A single sentence directly revealed her ambition to everyone.
What she wanted was not just the teasing title of “little actress”; she aimed for the laurel of “actress,” and she wanted it to be well-deserved.
After her words fell, the hall fell silent for a few seconds before people reacted. Instantly, thunderous applause erupted.
She was arrogant enough.
And she indeed had the ability to be proud.
Below the stage, Xiao Yanzhi was sitting in the invitation seat for capitalists. The camera happened to focus on him.
Under the man's black suit pants were long legs. His shirt and suit were made of particularly exquisite materials. His facial features were sharp and distinct, and his overall aura was extremely cold.
He showed little expression, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Jiang Li was wrapped in depth and complexity.
He was high and mighty, making it hard to fathom.
In just four years, he had built Jiang Entertainment, a dark-horse enterprise in the industry. His leadership and management abilities were obvious.
But no one knew clearly whether Jiang Li came first or Jiang Entertainment did.
Or perhaps the two were complementary and inseparable.
Jiang Entertainment had made Jiang Li, while Jiang Li had brought glory to Jiang Entertainment. The complicated relationship between them might only be clear to the two of them.
After all the awards had been presented, there was a segment where successful entrepreneurs were invited to take the stage and give speeches.
Xiao Yanzhi, as a representative of successful entrepreneurs, was on the list.
At this time, Jiang Li had already sat back in her seat with the award in her arms. Her calm eyes were fixed on the man in a suit on the stage.
There were no emotional fluctuations, no ups and downs in feelings.
Neither love nor hate.
“Jiang Entertainment has achieved quite a lot again this year,” the host said with a bright smile. Her concerned eyes fell on him, full of admiration. “I wonder what President Xiao thinks of his own artists?”
His expression was cold and indifferent. His voice was deep and magnetic as he spoke slowly from his thin lips, “Every artist under Jiang Entertainment is excellent. They will have a better future.”
“May I ask, Mr. Xiao, which artist under your company do you think most highly of?” the host asked him sweetly.
Actually, everyone knew very well that when it came to excellence, Jiang Li was worthy of the title.
She was also the only one.
Xiao Yanzhi was the president of a rising entertainment company and a leader in the industry's capital. The media's attention on him had never diminished.
At this moment, various media outlets also pointed their cameras at him one after another.
His words were steady, and he rarely added a bit of relaxation and humor, “I think everyone knows the answer clearly. There's no need for me to answer.”
As soon as he said this, everyone couldn't help but smile knowingly.
Yes, the most promising and admirable person in the whole of Jiang Entertainment was none other than Jiang Li.
There couldn't be anyone else.
But the host wasn't going to let it go. She deliberately asked him for an answer, “You can't be so sure. Maybe President Xiao has a more recognized actor in his heart?”
If it had been before, Jiang Li sitting below the stage would probably have been sweating nervously.
But now she was as calm as a still lake.
No matter whose name would come out of Xiao Yanzhi's mouth, she didn't really care.
Watching the lively scene on the stage, Jiang Li casually put the trophy aside, got up, picked up the hem of her dress, and walked out of the hall to go to the restroom.
She didn't know what they were talking about in the hall, but she could hear intermittent laughter.
The train of her evening dress was too long, which made it inconvenient to go to the restroom.
The train of this evening dress was detachable. She stood in the corridor of the restroom, slightly twisting her body and bending down to undo the buckle.
But the skirt was too fluffy. Among the high-end fabrics, she found it a bit strenuous for a moment, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Just then, a large, well-jointed hand reached over. The hand calmly held down the floating train of her dress and undid the invisible buckle, allowing the train to be removed.
“Thank... ” She raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead. Just as she was about to look up and thank the person, the moment she saw the man's cold face, her voice stopped abruptly.
But soon, she nodded slightly, “Thank you, President Xiao. This is the women's restroom. You can leave. It wouldn't look good if someone saw you here.”
Although everyone was in the hall now, there were almost no people outside.
And no one would notice the two of them.
The two of them were standing neither too close nor too far apart. There was just a distance of a few steps between them, but it seemed as far as mountains and rivers.
Jiang Li's long hair had been styled. It was now gracefully hanging on her chest. Her eyebrows and eyes were full of peace.
“It seems you have a big opinion of me,” Xiao Yanzhi lowered his voice and took steps towards her, forcing her into a corner. “Did you deliberately come to the restroom to avoid hearing who I think highly of?”
“You're overthinking,” Jiang Li didn't take a step back for the first time. She stood firmly in place without giving an inch.
The man's handmade leather shoes were just one step away from stepping on the toes of her high heels, but she still stood there proudly without moving. The shoes that were about to land on her instep had to turn at the last moment and landed beside her feet instead. They were very close.
Jiang Li could feel that the man in front of her, although looking well-dressed and abstinent, was full of danger at any moment.
He was like a powder keg waiting to explode.
Xiao Yanzhi's jawline tightened. His eyes were filled with deep emotions, as if he was holding back some kind of impulse.
She was very beautiful today.
To be precise, there was never a moment when she wasn't beautiful.
Especially when she stood on the stage, confidently and boldly declaring that she wanted to win the title of “actress,” she looked like a wild rose blooming bravely in the cold wind.
Wild enough and charming enough.
It made people can't help but want to break her off and put her in their own vase to admire.
“Are you satisfied with this high-end dress?” he asked casually.
Jiang Li smiled slightly and gave an official answer, “Looking at the entire industry, only you can borrow the top luxury style from VASA. I'm extremely grateful and of course satisfied.”
“Thank you for making me look so beautiful today.”
Hearing her obedient answer, Xiao Yanzhi's expression softened a bit, but he still looked cold, “Be more sensible, and you'll get more.”
He looked like a patron giving orders.
“It's true. After all, whether I can stay in this circle or not depends on your promotion and reward,” Jiang Li said.
“I forgot to add a word during the award ceremony just now. I also have to thank you for your favor, which allowed me to stand here.”
“I hope you'll take good care of me and promote me well in the days to come.”
Jiang Li's lips were slightly pursed. Her extremely charming face was covered with a layer of frost. Although she was saying obedient words, her expression was still cold.
That pride in her could never be suppressed.
Xiao Yanzhi didn't say another word, but his overall aura obviously sank. His eyes became cold and sharp.
He could, of course, hear that Jiang Li was mocking him for being overbearing, like a patron who only knew how to throw money around without any taste or grace.
The conversation between the two was full of undercurrents.
They could tear each other apart at any moment, but at this moment, it was so calm that it made one shiver. The atmosphere was so heavy that it reached the freezing point.
“Jiang Li, say something nice with your mouth now, and I can agree to one of your conditions,” the man suddenly spoke, slightly raising his chin.
It seemed like a gift from heaven.