"I'm a bit lost. I don't know what to do anymore."
Jiang Li was already a beauty. At this moment, her eyes were wide open. Her eye sockets and the tip of her nose were tinged with a delicate pink, as if covered with a misty hue.
She was incredibly endearing.
Qiao Jinrun was stunned for a couple of seconds. He coughed awkwardly and slowly averted his gaze. "Judging from your description, did you break up with someone?"
"… You're the one who broke up with someone."
Jiang Li immediately denied it. "I'm a celebrity. I'm not allowed to be in a relationship."
Qiao Jinrun gave her a half - smiling look. "Since you know you're a celebrity, and you come here crying non - stop, aren't you afraid of being seen?"
Jiang Li said, "Celebrities are also human. They can get sick. Isn't it natural to come and see a doctor?"
After venting her emotions, she became sharp - tongued again.
"Since you've come to see a doctor, then drink this saline."
Seeing that her mood had eased a bit, Qiao Jinrun seriously answered her question. "A life - saving grace should be repaid tenfold. But if someone saves you first and then throws you into an abyss, it would be better if they hadn't saved you at all."
His gaze was meaningful. "In a sense, since he treated you like this, it means you've already repaid his kindness."
"One life for another. Now you're free."
Jiang Li was stunned for a moment.
She was free.
"I don't know what happened to you, but I can tell that you've suffered a blow, and it's a fatal one."
Qiao Jinrun hit the nail on the head.
"There are many crossroads in a person's life. Making a choice can be difficult. But once you muster the courage to make a decision, the scenery you'll see is often more amazing."
"So, you need to be patient and endure loneliness. Don't act on impulse or make hasty decisions."
Qiao Jinrun's eyes behind his glasses were especially deep. "Since you've been given a second chance at life, even if it's not for your relatives, you should at least live up to yourself."
He was very patient. Although he was in a tone of persuasion, it was as if he was reflecting on himself, with a sense of great enlightenment.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes for a few seconds. She took in every word and slowly looked up. "Thank you, Dr. Qiao."
"You're welcome." Qiao Jinrun didn't really care. He just poured her another cup of hot water and said playfully, "Do you feel better? Do you want me to give you a shot to cure you?"
Jiang Li: "…"
Sure enough, doctors are all so devious. He knew she was afraid of needles and still deliberately poked at her sore spot.
---
This was the first red - carpet event of the year and also the awarding ceremony of the new national film festival.
It was a grand event at the beginning of the year, gathering all the short - listed and award - winning film and television works as well as outstanding actors of this session. Awards were presented to recognize their achievements.
On such an occasion, the celebrities' outfits had to be generous and solemn, and the brands they chose needed to be high - end enough to match their status.
As Jiang Li wished, Jiang Entertainment managed to borrow the latest high - end limited - edition dress from VASA for her. The red evening gown with a long train perfectly complemented her aura.
"LiLi, it seems that General Manager Xiao still has a conscience."
Sister Chen was helping her tidy up the skirt while saying with relief, "If it weren't for his personal call, it would really be hard to borrow a VASA high - end custom - made dress."
Jiang Li remained expressionless and casually responded, not bothering to explain.
Conscience?
She got this in exchange for the negative scandals that were about to be exposed.
Businessmen value profits more than anything else. Where is there any conscience?
Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Sister Chen thought it was affected by the previous events. She walked over to adjust her earrings. "Cheer up. You're going to receive an award today."
Jiang Li nodded and forced a reassuring smile.
…
The grand music in the hall started to play, officially kicking off the awarding ceremony.
Jiang Li sat upright in the front row of the venue. Her back was extremely straight. Her eyes were fixed on the guests on the stage, and she clapped and smiled from time to time.
Sometimes when the camera swept over her, every shot was perfect, without any flaws.
Her emotional management and facial expression control were always almost at the peak.
The lights in the hall shone down on her side face, making her skin as white as porcelain, like a painting.
Every guest who went on stage to receive an award nodded and smiled politely at the camera and then left gracefully.
Until the host called Jiang Li's name.
"The winner of the 'Best Actress' award at this year's film festival is—Jiang Li!"
Jiang Li took a deep breath. A proper smile was on her face as she walked onto the stage unhurriedly.
The wide and fluffy skirt behind her was grand and imposing. The bright red high - end dress made her skin look even fairer, almost reflecting light under the lights. Her long black hair was shiny and smooth.
Everything was perfect.
The stage lights made people feel hot all over. The non - stop flashlights were even more intense at this moment, making it hard to open one's eyes.
Everything was exposed to everyone's gaze.
"Xiao Li is so amazing. She won the Best Actress award again this year. It won't be long before she becomes a movie queen."
"Is the dress she's wearing the new model from VASA? No wonder Jiang Entertainment is so generous. My agent has been trying to borrow it for half a year but couldn't."
"Jiang Entertainment has Jiang Li as their trump card. They must be willing to spend a fortune to keep her. Didn't Director Zhang say in his acceptance speech that Jiang Li is a rare acting genius? She will surely be very popular in the future."
"Really? I heard that she was going to terminate her contract some time ago. Did I hear it wrong?"
"…"
The crowd was whispering, but the girl on the stage remained calm. Looking at the familiar and unfamiliar faces in the audience, her smile remained the same.
In the past, at this moment, she would hold the trophy and search the audience for that familiar face, pretending to be casual but actually looking very seriously, hoping to see the pride and approval on his face.
Only then did she feel it was meaningful.
But this time, she hardly even glanced at anyone.
It was obvious to everyone that Jiang Li's aura was even more haughty than before.
That haughtiness was a kind of coldness that radiated from within, a kind of aloofness and calmness that kept people at a distance.
She had grown.
"Thank Jiang Li for bringing us one vivid character after another and one moving performance after another."
The host had excellent control of the situation. Knowing that Jiang Li was quite popular recently, he took this opportunity to tease her. "The industry now calls Jiang Li the 'little movie queen'. I wonder how you feel about this nickname?"
Jiang Li smiled. She didn't feel embarrassed or awkward about this kind of teasing.
After taking the microphone, her delicate and clear voice echoed throughout the awarding hall.
"Thank the audience for their love and my peers for their recognition."
She curled her lips, with a confident smile. "I hope that one day, this nickname will become what everyone calls me."