Under meals

Chapter 8 The Sweetheart

Jingci's weekend was originally very bad.

He went to see Li Lan on Saturday night, and Li Lan was very happy, and together with his aunt, he cooked a large table of dishes for him.

Without Tao Mingzhuo's company, all the food was covered with dull gray again, the fish looked very fishy, ​​there was oil floating on the fish soup, and even the vegetables seemed a little wilted.

Jing Ci knew that these were actually just his own illusions, but he didn't want to move his chopsticks at all.

It may be because Tao Mingzhuo's cooking effect is too obvious. After a short period of time, Jing Ci feels that she may have become dependent on this person to a certain extent.

Jing Ci reluctantly drank a bowl of fish soup, picked up the rice in the bowl, pretended to have eaten, and said to Li Lan, "I'm full."

Li Lan was watching TV, so she responded.

Li Lan said: "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to a place to learn oil painting. You can pick me up in the afternoon, and then send me to have afternoon tea with your aunt Xu, and let her meet you by the way."

Jing Ci felt that Li Lan's schedule was fuller than her own.

He smiled and asked, "Didn't you learn piano before, why did you turn into oil painting again? And why didn't you invite someone to teach at home?"

Li Lan snorted and said, "You don't understand. The teacher invited at home only knows how to find fault with me. There is a young man in this shop who is very nice. He is always willing to praise me no matter what I paint. , so I’m happy to give them money.”

Jing Ci glanced at the address Li Lan sent her, and found that it was a nail salon.The young man in the nail shop taught others to paint oil paintings, and Jing Ci always felt that it sounded a little unreliable.

But seeing that Li Lan liked it, he just smiled and said, "Okay."

After waking up the next morning, Li Lan left behind the omelette she made by herself. Jing Ci still had no appetite, so he hesitated for a while, and finally fed the omelet to Li Lan's Alaska.

After arriving at the nail salon, he stood wearily in front of the price list in the store, thinking that after sending Li Lan to the party place, he could find an excuse to leave, and then go home and start to sleep.

Maybe I can sleep until the next morning, and when I wake up, it will be Monday, and then I can find Tao Mingzhuo to continue having lunch with him at noon.

But Jingci did not expect that the young man working in this nail shop would be Tao Mingzhuo himself.

Sister Tao Mingzhuo's invitation was a surprise in a certain sense. Jing Ci felt that he had to seize this opportunity. Since he got sick, he knew how difficult it is to have a delicious meal.

Even if the price to pay is her own nails, Jing Ci thinks that as long as she can delay for a while so that she can eat with Tao Mingzhuo, it will be fine.

Tao Mingzhuo's expression at that time was very complicated: "Are you really doing it?"

Jing Ci nodded: "Is it not possible?"

Tao Mingzhuo is tall, but at this time he is wearing a pink apron, which looks very small on his body. Jing Ci thinks this is an interesting contrast.

Jing Ci actually wanted to laugh, but she held back.

Tao Mingzhuo seemed a little helpless, he lowered his head and sighed, "Well, let me help you see if there is any paint left, maybe you can draw a small-sized painting."

Jing Ci let out an "ah", and felt that not having to sacrifice her nails was definitely the best result, so she sincerely thanked: "That's great, thank you for your hard work."

Tao Mingzhuo gave a vague "hmm", he didn't speak, turned around and walked forward.

Jing Ci looked at his figure and noticed that his ears were a little red.

Jing Ci felt that Tao Mingzhuo seemed to be prone to blushing, maybe it was because the weather was getting warmer in spring, or maybe it was because he usually ate well so his blood was strong, so he could try to order more light dishes for him in the future.

And Tao Mingzhuo here really felt that he was about to melt.

He didn't expect that this boss's bottom line could even be broken to the point where he could even do manicure just to spend more time with him on the weekend.

Li Lan, who had just finished taking photos here, also packed up. Hearing that Jing Ci also wanted to experience the oil painting project, she told him to use his membership card for discounts, and then hurriedly left by car.

Tao Mingzhuo set up the small easel and said, "You can choose any of the small paintings hanging on the wall, or if you have any pictures you want to draw, simpler ones are fine."

Jing Ci thought for a while, searched on the phone, and then showed a picture: "Is this okay?"

Tao Mingzhuo was taken aback: "Do you want to draw a hamburger?"

Jing Ci nodded.

It’s okay, but most of the usual customers choose landscapes or animals. Tao Mingzhuo has never seen a customer who wanted to draw a fish burger.

Tao Mingzhuo mixed the paints for him, and said: "If you can draw, you can compare the pictures yourself, and draw a rough outline first."

Jing Ci took the pen, looked at the picture on the phone for a while, then dipped some paint clumsily, and carefully sketched on the canvas.

Tao Mingzhuo stood behind him, looked at it for a while and couldn't take it any longer: "Well... what you want to draw is a round thing, don't you think the outline you set is a bit square?"

Jing Ci let out an "oh" and said, "Then I'll change it."

Jing Ci drew a few more strokes, this time Tao Mingzhuo's eyes almost fell out: "The hamburger is indeed round, but it is not a complete sphere. Are you going to draw a watermelon?"

Jing Ci has a good temper. He thought about the canvas for a while, raised his face, and bent his eyes at Tao Mingzhuo: "Sorry, I'm not very good at painting."

Tao Mingzhuo paused for a moment: "...it's okay, get up, I'll help you get in shape."

After Tao Mingzhuo took over the brush, he began to help him modify the painting from the basic structure.Jing Ci could see that with a few neat strokes, he directly adjusted all the original structure proportions, and even the color levels of the picture became different.

Jing Ci praised: "You are amazing."

Tao Mingzhuo's hands stopped for a moment, but he didn't speak.

At this time, Tao Xue appeared at the door, and asked with a smile: "I'm ordering takeaway, today I'm eating noodles, which one do you want to eat? Xiao Jing, you can order more, usually Sister Li always gives us some milk tea, so you don't have to talk to me." We are polite."

Tao Mingzhuo: "Fatty beef in sour soup, all spicy, add a fried egg."

Jing Ci smiled: "Just be the same as him."

Tao Mingzhuo shook his hand holding the paintbrush: "If you don't take a look, what other flavors are there? What if you don't like what I like?"

Jing Ci replied quickly: "I don't think I don't like it."

What kind of love is this?This time Tao Mingzhuo was really on the verge of losing his pen.

Looking at the stroke that was shaken just now, Tao Mingzhuo took a deep breath, wiped it lightly on the canvas with his hands, and then covered it again with other colors.

The rudiment of the fried fish burger has emerged in the center of the canvas, and Tao Mingzhuo also realized that this must not go on like this.

Although he still doesn't know where Jing Ci's feelings for him come from, Tao Mingzhuo feels that he can no longer get along with him like this, nor can he always eat other people's food for no reason.

Some words, it is better to say clearly.

The only problem now is that Jing Ci didn't reveal anything, so Tao Mingzhuo couldn't just say "I don't have any interest in you", otherwise he would appear to be a little self-indulgent.

In addition, the other party is his boss, so he has to use some roundabout and irresistible arguments.

Jing Ci was staring at the painting when he heard Tao Mingzhuo call his name, and he turned his head.

Tao Mingzhuo cleared his throat: "Jing Ci, as you said before, we are already friends, so let me talk to you about a more personal matter."

"The main reason is that I can't tell my colleagues in the office about this secret." He said, "So I have been holding back for a long time, and I have always wanted to find someone...to confide in."

Jing Ci was actually a little surprised, but felt that Tao Mingzhuo's willingness to get closer to him was a good thing, so he nodded: "Tell me."

Then Jing Ci saw Tao Mingzhuo looked up at herself first, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Actually, I already have a sweetheart."

Jing Ci froze for a moment.

He didn't expect Tao Mingzhuo to share such a private matter with him, and he was a little surprised for a while.

Jing Ci waited for a while, thinking that Tao Mingzhuo would continue to describe to him the character and appearance of his sweetheart or the story of their acquaintance, but unexpectedly, Tao Mingzhuo did not speak again, but directly Staring at his own face, as if waiting for his own response.

So Jing Ci was quiet for a moment, and tentatively gave an answer: "Okay?"

Tao Mingzhuo suddenly opened his eyes wide: "...just, okay?"

Jing Ci thought for a while, thinking that the response she gave was not enthusiastic enough, so she hesitated and asked, "So what? Have you confessed to her?"

Tao Mingzhuo seemed to be stopped by the question: "At present, there is no such plan yet."

Jing Ci gave a "Oh" and said gently: "So, that is to say, you are not together yet?"

Tao Mingzhuo stammered: "...Yes, indeed there is not."

Jing Ci let out a "hmm", he felt that if he continued to ask, it would involve too much privacy, so he watched Tao Mingzhuo stop making a sound, and waited patiently for him to continue.

However, Tao Mingzhuo suddenly fell into a long silence.

Jing Ci was a little confused, thinking that he was shy because he mentioned the person he liked, after thinking about it, he changed the subject more considerately: "By the way, tomorrow is Monday, what kind of cuisine do you want to eat, Sichuan cuisine or Japanese food? ?”

"If you like, we can try a new Cantonese restaurant. Their dim sum should be better than the previous one." He added.

Tao Mingzhuo himself is in a state of complete aphasia.

He didn't expect that Jing Ci could respond so calmly just now, and lightly blocked all his attacks with a few words.

What he said seemed to be: Although you have someone you like, you have neither confessed nor are you together now, so how can it affect me?

Even after the conversation is over, you can continue to invite yourself to lunch as if nothing happened.

Tao Mingzhuo took a deep breath, thinking that since he had already lied, it would be better to speak absolutely.

"Actually, the person I... the person I like is one of those colleagues who used to have dinner with me." Tao Mingzhuo didn't dare to look at him, so he could only bite the bullet and continue making up nonsense, "I want to have more relationships with that person." For communication outside of work, lunch is an important time."

"That is to say, in the future, I should...can't have lunch with you anymore." Tao Mingzhuo said.

The air suddenly became silent for an instant.

Tao Mingzhuo raised his head, and saw Jing Ci staring blankly at his face, the smile on his face faded little by little.

After a while, he saw Jing Ci blink slowly, and asked softly, "What did you say?"

The author says:

Xiao Jing: Unacceptable.

Xiao Tao (depressed): He... as expected, still can't accept it.