After patiently listening to Qin Yaoyao's account and explanation, Xiao Yanzhi fell silent.
He didn't say a word for a long while. Qin Yaoyao felt a bit guilty and couldn't help but moisten the corners of her eyes even more. "A Yan, I really didn't expect Sister Jiang Li to do such a thing."
"I just wanted to take a few more photo sets and gain more exposure."
Xiao Yanzhi still sat with his legs crossed, his expression noble and cold. He didn't utter a single word from beginning to end.
"It doesn't matter if Sister Jiang Li doesn't like me, but such negative news will also have an impact on Jiang Entertainment."
She said timidly, "A Yan once said that everything should be centered around the company's interests, didn't you?"
Her words didn't seem to be an appeal for herself, but rather a considerate thought for him.
The man was silent for a while.
After a long time, he lowered his eyes and looked at her, casually asking, "Then did you deliberately target her when you used the public relations department's account without permission to post the rumor about Jiang Li and Chen Siqi?"
Xiao Yanzhi's eyes were as black as night, his voice extremely cold, and the oppressive aura around him was overwhelming.
Although his tone was calm, the coldness in his eyes still made Qin Yaoyao startled.
"I..." Qin Yaoyao was caught off guard and couldn't say a word. This was the first time she saw such obvious coldness on Xiao Yanzhi's face.
She lowered her head and couldn't help but shed tears again. "A Yan, you're blaming me, aren't you? You think I deliberately wanted to damage Sister Jiang Li's reputation, don't you?"
Xiao Yanzhi still remained silent, his attitude ambiguous.
Qin Yaoyao's hands hanging by her sides tightened little by little. Her tears stubbornly welled up in her eyes but didn't fall.
She was afraid of ruining her makeup, which would affect her meeting with Su Jialan later.
"A Yan, you still have feelings for Sister Jiang Li in your heart." Her voice grew weaker, and her eyelashes trembled. "You mind the rumor about her and Mr. Chen, don't you?"
Xiao Yanzhi frowned slightly, his thin lips pursed into a straight line.
Hearing her say that he still had feelings for Jiang Li, a flicker of displeasure and annoyance flashed across his eyes.
Xiao Yanzhi's voice was cold and calm, without much emotion. "Don't think too much. I just hope you can learn a lesson from this incident."
"Don't act willfully. If you cause any negative consequences, someone will have to clean up the mess."
Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao's eyes lit up. She understood the implication of his words.
He was going to help her deal with the negative public opinion.
"A Yan, I understand." Qin Yaoyao quickly concealed the joy in her eyes and said obediently, "I'll pay attention to my words and actions in the future and won't cause you any trouble."
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her with a meaningful look in his eyes.
"Don't be unhappy because of this. You have an important person to meet later."
Xiao Yanzhi had somehow lit a cigarette. He tapped the ash off and said casually, "Don't cry and ruin your makeup. You won't look good later."
Qin Yaoyao immediately broke into a smile, and the stone in her heart finally dropped.
Fortunately, A Yan had always been on her side.
Although they didn't say a word on the way later, Qin Yaoyao's mood improved a lot, and another thought germinated in her mind.
Being an artist was too hard.
If she could marry into the Xiao family and become Mrs. Xiao earlier, she wouldn't have to care about the gossip in the entertainment industry anymore, nor would she have to endure the hardships of training.
More importantly, once she married Xiao Yanzhi, she could rightfully become Mrs. Xiao, respected by everyone.
By that time, how could Jiang Li still be so arrogant!
Thinking of this, she prepared herself even more. She must please Su Jialan tonight.
As long as Su Jialan approved of her, she would be one step closer to marrying Xiao Yanzhi.
...
Swan Mansion.
Qin Yaoyao was extremely cautious. She retouched her makeup several times before getting out of the car. After making sure that her clothes and makeup were perfect, she hooked her arm around Xiao Yanzhi's and got out of the car.
"A Yan, do I look okay?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes involuntarily looking around.
This was her first time coming to Swan Mansion.
It really lived up to its reputation as the top luxury hotel in Beicheng. Just the decoration of the lobby was already astonishing. The classical ornaments hanging on the walls were all extremely valuable.
Even the passing waiters were dressed neatly and respectfully greeted Xiao Yanzhi in unison.
"Good day, Mr. Xiao."
The whole hotel was filled with an air of luxury and nobility.
It was a place that ordinary people couldn't enter.
Qin Yaoyao's anticipation and longing grew stronger. She couldn't wait to marry into the Xiao family and enter the upper - class society.
Xiao Yanzhi led her and stopped in front of a door.
Qin Yaoyao's heart suddenly started beating very fast. She unconsciously tightened her palms and looked at Xiao Yanzhi nervously. "A Yan, I'm a bit scared."
Xiao Yanzhi gently patted her on the shoulder to comfort her, then reached out and turned the doorknob.
The door slowly opened.
Qin Yaoyao took a deep breath.
When she saw the two people sitting in front of the European - style table, her face suddenly changed, and her expression gradually stiffened.
"The roses you've been growing recently are blooming so beautifully. Do you have any secrets?"
On the carved armchair, Jiang Li gracefully picked up the black tea, took a sip, and then smiled. "I also want to grow one in my room. Could you please teach me?"
Su Jialan was also in a good mood. She smiled and replied, "I asked Uncle Shao to bring some fertilizer back from New Zealand for me. I guess it's working. I'll have someone send some to you another day."
The two of them chatted happily, looking like they had a good relationship.
Jiang Li was dressed very ladylike. She looked gentle and well - behaved, the kind that elders would like.
Qin Yaoyao looked at this scene in disbelief, her palms tightly clenched.
She knew that the noble and elegant woman was Su Jialan, but why was Jiang Li sitting opposite?
Apparently, Xiao Yanzhi also didn't expect Jiang Li to be here. His eyes darkened slightly, and a complex look flashed across them.
"Mom, I've brought Yaoyao here," he said in a deep voice. There was no obvious emotional fluctuation in his voice, but it was clearly a bit cold.
At this time, Su Jialan seemed to just notice them. She stopped in the middle of her sentence and gently turned her eyes to look at the man and woman at the door. "Come and sit down quickly. Don't just stand there."
Xiao Yanzhi's eyes were deep. "Mom, what do you mean?"
Su Jialan tilted her head slightly. Her eyes stayed on Qin Yaoyao for two seconds, then shifted to Xiao Yanzhi's face. "What could I mean? I just wanted to get you young people together for a chat."
Xiao Yanzhi's face darkened a bit. His jawline tightened, and his eyes were filled with coldness.
This was a precursor to his anger.
Su Jialan pretended not to see it. Her voice was still soft and gentle, like a spring breeze. She turned the topic back to Qin Yaoyao. "Is this Yaoyao?"
Qin Yaoyao stood there, biting her lips, and extremely unnaturally lowered her head. "Yes, ma'am. My name is Qin Yaoyao. I'm very glad to meet you."