On the other end.
"Still can't get through on the phone?" Xiao Yuanfeng was so angry that he almost broke his walking stick. "This unfilial son is going to make everyone laugh at our Xiao family!"
Xue An didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of the old Mr. Xiao. "Mr. Xiao said an hour ago that he was going to get something. Maybe he'll be back soon."
"Scoundrel!" Xiao Yuanfeng roared. "He just doesn't take the Xiao family seriously at all, which is why he keeps bringing useless people home one after another!"
"Now he says he's going to get engaged, but makes such a mess of it. He's simply out of control!"
Qin Yaoyao was wearing a small wedding dress and looked exquisitely beautiful. At the moment, she had her head bowed very low, and her shoulders trembled in waves.
She was on the verge of crying several times out of nervousness but managed to hold it back.
The enraged Xiao Yuanfeng had such a powerful aura that she didn't even have the right to speak.
"Come here." Xiao Yuanfeng called her after calming down a bit.
Qin Yaoyao bit her lip and walked over. "Hello, Uncle."
Xiao Yuanfeng looked at her with a pressing gaze. He stared at her for a few moments, then impatiently shifted his eyes away. "I'm asking you, where's Xiao Yanzhi?"
"I... I don't know." Qin Yaoyao's voice trembled uncontrollably as soon as she opened her mouth. "I talked to him on the phone a few hours ago. He said he had already set off."
Xiao Yuanfeng saw through her timidity and said succinctly, "Now go find Jiang Li and ask her to contact Xiao Yanzhi."
Qin Yaoyao's breath caught in her throat.
"Uncle, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Sister Jiang Li is a guest, and she's not..."
Hearing this, Xiao Yuanfeng sneered. "Do you think he really wants to marry you?"
Qin Yaoyao's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Xiao Yuanfeng was too lazy to waste words with her. He just tapped his walking stick on the ground and said impatiently, "If you don't want to become the laughingstock of the whole city tonight, you'd better be sensible."
His meaning was clear. Now only Jiang Li could find Xiao Yanzhi.
There was no other way.
---
After waiting for about another ten minutes, a waiter in a white shirt and black vest approached Jiang Li's table. He bent down and whispered a few words in her ear.
After listening politely, Jiang Li's expression remained unchanged. She just nodded and said a few words in response. Only then did the waiter leave.
Although it was just a casual conversation of a few words, it was inevitable that some people would pay attention.
Two or three minutes later, Jiang Li slowly got up.
Seeing that she was about to leave her seat, the female guest at the same table immediately became interested and suddenly called out to her in a deliberately exaggerated tone, "Miss Jiang, it seems the ceremony is about to start. Where are you going?"
The female guest's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it just carried far enough to reach everyone around.
For a moment, all the hot gazes were cast over and landed on Jiang Li.
"To the restroom. Do you want to come with me?" She smiled slightly and said jokingly, "The waiting time is too long. I can't hold it any longer. If I don't go now, I'm afraid I'll miss the ceremony."
As soon as she finished speaking, her smile disappeared in an instant. Her eyes were extremely sharp, and her tone was full of questioning. "Or, where do you think I'm going?"
The people present were either wealthy, bosses, celebrities, or people in power. No one wanted to lose face on such an occasion.
Hearing this, the woman awkwardly touched her nose. "I see. Then I won't bother you."
Before there was any proof that Jiang Li was related to Xiao Yanzhi's sudden disappearance, no one dared to be the first to take action.
It would not only make one a laughingstock but also easily provoke the Xiao family.
Jiang Li walked calmly. Her high heels were very light on the carpet. She looked straight ahead and walked out of the hall in an orderly manner. Then she stopped in front of a hotel room.
The moment she pushed the door open, the smile on Jiang Li's face disappeared without a trace, leaving only coldness and indifference.
Sitting on the chair in the middle of the room was none other than Xiao Yuanfeng, exuding a cold aura.
"You're really sensible." Xiao Yuanfeng was not surprised to see her. "I would have gone to invite you myself if you were just one minute late."
When she heard from the waiter that Xiao Yuanfeng wanted to see her within five minutes, she knew she had no choice.
As long as she didn't show up, he would definitely find another way to make her appear.
It was up to her to choose whether the way would be decent or not.
"Now, call Xiao Yanzhi right away." He spoke, his tone full of pressure and command. "Now that he's missing, you're responsible for finding him."
"I'm not responsible for this." Jiang Li didn't even lift her eyelids. Her tone was slow and deliberate. "Moreover, I don't know where he is. You should ask Qin Yaoyao."
"If she could find him, do you think I'd need to ask you?"
Jiang Li lowered her eyes, her voice soft. "Then you can ask someone else. I really can't help."
Seeing her refusal, Xiao Yuanfeng sneered. He took out an envelope from his pocket and threw it forcefully on the table. The photos immediately scattered all over the floor. "Then these photos will be scattered all over the hall from above tonight."
Jiang Li glanced down. The moment she saw them, her pupils dilated instantly.
They were photos of her and Xiao Yanzhi. There were pictures of them kissing, her being carried into the car by him, and the two of them going in and out of the hotel together...
"Guess what will happen if any of these photos leak out tonight?" Xiao Yuanfeng curled his lips mockingly. "I don't want to threaten you in this way, but the face of the Xiao family can't be lost."
"Jiang Li, you're a smart person. Don't make me treat you in such a despicable way."
Hearing these words, Jiang Li's ears were only filled with a buzzing sound.
Her voice was hoarse. Her pride from before could no longer support her. "What if I can't get in touch with him either?"
"That's a pity." Xiao Yuanfeng raised his eyebrows, his tone extremely cold and imposing. "If he doesn't show up in the hall within an hour and successfully complete the engagement ceremony, everyone will think that you stopped this marriage out of jealousy."
"Think about your reputation, Jiang Li."
...
Jiang Li walked out of the room numbly and leaned against the hotel wall.
Everyone was gathered in the hall, and no one noticed this small corner where she was.
She closed her eyes and dialed Xiao Yanzhi's number.
She hoped he would answer, but also hoped he wouldn't.
But within five seconds, the phone was picked up.
Jiang Li's heart sank.
"Hello." The man's deep voice came from the other end. "What's up?"
Jiang Li took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Where are you?"
"Room 1102. Come here."
---
Jiang Li stood in front of the room. Her hand that was about to knock on the door went up and then down.
Just as she was hesitating, the door suddenly opened. The man, wearing a shirt and suit, looked down at her. "How long do you plan to stay at the door?"
It turned out he had seen everything through the peephole on the door.
Jiang Li bit her lip, composed herself, and said stiffly, "Mr. Xiao, all the guests in the hotel are waiting for you."
The man seemed to let out a soft laugh. His voice was tinged with nonchalance. "So what?"