Jiang Li smiled and tiptoed to the center of the circle. She twirled gracefully to the beat and rhythm.
Her figure swayed, and her steps were extremely steady. Especially when the music reached its climax, she spun even faster, and the cheers from the crowd grew louder.
Suddenly, the scene in the photo flashed through Jiang Li's mind again. Her steps immediately faltered, and then a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She gasped in pain—
The dance had to stop. Several people helped her to a stool nearby, their faces filled with worry. "Lili, are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
Jiang Li waved her hand. The pain and burning sensation from her ankle were surging straight to her heart, but she still said, "You guys keep practicing. I'll just rinse it with cold water. It'll be fine."
After sending the other members away, she limped along the wall and made her way to the pool outside the drama troupe. She propped herself up with one hand and turned on the faucet with the other.
Based on her previous experience of getting injured while practicing dance, she could tell that it was just a minor sprain and her bones weren't broken.
The cold water washed over the swollen part of her ankle again and again. She just stared at the red and swollen area, her nose slightly sour.
Jiang Li, you're so useless.
The sun was scorching at three in the afternoon, but Jiang Li seemed not to feel the heat. She stood rigidly under the faucet.
It wasn't until the cold water made her whole calf go numb and the blood seemed to stop flowing that she still remained there.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, blocking the large area of sunlight that should have fallen on her.
Jiang Li felt the shadow. She looked up against the light, and the figure that had been repeatedly appearing in her mind overlapped with the person in reality.
She was a bit confused between reality and fantasy.
"… Xiao Yanzhi?" she called out uncertainly.
He bent his waist slightly and slowly approached, looking down at her. "Got nothing better to do? Came here to soak up the sun?"
It wasn't a fantasy. It was really him.
Jiang Li immediately came to her senses. Looking at the familiar face of the man in front of her, she took an imperceptible step back. "What are you doing here?"
Wasn't he supposed to be lovey - dovey with his first love?
This was Huacheng, the drama troupe, a place that had nothing to do with him, and also a place where she could completely draw a clear line from him.
"Twisted your ankle?"
Jiang Li didn't answer him.
Xiao Yanzhi wasn't in a hurry. He didn't mind that she was deliberately ignoring him. He just said calmly, "Such a show - off."
After saying that, he almost forcefully picked her up horizontally, carefully avoiding the injured part. He carried her to a shady place and helped her sit down.
Before Jiang Li could open her mouth to ask again, his broad palm grasped her ankle. Just as she was about to struggle, the man casually glanced up at her.
Jiang Li stopped making a sound.
Xiao Yanzhi bent his knuckles slightly. He supported her ankle with one hand, and pressed the palm of the other hand on the swollen area. He kneaded it with a little force.
The pain came again. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, but she endured it stubbornly. All the nerves in her body were tense, and she gritted her teeth tightly, not making a sound.
Xiao Yanzhi could feel her tense body. He just let out a faint laugh, as if laughing at her stubbornness, but still patiently helped her knead the meridians.
"Do you feel better now? Later, I'll ask Xue An to bring you..."
Before Xiao Yanzhi could finish his well - organized words, Jiang Li slapped him directly in the face.
There was no one in the yard, so the sound of this slap was very clear. It even echoed on the surrounding walls.
An extremely quiet and long second passed.
Jiang Li's body was trembling. She saw the man's previously calm face gradually turn gloomy, and his eyes looking at her also turned cold.
His face was angry, but he didn't lose his temper.
Jiang Li felt that he could pick her up at any time and throw her out hard.
That slap just now must have hit his dignity.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Yanzhi closed his eyes and slowly calmed down. His tone was still not good, extremely cold. "Is this how you treat the person who helps you deal with your sprain?"
"I didn't ask you to help me." Jiang Li almost blurted out. "Moreover, this of yours is not help. It's sexual harassment."
Sexual harassment?
Xiao Yanzhi was silent for a moment.
He never thought in his life that this charge would be placed on him.
Did he, Xiao Yanzhi, need to sexually harass someone?
Jiang Li tried to calm her nervous heartbeat and said very calmly and rationally, "Who asked you to come here? This is a drama troupe. Didn't you see the sign outside that says 'No outsiders allowed'?"
Good, very good.
Just now it was "sexual harassment", and now he was an "outsider".
"I came to Huacheng on business. I just happened to pass by and saw you. Don't be ungrateful." Xiao Yanzhi said coldly.
"Why should I be grateful for your so - called 'coincidental help'?"
Jiang Li didn't hesitate at all. "You suddenly appeared here from Beicheng for no reason, and then kneaded my ankle without saying a word. Which of these things did you get my consent for?"
"Since I didn't consent, why should I be grateful for your help?"
She spoke clearly, but her eyes glanced to the side. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your kindness, Mr. Xiao. Please leave now."
Her intention to drive him away was very obvious.
Xiao Yanzhi calmly looked down at her. There were slender finger marks on his fair - skinned face. His usually cold face looked a bit comical for a rare moment.
It was like a man who had been slapped by his girlfriend after a quarrel, looking aggrieved.
He obviously wasn't a patient person. He turned around and was about to leave. When he was almost at the back - yard door of the drama troupe, a voice suddenly called out to him from behind. "Wait."
Xiao Yanzhi immediately turned around. He walked back with a cold face, quickly came up to her, and looked down at her.
Jiang Li: …
He was actually quite obedient, but he didn't seem to have much patience.
"Tell those people who are following me to leave. Don't monitor me anymore." Her voice was extremely cold. "Or does Mr. Xiao have a special hobby of secretly peeping into other people's lives?"
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzhi was silent for a while before slowly saying, "The remnants of the Tan Mizong sect haven't been completely eliminated. When those people are pushed to a corner, they may come after you for revenge."
According to the information Xiao Yanzhi had obtained, those people had already vowed to harm Jiang Li, so he had arranged for people to follow her at all times to ensure her safety.
Jiang Li held her breath and suddenly burst out laughing. "Why would they take revenge on me? What grudge do I have against them?"
Xiao Yanzhi frowned.
"Does everyone related to you have to be retaliated against? Even I, a former kept mistress, have to be implicated? This is so unfair."
She smiled slightly. "The people they should be looking for are those who can threaten you."