KC | Chapter 36

Chapter 36 One Glance Was Enough to Remember

Lin Yiran was like a chatty storyteller under the overpass, speaking with great emotion and expression as he told Chen Xi the “Gulin signing history”一路. Every chapter had its own obstacle, every round its own disaster, and every character had their own special traits. Whenever it got to the most heart-stopping parts, Chen Xi unconsciously started breathing faster, getting anxious for him, and the two of them had said more in this one hour than they had in the past three years combined.

Before this, Chen Xi had only heard this “famous talker” speak sharply during negotiations, and now he was also experiencing this “chatty one” talking endlessly when telling stories.

The man who usually wore suits and leather shoes changed into sportswear and lost his usual propriety. While telling stories, he would occasionally add exaggerated facial expressions, and the mature, steady man suddenly became vivid. Chen Xi had never seen Lin Yiran like this before.

Lin Yiran paid great attention to details. His clothes were mostly black and white, but the proportions and fabric were very particular. The cotton white T-shirt was just long enough to cover the linen sports pants, and the pant legs were straight as a line. It was hard to say whether the pants made his legs look good or his legs made the pants look good. The T-shirt was loose in just the right way, covering the muscles of his upper arms, making him look refined and proper.

Lin Yiran was a typical inverted-triangle clothes hanger, with solid muscles from working out all year round. His build looked on the lean side, but his back was broader than Chen Xi’s by a whole layer, and it was nowhere near frail. When he spoke, his Adam’s apple trembled, driving the rise and fall of his chest.

Chen Xi had seen the muscles surging beneath a shirt, had deeply understood the explosive force when muscles collided. He wanted to tear away Lin Yiran’s disguise and face him nakedly, to hear him tell stories with his bare upper body. He wanted to knead his chest muscles, to lie on top of them and listen to the trembling in his chest when he spoke.

Could he stop seducing him all the time?

He really wanted to sleep with him.

The storyteller had just reached “Three visits to Xu Dongxu, nine bids for the tender notice,” and seeing that Chen Xi had no reaction, felt that his story was not exciting enough. He stretched out five fingers and waved them in front of Chen Xi’s eyes.

Chen Xi grabbed his hand in one go. Lin Yiran’s five fingers unconsciously curved, and Chen Xi, as if guided by some mysterious force, moved the bent fingers toward himself. Lin Yiran fell silent, and his heartbeat skipped half a beat.

Just as their lips were about to touch the fingers, Chen Xi came back to his senses, fiercely pinched the hand that was a little larger than his own palm, and flung it away.

Lin Yiran instinctively reached out to catch the hand he had been shaken off from, but Chen Xi put his hand behind his back. Lin Yiran grabbed nothing, came to his senses half a second later, and said with a smile, “What are you playing at?”

Chen Xi didn’t know what he was playing at. He wanted to ask Lin Yiran what he was doing, but Lin Yiran spoke first and snatched his line away. Now he didn’t know what to say.

“Damn, you’re really annoying.” Can’t sleep with you, and you still steal my line.

“What did you say?” Lin Yiran leaned in to ask.

“Nothing.” Chen Xi swung his arms and walked farther away.

The group reached the bottom of Bingchuan Gorge. The lake water was clear and blue, fish were playing in it, and mountains surrounded them on all sides. In the distance, white smoke floated from the peaks of the high mountains, looking like glaciers drifting about, which was how Bingchuan Gorge got its name.

This was a famous check-in spot in Bingchuan Gorge, and many tourists took photos here to post on their Moments.

People in sales had to have the psychological quality of “the client bullied me a thousand times, and I still treat the client like my first love.” They had to be able to automatically filter out the trash talk clients said, ignore the damned things clients did, and keep their own place straight.

The two of them tacitly skipped over the “inappropriate” thing from just now, just like they both agreed not to mention that chaotic night.

Lin Yiran was facing the lake surface, snapping photos nonstop, and from time to time he switched music, clearly looking for a suitable edited template in the shooting app.

Chen Xi rarely took photos. Most of the pictures in his phone were client qualifications and game guides. He basically never shot videos, let alone edited them. Chen Xi thought only unbearably bored college students would make short videos. He had not expected even a 35-year-old old man to like this stuff. Chen Xi wanted to see whether the old man could even use video editing software properly, and subconsciously looked at Lin Yiran’s phone, screen-protected.

Chen Xi: …That really was business-minded enough.

“Stand a little closer to the lake.” Lin Yiran pulled up a piece of music and instructed Chen Xi.

Chen Xi pattered over to the lakeside and asked, “Is this spot okay?”

Lin Yiran waved his hand. “No. Come back. Go when I tell you to go. Don’t run. You have to walk. Understand?”

Chen Xi: …When asking someone for help, you’re really quite forceful. Fine, for the sake of you telling me stories, whatever you say goes.

Lin Yiran crouched on the ground and moved forward on his belly, as if he were finding the angle. Chen Xi stood two meters away from Lin Yiran in the open space, waiting for instructions.

After finding the angle, Lin Yiran made an “OK” gesture toward Chen Xi. Music played from the phone, and Chen Xi slowly walked toward the lake.

In the video, under the sunlight, the lake surface was quiet and clear, mountain peaks stood tall by the lake, and Chen Xi drifted toward the shore along with the gentle ripples of the water. His reflection on the lake, together with the lush green all around, painted a beautiful picture.

His heartbeat unconsciously sped up. After Lin Yiran finished shooting the video, he couldn’t help but take a few photos too.

Chen Xi didn’t dare move if the person behind him didn’t speak. About half a minute passed before Lin Yiran said, “Alright!”

Chen Xi ran back and wanted to see what exactly he had shot, but Lin Yiran didn’t give him the chance. He made a shushing gesture and dialed a number.

“Mr. Lü, it’s Lin Yiran. I’m out here having fun with you guys today, and right now I’m at the bottom of the gorge. This place is much prettier in summer than in winter, ah, yes, yes, and that pavilion was built really well too. I took some photos too. My colleague took a lot as well, and videos, all sorts of odds and ends. I’ll send them to you in a bit, and you can take a look at which videos and photos are good. Later I’ll have someone arrange for you to have a video edited.”

Famous-talker Lin Yiran’s usual move: flatter, make up, and praise.

“Haha, no trouble at all, no trouble at all. Editing a bit of video isn’t much work. Ah, okay, we’ll take the shuttle bus back to the valley later, and I’ll go to the office to find you.”

After hanging up, Lin Yiran naturally instructed Chen Xi, “Take more photos, and send them to me later.”

Chen Xi rolled his eyes hard and said unhappily, “You took on the work, why am I the one doing it?”

“Aren’t you young people good at taking photos and retouching pictures? How could I compare to you?”

“Heh, Brother Lin is first-rate at mountain climbing speed. Just walking has already worn me out to the point of confusion, and my hand is shaking even holding the phone. You should be the one doing this job.” Making others work while sounding so self-righteous. So shameless.

Lin Yiran clicked his tongue, his eyes flickering slightly. After a moment, he looked up at Chen Xi and gave him his signature smile.

Chen Xi’s heart thudded, and he thought: What crooked idea is he coming up with again.

Sure enough, Lin Yiran took a sip of water, moistened his lips, and said unhurriedly, “This Xu Dongxu…”

Chen Xi, with sparkling rabbit eyes, leaned over. He had no trace of the hard edge from just now. “Brother Lin, I’ll shoot, I can shoot, I know how to shoot, my photos come out really nice!”

The corners of Lin Yiran’s mouth lifted slightly, and he was delighted inside. He continued telling the story of “outwitting Xu Dongxu” at a leisurely pace.

That guy surnamed Xu made my life miserable back then. His rotten messes couldn’t be told even in a whole day, and now those rotten messes had become bait for catching the rabbit. This little brat’s ears were practically about to stand up while listening.

Voices rang out by the lake, and Wang Shuang’s highly penetrating voice was deafening: “Let’s gather here and take a group photo!”

The two of them walked together toward the lakeside and happened to run into the king of spectators, Zhang Yuanji.

Zhang Yuanji’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, and his face went from black to green. He thought: Didn’t Xiao Chen call him “Mr. Lin” yesterday? They got back together with Brother Lin so quickly? Then if I just said bad things about Brother Lin, won’t Xiao Chen tell him? What were the two of them whispering about? Uh, why does this feel a little like “a couple quarrels at the head of the bed and makes up at the foot of the bed”…

Wang Shuang asked a passerby to take a photo for KA. At the exact moment the shutter was pressed, Lin Yiran extended his arm around Chen Xi’s shoulder and made a “V” sign above his head. In the photo, Chen Xi looked like a rabbit with ears growing out of his head, frowning and glaring at Lin Yiran, fierce in a babyish way.

After taking the photo, Lin Yiran took off his backpack and found a bench in a corner by the lake to sit down and drink water. Seeing that Chen Xi was still by the lake, like a photo machine actively taking pictures for his colleagues, the fair-skinned little figure had been baked under the sun until his whole head was covered in sweat, and he looked rather miserable. Lin Yiran somehow wanted to laugh.

Building his own happiness on the suffering of others sounded pretty immoral, but the old beast had absolutely no morals.

The refined scumbag with no morals held back laughter and handled emails in the shade of the trees.

Chen Xi had been taking photos under the sunlight for a while and even dutifully recorded a few videos. When he saw that Lin Yiran was still messing around with his phone, he thought he was busy with a client again and wanted to finish editing the video before sending it to him together. Chen Xi searched through the apps and found that he hadn’t downloaded any editing software, and he had also forgotten to use the Meitu camera when taking photos just now.

No wonder what I shot doesn’t look the same as what the female colleagues post in their Moments… forget it, I won’t do it. I’ll just send everything to him to handle.

Unlike Zhang Yuanji, Chen Xi didn’t have full mountain-climbing gear, and he also wasn’t like Lin Yiran, who had to carry “debt-collection tools.” Chen Xi hadn’t brought a backpack today, so naturally he hadn’t brought any water. After taking photos and getting so hot he couldn’t stand it, he walked over, picked up the mineral water on the seat, and gulped it down. Only after finishing did he react and ask Lin Yiran, “This water is yours?”

While Chen Xi drank water, Lin Yiran had been staring at his lips the whole time. Before Chen Xi turned his head to look at him, he looked away and said lightly, “I haven’t drunk it.”

Chen Xi didn’t think much of it, sat down beside him, sent the pile of photos and videos to Lin Yiran, and said, “Keep talking about Xu Dongxu then.”

Fine, a slap and then a sweet date, now he’s asking me for information. Alright, this time I won’t tell stories, I’ll tell you something important.

“Xu Dongxu’s ex-girlfriend, you know her.”

“W-what?” How could I know the ex-girlfriend of a client chairman? When did I ever know her, could it be Xiao Fang?

Lin Yiran said, “She worked at Gulin for two years before, and sat across from you.”

It was Jiang Minghua!

Xu Dongxu’s ex-girlfriend was “Sister Xiaohua” Jiang Minghua!

So, when Lin Yiran treated her to coffee before and sent her home, it was to get close to Xu Dongxu, not because he wanted that thing…

Looks like I misunderstood him again.

It’s all Zhang Yuanji’s fault, that pig teammate, all he knows how to do is spread rumors and watch the show!

But even if Jiang Minghua had blown pillow talk into Xu Dongxu’s ear for two years, Xu Dongxu still hadn’t cooperated, signing with Gulin was much harder than imagined.

“Xu Dongxu is someone in the advertising circle who’s famously neither soft nor hard to deal with. Over the years, the media sales he’s met may even be more than the clients you’ve met.” Lin Yiran said with a half-smile, “You just gave me a chicken-skin sour face and argued with me over Gulin’s recruitment authority, taking up my time to talk about Gulin’s structure and relationships… I won’t hold it against you. It’s still not too late for you to give it back now.”

“What a joke, I…” Chen Xi’s sentence cut off halfway, and he suddenly stopped.

If Lin Yiran really wanted to refuse, he wouldn’t have agreed just now.

He was provoking me now!

Why was he provoking me?

Because he wanted me to stay firm in my belief, that he had successfully signed with Gulin before and had a way to deal with Xu Dongxu!

Chen Xi discovered that Lin Yiran responded to softness but not hardness. If he went head-to-head and asked him for client development authority, every time the answer was rejection. But if he softened up a little, he would spill client information like a chatty one, so if he wanted to ask him for help, he had to be a bit softer.

Chen Xi leaned over with sparkling rabbit eyes, his voice soft and mushy. “Brother Lin, what method did you use back then to make Xu Dongxu acknowledge you?”

Lin Yiran couldn’t stand being looked at like that, so he covered his eyes with his hand and said in a half-serious, half-ridiculous way, “Personal charm.”

Chen Xi punched him, and his fist was caught.

Lin Yiran held Chen Xi’s hand with his left hand and blocked his eyes with his right hand. His voice lowered a little. “There are many ways to gain recognition, but first you have to make him remember you.”

“Xu Dongxu has two WeChat accounts because he interacts with too many people, and one account can’t add all his friends.” Lin Yiran said, “Can you remember everyone in your WeChat friends list?”

Chen Xi shook his head. He couldn’t even remember who that suddenly popped-up Xiaoqiang was.

The dense, long eyelashes brushed across Lin Yiran’s palm when he turned his head, ticklish. Relying on the fact that Chen Xi couldn’t see, Lin Yiran slowly leaned closer on the bench, almost pressing against Chen Xi’s ear. “You have to first create some content with memory points, something he can remember you by at a glance.”

Chen Xi’s mind was entirely on the client and he completely didn’t notice Lin Yiran’s closeness. His voice was a little muffled. “But my professionalism isn’t as good as Sister Xueying’s, I don’t have Brother Zhang’s connections or Brother Ma’s circle, and I don’t have the aura for negotiation. I probably won’t even be able to speak properly when facing Xu Dongxu, I…”

“Why are you so lacking in confidence?” Lin Yiran’s breath brushed Chen Xi’s cheek. “There are more than 400 employees in Yucheng Lanhai, and I remembered you at a glance.”

I saw you in the crowd, with just one glance.

You said that you remembered me with just one glance?

Chen Xi’s heart was like a wild rabbit gone mad, darting around in his chest. With every beat, he could feel a strong impact, his breathing quickened, and his eyes turned red.