An hour ago, Zhou Ziheng was still chatting with Zhao Ke, who had been urging him to attend the art salon tonight.
"I heard there are a lot of painters at the dinner here." Zhao Ke on the other end of the phone was a little excited, "Maybe there will be some beautiful painters."
Speaking of painters, Zhou Ziheng couldn't help but think of that figure in his mind.
"When did you get into this?" Zhou Ziheng put on headphones and closed his eyes while posing. His event tonight was a discussion meeting to promote Chinese and foreign independent films. He was the only male actor in his twenties who attended, and the rest were all big names with rich experience and awards. Jiang Yin gave him many instructions, and Zhou Ziheng understood her painstaking efforts, as she was paving the way for herself.
Zhao Ke teased on the other end, "I saw your CP on the hot search a few days ago, and then I carefully looked at his photos and videos, and I found that the temperament of artists is really different, the kind that can't be described. And he really looks like a girl, prettier than many girls. Hey, does he have a sister? Do they look alike? Introduce her to me?"
Zhou Ziheng frowned, his displeasure was too obvious, "Get out of here."
"Just kidding, it's a pity that this kind of appearance doesn't exist on girls." Zhao Ke changed the subject. As a childhood friend, he continued to tease him about his childhood flaws, "Hey, you haven't mentioned your first love recently, something's wrong."
Being told the real issue, Zhou Ziheng felt a little guilty, "What are you talking about..."
"Really? I haven't heard you talk about it for a long time. It makes me feel uncomfortable." Zhao Ke said in a mean tone, "You haven't changed your mind, have you?"
Zhou Ziheng didn't speak for a long time, which made Zhao Ke's heart beat fast, "Hey... are you okay? Why don't you speak?"
After a long while, Zhou Ziheng finally spoke, "... Let me ask you, if you knew from the beginning that there was such a person, who had a chaotic private life, loved to lie, liked to play with other people's feelings, and especially liked to abandon people who liked him, would you have a good impression of such a person?"
"What kind of affection are you talking about?" Zhao Ke assumed that Zhou Ziheng liked girls, but he felt that this description sounded like a man's. He naturally thought of the kind of affection as a friend. "I think this needs to be discussed separately. Aren't there a lot of people like this in our circle? They like to play around and don't treat others with sincerity. They may be a little master, but I don't think it prevents us from being friends. Some people are bad at relationships, but they are loyal. It depends on the person."
Zhou Ziheng knew that Zhao Ke couldn't understand what he said, and he didn't know why he asked him. He just felt that he was in a period of confusion. To be honest, he was tired of the relationship with Xia Xiqing that could only go so far. He wanted to possess her. This idea grew like weeds in his mind and was about to drive him crazy.
Why couldn't he love himself
Why does such a terrible possessiveness appear in him
Zhou Ziheng lost his confidence whenever he thought of what Xia Xiqing had done in the past. Of all the people, no one had ever kept his heart. How could he dare to say that he was special? So many people had been sweet and close to him, and even had deeper relationships with him, but without exception, they all lost to Xia Xiqing's morbid desire for games.
He has already lost, he is just pretending that he still has a chance of winning.
Once his thoughts were exposed, Xia Xiqing might abandon him without hesitation.
If that were the result, Zhou Ziheng would rather trap himself in this false sweet trap. Even if Xia Xiqing and he were just playing around, at least there would be a brief moment of pleasure.
"Yeah, you're right." Zhou Ziheng perfunctorily said a few words, but Zhao Ke unexpectedly said, "That being said, you are such an upright person, you probably don't want to hang out with that kind of person. Even the girls you like are the angel type."
Contrary to what he said, Zhou Ziheng just wanted to remain silent.
Not only did he hang out with that kind of person, he also fell in love with that kind of person.
"Are you coming? If you come, we can go together."
"I can't go to the meeting. I'm doing my hair right now." The stylist started blow-drying his hair, and the two ended the call.
Who would have thought that when Zhou Ziheng had just finished listening to a speech by an Italian director, he received several messages from Zhao Ke in a row. He was a little surprised. It turned out that the event Xia Xiqing mentioned was the same event as the art salon Zhao Ke mentioned
Thinking about it this way, he was not surprised. It was normal for Xia Xiqing to attend the art salon. Now it was his turn to regret. He should have gone when he received the invitation, but he was too concerned. Whether it was as a celebrity or with a family background, he was too conspicuous. Attending such a place was much more uncomfortable than attending the All-Star red carpet. At least other colleagues could share the attention. In addition, he had other plans tonight, so he could only turn it down.
If he knew Xia Xiqing would go, he might have gone without even thinking about these things.
Zhao Ke, who was at the banquet, was stealing glances at Xia Xiqing when his cell phone vibrated.
[Heng Heng: Did he go alone?]
[Ke Zi: It seems so. He was alone just now. But he was so eye-catching that men and women came to chat with him. He was so busy.]
When Zhou Ziheng saw the last three words, he felt the blood rushing to his head. He could almost imagine the scene of Xia Xiqing, with that pretty face, pretending to be gentle and elegant while drinking and chatting with others.
This kind of banquet is attended by people who have a certain knowledge of art. They wonder whether they can get along well with Xia Xiqing and whether they will feel like old friends at first sight.
My heart suddenly started beating wildly.
[Hengheng: Who were the people who went? Are there any I know?]
Zhao Ke didn't think much about it. He took a look at the situation and quickly replied to the message.
[Ke Zi: You know most of them, many of them are from our compound. This meeting was organized by Zhong Chi, and he invited some wealthy second-generation local tycoons. You don’t know the luxury car parked at the door. Fortunately, I deliberately drove the most low-key one today, for fear of being reported and implicated my father and brother. Rich second-generations are more comfortable and can show off as they please.]
The topic was getting further and further away, and Zhou Ziheng became so annoyed that he was about to get angry.
He didn't know how to get him to help keep an eye on it. If he told him directly, Zhao Ke would definitely find it strange, but if he tried to hint at it, he doubted whether Zhao Ke's IQ could understand.
[Hengheng: Xia Xiqing has a simple personality and doesn’t know anything except painting. Please help me look after her. If anything happens, please let me know.]
Zhao Ke was happy. What could possibly happen? Besides, what could he do if he told you from so far away? Did he think he was a superman who could save the world
However, Zhao Ke knew his childhood friend's sense of justice better than anyone else, and he didn't think it was strange. In his heart, Xia Xiqing really fits the description of "simple" as Zhou Ziheng said.
Okay, let him be the flower protector, ugh, grass protector this time.
After putting away his phone, he turned around and found that Xia Xiqing was gone, along with the man who had just chatted up with him. Zhao Ke suddenly panicked. He had just agreed to something, but was slapped in the face so quickly.
“Where the hell have you been…” Zhao Ke was wandering around like a headless fly, and when he turned around, he bumped into a girl in a black velvet suspender dress.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Zhao Ke apologized repeatedly, but found that this girl looked very familiar, “You are…” His mind went blank and he couldn’t remember anything, even though the name was right on the tip of his tongue.
Unexpectedly, the girl laughed first, "I have been in this awkward atmosphere of being familiar but unable to call out my name all night."
As soon as he heard her voice, Zhao Ke remembered, "You are Ruan Xiao! Right?" When Ruan Xiao was on TV, her style was always sweet, with long chestnut hair that was gentle and cute. This time, she dyed her hair back to black, with dark red lips and a black velvet slim dress, which almost made a straight man like Zhao Ke fail to recognize her.
"Why are you here?"
Ruan Xiao raised his chin to the right and said, "I came here with my dad."
There were a bunch of wealthy businessmen gathered there, and Zhao Ke understood immediately, "Are you Ruan Zhengting's daughter?"
She shrugged and smiled charmingly, "You are Director Zhao's son."
"No, no, no," Zhao Ke was most afraid of being accused of something. He was so engrossed in the conversation that he suddenly remembered Zhou Ziheng's instructions. "Oh, by the way, have you seen Xia Xiqing?"
"Xia Xiqing?" Ruan Xiao was a little surprised. "Are you talking about Xiqing who recorded the show with me?"
"Yes." Zhao Ke looked around again, "I saw him just now. He might have been invited as a painter. He was drinking in the lounge area just now, and a man in a burgundy suit approached him, but he disappeared as soon as I turned around."
Ruan Xiao's expression suddenly turned ugly. "Burgundy suit, are you talking about a man who is about our age?"
"Yeah. He was the only one in the room who was dressed the most flamboyantly. His perfume was overwhelming."
A person walked by, and Ruan Xiao pretended to be affectionate and put his arm around Zhao Ke, and said in a low voice, "You may not know this person, his name is Wei Min, and he has a very bad reputation in our circle."
Zhao Ke's face turned red. He didn't even hear clearly what Ruan Xiao said. Ruan Xiao took him to a place with few people. Before he could recover, Ruan Xiao let him go.
"His private life is extremely chaotic. He has affairs with both men and women and likes to support celebrities and internet celebrities."
He heard it clearly this time. Recalling Wei Min's attentiveness just now, he frowned, "But this... If Xia Xiqing doesn't agree, there's nothing he can do."
"That's what I'm worried about." Ruan Xiao's expression was serious. "He basically uses force, using some very inferior methods."
"Fuck, I have to find Xia Xiqing quickly."
"I'll go with you."
Zhao Ke was a fool and didn't realize that Ruan Xiao didn't ask him why he was looking for Xia Xiqing, nor did he ask Ruan Xiao how he knew him. He just followed Ruan Xiao around in the Zhong family mansion and ended up in the small garden.
Xia Xiqing originally wanted to get rid of Wei Min and go to the observation deck by himself under the pretext of smoking, but Wei Min insisted and took out a cigar to show his courtesy. Although he is a rich second-generation, he rarely attends such occasions due to family reasons. Many people don't even know that he is Xia Yunkai's son.
"I've seen your paintings, they're really good." Wei Min took the initiative to get him a glass of wine, "I admire talented people the most."
Since he kept talking about painting, he probably thought he was just an invited internet celebrity painter.
Xia Xiqing smiled and refused the blue cocktail in his hand without saying anything.
"So you don't like cocktails. That's right. This kind of wine tastes like sugar water, and it's boring." He put the glass of wine on the table and handed the cigar to him. "This one is strong. It was shipped from the Dominican Republic by private jet. Try it."
It's not an exaggeration to say that he is a local tycoon. Xia Xiqing smiled faintly and said nothing. The cigarette was close to his hand, but he was too lazy to push it away. He pinched it with his fingers and raised his hand to let Wei Min light it for him. The orange spark lit up and then went out, and he thanked him gently.
"I heard from Director Kun that you are the second male lead in Tracking," Wei Min smiled, "It's like this, you probably don't know, you were not there when we organized the last meeting, you were still the female lead at that time, and I voted for Tracking..."
"So what?" Xia Xiqing raised his eyes, the rich aroma of cigar echoing in his head. He exhaled lazily, and his peach blossom eyes in the smoke were full of charm, but also with obvious contempt.
Wei Min was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect him to ask back like this, "Ah... I mean, I don't know if you have time in the second half of the night. Although I don't know much about art, I like all beautiful things. I want to make a mural at home. I wonder if the great painter Xia can do me a favor and help me with some advice." He smiled and put his arm around Xia Xiqing's shoulders. "It would be a great honor if I could lend you a hand."
Ruan Xiao and Zhao Ke, who had searched the entire Zhong residence, finally saw Xia Xiqing's back on the third floor. As soon as they approached, they discovered that Wei Min had his arm around Xia Xiqing's shoulders, and they looked very intimate from behind. Zhao Ke hesitated for a moment, and was then pulled by Ruan Xiao to the back of the stained glass door on the rooftop.
"Why are you hiding?"
"My family is urging me to get married now." Ruan Xiao pouted, "If someone sees me following Wei Min, they might think I'm interested in him. If someone has nothing better to do and tries to bring us together, I'll be screwed."
Then the two of us... Zhao Ke looked at Ruan Xiao who was holding his arm, his Adam's apple rolled, but in the end he didn't say anything, and decided to get down to business first, "Well, Xia Xiqing was so intimate with him, could it be that they really did that..."
"No, Xiqing is not that kind of person." Ruan Xiao looked through the glass door, but Xia Xiqing did not push him away.
There was a click, the sound of a shutter. Ruan Xiao turned around and looked at Zhao Ke holding up his phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'll take a picture and send it to Hengheng."
"Why should I show it to him?" Ruan Xiao asked a soul-searching question.
Zhao Ke was stunned for a moment, "Yes, why."
The two of them were silent for two seconds, and suddenly asked at the same time, "Are you studying?"
Wow, we are really like-minded. Ruan Xiao patted Zhao Ke on the shoulder and said, "Okay, we are friends now."
What is unfolding? Zhao Ke's phone vibrated violently a few times, and when he opened it, it was indeed Zhou Ziheng.
[Heng Heng: What’s going on?]
[Heng Heng: Who is the person hugging him?]
[Heng Heng: Didn’t you tell me you would help me keep an eye on it?]
Zhao Ke also got angry and typed back to him quickly.
[Ke Zi: Damn it, Brother Heng, you are being so dishonest. I am here to help you watch over him. Xia Xiqing wanted to be hugged by someone, so I am not going to rush over and pry his hands apart, and then yell at him, “Get out of the way, this is my friend’s.” Bah, look at what I am saying, who is Xia Xiqing to you?]
Zhou Ziheng was stunned for a long while when he received such a long string of messages.
Yes, who is Xia Xiqing to him
He wants to be held in someone's arms, what can I do? Not to mention Zhao Ke, even if he was there, he couldn't say to the person holding him, "This is mine."
Seeing that Zhou Ziheng didn't reply for a long time, Zhao Ke panicked a little, thinking that what he said was too harsh. But he really couldn't understand why Zhou Ziheng was so nervous when Xia Xiqing was already such a grown-up.
A flash of inspiration suddenly came to his chaotic mind.
Fuck.
Oh shit.
He looked at Ruan Xiao blankly.
"You say, we're not going to get real, are we?"
This cigar makes me sick to my stomach.
Or maybe the person in front of him was too disgusting. Xia Xiqing couldn't stand it anymore, so he pushed Wei Min's hand away, put the unfinished cigar into the blue cocktail, and said coldly.
"You can't afford me."
Wei Min's expression changed. Seeing that he was so ignorant, he got angry all of a sudden. But Xia Xiqing's face was really to his liking. He had caught a glimpse of her in Yunshui before and had been thinking about her for a long time. He didn't expect to meet her here, so naturally he didn't want to let her go.
Wei Min pushed his tongue against the inside of his mouth and adjusted the collar of his suit. "Master Painter Xia, go out and ask around to see what my status is in Beijing. No matter how many people approach me, I never respond in a friendly way. I flatter you so much because I want to make friends with you. Don't put on airs like an artist and be more interesting."
Xia Xiqing curled his lips and sneered.
"make friends?"
His face turned completely cold.
"You deserve it?"
After saying that, Xia Xiqing turned around and walked straight out of the rooftop.
Seeing that Xia Xiqing was ready to come out, Zhao Ke was afraid of being exposed. However, Ruan Xiao was calmer. He pulled Zhao Ke's coat and turned half a circle, making him face away from Xia Xiqing. He was also blocked by Zhao Ke, disguising himself as a hugging couple.
"Shall we follow them?" Ruan Xiaosong let go of her hand and kept her eyes on Xia Xiqing. She didn't hear Zhao Ke's response. She looked up and saw Zhao Ke staring at her in a daze.
"Hello."
"Go, go now, go one after another, go non-stop." Zhao Ke started talking nonsense in a panic, which made Ruan Xiao laugh, "You are quite talented, let's go."
Xia Xiqing was still feeling nauseous, and felt dizzy when he went downstairs. He had just seen Ruan Xiao, who was with the young man who had been peeping at him. He didn't know what they were doing. He wanted to say hello, but she was obviously avoiding him, so Xia Xiqing went down the stairs to avoid embarrassment. He thought he would go to the bathroom first, then say hello to her as if they met by chance, and then go home directly.
This dinner was a complete bummer and a disgrace to the name of art.
The author has something to say: I will be out all day tomorrow, so I want to post tomorrow's update in advance, after midnight. There will be no update tomorrow at 9 o'clock.
Thank you all for cheering me on yesterday and the day before yesterday. My pre-release was very successful, so you can go to Weibo to see the surprise after the next chapter~ao~3
Be sure to go to Weibo~ Love you~