"Why didn't you answer the phone?"
Jiang Li had just woken up. Her voice was still a bit hoarse, making it sound especially nice.
Xiao Yanzhi's fingertips gripping the phone paused for a moment.
He was silent for a few seconds, then simply and neatly pressed the answer button. His long fingers pressed the speakerphone, not bothering to avoid her.
"What's up?" His voice was deep.
On the other end of the phone, Qin Yaoyao's nervous and timid voice came through: "A Yan, I was attacked last night..."
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzhi's eyes lifted, and he glanced at Jiang Li.
Jiang Li's expression remained unchanged. She even seemed quite interested as she stared at the phone screen, eager to hear what else Qin Yaoyao would say.
Xiao Yanzhi's Adam's apple rolled. "What happened?"
Qin Yaoyao: "It... It was a man. He tried to take liberties with me!"
Having said this, she started sniffling and crying again, her voice choking. "I called the police. I'm at the police station cooperating with the investigation now."
"A Yan, can you come and accompany me now? I'm so scared by myself."
After listening, Jiang Li seemed to have started feeling bored. She leaned over, and her fair fingertips lightly touched the red button.
The call was hung up.
Xiao Yanzhi raised his eyebrows.
He casually tossed the phone aside, leaned against the headboard, and looked at her. "Why did you hang up my call?"
Jiang Li slowly withdrew her hand. Her sleepy eyes were like those of a lazy cat at the moment. "You can't go."
Xiao Yanzhi stared at her. "Why?"
Jiang Li lay back down on the bed flat, her tone calm. "We'll be leaving for the Xiao family in two hours. There's not enough time."
"Of course, you can choose to miss the Xiao family's dinner and go accompany Qin Yaoyao."
Jiang Li turned her back and stopped chatting with him.
Xiao Yanzhi's gaze gradually retracted. He habitually took out a cigarette from the cigarette case on the headboard, held it up for two seconds, then put it down. He rubbed his temples impatiently.
It was obvious that he was in a bad mood.
A few seconds later, Xiao Yanzhi threw off the quilt, quickly got dressed, picked up his phone, and stepped out of the room.
He had a great body proportion. Even in a shirt, one could see his firm and broad shoulders, as well as his narrow waist with the golden ratio.
Jiang Li had read some entertainment media reports. They seemed to call a man's waist like this a "stud dog's waist".
It was quite appropriate, she thought.
The room fell silent again. She had been tired for half the night last night. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again soon.
It wasn't until the alarm went off again that she got up. She dragged her lazy steps to the bathroom to wash up. When passing by the living room, she found that Xiao Yanzhi was also there.
The man was sitting on the living - room sofa, his long legs crossed, and his arm resting on the armrest of the sofa. The collar of his shirt was slightly open, making him look extremely noble.
He was on the phone, his tone nonchalant. "Minimize the losses as soon as possible. Also, find out who sent the person."
"Go to the police station later, pick up Qin Yaoyao, and send her home. Ensure her safety."
Jiang Li understood that he was dealing with Qin Yaoyao's matter.
The incident at the dinner party not long ago hadn't died down yet. Now that Qin Yaoyao had been attacked while being stalked, it would surely stir up a wave of public attention.
Xiao Yanzhi looked cold. His fingertips occasionally pressed against his temples, seemingly annoyed by this matter.
Jiang Li walked past him as if she saw nothing and went straight into the bathroom to start a series of steps such as washing, skin - care, and makeup.
When she came out, the man seemed to have already finished dealing with things. He was dressed in a suit, his tie neatly ironed. He exuded the aura of a proud superior.
"I'll go change my clothes." Jiang Li knew that he was ready to go back to the Xiao family. She nodded slightly and went straight into the bedroom.
Just as she was about to step forward, Xiao Yanzhi suddenly said in a deep voice, "How did you know I would definitely choose to go back to the Xiao family?"
Jiang Li paused for two seconds and still entered the bedroom.
She didn't answer.
Xiao Yuanfeng only celebrated his birthday once a year, and every time he required the whole family to gather.
Even though the relationship between Xiao Yanzhi and Xiao Yuanfeng had always been very poor, they still had to maintain a basic father - son relationship on the surface.
If Xiao Yanzhi missed going back to the Xiao family just because of Qin Yaoyao, the people in the Xiao family would definitely give her trouble.
Not only did Jiang Li understand this.
Xiao Yanzhi understood it better.
If he cared about Qin Yaoyao, he would never let her become a thorn in the side of the Xiao family.
...
There were no clothes of hers in Ruiyuan. Naturally, the clothes for the family dinner were prepared for her in advance by someone Xiao Yanzhi had arranged.
In the closet was a lavender - purple dress with a strapless design. The upper part of the dress hugged her figure, and the skirt reached all the way down to her ankles.
Jiang Li had fair skin, and this color suited her very well.
The purple also made her look elegant and noble, indescribably beautiful.
One had to admit that Xiao Yanzhi had very high - end taste and was good at choosing.
Before going out, Jiang Li sprayed some perfume. It was a light fragrance of white camellia, which was pleasant and reassuring at the same time.
The two were sitting very close. Xiao Yanzhi only needed to lower his head slightly to smell the faint fragrance of white camellia.
Xiao Yanzhi suddenly remembered that in Huacheng before, the box of the solid incense that Jiang Li had bought seemed to have the same smell.
She was going to give the same incense to Song Yu.
Xiao Yanzhi squinted his eyes and gave her a cold look.
The light in the car was dim, hiding his expression in the shadow, making it impossible to tell his mood.
As if sensing the gaze, she subconsciously raised her eyes, but the other person had already impatiently looked away. His whole aura was very cold.
Jiang Li was confused. She didn't know why he had a sour face for no reason.
He was really strange.
After driving for more than three hours, they finally arrived at the gate of the Xiao family before twelve o'clock.
Jiang Li lifted the skirt of her dress and gracefully held onto Xiao Yanzhi's arm. The two walked in perfect sync as they entered the Xiao family.
In the bushes outside the mansion, the paparazzi's cameras were constantly clicking.
When they arrived, it was just lunch time.
Their late arrival annoyed Xiao Yuanfeng. His face was tense, and his eyes were fixed directly on them.
Sitting on the sofa were Xiao Yuanfeng's younger sister, Xiao He, and her husband, Bai Yueming. They all looked over in unison.
"There was a traffic jam on the way. We're a bit late." Xiao Yanzhi's voice was calm, showing no fluctuations.
Jiang Li on the side put on a proper smile. Her eyes were curved. In front of these shrewd people, she remained calm. "I took too long to get ready. I held Mr. Xiao back."
This explanation was reasonable. The frown on Xiao Yuanfeng, who was sitting in the main seat, relaxed a bit. "Come in."
After their arrival, the atmosphere became obviously more tense.
Xiao He had always disliked Jiang Li. She deliberately raised her voice. "It's understandable for a woman to love beauty and dress up, but it's stupid to delay important matters."
"Jiang Li, a girl from a humble family doesn't understand the rules. In the future, you should prioritize the overall situation. Do you understand?"
It was obviously a deliberate disdain for Jiang Li's humble family background.
Jiang Li lowered her head meekly, her tone gentle as she followed her words. "I'll definitely pay attention next time. Thank you, Aunt Xiao, for your teaching and guidance."