In the end, Jiang Li didn't get to stay outside for long. The tail behind her was really annoying. No matter how hard she tried to shake him off, he just wouldn't go away. Not only did he spoil the view, but he also ruined her mood. So she simply walked back to the hotel along the way.
Of course, the man followed her back as well.
It was quite a concession for him to walk such a long distance on foot.
It wasn't until Jiang Li reached the door of her room that the man behind her still clung to her like a shadow, impossible to shake off.
He was like a piece of chewing gum.
"Mr. Xiao, I'm at my room," she said as gently as possible, but the coldness in her tone was hard to hide.
The implication was that it was time for him to leave.
Xiao Yanzhi's gaze swept over her calmly. He stared at her for a few seconds, then let out a meaningless chuckle. "Jiang Li, being pushy is not what a smart person does."
She could tell that he looked down on what she had done.
Indeed, as her sponsor, Xiao Yanzhi was in a rare good mood today. He accompanied her for a long walk by the river and even sent her to the door of her hotel room. He was truly a gentleman.
Now, her cold words made her seem unappreciative.
She turned around and met his gaze.
Xiao Yanzhi was arrogant to the core. That's why he thought that after doing so much, she shouldn't be so ungrateful and continue to act high - and - mighty.
Yes, act high - and - mighty.
At least that's what Xiao Yanzhi thought.
Jiang Li just looked at him. Her watery eyes seemed to hold a thousand words. Her tone was obviously much gentler than before. "Mr. Xiao, I just remembered that I forgot to tell you something."
Surprised by her sudden softness, Xiao Yanzhi raised his eyebrows. "Speak."
"Transfer me 5,000 yuan. Remember that."
Xiao Yanzhi: "..."
He had been waiting for what she was going to say next. Hearing this, his eyebrows twitched violently. He reached out his hand to grab her wrist.
But Jiang Li had already anticipated his move. She immediately pressed her fingerprint, opened the door, and slipped inside.
The whole process was done in one smooth motion. She closed the door without any hesitation.
"Good night."
...
When he met her gentle eyes just now, he almost mistakenly thought that she had really fallen for him.
She was really a good actress. She could switch between coldness and tenderness so smoothly that it made people feel as if they had just had an illusion.
For the first time, Xiao Yanzhi felt such a strong sense of frustration.
His face darkened.
He hadn't called off this sponsor - protégé game yet. Who did Jiang Li think she was to try to withdraw completely?
She wasn't qualified.
It wasn't his style to wait patiently outside a woman's door. He turned around and was about to leave when the door of the room behind him opened again.
Seeing the man standing at the door, a look of surprise flashed across Jiang Li's face.
He hadn't left yet?
Jiang Li didn't come out to check if Xiao Yanzhi had left. The toilet in the suite was leaking, and the water had flooded the whole room. There was no place to stand. She was going to find someone to repair it.
The hotel staff immediately rushed over. First, they helped Jiang Li pack up her things, then they called a repairman to check. It turned out that the water pipe was in disrepair and needed to be replaced.
"The floor has been soaked. This room is uninhabitable tonight. We're really sorry for the inconvenience," the hotel manager kept bowing and apologizing to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li shook her head. She didn't intend to make a fuss. "Just help me change to another room."
Hearing this, the hotel manager looked even more embarrassed. "Except for the rooms booked by the filming crew, the rest of the rooms are all occupied. Can you make do and share a room with someone else tonight?"
Jiang Li's eyebrows gradually frowned.
She had only met the people in the filming crew a few times. There was no one she was familiar with. How could she have the nerve to ask someone to share a room with her?
Xiao Yanzhi hadn't left. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, listening to their conversation, as if waiting for something.
"Jiang..." Just as he was about to speak, the elevator in the corridor "dinged," and Xiao Ye stepped out of it.
She had just gone out to buy a vegetable salad for Jiang Li. When she came back and saw the water all over the room, she was shocked. "Did the room flood?"
Jiang Li remained calm. "Xiao Ye, go to the nearby hotels and see if there are any suitable rooms. We may have to change hotels tonight."
As she said this, she didn't ignore Xiao Yanzhi, who had been watching the show.
Without even thinking, she knew that he must be waiting for her to take the initiative to ask to share a room with him.
She would rather sleep on the street.
Seeing that Jiang Li didn't blame the hotel, the manager heaved a sigh of relief. He apologized and bowed again. Jiang Li waved her hand to indicate that it was okay and told him to go about his business.
So only the two of them were left confronting each other in the long corridor.
"Come to my room?"
"No," Jiang Li answered quickly.
Xiao Yanzhi still leaned against the wall, squinting at her. His deep voice was lazy. "We've slept together before."
He was mocking her false modesty.
"Precisely because we've slept together, I can't go," Jiang Li answered calmly, ignoring the sarcasm in his words.
Only then did Xiao Yanzhi realize that Jiang Li was actually very stubborn.
Sometimes she was so stubborn that it seemed a bit obsessive.
Just like now.
"Are you going to wait in the corridor all night if she can't find a suitable hotel?"
Xiao Yanzhi straightened his body. He rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. "Come to my room and wait. Don't stand out here and make a fool of yourself."
His eyes swept over the things piled outside. He saw the script on top and pulled it out with his long fingers. "Come to my room and report on your recent work progress."
Afraid that she would flatly refuse, he added, "You can leave after the report."
If private persuasion didn't work, then he would go about it officially.
In the end, Jiang Li followed Xiao Yanzhi into his suite.
This hotel wasn't top - notch, but undoubtedly, Xiao Yanzhi's suite was the most luxurious. Everything from the decoration to the facilities was complete and very stylish.
It was obvious that Xiao Yanzhi really intended to stay here for a long time.
As soon as they entered the room, Xiao Yanzhi slumped on the sofa.
He took out a cigarette from the cigarette case. The curling blue smoke slowly rose from his fingers.
Since she burned her esophagus while drinking before, Jiang Li's throat had become extremely sensitive. As soon as she smelled a bit of cigarette smoke, she would start coughing. But she suppressed it. She only made a slight sound when she couldn't hold it back anymore.
Xiao Yanzhi took two puffs. When he realized what was going on, he irritably stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.
The room was well - ventilated, and the cigarette smell dissipated quickly. The itch in her throat soon subsided. Jiang Li said in a low voice, "Thank you."
"For what?" Xiao Yanzhi turned to the side, his eyes deep. "I didn't say I put out the cigarette for you."
"Thank you anyway," Jiang Li looked at him and said. "You didn't put out the cigarette for me, but it made me feel more comfortable. So I should thank you."