"She can't afford to pay. Are you going to foot the bill?"
Xiao Yanzhi slightly narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Jiang Li's face. "You accidentally damaged this dress while wearing it. You should take full responsibility."
Jiang Li suddenly looked up.
Xiao Yanzhi studied her for a moment, then sneered. "If you don't have the ability, don't make decisions for others."
Saying that, he took out the bank card from the drawer and tossed it in front of Jiang Li.
"Take this to pay the compensation. There's no need to report it to the finance department. I'll cover this expense."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Qin Yaoyao's tear - filled eyes, followed by an expression of admiration on her face. "Are you lending me the money, Mr. Xiao?"
Xiao Yanzhi nodded. "Yes. Work hard at Jiang Entertainment in the future, and you'll surely earn it back one day."
When he said this, his tone was full of encouragement and indulgence. Clearly, he was in a good mood, pleased by Qin Yaoyao's adoring and grateful gaze.
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao! I'll definitely pay it back as soon as possible!"
Qin Yaoyao immediately beamed. Although there were still tears on her small face, her joy and happiness were obvious.
Jiang Li suddenly recalled that night and his words.
No wonder he was bored with her.
Qin Yaoyao looked quite young, around twenty - two or twenty - three. She seemed delicate and timid, with clear eyes that were as pure as water.
She knew how to say nice things, and her words were as sweet as honey.
Unlike her, who was as dull as a rotting piece of wood.
Jiang Li closed her eyes, her heart trembling slightly. She tried hard to get rid of the discomfort and gloom. "Mr. Xiao, I'll head back first. There's an audition with Director Zhang this afternoon."
Xiao Yanzhi didn't try to stop her. Instead, he tapped on the table. "Qin Yaoyao, sit down and let's have a chat."
It seemed that he intended to have an in - depth conversation with her.
Jiang Li had just stepped to the edge of the door when Qin Yaoyao's timid voice came again. "Which role are you going to audition for, Sister Jiang Li? I'm also very interested in Director Zhang's works."
"Which role do you want to play?" Xiao Yanzhi's voice was unhurried, with a hint of doting.
Jiang Li's steps faltered.
She remembered that during her first audition, Xiao Yanzhi couldn't even remember whether she was the lead or a supporting character.
She really couldn't compare with Qin Yaoyao.
The voices of the two in the room grew softer and softer, as if they deliberately didn't want someone to hear.
Jiang Li's heart sank a little.
She wasn't in the habit of eavesdropping, so she quickened her pace and quickly left the office.
Bearing the strange looks of others, Jiang Li straightened her back bravely, still maintaining her previous proud stance. She gracefully took steps and walked out of Jiang Entertainment one by one, as noble as a white swan.
Downstairs, Sister Chen was already waiting for her in the nanny car.
"Li Li, didn't you say it would only take a few minutes? Why did it take so long?" Sister Chen was a worrywart. Seeing her come over slowly, she was extremely anxious. "We've made an appointment with Director Zhang for three o'clock this afternoon. We can't be late."
Although it was just such a short trip, Jiang Li felt extremely exhausted. She leaned back on the car seat, rubbed her temples with her fingers, and said in a coquettish tone, "Wasn't I doing this for you, Sister Chen? Please understand me."
Given Xiao Yanzhi's moody nature, if Sister Chen had gone to report the dress compensation, she would probably have been severely scolded by him.
Sister Chen handed her a bottle of water and softened her tone. "Okay, okay. I know you're the best to me, young lady. Adjust your state and perform well in the audition later."
Jiang Li then smiled and unscrewed the water bottle. Some of the fatigue in her eyes faded. Just as she was about to bring the water to her mouth, her phone on the car rang.
"Oh, right. Your phone has been ringing just now." While instructing the driver to start the car, Sister Chen turned around and explained to her.
Jiang Li tightened the cap of the water bottle again, picked up the phone, and saw a series of numbers on it. Her eyes darkened.
"Sister! Why did you answer the phone so late!" As soon as the call was connected, the man on the other end sounded extremely anxious and deliberately lowered his voice. "Quickly transfer two million yuan to me. I'm being blocked outside now. If I don't give them the money, they'll break my legs!"
Jiang Li's pupils suddenly contracted. Her eyes involuntarily glanced at the driver and Sister Chen in the front. She frowned slightly. "Jiang Yi! Didn't I just give you five hundred thousand yuan last month? What on earth is going on this time?"
"Come on, I can't explain it to you!" Jiang Yi seemed to have been touched on a sore spot and instantly became even more impatient. "What can five hundred thousand yuan do? Stop talking nonsense and quickly transfer two million yuan to me. Otherwise, you can just wait to collect my corpse!"
Before Jiang Li could say a word, the busy tone of "beep beep beep" came from the phone receiver.
"Li Li, who were you on the phone with just now?" It was the rush - hour traffic at this time. Just now, Sister Chen and the driver were only focused on the road conditions and checking for paparazzi, so they didn't notice what happened behind her.
"It was a call from a family member." Jiang Li's tone was flat, and her voice was calm. "By the way, Sister Chen, how much money is there in my account?"
"What, is your family asking you for money again?" Sister Chen seemed to be used to it and couldn't help but sigh. "Li Li, it's not easy for you to earn money working alone outside. You just transferred the production fee for Director Lin's new film last month. There should be only about a hundred thousand yuan left in your card now."
"You, child. Since I first met you, you've been filial and taken care of your family. But you also need to think about yourself. Your family asks you for so much money to pay off debts every now and then. The hole they dug should have been filled by now. Even if you could lay golden eggs every day, you couldn't keep up with this constant demand for money."
Sister Chen had been Jiang Li's agent since she entered the industry. Their relationship was quite good. Over the years, Sister Chen had witnessed all of Jiang Li's hardships, so she naturally spoke more directly.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes and forced a bitter smile but didn't answer.
It was indeed a hole.
A bottomless pit that could never be filled.
"Okay, you understand these principles. I won't say more. How much do they need this time?" Sister Chen sighed helplessly and glanced at her. "If it's not a large amount, I'll advance it for you first."
Jiang Li closed her eyes and pondered for a while. "No need, Sister Chen. I'll figure it out myself."
Sister Chen was also a poor soul. She divorced early because of her work. It was not easy for her to raise her daughter alone. Her daughter was about to start primary school soon, and it was a time when they needed a lot of money.
Moreover, the amount Jiang Yi asked for was not a small sum.
...
The car arrived at the audition venue on time. Jiang Li tidied up her makeup in the car in advance, then wrapped herself in the coat she usually wore on the film set, took small steps, and walked in with her neck shrunk.
It was winter in Beicheng. The cold wind howled, and it was so cold that it made one's bones ache. Staying outside for a little longer was unbearable.
There were just the right number of entertainers coming for the audition, all of them familiar faces in the industry.
When they saw Jiang Li walk in, they looked at each other and knew what was going on.
This time, Jiang Li was here to compete for the leading - lady role.
A few familiar entertainers nodded to Jiang Li to say hello, then continued to lower their heads to prepare for the audition.
Jiang Li casually found a seat and sat down, then took out the script she had prepared in advance.
However, not long after, someone else came.
Qin Yaoyao was seen wrapped in a coat, followed by a man as she walked in. The door wasn't closed tightly, and the cold wind blew in from time to time. Jiang Li subconsciously pulled up the collar of her coat and squinted to look at the newcomers.
"Mr. Xiao, there are so many people here." Qin Yaoyao's voice was shy and timid, softly reaching everyone's ears.