Second Male Lead to One, Male Lead to Another (Part 2)

325 A Kitchen Faux-Pas?

The two of them actually managed to piece together photos of pretty much all of the boyfriends they had had in the past. Zhao Chen was only missing a picture of one person while Li Ming couldn't find photos of his first two boyfriends.

"I still can't believe that I don't have a single photo of them. I could've sworn I did!" Li Ming continued to go through the gallery on his phone, shaking his head at himself.

Zhao Chen had come closer over the course of their conversation and was now looking over Li Ming's shoulder, watching what else he was scrolling past. Actually, while they had mostly talked about their excess, there had also been a lot of other things mixed in, like what they had done when they originally met their boyfriends, how they had related to friends and family, and what kind of dates they had been on while dating them.

What had started out as a really awkward conversation soon turned into something that allowed him to know a lot more about Li Ming. It really made him feel that it was strange people didn't like talking about their exes with their new partners. But then, most people weren't as relaxed about this topic as Li Ming was. In fact, if he was honest with himself, he also couldn't imagine having done this with any of his past boyfriends. "Well, maybe you just don't have them saved on this phone? I know that I still have some old ones lying around that I might have forgotten to back up."

Li Ming pondered and figured that this wasn't completely impossible, especially since these were his very first boyfriends. "Then, do you think that you also have at least one of your mystery lover?"

Zhao Chen laughed. "No, that one is really on him. He never wanted to have his photo taken. Not any candid shots of him alone, nothing professionally done, and not even anything in a group setting.

"I didn't mind it when it was just us, but I really couldn't go out with him. My friends always liked taking photos when we were out and he'd just ... make a whole drama out of it, wanting to check every single photo they had taken, and getting angry when they wouldn't let him. It was one of the reasons we broke up."

Li Ming looked at him, shaking his head. Zhao Chen hadn't said much about this guy before other than that he didn't want to be photographed but now, with the additional details, the picture in his head was a completely different one. "He sure sounds strange. I also know some people who don't like being in pictures but it was never to that degree. The occasional photo would still be okay with them. But to insist to never have your picture taken ... that sounds like there's something more at foot."

"Like what? Do you think he was an internationally-wanted criminal and afraid of his photo being posted online so the secret services would find him?"

Li Ming laughed and finally gave up looking for pictures of his own exes, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Well, that, or maybe he is a vampire. Isn't it said that they don't have a reflection so you can't photograph them? Maybe he was afraid you would notice that something is up."

Zhao Chen also chuckled and shook his head at that. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. I do have mirrors at home, you know, and even though it's been a while, I'm pretty sure that I saw his reflection a few times."

Li Ming gave a hum and leaned back. "Well, I guess that only leaves the wanted criminal then. I guess it's quite fitting."

Zhao Chen raised his brows, not sure what Li Ming was talking about. "Quite fitting? In regard to what?" Did he seem like the type of guy who would date a criminal?

Li Ming looked at him deeply and then raised his brows. "Well, you're dating a detective now. Clearly, you have a type there."

Zhao Chen chuckled and then reached out, putting his hand on Li Ming's leg. "We've talked so much today, I had genuinely forgotten about that. Actually, taking a look at the time, I'm afraid our last meal has been way too long ago. Do you ... want to have dinner with me? I mean ... we don't have to go out again but we could order takeout or maybe we could try and cook something here?"

Li Ming leaned over to glance at the screen of Zhao Chen's phone and realized that it had indeed turned really late. "Wow, I didn't think that so much time would have passed. As for dinner ... well, I wouldn't mind cooking but do you even have ingredients at home?" So far, from what he had seen of Zhao Chen, he wasn't the type who liked to cook himself. Chances were that he wouldn't have enough to make something for them. Although that was just a guess based on what he had seen from others. Maybe Zhao Chen would still be stocked up on some ingredients at least.

Zhao Chen raised his brows and then got up, waving at Li Ming. "Well, only one way to find out. Let's go and look!"

The two of them went over to the kitchen and Li Ming couldn't help but have a look around. This was the first time he was here so everything was new. While they had been talking, he had taken a glance around the living room so he had a feeling about that room. It made him feel that he understood Zhao Chen's life better as well. Now, seeing his kitchen would add to that.

He brushed over the countertop while he walked past, seemingly not in a hurry to look at the ingredients.

Zhao Chen looked at him but didn't say anything, feeling that he should just let him look around. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous though. He knew that Li Ming was passionate about cooking so as somebody who wasn't ... he really wondered how much that showed.

Not that Li Ming didn't know but he also didn't want to let him see in case he had committed any kind of kitchen faux-pas. No, after everything had been going so well for the last few hours, he just wanted everything to continue like that.