After eating the meal prepared by You Shulang, Fan Xiao began to dislike the food in the restaurant. He did not understand at all the satisfaction that Lu Zhen, who was sitting opposite him, felt from eating a piece of foie gras.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and finished his meal. Seeing Lu Zhen looking at him, he gave a perfunctory smile: "Not too hungry, I'm full. Eat slowly, there's no rush."
Lu Zhen put down his knife and fork. He was very particular about table manners, but Fan Xiao preferred You Shulang's flawless appearance in front of others, but carefree and unrestrained behind others.
"Mr. Fan, the gifts you've given me recently are too expensive. I won't accept them without any merit."
Fan Xiao knew what Lu Zhen wanted to hear, but he was unwilling to follow his wishes: "They are not expensive, they are just some small things."
Lu Zhen made all the necessary preparations and threw out another question: "My friends are asking me what our relationship is and why you keep sending me things." He showed just the right amount of confusion and shyness, "To be honest, I... don't know how to answer them."
"A friend asked you? Your boyfriend? Have I caused you trouble?" Fan Xiao leaned forward slightly, his expression looking serious.
"We're just ordinary friends." The topic finally got on track, and Lu Zhen said slowly, "I've broken up and I'm single now."
Fan Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, leaned back into the chair, and said with some interest: "Why? I heard that your boyfriend is very good."
Lu Zhen paused for a moment, and a thick sense of bitterness came again. There was indeed nothing wrong with You Shulang. His occasional alienation was not a crime at all in the face of his endless tenderness.
"The personalities are not compatible." Lu Zhen said lightly, "Mr. Fan is single now, right?"
This time it was Fan Xiao who choked, and this eloquent man didn't know how to respond for a moment.
He was just trying to play around and lure You Shulang into the trap, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say "single". But for some reason, he didn't want to say it, and after clenching his teeth for a while, he said, "Zhenzhen, guess what."
"Mr. Fan should be single. If he has a partner, he would never let you give a gift to another person like this."
Lu Zhen leaned forward, pressing his chest against the table, half charming and half flirting: "So, Mr. Fan, why do you always give me gifts?"
The young man was handsome, with thick eyelashes that looked like a pool of spring water. Fan Xiao saw that he was indeed worthy of the white skin, beautiful appearance, and delicate body.
The sound of flipping matches rang out in the high-end restaurant, which seemed a bit rude. If Fan Xiao was unhappy, someone would suffer. He raised his eyelashes and glanced at her: "Why? Of course I love you."
Lu Zhen suddenly clasped his hands together. This answer should have been expected, but it seemed too sudden because Fan Xiao had always been so distant. Lu Zhen didn't know what expression to put on. Shock? Panic? Or shyness? After adjusting it again and again, he finally showed the joy of getting what he wanted.
"Mr. Fan, this is too sudden." Lu Zhen's cheeks flushed, making his complexion look even better.
Fan Xiao was even more annoyed, but his expression became gentler: "Why does it feel so sudden? Didn't I tell you the day I asked you to be my model that I would fall in love with every life under my brush?"
This was a bit strange, so Lu Zhen had to confirm again: "Every... life?"
Fan Xiao put away the matches and drank a sip of red wine elegantly: "Yes, every life, a sculpture, a bouquet of flowers, a bird in a cage, a dying cicada, including you, Zhenzhen."
The blood slowly drained from Lu Zhen's face. He sat up straight, incredulous: "In your heart, I am the same as a sculpture, a bouquet of flowers, a bird, or even a dying cicada?"
Fan Xiao shrugged and agreed: "I love them, and I love you too."
After a brief period of blankness and confusion in his mind, Lu Zhen began to analyze Fan Xiao's words rationally. The things he was talking about were either dead objects or animals, and he was the only one who was different.
He overcame all obstacles and found a little hope for himself.
Without beating around the bush, Lu Zhen asked directly, "Mr. Fan, since you love me, are you willing to be with me as a couple?"
"What?"
"Will you be my boyfriend?"
Fan Xiao tilted his head slightly, looking a little surprised: "When I asked you to be my model, I thought I had made it very clear. This is just a short-term soul interaction between me and the subject of my painting in order to find inspiration."
"It's love, but not romance." Fan Xiao asked, "Have I made myself clear this time?"
"It's not love?" Lu Zhen began to tremble, and his voice became sharp. "Don't tell me you don't know how to pursue someone? All your actions are to pursue me, aren't they?!"
The man groaned, looking a little aggrieved. "It seems you still misunderstood. In my eyes, giving you a gift is the same as maintaining a sculpture, watering the flowers, feeding the birds, and finding a piece of pure land for the dying summer cicadas. There is no difference."
"There is no difference?" Fan Xiao's words pierced Lu Zhen's body like an ice cone. He felt as if he was suddenly pushed into an icy lake by the man's big hand. The freezing cold water wrapped around his body. He sank deeper and deeper. His vision began to blur. His chest was short of oxygen and swollen and painful. He couldn't breathe as if a huge rock was pressing on him.
"Besides, I'm planning to change the model recently." Fan Xiao's breath was filled with alcohol, which was intoxicating and hurtful. "You are no longer suitable. I think we may not meet often in the future."
Lu Zhen suddenly laughed softly, and the vibration of his chest caused the red wine in the glass to tremble slightly: "Fan Xiao, it's fun to play tricks on me, right? Do you take me for a fool? Do you believe the bullshit you said?"
With his hands crossed on the table, Fan Xiao showed his fierceness and invincibility in front of Lu Zhen for the first time: "I don't need to spend money to play with a worthless person. Lu Zhen, from the time we met until now, I have never done anything inappropriate to you, never said a frivolous word, I don't want to seduce you, let alone sleep with you, all your assumptions about me are your own imagination, do I have to pay for your fantasy?"
"…"
Lu Zhen buried his face in his palms and smiled bitterly: "Fan Xiao, I am of no value to you, but you don't even let go of a worthless person, which only shows that you are a pervert!"
Lu Zhen suddenly stood up and poured the red wine in the glass onto Fan Xiao's face: "Go to hell, pervert!"
Following the diffuse aroma of wine, Lu Zhen left the table angrily. The restaurant was silent for a moment. Amid many prying eyes, Fan Xiao remained silent for a moment before wiping the red liquid off his face with a napkin.
After putting down the meal fee and tip, he stood up and walked out of the restaurant. As he walked, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Boss Sha, it's me. Long time no see. Can we hang out someday? Nothing much, just some fun with friends. Oh, by the way, the model you have, yes, Lu Zhen, the one I asked you to take care of before, has been in a bad mood recently. If your company has notices from other cities recently, arrange a few for him so that he can go out and relax. The sooner the better, it would be best if he leaves tonight. Well, then I'll be relieved. Advertising for our company's new project? Of course, we still have to rely on Boss Sha. Okay, let's get together some other day and talk about advertising. By the way, don't tell Lu Zhen that I asked you to arrange it. Okay, that's it. Bye."
After hanging up the phone, the fake smile in his eyes quickly faded, and he opened WeChat and quickly edited a message.
"Director You, my hands are itching to draw you."