When Jingyi asked this question, Jiang Li seriously thought for a while.
She had seriously considered her future before, but there had been too many changes later, so she had never made any more plans.
"Sister Jiang Li?" Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Jingyi called out to her, which brought her back to her senses. "What are you thinking about so seriously?"
Jiang Li smiled and poked Jingyi's forehead with two fingers. "I'm thinking about how much raise I should ask Sister Chen to give you so that you can buy an apartment in Huacheng earlier."
Jingyi beamed. "Well, the more money, the better!"
Of course, the more money, the better.
As for future plans, Jiang Li currently had no ideas.
She was quite satisfied with her current situation.
She didn't have to live in fear or flatter others. A smooth and carefree life was truly great, giving her a sense of freedom.
The evening breeze carried a bit of chill. Jiang Li took a deep breath, and her chest felt cool and refreshing.
Just as the two were about to go back, the phone in the handbag vibrated.
When she saw the caller ID, surprise flashed in Jiang Li's eyes. She quickly answered the call. "Doctor Qiao?"
Qiao Jinrun's tone was as straightforward as ever, and there was a faint sound of wind in the background. "I just arrived in Huacheng. Do you want to have dinner together?"
"Why did you come to Huacheng?"
Qiao Jinrun's soft laughter came through the receiver. "Can't I come?"
"Of course I didn't mean that."
"I'm here on a business trip for a medical seminar in Huacheng tomorrow." Qiao Jinrun briefly explained.
Hearing this, Jiang Li immediately understood.
From the loudspeaker broadcast coming through the receiver, it could be heard that Qiao Jinrun was at the airport. Jiang Li glanced at the time. "Doctor Qiao has come from so far away. We must have dinner together."
...
By the time Jiang Li rushed to the appointed place, Qiao Jinrun had already reserved a table and was waiting for her.
Since it was getting late, for convenience, he had directly chosen a restaurant near his hotel.
While waiting for Jiang Li, Qiao Jinrun ordered some dishes in advance. The moment he closed the menu, a text message came in on the phone beside the table.
[Jiang Li: I'm here. Where are you?]
Immediately afterwards, Qiao Jinrun looked up. His eyes pierced through the crowd, and he saw Jiang Li, dressed in a neat outfit, standing in front of the glass door.
Although she was dressed in a low - key and well - covered way, her graceful figure was still hard to hide.
Jiang Li hadn't removed her makeup yet. Under the hat, she looked elegant, and her eyes were particularly bright.
Qiao Jinrun waved his hand. The woman immediately saw him and walked towards him with a big smile on her face. She sat down opposite him.
"Doctor Qiao, you're dressed too thickly."
As soon as Jiang Li sat down, she noticed the down jacket he had draped over the neighboring chair. She couldn't help but smile. "The temperature here is quite high. If you walk on the street in a down jacket, you'll look like a weirdo."
Qiao Jinrun chuckled softly, not caring at all. "Keep warm in spring and get cold in autumn. We should follow the laws of nature."
It didn't matter if he looked like a weirdo. A healthy body was more important.
The food in Huacheng was relatively light. Qiao Jinrun pushed the menu in front of her. "I just ordered a few dishes. You can see if there's anything else you want to eat. I'll treat you."
"Then I won't be polite." Jiang Li curled her lips and took the menu.
Qiao Jinrun reached out his hand. It carried a clean and refreshing fragrance unique to him, like the smell of lemon or mint leaves.
It made people feel very clean.
The shooting today had cost her a lot of energy. By this time, she was really hungry.
After ordering the dishes, Jiang Li leaned back on the chair lazily. "After a busy day, I can finally eat."
Qiao Jinrun was silent for a moment. After thinking for a while, he took the initiative to ask, "I don't know much about this... Have you just finished filming a drama?"
His humble tone made Jiang Li want to laugh, but she deliberately held it back. "Is there anything Doctor Qiao doesn't know?"
"Sorry. After all, being a star is not a completely public profession."
Qiao Jinrun answered seriously. "If there are any relevant books for introduction, you can recommend them to me."
Jiang Li tried very hard to hold back the corners of her lips, but she still couldn't control it. The smile gradually overflowed from the corners of her mouth, and her eyes were brightly shining.
She smiled cutely. Her bright eyes were full of a bit of cunning and were extremely vivid. "If Doctor Qiao is interested, I can give you a free science - popularization directly."
"Of course, the content in the confidentiality contract is off - limits." While whispering, she wiggled her fingers, looking very carefree.
Rarely seeing her act so coquettishly, Qiao Jinrun smiled. "It seems that you've been in a good mood recently."
Compared with before, there was much less sadness and depression between her eyebrows.
The two chatted for a while. The dishes on the table were almost all served, and they started to eat.
"When will you go back, Doctor Qiao?"
Qiao Jinrun's hands holding the chopsticks were very good - looking. They were hands that were born to perform surgeries. Even his action of picking up food was very pleasing to the eye.
"Probably in about a week." Qiao Jinrun answered her and then asked her in return, "What about you? When will you go back to Beicheng?"
Jiang Li lowered her face slightly. After thinking for a while, she raised her head and said, "The work here is going smoothly. I don't have any plans to go back for the time being."
Hearing this answer, Qiao Jinrun pondered for a moment and then smiled slightly. "Well, it seems that you're more at ease here."
Jiang Li picked up the glass and held it in front of the two of them. The liquid in the glass sloshed a little. "Thank you, Doctor Qiao."
Even if Qiao Jinrun didn't say it, Jiang Li could feel that he cared about her very much.
Whether it was out of his duty as a doctor or out of the identity of a friend, she should thank him well.
After a few glasses of wine, Jiang Li was a little tipsy.
Actually, she had a good capacity for alcohol, but since she hadn't had any social engagements recently, her alcohol tolerance was obviously not as good as before.
Qiao Jinrun noticed her blushing cheeks and pink - tinged earlobes. He asked carefully, "Are you drunk? Do you want me to take you back?"
Jiang Li shook her head.
She was a bit drunk, but not to the point where she couldn't go home by herself.
Qiao Jinrun very gentlemanly replaced the wine with tea and got her a new glass to help her sober up.
Then, he suddenly said, "The other night, Su Jialan suddenly fainted and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. Do you know about this?"
Jiang Li raised her eyes, looking confused. "Something happened to Mrs. Su?"
She hadn't paid attention to the news in Beicheng recently, and no one had told her about this.
"Yes. I heard from my colleagues in the department that it seemed she was verbally stimulated and lost control of her emotions for a moment, which led to the recurrence of an old illness. She's still in a coma."
Jiang Li blinked. Suddenly, she remembered that day in the fitting room when Xiaoye said that Qin Yaoyao was going back to the Xiao family to meet the parents.