"What else? Of course, it's to get rid of you."
With this light - hearted remark, Xiao Yanzhi felt as if he'd been struck by a club from behind, his chest filled with a suffocating tightness.
He stared at her, his gaze growing deeper and colder by the second.
His rose was becoming increasingly audacious.
Xiao Yanzhi let out a soft chuckle, a mocking and haughty one. "Jiang Li, do you think Chen Siqi has the ability to outmatch me?"
"Let's give it a try. There's always a chance." Jiang Li ignored the threat in his words. Her tone was gentle but held an unwavering determination.
"Aren't you afraid that the Chen family will go bankrupt and you've chosen the wrong backer?"
Jiang Li didn't seem to mind. Instead, she smiled and said, "If Mr. Xiao wants to declare war on Chen Siqi, there's no need to inform me. However, I don't think Mr. Xiao would act so impulsively just for me, right?"
The half - smiling tone carried an indescribable mockery.
It was as if she had already seen through his heart but could still leave at any time.
The atmosphere fell into a heavy silence.
After a long while, Xiao Yanzhi said in a deep voice, "I've said before, don't overestimate yourself."
...
When Jiang Li returned to Chen Siqi's car, her expression was calm and natural, showing no sign of what had just happened.
Chen Siqi smiled and said, "I thought you'd fallen asleep in the restroom."
"I ran into an acquaintance and had a little chat." Jiang Li didn't evade the question and answered casually.
Chen Siqi raised his eyebrows slightly, guessing what had happened, and asked, "Xiao Yanzhi?"
"Yeah."
Having guessed right, Chen Siqi paused for a moment, his tone filled with apology. "Sorry, I should have waited for you."
Her so - called "little chat" was probably not as simple as she made it sound.
"Really, it's okay. He just asked me why I agreed to go with you." Jiang Li clearly didn't want to continue this topic. "It's getting late. Let's go back."
Chen Siqi nodded and didn't intend to dig deeper. He then signaled the driver to start the car and leave.
It was the time when the event was ending, and there were many cars in the parking lot trying to get out. They had to queue up and move slowly.
Just as the driver turned the steering wheel to drive away from the hotel entrance, Jiang Li casually glanced up and noticed two people standing at the door.
It was already quite dark at night, but the two people at the door were very conspicuous.
Xiao Yanzhi stood there, crossing his arms as he looked at the woman in front of him. The dark night made his face unclear, and it was hard to tell his mood.
The woman standing opposite him was a stranger. Jiang Li took a few more glances but still couldn't recognize her.
She had a good memory. As long as she had met someone once, whether in the circle or outside, she could have a general impression, which helped her navigate the world of fame and fortune. But she had never seen this woman before.
Xiao Yanzhi stood in front of her, as if shielding her from the wind.
As the car drove away, Jiang Li gradually withdrew her gaze and only then noticed that Chen Siqi had been looking at her.
"You seem quite interested in those two people at the door?" Chen Siqi asked.
Jiang Li shrugged to deny it and then asked with a smile, "Don't you ever gossip?"
In other words, she had just stared at the two people out of curiosity. As for who he was with and what they were doing, she didn't care at all.
---
At the hotel entrance.
Xiao Yanzhi had one hand in his pocket and his head slightly lowered as he looked down at the woman in front of him. His eyes were cold and indifferent.
He looked nonchalant, a cigarette clamped between his fingers. The burning end was visible but not very obvious.
He stood upright, exuding a cold and unapproachable aura.
"A Yan. Long time no see." the woman called out to him.
Xiao Yanzhi remained unmoved. He just kept looking at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Thank you for sending someone to pick me up." The woman's face was pale, an unhealthy complexion. She was extremely thin and looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Xiao Yanzhi said, "It's nothing. Didn't I tell Xue An to take you to the hotel to rest?"
"I wanted to thank you in person." The evening wind blew the hair of Yu Wan into a mess. She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked up at him with a gentle expression on her face. "Thank you for helping me. I'll repay this favor when I get the chance."
Xiao Yanzhi closed his eyes slightly and rubbed his temples.
If it hadn't been for Xue An's call telling him that Yu Wan wanted to see him tonight, he would never have let go of the woman in the restroom.
Thinking about everything that had happened today, Xiao Yanzhi was already in a dispirited mood. He looked at his watch and said, "It's getting late. Let Xue An take you back."
His tone was very firm.
Yu Wan nodded and agreed with his decision. "Okay. Once I find a place to live, I'll invite you to dinner."
Xiao Yanzhi nodded, implicitly agreeing to her suggestion.
An encounter between former lovers didn't have to be overly stiff or cold.
...
Inside the hotel.
Bai He, who had just finished her wedding banquet, hurriedly called Yu Wan.
Yu Wan hadn't even had time to take a shower when she was bombarded with questions. "Sister Yu Wan, did you see my brother?"
"I did. He's still the same, cold to everyone." Yu Wan was filling the bathtub with water while answering the phone.
Bai He wasn't satisfied with this answer and continued to ask, "Is that all? Didn't you make an appointment to have dinner together next time?"
"We did, but he didn't seem very interested. I think he was just being polite." Bai He asked a question, and Yu Wan answered it flatly.
The situation didn't develop as Bai He had expected, and she was a bit disappointed. "Why? I thought the two of you would..."
"Come on. Neither your brother nor I have that kind of intention. Don't waste your time on this." Yu Wan smiled and said without hesitation, "I'm already content to be friends."
"Sister Yu Wan..." Bai He was on the verge of tears.
It was Bai He's wedding night, but she was completely preoccupied with Yu Wan's affairs and didn't care about her own.
"Alright. Today is your big day. I've come back to accompany you, haven't I? Be happy."
"..."
After finally persuading Bai He to hang up the phone, Yu Wan placed her phone on the sink, slowly took off her clothes, and stood bare - footed in front of the mirror.
Looking at the new and old, dark and bright red scars on her chest and back, her eyelashes trembled slightly. She closed her eyes in pain, then covered her face with her hands and let out a long sigh.
She had escaped.
---
A few days later, the media reported two entertainment news stories, each one astonishing.
One was the official Weibo announcement of Jiang Li and Chen Siqi's relationship, which also set the wedding date. It immediately sparked a heated discussion.
[Weren't they just broken up not long ago? Now they're back together and getting married in a hurry?]
[I heard that Jiang Li will quit the entertainment industry after getting married. I don't know if it's true. I'm waiting for the official announcement.]
[The rumor that Jiang Li was pregnant was suppressed before. It might be true. I think it's a shotgun wedding for sure.]
[The child may not be Chen Siqi's. Congratulations to Mr. Chen for being a "step - father"!]
[Mr. Chen has a cuckold!]
...