My father's inheritance is my mortal enemy.

The room was heated by underfloor heating, so it wasn't cold. Li Bo, wearing only a thin shirt and trousers, went to open the door. As soon as he opened it, the cold wind blew in from all directions, stinging his face. His tall figure couldn't block the wind.

Zhou Yanshao, dressed in black casual clothes, stood at the door.

Li Bo opened the door: "Come in and let's talk."

After Zhou Yanshao came in, he casually closed the door behind him. Li Bo poured two cups of hot water and placed them on the coffee table in the living room. He then sat opposite Zhou Yanshao, crossed his legs, and calmly rested his hands on his knees, looking every bit the victor.

"What's up?"

Li Bo's tone was too calm, and even the warm light couldn't give him the slightest warmth.

Zhou Yanshao frowned deeply: "Did you accept my confession for the sake of shares?"

Li Bo answered without hesitation: "Yes."

Zhou Yanshao chuckled lightly: "You think that if I don't become your girlfriend, I won't give you the shares? You'd even risk your life for them?"

"I don't like any variables in the plan."

"Li Bo!" Zhou Yanshao gritted his teeth.

He believed that all the intimate interactions between him and Li Bo stemmed from affection, not from a mere inheritance, nor from exploitation. Li Bo's answer left Zhou Yanshao feeling utterly alienated. Did Li Bo have no feelings for him whatsoever, and was only with him for personal gain?

The word "commitment" is too fitting.

"Two years ago you drugged me, and I thought you liked me at least a little! That night you clearly said you wouldn't regret it, but the next day you wanted to send me abroad. Do you know how I lived those two years? You don't know—"

Zhou Yanshao stopped talking, not wanting to complain, which would seem ridiculous and even a bit like trying to gain sympathy.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "You can just say you want shares, and I'll give them to you. I didn't even fight you for the inheritance my father left me. I know you've had a hard time in the Li family. I'm not in Beijing and can't protect you, but if you want them, it's just a matter of saying the word, and I'll give them to you without hesitation."

Why do you keep using me? Is it fun to play with me? Do I owe you something?

Li Bo smiled and said, "You should have realized what kind of person I am long ago."

Selfish, power-hungry, devoid of any emotion, and obsessed with clinging to the fragile bonds of kinship, he is willing to sacrifice everything for the Li family.

Li Bo is a qualified successor, but also a cold-blooded businessman.

Zhou Yanshao was used by such a person once, so he should stay away and be wary, instead of offering his sincerity again and letting such a person trample on it.

It's hard to warm people's hearts, and it's hard to change people's nature.

This was the last lesson Li Bo taught him.

"Yes... I was too good to you before. I misjudged you." Zhou Yanshao stood up from the sofa, knocking over the water glass on the table, which shattered on the floor.

Zhou Yanshao's arrogant expression and cold eyes were reflected on the cold glass.

The lights were blinding, and the coldness in Zhou Yanshao's eyes was like a piercing nail, piercing Li Bo's heart and pinning his broken body to the wall, bleeding profusely, devoid of any soul.

Li Bo bent down and squatted down, picking up the glass as if nothing had happened.

Zhou Yanshao walked past Li Bo to the door. He turned back to look at Li Bo's thin back, his expressionless face, and the bright red bloodstain on Li Bo's fingertip.

His last words were: "What you have now is what I gave you. Things that don't belong to you, you have to return."

Li Bo toyed with Zhou Yanshao's feelings and should be punished.

—All affection will be taken back, as will any vested interests.

Li Bo remained silent.

Zhou Yanshao closed the door and left.

Li Bo tidied up the glass shards on the blanket, went to the bathroom to wash his wound, pressed it for a long time, and sucked on his fingertips until the bleeding finally stopped. The farce was over, and he went back to bed to rest.

Li Bo couldn't sleep; he relied entirely on sleeping pills prescribed by his doctor.

The effects of sleeping pills last for three to four hours. Once the effects wear off, Li Bo will wake up. Taking too many sleeping pills can lead to drug resistance, so Li Bo only takes one a day.

Li Bo got up early in the morning. The ski resort was huge, and he walked around it. By the time he finished walking around, it was almost noon. He looked down at his watch and went to the cafeteria for lunch.

The young athletes in the canteen were full of energy, chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

Coach Andrew and Zhou Yanshao came to the cafeteria together. Ruan Ge and Deman were also there. The four of them sat down, and Coach Andrew asked, "How have you decided? Do you want to stay on the team next year? An athlete's golden age is only a few years. Northern Europe is the birthplace of skiing, and the training effect here will definitely be better than in China."

Two months ago, Zhou Yanshao submitted his application to leave the team and will return to Beijing next year.

Coach Andrew withdrew the application, wanting Zhou Yanshao to reconsider. Coach Andrew is a person who greatly values ​​talent, and he hopes Zhou Yanshao will stay in Northern Europe.

Zhou Yanshao glanced at Li Bo, who was sitting alone not far away.

"Let's see."

"Okay, give me an answer after the match."

"Um."

Doctor Deman stepped in to smooth things over: "Wow, the meat is delicious today! You should all try some. Let's not talk about anything else while we're eating, it's such a spoilsport!"

……

Li Bo's sense of taste seemed to have returned; he could actually taste a slight bitterness in the food in front of him.

Li Bo didn't like bitter food, so he didn't eat much, only forcing himself to eat some white rice to tide him over.

For a fleeting moment, Li Bo felt as if he had returned to when he was very, very young, and was content with just a little white rice.

Li Bo got up with the leftovers and bumped into Zhou Yanshao, who was carrying a bowl of hot soup. Zhou Yanshao said coldly, "If you're going to waste food, don't come to the base to eat."

I don't know who he was talking to, but he was speaking in Chinese.

Deman looked around, remembering that she had only taken a couple of bites of food before putting down her chopsticks. Seeing the steaming chicken soup at the window, she couldn't resist coming over to get some. She huffed and puffed, "I may be craving it, but girls need to maintain their figure! What do you know! Did you eat some kind of explosive today? Why are you talking so rudely!"

Li Bo looked down at the food in his bowl without saying a word.

In the afternoon, Li Bo left the base.