Chapter 2657 It’s raining in Nancheng tonight 18

At night, the sound of a key turning came from the entryway.

Jin Chen stood in front of the modified bar counter, wiping the shaker, and looked up when he heard the noise.

Xie Linzhou returned a little later than usual. Today, he celebrated with his team members that the design draft had passed the initial review. He was clearly in a good mood, with a relaxed and happy expression on his face.

Seeing Xie Linzhou like this, Jin Chen felt a pang of pity.

Why did you have to say something that would make him sad when he was so happy?

"I'm back." Xie Linzhou's voice was light and cheerful. He had known that Jin Chen would add a new wine to the exclusive wine list today, so he had been thinking about it during the dinner party.

He changed his shoes and walked over, taking the initiative to approach Jin Chen. He tilted his head slightly and said, "Smell it. I was afraid it would affect my enjoyment of the cocktail you made later, so I didn't drink much at the dinner party. I only took a small sip when I clinked glasses with them."

Jin Chen lowered her head and kissed his slightly cool nose. "Very good."

Xie Linzhou laughed, reached out and wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's waist, pressing his face against his chest, "Want to kiss? I really want to kiss you."

Jin Chen raised her hand, her fingertips tracing Xie Linzhou's neck, pushed the shaker behind her back to make room, and then pulled him close to kiss him.

A very gentle kiss. Xie Linzhou didn't resist at all. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes welled up with tears, making him look fresh and beautiful.

In Jin Chen's arms, the passion is always the strongest, and the most unreserved.

Jin Chen's heart softened more and more, and the kiss gradually deepened.

Xie Linzhou turned his head to the side, breathing softly against Jin Chen's lips, and then wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's waist from behind. He watched Jin Chen turn around and continue adjusting the unfinished drink. No matter how many times he watched it, he still found it too attractive and fascinated him.

"Try it." Jin Chen held the prepared drink to his lips.

Xie Linzhou took a small sip from his hand.

The aroma of agave blends with the slightly bitter and refreshing taste of grapefruit juice, while the maple syrup neutralizes the spiciness without being overpowering.

Finally, there's a refreshing minty scent, like the fresh air you breathe after a long, rainy day.

"Delicious," Xie Linzhou exclaimed sincerely, his lips still damp with wine. "What's the name of this wine?"

Jin Chen looked at his lips, moistened by the wine, and gently brushed them with her fingertips. "Pale light on the clouds."

Xie Linzhou raised his wine glass and examined it closely under the light.

The wine is a clear, pale gold, like a ray of sunlight filtering through a crack in a cloudy sky.

“I see,” he said, his eyes crinkling. “Your names are all imagistic.”

Jin Chen chuckled, "Even the longest rain will eventually clear up, which is perfect for today."

Xie Linzhou took another sip of his drink, leaned half of his body lazily against the edge of the cool bar counter, reached out and hooked his arm around Jin Chen's neck, pulled him closer, and then tilted his head back to breathe his warm breath, which was filled with the aroma of alcohol, onto him.

The wine was exchanged between our intertwined lips and tongues, creating a different flavor.

Jin Chen tilted his head back slightly, swallowed the wine mixed with the scents of the two of them, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He held Xie Linzhou's waist and said, "Zhouzhou, I have something to tell you."

"No, kiss me first..."

Xie Linzhou was enjoying the feeling of drinking, and picked up the glass to take another sip.

This time, however, I received a call from Xiang Wenqing first, so I had no choice but to answer it.

When he returned, he was still wearing the single-sided earpiece and could hear the urgency in Xiang Wenqing's voice.

"Boss, Xuming got inside information in Milan that the organizers said your entry is highly similar to another Chinese contestant's design. They are now requiring both parties to submit a complete chain of evidence within a limited time. Ultimately, only one work can be recognized as original and continue to participate."

Xie Linzhou's heart skipped a beat, and his slight intoxication subsided considerably.

In the field of architectural design, sometimes different designers have similar ideas, but he prepared for this cross-disciplinary award two years in advance and his design concept was a completely new breakthrough. How could they have such a high degree of overlap?

"I understand." Xie Linzhou steadied himself and asked, "Does Xuming know who the other contestant is?"

"His name is Liu Chi, and he is said to be a rising star designer."

Jin Chen couldn't hear the specific content in the earpiece, but from Xie Linzhou's changing expression and serious tone, she sensed that something serious had happened.

He had a premonition that if he didn't speak up tonight, it might lead to even more irreparable consequences.

Ling Gun Gun felt like he was in a crematorium no matter how he looked at it, so he locked himself in a dark room, but still didn't forget to encourage himself.

[Host, I believe in you!]

Xie Linzhou hung up the phone with Xiang Wenqing and contacted industry colleagues in China to inquire about Liu Chi's background.

While waiting for a reply, he felt safe only because he loved Jin Chen, and then he remembered that Jin Chen had something else to say.

"What's wrong?" Xie Linzhou looked up at Jin Chen, trying to make his tone sound more relaxed. "What were you trying to say?"

Jin Chen put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her, the two of them very close.

"That day at the bar, you asked me why I quit my job at the club."

Xie Linzhou was still waiting for news when he heard this and looked up at him, "Hmm, you said the boss made you do something you didn't want to do?"

"Yes." Jin Chen did not avoid the question, and her tone was very soft.

"The owner of the club is Ren Xian."

Xie Linzhou's gaze froze.

"Who is it?" He actually heard it clearly and wanted to think about it, but his mind was blank.

"Ren Xian... Ren Xian, what did he ask you to do?"

Xie Linzhou's voice was dry and almost inaudible.

Jin Chen looked into Xie Linzhou's eyes. They were so close that they could clearly see their own reflection in each other's eyes, and something shattered within that reflection.

"He let me get close to you."

Xie Linzhou's hand trembled, his fingertips were icy cold, and he couldn't make a sound.

Meanwhile, industry peers who were waiting responded to the message.

He mechanically lowered his eyes to look.

Liu Chi? He's a designer in Xie Shao's team, and he even won an award last year.

Your submitted works overlap? This is a serious matter! How are you going to handle it?

Xie Linzhou remained silent for a very long time.

Jin Chen also saw the news, his brows furrowed. He hadn't given Xie Shao anything, and he had also prevented Song Qi from entering Qianmu, so why did this still happen?

Jin Chen regretted speaking too late, at such a terrible time.

He had something else to say, he wanted to say that since I hadn't helped Xie Shao and had collected evidence of Xie Shao's crimes, I could go with you to send Xie Shao to prison.

But that's exactly what happened.

"Zhouzhou..."

Xie Linzhou dodged his hand.

He looked at Jin Chen with a bewildered expression, unsure of what to do or what to believe.

Xie Linzhou's eyes welled up with tears, and a storm was raging in his heart.