Although Jiang Li was tactful in the arena of fame and fortune, she had never bowed down humbly. Instead, she was more like a proud rose in full bloom against the wind.
All her flattery was built on her lofty and arrogant personality.
She was so high - minded and proud that no one could really make her lower her head.
The brand - new, unopened pregnancy test kit box lying on the table seemed like a great mockery.
He didn't believe her.
No matter what the answer was, he didn't believe her.
For a moment, she suddenly felt extremely lucky in her heart.
Lucky that she wasn't really pregnant.
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, and her smile was flawless. "Okay, Mr. Xiao. I'll go and take the test right away."
She was obedient and docile, just like before.
But something seemed different. Xiao Yanzhi couldn't put his finger on it. He just squinted and watched her walk into the bathroom.
...
The waiting time wasn't too long. When Jiang Li came out again with the pregnancy test kit in hand, Xiao Yanzhi was sitting at the dining table working temporarily.
There was a laptop with a lit screen in front of him. He was holding a cigarette between his fingers, looking a bit nonchalant.
When he saw her come out, he almost reflexively stubbed out the remaining cigarette butt in the ashtray and slowly raised his eyes.
"Did you take the test?" His tone was flat.
Jiang Li clenched the pregnancy test kit in her hand and nervously hid it behind her back. "Yes, the result is out."
As she spoke, her eyes were pitiful, helpless and confused. "I'm pregnant."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiao Yanzhi's eyes tightened instantly. It was hard for him to stay calm any longer, and even his breathing became irregular.
Although he had tried to accept this news for a whole night and thought about countless possibilities in his mind, when it really came to him, he was still a bit slow to react.
Was he really going to be a father?
Although it was sudden, he didn't reject it.
Xiao Yanzhi didn't say a word. He just reached out and pulled her into his arms, his palm tightly clasping her spine so thin that he could feel the bones.
She was too thin. She needed to eat more if she was pregnant.
"Mr. Xiao, are you going to be responsible?" Jiang Li pushed his chest with her palm. Her voice was soft and interrupted his train of thought.
She playfully tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, with a slight sob in her throat. "Once I'm pregnant, I won't be able to act anymore."
"I have to retire immediately, then prepare for pregnancy and quietly wait for the baby to be born." She paused for a moment and then pursed her lips. "Where does Mr. Xiao plan to hide me later? In the countryside or a small town?"
Xiao Yanzhi froze instantly. "What do you mean by 'hide'?"
Jiang Li lowered her eyes and just gave a meaningless smile. "Didn't you say that you'd let me be your mistress and give me everything I want except marriage?"
She was so calm, and her words were cold and emotionless.
The joy and uneasiness that had just flashed by were completely diluted by her words.
He stared at her with a gloomy face for a long time, then suddenly sneered coldly. "Over the years, what I've appreciated most about you is your self - awareness."
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao." Jiang Li pretended not to hear the irony in his words.
Xiao Yanzhi quickly let go of the hand that had just been holding her and lifted his lips mockingly. "Before you said you couldn't accept it. Now you seem to be accepting it quite quickly."
"Is this what they call 'a woman is weak, but becomes strong for her child'? It's really touching."
Jiang Li had become numb to these words, and her heart didn't feel the pain anymore. "Do I have any other choices? It's better to be sensible now and get some benefits. Should I follow the plot of those romance dramas, run away with the child and then let the child meet his biological father many years later?"
It was such a cliche and disgusting plot that even TV dramas were too lazy to shoot this kind of thing. No one would watch it.
"Rather than suffering half a lifetime for the so - called pride, it's better to enjoy the good life and give birth to the child. At least I can live a relaxed and carefree life." She snorted and pursed her lips self - deprecatingly.
"Jiang Li, are you saying that I'll let my child be a bastard?" Xiao Yanzhi said expressionlessly, his voice turning cold and pressing her with every word.
Her expression was bright and vivid, and the smile still hung on her face. "If not, does Mr. Xiao plan to marry me formally?"
"You don't deserve it." He said word by word, as if gritting his teeth.
Of course she didn't deserve it.
Jiang Li laughed very hard. She had never laughed so hard even when she won her first Best Actress Award. "I don't deserve to marry you openly. Naturally, your child doesn't deserve to see the light of day. Isn't this taken for granted?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
"Well said." Xiao Yanzhi loosened his tie impatiently and said in a deep voice, "But I won't leave any hidden trouble for myself."
What he meant was that the child she gave birth to was a hidden trouble.
Once a "bastard" appeared in a wealthy family, it would definitely be a scandal. The child might even compete with the eldest son for the family property and could potentially lead to the downfall of the whole family.
The Xiao family would never allow such a thing to happen.
She was the rose he had nurtured. How could he tolerate her thorns hurting him?
"So, it's best not to give birth to this trouble. That's the best choice." Jiang Li tightened her palm. Her tone was calm, and the smile on her face faded a bit. "Mr. Xiao, am I right?"
Xiao Yanzhi stood in front of her, looking down at her. For a moment, his anger clouded his mind and his voice was cold. "I'll ask Xue An to make an appointment for your abortion surgery right away."
His decisiveness and cold - heartedness made Jiang Li suddenly relax. The last bit of reluctance and attachment completely disappeared.
Businessmen were really good at calculating.
She smiled and put the pregnancy test kit on the table. "No need. Consider it as me saving this money for Mr. Xiao."
The lights in the hotel were still very bright, shining on her bright smile.
But in that smile, there was clearly a sense of brokenness and a kind of relief after seeing the truth.
Even if she was really pregnant, the child would only be a part to be abandoned after weighing the pros and cons.
She was abandoned, and her child would also be doomed to the same fate.
Jiang Li left resolutely. She turned the doorknob, and the door closed gently with hardly a sound.
Xiao Yanzhi looked up and only then realized that she had already walked far away.
There was still a frost of anger on his face. He casually glanced at the table.
One line.
In an instant, the expression on the man's face changed rapidly. There was annoyance at being tricked and an indescribable daze.
What had he said to Jiang Li in his impulse just now?
Xiao Yanzhi closed his eyes tightly, and his expression gradually became gloomy.
...
On the evening at the end of June, there was already a faint chirping of insects. The summer wind made the leaves on the trees rustle, but Jiang Li's steps never paused for a moment.