Jiang Li's breathing quickened at his words. Her hands clenched tightly, and her fingertips trembled.
She felt as if every breath was a stab of pain. Just as she was about to speak, her phone suddenly vibrated, intruding awkwardly between them.
It was Xiao Yanzhi's phone.
Xiao Yanzhi stared at Jiang Li for a few seconds, then took out his phone from his pocket and answered it.
It was Qin Yaoyao on the phone. Her soft voice came through immediately. "A Yan, they're about to close. Where are you? I'll come find you."
Xiao Yanzhi pursed his lips. His voice was no longer cold. Instead, it was gentle and kind, a far cry from how he had just spoken to Jiang Li. "Stay where you are. I'll come right away."
After hanging up, he let go of Jiang Li without hesitation. He wiped his palm as if he were disgusted by the touch and sneered. "Your skills at climbing into men's beds are getting better and better, Jiang Li."
"You make me sick now."
With that, he strode out without looking back.
Jiang Li leaned against the bathroom wall. Xiao Yanzhi had been so forceful that her back ached from the impact.
But the pain in her heart was far worse.
She closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself, then walked out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened.
As soon as she stepped out, Xu Yansen, who had been waiting outside, immediately put his hand on her shoulder.
His voice was full of dissatisfaction. "You were in there for so long. I thought you'd fallen into a pit. I was about to send someone to fish you out."
Jiang Li thought for a moment, then silently pulled his hand off her shoulder. "There are a lot of people around. It wouldn't look good if we were seen like this."
Xu Yansen looked at her strange tone and expression, his face full of confusion. "Did you leave your brain in the toilet?"
Jiang Li: …
She pretended to be calm. "I just had a scandal recently. I don't want people to misunderstand again."
Xu Yansen snorted, as if he saw through everything. Half-joking, half-serious, he said, "Afraid of others' misunderstanding or your boss's? Jiang Li, when did you become so distant with me?"
Jiang Li paused for a moment. She didn't refute immediately. Her eyelashes just fluttered slightly.
Most people thought that Jiang Li and Xu Yansen had hit it off when they were choosing models. But in fact, they had known each other a long time ago.
It was in a bar. Jiang Li was sitting in a corner, wearing a hat that covered most of her face. She was drinking glass after glass without a care in the world.
The atmosphere in the bar was lively. Everyone was enjoying themselves, and no one noticed her.
But Xu Yansen saw her at a glance.
According to Xu Yansen's later account, Jiang Li was clearly drunk at that time. Her face was a faint pink from the alcohol, exuding a kind of charm, but there was also a coldness that kept people away.
Later, they became work partners. They became drinking buddies and would often go out for drinks together. Their relationship grew closer over time.
Jiang Li didn't answer his question. She just said, "Are we still going to eat?"
Xu Yansen knew her temper, so he immediately shut up. He didn't tease her anymore. Instead, he pulled her out with a smile.
When they reached the entrance of the studio, they bumped into Xiao Yanzhi and Qin Yaoyao.
"Sister Jiang Li, thank you and Mr. Xu for your care and help. It's time for dinner. How about I treat everyone to dinner and we can sit down and chat?"
Qin Yaoyao's voice was soft. Her words were full of sincerity. "Please say yes, okay?"
Xiao Yanzhi stood beside her, his expression unchanged.
Jiang Li pursed her lips. Just as she was about to decline, Xu Yansen beat her to it. "Sure. It'll be more fun with more people."
He agreed readily, but Jiang Li frowned.
Xu Yansen guessed what Jiang Li was going to say. He quickly leaned over and whispered to her, "It's stupid not to take advantage of a free meal. This is a good chance to squeeze them hard."
Jiang Li: …
Looking at Xu Yansen winking at her secretly, for some reason, she had a bad feeling.
---
The restaurant was reserved by Xiao Yanzhi in advance. It was a high-class restaurant where he often brought Jiang Li.
The room was familiar, and so were the dishes. But the person sitting beside Xiao Yanzhi was now Qin Yaoyao.
"I don't know your preferences and dislikes, Sister Jiang Li and Mr. Xu. So I've ordered some popular dishes. I hope you won't mind."
Qin Yaoyao had a smile on her face, looking like the hostess of the party.
Xiao Yanzhi, on the other hand, still looked cold.
Xu Yansen also grinned. "We don't mind. How can we complain when someone else is paying?"
He looked up and waved at the waiter who had just come in. "Do you have any good green tea here?"
The waiter nodded politely and immediately brought a pot of tea to their table.
Qin Yaoyao was confused. She asked curiously, "Do you like tea, Mr. Xu?"
To get closer to them, she tried to find a topic. "My grandfather grows tea. If you like, I can ask my family to send you some fresh tea."
Xu Yansen picked up his cup and took a sip. Almost immediately, he frowned, spat it out, and rolled his eyes. "What is this? It tastes and smells terrible."
He had always been outspoken and didn't care about anything. He looked sharply at Xiao Yanzhi across the table and said meaningfully, "I don't know what's so good about green tea. But it seems that Boss Xiao really likes it."
"Sure enough, only a big boss like him can have such unique taste."
As soon as he said this, even if Qin Yaoyao was stupid, she couldn't have missed the implication.
The atmosphere immediately became tense. Her face turned pale instantly, and the smile on her face became stiff. "I see you don't like it, Mr. Xu. Then forget it."
"It doesn't matter whether I like it or not. As long as Boss Xiao likes it." Xu Yansen shrugged. Then he turned to the waiter and said casually, "Why aren't the dishes here yet? I'm starving."
Being so openly humiliated by Xu Yansen, Qin Yaoyao was so angry that her face turned red. But she had no choice. She could only bite her lips angrily and say nothing.
Jiang Li watched this scene and subconsciously looked at Xiao Yanzhi.
Xiao Yanzhi still looked calm. He wasn't affected by Xu Yansen's words at all. He just took a sip of the tea and said lightly, "I think this tea is quite good. Everyone has their own taste."
Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao's expression softened a little.
She thought it was just a small incident. But Xu Yansen wasn't done yet. During the meal, he kept teasing Qin Yaoyao, making her almost cry.
Halfway through the meal, Xiao Yanzhi's phone vibrated. He got up and left the room. Only the three of them were left.
Qin Yaoyao couldn't hold it in anymore. She finally plucked up the courage to ask, "Mr. Xu, may I ask what I've done to offend you?"