"Jiang Li, don't bully her."
In an instant, the noise in the banquet hall subsided a lot.
Jiang Li still looked as calm as ever. She slightly lifted her eyelids, and her gaze fell on the little girl standing beside Xiao Yanzhi.
Her eyes were calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow.
However, Qin Yaoyao's eyes seemed even redder than before. She clenched her hands tightly by her sides, looking aggrieved yet hesitant to speak: "Mr. Xiao, you've misunderstood. I just wanted to say hello to Sister Jiang Li, but accidentally spilled the wine on her..."
"It's my fault!" she said timidly, but still bravely admitted her mistake.
Her voice was soft and small, and she seemed at a loss and extremely flustered.
Xiao Yanzhi's eyebrows twitched. The coldness on his face faded a bit. He reached out and patted Qin Yaoyao on the shoulder. His voice was still as gentle and calm as before: "Don't be nervous. Relax. She won't blame you."
It wasn't him who got splashed with wine, yet he forgave her on behalf of Jiang Li.
"Jiang Li, come with me."
When speaking to Jiang Li, his tone returned to its usual coldness and authority.
Everyone around was watching this dramatic scene, and couldn't help but start speculating.
Perhaps, Jiang Entertainment, which belonged to Jiang Li, would soon change hands.
...
In the corridor around the corner outside the banquet hall, Jiang Li followed behind Xiao Yanzhi. She remained silent until he spoke.
Having been with Xiao Yanzhi for so many years, she knew well that silence was golden.
Xiao Yanzhi listened to the even footsteps behind him. Frowning irritably, he stopped in his tracks.
"Qin Yaoyao is the new talent I asked you to take care of yesterday. She didn't do it on purpose. Don't be so hard on her."
Jiang Li wanted to ask him if he had ever given her a chance to be hard on anyone.
But when the words reached her lips, she knew it was inappropriate to say them, so she silently swallowed them back and replied in a low voice: "Okay. She was drunk and lost her balance. I can understand."
After saying that, her eyes fell on the wet part of her chest and slowly moved away. Then she said calmly: "It's not safe for her to be alone. I'll go back and accompany her first. You can go back by yourself."
After saying that, he turned around and was about to go back to find Qin Yaoyao. He walked quickly, looking very worried about her safety.
For some reason, Jiang Li suddenly blurted out: "What about me?"
She was also alone.
The moment Jiang Li's voice faded, the corridor seemed even quieter than before.
After a few seconds, Xiao Yanzhi let out a sneer. "She doesn't know anything. What about you?"
What he meant was that she was worldly while Qin Yaoyao was innocent.
He paused, his eyes lingering blatantly on the part of her chest that was wet and faintly visible, the irony evident: "Now, even if something happens to you, it'll just boost your popularity, won't it?"
Jiang Li watched his figure disappear at the end of the corridor. Her originally calm and indifferent expression gradually faded away.
She lowered her head and touched the place on her chest where the wine had been spilled.
It was cold.
---
The next day.
Originally, she was supposed to go for an audition today. But because the evening dress was ruined last night, Jiang Li needed to report the loss and compensation to the company, so she came to Jiang Entertainment early in the morning.
Normally, the company was very quiet, but today it was bustling. People were gathered around a certain place, chatting and laughing.
The moment Jiang Li stepped into the company, the noisy voices suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at her in unison.
Qin Yaoyao, who was surrounded by the crowd, was no exception. She looked at Jiang Li timidly, just like yesterday.
The atmosphere suddenly became very strange.
The two of them glanced at each other in the air. Qin Yaoyao's eyes dodged for a few seconds first, then quickly became firm. She walked up to Jiang Li and said, "Good morning, Sister Jiang Li."
Jiang Li looked at her, her tone flat as a response: "Good morning."
After saying that, Jiang Li walked straight towards the president's office. She knocked on the door twice, then as usual, skillfully pushed it open and walked in as if no one else was around.
Xiao Yanzhi was sitting in the office. When he looked up and saw who it was, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Jiang Li could tell from his eyes that the person he wanted to see should be someone else.
To be precise, it should be Qin Yaoyao.
She suppressed her emotions and walked to the opposite side of the desk, looking calm: "The evening dress last night was a limited luxury item from Sway, used for promotional endorsement. Since the dress was ruined last night, according to the contract, the other party will demand a huge amount of compensation from us."
Her tone was matter - of - fact.
Xiao Yanzhi rubbed his temples, extremely impatient. He interrupted her calmly: "In the future, for things like this, go directly through the finance process..."
Just then, Qin Yaoyao suddenly pushed the door open and walked in. She stood at the door nervously: "Mr. Xiao, Sister Jiang Li."
She looked so pitiful.
Barging in without knocking was really offensive and impolite, even for a new employee.
"Don't the employees of Jiang Entertainment know they should knock on the door before entering the president's office?" Jiang Li frowned slightly and started to scold.
In Jiang Entertainment, Jiang Li's words carried as much weight as the boss's wife. It was only reasonable for her to teach the new employees a lesson.
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly said: "From now on, she doesn't need to knock."
Hearing this, Jiang Li's expression changed slightly, but she quickly suppressed it. Her eyebrows remained calm: "Okay, I understand."
Xiao Yanzhi saw all this in his eyes. He paused for a moment, softened his cold tone, and shifted his attention to Qin Yaoyao. His tone gradually became gentle: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Qin Yaoyao clutched the corner of her clothes tightly. Her little face turned red, as if she was hesitating about something. She stammered for a long time but couldn't say a word.
In Jiang Li's memory, Xiao Yanzhi hated such slow - talking women the most.
But unexpectedly, Xiao Yanzhi's eyes were very patient, without the slightest sign of impatience: "Don't be in a hurry. Take your time."
Jiang Li was stunned.
She still remembered the first time she made a mistake and was so nervous that she couldn't speak in front of Xiao Yanzhi. His disdainful and strict expression.
Jiang Li watched this scene quietly.
She couldn't tell what she was feeling, but she just felt it was a bit hard to breathe. The atmosphere in the office was becoming more and more subtle.
"I'll compensate for Sister Jiang Li's dress." It seemed that she had made a great determination: "Just now I heard from the assistant that Sister Jiang Li usually wears endorsed clothes. If they get dirty, it'll be a breach of contract. It was my fault last night. I think..."
"You can't afford to compensate." Jiang Li immediately interrupted her: "Don't be so self - righteous and act tough."
There was a warning in her tone, but actually she was thinking about Qin Yaoyao.
Sway was a high - end luxury brand in the industry. That dress was worth more than seven figures. She knew the value of the dress well, so she took the initiative to mention the compensation to Xiao Yanzhi.
If it was any other brand, she would have dealt with it privately and wouldn't have bothered him.
It would be okay if Qin Yaoyao was just expressing her determination. But if Xiao Yanzhi got carried away and really agreed to let her compensate, that huge debt would be a heavy burden for Qin Yaoyao.
But Qin Yaoyao didn't understand the implication in Jiang Li's words. Seeing her cold refusal, Qin Yaoyao was almost on the verge of tears: "Sister Jiang Li, I know I was wrong yesterday. Please give me a chance. I'll borrow money to compensate you even if I have to."
It would be better if she didn't speak. Once she opened her mouth, her voice was filled with sobs, making it seem as if Jiang Li was bullying her.
Seeing her so stubborn, Jiang Li frowned even more tightly. "Do you know how much that dress is worth? Even if you want to borrow money, no one will lend you such a huge amount. Do you understand?"
Qin Yaoyao was still young. Carrying such a huge debt as soon as she entered the industry, the pressure was unimaginable.
Because she had experienced hardship herself, she knew how painful it was to be in debt and how difficult it was to pay it off.
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzhi curled his lips slightly and sneered: "She can't afford to compensate. Will you?"