Tender trapping

Chapter 41

approaching new year.

Art colleges usually have earlier holidays, and after the New Year’s Day holiday, they will enter the end of class week. At this time, the students who usually dawdle are the most difficult, and the piles of end-of-class works will make the studio and computer room full.

Normally, Ran Xu would not choose to grab a seat at this time - he is used to finishing things early, including the end-of-course works. Now there are only some finishing work left, which can be completed quickly in a surprise move.

But this semester he also had to go to the studio to be crowded with people, not because of the homework, but because he promised Zhuo Wenlang to provide 1980 with the design.

When he saw the villain in the glass display cabinet before, Ran Xu also planned to imitate that style and make another series. Later, he learned that the series in the cabinet was made by Zhuo Wenlang's mother. Zhuo Wenlang felt offended.

However, the man was very talkative. After learning about Ran Xu's thoughts, he quickly replied: "I'm very happy that you like my mother's work, and I look forward to your design."

Every time Zhuo Wenlang said the word "expectation" to him, Ran Xu couldn't help but feel nervous and excited. He wanted to give this design to Zhuo Wenlang as a New Year's gift, and set the alarm clock for several days in a row. I got up at six o'clock to take up a seat, and sat there until the studio closed at ten o'clock in the evening.

It was finally the New Year's Day holiday, and Ran Xu looked at the seven sculpted figures in front of him, which he recreated according to the nicknames of the seven dwarfs in the fairy tale - 1980 brought him a feeling like a fairy tale, whether it was the gentleness of the shopkeeper or The rather retro furnishings in the store made Ran Xu feel as if he was in a dream. Until now, when he remembered that he was in love with Zhuo Wenlang like this, he still felt so unreal.

In order to rush to 1980 as soon as possible, Ran Xu even sat on the bus for the first time, carrying his backpack on the front all the way, for fear that the doll inside would be crushed.

The winter in the north is very cold, and it snowed again today. Ran Xu walked to the front of 1980 with one foot deep and one foot shallow, but found that the lights were dark inside.

Zhuo Wenlang might have been delayed by something again, Ran Xu took out the spare key from the old place, opened the door and entered the store, and sent Zhuo Wenlang a text message, but he didn't wait for a reply.

Ran Xu waited in the store for two hours, and finally couldn't bear to call Zhuo Wenlang, the phone rang for a long time and no one answered, until Ran Xu called again, and then someone answered.

A female voice.

Ran Xu froze for a moment, then turned his head to confirm that the number he dialed was indeed Zhuo Wenlang's, and then tentatively asked who the caller was.

"I'm Mr. Zhuo's assistant, and he's in a meeting right now." The female voice was very serious, but Ran Xu found it strange.

Mr. Zhuo...?

"Hello, how are you?" the female assistant asked again.

"Zhuo Wenlang is in a meeting?" Ran Xu confirmed again.

"Yes." Somebody on the other end said something to the female assistant, and when she came back, her tone suddenly changed, she was no longer so serious, but showed a trace of impatience, "How about this, leave your name, I'll wait for President Zhuo to finish the meeting and tell him."

"... Ran Xu."

"Ok."

There was a busy tone on the phone, and Ran Xu didn't even bother to hang up the phone. He sat in 1980 with a look of astonishment on his face. He didn't know what other business Zhuo Wenlang had besides 1980. Doesn't sound like you're addressing the manager of a toy store.

Suddenly, I thought of the female customer I met when I visited the store in 1980. At that time, she seemed to say that the opening hours of this store are very casual, and only when the boss is around can I make an appointment to pick up the goods.

In this way, does Zhuo Wenlang have other business?

Ran Xu couldn't help feeling suspicious. Speaking of which, Zhuo Wenlang didn't tell him that he was Aiden at the beginning. If it wasn't for giving a speech, Ran Xu might not know the truth until today.

Thinking wildly here is not an option, Ran Xu took a deep breath and told himself to wait for Zhuo Wenlang to call back before asking himself.

While sitting and waiting for the phone call, Ran Xu tried to contact Zhuo Minghui again. According to the time Zhuo Wenlang said, Zhuo Minghui should have been recuperating abroad now. Although he didn't know where exactly, he should always be able to contact him.

Ran Xu sent a few text messages, but there was no response. He was afraid of catching up with jet lag and disturbing the other party, so he didn't call, but the doubts in his heart became more and more intense as time went by.

Ran Xu suddenly discovered a fact: in his love with Zhuo Wenlang, he knew very little about Zhuo Wenlang, or in other words, the information between them was not equal, the other party knew many things about him at school, but When it comes to Zhuo Wenlang's career, it almost becomes a blank.

This really makes people feel very insecure, as if Zhuo Wenlang can withdraw from this love at any time and leave, but he is already deeply involved.

At 1980:[-] in the evening, Zhuo Wenlang called back with a tired voice: "I'm sorry Xiaoxu, I didn't have time to explain to you, I'm going to see a project today, so I won't go to [-], I wish you a happy new year in advance , I have a gift tomorrow..."

"What project?" Ran Xu interrupted Zhuo Wenlang's words for the first time, and then realized that something was wrong, but the words had already come out of his mouth, so he could only wait for a response in silence.

Zhuo Wenlang paused for a while, and said to him, "Go to the factory."

"...I'm going to find the person in charge of the factory. There's something wrong with their materials." The last sentence went smoothly, Zhuo Wenlang stared at the driver in front of him, and frowned as if suddenly thinking of something, "By the way, I heard It is said that there will be a blizzard tonight, so hurry up and go back to the dormitory while the snow is not heavy now, be good, I will take you out to eat tomorrow."

Ran Xu agreed, today's weather forecast does say that there will be a blizzard, and 1980 is still a shop, not a place to sleep.

If it was normal, he would definitely go back obediently, but today Ran Xu had a strange feeling and didn't want to leave.

Now that the boss had already ordered not to visit the store, Ran Xu simply turned off the lights, locked the door and closed the shop. He walked to the street alone, staring at the snowflakes all over the sky in a daze.

Today is the New Year, the business district is lit up with various neon lights all night, but the lights of the Minority next door are off, and the entrance is not as lively as I remembered, which is a bit abnormal.

Logically speaking, it is the New Year and this time, usually the nightclub is the busiest time, but this meeting is so quiet...

Ran Xu walked around to the back door, just in time to catch up with Mao Kang, a colleague who had worked with him before, who was unloading.

This northern guy works extraordinarily hard, and he rolls up his sleeves in the heat of winter, but what is even more strange is that the unloading is usually during the day, when the store is not busy, I don’t know why today it becomes at night .

Ran Xu yelled and walked over.

Mao Kang saw him, squinted his eyes, distinguished Ran Xu's figure from the night, and smiled: "Eh?! Ran Xu, why are you here?"

"Let me take a look." Ran Xu helped him carry a bagful of fruits in together.

Returning to the familiar back kitchen again, Ran Xu discovered more unusual places. There was no usual bustle here, there was no fire, and Fatty Zhang who was in charge of the back kitchen was not there.

"This is……?"

Mao Kang put down the goods in his hand heavily, wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Oh, you don't know."

"A while ago, Minority's senior management didn't know what happened. There was a big change. Even the manager and the chef opened several times in one go. Today, it was said that the big boss would come to personally review, so it was ready to open again." Mao Kang sighed. , "I'm almost going to find another job, luckily."