Jiang Li still stood at the door, looking up indifferently at Qin Yaoyao, who wore a simple smile on her face.
She just found it ridiculous.
Qin Yaoyao really played the act of feigning ignorance to perfection.
Who was the man hiding in her room? Didn't that phone call last night already tell her?
Jiang Li kept silent, while Qin Yaoyao still wore a harmless smile on her face, waiting for her answer.
The two of them just stood there in a stalemate until Qin Yaoyao's face was almost stiff from smiling. Then the man in the room walked over, his eyes falling on Jiang Li.
The moment she saw Xiao Yanzhi, Qin Yaoyao's face instantly turned tense. Her tone was no longer as calm and composed as before. It was extremely unnatural, and a flash of panic crossed her cheeks. "Mr. Xiao, you... Why are you here?"
Xiao Yanzhi let out a soft grunt, his eyes casually glancing at Jiang Li.
It seemed as if he was waiting for her explanation.
Jiang Li guessed that Xiao Yanzhi must want to distance himself from her in front of Qin Yaoyao. She immediately understood. She said, "Mr. Xiao came a little earlier than you. He came to discuss with me the relevant matters about teaching you classical dance."
She answered smoothly, her expression very calm. One couldn't tell at all that she was lying.
Even though this lie was rather clumsy and full of loopholes.
As soon as her voice fell, Xiao Yanzhi's brows furrowed slightly, his face also darkened at the same time. One couldn't read any emotions in his eyes.
Qin Yaoyao looked up timidly at Xiao Yanzhi. Her voice was soft and delicate as she tentatively asked, "Mr. Xiao, is that so?"
"Yes, I just arrived not long ago." Xiao Yanzhi's tone was indifferent. He simply went along with Jiang Li's lie and continued, "I came to confirm the course plan that Sister Jiang Li made for you."
Jiang Li thought, "I've never made any such plan, you big shot."
Seeing that Xiao Yanzhi also said so, Qin Yaoyao seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She smiled again, walked over and tugged at the hem of Xiao Yanzhi's suit, getting closer to him affectionately.
"You scared me. I thought Mr. Xiao was Sister Jiang Li's boyfriend."
There was an obvious sense of relief in her tone.
Xiao Yanzhi looked lazy. He casually replied, "Don't think too much. I have nothing to do with her."
Jiang Li's fingers that were hanging by the cuffs of her pajamas curled slightly.
"Familiarize Yaoyao with the basic content today. I'll pick her up tonight."
Xiao Yanzhi casually said this and then walked out directly.
Watching the man leave gracefully, Jiang Li felt helpless but had no choice. She stepped aside and let Qin Yaoyao in. "Wait for me in the living room for a while. I'll change my clothes, and then we'll go to the practice room."
Qin Yaoyao obediently agreed and sat patiently on the sofa in the living room.
While waiting, her eyes curiously scanned the house. Everything seemed novel to her. Until she caught a glimpse of the men's shirt hanging on the dining - room chair. Her face turned a bit ugly.
The handmade embroidery on the cuffs indicated that it was Xiao Yanzhi's shirt. It was wrinkled, showing signs of intense movement.
The moment she withdrew her gaze, she just happened to turn her head and saw Jiang Li coming out of the bedroom, already changed into a new outfit.
When their eyes met, Qin Yaoyao was stunned for a moment. She immediately put on a harmless and innocent smile. "Sister Jiang Li, you're so quick."
Jiang Li nodded without saying much. The two of them then went straight to the practice room of Jiangyu Entertainment.
Although Jiang Li didn't take on the task of teaching dance voluntarily, since it had been arranged, she naturally treated it with her usual seriousness and strictness.
After an afternoon, just by doing a few simple basic movements, Qin Yaoyao was already exhausted.
Several times in the middle, she wanted to open her mouth and say she wanted to give up, but every time she met Jiang Li's cold face, she had to swallow the words back.
Jiang Li noticed Qin Yaoyao's somewhat downcast mood. Her voice deepened. "If you want to practice your basic skills well, suffering is inevitable. Do you understand?"
Qin Yaoyao looked a bit unhappy. She lowered her head and nodded. "I know, Sister Jiang Li."
Seeing this, Jiang Li realized that she might have been too strict. Her voice softened a bit. "Since you've chosen this line of work, hard work and dedication are essential. You must persevere."
Qin Yaoyao didn't say a word. She just lowered her head even more. It seemed as if she had listened.
When it slowly got dark outside, Jiang Li realized the passage of time. She looked at the time on her phone. Just as she was about to say it was over, there was a knock on the door of the room. Then Xiao Yanzhi pushed the door open and came in.
"Not over yet?" As soon as the man came in, his eyebrows were tightly knitted. His voice carried a hint of displeasure. "What time is it? How long are you planning to practice?"
Xiao Yanzhi was dressed more casually today, in a casual jacket and long pants, making his handsome face look even younger. Judging from his attire, it was very likely that he had a friends' gathering in the evening.
"I was just about to end." Jiang Li looked up and replied. Then she sat on a stool beside and rubbed her slightly sore ankle. "You can take her away."
She had sprained her foot yesterday, and it was still a bit swollen today. She should have had a good rest.
Xiao Yanzhi nodded slightly. His eyes shifted from her ankle to Qin Yaoyao's face beside her.
Qin Yaoyao was biting her lips. Her small hands were nervously twisting in front of her. From time to time, she would nervously glance at Jiang Li.
"I'll practice for a while longer. Sister Jiang Li said my basic skills aren't solid enough. I can't rest."
Jiang Li was bending over, using her hands to relieve the pain in her ankle. Hearing Qin Yaoyao's words, she nodded in satisfaction. "Well, since that's the case, you can..."
"Jiang Li, I've told you not to bully her." Xiao Yanzhi's voice suddenly turned cold. His eyes were as black as the abyss, and there was a hint of anger in his tone for no reason. "For the whole afternoon, you didn't even let her rest?"
Jiang Li was stunned. She thought his words were rather strange.
Where did she bully Qin Yaoyao?
She looked up into Xiao Yanzhi's eyes and calmly said, "Mr. Xiao, just now Qin Yaoyao clearly said that she thought her basic skills weren't good enough and she wanted to practice more. What does it have to do with me?"
She remained calm. "Moreover, where did you see that I didn't let her rest for the whole afternoon?"
Xiao Yanzhi frowned and then looked at Qin Yaoyao.
Qin Yaoyao's eyes instantly turned red. Her voice was choking with sobs, full of grievance. "Mr. Xiao, don't blame Sister Jiang Li. It's because I have no talent, I'm stupid, and I learn slowly. Sister Jiang Li has taught me very well."
Her eyes were as red as a little rabbit's, filled with tears. She looked innocent.
No matter how one looked at it, she seemed like someone who had been wronged but didn't dare to complain.
Only then did Jiang Li notice Qin Yaoyao's tear - streaked face and Xiao Yanzhi's impatience beside her.
She had endured the pain and taught seriously for the whole afternoon, but in just a few words, she had instantly become a mean step - mother who bullied others.
Xiao Yanzhi's eyebrows furrowed. The emotions in his cold eyes were unclear. "Jiang Li, Yaoyao is in poor health. Don't impose your rules on her. She can't take it."