Iris crystal

In the private room on the third floor of Vermilion, Jin Nan was choosing ingredients from the menu while glancing at Ke Zhuo in the dim light.

In the crystal light and shadow, the model's outline is as sharp as the corner of a light spot, with clear light and dark. Ke Zhuo's appearance is also considered superior in this industry, with fair skin and light eyes. When he looks at people, he smiles attentively, as if he has a special kind of warmth.

"Are there any dietary restrictions?" Jinnan asked him.

"Allergic to cod."

The waiter noted down the details and quickly left after serving the drinks. Jinnan fiddled with the Lafite in the decanter, his eyes fixed on Ke Zhuo's fingertips as he ordered the table.

"Li Hongfang was very reluctant to reveal you," Jinnan said. "You have a good relationship with him?"

"Mr. Jin, you're joking." Ke Zhuo stood up and poured a glass of honey water for both of them. "Mr. Li needed a painting reference, and I just happened to catch his eye, that's all."

They were all shrewd people, and you couldn't tell whether they were lying or not by their faces. Jin Nan lowered his eyes, as if he was more concerned about the honey water.

"Not even once?" he asked suddenly.

Ke Zhuo choked and his breathing became inexplicably tight.

"No, not once."

Normally, friends wouldn't ask about these things. What did Jinnan mean? Ke Zhuo held the words to his lips, carefully savoring the meaning, not letting any vague hint slip.

Living in the world of sensual pleasures and acting as a beautiful flower, he had long learned to distinguish between human and ghost. The more temptations came, the more he became a sitting Buddha who was unmoved by the eight winds.

If you don’t explain the slang or code words clearly, you won’t understand them.

But he broke his promise for the man in front of him. The second time, Ke Zhuo wanted to get close to Jin Nan, not only because of his overwhelming power.

"What does Mr. Jin want me to do?" Ke Zhuo asked first. "I may not know how to do it, but I'm eager to learn."

He is quite studious. Jinnan recalled the information he had looked up. Ke Zhuo dropped out of school at the age of fifteen, but now he has a place in a French university and is studying for a bachelor's degree in art history.

He is handsome, smart, knowledgeable and interesting. Even the picky Li Hongfang was able to keep him by his side for three years.

If Xu Zhiyuan likes men, he probably wouldn't refuse a man like this.

Jinnan wanted to try that possibility out, he wanted to test the waters, but he was afraid that things might not develop to his liking.

He might as well hide himself in the dark. If things don't work out, he can just leave and pretend nothing happened. He and Xu Zhiyuan are still friends who control and are controlled.

Jin Nan had never made a deal like this before, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. When the food arrived, Jin Nan ate slowly, his conversation drifting off as if the previous discussion hadn't taken place.

He drank alcohol, but Ke Zhuo only drank honey water. When asked, he said that he wanted to drive for Mr. Jin.

"There's a driver."

"The driver may not be as skilled as I am," Ke Zhuo said. "I'm afraid outsiders wouldn't dare drive Mr. Jin's car."

Without a single flattery or flattery, or words meant to bring them closer, Ke Zhuo remained frank and drove Jin Nan home. This prerequisite was buried in the context behind it. Perhaps Ke Zhuo also remembered his own gaffe when he was drunk last time, and the silent rejection of Jin Nan and Li Hongfang.

Very smart, Jinnan chuckled and let him be free.

After the meal, Jin Nan was only slightly tipsy. Ke Zhuo took the driver's seat and fondled the Urus's steering wheel. Jin Nan sat in the passenger seat, watching Ke Zhuo's gleaming eyes.

"Like it?" Jinnan asked.

"Open the horse more." Ke Zhuo said, "This is the first time for Daniu."

Jinnan was amused by his description: "I have more at home. If you like, I have a sports car too."

Ke Zhuo's smile never faded as he chatted softly with Jin Nan. Jin Nan's cheeks and eyes were a bit red from the alcohol, a color his pale skin couldn't hide. Under the dim streetlight, his eyes shone brightly, whether they were hiding something or were genuine, no one could tell.

Maybe he was too reckless, Ke Zhuo thought. If he took it slowly, like today, they would both feel comfortable.

When they arrived, Ke Zhuo parked the car and Jinnan pulled out his phone to check the messages. Everything was normal. Xu Zhiyuan was at home, having already eaten and was working on something.

The bathroom was running, bathrobes and bath salts were ready, and Jin Nan looked at it like a pot of boiling soup, just waiting for the ingredients. Before he could look again, Ke Zhuo came to him with the key.

"What are you looking at?" Ke Zhuo asked, but his eyes didn't look around.

Jinnan said perfunctorily, "Bath."

Ke Zhuo's hand trembled as he returned the key. Sure enough, the next second he heard Jin Nan say, "Come upstairs with me."

The two men, both distracted, walked in together. Jinnan changed his shoes first, not wanting to turn on the lights, so Ke Zhuo didn't move.

In the darkness, he heard Jinnan ask, "Do you like men?"

The room was filled with a faint sandalwood scent, superficial, but deeper still, a more ambiguous aroma belonging to Jin Nan. Or perhaps Ke Zhuo had been mistaken, and now he had gotten what he wanted.

"I like it." said Ke Zhuo.

Jinnan changed his shoes, squatted by the door, and got him a pair of new slippers.

Ke Zhuo's movements were stiffer than ever before, like an octopus trying to tie its arms and legs in a knot. Jin Nan was standing nearby, and he couldn't make out his expression or what he was thinking. Ke Zhuo thought Jin Nan was probably sizing him up.

What a coincidence, models are best at dealing with critical eyes.

He took off his coat and even his inner shirt. Jin Nan didn't stop him. The heating in the room had been turned on early, so it was neither dry nor hot. Ke Zhuo felt his blood boiling.

He didn't know that Jinnan was dissatisfied. Could it be that Jinnan liked to do things without help?

After waiting for a long time, Ke Zhuo heard Jin Nan ask, "Which side are you from?"

His vision adjusted to the darkness. Jinnan turned around in the hallway. The dark shirt beneath his coat made his skin appear even paler, and his lips, red from the wine, looked incredibly soft in the moonlight.

"Up or down?"

Ke Zhuo: “Up there.”

Jinnan opened his eyes wide. He now believed that Ke Zhuo and Li Hongfang were innocent.

After a few seconds of silence, he felt that he was forcing her, but he still tried to test her: "Can you do the bottom?"

Ke Zhuo almost thought he had heard it wrong.

Jin Nan's meeting with him was already strange enough, but what did he hear now? Jin Nan was going to do something? Ke Zhuo looked him up and down, still unable to believe it.

But this is Jinnan, Hualin's current head of the family. His business scope is so broad that he has cooperated with many brands of Kezhuo. If he climbs up to Jinnan's high branch, he will get no less help than Li Hongfang.

More importantly, unlike Li Hongfang, who treated people as subjects for his paintings, Jinnan was more compassionate and generous, and seemed kind. If you want to sell something, you have to find a good customer, right?

Ke Zhuo thought for a long time and nodded with difficulty.

How can you not enjoy it? What's more, Jinnan has such a pleasing face.

Seeing that he agreed, Jin Nan finally smiled. He casually threw his coat on the sofa, clapped his hands to Ke Zhuo, and opened his arms.

Ke Zhuo approached and was held on the cheek. The sweet scent of red wine on Jin Nan approached, and just when Ke Zhuo thought he was about to receive a kiss, Jin Nan stopped at a safe distance and whispered, "Next week at Velbet Rose, I want you to participate and get close to someone."

In an instant, Ke Zhuo's blood, which was almost boiling, turned cold.

"Approach him, befriend him, seduce him."

"But you're not allowed to sleep with him, and you're not allowed to touch him."

"Can you do that?"

Jin Nan didn't want him as a lover. He wanted Ke Zhuo as a toy, a chess piece. He was a thousand times more despicable than Li Hongfang.

Ke Zhuo was speechless. Jin Nan seemed not to notice his embarrassment. He left for a moment and came back with a velvet gift box in his hand, which he opened in front of him.

Inside was a LCH 1988 commemorative iris crystal brooch, which had a starting price of 500,000 yuan at Poly Auction two years ago. It was finally sold for 200,000 yuan.

Price was secondary. Ke Zhuo's business was now strongly tied to LCH, so Jinnan's gift to him was perfectly suited. On his own, it would have been difficult for him to secure such a lavish gift.

"This is a deposit," Jinnan said. "I know you can't buy what you want with money."

Generous demon.

Ke Zhuo closed his eyes deeply: "Mr. Jin, you should be able to see that I..."

Jinnan pushed the box forward and said, "Please keep this for now. I'll give you three days to think about it. I'll deliver the invitation on time."

*

In addition to celebrity models, many brand managers from the Asia-Pacific region were also in attendance at the Velbet Rose fashion dinner. Ke Zhuo sat in the nanny car, holding the gift given to him by Jin Nan and a photo with his name on it.

The person in the photo is Hua Lin's current real helmsman. He is attending the dinner as a supplier of high-end fabrics for many brands. Jin Nan warned that this person may not necessarily come tonight.

Ke Zhuo had to be extremely prepared, even though he was clearly not interested.

After getting off the car, his manager led him backstage. After wandering among the elegantly dressed, Ke Zhuo was dragged to a corner. His manager grabbed his cufflinks and scolded him, "You idiot Lanzai! Did he choose your clothes? Can't you add a little extra? There are so many important people here today, why didn't you wear slippers?"

Ke Zhuo tightened his grip on the box, but his agent grabbed his wrist and forcefully opened it. The contents inside made even this picky snob look greedy.

"You're really getting a great deal. Hurry up and put it on to toast, and say a few words to Mr. He and Mr. Bai. The competition for next season's magazine pages is fierce!"

Ke Zhuo walked into the smokeless Colosseum with a smile on his face for half the night. The target he was keeping an eye on finally arrived at 20:31.

The man was dressed in a simple, casual black suit, his face a cold glow from the plain glasses, and he was followed by two tall and muscular bodyguards. It was rumored to involve a power struggle at the top, so it was best not to ask.

As soon as he arrived, a group of people surrounded him to toast him, and it was never Ke Zhuo's turn. He thought he had climbed high, but in front of such people, Ke Zhuo always felt like a wild pigeon shot down by an arrow.

After a long time, he finally squeezed next to Xu Zhiyuan, his wine glass was half full and his clothes were slightly messy.

"Mr. Xu, toast to you."

No one knew what Xu Zhiyuan liked, so Ke Zhuo could only try to be unconventional and dress in a low-key manner, relying on little embellishments to bring out his good looks to the fullest.

Xu Zhiyuan stood in front of him, raised his glass and smiled.

"Ke Zhuo, I recognize you."

A special friend that Jin Nan visited, had dinner with, and brought home. A week ago, he stayed at Jin Nan's house for two hours and was then taken home by a driver that Jin Nan asked.

Didn't stay overnight but did stay for two hours.

Xu Zhiyuan originally thought that no matter how Jin Nan played or who he played with, he would not care. Jin Nan would not do anything out of line and would not really use his own future to tell a true love story.

But this one was too outrageous. Xu Zhiyuan could accept sleeping in the same bed, but he would not allow emotional communication.

Their day was so much like a date, with intimate conversations, dinner together, and the ride home together. Just this one day alone made Xu Zhiyuan jealous to the point of madness.

He himself would not take this step, nor would he allow anyone else to have it. No one, not even Xu Zhiyuan himself, would allow it.

He looked Ke Zhuo up and down, and that look made the people around him look at Ke Zhuo differently, as if a halo of luck had descended upon his head.

Xu Zhiyuan leaned closer, and when Ke Zhuo was nervous and suffocating, he reached out and lightly touched the iris crystal on Ke Zhuo's clothes.

"What a beautiful gift, Mr. Ke." Xu Zhiyuan sneered, "Who sent it?"

Even if it turned into ashes, Xu Zhiyuan could recognize it, because he was the one who gave it to Jin Nan in the name of Jin Licheng, he was the one who called over the ocean to ask for the price in the early morning, and he was the one who packed it in a box and placed it on Jin Nan's desk.

It was given by him.

Jinnan refused to confess, so Ke Zhuo could only grit his teeth and say that a friend gave it to him, pretending to be dumb. He knew that his performance was very poor and would never attract Mr. Xu's special attention, but Xu Zhiyuan didn't talk to him for a long time.

Later in the conversation, Ke Zhuo didn't even know what he was talking about, and all he wanted was to escape. Xu Zhiyuan always had a gentle smile on his face, as if he was really familiar with him.

Ke Zhuo, who relied on his eyes to make a living, could see the contempt and irritation hidden beneath Mr. Xu's smile. Surrounded by a group of bosses and CEOs, Xu Zhiyuan was roasting him like a little model.

After the banquet, Ke Zhuo almost fled. He sealed the brooch that had caught Xu Zhiyuan's attention into a box and wanted to return it to Jinnan. This task was impossible for him to complete.

However, the next day, a call from his agent dispelled his thoughts. The magazines he had been trying so hard to win over, the proud brands that had refused to cooperate with him even after he became famous, unexpectedly offered him an olive branch.

I don’t know if it was Jinnan’s work or if he benefited from Xu Zhiyuan’s influence.

Ke Zhuo hid the brooch, neither wearing it nor giving it away.