After leaving Jinhai, Jiang Li immediately put on a mask and a hat, covering herself tightly. Then she hailed a taxi by the roadside.
She had considered staying in a hotel on her own, but with Sister Chen, Xiaoye, and Jingyi all absent, she had no one around. It was easy for her to encounter extreme fans or get secretly photographed by paparazzi.
She didn't dare to take such a risk.
After much thought, Ruiyuan was the most suitable choice.
All her luggage was still there.
It was already nine o'clock when she got back to Ruiyuan.
Jiang Li casually placed her phone on the console in the entrance hall and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
In May, it had started to warm up in Beicheng. After being out for just a short while tonight, a thin layer of sweat had already formed on her body.
She was always meticulous when taking a shower. She not only scrubbed every inch of her skin clean but also followed a complicated and elaborate skin - care routine after the shower, not skipping a single step.
By the time she finally finished showering, took good care of her skin, and walked out of the bathroom, more than two hours had passed.
She had forgotten to take her pajamas in when she went in, so she had to put on a shirt that reached her thighs and casually fastened a few buttons on the collar.
While she was sitting in the living room blow - drying her hair, several more calls came in. However, the noise of the hair dryer was so loud that it completely drowned out the ringing.
At this moment, Xiao Yanzhi was almost blowing up Jiang Li's phone!
Listening to the mechanical female voice saying over and over again, "The user you dialed is not answering for the moment. Please try again later," his broad palm almost crushed the phone.
His mind was filled with countless worst - case scenarios.
Maybe her bipolar disorder had flared up again, and she had run off to some desolate place alone, or perhaps she had rushed onto a dangerous road—
"Still no news?" He snapped back to reality, pressing his tongue against his teeth, his tone extremely impatient. "It's been over an hour, and not even a trace of her?"
"No. We'll keep looking," the voice on the other end of the phone was extremely humble. "Mr. Xiao, do you have any clues you can provide?"
She had left so resolutely. There was no fucking clue.
Xiao Yanzhi cursed under his breath and simply threw his phone to the other side of the back seat.
In this over - hour period, Xiao Yanzhi had finished two packs of cigarettes, but his anxious mood didn't ease the slightest bit. His gaze fell on the driver in the front seat. "Got any cigarettes?"
The driver silently took out his cheap five - yuan cigarettes from his pocket. "Mr. Xiao, here you are."
Xiao Yanzhi took them, lit one, and took a deep puff. Maybe it was because the tobacco was too cheap, or maybe it was due to his irritability, but he choked on his throat and suddenly coughed violently.
The embers of the cigarette in his hand flickered on and off, but he didn't let go.
The driver had never seen such a composed man like Xiao Yanzhi be so flustered just because he couldn't find Miss Jiang.
"Mr. Xiao, I have a guess. I'm not sure if it's right," the driver said hesitantly, lacking confidence in his voice.
Xiao Yanzhi responded with a grunt. "Speak."
Sweat began to break out on the driver's forehead. Relying solely on his intuition, he said, "Is there a possibility that Miss Jiang has already returned to Ruiyuan?"
Xiao Yanzhi folded his hands, his knuckles tightening so hard that the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze deep, cold, and fixed on the driver. He silently waited for the driver to continue.
The driver felt a chill run down his back. His heart pounding, he stammered, "I'm just making a wild guess. After all, the surveillance coverage is quite extensive these days. It's impossible not to find her."
If it weren't for the fact that the road - condition surveillance at the entrance of the Jinhai Bar was under maintenance, they would have been able to find out which taxi Jiang Li had gotten into right away.
But now, without the surveillance and with the large number of people at the bar entrance all the time, they could only search like headless chickens.
However, as long as she had appeared in public, there was no way there would be no clues at all, unless she had simply vanished into thin air.
Xiao Yanzhi lifted his eyes.
——
Jiang Li finished blow - drying her hair. Remembering that the doctor had told her to take her medicine on time, she took a cup and walked into the kitchen.
Just then, there was the sound of a password being entered at the door.
Jiang Li poured herself some hot water and leisurely walked out of the kitchen. The moment she stepped into the living room, she happened to lock eyes with the man standing at the door.
Their eyes met.
At that moment, Jiang Li wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but she seemed to see panic on the man's face. But the moment their eyes met, there was also a sense of relief.
Xiao Yanzhi's gaze was as dark as night. The look in his eyes when he stared at her was so complex that it was impossible to fathom.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?" He stood in the entrance hall, suppressing the hoarseness in his voice. "Why didn't you answer the phone after you got back?"
God only knew how out of control his emotions had been tonight.
"I was taking a shower," Jiang Li blinked. She always felt that Xiao Yanzhi's emotions were off. She slowly replied to him, "I take a long time to shower, and then I was just blow - drying my hair..."
Jiang Li spoke calmly and frankly, her eyes meeting his.
She didn't seem to be lying.
Before she could finish her sentence, the man took large strides straight towards her. He stood in front of her rather awkwardly and without hesitation, pulled her into his arms.
His arms were so strong, holding her tightly. Jiang Li was forced to nestle in his arms. She smelled a strong tobacco odor on him.
It was the brand he usually smoked, but it also seemed to have a hint of some other kind. It wasn't exactly pleasant. The mixture of different tobacco scents made her temples throb.
This was abnormal.
Extremely abnormal.
She was only wearing a shirt, and the temperature of the man's palm on her back was icy cold.
At this time of the year, he shouldn't be this cold.
Maybe the air - conditioner in the car on his way back had been set too low?
Jiang Li pushed against his chest with her palms, trying to struggle free. "Xiao Yanzhi, let go of me. I need to take my medicine."
Xiao Yanzhi took a deep breath. His voice was hoarse, and his chest rose and fell with each breath. "Give me a minute."
When he said a minute, he really meant a minute.
After a minute, Xiao Yanzhi finally let go of her. His expression was no longer as flustered as before. His eyebrows showed his usual calmness and composure. "Next time you take a shower, remember to take your phone into the bathroom too."
After saying that, he loosened his tie with his hand, yanked it off without any hint of gentlemanliness, and tossed it aside.
He closed his eyes tightly, as if the tightly - wound string in him had finally relaxed. He slumped tiredly on the sofa.
Having known Xiao Yanzhi for so many years, Jiang Li rarely saw this out - of - control side of him.
Most of the time, she had only seen his calm and composed demeanor, with everything under his control, as well as his indifference towards everyone.
He was acting very strangely now.
"What's wrong with you?" Jiang Li sat opposite him and asked calmly.
This time, Jiang Li's tone was one of genuine concern.
But the man didn't respond to her. He still held his breath and concentrated. After adjusting his breathing and state, he walked into the bathroom as if she wasn't even there.
It was as if he had regarded Jiang Li as thin air.
Jiang Li: … She shouldn't have bothered to ask.
There was only one day left until the official announcement. Jiang Li decided to ask Sister Chen about the subsequent work arrangements and the time for Huacheng.
She shuffled over in her slippers and picked up the phone on the console in the entrance hall.
When she took a look, she was shocked.
There were 99 missed calls, all from the same person.