unless he got whatever he wanted.

Without even considering whether it would benefit him or not.

“Scent…”

At that moment, Ling Xinlu suddenly murmured.

Yuri, who had been rubbing his eyes, paused, but then calmly asked, ‘Is it that scent? The water scent.’ Ling Xinlu didn’t answer. He remained still for a moment, then, at some point, he grabbed Yuri’s collar and pulled him closer.

Yuri lost his balance and swayed, and Ling Xinlu buried his nose in his chest.

Yuri silently watched Ling Xinlu deeply inhale, moving his nose thoroughly into every corner of his chest, as if not to miss a single thing.

Ling Xinlu suddenly ripped Yuri’s shirt, like someone who had become frantic. Without even unbuttoning it, he simply pulled at the placket, tearing several buttons off from the top. Then, Ling Xinlu buried his face again in the exposed bare skin.

Yuri flinched slightly as Ling Xinlu’s nose, cheek, and breath touched his skin directly, but he let Ling Xinlu have his chest. Ling Xinlu slowly moved his face across his neck, collarbone, lower chest, and armpit, smelling him, then hugged Yuri tightly. And he pressed his nose even closer. As if to bury his entire face.

His nose, cheek, and lips moved ticklishly over Yuri’s body.

Then suddenly, as Ling Xinlu brushed his cheek against Yuri’s chest, he paused to smell Yuri’s protruding nipple, then bit it directly.

Yuri instinctively flinched in pain, but the arms hugging his waist tightened, making it impossible to pull away. On the contrary, perhaps finding that reaction interesting—or perhaps thinking it was a good opportunity to act on his spite—he bit harder, grinding his teeth.

Finally, Yuri, unable to bear it, said curtly, ‘It hurts.’ Only then did the bite on his nipple loosen ever so slightly.

‘It wasn’t the water scent, after all. Now, even after smelling you like this, my heart doesn’t feel light at all. It feels even heavier. Much heavier.’ Or perhaps what was in his heart wasn’t salt, but cotton? Ling Xinlu asked with a sneer, pressing his twisted lips together.

Ling Xinlu continued to rub and fondle Yuri’s chest with his lips and nose for a while longer, then suddenly twisted his lips upward.

‘How can you be so calm when you say you like me?’

The words, spat out through clenched teeth, were just low enough to barely conceal his rage.

‘Even when I’m this angry, when I ignore you, it doesn’t seem to affect you at all. Is it because you think you’ll leave soon, so now it doesn’t matter anymore?’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Tell me honestly. I won’t stop you if you want to leave. You’re actually relieved because you can go back in a little while, aren’t you?’ Then, as if surged with emotion again, he bit his collarbone. He bit hard enough to make Yuri jump, but not enough to break the skin.

Yuri flinched, momentarily closing his mouth to stifle a cry of pain, then, as the pain subsided somewhat, he said, ‘I’ve never said I would go back when this contract expires. If Ling Xinlu wishes, we can renew the contract. I’m willing to do so. However, as I told you, in the long run, it wouldn’t be good for you.’

Nevertheless, if Ling Xinlu asked for a contract renewal, Yuri would readily agree. Even though he worried it would be beyond his capabilities to assist him effectively, and that it would subtly inconvenience him, he would still accept the contract for now.

Then, after a year or two, if he judged that he could no longer assist Ling Xinlu to the desired level with his abilities, Yuri would then refuse the contract. But not yet.

For now, if Ling Xinlu wanted it, Yuri intended to renew the contract.

However, he knew that it was his own selfishness, and that for Ling Xinlu to move forward, it would be better to find someone else in the long term.

Ling Xinlu was silent.

His face was buried deep in Yuri’s chest, so Yuri couldn’t see his expression. He only felt a slight movement, as if he was trying to press his cheek deeper, closer.

‘Mr. Gable. Do you really like me?’

Finally, a muffled voice came from where his face was buried against Yuri’s chest. It was a low, suppressed voice, as if crushed by the weight of his heart.

‘Yes, I like you.’

Yuri’s answer was without hesitation. He replied plainly with the honest truth.

Ling Xinlu didn’t say anything for a moment. With his face still buried in Yuri’s embrace, he took several slow, deep breaths.

Then, he suddenly murmured something to himself, in a distorted tone. ‘So you can just leave, even while saying you like me.’

As if mocking, or reprimanding, Ling Xinlu murmured this, then finally raised his head. His terrifyingly dark eyes looked up at Yuri.

Yuri met his gaze and nodded. And then he opened his mouth.

‘I intend to keep in touch often. If Ling Xinlu will accept it. When the new year comes, or your birthday, or the end of the year approaches, or even sometimes when there’s no particular reason. Later on, even after a lot of time passes…’

Just as he did with Ling Tangyun, even if a day came when they were so busy that they could only meet once every few years. Yuri wanted to continue getting to know this lovable person.

Ling Xinlu said nothing.

He stared intently, then at some point, he shoved Yuri away abruptly and stood up. Glaring at Yuri with distorted eyes, he roughly spat out,

‘You chew on that bland grass if you want. I hate it!—No, you spit that kind of thing out too. I want to burn all that damn grass to ashes.’

He shouted through gritted teeth and went into his room. He slammed the door shut, and he didn’t come out of the room for the rest of that night.

It had always been like this. Ling Xinlu had consistently thrown only glances shimmering with dark anger and words as cold as ice at Yuri.

‘Even so, you can just leave, even while saying you like me.’

Yuri slowly rose to the surface like a whale with a heavy weight attached, sighing. Bubbles rose to the surface.

Somehow, it felt like even if they renewed the contract, Ling Xinlu wouldn’t stop glaring at him with fierce eyes. Somewhere, something had gone seriously wrong.

“You’re too much, Uncle Yuri. To leave the house empty when someone said they were coming… How could you be so inhospitable? You didn’t even answer the phone!”

Yuri, who had just poked his head above the water to take a deep breath, widened his eyes as a sudden, clamoring voice poured down on him the moment he emerged from the water.