Mousse Dark Chocolate

It has been raining, Jinnan locked himself in the room to watch a movie and ignored all messages except work calls.

Xu Zhiyuan's bodyguard was still on vacation, and he had a full schedule for himself every day. So Jinnan could only be at home half of his time.

He got up, dressed, and ate on time. He took away Xu Zhiyuan's coat that Jinnan had hidden in the room. For Jinnan, this was more of a warning.

Seeing Xu Zhiyuan's car leaving the garage, Jinnan put down his phone. Half of his time was over.

The scene stopped at the Maybach that Xu Zhiyuan left at home. He drove away Jinnan's car.

The movie on the screen was somewhere in the background, the hero and heroine kissing passionately, and he just felt sleepy watching it. He smoked half a pack of cigarettes that day.

The phone rang.

Jinnan opened it and took a look, and it turned out to be a message from Xu Zhiyuan.

"I'm going to pick out gifts today."

Xu Zhiyuan, reporting the itinerary to him.

Picking a gift? For whom? A business partner, or someone celebrating their birthday?

Mr. Xiang from the chemical new materials company celebrated his 70th birthday in January, a younger member of the Zhang family got married during the Spring Festival, and there was also a happy event on Li Hongfang's side, as his father remarried.

Jinnan read it many times without replying a single word. He didn't even open the input box, not wanting Xu Zhiyuan to notice anything.

Suddenly, an idea struck his mind like lightning.

Jinnan's birthday is in late January.

Would Xu Zhiyuan specifically choose a day when there were no bodyguards around to pick out a birthday present for him?

Every year in the past, Xu Zhiyuan would send him a birthday present out of courtesy, even though he rarely attended.

Could it be? Could it be because of him?

The bodyguard placed the bug in Xu Zhiyuan's pocket every day. He might have known about it, but he never said anything. Every day, Xu Zhiyuan kept his communication channel open to Jinnan, no matter who he met or what he said.

But because of a holiday, the radio station was off the air, and Jinnan's ears were lonely. If he called Xu Zhiyuan, he would definitely answer.

But, but.

The doorbell rang first. Jinnan opened the door, cigarette in hand. A girl stood timidly in front of the door, holding a cake box. She was wearing a gray-pink apron with a cat head logo.

He is a clerk at the cake shop where Jinnan often eats.

"Hello, Mr. Xu asked me to deliver a cake." The waitress tried to smile. "Mr. Xu didn't write a card, but he did leave a message. He told you to eat well."

"Thank you, I understand." Jin Nan also smiled.

I miscalculated. I should have put on a shirt before opening the door.

A cold wind blew into the room, giving Jinnan goosebumps. He unwrapped the cake, revealing a simple mousse dark chocolate, the flavor Jinnan often made for afternoon tea.

How did Xu Zhiyuan know?

No, Xu Zhiyuan knows everything.

He knew which room in the tube-shaped building Jinnan lived in, which floor his classroom was on, that Jinnan was being ostracized and his books had been burned, and that he had gotten into trouble that could not be resolved.

I know that Jin Nan was confused when he first came to Lido, I know that he couldn't get along with classmates and friends who were much better off than him, I know that he valued self-esteem but also had no self-respect, and I know all his ridiculous or stubborn persistence.

Does he know how Jin Nan feels about him?

Maybe he knows too.

Knowing this, I acquiesced to Jinnan's outrageous behavior and did not respond. Isn't this a silent rejection?

Jinnan thought so before.

But when it rained in winter, Xu Zhiyuan came in the rain, and today he also gave him a cake, which made Jinnan uncertain again.

How did Xu Zhiyuan really see him? Did he see him as a poor wretch about to lose everything? Or...was he a little bit attracted to men?

If it were Jin Nan, being scrutinized from head to toe like this all day long, it would be a blessing if he didn't lose his temper. He would never give the culprit a good look.

Xu Zhiyuan is different. There are too many things hidden in his smile, and Jinnan can't guess.

Is there anything you like among those hidden things?

Jinnan called Li Hongfang.

There were three soft beeps, and the person on the other end picked up the phone. The voice sounded lazy and slightly satisfied, as if he hadn't gotten up yet.

"Kinaminami?"

"Hongfang, I need someone to help you." Jinnan put the cake in the refrigerator and typed a letter asking someone to bring him lunch.

"you say."

The WeChat message was transmitted for a while, and Jinnan's voice was also stuck. He couldn't remember the name of the model he saw at Li Hongfang's house last time.

"That model from LCH, her name is Ke something..."

"Ke Zhuo."

"Yes, is he gay?"

Jinnan asked naturally, but the person answering was less forthright. Li Hongfang hissed softly, "This is personal privacy, I can't ask directly."

"Is that so?" Jin Nan asked again.

"Yes." Li Hongfang had no choice but to answer.

"Give me his contact information."

Li Hongfang was not happy: "Are you interested in him? People like them are heartless and ungrateful. Talking about love will only make you sad."

"Have you ever had a conversation?" Jin Nan asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that I'll complain if you make up stories about her?"

"I'm just giving you a kind reminder." Li Hongfang also smiled.

After a while, Li Hongfang sent a business card to Jinnan on WeChat. Jinnan added it directly. After checking the message, he found that the chef was on vacation today and was out of town.

"Are you meeting him today?" Li Hongfang asked. "Do you want me to come? I'm familiar with him, so it's easier for me to talk to him."

Indeed, they were familiar. Jinnan had actually heard some of their gossip. Li Hongfang was a frivolous man, and due to his professional expertise, he had connections with many beauties and playboys. His circle of friends came and went: one day a celebrity, the next a supermodel. Ke Zhuo was a barely constant around him.

According to Ke Zhuo himself, he has known Li Hongfang for three years.

But after three years of friendship, when Jinnan wanted to borrow it, Li Hongfang's original words were "I'm better at asking."

I don’t know who is heartless.

"Don't worry, I won't take away someone else's love." Jinnan said, "If you need anything, please ask him."

Jinnan seemed to hear Li Hongfang breathe a sigh of relief.

"I can do anything."

In just a few words, Jin Nan's friend request was accepted. Ke Zhuo sent a message: "Hello, I'm Ke Zhuo from Sifan Entertainment. If you want to collaborate, please contact your agent first."

Jinnan only replied with two words.

"Konami."

The person on the other end was typing away for a long time. Jin Nan jumped out to order takeout and casually asked Li Hongfang on the phone, "What's good takeout?"

Li Hongfang:?

"Never mind, let's eat cake."

*

Before being burned by the light tube and light box, during the water break, Ke Zhuo met someone he didn't expect to see in the corner.

Jin Nan hadn't replied since asking about his schedule that morning. Having often dealt with people like him, Ke Zhuo had developed a rule: no follow-up meant it didn't happen.

He thought that not being able to see Jin Nan would be the end, but he never expected that Jin Nan would come to see him.

The messy studio was filled with equipment and people, noisy coming and going. Jinnan was the only idle person with a hot drink in his hand.

"I brought you a cup of hot cocoa." Jinnan held up the bag.

"Thank you." Ke Zhuo took it dryly, not knowing why this gentleman came.

“How long will it take to finish filming?”

Ke Zhuo glanced back. There were still two or three looks left. The camera assistant was talking on the monitor, wondering if the look on him needed rework. The main cameraman's expression wasn't looking good.

"It may take a while." Ke Zhuo said, "You don't need to bring it. You can't drink it."

"dislike?"

"Control card."

"Sorry." Jinnan laughed, "I forgot you were a model."

How could I forget this? Ke Zhuo complained in his heart and asked in a low voice: "Then who do you think I am?"

They didn't notice that the camera assistant had suddenly focused on Ke Zhuo, who was talking with his head down, and the mysterious guest wearing a mask. Their posture wasn't ambiguous, but the atmosphere was intimate, a sense of relaxation unlike what was seen behind the camera.

Relaxation, this is also the feeling that Jinnan brings to Ke Zhuo.

He's not arrogant, doesn't have the quirks of a young master, is easy to talk to, easy to get things done, and most importantly, has a face that's pleasing to the eye. It's hard not to become a snob about beauty after spending so much time in the fashion world.

Jinnan himself did not think that he was being kind to this newly arrived "friend" of his, treating him as an old friend. Although he had taken the wrong path, his heart was good. Ke Zhuo was very grateful.

"Think of you as my savior," Jinnan said.

Ke Zhuo's heart, which had been calm all this time, suddenly skipped a beat.

Li Hongfang's words might have tinged him with contempt for the entire group, but he wasn't wrong about Ke Zhuo; he was indeed a cold-blooded individual. Understanding and adapting to the rules, he worked without burden and climbed the corporate ladder quickly, leveraging Li Hongfang's tendency to remain silent to gain leverage.

But because of Jinnan, Li Hongfang, who had been mute for so long, suddenly became aware of the situation. He told Ke Zhuo not to contact him anymore.

Ke Zhuo had a certain admiration and curiosity for Jin Nan. Could it be that Jin Nan's pretty face was a meritorious service that Li Hongfang paid so much attention to her?

Now he understood that it wasn't entirely true.

"You go back first. I'll come over in the evening. Just tell me the place."

The cameraman called, signaling the end of the break. Ke Zhuofang put down his water cup and tried to read Jin Nan's emotions from his only exposed eyes.

"It's okay, let me take a look." Jinnan blinked, "Shall we have dinner together tonight?"

Ke Zhuo naturally agreed.

*

Five minutes before the end of the get off work day, Claire entered Xu Zhiyuan's office with an envelope and placed it on the table: "Mr. Xiao Jin."

Xu Zhiyuan understood and opened it. Inside was a dull photograph. In the center, two people were talking in a corner. The one with his back to the camera was tall and thin, revealing a refined demeanor. The other person was huddled in loose clothing, with only half of their face visible through a mask.

That half of the face was enough for Xu Zhiyuan to confirm that it was Jinnan.

"Who is it?" Xu Zhiyuan asked, pointing at the back of the figure in the photo.

"A model," Claire said. "There shouldn't be any public meetings. Xiao Jin always goes to see him and stays in the studio for over three hours."

Xu Zhiyuan pursed his lips. Another friend of Jinnan’s, a special friend, a close friend, one of Jinnan’s many friends.

What kind of friend is this? A friend who needs special visitation?

"Mr. Xu, do you need the other party's background?"

Xu Zhiyuan nodded. Claire handed over a document and lowered her voice, "My name is Ke Zhuo. I'm of Chinese and French descent. My mother is from Lido. I started modeling at the age of fifteen. I followed Master Hongfang three years ago. My career has been rising rapidly in the past two years."

Hongfang, it’s Li Hongfang again.

Xu Zhiyuan: "Ask someone to tell Li Hongfang to keep him under control."

Claire: "It's already been done. Master Hongfang said...it has nothing to do with him."

That is the personal relationship between the two.

"Where are they?" Xu Zhiyuan raised his voice a little, and the bodyguard in front of the door immediately looked in.

Xu Zhiyuan was so presumptuous today because he wasn't wearing a monitoring device. He still didn't want Jinnan to know how much his adopted brother thought of him.

"Today we have decided on Vermilion, seven o'clock."

The bodyguard came up to Xu Zhiyuan and announced with a cold face: "Mr. Xu, it's time to get off work. Mr. Jin has prepared a delicious meal for you."

Claire stepped back subconsciously. Xu Zhiyuan remained calm, but he had no idea how much this ear-splitting expert had heard.

"That's good." Xu Zhiyuan replied gently.