Even after all this time, the rain showed no sign of letting up. The car inched its way to the hospital entrance at a snail's pace.
Jiang Li had just finished her psychotherapy session and been prescribed new stabilizers, which were said to be good for stabilizing her emotions.
She originally wanted to invite Qiao Jinrun out for a meal, but he had a surgery that night and couldn't get away. So they had to make another appointment.
Qiao Jinrun offered to take Jiang Li home, but she politely declined. "Dr. Qiao is so busy. I wouldn't dare waste your precious time."
"Let's catch up next time."
After saying goodbye, Jiang Li held the umbrella Qiao Jinrun had given her and slowly walked down the steps at the hospital entrance, gradually disappearing into the rain.
The umbrella was big and sturdy. Her body was hidden beneath it, and with the thick curtain of rain, it was almost impossible to recognize her.
She took a few steps forward when she suddenly sensed something and slowly lifted the umbrella.
A man was standing by the roadside. He had a tall and straight figure, wearing a well - tailored suit. His well - defined hand held the umbrella handle, while the other was in his pocket.
His large frame stood under the umbrella. Through the misty water vapor, his distinct features were none other than those of Xiao Yanzhi.
In the hazy water vapor, there was an air of pure and absolute solitude about him.
The raindrops hit the umbrella surface, pattering down like a shower of random beads, making a chaotic noise that was even a bit annoying.
Jiang Li blinked and stared at his face, feeling as if it were a dream.
On this close, gloomy, and hazy rainy day, he had found her.
She had already made up her mind to cut all ties with him, but why did he keep showing up again and again?
It gave her an illusion.
The illusion that he was constantly watching her.
The sound of the rain mixed with his deep voice. From a distance, it was a bit hard to hear clearly. "Why are you at the hospital? Another cold?"
It was hard to tell if his tone was one of interrogation or concern.
Jiang Li remembered that the last time she met Xiao Yanzhi at the hospital, she had lied and said she was there to pick up cold medicine.
This time, under his scrutinizing gaze, she lied again. "Yeah, I'm feeling a bit under the weather because of the drop in temperature."
Xiao Yanzhi walked up to her, looking down at her, and then reached out his hand.
"Let me see."
He wanted to take the handbag in her hand.
It contained the newly prescribed psychological stabilizers. Jiang Li instinctively hid the bag behind her back and took a step back.
Xiao Yanzhi's hand still hung in the air. Beyond the shelter of the umbrella, the rain directly soaked his arm, and his sleeve clung to his body.
But he still stubbornly held out his hand.
After a few seconds of stalemate, she finally gave in and handed the bag to him.
She knew she couldn't hide it from him anyway.
"Get in the car."
He lifted the umbrella, his eyes fixed on her. "I'll take you home."
His tone was firm and domineering, leaving no room for negotiation.
The car was parked by the roadside, its hazard lights blinking regularly.
Xue An was waiting in the car.
Jiang Li was silent for a moment. Thinking that he had her medicine in his hand and that she had something to say, she nodded, giving her silent consent.
The car was well - sealed. The moment the door closed, the urgent sound of the rain was shut out, and the interior of the car instantly became quiet and peaceful.
"Mr. Xiao, where shall we go now?" Xue An saw the two finally get in the car after standing in the rain and started the engine.
Xiao Yanzhi looked at Jiang Li, signaling for her to tell the address.
Jiang Li felt for the keys she had brought back in her bag and gave the address of her old apartment.
She hadn't been back there for a while, and she had a lot of things there. She wanted to go back and take a look.
"Not going back to Ruiyuan?"
"There's no point in going back." Jiang Li replied casually. "I can't sleep well in an unfamiliar environment."
Xiao Yanzhi glanced at her, his voice low. "You're not familiar with Ruiyuan?"
She had lived there for three years. How could she not be familiar with it?
"I was familiar with it before, but not necessarily now." She looked out of the window, never turning her face towards Xiao Yanzhi.
It seemed so forced to talk to him.
She still remembered how Xiao Yanzhi had said in front of her that he would let Qin Yaoyao move into Ruiyuan in the future.
"It's your house. What's there to be familiar or unfamiliar with?"
Hearing this, Jiang Li let out a faint laugh.
She had once thought it would be her house.
But it turned out that anyone could go in.
Seeing that she wasn't in the mood to talk to him, Xiao Yanzhi frowned and then noticed the bag in his hand.
He took out a box of medicine with the name "Carbamazepine" on it.
"Is this cold medicine?" Xiao Yanzhi waved the medicine box in front of her, his tone teasing. "Jiang Li, you're really a habitual liar now."
He remembered that in a research paper on bipolar disorder, this kind of medicine was mentioned as a treatment for psychological problems.
Jiang Li didn't answer. She just reached out and took the box of medicine from his fingers, put it back into the bag, and then took the bag back into her own hands.
There was no word exchanged throughout the process. It was obvious that she was ignoring him.
"Are you really that reluctant to talk to me?"
Xiao Yanzhi's gaze lingered on her face. Remembering what Xiao Yuanfeng had said a few hours ago and associating it with Jiang Li's recent reactions, the corner of his lips curved into a faint smile, still subtly controlled.
No wonder she had blurted out that day, asking him to be responsible for Qin Yaoyao.
It turned out that she was jealous.
"Li Li, I never knew you could be like this when you're angry."
He sized her up and said with a smile, "You could just say it. Actually, that thing was just..."
"Then I'll be straight."
Maybe it was because of the rain, but her breath was filled with a sticky dampness, making her feel uncomfortable all over. "The movie directed by Director Ying will wrap up in two months, and my contract will expire then."
"This movie is aimed at winning awards. If there are no accidents, it should earn a lot of dividends, and the company's stock price will also rise accordingly."
Jiang Li analyzed the pros and cons calmly, word by word. "I plan to use this part of the dividends to pay off my other contracts and buy my freedom. I hope Mr. Xiao can approve it."
The smile on Xiao Yanzhi's lips gradually faded as he listened to her words. "Jiang Li, do you think of yourself as a commodity?"
"I can be." Jiang Li let out a slow breath and smiled indifferently. "Now this commodity wants to buy her freedom. Will Mr. Xiao agree?"
She spoke calmly, her tone flat without any emotion.
Although it was a question, it was obvious that she wasn't going to give him a chance to refuse. "If you don't agree, that's okay. I've inquired about the contract. We can go to court."
Xiao Yanzhi's face remained gloomy all the time. When he heard the last sentence, he was so angry that he laughed instead. Each word seemed to be squeezed out between his teeth. "Jiang Li, are you addicted to lawsuits?"